Verdant Skies

Clearing the wine from his windpipe, Kouen gifted his youngest brother a dark glare while ignoring the snickers that rose from his household. Mentally promising to pay them all back, he asked the boy, "What was that, Kouha?"

Drawing back a bit, the boy's confident demeanor slipped away at his tone for a few moments before coming back full force. Hands planted on his hips, Kouha demanded, "You heard me, Entei. I want to know what's going on between Iris, Mei, and you."

Eyebrow twitching at the demand, Kouen supposed it should be a blessing that Kouha had brought it up now rather than during a meeting. While the boy wasn't stupid, he wouldn't put it past his younger brother to do something like that just to get answers. Refraining from pinching the bridge of his nose, he grasped the glass of wine he'd been drinking from, "What do you think is going on?"

Eyes narrowed at him like a displeased cat, the boy growled out, "You can't hide it from me. I know something is going on between you three," Determination lit up Kouha's eyes, "I've seen the way Mei and you look at her, the way she looks back at you. It's more than being allies and different from being friends, Entei," The boy's lips were pulled into a fierce scowl, "I'm not some blind little kid like some people believe, so don't try me. What's going on?"

Almost proud that his youngest brother had figured things out even to that extent, Kouen set down his glass of wine as he acknowledged Kouha, "You are right, Kouha," He inwardly snorted at the look of surprise Kouha gifted him, "Something is going on between us though it isn't something cut and dry, it's complicated."

"Complicated how?" Kouha's nose wrinkled as he moved to sit down across from Kouen, "I mean...did you guys fuck or something when I wasn't looking?"

Feeling very glad that he hadn't been drinking when Kouha had said that, Kouen shook his head, "No, Ha. I would love to know where you got that idea though," He ignored the snickers from his male Djinn and was pleased when Phenex slapped the duo, "The reason it's complicated is due to both our feelings and the situation that we're currently dealing with. There is also the fact that none of us have broached the subject with one another."

"Seriously, Entei? You don't usually dance around," Kouha frowned at him, "Are you getting sick?"

Rolling his eyes, Kouen picked up his glass of wine, "No, you forget that Iris left for almost two weeks and since she's been back, we haven't had much time to speak with one another."

"True," Kouha bit his bottom lip, "So...how is it going to work? Mei, Iris, and you?"

"That is something that will be between us and only if it comes to that," Kouen narrowed his eyes at Kouha when the boy snorted, "What is it?"

Crossing his arms, Kouha smirked, "Just the way I saw her looking at Mei and you, I don't think it'll end up any other way,"

There was a knock on the door, Kouen felt a slight hint of relief when a servant came in to tell them that a selection of troops had been readied per his orders.

Slipping through the soldiers who were rushing about the small camp, Iris made her way into the tent that was settled in the middle of the camp. Smile tugging at the edge of her lips as she caught sight of Kouen looking through the papers scattered about the desk, she called out, "If you're hoping to find something, it won't be in there."

Eyes darting to her face, Kouen's eyes were what showed his surprise as she came closer to where he stood. Lips pulling into a slight frown, he eyed her, "I'm surprised you can find anything in that mess."

"That's the point," Iris bypassed the desk and knelt beside a small chest behind it, "When did you arrive?"

"Not too long ago," Kouen slid the drawers shut behind her as she unlocked the chest and shifted around the contents within, "You don't keep anything of importance in your desk?"

"Why bother? Even if the soldiers around might be trustworthy, a thief could still slip in," Iris pulled out the false bottom that was linked to the chest beneath this one and flicked the switch that would unlock it, "I've done it too many times to trust leaving important documents out,"

With a soft clank, the chest below began to open and Iris pulled out the papers that Kouen had likely been searching for. Once all of them had been removed, she secured the chest once more before handing the papers over to him after standing up. Raising an eyebrow as he began perusing the documents, Kouen commented, "I didn't expect your talent for subterfuge to transfer into this."

"I'm a woman of many talents," Iris let out a soft laugh as she began preparing some tea, "I take it that by the soldiers you brought you're planning on taking this city sooner rather than later?"

"Yes. Lady Ashe and Kouha have already begun to march on their targets," Kouen looked at her, "Do you believe that we can take this city soon?"

"Well...Yes though with the size of the force you brought, we'll have to pull some underhanded tactics to ensure there aren't any massive casualties on our side of things," Iris pulled out two teacups as she considered the information she'd gathered, "I need to gather more supplies for certain things, but it shouldn't be a problem,"

"Underhanded tactics?" Kouen raised an eyebrow at her as he set the papers in his hand on the desk, "You mean poison them?"

"Potion them, render them unable to move, and everything in between," Iris poured them both some tea once it was ready though didn't immediately give the cup to Kouen, "To put things bluntly, a show of force will work though even if I were to use my dragon form and you to use a Djinn, it would still lead to more than a few men on our side falling. Rather than let that happen, I believe it would be best if we take a more cautious approach,"

Eyeing her for a long moment, Kouen finally nodded and Iris handed him a teacup, "I was hoping that would be your answer," She raised an eyebrow at him, "While we have discussed tactics before it hasn't been at length nor without others present,"

"Ah," Iris shook her head as she went to take a seat, "So Kouha and Ashe have gone to deal with their targets? What of Koumei?"

"Koumei is watching over the city and working on strategies from there," Kouen took a sip of his tea and quirked a brow, "Where did you get this from?"

"From the Lord's home," Iris smirked a bit as Kouen snorted loudly, "You really wouldn't believe how little people look at others especially when they just change their clothes and hair color," She ran a hand through her hair, "Add in a small illusion to hide my more defining features and I look rather plain, the eyes just roll off of me," She took a sip of her tea and grimaced a bit, "Still not a flavor I appreciate, I'll have to talk with Neville about actually getting some tea that doesn't taste so weak," It was a running problem with this country, "I get Ashe though Kouha?"

"He is quite capable though I'll admit my youngest brother has never actually been up against trained soldiers," Kouen shook his head slightly, "He should be fine as both his household and Kin are with him,"

"I have a feeling he'll be bragging about it when he comes back," Iris giggled softly as she thought about Kouha running around as he shouted about his win.

"No doubt," Kouen smirked as he set down his teacup and reached for the papers once more, "You aren't concerned about Lady Ashe?"

"In some ways, I am, but...Ashe has come into herself since leaving this country three years ago," Iris set down her tea cup as a low sigh left her lips, "And even if I were worried about her, I know that Commander Quinn and Xioabel are keeping an eye on her. With them at her back, she'll be just fine,"

Eyebrow raising at that, Kouen eyed her, "You've explained Commander Quinn's relationship with her, but not Xioabel's...Neither of you have."

"Ah," Iris rubbed the back of her neck, "That is both a longer and shorter story to tell," She smiled a bit, "Xioabel is the son of Lord Habi's former right hand. A Lord who many viewed as the most cruel besides the jackass himself," She grimaced a bit, "He was born third in line to take over should the man die, but ended up becoming first inline after his brothers died one after another," She looked at her teacup and wished for something a bit stronger, "He was taken to the castle in hopes of being protected against whatever had taken out his brothers,"

"When he likely caused it," Kouen muttered earning a snort.

"It was his mother who married the former lord and had him a year after his first wife died," Iris shrugged her shoulders at the way Kouen looked at her, "Yeah...the woman was a bitch and Xioabel didn't give a shit when she was killed since he cared about his brothers," She picked up her teacup, "During his stay, he met Ashe and the rest is pretty much history,"

"This country...It almost reminds me of Kou to a lesser extent," Kouen rubbed at his face.

"There's a reason why I dislike politics and prefer doing shady shit if I've got to be involved," Iris took a sip of her tea, "Otherwise, I avoid the fuck out of it,"

"On that, I think we can both agree," Kouen chuckled before starting to scan over the papers.

Relaxing back into her chair, Iris gestured to the papers, "I tried to be as detailed as possible, but I know that some things likey got lost in translation. If you need some clarification, just ask."

Inclining his head to her, Kouen continued to read and Iris sipped at her tea.

In the grand hall of the city's castle, Kouen stood over the rapidly cooling body of the city's former lord. Blood dripped from his blade as the battle around him quieted, the once defiant guards were now either lying defeated or surrendering. Cleaning away the blood with a cloth torn from a nearby table, he felt a sense of satisfaction brew in his chest at how well the takeover had gone. How swiftly they'd managed it as well, a conquest that would normally last weeks had been shortened to a week thanks to Iris's quick thinking and strategies.

As he thought of Iris, a small smile pulled at Kouen's lips. Her skills in subterfuge and tactics had played a significant role in their victory, and he couldn't deny that he was impressed. She had assessed the situation, gathered the necessary information, and devised a plan that had made it all look almost effortless. And all without needing her dragon form, he found himself appreciating the skills she brought to the table even more than before with this little adventure.

Eyes running about the battlefield as he sheathed his sword, Kouen inwardly grimaced knowing that they now had to begin the part he normally shoved into Koumei's hands. Establishing control over this city and ensuring the people's safety now that many of their protectors were dead, he supposed it was a good thing that they wouldn't need to do much rebuilding with this particular city. He still preferred to let Koumei take care of the reconstruction efforts as the younger man had far more patience for it. As he pushed that thought from his mind, Iris strode through the door coated in a thin layer of blood.

Raising an eyebrow at the sight, Kouen asked her, "What happened?"

"I got cornered by a couple of assholes who thought I'd be an easy game," Iris grimaced as she reached him, "Let's just say one of the hallways now needs a deep cleaning...Like a really deep clean cleaning,"

There was a cackle from Astaroth, the male Djinn grinned brightly, "Ooh wonder what they tried to do?"

Ignoring his male Djinn despite being curious about the same thing, he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Other than probably having a few bruises, I'm fine," Iris grimaced as she glanced down at herself, "None of this blood is mine. I...need a bath," She looked back up and snorted, "Though the same could be said for you," She eyed him with a grin though it weakened after a moment, "You didn't get...hurt, did you?"

"No," Kouen inwardly smiled as she released a sigh, "It will likely take a few hours before anything resembling a bath can be drawn up,"

Shrugging her shoulders, Iris waved him off, "Not like I haven't had to deal with it before though I'll have to replace these clothes," She grimaced with a sigh, "Which is going to be fun," She looked about them, "So," She tilted her head, "Guess I should go see about helping with the clean up."

"Yes," Kouen nodded to her while wondering why she'd grimaced about replacing some clothing.

It wasn't as if she had a limited amount of clothing from what he'd seen, so what was the problem? Kouen shook his head as Iris darted back out the doors.

There was a knock on the door as Iris was dipping the new clothes she'd bought in the special potion that Neville had helped her make, she let out a small curse and pulled on the heavy robe sitting on top of her trunk. Grimacing at the immediate itch that started up, she forced herself to ignore it as another knock sounded and went to open the door. Seeing Kouen stand there, she blinked in surprise, "Kouen, what are you doing here?"

"I wished to go a bit more in-depth about the battle and see if there isn't a way to improve our strategy," Kouen eyed her, "Is there a problem?"

Flush decorating her cheeks, Iris shook her head, "N-no, I just wasn't expecting anyone seeing as it was getting late," She rubbed the back of her neck, "But I'm surprised you don't want to wait until tomorrow...when we're both fresh."

"Because the battle is fresh in our mind, we will remember more details right now," Kouen frowned at her, "Iris, are you feeling alright?"

"No, I-uh, I was working on a small project, but..." Iris inwardly sighed as she realized that Kouen wasn't about to give up on talking tonight, "Come on in, I guess it couldn't hurt to go over the battles,"

As she stepped to the side, Iris was becoming increasingly aware of her skin itching wherever the robe touched. Like ants were crawling across her skin and biting it, she tried her best to ignore the sensation as Kouen walked inside and closed the door. She saw him pause at the sight of two very full tubs that gave off steam and bubbled in one corner of her room. Turning his head as she moved to pour them both something to drink, he asked her, "What exactly are you working on?"

Licking her lips as she tried to figure out a way to explain the situation without revealing the severity of it, Iris grasped the decanter of juice she had set up, "I...Uh...I bought some clothes and due to certain facts they need to soak in certain potions before I'm able to wear them."

There was a long moment of silence, Iris poured them both a drink while barely managing to avoid spilling anything. Just as she went to pick up the cups, Kouen murmured, "That's why you grimaced earlier...isn't it?"

Surprised that he noticed, Iris nodded, "Yeah..."

"Is it an allergy?" Kouen asked as she slowly picked up the cups.

"Not quite..." Iris turned and slowly made her way over to him, "It's something to do with my dragon side and magic. Just like with metals and my magic not liking them, the same can be said for clothing," Kouen took the glass of wine though she gasped when he grabbed her wrist, "Kouen-"

Eyes widening when he tugged the sleeve of her robe down revealing rapidly spreading hives, Iris winced as his grip tightened. Kouen's voice was dark as he hissed, "Why are you wearing this robe?"

"Because if I don't, I'll only be wearing a shift," Iris tried to tug her hand away, "Kouen-"

"Take it off before that rash becomes worse," Kouen ordered earning a startled look, "I would rather you be comfortable than injuring yourself,"

Hesitating as he released her wrist, Iris set her cup of juice down on the nearby table and removed the heavy robe. Tossing it into one of the tubs, she let out a sigh of relief when the itching eased. Face flushing as she heard Kouen let out a low sound, she let out a low cough, "I-That feels a lot better," She looked at him and saw his eyes running across her form which only worsened her blush, "C-can you not do that?"

Eyes snapping to her face, Kouen's lips pulled into a smirk, "Do what?"

Rather than answer him, Iris grabbed her glass of juice and turned away from him, "You wanted to talk about how the battle went, right? Where do you want to start?"

"How about from the moment we separated? Before the chaos started," Kouen advised as Iris sipped her juice.

Nodding slowly as she lowered the cup, Iris thought back to what had happened, "I slipped into the city and as we discussed started planting the poisons that I used in the guard's drinks. It was easy enough since most of them tended to have a nightcap at the time I went in. When I was sure that everything was beginning to take effect, I started triggering the potions that I had set up making it so the gates swung open for you all without anyone being the wiser while any guard houses began turning into bonfires."

"And after that?" Kouen asked earning a low hum.

"I began slipping into the inner city and weakening their defenses to make things easier on everyone before heading here," Iris turned towards Kouen and jolted when she found him standing so close to her, "Kouen..."

"What did you do, Iris, once you got here?" Kouen's eyes were filled with that emotion she didn't want to name and another that was unfamiliar to her though she'd seen it more than once.

"I-" Iris loathed how she squeaked and forced herself to calm down, "I snuck inside with a group of servants and began potioning everyone. Being careful not to do things too quickly, I ensured they were weakened by the time you all arrived...I-" She jolted when his hand cupped her cheek and wondered how she could breathe with her heart pounding in her chest so quickly, "K-kouen,"

"You did very well, Iris," Kouen's calloused thumb ran across one of her markings and she shivered at the feeling, "I haven't thanked you for helping us with this, have I?"

"Y-you don't need to," Iris's cheeks must resemble Kouen's hair or eyes at this point, "I-I'm happy to help if it means ensuring the jackass is-"

"Dead, I know, but it doesn't mean I can't be thankful for what you do," Kouen chuckles low in his throat and Iris let out a squeak as her back hit the wall as she hadn't noticed them backing up, "Problem, Iris?"

"I-" Iris felt like her brain had gone blank and her heart was going to burst from how fast it was going, "I-"

Hot breath ghosted across her lips, Kouen's face was mere inches from hers as he murmured, "If you don't have a problem with it, I'd love to show you my appreciation."

"A-appreciation?" Iris felt like she'd been dropped into a bonfire.

There was a warmth pressing against her lips, the feeling was alien enough that she didn't register just what it was for a few seconds. When she did, a gasp left her though that only prompted Kouen to deepen the kiss that he planted on her lips. Eyes widened in shock closed, she found herself clumsily responding to Kouen as the hand on her cheek slipped down to brush against her neck where it slipped back to curl against the base. His other hand curled around one of hers, she gripped his kimono with her free hand though some rational part of her wasn't sure if it was to push him away or not.

They broke apart as a knock echoed on the door and Iris's cheeks flared darker than before as she panted heavily. Hand coming back up to curl around her cheek, Kouen's lips were pulled into a slight smirk though it was soft as he peered at her. He turned his head while calling out, "Yes, what is it?"

"My King," Seishuu called through the door, "You wanted to be informed when reinforcements arrived,"

"I'll be right there," Kouen turned back to Iris as his thumb ran across her lips, "We will have to continue this later,"

"C-continue?" Iris squeaked with wide eyes.

Chuckling as released her hand, Kouen told her, "We do have to finish talking about what happened after we separated," Iris inwardly sighed in relief while ignoring the slight sting of disappointment that rose from his words, "Though I do intend to have more of a conversation about what just happened."

"W-what do you mean?" Iris swallowed.

"Forgetting already? I'm almost disappointed," Kouen chuckled as he leaned forward, "Though it does give me an excuse,"

Before she could question him, Kouen's lips were pressed against hers again. Iris's eyes slipped closed against her better judgement once more and she let out a low sound earning a groan from Kouen as he pressed a bit harder against her. When he pulled back this time, she saw a look of contemplation enter his eyes before he released a sigh and shook his head as he turned away from her. Watching him go without a word, she slipped onto the ground once the door had closed and pressed a hand to her lips.

Eyes wide and head dropping against the wall, Iris whispered into the air around her, "Kouen kissed me and I kissed him back...the fuck...?"

And it wasn't that she minded the kiss either, Iris actually enjoyed the kisses now that Kouen wasn't practically pinning her against the wall. With her limited amount of kisses, they topped the few she'd had especially that tear-drenched one she shared with Cho. Or that drunken one she'd had with Ginny back when they'd first arrived in this world, a grimace pulled at her lips for even remembering that specific kiss. But kissing Kouen had only made the feeling brewing in her chest worse, she pressed a hand against her face with a groan.

"Koumei?" Iris called out from behind him.

"Iris," Koumei greeted her with a smile as he turned, "How are you doing?"

Shaking her head with a light smile, Iris reached his side as she shrugged her, "I'm doing fairly well, though I'll admit helping to clean up a city is something of a new experience," She eyed him curiously, "What are you doing here? I thought you were overseeing the main base."

Resuming walking with Iris beside him, Koumei explained, "We gained some reinforcements, and with them, some of my favored advisors," He pulled open a door and gestured for Iris to enter before him, "With them there, I can move about more freely though I'll have to return soon if only to ensure things are kept on track."

"Well, it'll be nice to have a helping hand. I get the feeling that this isn't the part of taking over a country Kouen enjoys," Iris walked past him, and he closed the door behind them as they entered a small library that was set up, "Seishuu and the others seemed to be enjoying his reaction, though."

Which wasn't surprising even if his elder brother's household tended to hide those emotions fairly well; they enjoyed seeing their king squirm at times. Koumei chuckled softly as he nodded, "I wouldn't be surprised," He saw her look of surprise, "For all that they hold themselves away at arm's length, my brother's household does view him as a brother in arms. It's how they got close enough to become household members of his."

"That explains a lot," Iris threaded her fingers together and put them behind her neck, "So Koumei, what are you planning to do? I wasn't around after the first city was taken over until things were settled, so I'm at a loss."

Smiling at Iris, Koumei gestured to the books and files already stacked on the table for him. Eyes widening as she let out a whistle, Iris shook her head slightly as she muttered something under her breath. He told her, "I am going to organize the information here, so that when the Lord or Lady Ashe appoints is ready to oversee this city, they'll have a starting point."

"Gotcha," Iris tilted her head, "Do you...need help?"

Startled by the offer, Koumei eyed Iris for a moment, "You want to...help me?"

"I...yeah," Iris's lips pulled into a weak smile as she dropped her hands, "I might not know what to do right now, but this isn't the first time I've had to organize things," She looked at the piles with a slight grimace, "Though I'm definitely going to need some guidance at first," She looked back at him, "I could also use a break from helping clear away rubble and stuff. My magic is getting a bit low, and my dragon form isn't exactly suited for certain tasks."

"That's understandable," Koumei moved towards the table, "Well, I don't mind having help, though it's been a while since someone other than Chuu'un helped me." Iris followed after him, and they got settled, "I'll try to explain things, though you'll need to tell me if something goes over your head, alright?"

"No problem," Iris reached out and grabbed a book from the stack in front of her.

Smiling as they got started, Koumei grabbed a file and began to explain his process, which was admittedly a little complicated. Despite that, Iris only needed a few things explained before she was able to grasp what he wanted her to do. As they worked through the piles, Iris would occasionally ask for help or verification on something. He called for some snacks and tea to be brought in after a few hours, though other than that, they didn't pause in their work, which was a nice change. Only when someone came in and informed them that dinner had been made that he realized how much time had passed. He looked at Iris in surprise as she merely stood and stretched with a soft yawn, "I'm surprised you stayed so long."

"Eh, Hermione's had us do study sessions for long," Iris offered him a warm smile, "Like I said, it was a nice break from having to move rubble around," She pushed her chair in and moved around the table as he followed her to the door, "'Sides, I kind of missed spending time with you,"

Heartwarming at that, Koumei smiled warmly at her in return as she pulled the door open and they headed out into the hallway, "I missed spending time with you as well, Iris. Would you like to continue this after dinner?"

Humming low in her throat, Iris started to nod, "I would-"

"There you are, Iris," Kouen called out from further down the hallway.

Looking at Kouen in surprise, Koumei jolted when Iris released a soft sound and he turned his head to see a bright red flush spread across her cheeks. A bolt of jealousy burst in his chest at the sight and he wondered what had happened since Kouen had left to join Iris here. Narrowing his eyes, he watched as Iris coughed lightly, "Kouen, you were looking for me?"

"Yes, I was hoping to continue our conversation from last night," Kouen reached them, "But you seem to be a rather hard person to find today,"

"She was assisting me," Koumei saw Kouen's eyes narrow at him, "And was quite the help,"

"It was nothing," Iris rubbed the back of her neck with a soft laugh.

"No, it did help, Iris," Koumei assured her with a soft chuckle, "Which is why I'd love it if you could come back after dinner to continue helping me out,"

Opening her mouth to answer, Iris was cut off by Kouen, "We still need to talk, Iris."

Eyes darting between them, Iris shook her head, "I-Uh-" She offered Kouen an apologetic look, "Another time, Kouen. Maybe tomorrow if we're both not too busy," Koumei barely managed to keep a smug smile from forming as Iris turned to him, "I don't like leaving jobs unfinished after all."

"Good to know," Koumei smiled at her, "But we should go get something to eat, I know that you're probably hungry if I am,"

Iris nodded, "Yeah, dinner sounds good right about now."

As they walked towards the dining area, Koumei couldn't shake the nagging feeling that had settled in his chest. Seeing Iris interact with Kouen sparked a mix of emotions, a blend of concern, envy, and something he wasn't quite ready to label. Just what had happened between Kouen and Iris since his brother had joined her here?

Dinner was a tense affair. The atmosphere in the room was thick with unspoken words and lingering gazes. As she tried to focus on her food and the clinking of silverware, Iris found herself increasingly aware of the eyes burning a hole into her skull. Without actively saying it, Kouen was all but demanding that they have a conversation that she'd been avoiding all day...a conversation that she wasn't ready to have.

Sensing the tension and seemingly wishing to ease it, Koumei attempted to steer the conversation. He brought up the day's progress and the challenges they'd likely face in rebuilding the city. Iris appreciated his efforts and did her best to contribute to the so often, she'd glance at Kouen and find his gaze locked on her. Squirming in her seat, she battled with thoughts and emotions that couldn't be articulated. The air seemed to crackle with tension which only made her feel worse as Koumei did his best to ease it.

As soon as she eaten her fill and before dessert could be brought out, Iris excused herself citing fatigue from the day's activities. Nails bit into the meat of her palm as she left the dining room, Kouen's eyes burning into her back with every step until the door closed behind her. Once outside, she took a deep breath, attempting to shake off the discomfort. The night air was cool, but it offered a welcome reprieve from the stifling atmosphere inside. Wandering through the castle grounds, she tried to clear her mind before it was time to go back inside and resume helping Koumei once more.

Reentering the small library, Iris saw Koumei look up from the papers in his hand with a surprised look. She closed the door behind her as he commented, "Iris, you didn't need to come back if you're tired. I can easily handle things from here."

"As I said earlier, I dislike leaving jobs unfinished," Iris walked over to the table and retook her seat from earlier, "Taking a walk refreshed me, I'm good to go,"

Eyes lingering on her for a long moment, a soft expression entered Koumei's gaze as he finally said, "Alright though if you get too tired-"

"I'll tell you," Iris promised earning a warm smile.

As they settled back down to work once more, Iris found herself relaxing as the tension from dinner faded to the back of her mind. While part of her still felt a bit guilty for avoiding Kouen, she was glad for the chance to work on something that needed her whole focus. As she worked with Koumei though, she noticed the subtle shifts in his demeanor. The slight twitches whenever their fingers would brush when they both went to grab the same document, the glances he kept giving her, the way lingered in her personal space whenever he was pointing something out for her-it all spoke of those feelings that she wasn't quite willing to broach yet.

Fatigue began to catch up with them as hours passed by, Iris rubbed at her eyes as the words became increasingly blurry. She dropped her hand as Koumei asked her, "Tired?"

Nodding with a sheepish smile, Iris laughed softly, "The words are becoming a bit too blurry to read, so I think it might be time to call it a night," She pushed away from the table and stood, "We made a dent..." She glanced at the book and file-laden table, "I think?"

Chuckling with a warm look in his eyes, Koumei stood as well, "We did though there's still quite a bit more to do," Iris released a deep sigh as she stretched and her bones began to pop, "Tomorrow is another day to worry about such things, I believe we both earned a night's rest."

"Good to know," Iris dropped her hands from where she had them raised over her head and pushed in her chair.

Walking together towards the door, Koumei told her, "I would be very happy if you joined me again tomorrow."

"I should be able to though I might be pulled away," Iris pulled open the door as Koumei gave her a curious look, "The castle forge was uncovered yesterday and one of the local blacksmiths has been looking it over. As soon as he gives the okay, I plan to actually break it in,"

"Oh? Anything in particular you're planning to make?" Koumei asked earning a shrug.

"Probably some daggers to knock the dust off," Iris walked alongside Koumei through the hall, "I might do some maintenance on some people's equipment since I've heard a few people complaining after the fighting,"

"Mind giving me a list of who comes to you for equipment repairs and what was wrong?" Koumei asked earning a small nod and quizzical look, "I mostly want to see if they're slacking on their basic maintenance work,"

"Gotcha," Iris paused by a stairwell and Koumei gave her a look of confusion, "This is where we part for the night, I'll see you tomorrow, Koumei,"

"Good night, Iris," Koumei inclined his head with a warm smile, "See you tomorrow,"

Waving to him, Iris jogged up the stairs and headed to her room.