Verdant Skies

"Morning, Iris-A letter?" Koumei looked at the letter in her hands curiously.

"It's from Aunt Luna," Arashi took his seat at the table with a grin, "It arrived in a bright flash of light a couple minutes ago,"

Seeing the curious looks, Iris nodded as she sat down beside Kouen with a small smile, "We've been experimenting with spelling letters over large distances as we don't have the means we did back in our old world," She set the letter down and picked up the cup of tea that was waiting for her, "I'll have to send a message back to her later that this particular letter reached us."

"It could be interesting if we can figure out a way for Magicians to use it as well," Koumei tilted his head slightly as a thoughtful look crossed his features.

"I'd be happy to work with some of the Magicians around here," Iris offered after taking a sip of her tea, "Part of what I was doing in Reim involved working with a team of Magicians and Engineers, I understand more about this world's magic now even if I can't use it,"

Kouen arched an eyebrow as his lips pulled into an amused smirk, "You've been keeping yourself quite busy, haven't you?"

Letting out a chuckle, Iris nodded as she set down her teacup, "Between working as a smith, making potions, and working with that team, I've kept myself pretty busy," She ruffled Arashi's hair, "Then again, Hatchling here kept me plenty busy whenever I wasn't at work as well. Pulling pranks on defenseless merchants with his Fanalis friends."

"Mama!" Arashi squawked as he batted at her hand.

Laughing at Arashi's reaction, Iris removed her hand with a bright smile, "Oh, don't act so innocent, Dragonling. I've heard stories from the merchants whenever Muu or his men weren't around to catch you. They were always keen to tell me about the little mastermind causing a stir in the marketplace."

Pouting at her as he fixed his hair, Arashi's eyes narrowed into a glare though there was a mischievous glint in those wine-red orbs, "It's not like we did anything bad."

Raising an eyebrow, Koumei looked at Arashi knowingly, "Define 'anything bad', Arashi."

Smirking as she looked between Kouen and Koumei, Iris leaned back against her seat, "Let's just say there were a few overturned stalls, creative uses of paint, misplaced goods, and random fireworks outside of a festive setting."

Snorting as he shook his head, Kouen looked at Iris, "He definitely has you in him."

Her cheeks flushed at those words, Iris coughed lightly and looked away as Arashi giggled, "Of course, Daddy Kouen. Mama's my Mama," She looked at Arashi with a warm look at those words, "Mama, what did Aunt Luna say? You never said."

"I haven't read it," Iris picked up the letter, "Let's fix that and see what she says,"

Letting out a small hum as she unfolded the letter, Iris's smile dropped as she read what Luna had written. She curled her fingers tighter around the letter as her jaw clenched. She looked up from it as Koumei spoke, "Iris? Is everything alright?"

Glancing at Arashi, Iris took a deep breath and forced herself to smile, "They had a bit of trouble after we left. Nothing that Luna and the others can't handle," She saw Arashi's face crumble into a worried look, "Hatchling, they'll be just fine. Luna and the others might be leaving Reim soon though."

"Really? Why?" Arashi looked at her in confusion while Koumei and Kouen shared a glance.

Setting down the letter, Iris smiled weakly at Arashi, "Because the recent fighting reminded them of something from our old world."

"But...why? Isn't that place dumb?" Arashi's brows furrowed.

"No, Hatchling, it isn't," Iris shook her head, "It was home once..." She sighed heavily, "But that was a long time ago, Sweetheart. It isn't home to me. This world is, the others still think of it as home occasionally,"

"I don't understand," Arashi's nose wrinkled.

"I know," Iris reached out to ruffle his hair, "But at the very least, we know that we'll see them at some point again. It won't be soon, but it'll be whenever our paths are supposed to cross,"

Nose wrinkled as he stared at her, Arashi grumbled, "You're talking like Aunt Luna."

Giggling as she smiled, Iris nodded, "Someone has to since she isn't here to do it."

After eating breakfast and letting Arashi run off with Seishuu again, Iris walked with Kouen and Koumei through the palace halls until they reached Kouen's office. Taking a seat on the windowsill with the letter in her hand, she toyed with the parchment. She looked up at Kouen as he asked, "What did Luna write?"

"They are leaving Reim," Iris assured them as she laid her head against the stone, "But...Sinbad came to Reim just as I thought he might," Kouen and Koumei's eyes widened, "He came under the guise of strengthening ties for the new alliance. In truth, he came looking for Arashi and me,"

Expression hardening as he processed the information, Kouen crossed his arms as he leaned against his desk, "What does he want with you? With Arashi?"

"Hermione and Ron talked," Iris saw flickers of confusion, "Sinbad's Djinn, I don't know which one it is, has them completely under its thrall. So they talked and with that recent visit," She held up the letter, "Luna was able to discover just how much they told him. He wants dragons...wants Arashi because he's an impressionable child with a powerful bloodline even if Hermione and Ron were never told who his father was. As for me, I'm a fully grown dragon with more magical power at my fingertips than most people," She shook her head, "He might be thinking of possibly using me to make more children like Arashi,"

Eyes narrowing further as his jaw clenched, Kouen hissed, "He's trying to exploit you both for some twisted agenda?"

"Seems that way," Iris shook her head, "It would fit into why my instincts have practically screamed at me to stay the fuck away from him," She handed over the letter to Koumei when he held his hand out for it, "Luna and the others are leaving Reim in hopes of ensuring he can't use the same Djinn he used on Hermione and Ron on them,"

Scanning the letter carefully, Koumei's expression grew more serious. He spoke softly as his gaze rose from the parchment, "Sinbad isn't likely to give up, is he?"

"Give what happened in the wake of his original kingdom's fall? No," Iris shook her head with a grimace, "Luna and the others are going to ground as best they can. I'm safe enough as I never told anyone where I'd be going save for Luna and the others,"

"We should still increase security around the palace," Kouen pushed himself away from the desk and began to pace about the room, "I will not allow that purple-haired prick near Arashi or you,"

"If you want, I can add wards around the place," Iris offered earning a pair of glances, "While I've never actually worked with a place as large as this palace, I've become a fair hand at warding since Arashi was born," She smiled weakly at the two as they both looked at her with startled expressions, "If we are going to ensure Sinbad or Gyokuen can't get anywhere near Arashi, I want to-"

A warm hand cupping Iris's cheek stopped her from speaking. She stared up at Kouen as he spoke in a soft voice, "Anything you need to do to protect Arashi, do it. We'll support you," She slowly leaned into his touch as his thumb brushed against the marking beneath her eye, "We trust your judgment."

Heart fluttering at those words, Iris smiled up at Kouen as she murmured, "I'll get started once we finish up here."

Her fingers ran along the 'runes' she'd etched into the stone, Iris had learned via trial and error what symbols worked best for certain wards. She knew Hermione would throw a fit if the brunette knew exactly how she'd been creating her wards. Satisfied with the array, she pushed magic into it and felt the defensive power flicker to life. She settled back on her heels for a long moment and took a breath. To cover the entire palace, she had eighty-seven more arrays of that size to complete with a larger interlocking array afterward that would set everything.

Head turning as footsteps approached, Iris smiled at Koumei as he paused at the corner. Head tilting as confusion filled his eyes, he slowly approached her, "Iris, are you alright?"

"Just taking a small breather," Iris gestured to the still glowing array, "28 arrays done. 87 small ones to go then I'll just heave to worry about the interlocking array to set everything,"

"Interlocking array?" Koumei asked as he stopped beside her.

Taking the hand he was offering her, Iris grimaced at how stiff her legs were and the way her back ached. She would definitely need a long soak in the hot springs settled below the palace later at this rate. Speaking as released Koumei's hand and began to stretch, she explained, "It's the array that will lock all the wards in place and allow them to interact seamlessly. While they'll do that now, it'll become more risky as we add more wards. And while I could simply add fewer wards, we run the risk of not having enough protection," She saw Koumei grimace, "There is also the stabilization factor to consider, 115 wards all interlocking is far more stable than say 96 or 25."

"I...want to say I understand it, but I don't," Koumei admitted as Iris moved to grab her tools, "You're using a lot of magic,"

"I am," Iris admitted with a slight grimace, "Which is why I am pacing myself as best I can," She slid the last file into its place before standing up and turning to Koumei, "Once I get this section of the palace done, I am going to eat something and take some time to recoup,"

Concern filled Koumei's eyes as he slowly nodded, he asked her, "Are you sure that we can't give you some help? The palace guards or maybe one of the smiths?"

"While I appreciate the concern, Mei," Iris said with a grateful smile, "Wards are as tricky as potions and require magic with every little part of them," She reached out to cup his cheek and her head tilted, "Even if I could have the help though, I'd say no. Wards are to be crafted with great care, they are not something that requires physical strength. It's

all about precision and magical control,"

Letting out a sigh, Koumei slowly leaned into her touch, "Alright, Iris. Just be careful and don't push yourself too hard."

"I won't," Iris promised him, "Now, I should get back to work if I want to finish this section before nightfall,"

His gaze lingered on her for a long moment as concern flickered through those red-pink orbs, he released a long sigh, "I suppose I'll have to leave you to it then. But if you need anything or if you feel too drained, don't hesitate to ask for help, Iris. Please."

Her lips pulled into a warm smile, Iris pressed a soft kiss to his lips before she pulled away, "I will, Mei."

As Koumei left her to continue her work, Iris focused on the intricate task ahead as she moved to the next spot. Dropping down as she began to form a mental image of the next array, she began the meticulous process of etching it into the stone. Every rune was crafted with care as if she were painting a new masterpiece, in a way, she was. Unlike her old paintings, the protective wards she was crafting had a task that would be worth all the work being put into them.

As she progressed through the arrays with runes steadily being etched into the stone, Iris could feel the palace guards occasionally passing by. While she tossed a greeting to them, she barely spared them more than the briefest of glances. As she finished the last array for this section, she slowly stood with her back and legs aching with each movement. Her limbs felt heavy, she knew by how heavy her chest felt that she'd used more than half her magic for just this section of the palace.

Cleaning up her tools, Iris slowly made her way through the castle with heavy limbs. She turned a corner and blinked at seeing Kouen not even a few feet from her. Offering him a tired smile, she opened her mouth only to close it as he frowned at her. Closing the distance between them, he cupped her face with his hands. His thumbs brushed against the markings beneath her eyes, he spoke softly, "You pushed yourself too hard."

Leaning into his touch with a low sigh, Iris knew he was right by how much her body craved the warmth he was letting off. Her lips pulled into a weak smile, she admitted, "Perhaps a bit more than I intended, the wards are important."

"Not more important than your health," Kouen's frown deepened.

Gently touching his hands, Iris lowered them from her face with some reluctance, "En, I'll be fine once I've gotten some food into my belly and rest. I admit that I've got to learn how to pace myself a bit better. I've never had a warding project like this before."

His expression softened at her words though the worry didn't abate, Kouen grasped one of her hands in his, "Stubborn as always," A soft sigh left him as a small, affectionate smile curled across his lips, "Let's get you something to eat then, I'll join you as I've finished my paperwork for the day."

"I'd like that a lot," Iris smiled at him.

Curling an arm around her waist, Kouen walked with Iris leaning against his side toward a small dining area that overlooked the palace gardens. Settling on the window seat together, they shared a somewhat heavy meal. As her plate was cleared of food, she settled her head on Kouen's shoulder feeling content.

His fingers running along her side, Kouen spoke as their plates were cleared away, "You look as if you could fall asleep right here."

"I could," Iris admitted with a soft laugh, "But if I did that, I would be far too sore tomorrow even with my healing factor," She slowly pulled away from him feeling a small pang of regret, "I am going to go take advantage of the underground hot springs,"

As she began to get up, Iris felt her tired body protest the movement. Almost stumbling as she finally stood, she felt Kouen's fingers close around her wrist as he caught her hand. Speaking softly as she glanced back at him, Kouen suggested, "Perhaps I should walk you down?"

With Kouen's arm wrapped firmly around her waist, they walked down the long hallways they led toward the hot springs. As they grew closer, the air became thick with moisture and sulfur as it gradually became warmer. Within her soul, Iris could feel her inner dragon purr at the heat that was steadily becoming available. Reaching a pair of double doors that Kouen pushed open, she let out a low sigh as steam curled thickly through the air. Even without entering the spring, she could feel a small amount of the fatigue lift from her shoulders as they stepped inside.

Nestled among a mixture of tile and natural rock formations, the large hot springs radiated enough heat to make her want to collapse into a happy puddle even in human form. It was large enough that she'd be able to curl up within her dragon form and there would still be room for others inside the spring. Tempting as that was, she would wait a while before attempting such a thing. Kouen led her towards a more secluded area where towels and bathing supplies had been set up. Kissing her on the cheek, Kouen spoke softly, "Take your time, Iris. I-"

Hesitating as he began to speak, Iris gathered her courage before finally cutting him off, "En, would you like to join me?" She saw the startled look on his face and flushed, "I am admittedly not as stable as I could be. While I loathe to admit it, the heat will likely make me sleepy even if it'll help soothe the aches of my body. So...I think it would be in my best interest if I have someone with me."

That startled look melted away as a warm smile formed, Kouen's eyes softened as he nodded, "I would love to, Iris."

Smiling at him as relief flooded her system, Iris pulled away from Kouen as they both entered the secluded area. There was some anxiety as she began to disrobe, she could feel Kouen's eyes on her though he was looking away when she'd glanced back at him. Stepping into the spring, she felt a mix of vulnerability and anticipation flickering through her. Slowly sinking into the inviting warmth of the hot springs, she let out a low sound as the soothing warmth enveloped her tired body. Her eyes slid closed as she felt the water curl around her body, the warmth of it caressing her skin and easing the tension from her muscles.

Eyes opening as she felt Kouen settle down beside her, Iris glanced at him and saw the way his eyes were scanning her. That subtle heat in his gaze sent a shiver down her spine, she saw curiosity in his gaze as well. She raised an eyebrow, "You look curious."

"I knew you'd likely have a few new scars, but did I see a tattoo?" Kouen asked as he reached out to trail his fingers along her shoulder.

Her skin felt even warmer from his touch, Iris nodded with a light flush coating her cheeks, "Yes. I have two," She shifted to show him her back and moved her braids out of the way, "Both happened because of Ginny, I was drunk during the first one and sober during the second," She shivered as his fingers traced over flowers that decorated her right shoulder, "They happened within my first month of arriving in Reim."

"You got drunk?" Kouen's fingers slid across her spine to the dragon crafted with stars along its body, "You never get drunk,"

"I was depressed, she was trying to make me feel better, and Luna was watching Arashi," Iris admitted with a soft laugh, "Not the best combination, and Neville made damn sure it didn't happen again,"

Fingers traced along the dragon, the tips of them dug into the silver-toned stars. Iris's eyes went half-lidded as she shivered from the feeling of Kouen's touch and the feelings it spawned within her. Kouen's voice was low and she jolted at the warmth of his breath brushing against her skin, "The second one?

Voice soft as her back slowly arched into touch, Iris explained, "Luna convinced me to get it. She said it would help me out of my 'funk'," She let out a low laugh as Kouen's fingers slid to the flowers that trailed down, "She was wrong, but I appreciated the effort she'd put in."

His touch trailing on the delicate lines of ink, Kouen's fingers dug into the petals as they trailed down her back. Eyes closing at the not-so-gentle exploration, Iris let her head tip back as his lips pressed against her ear. Voice whisper soft, Kouen's fingers slid from her back as his chest pressed against her skin, "Luna still has an interesting view of things."

"Always has," Iris smiled as she leaned back against Kouen and felt his fingers press into her hips.

His lips pressed against her skin softly, Iris reached back to slowly curl her fingers around the back of his neck while her other hand settled over one of his hands. Kouen's voice was a soft rumble as he spoke against her skin, "How are you feeling now?"

"Better though still tired," Iris turned her head to peer at him and saw the heated look in his eyes, "Why?"

"Curiosity," Kouen leaned in until their lips were close enough to touch and Iris's heartbeat started to pick up, "Would you be opposed if I took advantage of the fact we're both naked, in the hot springs, and very much alone?"

Swallowing as heat raced down her spine at that question, Iris let out a somewhat shaky breath as her fingers flexed. She murmured, "I...I wouldn't be too opposed-"

Her words cut off as Kouen claimed her mouth in a demanding kiss, Iris let out a soft sound as his fingers dug into her hips. Her eyes slid closed as Kouen's slipped into her mouth, the flavor of him invading her senses as his tongue coaxed hers into a wrestling match. Her fingers flexed, she slid her one hand into his hair as her fingers twined with the one settled at her hip. Her breath hitched as his tongue drew back and he nipped at her bottom lip, a low groan leaving his throat.

Pulling away from the kiss, Iris's head dropped back against Kouen's shoulder as he pressed kisses to her skin. His nose nudged her jaw as he nipped at her skin, the sting soothed soon after by soft kisses. She released his hand as it rose from her hip and began running along her stomach. She burrowed her fingers into his hair as his hand cupped her breast and began toying with the nipple. Her breath hitched and a low sound left her throat, Kouen lifted his head from where he'd been slowly sucking a mark just below her jaw. Voice soft as his other hand rose to cup her breast as well, Kouen was somewhat breathless, "Sensitive?"

"T-to a point," Iris turned her head to nose into Kouen's neck, "Admittedly having Arashi has made them a bit more sensitive to touch,"

Chuckling low in her throat, Kouen pinched one of Iris's nipples earning a low sound as her body jerked from the action. The soothing heat of the water mixed with the way Kouen slowly ran his thumb along the nipple afterward soothed the almost painful sensation. Her lips pressed against Kouen's neck, she lapped at the skin beneath them and felt him shiver as his fingers stalled their movements for a brief moment before resuming. Sucking at the skin, she let out a low hum as he murmured, "Interesting."

Her eyes opened as one of his hands slid between her legs, Iris's breath hitched as Kouen's fingers slid against her. Heat that had been absent since she'd left Kou and only crept in during her darkest moments blared to surfaces at that first touch, the feeling of his calloused fingers ghosting against her entrance. The trail of them slowly pressing inside with one sliding against her clit. Her hips jolted as a low sound left her lips, she found herself rolling her hips against the slow drag of his fingers as they began to move inside her. His thumb rolling against her clit and crafting slow circles, she slowly stopped kissing Kouen's neck as her head dug into his shoulder and her fingers dug into his hair.

Almost embarrassingly fast, Iris found that white hot heat crawling down her spine as Kouen was sucking a dark bruise into her neck. Her back arched as everything disappeared for a precious few seconds, she dragged Kouen's mouth to hers as the pleasure slowly faded and his fingers slid away. Clumsily she shifted in the water to crawl into his lap, Kouen's hands dropped down to her hips as he dragged her to straddle him. As they broke apart again, she breathed out, "I've missed this."

"Me too," Kouen kissed her as his hips canted into hers and she felt his cock press against her.

Hard and heavy as it slid against her clit from how they were pressed against each other, Iris shivered as she slowly shifted until the tip could press into her before starting to lower herself again. Her fingers dug into Kouen's shoulders as she slowly sank down, Kouen murmured whispers of encouragement and sweet nothings as he pressed kisses to her throat and shoulders. His fingers bit into her hips, the bite of his nails digging into her flesh helping to ground her. Catching Kouen's mouth as she finally came to a stop, she made a low sound as Kouen rolled his hips.

Her body twisted and rocked as she rolled her hips in reply, Iris's nerves felt like they were on fire for the first time in years. Kouen's fingers dug into her hips as she slowly raised herself before dropping back down onto his cock. Every rise and fall of her hips was like tossing gasoline into a bonfire, she felt like someone was actively shocking her nerves each time Kouen's hips rolled or bucked into hers in reply. His tongue slid across her skin, she arched when he took one of her breasts into his mouth and sucked on it. His teeth scraping against the nipple, she dug her fingers into his shoulders as her movements sped up with each wave of pleasure. As she came on his cock, she cried out his name as his nails bit into her hips and she was dragged tighter against him.

As she slowly came down, Iris lay her head on Kouen's shoulder with her arms lying loosely on either side of him. His hand ran along her back, she felt his fingers press into the spots that always felt more painful in positions like this and a low purr-like sound left her as his fingers rubbed into the muscle. Hearing him chuckle, she murmured, "As much as I'd like to stay in this position, we should get cleaned up and I should probably go lay down."

"Tired?" Kouen pressed a kiss to her shoulder just above where the dragon lay.

Humming low in her throat, Iris was reluctant to move despite her words, "Mhmm," She turned her head to kiss Kouen's neck and smiled against the skin, "I could even fall asleep."

Turning his head, Kouen coaxed her into a kiss, "Which would be bad if it happened down here," Iris reluctantly moved off of his lap, "Though I wouldn't be opposed to sharing my bed with you again."

Her heart skipped a beat at those words, Iris had admittedly missed sleeping with Kouen and Koumei if only for the comfort of it. But there was a hesitance attached, they were just getting to know one another again. Slowly moving to sit down beside Kouen, she admitted, "I...have missed sleeping with Mei and you," She saw Kouen's eyes brighten, "I am a bit hesitant though as we are getting to know one another again," Kouen's expression fell though there was understanding in his gaze with confusion mixed in, "I don't regret what we just did though," She was quick to assure him, "I just...a lot of memories I have of us sleeping together are towards..."

As she trailed off, Kouen's eyes widened and the understanding in his gaze doubled. Reaching out, he cupped her cheek and spoke in that gentle tone that always reassured her, "The end," She nodded while looking away from him, "Iris, we can't change what happened, but that doesn't mean we're going to make the same mistakes now," She looked at him slowly as his thumb ran along the marking beneath her eye, "Even now as we're working towards regaining trust in one another," She found herself leaning into his touch, "It's scary to do that...To let yourself trust someone again after it was broken. But we have to take the steps to do that even if it feels like we shouldn't or can't."

Taking a deep breath, Iris closed her eyes and pressed just a bit harder into Kouen's hand. She spoke softly, "I half expected to hear something like that from Mei," Kouen snorted softly and she felt him press a kiss to her forehead, "But you're right..." She opened her eyes to peer at him, "We have to take steps forward."

"So?" Kouen smiled at her as his fingers ran a soothing path along her side.

"I will sleep with you tonight after I've ensured Arashi has gone to sleep," Iris saw his smile widen, "But I want Mei there," She snorted at the way Kouen's expression fell, "I've missed sleeping with both of you, En. And it will make me more comfortable if I get to have you both with me,"

"Very well," Kouen kissed her softly and she smiled against his lips, "I'll speak with him once we get cleaned up,"

"Iris wishes for us to sleep together tonight?" Koumei raised an eyebrow at his elder brother.

Based on the slight flush to Kouen's cheeks and his general scent, Kouen had taken a dip in the hot springs. Koumei eyed his elder brother as Kouen sat across from him with a low sigh. Gaze flickering away from him for a moment, Kouen cleared his throat, "Iris needed some assistance walking down to the hot springs due to how drained she was," He grimaced despite having known that might happen, "I had intended to give her some privacy, but she invited me to stay."

Realizing where this was going, Koumei snorted softly, "You two used the hot springs for something other than bathing, didn't you?"

Letting out a chuckle, Kouen nodded, "I admittedly couldn't keep my hands away from her. It didn't start that way though," Koumei gifted his elder brother with a dubious look, "Iris wasn't sure if she'd be able to stay awake due to how exhausted she was and wished to have someone with her just in case. Things escalated-"

"Because you can't keep your hands off of her," Koumei snickered with a shake of his head as Kouen rolled his eyes, "So how did this whole idea of us sleeping together come about?"

"After...our fun," Kouen coughed softly, "We were talking and the topic of sleeping came up," Koumei raised an eyebrow, "Iris still has a habit of being cuddly when she's tired and content,"

His mind immediately filled that information away for later, Koumei had missed cuddling in the library with Iris after a stressful day of work. He smirked slightly at Kouen, "And somehow the conversation led to all three of us sleeping together?"

"Iris missed sleeping with both of us," Kouen informed him and a tired look crossed his face, "She was a bit hesitant at the idea. All of her memories of us sleeping together were toward the end of her time in Kou, I had to remind her that we're building back trust. And to do that, we have to take steps,"

His lips pulled into a frown, Koumei leaned back against his seat with a contemplative expression. They were still trying to rebuild their relationship which was why he fully understood why Iris was concerned. He also understood why Kouen was trying to push things forward as well. Keeping his tone neutral, he peered at his elder brother, "Iris agreed to sleep with both of us?"

"The stipulation she had was to sleep with both of us," Kouen corrected him earning a raised eyebrow, "I proposed that we try sleeping together tonight. After I coaxed her, she countered with having you there as well. She believes it will make her more comfortable,"

"Which is what we want," Koumei nodded as a small smile formed, "I'm fine with it though I have a feeling you'd much rather not have me invading your room right now,"

"Admittedly, I'd rather just have Iris in my arms tonight, but I'll make do," Kouen sank back against his chair, "After all, I got to have her all to myself in the hot springs,"

"Which I will have to get cleaned," Koumei was not looking forward to that.

There was an unrepentant look of amusement on Kouen's face, Koumei rolled his eyes and merely shook his head at the elder man.

Heading to Kouen's room, Iris slowly knocked on the door once she'd reached it. The door opened with Kouen sticking his head out. With a gentle smile forming, he pulled the door open and motioned for her to enter, "Come in, Iris."

As she stepped into the room, Iris glanced about it curiously. The room was larger than his one in Kou with the bed being sunken into the ground. Bookshelves of carved stone lined one of the walls, a small fireplace sat at the back of the room. Low tables and chairs decorated the room, the walls held several torches that flickered. Each window seat was adorned with a heavy throw pillow, the dragon-shaped incense holder sitting on the nearby desk gave off the scent of jasmine mixed with lavender as she slowly stepped further into the room.

As she caught sight of Koumei, Iris smiled at him as he set down the heavy tome in his hand, "Mei."

Standing from his seat as Kouen shut the door behind her, Koumei walked over and pulled Iris into a tight hug. His hold gentled after a moment, she pressed her head against his chest and let her eyes slide shut as the warmth of his embrace radiated over her. His heartbeat was steady against her ear, she smiled as her fingers curled against his kimono and she breathed out a soft sigh.

Her eyes slid open as someone pushed the hair from her face, Kouen smiled at her as he murmured, "Iris."

His knuckles brushed against her cheek, the touch as soft as the look he was giving her. Iris slowly reached out to cup his cheek with a warm smile as she murmured, "En."

For a long moment, they stayed like that with Koumei holding her against him and Kouen's knuckles slowly trailing along her cheek. Iris's rhumb trailed along his cheek in return. Koumei released her after a long moment and she looked at him only for Koumei to murmur, "Let's go lay down, I'm sure you're tired after today."

As a low laugh slipped from between her lips, Iris nodded and could feel the wariness that she'd been ignoring creep back into the forefront again. Taking one of her hands in his, Koumei began leading her to the sunken bed as Kouen took her hand from his cheek. As she sank onto the plush cushions and soft fabrics, she watched as Kouen and Koumei settled down on either side of her. Head slowly settling on a plush pillow, she twined her fingers with Kouen's and brought his hand up to her lips.

As she pressed kisses to the knuckles, Kouen chuckled softly. Eyes flickering towards Koumei as he shifted, Iris smiled as he slipped an arm around her waist as he'd done in the past. Affection burned in the eyes of both Kouen and Koumei, she almost wondered why she'd been so hesitant to want this. As the contentment curled within her chest, she knew the trust they were rebuilding was worth it for moments like this.

With a tender smile curling across his lips, Koumei leaned over to press a kiss to her cheek, "Comfortable, Iris?"

A low hum left Iris as she shifted to catch his lips in a quick kiss. Iris nodded softly, "Yeah."

Her fingers interlaced with Kouen's, Iris shifted to kiss him as well and smiled as he smirked softly. His thumb traced delicate patterns on the back of her hand, she met his eyes for a long moment. Releasing a soft sigh, she let her eyes close and sank deeper into the pillows. Slowly sinking into the quietude as Koumei's fingers began tracing light patterns along her side, she almost wanted to laugh at how they mirrored Kouen's gentle touch on her hand.

As she began to slip into unconsciousness, Iris realized that she felt truly content for the first time since leaving Kou.