Miles watched as Caspian left the room, once again picking up on some resentment from the prince but not understanding where it was coming from. In his mind, he hadn’t done anything worthy of stirring up his friend’s passive aggression. He’d kept Iris safe for the entirety of the lockdown, and he had invited him over to see that she was okay the very morning after the restrictions had been lifted. If anything, he felt like Cas owed him for risking his neck for the sake of a woman he had never even met before the last week.

Subtly, he raised his shoulders in a shrug to himself. If it was important, Cas would probably bring up the problem eventually on his own. For now, he would just ignore the odd behavior and carry on with what he was doing—which, hopefully, was clueing Iris in to his interest in her so he could figure out if the feelings were mutual. At this point, he had no idea what it would look like to go after someone who had been a commoner and a member of the Scourge, but he didn’t like to think that far ahead anyway. If it turned out that she was into him too, he would just figure that out when they got there.

When she spoke up to ask about Jay, he turned away from the door and shrugged again, more prominently this time. “Dunno. Probably soon. I told him there would be food and substances, so I’m sure he’s hurrying to get here as fast as he can.” He couldn’t wait for the other high born to arrive. With any luck, Jay’s presence would distract Caspian from whatever had crawled up his butt that morning. “Why? Do you miss him?” he added with a teasing smirk. Though the question was framed in a playful manner, he was trying to rule out the possibility that she fancied the other man. Cas had already told him that nothing had happened between them, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t catch feelings for Jay.

Meanwhile, Cas headed to the oversized pantry where the Kinders’ stored their liquor and closed himself inside, leaning with his back to the door and his arms crossed over his chest. An uneasy expression colored his features as his eyes roved absently over the shelves of bottles. Though he had told Miles he was going to bring back champagne, he had no intention of fulfilling his promise right away. First, he needed some time to cool down and process what had just happened in the bedroom.

When he’d first arrived at his friend’s estate, he’d been thrilled at the thought of reuniting with Iris and picking up where they had left off a week ago. However, now he was starting to wonder if he’d gotten his hopes up prematurely. It had never crossed his mind that something would happen between Miles and Iris while they were staying together during the lockdown. Over the course of it, he’d assumed she wouldn’t be interested in anyone other than him, so there had been no reason to worry. How naïve that had been. She was a beautiful woman, so of course the other high born would take an interest in her. And Miles was both handsome and had the confidence that so many other girls swooned over. Tossing the two into a room together for a whole week had been a recipe for disaster.

At the thought, he grimaced, curling his fingers tensely against his arms. Betrayal stabbed at his heart like a knife, and even though he knew he had no proof that he was right about them, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d just sabotaged himself by giving her another option. If he had only thought of a way to hide her from the soldiers without pushing her into Miles’ open arms, she wouldn’t have learned that there were other, better men in the capital than himself. She wouldn’t have sat in front of him, flirting with one of his best friends as if nothing had even happened between them in the districts.

But what the hell kind of life would that be? He closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the door panel. As much as it pained him to admit it, he couldn’t control her like that. If he tried to hide her away from every other man in the capital, he knew she would just resent him for it. They would have to trust each other not to leave the instant a new plaything was presented to them… But what if she didn’t want to stay with him in the first place? What if he was the only one who had gotten invested enough to decide that he didn’t want anyone but her? Maybe his guess had been right, and she was testing the waters with Miles because she wanted to explore what it would be like to be with someone else. Objectively, she had every right to date around. She didn’t belong to him, and he couldn’t control who she wanted to see. He just hated how quickly it seemed like she had moved on when he was still so thoroughly entangled in his feelings for her. He’d meant it when he’d told her he loved her, after all.

Biting his lip to stifle the roiling uncertainty and hurt inside of him, he took a step away from the wall and flipped on the light switch beside him to look through the Kinders’ stores of champagne. Thoughts of Iris still circulated inside his brain as he browsed the glass bottles for something his friends would like to drink. He wished desperately that he could just talk to her and find out what was going on, but at the same time, he was afraid to hear the answer. To find out that she had moved on would have been devastating, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle it before he’d had a chance to brace himself for the worst.

Pulling a bottle of Louis Roederer Cristal Vinotheque from the shelf, he took a steeling breath and headed back into the hall to go back to the others. As unsettled as he was, he couldn’t let Miles know what was going on. He’d already told his friends that nothing had happened between him and Iris, and he had to stick to that story. He just hoped he wouldn’t return to find them in an even more compromising position than they had been before.

Iris wanted to chase after Cas, she wanted to talk to him alone to her something was wrong, and she just wanted to clear the air between them but it was hard to do so whilst in the company of others. It would also ease her worry because she wanted to know if they were okay and if they were still going to try to be together as already her thoughts had taken a turn for the worst assuming he no longer liked her. Iris had already started to think to herself how she wouldn’t be good for him and being together wouldn’t work out as already keeping it a secret was causing problems, that was what she assumed. Is this how it would always be if we are together would this be us? Some secret, unable to do things normally? We wouldn’t be able to go on a date, we can’t just show how we feel for one another. I don’t just want us to be some dirty little secret. Though his father would never allow him to be with me.

Thoughts crossed through her mind as she felt herself worry about them being in a relationship, frowning slightly she knew she should try to be happy after all she was alive and should be thankful for that. They had saved her from what she knew to be a death penalty. Though what else did she really have now? No parents, no home and certainly no money. Now she wasn’t even sure if she had Cas anymore with how he was reacting. Turning back to Miles she smiled as he made the teasing comment, “Maybe I do, much better company than you that’s for certain.”

Relaxing on the sofa she sighed to herself wondering just what was wrong with Cas, “I’m only kidding. I suppose staying here hasn’t been horrible. I’m just a little worried about Cas, something seems off with him.” Glancing back towards the door she wished she had the courage to ask him what was wrong, but maybe she had been overreacting. “I guess I’m also a little worried about what happens to me now you know? Now lockdown is lifted does this mean I can go back home? I can’t live on your sofa forever.” These were all valid questions she had, but she knew she was asking them to deflect away from being worried about Cas as she hadn’t meant to voice her concern out loud. Maybe he will just think I’m a concerned friend.

“I also can’t keep borrowing all of your sister’s clothes, I’m sure she will start to notice, and it would only mean trouble for you and everyone else involved which I don’t want.” Grimacing slightly at the idea of still borrowing his sisters clothes and staying on his sofa for longer, a part of her wanted her own space but she couldn’t just say that as she didn’t want to sound ungrateful because he had put her up for all this time.

“Ouch,” Miles rolled his eyes jokingly when Iris teased him. The way she took every conversation with him as banter made it difficult for him to read her, but at least she didn’t seem interested in Jay. She hadn’t fidgeted or blushed or done anything else when he’d mentioned the other high born’s name, so he assumed that meant he was in the clear. Neither Caspian nor Jay were competition, so he was free to keep trying in the hopes that he could win her over. At the thought, a pleased smile curved his lip, but it vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.

“Yeah, I noticed that too,” he confirmed, glancing toward the bedroom door at the mention of the prince. “I don’t really know what’s going on with him, but I don’t think we should worry about it. I’ve known him for a few years now, and he sometimes gets into these weird moods. I love the guy, but he wears his heart on his sleeve, and sometimes he misdirects his feelings at the wrong people. My guess is that something happened during the lockdown that’s made him pissy, and he doesn’t realize he’s taking it out on us.” He shrugged once more and turned back to Iris, “It’s the only thing that makes sense to me, since neither of us have done anything to make him mad.”

When the subject was changed, he pondered over their options. He had no idea what was going to happen to her now that the soldiers had decided she was long gone. Of course, he wanted her to stay in the city since he was attracted to her, but was it really the best place for her to be? It is, he concluded promptly. As long as she could keep staying with him, there was no reason for her to leave the capital. “First of all, I’ve offered you the bed every damn day, and you’re the one who keeps picking the sofa,” he reminded her with a smirk. “And second, you can do whatever you want. If you want to keep staying here with me, I’m happy to continue being your gracious host, providing you with food, blankets and my sister’s clothes. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like this place is a lot safer for you than the districts outside the capital too. Why leave when you don’t have to?”

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the door opened, and Cas stepped back into the room. The prince closed it behind him and looked up, slightly discouraged to find that Miles and Iris were still exactly where he’d left them. Part of him had hoped that Iris would shrug off Miles’ attempts to get closer to her while he’d been gone, but apparently, she was either oblivious to the arm thrown carelessly behind her back or didn’t mind its presence. His earlier train of thought convinced him it was the latter.

“I found this,” he said, breaking the silence and doing his best to hide his initial reaction to them by presenting the bottle of champagne. He stepped over to set it down on the coffee table, label facing the sofa, and sat down in his empty chair again.

“Cristal Vinotheque. Nice,” Miles nodded approvingly and glanced at Iris. “Are you sure you don’t want any? This is a fifteen hundred credit bottle right here. I bet you’ve never had a champagne this good in your life.”

He said not to worry about it, but I am. I can’t help but worry about him. Iris thought to herself as she continued to mull over Caspians wellbeing concerned and wanting to know how she could help. Hopefully he goes to greet Jay just so I can talk to him if only for a moment. Thinking to herself agreeing with Miles on the fact that Cas did in fact wear his heart on his sleeve, it was one of the many reasons she had been attracted to him because he didn’t well couldn’t hide his emotions and he had been so open with them with her.

Maybe his father annoyed him during lockdown? I know their relationship isn’t the greatest at the moment. Iris thought that was probably the reason, perhaps the King had been overbearing upon his return that it had wound him up? It wouldn’t surprise her, but then he had been taken and held against his will by rebels that wanted nothing more than the death of the monarchy so she could understand if the King had been a little bit overbearing. Then again, she could have gotten the wrong end of the stick, again I could just be reading into it too much, but Miles said he was acting off too.

“Hang on, firstly? As if I could take your bed. I’m the guest here, that aint fair. Secondly! You shouldn’t have too; I can’t just keep leeching off of you like this.” Iris countered but found herself falling a little quiet at the mention of the districts being dangerous, Miles didn’t know the half of it. It’s not that the districts where super dangerous, but they didn’t have life easy over there and she knew that he didn’t understand it fully and had to keep reminding herself of that fact. Maybe I should tell him what life is really like over there? Though would he think I am lying over it? I don’t know.

Thankfully Cas had returned but he still didn’t seem right, and it was hard not to be concerned about him. Eyes glanced over the bottle and she could tell it looked fancy and a part of her wanted to try it because who wouldn’t want to try some expensive champagne, but again she wasn’t a big fan of drinking in general. It won’t hurt to try though.

“What!?” Iris couldn’t help but exclaim at the price, it felt as if all the air had left her lungs at the mention of how much that one bottle cost. “Fifteen hundred credits?” Staring at the bottle she couldn’t believe how much the thing cost, that bottle was more than she had ever earned in her whole life and it made her feel sick. Another grim reminder of how the Capital varied from the districts. “No… I haven’t.” Finding the tone of her voice dropping as she admitted to the fact, she had never had champagne like that in her life, nor would she have in the future had she not gotten entangled with the Prince. That kind of money, thrown on a luxury like that. That kind of income would make such a difference. For a brief moment she felt like running, getting away from all of this because she knew she did not belong here.

When Miles boasted over the cost of the champagne in front of them, Caspian frowned contemplatively. He knew what his friend was doing. High born women were often impressed when men showered them with expensive gifts, so he had dropped the number to shamelessly imply that he would do the same for her. If he had tried it with anyone else, the tactic might have worked, but Cas knew that Iris wasn’t like other women. Materials and luxuries weren’t the way to her heart. Anytime he even tried to do her a small favor, he had to brace himself for pushback because she was independent to a fault. If Miles continued to try winning her over this way, he would just make her uncomfortable.

However, even though his friend had missed his mark, the underlying thought was still there. The other man was treating her like a princess because he felt like she deserved it. He was attentive to her needs and was trying to show her the finer things life had to offer because he wanted her to be happy. It just went to show what a great partner he could be if she was actually interested in him. The thought sent another stab of envy through Cas’s chest, and he looked away from them bitterly.

“You have to try it,” Miles insisted, picking up on her shock and using it to prove his point. “It’s the lightest champagne I’ve ever had. Really good stuff. Don’t you think so, Cas?” Suddenly roping the prince into the conversation, he turned toward him expectantly.

Caspian stiffened and glanced at his friend sideways, unprepared to join the conversation. “Um, yeah,” he fumbled without looking at Iris. “It’s good.” Unsure what else to add when his thoughts were occupied elsewhere, he fell into an awkward silence and slipped his phone from his pocket to pretend like he was busy. Usually, he was much more social and high-spirited, but it was hard for him to keep his head up when he had to watch one of his best friends and the woman who’d stolen his heart get on as if they had known each other for ages. A part of him even wondered if he should make up an excuse to go home and mope about it in solitude.

As they lapsed into silence again, Miles furrowed his brows. He had planned to just let Cas work through whatever was bothering him on his own, but clearly that wasn’t going to work. Tired of the uncomfortable atmosphere in his bedroom, he crossed his arms. “Okay. What’s your problem, man? I thought we were gonna be celebrating Iris, but you look like you just came back from a funeral.”

Cas flinched. Apparently he hadn’t been hiding his dejection as well as he’d thought. “It’s nothing,” he shook his head, hating that he couldn’t just tell his friend the truth. “I just… had certain expectations about something, and I’m still adjusting to the possibility that I was wrong.” As he spoke, his gaze drifted to Iris in a subtle implication of what he was talking about. He doubted Miles would notice, but he hoped she would realize he meant he was still struggling with the fact that she no longer seemed committed to their relationship. Even if she was going to be with someone else, he would have appreciated it if she didn’t flaunt it right in front of him. Watching them together was difficult for him to stomach.

“Fine, you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Miles conceded, taking the prince’s cryptic answer to mean that he wasn’t going to give them any more details. “Just try not to let it ruin our celebratory lunch, okay? Nothing but happy thoughts and good vibes here. Speaking of which,” he stood up from the sofa to go rummaging through his nightstand, only to pull out a brown bag that he flourished before the others. “I have plenty of good vibes in solid form in here. You can take your pick if you want any.”

“We’ll see,” Cas replied noncommittally. Though he wasn’t a fan of the way he felt when he indulged with his friends, he couldn’t deny that a small piece of him was feeling tempted, if only to take the edge off the sting of his jealousy. For now, he wouldn’t make any promises one way or the other.

“Well, they’re right here if you change your mind,” Miles said, tossing the bag onto the table with the champagne bottle and flopping back down next to Iris. “You too, Ms. ‘I don’t like your ideas.’” he nudged her playfully.

“… Uh. Yeah… maybe.” Iris mumbled at the response of Miles insisting she had to try it, maybe she would but right now it was not important to her because all she wanted to do was just talk to Cas. That and a part of her didn’t want to be surrounded by all these luxuries, it just felt too much to her and she was finding it hard to adjust. Especially when she was surrounded by high borns who were raised on this stuff, raised on money never being an issue and she found herself feeling far to self-conscious about not having tried fancy flavours of pizza, or fifteen hundred credit wine.

The silence was becoming difficult, especially when she knew she was contributing to it and not helping. Biting the bottom of her lip she looked over at Cas watching him flinch when Miles brought up the subject of his mood. Listening to his words careful she found her head tilting as she met his gaze and it took a few moments for her to understand what he was talking about. Adjusting to the possibility that he was wrong? Certain expectations… does he mean us? Focusing on his words she tried to figure it out, looking down at her hands before taking a glance at Miles and finally noticing the hand that was placed on the sofa behind her. It was like a penny dropped, was Miles hitting on her? Was this what was affecting Caspians mood? As when she first saw him, he certainly wasn’t acting like this and now after a bit of time with them all together his mood had changed.

Is Caspian jealous? Her gaze drifted back to Caspian as she thought on his cryptic words, wondering if this truly was the problem and cause for his mood. Iris knew she had been quite pally with Miles, but nothing was going on. There was no way she looked at Miles like that and she wished she could just outright tell him. Though what if I am reading into that and I’m completely wrong? I’m not some amazing prize, surely Miles isn’t into me. Even as Miles got up to go grab whatever good vibes he was talking about she pondered his words before finally making a decision as Miles sat back down next to her nudging her playfully.

“No thank you, I’m really not into that kind of stuff. Call me boring, I guess. And well… your ideas do suck.” Iris chuckled as she rose from her seat and moved over to Cas with a smile, putting distance between her and Miles because if she was right this would certainly help his mood and hopefully show him she didn’t have eyes for any other. Leaning on the back of Cas’ chair she glanced over his shoulder, “Is there a tracker for our food on that app you ordered from?” Using that as a rouse to have left Miles and the sofa, hopefully it didn’t seem suspicious because again they were meant to be a secret. Placing her hand on his shoulder she leaned over glancing towards his phone, it seemed innocent enough, but she hoped this would put his mind at ease and assure him without words who she wanted to be with.

“Careful there. You’re turning into one of those guys that parents warn their kids about when they go to college,” Caspian warned Miles with a slight smile, trying not to dwell on his uncertainties. “Offering everyone drugs like some kind of sleazy dealer.” On the inside he hadn’t moved on from the negative feelings he had toward Miles and Iris at the moment, but he had to try harder to hide it. He didn’t want the former to pick up on the fact that his frustration was, in fact, directed at them. That meant putting on a mask of positivity until after they ate lunch, when he could think up an excuse to leave.

Luckily, Iris seemed to understand his silent pleas though. When she got up from the sofa, relief trickled through the prince from his head to his feet. Whether she had moved on or not, he was glad that she seemed to have stopped flirting with his friend while they were all in the same room together. That was really what had been getting under his skin since he’d arrived. Watching the two tease each other and laugh just like he used to behave with her when they had been getting to know each other when they’d first met was difficult. As selfish as it was, he preferred that they maintain a distance, so he could pretend like there wasn’t an obvious spark between them.

He glanced up at her as she stood behind his chair and leaned over him, his heart betraying him by skipping a beat in response to her proximity. Though he felt slighted by the way she had buddied up with Miles, he couldn’t help that he was still hopelessly smitten with her. It also didn’t help that her red dress was just low-cut enough to make him squirm when she bent forward to look at the screen of his phone. A ruddy blush crossed his cheeks, and he swallowed reflexively, forcing himself to look away again as he returned his gaze to the same device.

“Y-Yeah, there is,” he replied to her question, cursing himself silently for stammering when he felt her hand on his shoulder. In a few quick motions, he pulled up the tab for the delivery tracker to show that their food had just left the restaurant. “Looks like it’ll be here in about fifteen minutes too.” Clinging to his composure by a thread, he wondered what Iris was doing by sidling over to his side of the room. He had been fairly certain that she had been flirting with Miles just a few minutes ago. Was she trying to keep doors open with both of them? He felt a little hurt by the thought, but at the same time, another part of him was encouraged to know that she hadn’t brushed him off completely. Maybe he still had a chance to fight for her. He just wished he wasn’t handicapped by the reality that he had to keep his interest in her a secret from Miles.

“Thank god,” his friend sighed dramatically, tossing his other arm over the back of the sofa and kicking his feet up on the coffee table lazily. “I’m starving.”

“Me too,” Cas agreed with a nod.

In the next moment, the doorbell echoed through the house, and Miles jumped to his feet. “I bet that’s Jay. That moocher is never late when we offer food. I’ll go get him.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned and trotted out the door to greet the missing member of their group.

It was strange hearing them talk and mention things like college, in the districts there had been a school but nothing with higher education for them. Everyone was just expected to get jobs and move on with their lives, not study and no one had questioned it. Years back there had been scholarships for those who had attained such high grades in the districts school they’d be allowed to go to a college in the Capital, but that had stopped before the rebellion and was only spoken of like a myth. No one believed it had been true, but then no one could confirm with those that had gone because they had never returned. It was just another one of the stories parents would tell kids so they would get good grades, that’s what most believed anyway.

For a moment Iris had nearly forgotten herself, with the way Caspian had stammered from her touch and the rosy cheeks she wanted to close the distance. Tempted to just kiss him and wrap her arms around him like it was normal, but she knew she couldn’t not with Miles still in the room and she couldn’t wait for him to leave even if it was just briefly. Acting like Caspians phone was interesting she looked at the tracker nodding as Cas said it wouldn’t be too long, she was a little bit hungry but already she was concerned about the fancy pizza knowing she’d be embarrassed if she didn’t like it. It would just be another thing showing them all how different she was, and she worried that with all these differences Cas would just be put off by it.

Hearing the doorbell go however was like music to her ears because she hoped this meant Miles would leave, smiling as he already jumped to his feet to go to the door, she felt a wave of nerves hit her. Unsure on how much time they would have, but she wanted to make sure Cas knew she only had eyes for him. There was no way she’d go for his friend, he really wasn’t her type and she had only been teasing and joking along with him because it had been how he had gotten her to feel more comfortable in his home. That and at the time had she not played along she probably would have cried.

Watching as Miles left, she moved in front of Cas from behind the sofa and knelt down as she took his hands in hers, “Cas, I only have eyes for you.” Squeezing his hand in hers as she smiled at him she wanted to assure him that there was no one else, he was the only one she cared about and even if she had her doubts about their relationship she wanted him to know she didn’t like Miles like that. “I’m so oblivious I didn’t know, I thought he was just being friendly and trying to cheer me up, so I didn’t cry. I wish we could have spent the week in lockdown together. Time felt like it went by so slowly without you. My feelings haven't changed for you.”

As Miles slipped out of the room, Caspian was instantly awash with a mixture of nervousness and excitement. He was glad that his friend was inadvertently giving him the moment alone with Iris that he had been craving, but at the same time, he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. They would only have a few minutes together at the very most—and that was only if Jay and Miles got caught up in chatting at the front door—so there wasn’t time to really address everything that was on his mind. He couldn’t question her about her intentions or find out where they stood with each other in sixty seconds. However, as soon as the door closed and they were alone, Iris made the decision for him.

His breath hitched as he felt her hand leave his shoulder, and suddenly she was kneeling on the floor in front of him. At first, confusion etched itself onto his face. He wasn’t quite sure what she was doing, but he couldn’t bring himself to retreat from her touch as she took his hands in hers. Her touch was so familiar, her fingers warm and soft against his skin. In spite of his uncertainties, it relaxed him just a little, and the tension ebbed from his shoulders. His eyes fixed on hers, and he held his breath as he waited for her to make the first move.

When she assured him that nothing had changed and that she still only wanted him, he nearly closed the distance between them to kiss her. It was exactly what he had been longing to hear, yet the slivers of doubt hadn’t been thoroughly washed from his mind with just those few sentences. They kept him rooted to his seat, studying, calculating, wary of letting go so quickly that he would open himself up to be hurt if she changed her mind. He had always been the type to fall fast and hard for women whom he was attracted to, but out of anyone he’d fancied, he’d fallen for her the hardest. He didn’t want to back away from her again, but he was also nervous about the possibility of getting his heart broken. Torn in two, he took a slow breath to keep a level head before he finally spoke, “Are you sure?” He held her gaze, trying his best to keep some emotional distance just in case she didn’t answer the way he wanted her to. “I mean… it looked to me like you were both flirting with each other… Did something happen between you and Miles during the lockdown?”

He bit his lip, partially regretting asking the question that had been on his mind. “I know it’s not fair of me to get upset if you were with him while we were apart. I just… I should have made it clear a long time ago that I wanted us to be… exclusive.” He blushed as he made the confession. “I understand if that isn’t what you want or if you’re not ready for that. I also know I have god awful timing for bringing this up, but it’s where I’m at. Watching other guys pursue you is hard for me when I don’t know who’s going to walk away with you in the end. I just—Jesus, this sounds clingy as hell,” his blush deepened as he forced himself to say it, “I need… some kind of reassurance that you’re not going to walk away from this—from us—when someone else comes along to try his luck with you. I need to know that you still want me and that you won’t be running off with other guys when I’m not around… I care about you so much that it hurts to think about you being with another man. I’m sorry if I’m putting you in a tough spot, but I can’t pretend like I’m okay with just being one option.”

He swallowed hard, concluding quietly, “So, all that to say… Do you want to go steady with me, Iris?”

Iris was aghast to think that he assumed something had happened between her and Miles, that she had been flirting with his friend because she didn’t feel like she had. “No. Cas, of course not! I would never. Nothing happened during lockdown.” Concern filled her eyes as she watched him open up to her with how he was feeling, guilt seeping in because she realised how it must have looked now especially with her just casually winding his friend up back. To her it was just harmless banter, them becoming friends and her more comfortable in his home and she never thought that she was openly flirting with him.

Taking the time to listen to him she felt a mixture of emotions, sadness because she never wanted him to feel that way. Partial guilt because she should have been more careful around his friend. Then a part of her felt happy because this confirmed how he felt for her, that he wasn’t thinking of breaking it off or suddenly found her repulsive and didn’t want to be with her. “I only ever thought of us as being exclusive.” Speaking softly as she could see the blush on his cheeks and she understood, if she was in his shoes, she’d probably feel a bit miffed watching other girls pursue him. It was just her luck to be totally oblivious to it. “It’s not clingy, I’d rather you be honest with me like this because I never would have known.”

Rising to her feet she touched his cheek gently with her hand still feeling guilty over the fact he had felt this way and she hadn’t put a stop to Miles already, that would be another awkward conversation for later. “I’m not going to walk away from this, from us. I still want to be with you, I know it’s going to be hard, but I want you.” Glancing to the door happy no one had come back just yet as she leaned down placing a gentle kiss on his cheek, showing him that she wanted no one else but him. Reassuring him that again he was what she wanted, there was no one else and she knew she had fallen hard for him.

“I never would have risked my life for you if I didn’t care about you, just as you did for me when you came to my rescue. We both know it’s not going to be easy, but I think your worth the trouble and I’d love to go steady with you.” Taking the chance, she knew they didn’t have much time, but she took the risk and placed her lips against his in a quick chaste kiss. Feeling her heart hammer away at the danger of getting caught it flustered her, but in a good way. Iris wished they could have had longer alone, especially when Caspian had opened up to her like he had, she wanted to make sure he was truly okay and reassure him of how she felt, but it was hard when they were on limited time and trying to keep things secret.

Breaking away from Cas reluctantly she decided rather than going back to the sofa she would sit in front of his chair using his legs as some sort of backrest. It shouldn’t seem off to anyone as she was just allowing Jay to sit on the sofa with Miles, plus she knew they wouldn’t read into it, she hoped they wouldn’t and she wanted to keep close to Cas with everything that had happened.

When Iris assured him that nothing had happened between her and Miles during the lockdown, Caspian was flooded with relief. Even though he’d told her that he couldn’t get upset with her for dating around when they hadn’t talked about being exclusive, it still would have hurt to hear that she and Miles had explored something beyond friendship while he’d been separated from her. It sounded like they had been on the same regardless of their lack of communication though. He nodded contemplatively as she told him that she’d never considered being with anyone other than him. To hear her affirm it made his heart swell with affection, and he supposed she didn’t think like other high borns in that way either.

In the capital, it was common practice for everyone to date casually, sometimes being with more than one person at a time unless otherwise specified. Young adults specifically were reluctant to tie themselves down to one exclusive partner. They preferred to keep their options open and have fun with all sorts of relationships from one night stands to casual flings to friends with benefits. Out of the few women he’d dated, only one had stopped seeing other people before he’d asked to have a closed, “girlfriend-boyfriend” kind of relationship. It was just part of the culture to remain untethered for as long as anyone could. So, knowing that Iris didn’t have that kind of mentality was a weight off his shoulders. He’d never been able to enjoy dating around anyway.

“Well, I’m glad,” he exhaled, managing a small smile now that he wasn’t overwhelmed with jealousy and worry. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you to stay with me… I’m just used to having to make the distinction because things are different here. Loyalty isn’t something you come across very often in the capital.” As she stood and reached out to touch his cheek, he leaned into her hand, happy to know that nothing had changed between them. He’d just misunderstood the situation. She still cared about him and wanted to be with him even though they still had no idea how they were going to make it happen. That was all he’d needed to hear.

“God, I love you,” he sighed contentedly as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. Her lips were warm against his skin, and the feeling resonated for a few seconds even after she pulled back. Thinking on it, their relationship was unusual. They had confessed their feelings for each other quickly because they hadn’t been sure if death would part them in the rebels’ prison, yet they hadn’t talked about “what they were” in any traditional sense. Everything they’d done had been out of order, but somehow, they’d made it work.

When she leaned in to meet his lips, he closed his eyes, wishing they were alone, so they didn’t have to part so quickly. Unfortunately, he could already hear the sound of muffled voices coming from the hallway beyond Miles’ bedroom. Their time had run out.

With a pang of mild disappointment, he watched as Iris settled down on the floor at his feet, resting her back against his legs rather than returning to the sofa. It was a simple gesture, but to him, it meant the world that she was staying close at the risk of his friends thinking her suspicious. He dragged the back of his hand across his mouth to wipe away any evidence that they had just kissed as the door opened, and the other high borns stepped into the room, laughing about something one of them had said just before they’d arrived.

Closing them into the room, Miles glanced at Cas and Iris and blinked. “You know, we might just be the least gentlemanly men in the entire country,” he mused, gesturing to the latter on the ground. “She never sleeps in the bed, and now she’s literally on the floor so the three of us can be comfortable.”

“Nothing you can do if she doesn’t want special treatment,” Cas pointed out with a shrug, doing his best to hide his satisfaction that Iris was away from his friend at last.

“That’s true,” Jay agreed, ambling over to sit on the sofa. “If you forced it, that would make you a dick.”

“That doesn’t make it any less weird,” Miles shook his head, taking a seat at Jay’s side. “Anyway, weren’t we about to pop this bad boy open?” He picked up the bottle of champagne from the coffee table and brandished it excitedly.

It felt strange to her to know that loyalty wasn’t a big thing in the Capital, she wondered what that meant in regard to relationships and dating. To her if you wanted to be with someone you would give your all to that person, though thinking on it she had betrayed her boyfriend at the time Ethan when she had started to fall for Cas. Of course, she didn’t have her memories, but the idea of it still caused her some sense of guilt. Honestly, she knew she had dodged a bullet with that relationship, and she wondered what she had ever seen in him at the time. Until she gained her memories she would never know and a part of her didn’t want to know.

Hearing him confess his love for her once more made her feel warm, it was nice to feel loved and she did by him. Those words could make her forget about all the troubles they would face briefly, and she knew it was worth it. At the end of the day she loved him, he loved her and they could work it out together, she hoped they could at least because she didn’t know what she would do without having him as a consistent in her life.

Trying to hide her disappointment she felt herself sigh as she knew the boys had returned, she could hear the voices just as she had settled down using Cas as a backrest and she knew they had cut it close. It was a miracle no one had walked in on them, but she hoped they could get some more time together later though it was something she highly doubted would happen. Unless Miles and Jay get really trashed and pass out? Considering the thought to herself as she smiled up at the boys who moved inside.

“It’s not that you’re not gentleman, you all just respect my decision and don’t push back against it.” Iris laughed softly, “I keep saying no to the bed and well, I just thought it would be nice for Jay to take a seat. I’ve not left that sofa for ages anyway I was getting bored with it.” Shrugging it off with a smile, glancing up as Cas spoke about her not wanting special treatment which was also true. That wasn’t her, she wasn’t a huge fan of attention anyway, so it suited her just fine.

“I suppose I have to try this really expensive champagne then.” Iris grinned to herself as she looked up at Cas, “I bet you’ve had plenty of this stuff before.” Teasing softly before she leaned forward picking up a glass holding it out to Miles so he could pour some out for her, as much as she wasn’t a drinker it would look strange if she just outright refused. It was also a good opportunity to try something so expensive as she would never get this chance again, turning back to Cas she smiled before speaking, “Do you want a glass too? I can grab you one.”

“Only because wine and champagne are served at every formal event in the history of Aspiria,” Caspian rolled his eyes when Iris commented that he’d probably had a lot of it before. As a member of the royal family, he had practically been born with a crystal flute in his hand. Anytime there was something to be celebrated—a holiday, a birthday, a successful political endeavor—out came the wealthiest supporters of the monarchy and the finest champagnes that money could buy. In truth, the one they were about to drink was on the lower end of the spectrum too. He’d had bottles worth fifteen thousand credits at high born gallas in the past. The sad part was that he still couldn’t tell much of a difference between any of them. The more expensive drinks were better, sure, but it seemed a little ridiculous that they costed so much more when the cheaper stuff was good too.

“Don’t pretend like you don’t enjoy it,” Miles called him out as he popped the cork off the bottle and lifted the brim to his nose to breathe in the first fragrance of the champagne. “Louis Roederer makes some of the best champagne you can drink. There’s a reason why it costs as much as it does.”

“Pretentious,” Cas coughed into his sleeve.

“Seriously?” Miles said dryly, casting him an unamused look.

The prince shrugged, “Call me uncultured if you want, but luxury wines are something I’ve never understood. Well, unless it’s an old vintage, but that bottle was only aged for about a decade.” He held up his hands quickly. “It’s still good. I just can’t taste the difference between Louis Roederer Cristal and Gosset Grand Blanc de Blancs.”

“Oh my god,” Miles clutched at his chest exaggeratedly. “How am I supposed to bow to a king who can’t tell a one thousand credit champagne from a common, one hundred credit bottle?” He turned to Jay. “This is unacceptable. I feel led on.”

“Dude, knock off the theatrics,” Jay snorted. “I can’t tell the difference either. Just pour me a damn glass and stop pretending like you’re better than us.”

Cas laughed as Miles pulled a face and reluctantly filled four flutes with the sparkling, yellow drink. The two high borns took half for themselves, leaving the other two for the prince and Iris. Cas nodded when Iris offered to get one for him, not wanting to move while she was still using him for support on the ground. Though he really couldn’t tell the difference between cheap and quality champagne, he still liked the refreshing taste of the drink.

Once they all had a glass in hand, Jay lifted his in a toast. “To pulling off the most successful prison break the capital has ever seen!”

“Cheers,” Cas said in unison with Miles, grinning as he raised his own glass and then brought it to his lips to take a swig of the champagne.

“I guess that’s true, you must have attended quite a few events by now.” Iris chuckled as he agreed, but only because they were served at every formal event in Aspiria. A part of her had wondered what it was like to attend such formal events, parties and wear such lavish clothing. Dresses that she could never in her lifetime afford but it was hard not to dream about wearing such things or attending parties when she had never experienced it in her lifetime. Though she wouldn’t openly admit it, that at heart she’d love to dress up in an expensive dress and attend a party. It can never happen though; I’m always going to be his secret. Thinking on it some more Iris couldn’t help but find it hard picturing herself at his side, there was no way they could be in the public eye together. They wouldn’t be a normal couple, though what was really normal about their relationship?

Listening to the boys call each other names and discuss about the alcoholic beverages Iris quietly took her own glass as well as one for Cas handing it to him as she settled back using him as a back rest. Listening as they spoke, she heard how Cas couldn’t taste the difference between the expensive drinks and it made her feel a little better. That even he didn’t know the super expensive wines or champagnes, it was strange that it made her feel better, but she knew it was due to the fact she was not versed in all of this. Keeping quiet as Miles’ over exaggerated the fact Caspian didn’t know the difference she found herself getting a little upset, though she kept the smile holding back any sort of emotion. The whole idea of a one thousand credit champagne just made her feel sick, there was so much more to life than this kind of luxury it was hard not to get caught up in it.

Holding the flute in her hand she glanced at the expensive liquid in the glass, somewhat nervous to even try it as she raised her glass with the others. Not saying cheers because she knew her voice would betray her and again this was meant to be a happy moment and she didn’t want to bring it down. Especially when she didn’t think they would understand why, Caspian might but the other two she doubted they would get it. Raising the glass, she took a sip trying not to pull a face at the liquid that she tasted, it was certainly not for her and she couldn’t picture herself drinking it.

People pay this kind of money to drink this? Thinking to herself as she held the glass in her lap barely touched. Maybe it’s because I’m just not versed in this, I wasn’t raised on this so of course I wouldn’t like it. Trying to keep positive about the small things, it didn’t matter that she didn’t like it anyway. The only thing that bothered her was then potential judgement from those in the room.

“I have,” Cas rubbed his arm as he admitted that he’d attended formal events often. After visiting the districts—if ‘visiting’ was even the right word for it—he was a little uncomfortable talking about the life of luxury that he was accustomed to. It wasn’t something that he could feel guilty about, since it hadn’t been his choice to be born into royalty. However, knowing that Iris had been poor for the entirety of her life made it awkward to discuss things like balls and gallas that she could never attend. “Honestly, they’re a little overrated,” he went on. “I’ve always preferred the atmosphere of the bars a lot more, because everyone is so much looser and more fun. The people who show up for formal events are pretty snobbish, and they spend all their time gossiping about anyone who doesn’t look or act in ways that they’ve decided are acceptable in high society.”

“Yeah, even my family doesn’t like going when we get invitations,” Miles nodded in agreement. “I’m pretty sure my mom and dad purposefully take on jobs overseas whenever there’s a galla, just so they have an excuse not to show up. My sister is the only one who gets excited about going.”

“That’s because her life’s goal is to be a sugar baby,” Jay snickered.

“I wish I could say you were wrong, but she’s told me that almost word-for-word before,” Miles wrinkled his nose. “It’s so creepy watching her flirt with all the old men at those events like she’s trying to be picked to join one of them at their playboy manors.”

“It’ll be even creepier if her plan works and one of them proposes to her,” Jay teased. “Imagine having a seventy-year-old brother-in-law!”

Miles gagged in disgust.

When they drank their champagne, Caspian held the cool liquid on his tongue for a second before he swallowed it, enjoying the crisp flavor. He’d silently limited himself to one glass, since it would take some time before he wanted to get drunk again, so he was savoring the contents of his glass. He didn’t want to burn through it too quickly or he wouldn’t have any to sip at when their food arrived. The light champagne would pair nicely with the salmon pizza he’d ordered, and he was just enough of a connoisseur to appreciate the combination of flavors. Just because he had a hard time distinguishing between cheap and luxury wines didn’t mean he didn’t like rich meals, after all.

“This was a great choice, Cas,” Miles nodded approvingly as he set his flute back down on the table. It seemed like he and Jay were pacing themselves too, because the glass was still more than halfway full.

“Thanks,” he replied. In truth, he’d just grabbed one of the first bottles he’d seen on the shelf, but he was glad that his selection was praised. He glanced down at Iris, noticing that she had only taken one small sip of her drink. Remembering that she’d liked mimosas when they had shared drinks at his family’s private bar, he was a little surprised that she was hardly touching her beverage now. He couldn’t tell if she was drinking slowly because she didn’t like it or if she just wasn’t very interested in having alcohol at the moment, but either way, he wanted to assure her that she didn’t have to feel pressured to conform.

Subtly, he reached down to rest his free hand in his lap, touching her upper back gently with his fingers and tracing absentminded patterns on her skin.

“So, how have you been doing since we busted you out of the hospital, Iris?” Jay asked, taking no notice of the prince’s discreet gesture behind her head. “You’ve got more color in your cheeks today. Seems like you’re getting on despite the fact that you’re stuck here with Miles.”

Iris smiled just listening as Cas called the formal events overrated and how he preferred the atmosphere of bars, still another place she doubted she could go too. A part of her wondered if he had said it to make her feel better, especially as he went on to say the events were kind of snobbish and full of gossip. It was hard not to be curious about it, but it was just a grim reminder of the fact she would never attend something like that, she probably wouldn’t even go into the bars or anywhere in the Capital. At least in the districts she didn’t have to hide, and she could go where she pleased, not that there were many places to visit but she didn’t have to hide away for fear of arrest.

Drawn from her thoughts by what Jay said she looked up about to ask what he meant by a sugar baby, but thought better of it closing her mouth as she listened to them talk on slowly understanding by what they truly meant. It was weird to think that some people where into that, just having an easy life without having to do anything. Some sort of sugar baby was a new concept to her, but you couldn’t really get those in the districts. Of course, there were people that would sleep around to earn something extra, but nothing on that kind of level.

“Yeah.” Iris smiled agreeing with the boys about it being a good choice, though it wasn’t her taste she felt like chiming in, so she didn’t seem too out of place here. Perhaps she would enjoy it more with the food and that was the hope because she didn’t want more things cropping up to highlight how she didn’t belong, not when it was already playing on her mind.

Even with her worries she felt like Cas had caught on, she felt the gentle touch on her back, tracing patterns and it began to calm her. It was such an appreciated gesture and it made her feel better that she wasn’t openly drinking the champagne, he had to understand what she was feeling she hoped he did. Though it did bring up the question of what kind of future they could have together, something she didn’t want to think about but found it hard to stop wondering on the subject matter.

“Oh!” Smiling as she caught Jays question she nodded, “I’m feeling a lot better, despite being stuck with Miles and having to put up with him daily.” Making a playful comment as she relaxed a bit more at the fact she was close to Cas and she could feel his touch soothing her. “I’ve been taught a lot more card games, well remembered how to play. Also, can we talk about the crap reality shows you have here? Do people actually watch that kind of rubbish? I was so shocked and well, curious I couldn’t stop watching it at first. Honestly I don’t get it!” Laughing as she looked towards the door hearing the buzzer of the door again for their food. "I hope that's the food!"

While Jay and Iris talked, Caspian sipped idly at his drink and glanced at Miles, who was also listening to them talk. The other high born’s gaze was fixed not-so-subtly on Iris’s face, making it obvious that he was still enamored with her. He fought the urge to roll his eyes. Even though he’d just talked to her and gotten confirmation that she didn’t want to be with anyone other than him, it was annoying to watch one of his friends become infatuated with her too. He was even a little surprised by the strength of his frustration. He’d never guessed that he would be the possessive type, but then again, he’d never had feelings for the same woman as Jay or Miles before, so they’d never competed. Now that he and his friend were both interested in Iris, he felt the irrational urge to lay claim to her even though nothing would happen between her and the other man.

Trying not to dwell on it, he turned away from Miles to listen more closely to the others talk. Jay shook his head when Iris brought up the reality TV shows that were popular in the capital. “I don’t like them either,” he agreed with her. “Why watch something like that when you could be watching exciting action movies instead?”

“You just don’t like anything that doesn’t have guns, hot women and cars,” Miles debated with a scoff. “I think the drama is fun, and so do a lot of other people. It’s also easy to turn viewing parties into drinking parties really fast.”

At the sound of the doorbell, they both glanced at the bedroom door along with Cas. “Should be,” Miles confirmed to Iris, standing up from the sofa. “I’ll go get it.” He headed out the door again to get their food, and Jay made himself comfortable right away by sprawling out with his legs up on the couch, taking over the whole piece of furniture.

“He can sit on the floor when he comes back,” he justified, resting his head on the arm of the sofa with a sly smile.

“He’s gonna sit on you,” Cas warned amusedly. He’d known Jay and Miles long enough to expect that when the latter came back, they were just going to end up wrestling over the couch because of the former’s shenanigans. It happened almost every time.

He turned back to look at Iris, deciding to participate in the conversation she had started up before. “I think reality shows are popular because a lot of people here like the idea of being on TV,” he posed. “There are so many different ones with so many different themes that pretty much anyone can send in an audition to join. Especially the dating shows. I bet they get hundreds of applicants every season.” He paused, then added, “And a lot of people just like judging the cast over everything they do wrong.” He shrugged. “I like a few of them, but they’re pretty hit or miss for me as a genre.”

“Yeah I think even I’d prefer watching the action movies. Some of it was just absolute dribble. I was not a fan.” Shaking her head in amusement as Jay happily conversed with her, it was nice to just have a casual conversation with someone else. Someone other than Miles for the past week and Jay seemed genuinely interested which was nice. That and she knew Jay had no intentions of making any sort of moves on her unlike Miles, it felt strange to think of that because she had honestly been so oblivious to it but now it seemed so obvious she couldn’t believe she had missed it.

How will I even approach that subject? Maybe we are over thinking it. Maybe he doesn’t like me. Iris thought to herself as she glanced down at the flute of champagne in her hands that she had barely touched. Glancing up for a second nodding as Miles said he would go get their food, a part of her nervous to try this new pizza that she had never tasted before. It would be interesting to see if she did like it, hopefully she did because she didn’t want to feel different from the others over it or be pestered about not liking it. Again just another thing she knew she was overthinking, but everything was building up for her especially when she felt like she had no one to talk too.

Chuckling as she watched Jay get comfortable on the sofa, she rolled her eyes when he said Miles could sit on the floor, “As if he would. You better not be ruining my bed there I don’t want to sleep on the floor.” Making a fun comment to keep the mood light and happy, especially as she was enjoying the company of everyone here even if she would rather prefer spending it with just Cas.

“Really? Why do people want to be on TV? I don’t get it, especially knowing that all those people would watch.” Iris shook her head not liking the sound of it at all, but then it was different for others they might be more in tune with things like that. “Dating shows? Oh gosh I bet there are some hilariously bad ones of those.” Grinning as she looked up at Cas considering his next words around how people liked to judge others. There was so much truth in those words, people liked to judge others and their lifestyle. Always having an opinion when it was none of there business, “I guess… I don’t see the attraction, especially if you’re just going to pick out all the fault when they do wrong. Speaking of TV, I did watch a really strange film. A part of me thought I had made it all up! But again, I didn’t have much else to do so I ended up watching a lot of rubbish. It kind of makes me miss going outside.”

Finding her gaze look over at the window looking towards the outside wondering on when she could go out, if she could even go out. The back of her mind still convincing herself that she should just go back to the districts. Maybe I could slip out one night without anyone noticing?

“Because it would be cool to be famous for something,” Jay answered matter-of-factly when Iris asked her question. Despite what she and Cas said about Miles, he sprawled out even more on the sofa with his hands behind his head and both feet kicked up on the opposite armrest. “I wouldn’t mind getting word out about my autobody shop and being recognized for it. If a producer came along and said he wanted to make a show out of what I do, there’s no way in hell I’d turn that offer down.”

“Being famous is also overrated,” Caspian pitched in, wrinkling his nose at the subject. “You lose a lot of privacy, and everything you do has consequences because people are watching your every move. It gets old fast.” If he’d had his choice, he would have preferred to be a contestant on a reality show over being the heir to the crown. At least that way, his lack of privacy would have been temporary rather than something he would have to put up with for the rest of his life. There were some perks, he couldn’t deny that, but for the most part, he found himself dreaming of escaping from his fate and being a regular high born.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jay rolled his eyes. “We all know how you feel about it.” He and Miles had heard the spiel many times before, since the prince was fairly vocal about his distaste for the spotlight. They knew he would have preferred to live his life under a rock rather than put up with paparazzi, reporters, nosy supporters, interviews, and all the other things that came with being royalty in Aspiria. Neither of them understood it though. To them, being a member of the royal family sounded amazing, and they would have traded places with him in a heartbeat if they could.

Cas didn’t bother to reply. He knew his friends didn’t understand the weight that came with being the crown prince. Even if he’d liked the attention—and he didn’t always enjoy it—he also had to take into account the responsibilities, private classes, meetings with dignitaries, involvement with the military, and all the pressure he was under to meet the expectations of the monarchy’s main ring of support. It was a lot for one person to handle.

Glancing down at Iris, his smile returned as she carried on the conversation about TV shows in the capital. “Oh yeah?” he mused. “What was the film about? Now that you’ve said that, you’re gonna have to tell us the details.”

At her mention of going outside, Cas followed her gaze to the window. He wished he could assure her that she wouldn’t be cooped up much longer, but in truth, he had no idea how long it would be until she could leave the Kinders’ home. The soldiers might believe she had left the capital, but they still knew her face. If she suddenly reappeared in the streets, they would arrest her immediately. He paused in his absentminded tracing of her shoulder blades, perplexed by the thought. Maybe he could talk to Jacob about it. Surely the guard would have some ideas as to how he could smuggle her from Miles’ bedroom to a safer location—

“Who’s ready to eat?”

Abruptly, Caspian’s thought were interrupted when Miles burst into the room carrying two large, cardboard boxes in his hands. The smell of hot pizza wafted through the space, and his stomach growled reflexively. Closing the door with his leg, Miles strode over to the coffee table and set the food down on the surface along with a set of four plates. Dusting off his hands, he turned toward Jay, “Move over, jackass. You’re in my seat.”

“Make me,” Jay winked at him challengingly.

Without hesitation, Miles dove for him, and the two began wrestling over the sofa just as Cas had predicted. The prince snorted and leaned forward in his chair. “Mind grabbing me a couple slices while they’re occupied?” he asked Iris, placing his hand on her collar. “One of each kind of pizza, please. They’re both great.”

Cool to be famous? Grimacing at the idea she wondered what it would be like to be famous, but all she could think of was the cons and no sort of positives. Well, she knew money was certainly a positive, but you’d lose your privacy and have everything broadcasted about your life to others. It just didn’t sit right with her, but then this was something Cas had to deal with on a day to day life and it wasn’t like he was just a one-time celebrity. This was the heir to the throne, a soon to be King and it was unlikely he would be forgotten so quickly so privacy would always be hard for him to obtain. It was a miracle he was even able to pull off an escape plan for her.

“Oh, autobody shop? That sounds pretty cool. I assume it’s something you’re good at then?” Iris smiled looking over to Jay as she thought on his words, she could understand why he would want the publicity as it would help him get his own business off. “I wish you all the best in that venture! I’m sure it will be successful.”

Returning back to the mention of the strange film she looked over at Cas grinning as he asked her to spill the details, “Well honestly I don’t remember. They were in space, but there wasn’t much talking. I didn’t really understand it and then all of a sudden, they were back on earth and like the wildlife was dying? Honestly, I don’t think I paid too much attention to it so that’s probably why I thought it was weird.” Chuckling as she watched Miles come in with the pizza placing it down as a brawl soon began out over the space on the sofa as Cas had predicted.

Nodding she leaned forward taking one of the plates in her hand and helped herself to the pizza placing two slices one of each on the plate for Cas and also some for herself. Once of each too in hopes she would like one of them or both. Leaning back, she passed him his plate over and settled back on the floor still using Cas as a backrest as she held her own plate in her hands, nervous to try the new food. It smelled nice which gave her hope and she knew she was thinking way too into this as she looked at the slices of pizza on her plate. Picking up one of the slices she took a bite and instantly regretted it, this was certainly not a taste she enjoyed but she forced herself to chew and swallow the bite she had taken not wanting to reveal to the others this was in fact too rich for her and a cheese and tomato was what she would have preferred.

Maybe I’ll like the other one? Considering that option as she looked at the other slice on her plate, the pizza without the salmon though she couldn’t just change the slice she was eating? They would pick up on it and know she didn’t like it and just show them another difference of her own background. Something that she was consistently focusing on at the moment.