Cas said a quick ‘thank you’ to Iris as she handed him a plate, eager to dig into his portion of lunch. It had been weeks since he’d last eaten pizza, so he was looking forward to devouring the two slices in front of him. The gourmet food in the capital was perhaps the luxury he’d missed the most while he had been stuck in the other districts. It had been a blessing that he’d been able to scrape together meals at all, and he wasn’t ungrateful for the help he’d received from Iris and Maisie, but there was no comparing to the rich flavors he enjoyed when he was home. He hoped Iris would like it too, since he knew she hadn’t been able to eat food like this for most of her life.

Lifting the first piece to his lips to take a bite, he chewed slowly as he watched his friends battle over the sofa across the table. Miles had almost managed to overpower Jay, pushing him off the edge to secure his old spot, but Jay was still stronger than him. He threw an arm around Miles’ neck and pulled him down with him roughly. As soon as the sofa was clear of bodies, he jumped back up and laid down again, looking at Miles with a victorious smile, “Wanna try that again, small fry?”

“I hate you,” Miles rolled his eyes, rubbing his sore tailbone, which he’d landed on when the other high born had thrown him from the couch. Giving up the match this time, he turned his attention to the food and filled up a plate with three slices of pizza to eat on the floor.

“Good effort,” Cas teased him unsympathetically. “I think I’d give that one a seven out of ten.” Almost every time Miles challenged Jay, he got his ass handed to him. Their car-obsessed friend was built stockier than either of them and spent even more time at the gym than the prince did. The only times Miles managed to win was when he caught Jay by surprise.

“You don’t have to rub it in,” Miles complained, stuffing a bite of pizza into his mouth. He shook his head. “This is my goddamn room. Why am I the one sitting on the carpet?”

“Because you have to earn sofa privileges,” Jay replied with a grin.

“Ass,” Miles scoffed. Chasing his first bite with a swig of champagne, he turned to Iris. “So, what do you think? Is it great or do I owe you two hundred credits?” he asked, changing the subject. “And don’t you dare tell me you hate it just for the sake of winning the bet!”

It was quite entertaining watching the boys fight over the spot on the sofa, she could see Jay easily winning and minutes later Miles was rubbing his tailbone after being thrown to the floor. Smiling as she watched the pair, she relaxed happy that she was close to Cas as knowing he was there made her feel better as she had someone to back her corner. Laughing to herself as she heard the insults, she glanced down at her plate with the pizza placed on it, feeling her stomach lurch at the thought of eating more because she was not a fan.

It’s just these little things that upset me. It shouldn’t mean anything, but why am I getting upset over it? It’s not a problem that I don’t like this, it shouldn’t be a problem. Why am I making this a problem? Biting the inside of her lip she felt all the emotions stir inside of her, she didn’t know how to feel as she looked at the innocent slices of pizza on her plate. There was no point eating it as she knew she couldn’t force it, perhaps she could say she lost her appetite? Would that be believable? Pushing the thoughts down she returned to her smile and chimed in with the boys, “With that language Miles you will never earn sofa privileges.”

Iris hoped that playing along and making jokes would distract from them asking what her thoughts where, but then she heard Miles just casually asking if it was great. Faltering slightly, she felt herself laugh nervously as she shook her head, “No no, you were right. It’s honestly great, I can see why you guys like it so much.” Trying not to flinch at the teasing comment of hating it just to win the bet, sure that was a lot of money, but she’d never do something on purpose to receive it. Plus, she already felt awkward as it was just staying in his home let alone now taking money from him all because of some stupid bet. “As if I’d do that! I don’t need to win that bet”

I don’t want your charity. Holding back her thoughts not wanting to voice them out loud, but she felt like it would be charity. Though it was probably her overthinking things as per usual, but she felt like they’d pity her because of her background, and it unsettled her. As if to make a point she took another bite of the pizza holding back the disgust she felt and trying not to reveal on her face the fact she disliked the food. Unable to stop the slight shudder she felt she swallowed the bite holding the plate in her hands not wanting them to suspect anything. Between the food and the champagne she could already feel her night not being a great one and she knew she had to be patient, she had to wait until she could spend some time with Cas alone.

“Sounds like we made a good decision to order from Luigi’s then,” Miles nodded gladly when Iris confirmed that she liked the pizza. “After we run out, I can order some more for us in a few days,” he leaned toward her on the floor and lowered his voice, “when these two aren’t around to eat any of it.” Indiscreetly, he gestured at Caspian and Jay, who had both been close enough to hear his not-so-secretive whispering.

At his gibe, Cas shook his head subtly and took another bite of his food. Aside from his friend’s ridiculousness, the comment stirred envy up inside of him. He wished he could be the one to share private meals with Iris or even just be alone with her for more than a minute at a time. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hide her anywhere on the Maydestone family’s property without someone noticing she was there. There were just too many servants and security guards prowling the premises. He was sure they wouldn’t last two days before someone stumbled upon her while they were cleaning or keeping watch for intruders. Then she would be sent back to the penitentiary immediately, and all their hard work would have been for nothing.

With a low sigh, he finished off his first slice of pizza and chased the last bite with another sip of his champagne. At least I still get to see her at all, he reminded himself, trying not to let the seed of jealousy ruin his mood again. If we hadn’t saved her or if we’d had to send her back to the districts… He trailed off with a faint grimace, not wanting to think about what could have happened in either case. With the soldiers and the rebels after her, Miles’ home was the safest place she could be. Getting jealous over the fact that his friend was going to be sharing food with her was unproductive, and the bitter emotion only hurt himself.

So, doing his best not to dwell on it, he spent the rest of the afternoon participating in conversation and games with the others, purposefully pushing aside all thoughts of the fact that he would have to part ways with Iris again before the day was over. As far as he was concerned, all that mattered was the present moment. He was with her, and they were having a good time together. All else was moot.

While he had limited himself to drinking just one glass of champagne, Miles and Jay went all out with the available substances. They split the rest of the bottle between the two of them and then shared a bong from Miles’ stash, smoking it with the window open to air out the room for the others. Without pacing themselves, they grew stupid on the alcohol and drugs, giggling over jokes that only made sense to them and lounging around in various odd positions on the sofa, the bed and the floor.

Around four o’clock, the two had ended up back on the floor, trying to make out images in the textured paint on the ceiling. Cas watched them amusedly for a few minutes before his eyes wandered to Iris, involuntarily drawn by the scarlet fabric that wrapped her body like an unopened present. He curled his fingers against his leg, restless with the desire to pull her aside and make good on his promise to spend a night with her. Technically, he couldn’t get away with it when his father expected him to be home by midnight, but he wondered if he could at least steal a moment with her before he had to go back to his own manor.

He glanced at the other high borns, who were thoroughly ensnared in the combined effects of alcohol and weed, as an idea came to him. Leaning over to Iris, he whispered while the others were looking away, “Make an excuse to go to the bathroom but don’t turn on the lights when you go in. I’ll meet you there… Those two are too high to notice if we disappear for a little.”

“Ah yeah… maybe.” Iris smiled not really going for the idea because she knew she wouldn’t fancy Luigi’s, well she would have liked to try other options that would interest her but she didn’t want the embarrassment of going to order something they would consider plain. It would be embarrassing for her and she didn’t want to go through that with Miles when already she was starting to feel awkward after realising his intentions to her. There was a part of her that hoped she was overreacting because then it would avoid any awkward situation, though she doubted that would be the case.

As Jay and Miles continued to have their fun with indulging themselves, firstly with finishing the bottle of champagne and then smoking whatever substances they could get their hands on she discreetly placed her plate down with the unfinished food because she was not a fan. Thankfully the boys seemed too wrapped up in their own fun to notice, but she participated in the fun and games and conversations trying to keep her mood upbeat distracting from the pizza. It wasn’t that hard to keep a positive outlook as she was close to Caspian and it was good to see him again after so long, a week had felt forever.

It was quite entertaining to see how stupid they had become because they didn’t pace themselves and she was glad she didn’t join in, she barely finished her own glass of champagne not enjoying the taste at first but she had grown accustomed to it after a few continuous sips. The jokes soon started to not make any sense and it was clear they were out of it, but at the same time to her it was amusing to watch as they lounged around changing into different positions babbling on what she would call was nonsense.

Unable to stop the smile that spread across her lips as she heard his whisper excitement started to build at the idea of spending a moment with him alone. Nodding in response not bothering to whisper back she took to her feet glancing down at the boys wiping the smile from her face as she used the best excuse she could think of, “Hey, I’ll be right back. I’m not feeling too great probably that time you know.” Shrugging it off making it seem like a girl problem to ensure that Miles and Jay wouldn’t question or even go look for her she slipped from the room briefly letting her hand touch Caspians shoulder before she slipped into the bathroom not turning the light on as he said.

As she moved into the bathroom, she couldn’t help but feel excited, this seemed risky and dangerous and her heart hammered away as she waited for him. It was like a surge of adrenaline that rushed through her and she felt herself fidget in anticipation waiting for Cas. It felt strange standing in the dark in the bathroom, but the reward would be worth it because she would get to spend a brief moment alone with him though she felt her cheeks heat up at her own thoughts because the risk added a whole new element to their meeting.

When Iris nodded and gave the high borns an excuse to use the bathroom, Cas bit back a sly smile. Objectively, he couldn’t be too proud of the fact that he’d come up with an idea to slip away from his friends. Jay and Miles were so messed up from the drinks and drugs that he probably could have walked out the door with her without either of them noticing. However, he still felt clever for thinking up a plan that would all but guarantee that they could sneak off for a few minutes without getting caught.

“What time?” Miles queried, furrowing him brows confusedly and lifting his head off the floor to watch Iris disappear into the adjoining room. Had he been sober, he would have understood what she was alluding to, but his intoxicated mind jumped straight to the time that was being displayed on the clock in his bedroom. And apparently Jay’s did as well.

“It’s after four,” he replied. The two both paused for a few seconds and then burst out laughing again, entertained by something that had gone over Caspian’s head. The prince shook his head as he watched them. They were further gone than he’d seen in quite a while. Originally, he’d planned to wait a few minutes before he would follow Iris into the bathroom, so they wouldn’t find it odd that he was going with her, but it seemed like he didn’t have to bother. They were already distracted enough for him to get away without drawing attention to himself.

“I need to use the toilet,” he said, standing up. “I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t take too long,” Jay warned. “Or you’re gonna miss all of this.” He gestured indistinctly at the ceiling that he and Miles were so entranced by. “We need your help to find the dragon.”

“I’ll, uh, keep that in mind,” Cas assured him amusedly.

Hurrying to get away from them before they realized what he was doing—if it was even possible in their current state—he slipped through the bathroom door into the dark space beyond. Once inside, he turned the lock on the handle behind him until he heard a faint click. The last thing he wanted was for one of his friends to stumble in on him and Iris in a compromising position, so it was safer to make sure that neither of them could get in.

He jostled the handle once just to make sure the lock worked and then turned away from the door, locating her silhouette in the gloom. The only light that illuminated the bathroom was the faint sunlight from the window in the bedroom that diffused through the glass door. Still, he spotted her right away, and a grin took over his features. It was the first time he’d really had her to himself since they had been running from the rebellion. All at once, his excitement swelled, his heart raced and he closed the distance between them, pushing her back against the wall as he pressed a fervent kiss to her lips, relishing the sensation of being close to her again.

Waiting in anticipation Iris watched to where she thought the door was, heart still hammering away as she waited for Cas. Although it was dark there was a faint light so she knew she wouldn’t fall over herself or crash into something at least. Fiddling with her fingers she watched the door as she waited, mind running wild as she thought about the few minutes, they could spend with each other. It made her cheeks heat up at the ideas, but she couldn’t wait to hold him, to touch him and kiss him as it had been a week without seeing him so it was hard to not be excited.

Hopefully they don’t get too suspicious, I can’t say that I’m not enjoying the element of danger. Thinking to herself as she waited, feeling like it was taking so long for him to join her in the bathroom. I hope one of the boys doesn’t forget and walk in here, that would be awkward. Especially if it was Miles. Biting her lip as she watched the door intently feeling a little anxious as her thoughts whirled around in her head. Brushing down the dark red fabric that adorned her skin she then found herself fiddling with her hair as if she had to make herself look presentable, not that it would matter too much seeing as it wasn’t bright enough for him to see strands of hair askew.

Brushing out the creases distracted her for a split second, waiting for him to finally come through the door and as she heard it open, she couldn’t help but beam. It had to be Cas; she was certain it was him as she narrowed her eyes looking at the silhouette that turned to the door locking it as she heard the faint click. It was a smart move because it meant no one could just walk in on them with whatever they were doing.

Iris could feel her pink tinged cheeks as Iris glanced up to Cas holding her breath as he inched closer to her, this was the first time in what seemed like forever they were alone, and no one could disturb them now. Iris could finally enjoy a moment of peace with him like she had wanted for a while as between the rebellion and then coming to the capital and being separated like they had. It was excitement and she couldn’t wait. Unable to stop the gasp that left her lips as she felt her back hit against the cold bathroom wall, heart racing as she felt his lips against hers and she wrapped her arms around him her fingers entangling in his hair as she kissed him.

Savouring the feel of his lips against hers as she kissed him with passion, one hand of hers playing with the locks of his hair as her other hand trailed down his arm just enjoying the fact she could touch him and that they were able to spend these few moments together. The boys wouldn’t miss them, they probably wouldn’t notice because they were too busy being out of their minds.

Caspian wrapped his arms around Iris’s back and waist, pulling her as close to himself as possible as they kissed in Miles’ bathroom. When he’d first come up with the idea to sneak away from the others, he hadn’t planned to lock lips with her right away. He still wanted to talk to her and find out how she was doing since he and the others had helped her escape from the hospital. With Jay and Miles around, they couldn’t speak freely with each other, so now was their only chance to have that private conversation. However, as he felt her fingers tangle in his hair and her lips move against his, all thoughts of talking fled from his mind.

A low sigh escaped from his throat, and he clutched at the fabric of her dress in a heated frenzy, lost in his rekindled desire to be with her. Distantly, he was glad that they’d had a chance to check in with each other when Miles had gone to the front door to let Jay in. Now that he was certain her feelings for him hadn’t changed while they had been apart, he had no more reservations about deepening the kiss as he held her against the bathroom wall just out of sight from where his friends had collapsed in their drug-induced stupors.

The secrecy of the encounter made it more thrilling for him as well. Every relationship he’d ever had had been conducted in secret, since the king didn’t allow him to date, but he’d never made out with a woman in a darkened room before, only three meters away from two people who had no idea what they were doing. Surprisingly, he found it exciting to know that they ran the rink of being caught if either of the other high borns shined a light through the glass door. Having that knowledge in the back of his head only fueled his fervor, and he reached up with one hand to run his fingers through her long hair.

“You remembered, didn’t you?” he breathed against her lips, trailing his other hand against the dark red dress as he opened his eyes to look down at her smaller frame sandwiched between himself and the wall. He smiled, and his eyes flicked back up to meet hers, still hovering close enough that the air from his lungs mingled with hers in the sliver of space between them. “You look beautiful, Iris.” Touching another kiss to her mouth, he closed his eyes again as he melted into her once more.

Though he didn’t have much experience being with someone else physically, he felt comfortable enough with her that there was no hesitation in his movements. He knew what he wanted, and he knew she wanted the same thing, so he acted with confidence, leaning some of his weight into her to pin her against the smooth surface while he transitioned to her jawline, teasing her skin with his lips and tongue.

A part of her wanted to talk to Cas, to tell him how she was really feeling especially as she couldn’t talk to Miles about the interrogation. For one he would think she was crazy that the military had that kind of power and two, it just didn’t feel right because she wasn’t comfortable opening up to him as he hadn’t experienced it with her. Not like Cas had, he understood everything, he had to know about interrogation as well as her father’s death and it meant she didn’t have to voice it out loud, he would just know without her words having to confirm it. Though the idea of talking soon vanished when she had all of his attention focused on her and it was everything she had craved since the close encounter at the pub.

Even though things were heated she could feel the cold wall against her back and she relished in the fact that she was in this kind of position with him. Being able to kiss him, touch him and just enjoy everything about being so close to him felt amazing. Feeling his hands clutch at the fabric of her dress caused a shudder to course through her as her body wanted nothing more than to be with him and she couldn’t help but blush at her own thoughts.

Useless thoughts of worrying about pizza had soon escaped her as it was replaced by the thrilling excitement of sneaking around with the Prince under his friends’ nose like they were. Although it was dark, they could easily be caught and that idea just excited her more, of course the boys couldn’t just walk in on them as Cas had locked the door, but she knew it was made of glass. It was fun to be playing around like this, the secrets and hidden moments of passion like this. It easily made her forget the bad things that had happened over the past few weeks and even stopped the negative thoughts about being a secret couple for a moment.

“Of course, I did it’s your favourite colour.” Iris whispered in response against his lips letting out a soft sigh as she felt his hand trail against the dress, “Why wouldn’t I wear this for you?” Purring out her words as she leaned into his kiss again, her hand moving from his hair to trail down his chest just above the fabric as she kept the palm of her hand against him firmly. Already she could feel her own chest rising and falling quickly especially as she felt the confidence of him pinning her against the cold smooth surface which only lit a fire in her.

“Cas.” Whispering out his name as he teased her as she just let herself go with him, pausing for a brief moment using her free hand to force him to look at her. “I love you.” Speaking with certainty as she wanted him to know how she felt, of course he knew but right now all she cared about was telling him she loved him. Reassuring him that right now he was the only thing that mattered to her as she entangled herself with him against the bathroom wall. Hands trailing up back to his hair gripping his locks as she couldn’t help but move in for another kiss, capturing his lips with hers as she pushed herself against him heart racing as each touch sent chills down her spine.

Caspian smiled against Iris’s neck when she spoke, the purr in her words sending a shiver down his spine. It had been a simple gesture, but just the fact that she had thought of pleasing him by wearing that dress after they had been away from each other for a week was endearing to him. It showed that she had been thinking about him during their time apart, just like he’d been thinking about her. Over the course of the lockdown, she’d rarely left his mind. He’d missed spending time with her, and he would have been lying if he’d said her proposition to spend a night alone hadn’t appeared once or twice… a day. There had been a reason why he’d stopped by a gas station on his way over to see her, after all.

The way she whispered his name stirred his desire for her, and he nipped at her skin with his teeth just below her jawline. He loved the way it sounded on her lips. Her breathy voice was seductive to him, and he began to wonder how long he could hide away with her without Miles or Jay noticing their absence. Discreetly, he cracked one eye open and glanced at the door. At the pub, they’d had to be careful because they had been in such an uncertain situation with no way to be safe, but now, they were secure in the capital, away from danger, and they wouldn’t risk the same consequences that they would have in the districts. With his friends veritably knocked out in the bedroom, it was their best chance to get away with crossing the line.

Feeling her hand against his cheek, Cas turned his head to meet Iris’s gaze as she told him she loved him once again. The assurance chipped away at the insecurity he’d felt upon watching Miles flirt with her, and he exhaled, “I love you too, Iris.” As her hands found their way back to his hair, he met her halfway in a kiss, intoxicated by the feeling of her body pressed against his. The sight of her in the dark scarlet dress, the touch of her hands on his skin and the scent of her in close proximity was enough to leave him feverish with lust. In that moment, they were in their own world. Miles and Jay were long gone, and no one was around to interrupt them.

With labored breaths, he slipped his arms around her back and ran his fingers over her dress until he located the zipper. Already, he could practically feel his heart beating in his throat. Having never slept with anyone before, nervous thoughts crept through the fog of passion in his mind. He didn’t know exactly what he was doing, and even though he knew what he wanted, part of him worried about what she would think if he couldn’t meet her expectations. He wanted her to enjoy it too, but a bathroom wasn’t exactly easy terrain to navigate.

Still, it was all they had to work with, and he wasn’t so nervous that he was afraid to go through with it, so he pulled the fastening of her dress, trying to keep his composure as he felt the fabric come loose. The anticipation alone was almost debilitating, and he kissed her even more zealously, his blood running hot with carnal fire.

Iris for a moment was worried at just how long they could be here without someone getting suspicious over it, of course both Jay and Miles were high and out of the minds after having indulged themselves but surely they would start to notice the pair of them had disappeared. Unless they were really out of it. It certainly wasn’t the same level of danger as being on the run from the rebels and also a prisoner of the Capital, but it still sparked a tingle through her at the idea of them getting caught red handed in some sort of sultry act and it only spurred her on with going further with Cas in his best friends bathroom.

It wasn’t exactly romantic, but Iris didn’t care for that, they had been through so much that making their first time romantic wasn’t a priority. Of course, it would have been nice, but who didn’t like the effort the romance? Right now, however all Iris wanted was him, she wanted to go to the next level and that had been clear back in the districts when they nearly lost themselves the first time. Although it had not been her intention to go that far at first it had been on her mind since their first encounter, all she could think about was being that close to him. Intimate and feel his touch because it was becoming something she really wanted to experience.

It was hard to keep pushing away the desire when each time they touched or kissed it was electrifying to her, he did something to her that she couldn’t personally remember ever happening to her and it was exciting. The way she’d respond to him, the way her body would react she was losing herself to the lust of wanting him and she knew that here they had more precautions unlike in the districts but she couldn’t help but wonder if he had thought about that too. A part of her wanted to ask, but then what if he didn’t intend to do that? What if she was just reading into it and the redness on her cheeks this time was from embarrassment.

Those worries soon left when she felt his hand snake round locating the zipper of her dress and she felt herself hold her breath, waiting for him to undo the fabric in anticipation. Without thinking about it she slipped her arms out of the straps of the dress letting it fall to the ground around her ankles in a heap on the floor, a shudder came from her body partly to do with the cool air combined with his zealous kiss. Out of instinct her hands trailed down from his chest to the hem of his shirt playing with the fabric for a second before she let her soft hands touch the skin of his chest. Moving in an upwards motion she caressed his skin whilst pushing the top his was wearing further up his body with intent to take it off as she deepened the kiss, heart hammering away in her chest leaving her breathless.

As Iris’s dress fell at their feet, Caspian’s heart stumbled in his chest. He broke the kiss to pull back from her just enough to take in the sight of her half naked body in his arms. A flush of color crept over his face and neck, and he forgot how to breathe. He’d never gotten this far with any woman before her, but he was glad that she was the first. His eyes swept over her curves, mesmerized by how perfect she was. Everything about her was intoxicating. The darkness of the bathroom dulled his vision somewhat, but he was still entrance by the fairness of her porcelain skin, the softness of her hips and chest, and the hourglass contours that made it impossible for him to tear his gaze away.

Had she not reached for the hem of his shirt in that moment, he might have gotten carried away and ripped at the thin undergarments that concealed the rest of her figure from his view. Her sultry touch brought him back down to earth though, and he closed his eyes as she kissed him again. Being with her now, hidden away in his friend’s bathroom, felt almost surreal. They had talked a little about sleeping together, always vaguely, but now that they were actually going to, he was worried he would wake up. The only thing convincing him that he wasn’t asleep was the sensuous caress of her fingers and the warmth of her lips upon his. Dreams never felt this good.

Feeling her lift his shirt, he shuddered and raised his arms to allow her to pull the garment over his head. Once it was off, he took it in his hand and tossed it aside, kissing her again as he unbuttoned his own trousers. He let them drop to the floor with the rest of their haphazardly strew clothes and wrapped his arms around Iris once more. The sensation of being so close to her, without even much fabric to separate them, made his skin feel hot, and he curled his fingers in her long hair, stroking her bare back and hips with his other hand as he leaned into her against the wall.

“God, you’re so hot,” he panted, drifting away from her lips again to plant a trail of kisses from her jaw down to her collar. Behind her shoulders, he searched for the clasp of her bra to remove that next, but before he could even attempt to undo it, he froze as the doorknob suddenly rattled loudly.

With wide eyes, he turned his head toward the door, where he could see Miles attempting to get in from the other side. The other high born muttered something he couldn’t make out and then called out, “What the fuck? Why is the bathroom locked? I have to take a piss.”

Distantly, Jay responded, “Let me try. It’s probably just jammed.”

“Shit,” Cas hissed, tensing as a second silhouette suddenly appeared beside the first. In their inebriation, his friends seemed to have forgotten that the bathroom was occupied.

For a moment Iris felt a little self-conscious of her body on show to him, although she had been keen, she knew he was taking in the sight of her and she couldn’t help but worry thinking she wasn’t good enough. Though she knew people could always be so self-critical of themselves and even as she reminded herself of that fact, she couldn’t help but think of all her flaws. The pale skin of hers, the scaring on her leg from the bear trap incident. The fact that she felt like she was just skin and bones compared to some of the more well endowed women and it was hard not to start picking at all her flaws worried he would just be repulsed now he had finally seen her without clothes.

It didn’t seem to matter though because the minute she had reached for his shit she could see him helping her in undressing him so she knew it was okay, he wasn’t turned off by seeing her in such a way and she quickly pushed the thoughts of her flaws to one side as they rekindled their fire with one another. It felt like they were so close especially as he unbuttoned his own trousers letting them fall in a heap like her dress had, the feeling of his bare skin against hers. The sensual touches and caressing of each other’s skin was more than enough to leave her breathless and she was very quickly feeling hot under the collar so to speak.

There was barely any fabric to separate them and she closed her eyes enjoying all the attention he gave to her, the trail of kisses travelling down her jawline. The hot whisper against her skin as he called her hot, complimenting her making her feel like she was the only one that mattered right now in this moment. Each touch was like fire, it burned in such a good way as he touched her skin and she couldn’t help but let her hands roan over his body. Touching the muscles, the toned areas and just enjoying the smooth feel of his skin beneath her fingers as she happily mapped out his body with her fingers. Wanting to know every inch of him, needing to feel him as she enjoyed their hot moment in the bathroom together.

As she leaned into him, she felt her whole-body tense at the sound of the door rattling, she felt her blood run cold at the idea that they were actually going to get caught. It wasn’t just a theory that spurred them on in the moment. “Oh no, this is bad.” Iris hissed as in a hurry she grabbed her dress scurrying to put it back on in a rush, panicked because they couldn’t know about them.

“What do we do!? We can’t explain both being in here?” Whispering under her breath hurriedly as she fumbled around with, he fabric of her dress putting the straps back as she looked to Cas. It was like she had been woken from a dream, everything was going so well so enjoyable and then all of a sudden reality hit them. Trying her best to do the zip up she only got about half way before she started to fan herself with her hands trying to cool herself down and calm the redness of her cheeks, embarrassment mixed with guilt of being caught out.

"We could say I was sick? I did say I wasn't feeling too good to slip away to the bathroom?" It was clear she was panicked, her eyes were wide like a dear caught in headlights as she rushed around rearranging herself to look normal.

As Iris pulled away from him, Caspian turned back to her, watching as she scrambled to throw her clothes back on. He felt a pang of disappointment, wishing they hadn’t been interrupted when they had been about to indulge in their desire for each other at last. However, there was no time to think about that right now. For the moment, they had the cover of darkness to hide from Jay and Miles, but if the other high borns shined a light into the bathroom, they would be caught. So, he followed suit, picking up his shirt and trousers from the floor and fumbling to put them back on before his friends grew clever enough to take a look through the glass door.

Just as he pulled his top back down over his head, he heard her starting to panic. He let go of the fabric and turned toward her once more while she fanned herself and scrambled to come up with an explanation for them to be in the bathroom at the same time. Initially, he’d been startled by the others too, but watching her freak out had a strangely calming effect. One of them needed to be level-headed if they were going to get away without drawing attention to themselves, and that responsibility fell to him now.

Quickly, he took hold of her hands to stop her from rushing about. “Iris, Iris, calm down,” he whispered, frowning solemnly as he held her gaze. “Those two are high as a kite. We can do this. Just stay behind me, and I’ll get the door for them. As soon as they come in, go back to the bedroom. If we tell them you were there the whole time, I’m sure they’ll believe it.”

From the other room, he could hear Jay and Miles jostling the handle as they tried once more to get in. “It’s stuck good,” Miles grumbled when the door didn’t budge.

“That’s what she said,” Jay snickered.

Miles laughed and then shook his head, “I’m gonna get a maid and let her know that we need to call a locksmith. I’m too baked for this shit.”

At that, Cas stiffened. If his friend called one of the servants, they would find out that Iris was hiding in the room with them. He couldn’t let that happen—not while he had nowhere else to send her where she would be safe. Hurriedly, he called out, “I told you guys I needed to use the toilet! The door’s locked so you would stay out!”

“Cas?” Miles paused, pressing his face up to the glass again and squinting as he attempted to look through. “Why are you in there with all the lights off?”

Gently, Cas pushed Iris so that he was standing between her and the other high borns. He doubted they could see inside, but just in case, it was better for them to only see him. “What are you talking about?” he asked in return, using the first response that popped into his head. “The lights aren’t off. You must’ve had too much.”

“Really?” Miles blinked, squinting harder and then recoiling from the door with a grimace. “Fuck. I overdid it. I’ve gotta lay down.” He took a step away from the bathroom, stopped, and then turned back again. “Wait. I still have to piss. Are you done in there yet?”

“Yeah, just give me one second and I’ll let you in,” Cas yelled back. Glancing at Iris over his shoulder, he shrugged. “See? They’ll believe pretty much anything when they get like this.”

It was hard not to panic when she tried to think of a good enough excuse for them, but it seemed that Cas was the calm one in this compared to her bumbling self that was fumbling around not achieving anything. Before she could say anymore, she felt him take her hands holding them in his own and it grounded her, pulling her down from whatever mess she had started to create in her mind. The words he spoke as he began to calm her from her panic were soothing and she nodded looking over at him listening to his every word, he was right his friends were probably too high to even question what they did or didn’t see.

Tensing as she heard the rattle once more she found herself holding her breath waiting for the door to open with all the jostling and what she could only imagine was pushing trying to get it free as they thought it was stuck. Glancing at the door she was thankful there was no light on as it kept them both safe, but then she heard it the idea that he would call for a maid to get a locksmith out. If they did that she would be found, everything would be ruined and all the efforts of saving her would be for nothing as she’d be right back in the penitentiary awaiting her death that she had managed to narrowly escape from before.

“Cas! They can’t call a maid.” Iris couldn’t help but whisper, fear in her voice at the idea because her mind had a tendency to just spiral. Though she didn’t need to tell him because it seemed like he had everything under control, calling out to the boys hearing them back down but still question why he was in there. Feeling the push Iris happily moved behind him fully, hiding behind him just in case they could see through the glass as she heard his excuse that he shouted out to Jay and Miles. They had seemingly bought it and she could feel the relief flooding over her. Although the danger had been fun, the reality of potentially getting caught had scared her but Cas had been quick to think on his feet.

“Yeah. I’ll say I was there the whole time. They will never know.” Iris nodded to herself smiling, “Sorry I panicked like that. Thank you.” Leaning up she placed a kiss on his cheek taking an extra moment to whisper in his ear, “Though sadly I guess we will have to wait longer.” Gently giving his arm a squeeze as she looked back over to the door, this would be the chance and she would slip by behind Cas without anyone noticing her.

Watching the door she carefully slipped out of the bathroom behind Cas making sure no one saw her as she casually sat on the chair he had been sitting in earlier that night, leaning on her arm she pretended as if she had been there the whole time and that she and Cas hadn’t just met up in secret in Miles’ bathroom.

“Don’t worry about it,” Cas reassured Iris when she apologized to him. He understood exactly why she’d freaked out, so he wasn’t upset with her. If he hadn’t known how much his friends let themselves go whenever they smoked, he would have been worried too. As she planted a kiss on his cheek, he smiled. “I didn’t mind it, really. You’re cute when you’re flustered.” He laughed to himself, reaching up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear affectionately. In the districts, when they had actually been in danger, things had been different; but now that they were safe in the Kinders’ estate, he found her reaction endearing.

However, her following whisper made him bite his lip desirously. He wished again that the other high borns hadn’t interrupted them. Although the bathroom wasn’t the best location for them to be with each other for the first time, he hated stopping when things had gotten so heated between them. He couldn’t get the image of her almost naked body out of his head either. He swallowed and averted his gaze from her, trying to think about something else. Hopefully his friends were still high enough that they wouldn’t notice the lingering flush of his skin or any other sign of arousal that he couldn’t hide so soon after their make out session against the wall.

Taking a shuddering breath, he gathered what was left of his composure and walked with Iris over to the door, careful to angle his body in such a way that the others wouldn’t see her standing behind him. When he reached it, he unlocked the latch and pulled the handle, simultaneously flipping the light switch on as he opened the door. He hoped that in doing so, Miles would assume that it had been on the whole time.

His friend groaned with relief and pushed past him to get to the toilet, “Move it! It’s my turn to hog the bathroom.”

“Have at it,” Cas gestured with a wave of his arm, glancing over his shoulder just as Iris slipped back into the bedroom from behind him. It looked like she had gotten out without either of the other high borns noticing. He bit back a smile, pleased with himself and with her for getting away with their sultry encounter. It would have been nice to get away with more, but as she said, they were just going to have to wait for a better time.

Heading back with Jay, he took a seat on the sofa while his friend planted himself beside him. Jay looked across the room and grew rigid as his gaze landed on Iris. “When did you get here?” he furrowed his brows. “I thought you left already.”

“She’s been here the whole time,” Cas rolled his eyes. “She can’t leave, remember? We’re still hiding her from the soldiers.”

“Right…” Jay said slowly, maintaining the perplexed expression on his face. “Jesus. Where does Miles get his stuff from? I feel like that bong was laced with something stronger than weed.”

“Who knows?” Cas shrugged, shooting a sly wink at Iris across the room as he leaned back comfortably into the couch cushion. “All I can tell you is that she never left Miles’ room.”

“I’ve been here the whole time.” Iris smiled looking up as Cas backed up her claim, thankfully he seemed to buy it but then had they not been so intoxicated from a number of items they would have caught them out easily. Though she couldn’t imagine them sneaking around with his friends more aware of their surroundings because it never would have worked. “I’m so glad I didn’t partake in all of this; I would hate to feel so out of it.” Even as she spoke, she knew she had been out of it before, but for different reasons. Back in the prison she had been in some sort trance not really understanding her own actions as she remembered the incident with the glass, her mind had been so set on what she was planning to do with it that it scared her thinking back on it.

“As Cas said I can’t even leave the room. I have nowhere to go.” Although she tried to smile and keep the comment light-hearted there was home truth in there she truly hated. There was nowhere for her to go, she didn’t want to live in Miles’ bedroom forever plus she wanted the option of having her own clothes again, her own space to deal with everything that had happened because she knew she was just adding yet another plaster to a wound that was about to burst open.

It was a nice evening overall even if she didn’t eat much or drink the champagne, even though she didn’t join in with the opiates she still managed to have a laugh with everyone. Both Jay and Miles were quite entertaining when they were off their face and she spent a lot of the evening thinking about what could have happened had her and Cas not been interrupted in the bathroom. The thought of it still made her feel warm inside because she had wanted it, she still thought about it and she had to hide her disappointment when Cas had to leave for the night. Iris hadn’t been too fussed at Jay leaving, but Cas was a different story to her.

Miles hadn’t been much company after they had left, she knew that they had partied hard so to speak so she left Miles to it passed out sprawled over his bed sleeping it off. Settling down herself on the sofa once more she tried to get some rest she found herself experiencing some pleasant dreams, reliving the moment in the bathroom with Cas as they risked enjoying a moment together in the danger of his friends catching them. They had been some enjoyable dreams before things started to get worse, nightmares and worries seeping into her mind causing her to toss and turn in the night.

Even as the time passed bringing the next day Iris had yet to get some proper rest, it was slowly getting to her chipping away as each day passed. In all honesty she had slept right since being in the Capital, she knew right now she was safe, but it wasn’t something she could register. In all honesty Iris didn’t know what would make her feel safe, but it was hard when she was a fugitive hiding in someone’s bedroom. Rubbing her eyes, she couldn’t help but sigh sat upon the sofa, she was getting frustrated stuck in the same room and she craved going outside, but she knew it wasn’t an option right now.

For the rest of the afternoon and evening, Cas enjoyed his time with his friends more than he had when he’d first arrived. Even though he and Iris had gotten interrupted, Jay and Miles made up for their inadvertent disruption by heading more games and conversations. He couldn’t hold it against them when they hadn’t even known that he and the former rebel were together. Besides that, he’d always had fun in their company. Miles had gotten too high to keep trying to flirt with Iris, which was a relief as well. With no competition—perceived or otherwise—for her attention, he was able to relax and forget about his troubles until the time came for him to return to the Maydestone estate.

As usual, he was reluctant to leave and wished he could just phone home to tell his father that he’d rather stay with his friends for the night, but he already knew how that discussion would go down. The king would assert that it was too dangerous after he had just been abducted by the rebellion a little over a week ago. He’d also tell him that “sleepovers” were for children and were unbefitting of a grown man, let alone one who was going to be the next king of Aspiria. There was no point in trying to convince him otherwise.

So, he said his goodbyes to the others around eleven and drove himself back to the mansion, checking in briefly with one of the security guards to let them know he was back before he went to bed alone.

The next morning, he was awoken early by a curt knock on his door. He yawned blearily and rubbed his eyes as he called out permission for the visitor to enter, wondering who needed something from him before noon. During the lockdown, the guards and staff and even his father had left him to rest and recover from his experience beyond the capital. He’d gotten used to having time in the mornings to sleep in. Unfortunately, though, it seemed like that time had passed.

“Your highness?” a maid projected as she stepped into the room and bowed to him politely. “I just stopped by to inform you that His Majesty has arranged a meeting for you with Dr. Foster today at nine. He’s asked that you be ready to see her when she arrives.”

Cas made a face. He’d nearly forgotten about the psychiatrist that his father insisted on treating him for his nonexistence Stockholm Syndrome. Apparently the king hadn’t let it go while the capital guards had been searching for Iris. “Fine,” he grumbled, turning his head into his pillow. “I’ll be up soon.” In the same way he couldn’t ask to stay overnight somewhere outside the mansion, he knew it was pointless to keep telling Atlas that he didn’t need therapy. His father had already proven that he didn’t trust him enough to make any decisions for himself.

The maid bowed again and exited the room, and he reluctantly sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. As he stretched to shake off his residual tiredness, he checked his phone out of habit, making sure he didn’t have any missed messages before he stood up. The blank lockscreen showed nothing of importance, so he ambled into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for his appointment with Dr. Foster. He just hoped it would go by quickly, so he could try to go back to Miles’ place before his father came up with anything else for him to do.

Pushing herself off of the sofa Iris glanced at the sleeping body of Miles sprawled on the bed before moving to the window in his room looking outside feeling a bit of sadness as she didn’t feel free at all. The scenery outside was beautiful, his home was of course beautiful with lavish gardens stretching out the estate that she wished she could explore. Again, it was something she couldn’t do because she was a criminal who couldn’t show her face. There was no way she could just freely walk outside in the sunshine and enter the gardens she wished could explore, taking in the flowers, the sunshine already knowing how reading a book in the sunshine in those gardens would have an amazing feeling. It can never happen.

Sighing she couldn’t help but shake her head finding looking outside only stirred unresolved emotions that she didn’t want to experience here. Angry with herself she pulled away from the window and moved towards the chest of drawers, they had used the top one for the stolen clothes of his sister and she was able to help herself as she pleased. Grabbing a top and jeans for the day she slammed the draw shut grimacing as she realised her anger was seeping out, biting her lip she glanced over to the bed seeing Miles stir so she rushed to the bathroom so she didn’t have to face him just yet. Idiot. Can’t keep control of your emotions.

Letting out a shaky breath as she locked the bathroom door behind her, she casually moved round the corner away from the glass. Mumbling away as she called herself an idiot, she got herself ready for the day hoping that she could calm herself, she didn’t know why today was becoming emotional. There was nothing that set her off or anything that should have triggered her this morning, but she felt very on edge and she couldn’t explain why. “Just get over it, I am fine. What have I got to complain about? I’m alive right?” As if giving herself a pep talk Iris began to get changed for the day happy that she had more of a comfortable outfit, though she did love wearing the dress and the attention it got from Cas last night.

Brushing out her long hair she splashed cold water on her face to wake herself up before finally emerging from the bathroom ready for the day. Though as she left, she could see Miles was now awake and she grimaced realising she definitely woke him from his sleep, “Ahh… I’m sorry. I woke you, didn’t I? I didn’t mean to slam the draw. I guess I got a bit carried away.”

Shrugging it off Miles rubbed the back of his head still waking up, eyes watching the way she moved from the bathroom in a half-asleep haze still adjusting to coming around after his deep sleep from last night. “It’s no big deal. I just figured you wanted me awake.” Giving her a lop-sided smile as he wasted no time in teasing a little as he had decided he would make a move today, with lockdown officially over if it didn’t go to plan he didn’t have to stay here in the house with her if it became awkward.

“So, how are you feeling today, your highness?” Dr. Foster asked. The time was now a few minutes past nine, and the psychiatrist had set herself up in one of the offices in the manor. She reclined behind the maple wood desk with one leg crossed over the other and a pad of paper resting loosely in her lap. Her narrow glasses were perched on her thin nose as she observed her patient, and she held a pen in her hand, ready to take notes on their visit that day.

Across the desk, Caspian was seated in a cushioned armchair, not nearly as poised as the doctor. He slouched lazily and had pressed his cheek against the palm of his hand in obvious disinterest. Not even five minutes had passed, and he was already finding the appointment torturous. He would have much rather been spending his morning with Miles and Iris, far away from the woman who seemed convinced that he wasn’t mentally stable. He studied her quietly. To him, it was a little strange that she had diagnosed him with Stockholm so quickly when they’d only spoken for an hour once before, and he wondered if she really thought he was sick in the head or if she was just siding with his father to get on the king’s good side. Knowing how much the other high borns pandered to Atlas for special favors and approval, he wouldn’t have been surprised if the latter was true.

“Your highness?”

The prince stiffened as he realized he’d gotten lost in his thoughts. “Um, fine,” he coughed into his sleeve. “I’m just a bit tired.” He fought the urge to grimace as he watched her jot something down on her notepad; probably something along the lines of: “subject is absentminded and slow to respond.” He averted his gaze irritably. It was frustrating to feel like he had to constantly defend himself to keep from coming across as insane. The fact that she had already diagnosed him with a disorder that he didn’t even have was proof to him that she wasn’t on his side. She was just here for the paycheck and the chance to get in his father’s good books.

“Why are you tired?” Dr. Foster probed.

“I was out late, and I got used to sleeping in during the lockdown,” Cas answered truthfully.

The psychiatrist nodded and wrote something else down on her pad, causing him to shift his weight. “I’ll try to make this visit as quick as possible then,” she assured him with a thin smile. “Why don’t you tell me about Iris again?”

Inwardly, Cas groaned, but he did as she asked, repeating the same information that he had told her during their last meeting. He already knew she was hoping that he’d changed his mind about her. If he said he thought she was just a soulless rebel like all the rest, Dr. Foster and his father would win. If he was completely honest, a part of him was tempted to lie and tell her that he no longer cared for Iris—platonically, of course—just to put an end to the time-eating appointments. However, he couldn’t do that. He loved her, and he wanted her to be able to come out of hiding eventually. Flip-flopping his stance on whether she was a good person or not would only hurt her reputation. If he wanted to be with her, he was going to have to hold fast to his decision to take her side and keep enduring the psychiatric visits until Atlas realized that he was telling the truth about her. It was the only way she would ever be accepted in the capital.

Throughout the appointment, Dr. Foster continued to challenge him on his beliefs. She asked him how he knew Iris hadn’t just been stringing him along or why he thought she would help him in the first place. Each time, he insisted stubbornly that she had been a victim of the Scourge too and that he had no reason to doubt her motives. The response didn’t go the way he’d hoped, and by the end of the meeting, he was sure the psychiatrist was going to report to his father that there were no improvements in his condition.

As soon as the clock struck ten, he left the office to return to his bedroom, wanting to get away from Dr. Foster. Talking with someone for an entire hour who didn’t believe a word out of his mouth was ridiculously exhausting, so he needed some time to hole away in solitude and relax after getting worked up. He locked his door behind him and collapsed on his bed, choosing to spend that time alone by taking a nap. Hopefully by the time lunch was served, he would be in a better frame of mind to interact with the help.

“Well it was much better than hearing you snore. You were such a state last night.” Iris countered with a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips, it was hard not to just continue the friendly banter as she felt it was right. “I think that you are still trying to wake yourself up there. Quite the party animal.” Laughing softly as she moved further into the bedroom making her way to the sofa sitting herself down as she got comfortable.

Snorting Miles shook his head with an amused smiled on his face, “You think that was being a party animal? Oh boy you have not seen anything yet.” Stretching his limbs Miles headed over to his chest of drawers before throwing the TV remote back towards Iris on the sofa with a grin, “I’m gonna hit the shower, pick out something to watch and I’ll join when back.” Reaching out he grabbed some clothing before trudging over to the bathroom needing the shower to wake up and clear his head after the heavy night.

“Sure.” Iris sighed as she slouched on the sofa grabbing the remote turning on the TV to browse what was currently on. This routine had been fairly similar each morning, either one of them would shower and just watch TV for a bit until the other joined in. It would be quite a chill morning, and nothing would really happen, but it was nice in a way. Iris enjoyed having nothing to do for a bit, she was able to just sit around and watch TV just kind of relax. What would make it better was if it was on her own terms, her own space or home which again was another thing that couldn’t happen, and it was starting to get to her.

Browsing through the channels Iris had landed on some reality show, it was one of the dating shows where the people had to choose the outfit of the person, they were angling a date for. There were three people and different rounds with different themes and the best outfits went through. At first, she had pulled a face calling it stupid, but now she had somehow been hooked and was zoned in watching as the contestants would scramble around for outfits and she couldn’t believe how much it had caught her attention as twenty minutes had passed already.

“Dress to impress, nice choice.” Miles cooed as he returned from his shower drying off his hair with the towel as he threw himself onto the sofa next to her. “I bet you could choose me some great outfits. I’d deffo pick you.” That and he knew the whole prospect of the show was to then eventually go on a date with the winning number.

“Yeah as if, I know nothing about fashion in the Capital. I’d dress you like some sort of clown.” Iris found herself scoffing, but she could see the smile and laughter on his face clearly amused by the idea of her picking out something for him to wear.

“Come on, you’d pick out something great.” Miles nudged Iris using that movement to edge a little closer to her on the sofa whilst still keeping the tone light and playful between them.