Have you ever asked someone what love is? - Azriel x OC

Part 1

Have you ever asked someone what love is? What love means to someone?

Over the years I had heard it settled in you like a burning desire, something that made you yearn for the contact of another person. To be able to share your life, your memories with someone until the day you died.

Looking at the snivelling man in front of me, he made me doubt the things I had been told.

"Please I need something that says 'I'm sorry'" the distaste of him wiping his nose across his sleeve was hidden as it flashed across my face, turning behind me for a bunch of red roses.

"Roses are normally best for apologies" I explained, ringing him up and he left in a hurry once he'd paid, allowing me to shake my head in disbelief. Some people.

"Cas! Are you hungry?" I called into the back of the shop, lifting my head from where I was wiping down a surface, seeing the chair and table my brother normally resided at empty, with crayons and paper strewn across it. "Cas!" I called again, my heart racing as I failed to locate him.

I rushed out of the shop, his name falling from my tongue when I spotted him.

He was sat on the cobbled floor, being attacked by what looked like dark matter. Shadows swirled around him as he laughed, trying to catch and pet the black shapes as they tickled his face and hands, playing with him. A man had crouched next to him, broad wings blocking the sun from their eyes as he tried to talk to him, but Cas paid him no mind, continuing to play with his new friends.

My surprise at the stranger quickly moved to amusement as Cas babbled away at him in his own language, shadows flicking between him and their master.

"What happened to staying in the shop?" Cas gasped at my stern voice, the stranger standing, and he took that opportunity to hide behind the Shadowsinger's wings. I rose an eyebrow, hands resting on my hips as I could still see his feet behind the man. "Casanova" I chided but the boy just giggled, and I could see the shadows keeping him company, fighting the smile growing on my face.

"He belongs to you?" the stranger asked, and I let out a fond sigh, my gaze meeting his apologetically.

"Most days. I'm so sorry if he's disturbing you"

"not at all," he dismissed, a polite smile crossing his face "they seem to get along quite well" he observed, some of the shadows sneaking away from Cas to gather by my feet, flicking at my ankles as I grinned, crouching down to let them wind through my fingers "they're normally better behaved"

"they're quite amazing" we met eyes again, his dark brown ones studying me, and I ducked my head to hide my blush. He was certainly pretty. "Come on Cas, let's let the kind man continue his day"

"but Al" he whined and I smiled, straightening.

"I've got Lunch ready" both of us watched as eyes appeared around the wing, staring right at me.

"lunch?"

"mhmm, why don't you come out and we can go back?" I offered and the little eyes narrowed.

"triangle sandwiches?"

"I think that can be arranged" he moved out from behind the wing, shadows trailing behind him and I noted the Shadowsinger eyebrows pinch as he stared at them, stepping back slightly and they seemed to stop at an invisible barrier a foot in front of us. Cas hugged my leg, suddenly shy in front of the man and I couldn't help the chuckle that escaped me, tucking some fallen hair behind my ear before placing a hand on top of his head.

"I'm sorry again" my gaze lifted to the pretty brown ones "he's a troublemaker".

"I know the type" his lips curved, shadows dancing around his glowing sapphire siphons, twinkling in the light of the sun.

"Al" Cas tugged at my skirt, "triangle sandwiches"

"Alright love," I soothed "it was lovely to meet you" I gave the Shadowsinger one final smile before we walked back to the shop, this time making sure he would stay at the table before serving him his triangle sandwiches.

Cas had a tendency for running loose. Which is why school was a blessing, he was contained there, watched constantly when Madja or I couldn't.

Madja was Mother sent. She always treated us like her own, from the minute she saw us on our first day in Velaris. And she adored Cas as much as he adored her, they were like two peas in a pod. We wouldn't have gotten where we are without her.