“You heard me,” Miles grinned at Iris cheekily, getting her back for calling him a sore loser. “I stand by it. You were a rebel of Aspiria, and now you’re a rebel of rebels. It’s fitting.” He couldn’t tell at all if she was reciprocating his playful flirting or if she was just teasing him in a friendly manner. She was too personable to differentiate between the two. However, she had yet to push him away when he’d sat beside her on the sofa, so he took it as a green light to keep making an effort without pushing her boundaries too much. Besides, it was amusing to poke fun at her. She was a good sport, and she return each verbal blow with a swing of her own that only egged him on.

Meanwhile, Caspian felt restless as he watched one of his closest friends sidle up to Iris so comfortably. He wished he could just say something to ward Miles off, but his tongue was tied as long as they were trying to keep their relationship—or what was left of it—a secret from everyone else. Additionally, he was no longer certain if it was even his place to tell other men off from her at all. If she had decided that she wanted to test the waters with someone else, he couldn’t stop her.

He averted his gaze uneasily. They had exchanged ‘I love you’s at the rebels’ prison, but what if it had just been the heat of the moment to her? In retrospect, they hadn’t been together for very long, so their ties to one another weren’t very deep. Maybe all it had taken was one week apart for her to decide she wanted to be with someone else. Of course, it was also possible that he was overreacting and that nothing had changed between them, but it was hard to stay positive when it looked like she was chatting up another man right in front of him. His initial excitement to see her again was quickly being replaced with hot tendrils of jealousy and doubt.

“You don’t owe anyone anything,” Miles waved a hand dismissively. “We’re helping because we want to, not because we want something [i]from[/i] you. And I swear to god, Nox-Fleuret, if you try to pay me back, I [i]will[/i] kick your ass to the curb.” As he spoke the fake warning, he poked her shoulder with one finger to emphasize the point.

When Iris mentioned Jacob, Cas risked turning back to her, surprised to hear that Jacob had been the one to send her to the hospital. The guard hadn’t mentioned that when they had talked before. [color=#b97703]“He did?”[/color] he mused, wondering why Jacob had gotten involved at all. Usually he said he was too busy to deal with the affairs at the penitentiary, so he had obviously made an exception for her. He doubted he would ever be given an answer to the question though. The guard was far too reserved to explain what had caused him to make Iris his personal responsibility.

The sound of Iris’s hands clapping together pulled the prince from his thoughts, and he nodded at her idea. Putting his own sour mood aside, he agreed that they should celebrate now that the worst was over. She deserved to have closure after everything she’d been through. [color=#b97703]“I don’t know,”[/color] he said contemplatively, trying to come up with an idea. [color=#b97703]“Miles, this is your house. What do you think we should do?”[/color]

“I have a few ideas,” his friend smiled mischievously. “Champagne, takeout from a restaurant of Iris’s choice, and, if anyone wants to have a little more fun, something from my stash.”

[color=#b97703]“Ugh, more alcohol?”[/color] Cas wrinkled his nose. [color=#b97703]“My stomach is still recovering from the last time we got drunk.”[/color]

“Then don’t have any,” Miles shrugged. “That’s what the other stuff is for.”

[color=#b97703]“I think I’ll just stick to the food,”[/color] Cas shook his head. He wasn’t very fond of the drugs other high borns like his friend indulged in either. He used them every once in a while, but he preferred not to touch the stuff unless he was feeling especially daring at a party. Usually when Jay and Miles got high, he was the one making sure they didn’t do anything stupid before they sobered up.

“Suit yourself,” Miles rolled his eyes and turned back to Iris. “So, what are you in the mood for? I bet I can name a restaurant that makes any kind of food you would want to eat.”