Iris wasn't sure that the villain had intended for his spell to backfire this way. She stared at him, eyes flickering between the dark crystal and his face.
Mephisto sighed. "Well, I have you in my clutches now, princess."
"And I have you in mine. Didn't think this through, right?" Her eyebrow arched up.
He blushed.
Whenever Iris saw movies or tv shows that had episodes where two people who hated each other were handcuffed together, she'd always rolled her eyes. It was impractical! She'd learned how to pick locks as a kid and always had a bobby pin on her just in case of bad luck. Nate made fun of her for it, as best friends were wont to do, but she was the one who managed to get into his house when he'd accidentally locked them out, and she was the one who'd saved their butts a million times over.
Unfortunately for Mephisto, his crystal handcuffs didn't have a lock.
She sighed as he held his circle over it, his frustrated face showing what she already knew.
"You can't break it?"
"I can't break it."
She rolled her eyes. "So, what now, genius?"
"Hey, I wouldn't be mean to me right now. You can't run away."
Iris grabbed him by the collar. "And you can't teleport away." She replied, eyebrow cocking up. "So I suggest we figure this out. Soon, if you don't mind. We have a concert tonight and I'd really rather not have to bring you with me."
He snorted, grabbing her wrist and pulling it off of him. "You'd actually bring me onstage with you?"
"I wouldn't have much of a choice, would I?"
He shrugged. The hands that were locked together were hanging to the side, currently useless. "You have plenty of choices, princess. Why don't you try to break it?"
She lifted her other hand, the magic circle humming before the handcuffs began to sizzle and heat up. He yelped and grabbed her wrist, turning it away sharply.
Iris hissed in pain and closed her hand into a fist, the circle fizzling out. "Hey!"
"That hurt."
"So did that!"
He dropped her hand, rubbing his face. "Whatever, whatever. Let's just… get out of the street. Ugh."
Iris detransformed, her hair turning blonde and going back up into the ponytail she'd decided on wearing that day.
He watched her do so, sighing. "Ugh, why do I feel like this is going to be unbearable?"
"Because I'm thinking the same thing?" She guessed. "And because I can't go home."
"Because then I'd be inside the barrier and be able to turn this against you?"
"Because I don't want my aunt questioning me." She sighed. "Come on, let's go to… well, not the Smoothie Bar…" Iris frowned. "This is an issue. I don't want everyone in town seeing you."
"Embarrassed by me?" He guessed, fake pouting.
"Embarrassed to be handcuffed to you. It's awkward." She tugged on the bonds, him being jerked gently forward. "What do you suggest we do?"
"We could… uh… go to your house to get into the library and try to figure out some way to undo it?" He suggested.
"Wow, right after I said I didn't want my aunt seeing this. You're soo good at listening, Mephisto." Iris moved to cross her arms, then paused and blushed when she realized how close that put his hand to her chest. She coughed and moved so that her free hand was on her hip instead, their bonded wrists by her side.
"Hey, it's not like you have any better ideas!"
"We could ask Praxina for advice." Iris suggested. "It's not like that'll backfire either, right?"
He sighed. "She'd suggest I just drag you to Gramorr. And while that'd be easy, he probably wouldn't even bother detaching us and throw me in the dungeon with you."
Iris hummed, nodding at him. "Yep. Well, we need to figure out something to do. Did you think anything through when you cast that spell?"
"Uh… it's time sensitive?" He guessed. "So it'll deactivate at sundown."
Iris pulled her phone out of her pocket, luckily this skirt had them. "Ten A.M. We have a good ten, eleven hours until then."
He flashed a smile at her. "Then you'd better get used to my handsome face."
Iris rolled her eyes, unable to keep the smile off of her own face. What a geek.
They wandered for a while until Iris saw a breakfast-all-day diner that she didn't get to frequent anymore since highschool ended and Nate started working all the time, a smile spreading over her face. She checked her phone to make sure that Auriana had returned her debit card to the wallet case, sighing in relief when she saw it.
"What?" Mephisto asked. "It's a human restaurant."
"It's a human restaurant that Talia and Auriana don't know about," she corrected, "and I happen to know they have amazing waffles."
"What's a waffle?"
Iris clucked her tongue, shaking her head in faux-disappointment. "Come on, this'll make you never want to attack earth again." She pulled him forward, her left hand moving to hold his right despite the fact that their wrists were still caught together. It looked more natural that way, and if she stood in front of him and held their hands between her back and his front… they almost looked like a couple.
She shivered at the thought. Wasn't that unlikely? She shouldn't mention it.
"Are you cold?" Mephisto asked, eyebrow quirking up.
Iris shook her head.
"Good, it's your own fault for never wearing full sleeves." He poked her bare shoulder, her turning to swat at his hand.
"Oh shut up! Do you ever know how to not be annoying?"
He grinned. "Nope."
When they get inside the diner Iris smiles at Nate's cousin, waving at her. "Hey, table for two please?"
"Your booth, right?" She asked, smiling.
"Always." Iris giggled, unable to keep the good mood from rubbing off on her.
Priya leads her to the booth in the corner, not commenting on the boy behind her. Surely the questions would come later.
Iris picks the side she usually sits on, gently tugging on Mephisto's wrist to make him sit on her other side. She hoped his right hand wasn't the one he'd need to use, because she fully intended to keep their… crystal dilemma on the bench and out of sight.
He was sitting close to her, too close to think straight and too close for her to relax. She plucked a menu up from the table and flipped to the main breakfast section, careful to keep her head down.
She'd known he was much taller than her for ages, obviously, that was never in question. But had he always smelled just slightly like vanilla beans and cinnamon? Like something sharp but also earthy? Something she wasn't sure about but wanting more of?
Had he always been so pretty?
Iris tucked a strand of hair behind her ear on the side facing the wall, a blush starting to color her cheeks. She needed to boot these thoughts from her mind, it wouldn't work out in the long run. It wasn't fair to him or Praxina or even Talia and Auriana, and it wasn't fair to herself.
She didn't want to get rejected or, worse, laughed at.
"So, I can't read human. You know that." Mephisto prompted as soon as they were alone. She spared him a glance and snorted.
"You mean english?"
"It's all the same." He shrugged. "It's not ephedian, which is the most important part."
She sighed. "Well, do you want to drink something… hot or cold?"
"Hot, duh." He rolled his eyes, propping his free arm on the table. "Next question?"
"Sweet or bitter?"
"I don't like things that are too bitter."
"Then I have the perfect idea." Iris smiled. Hot chocolate was always a good mood booster, and maybe she was being a bit too nice but… it was part of her nature. "And for food do you want something sweet or something salty?"
"There are more sweet things on the menu? What is this, xeris?"
"No, it's California. Lots of sweet stuff in California." She tried to lift her left hand to fix her hair on that side, frowning when she was met with resistance. She'd almost forgotten about the handcuffs… this was going to be a long day, wasn't it?
"I don't know what a California is, but you're the expert here." He shook his head. "Don't they have soup?"
"They have some soup, yeah. Do you like thin soup or chunky soup? More vegetables or more meat?"
"I have no preference." He admitted. "But I'd kill for some navera… they don't have that on earth, do they?"
"What's that?" She blinked.
"It's… kind of a very thin bread. In runic and calix it was a bit sweeter, but that was mostly because the bharly in the mountains was usually grown next to fruits. The trees gave the bharly bushes the shade they needed and the fruit that didn't make it or rotted fertilized the soil. I don't know how they did it in other parts of ephedia, but in borealis their navera was salty- much like everything else in that realm- and in xeris it was even sweeter than back home. It's almost dry, and it lasts a long time, so you can really keep it almost forever."
Iris hummed. "I don't know about all that, but there's toast and… crackers I think? Those are the only things I can think of that are even similar to what you're talking about." She shrugged.
"I could try them." He sighed. "It's not like we'll be able to eat any comfort foods until we get home anyways."
Iris nodded. She didn't really know how to take that, especially since earth had always been her home, but she guessed she could understand that. "One way or another we'll all be going back to Ephedia sometime."
"Is that supposed to be comforting?"
Iris swallowed. Well, there goes any good mood that might have been settling between them. He'd snapped at her, and his eyes were heavy lidded and annoyed.
Priya came back to the table. "What drinks do you two want?"
The blonde looked up sharply, sighing in relief. "Two hot chocolates, please? Whipped cream and everything?"
"And a cherry on top?"
"You know me too well." Iris smiled warmly, unable to keep it in. How was she lucky enough to have known Nathaniel's family her whole life?
Priya taps her pen against her lips, glancing between them. "Know what you want to eat yet?"
"Oh, um… my friend here is new to town." Iris realized they were still holding hands under the table and slowly moved her own hand to tuck it under her thigh and her skirt. "And he doesn't know what he wants. But he wants soup, so why don't you pick whichever one you think is best?"
Priya nodded. "Creative freedom, I like it. Toast or crackers?"
"Both."
"Want a fruit salad with it? That's the special today."
Iris glanced at Mephisto and he nodded once.
"And what about you, Izzy?"
"Oh uh," she looks at the menu, "how about a waffle? The one with the-"
"Strawberries, raspberries, and banana?" Priya cut her off.
Iris laughed. "And a cherry on top."
"And a cherry on top." Priya nodded. "Got it! If you need anything else feel free to yell, alright?"
Iris nodded as the other girl walked away.
"Do you know her?"
"Huh? Oh, she's Nate's cousin." The blonde rested her free hand on the table. "We grew up together."
"Nate?"
"Nathaniel? Works at the Smoothie Bar? My best friend since forever?" She supplied.
"Oh, the smoothie human." He nodded. "I wasn't exactly concerned with his name."
Iris stared at him. "Wouldn't knowing that have helped you out?"
"Sure, probably. Whatever. I'm more focused on you anyways, not the people around you."
Iris blinked at him.
"That uh… came out wrong." Mephisto tried to lift his right hand to rub the back of his neck, pausing at Iris' wince when the movement jolted her wrist. "Sorry about that."
"It's fine, we both keep forgetting about it." She sighs. "It's whatever."
He glanced around the diner. "So, what attracts you to these places anyways? You never know what these humans are putting in your food."
"I like talking to people. And it's always fun to eat something you didn't make, less exhausting." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and set it on the table. "Sometimes you just don't want to be stuck at home."
"Trust me, all I want is to be stuck at home." His hand curls into a fist next to hers, their knuckles brushing.
They were still so close. She breathed out.
"So, can I ask about your past? You know my story, my parents sent me with some mystery ephedian, I went to earth, grew up with Aunt Ellen and Nathaniel's family, then Talia and Auriana found me. Nothing special. What about you?"
"You really want to know about me?" He glanced at her.
"Sure. We're going to be stuck to each other all day, might as well."
He leaned back in the seat, moving his hands to his lap and accidentally pulling hers with them. She curled her hand on his thigh, blushing slightly but not wanting to say anything. It was obvious that whatever had happened to him was hard to say, so it wasn't like she could interrupt that.
"Well, you know about calix and borealis, correct?"
She nodded.
"Runic is the sister kingdom to Calix, on the lower side of the mountains. A bit closer to the land and the ocean, more trees and less cold." He smiled to himself, closing his eyes. "I can still feel the breeze, feel the stone under my feet. We had a lot of stone, it was very sturdy and easier to work with, especially due to our magic. I remember many cities built into the mountainside, then turning into latticework marketplaces through rope bridges and treehouses. It was beautiful, and the palace built into the mountain?" He blew out a breath, shaking his head. "Stunning."
Iris could imagine it. "It sounds beautiful."
"It was."
She tapped his bicep with her free hand as Priya came up again, two steaming mugs in her hands. "Here you go, lovebirds." She winked at Iris, sending a blush right over her face. "Hot chocolate, whipped cream, and a cherry on top."
Mephisto watched as she set the hot drink in front of him, eyebrows furrowed. Iris passed him a spoon and he used it to scoop up some of the whipped cream and the cherry, staring at it.
"Ever had hot chocolate before, handsome?" Priya asks.
"No, this'd be the first." He admits. "What's this? It looks like a cenberry…"
"A cherry." Iris offered a smile. "My favorite, other than strawberries."
He cast a glance her way, moving the spoon into his mouth.
Somehow the little peek of tongue sent a shiver down her spine.
And how his lips pursed around the spoon as he pulled it back out, clean aside from a small streak of whipped cream, a small dot of the stuff on his lips?
Her blush darkened.
"You… uh… have a spot." Iris swallowed, turning towards him, her trapped hand curling around his thigh absentmindedly.
"Hm?"
"Right…" Iris reached up with her free hand, swiping the whipped cream off with her thumb. She stayed where she was, perhaps too close, but it felt right.
She sucked the whipped cream off of her finger.
"Wow. You two really are something." Priya whistled, clapping twice.
Iris' blush darkened. She'd completely forgotten the other girl was still there. "Don't you have, um, literally anywhere else to be?" She coughed, tucking some hair behind her ear.
"Nope, not really. You're the only customers in here right now, and you're practically my baby cousin anyways." Priya grinned. "So I totally have nagging rights."
"Excuse me, sorry to bother, could I maybe get a glass of water?" Mephisto cut in, smiling devilishly at her.
Priya blinked at him, unable to tell if he was doing it on purpose or not.
"Sure, hon." She moved so that she wasn't leaning against the opposite booth, casting a final pointed glance at Iris.
As soon as the girl disappeared into the back, he laughed, turning to look at her. "I didn't even know if earth had drinkable water."
Iris can't help but snort, covering her mouth with her hand. "Are you kidding?"
He shook his head. "No, I really didn't know. Most of the water on ephedia isn't drinkable, so we were dependant on juices and alcohol. Asking for water back home is like asking for poison." He admitted.
Iris nodded. "Wow, yeah. We have water here that we drink a lot. Talia and Auriana had trouble getting used to it too, actually. They kept looking at me as if I grew a second head, but that explains why."
"Yep, big differences. Wow. Anyways…" He looked her over pointedly. "You said they were your second favorite, then?"
"What?" She swallowed. "Oh, uh, the cherries. Yeah, second favorite."
"I can't wait to get my lips around your favorite, then." He leaned in a bit closer, nearly looming.
Iris laughed, looking down at the table and covering her face with her free hand. "Yeah, uh. Strawberries." She swallowed. Was he just doing this to embarrass her? Could he smell her attraction to him or something equally ridiculous? How was she going to last the day? "I'm actually, um, going to be getting some on my pancakes."
"I thought you said you were getting waffles?"
"Yeah…" Her eyes flickered over to him, where he was still leaning in close, then to his lips and back to the table. "I did. I am."
"Then you should be more careful, hm? Slips of the tongue are how good princesses lose."
"And what do you know about good princesses? You've never met one."
"I'm looking at one."
"I never said I was good."
"Then prove you aren't."
She reached over and picked up his hot chocolate, pressing her lips to the porcelain and taking a long sip, not minding the burn on her tongue from how hot it was. She swallowed slowly, setting it back down on the plate. "How about that?"
He picked it up, his free hand brushing hers, and held it on the side without the handle just so he could press his lips to where hers had been as he took a sip, matching her slow pace.
She swallowed.
Okay, maybe she was a bit outmatched here. She would, actually, say that she was a good princess, and if this conversation went on much longer her cheeks might explode from how red they were.
"Could be worse."
"A-hem." Priya coughed, drawing both of their attention to her.
She was holding the glass of water in one hand and a syrup pitcher in the other, her eyebrows arched high.
"You know, Izzy, I'm real glad to see you with someone new. Though you could be a little less goo-goo eyes with him here, right?" She sighed, setting the contents of her hands on the table and wiping her hands on her jeans. "I never get to see you anymore, buttercup."
"Yeah, sorry." Iris sat forward, resting her forearm on the table. "I've just been super busy with Lolirock, everything's been so crazy."
"And the new boyfriend?"
"What? Oh, uh, he's not, we're not." Iris glanced at Mephisto, then back at Priya. "We're not dating."
"Really? Then you will be soon." Priya looked exaggeratedly toward the clock hanging over the entrance. "And hurry it up, because some of us want to see the money shot."
Iris' face gets hotter. "Priya!"
"Ha! Save some of that energy, girl, he looks like he wants to eat you up." Priya winks as some other customers headed for the door, undoubtedly the first trickle of customers seeking lunch.
Iris covered her face with her hand. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry about that I… She usually isn't so forward and I'm not usually this bad at this I… that was so awkward."
"Relax, I know about annoying siblings. Well, she's not your family though, right?"
"She's basically my cousin. Nathaniel's like a brother to me, too, so…" Iris sighed, picking up her own hot chocolate. "We're not related by blood, obviously, but he's been here for me my whole life. If it weren't for him I don't know what Aunt Ellen would have done…"
"Then I'm very glad you have him, and I completely understand where she's coming from. When Praxina finally gets her head out of her ass I get to be just as rude and annoying about her crushes or partners as she's been."
"So you've dated before?" Iris guessed.
"What? Oh." He leaned back in his seat. "Well, once I had a fling with another person who worked for Gramorr… a voltan, I don't know if you'd know him. And I've had my share of crushes." He pointedly looked away.
Iris waved her hand. "Aaaaand? You can't just leave it there."
"Yes I completely can. And I will."
She could see the red on his cheeks though.
"You know, until you give me answers I'm going to assume you have a crush on Gramorr." Iris shrugged, faking innocence.
He looked at her sharply. "You truly are evil. That's… completely untrue."
"Oh lord Gramorr, lord majesty of evilness and evil propaganda and yadda yadda? You wax poetic about him all the time." She rolled her eyes, picking up the hot chocolate again for a sip. "Come on. I'll be good and listen, promise. Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a crystal in my eye or whatever."
"I wouldn't swear on that, some might make you actually follow through." He rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his own hot chocolate again. She can't help but notice that he presses his lips to that telltale mark of lipstick again, and she can't help but watch as it darkens his lips slightly.
She doesn't let herself think about it.
"Whatever, just spill." She sipped the hot chocolate, pretending that the heat was from the drink over anything else.
"Fine. I thought I liked Auriana for about five minutes until I realized she looked like my sister." He rolled his eyes, Iris' own widening.
"Wow. Anything else?"
"You ravenous vixen. Isn't that enough?"
"So you confirm that there's more?" Her eyes narrow playfully.
Mephisto clucked his tongue. "Fine, yes, there were more."
"Then tell me! Come on, I'm great at listening. And I'm buying you lunch." She wagged a finger at him.
"Fine, fine. When I was little I had a crush on… a xerin princess." He looked at the ceiling as if it were far more interesting than anything else.
"You had a crush on Talia when you were a kid?" She guessed. "That's… that's so cute."
"Not Talia… Izira."
"Izira? But isn't she much older than you?"
"It didn't go anywhere, but she was the prettiest girl I'd ever seen and I cried to Praxina about it for moons." He coughed. "It's embarrassing, never tell her about it."
"No guarantees, mister. I agreed to listen, not keep secrets." She flashed a grin at him.
He stared at her, mouth open. "You sneaky…"
"Vixen?"
"Princess."
"Psh, as if that's an insult." Iris rolled her eyes. "I love being a princess. Not the fighting you part, but other than that it's amazing. Magic crystal powers, pretty pink transformation outfits, swords? If you told a kid version of me what I was doing now I would have lost my shit."
He nodded. "That's fair. And don't you mean 'fighting me and Praxina'?" He raised an eyebrow.
Iris swallowed. "I don't mind fighting Praxina much. She gets under my skin. You on the other hand…" She remembers her hand still on his thigh, how close they still were to each other. She looks at the hot chocolate. "I don't know. You're different somehow."
"Different?" Mephisto stared at her. "Don't go soft on me now, princess."
She laughed, shrugging slightly. "What can I say?"
"That you hate me, don't understand me, can't predict what I'll do, that you won't go soft?" He supplied. "Any of that would work."
"And if I don't hate you?"
His breath hitched.
"You shouldn't lie."
"But I'm not… I wouldn't lie to you."
"Maybe you should start."
He sips the hot chocolate as Priya drops by again with their food, glancing between them.
"Did the lovebirds have a fight? Was it something I said?" She pouted.
Iris shook her head. "No, no, it wasn't you at all Pri, I promise." She squeezed Mephisto's thigh gently under the table. "The food smells amazing, wow."
"Fruit waffles for my favorite baby cousin and a bowl of chili for the pretty boy in weird clothing." She nodded, setting the food in front of them.
Iris smiled and glanced at Mephisto, unable to forget the conversation they'd been having even if she had to put on a face for her friend. "Does it look good?"
"It looks fine," he sat forward, shoulders hunching. His right arm twitched as if he wanted to move it to the table, but there wasn't any way to do that without revealing the crystal handcuffs.
Iris nodded, sitting forward a bit as well. "Alright… Pri, if we need you I'll yell?" She offered.
Priya nodded, but when she walked away her expression looked troubled.
Iris glanced at the villain next to her. Something was telling her that she should try to get him back in a good mood, but the rest of her was more focused on getting something into her stomach and waiting out the spell. She was just surprised he was less focused on getting her thrown in Gramorr's dungeons, though it made enough sense that he wouldn't want to get stuck in there with her.
Maybe… maybe he wasn't as terrible as she'd thought.
Maybe he wasn't as terrible as he thought either.
They spent the rest of breakfast in relative silence, only interrupted by Priya asking them if they needed anything and Iris' own heartbeat pounding in the back of her throat.
It felt like she'd said the wrong thing somehow, like there was a button with big, red 'DO NOT PUSH' letters labelled clearly, but she'd gone and pressed it anyways. Not that she knew the button existed, not that she'd seen the sign, but it still felt obvious. She pays the check and Priya makes the universal signal for 'text me later' and she nods, but she's not sure she's going to.
Some things were hard to explain.
Some things weren't the kind of things you wanted to explain to the woman who was basically your cousin, who'd been one of your closest friends since forever.
On that note…
"Do you want to bother your smoothie human at some point?" Mephisto asked, sounding bored.
They'd been sitting at the park bench for a while, the sun lifting straight overhead and turning it from a nice morning to unbearable heat. It was almost like he'd read her mind too, the water bottle next to her long spent and her throat starting to ache for a chilly smoothie.
"Do you think I want him to see these?" She asks, lifting her left wrist pointedly. Even if she wanted to, it wasn't an option.
"What, don't want him to think you're unavailable?" He mocked her with his tone, a bitter note in his voice now.
Iris stared at him. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing, princess." He rolled his eyes.
"No, it's obviously something. We're stuck together for the whole day, so if you have something to say you might as well say it." Iris turned toward him, moving her leg so that it was crossed on the bench, the other hanging to the side and hugging the wooden planks.
"I'm just saying that you seem obsessed with his opinion of you. So why would you want him to see you with me?"
"Because… you're a villain and you're wearing a cape?" She supplied. "Because he's seen you harass me and he's not stupid?"
"Not stupid?" Mephisto asks, sitting up straight. "Not stupid." He snorted, leaning closer. "Not stupid!"
Iris held up a hand. "Okay, you're freaking me out. Stop."
He made a mocking pouty face at her. "Oh, I'm sorry princess, is this better?" He waved his hand in front of his face and transformed into Nathaniel.
Iris yelped and backed up, her legs immediately moving to dig her heels into the bench and put her knees to her chest, her wrist twinging painfully as she tries to pull herself farther than he's willing to move, as his wrist stays put. "Take that off right now!"
"Why?" He moves closer, looming over her again, using Nathaniel's voice. "Don't you like this face? Isn't it more comforting? Isn't it less stupid?"
Iris' breath hitched and she shook her head. "Stop! This isn't funny, take it off now!"
He got onto his knees and leaned in even closer, and it was wrong and terrible and everything about it was off. He didn't move like Nathaniel did and he didn't smile like he did and he pressed in too close, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Aw, come on Iris," he whispered, close enough for her to hear clearly. There wasn't any space between them, his chest against her legs and his face dangerously close to her own. "Don't you love me?"
She punched him.
He was obviously caught off guard by it, the shape his face made for a split second hilarious, but he was also caught off balance. That wouldn't have been an issue, except the bench was narrow and their wrists were still bound together with crystal.
She yelped as he fell off of the bench and they rolled to the side, moving a few times before she lands on top of him. Their wrists were trapped between each other and his free hand was on his jaw, her free hand resting on his chest. The hit had knocked the transformation off as well, so she atleast didn't have to look at the caricature of her best friend anymore.
There were tears in her eyes.
"You asshole! That's not funny!" Iris hit his chest. "I don't know what you're trying to get at but if you do that again I'd rather cut my hand off than keep being stuck to you."
"Why don't you?" He asks, voice back to normal as well. He looks at her finally, tired. "Why don't you just get it over with?"
Iris swallowed and pulled back, bracing her hand on the ground next to him. She manages to get off of him and sit up, but not without the tears leaking down her cheeks. She rubbed her face, sniffling once. "Same reason you don't."
"I wouldn't do that." Mephisto sighs, rubbing his face. "Obviously not, or I'd have done it by now."
"Oh, don't be like that." She pulled her knees up to her chest again, hugging them to her. "Don't try to one up me on this."
"Like you tried to one up me earlier?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"You don't hate me." He rolled his eyes. "Ugh, how fake can you get?"
"I don't hate you!" Iris threw up her hands, accidentally dragging his with her. "Why is that so hard to believe? Why are you so sure that I'm lying?"
"Because you don't like me! I'm a villain and I harass you, remember?" Mephisto spits the words back.
Iris turns to look at him. He was still laying on the grass, eyes aimed at the cloudy sky.
"You're stupid."
"Don't remind me."
"You're stupid because you think I hate you." She amended.
"I'm not stupid, you're just delusional if you think you don't."
"I think I'd know how I feel."
"Obviously not."
Iris groaned. "So I'm not allowed to know anything?"
"No."
"You're infuriating."
"You hate me."
"I don't!"
"Then prove it."
Iris stared at him. "How am I supposed to do that?"
"Figure something out."
The blonde closed her eyes, letting her legs stretch out next to him in an attempt to relax, open herself up. This was already a lot, it wasn't like it could get any better if she continued doing the same things.
To make matters worse, there were people in the park. She tucked her wrist back between them, hiding the handcuffs under her skirt and next to his leg and hoping no one looked too closely. There was a bruise blossoming slowly where she'd hit him, and a light breeze rustling tree leaves and stirring his hair.
The feelings that she'd been stifling in the diner come back slowly, as if inching from their cave, afraid of the daylight. Despite the argument, the tense moment, and her still bubbling anger… it's hard to stay mad for long.
His resting face, relaxed and turned toward the sun, made it impossible.
Iris sighed and looked away.
How was she supposed to prove that she didn't hate the self-conscious villain? It wasn't like she could do something, right? She just… didn't hate him. Was there a way to prove it? Wasn't just sitting here, trusting his own self-preservation, letting the breeze flow and avoiding her friends, wasn't that trust?
Or did he want something else? What sweeping gesture? And why did she care so much?
He looked so peaceful, but she had a sinking feeling that if she didn't figure something out soon he'd gloat and become more bitter and act as if he'd been right all along. And he wasn't right, he wasn't correct, no matter what he thought. She didn't hate him.
She finally got an idea, something that would certainly prove it. But… was she ready to?
"Hm?" Mephisto hums, eyes still closed, mouth twitching into an unpleasant smile. The kind that people wore when they were right but unhappy about it, the kind that she didn't want to see him wear. "Think of something yet, princess?"
Iris unclasped her necklace and dropped it onto his chest.
He blinks and sits up slightly, free hand moving to catch it. "What- what are you doing?"
She almost felt naked without it on, but atleast he couldn't teleport away. "I'm proving that I trust you."
His eyes flickered to her. "You're kidding."
"Does it look like I am?"
His fingers close around the pendant, and her heart feels like it stops beating.
"What's stopping me from teleporting this to Praxina?" He asks. There's an undertone in his voice, a hint that he could do it.
"Nothing."
"What's stopping me from breaking it?"
"Nothing."
"Why do you trust me with it then?"
"Because you're not going to do it." Iris reached over with her free hand, resting it on top of his fist. "Okay? I trust that you won't, and you're not going to break my trust."
"Why shouldn't I?"
Iris looked at where their bound wrists were between them, then to his jaw where the bruise was slowly darkening. "Something tells me that you won't."
He snorts and turns his head to look at the sky again. "Such a naïve little princess…"
"Am I wrong?"
"No."
Iris couldn't help the smile she flashed at him. "Good. Can I have it back?"
"What, don't trust me that much?"
"No, I just like wearing it."
He snorted. "Of course you do."
Despite his words, he still hands the pendant over. Iris puts it back on and smiles to herself, eyes slowly flickering back to him.
"Thank you."
"For?"
"Giving it back."
"I thought you trusted me?"
"I do. That's why I'm thanking you. You could have used it against me, taken my necklace, whatever. You could have turned us both in to your sister and Gramorr. You could have done a lot, but you didn't. You did use my best friend's face, and I'm not happy about that, but… that's it."
"Sorry for that, I guess." He rolls his eyes. "I'm actually not, but I know it upset you. And… I'm not sorry I did it, but I'm sorry I upset you."
"There's a lot that's personal." Iris admitted. "And that was too close to home, you know? He's… Nathaniel is very special to me."
"He's related to the server at that restaurant this morning, right?"
"She's his cousin."
"Why did she think we were together?"
Iris blushed. "She's just like that. Plus we were sitting pretty close together, that's usually something that couples do. Especially on the same side of the booth."
"But we did that to keep the crystal hidden." He moved his hand up a bit, the crystal clinking.
Iris nodded. "I know that. Pri, on the other hand, doesn't."
"What's her name?"
"Priya. I call her Pri sometimes, it's a nickname."
"I know what a nickname is, I'm not stupid."
"I never said you were."
"It sure felt like it." She could hear the eyeroll in his voice.
"I didn't. I've been having a really nice day, no reason to insult you." She glanced at him. "You didn't really share that sentiment, though."
"I'm not always very good at the not insulting thing." Mephisto cracked a smile. "And you're pretty good at the insulting thing, when you try."
Iris reached over and shoved him gently. "Sure, totally."
"You are~"
Maybe they'd be able to make it through the day alive, if they didn't get into any more arguments.
"So, what's the purpose of this human store?"
Iris glanced at him. "What do you think?"
"Providing a lot of very ugly clothing?"
She gaped at him, amazed at the lack of shame. "Mephisto! You can't just say that."
"Why not?" He asked, eyebrow rising. "It's not like I plan to stay here."
She stepped closer to him, glancing around the store. "Because there's always a sales associate listening!" She whispered.
He blinked, mouthing the word 'sales associate'.
She'd added a few pink crystal bangles to her own arm to try and make the chunk of green crystal less conspicuous- luckily she'd worn a mint green shirt and a red skirt that day, along with some red heels and a green bow. She'd been expecting to be seen by someone cute, but instead she was stuck with Mephisto.
They also, to keep up the ruse, had their hands clasped tightly. It was easier to pretend that they were holding hands and wandering the main street strip than to lay in the park forever, bored out of their minds.
Mephisto looks her over. "Maybe you should convince me of the warrants of the garments, then." He raised an eyebrow.
If she weren't mistaken… that'd be an almost flirty tone there.
Iris felt a smile spreading on her face, almost devious but definitely accepting the challenge.
"Maybe I should."
If she had eyes in the back of her head, she'd have seen his eyes flicker over her form, including her ass, when she started to pull him along…
Or maybe she had a mirror on the wall with which to catch the glance. Her cheeks heat up a bit in the good way, and she's glad that they're starting to calm down.
The store had changed stock since the last time she'd been in, and it felt like forever since she'd gotten that chance. But there's overflowing racks and her debit card burning a hole in her pocket, and sure she's a bit tied up but not unbearably so.
"Well, what do you want to give a chance?" She asks, half turning towards him once they're in the area with the prom dresses. Iris feels a bit awkward knowing that prom was already rolling around again, especially since she was no longer of the appropriate age to be attending. That school where she'd spent four years of her life, laughing with Nathaniel and Doug and dating cute boys and girls and gardening as much as she could… That was gone now. When had she even last gotten to bury her hands in the dirt?
"What do you think isn't awful?" He counters, oblivious to her racing thoughts.
Iris clucked her tongue, shaking her head. "Nope, up to you, pretty boy. Come on. Pick something."
Mephisto rolled his eyes as he turned towards the nearest rack, eyes scanning it halfheartedly. "Fine… this one."
"And how do you think I'll get those full sleeves over this?" She glances at the handcuffs, squeezing his hand.
The redhead blinked. "Ah. Curse me, it was the first thing I grabbed."
"Maybe I will." She pulled him towards the section of strapless dresses, more her style anyways.
His eyes scanned the dresses that they passed, going over long ones and short ones, silky and flowy and bedazzled and lace. Iris thought it was amusing, the way his eyebrows furrowed and the way he focused on the task she'd set him on, but she couldn't deny… She felt she was in good hands.
"Do these materials actually feel comfortable?" He asks, pulling off a glove with his teeth and stuffing the garment in his pocket to rub his fingers over a lace dress. "It's a nice enough design, but long-term wear would…" He grimaced.
Iris giggled. "Do you really think any of these are meant to be comfortable?"
"Well, shouldn't all clothing be meant to be comfortable?" Mephisto looked at her. "If they were uncomfortable, why would they be available for purchase and why would anyone be willing to wear them?"
Iris shook her head, clucking her tongue. "Mephisto, Mephisto. There's much you don't know. Namely, no one really cares if girls are comfortable. It's a well-kept but open fashion world secret. They sell uncomfortable clothing and we buy it and we look good at the price of our happiness and dignity."
"Then I cannot condone any of these garments." He shook his head, his eyes sweeping over the racks. "No matter how the cut is or if it'd look good on your body, they're not worth your time."
Iris offered a smile. "I know, I just like looking. It's fun to pretend that I'm… something more." She lifted her free hand to flip her hair over her shoulder.
"You're a princess, soon to be queen." Mephisto reminded her. "Well, unless Praxina and I win. But that's irrelevant, princess."
Iris stepped closer to him, crooking her finger at him so he would lean closer.
When his ear was near enough, she leaned in and whispered, "What's a Queen without her Knight?"
He pulled back, face reddening. "What does that have to do with… with anything?"
"Nothing…" Iris stepped forward, humming to herself.
Somehow the mood of the day was leading her to this… letting her be excited and sweet and teasing. It was too fun not to.
They end up moving to one of the big circular racks that children liked to hide in, Mephisto flipping critically through the dresses there. Mostly strapless, a variety of colors, all the kinds of things that she could see herself in. Sometimes he pauses, and she bites her tongue, not wanting to give away her want for them.
Finally he looks at her, holding one. It's short, something that definitely would have gotten her kicked out of her catholic school prom. A sweetheart cut, no sleeves, tight and looking like it'd hug her body closer than much else. It was covered in the newest sequin craze, half dark purple and half emerald green, ruffled in some areas so that both colors showed.
"That's your pick?" Iris let an eyebrow rise.
"What gave it away?"
Iris checked the size, then nodded. "Alright, I'll try it."
He smirked, handing the hanger to her.
It was the time of day just before schools got out, so the store was still empty. At one point she swore she heard a pin drop, but it could've just been her imagination driving her stir crazy. And the silence between them, not necessarily needing to say something but… comfortable.
She heads for the dressing room, biting her lip.
"Do you know any spells to make sure that people don't look over?" Iris half turned to him.
He shrugged, "I could cast a crystal wall between us and the rest of the store if you're that worried about it.
Iris dug her teeth in, glancing at the bored old woman at the register, the college student fixing a mannequin by the window. "What if Talia and Auriana look in and see you? They've been blowing up my phone."
"You have a point there…" Mephisto holds up his free hand, a magic circle appearing.
Iris pushes his wrist down. "Wait, hold on. If you come in with me, you won't look, right?"
"Why would I look?" He seemed appalled by the idea.
"I don't know, some people like looking."
"I don't like looking."
Should she be offended or grateful? The jury was still out on that one.
Iris held her breath as she tugged him into the changing room.
It was a bit of a tight fit, considering she usually went in alone and he wasn't exactly small, but it was doable. She toed off her shoes and was suddenly level with the middle of his chest.
"Close your eyes."
"Why?"
"So you're not looking?"
He rolled his eyes before he closed them, turning his head to the side.
It was a bit tricky figuring out how to do this. Luckily she'd been wearing some shorts- leftover from that time in highschool when she'd tried out for cheerleading- under the skirt, so she wasn't completely exposed. And, of course, a strapless bra. She drops the skirt and shimmies the strapless dress up to cover her legs, then works on pulling the shirt off, draping it on her left arm, and pulling the dress the rest of the way up.
If she were younger, or if they'd been through less together, she'd be blushing as his wrist is dragged limply along as she moves. Her green shirt hangs over their hands, her free hand holding the dress up.
"I may not have thought this through…" Iris glanced down at herself.
"Hm?"
"There's a zipper on the back. I only have one usable hand. See the issue?"
He snorted. "We could have just gone to that smoothie establishment…"
"And risk getting asked questions by Nathaniel? I'm good."
"So what do you need me to do?"
Iris turns so her back is toward him, her bound arm curling behind her back so that it wasn't uncomfortable. "You can look."
His free hand moved to drag his knuckles up her spine, slowly, the just barely present touch sending shivers down her body.
"This isn't how the dress is meant to be?"
"No."
"It should be."
Before she can say anything else his right hand is pressing on her hip gently to hold her still, his left finding the zipper to pull it up. She'd pulled her hair out of the way, a makeshift bun that was already falling apart in the heat.
She breathed out.
He leaned down a bit to prop his chin on her shoulder, facing the mirror. "This is how the dress is supposed to be?"
She nodded, running her hand over the sequins on the top to get them all turned down, purple, looking better with her hair and her skin tone.
He reaches around with his free hand to brush them back up, his fingers catching her skin after the fabric stops. "You look better in green."
Iris didn't buy the dress.
She would have been too embarrassed to, honestly.
She did, however, buy a scarf and a big, wide brimmed sunhat. She bought a purse with a strap to slip her wrist through and she bought a cute new pair of heels, white and pink with little bits of green petals, and a pack of heart-shaped hoop earrings.
Mephisto rolled his eyes at her, but pretended he didn't notice the green ribbon on the sunhat.
Iris didn't mention it either.
They'd gotten corndogs from a vendor in the park, wandering by the creek and sipping pink lemonade and not needing to talk because they'd said most of what they needed to.
By now it was starting to get near dinnertime, only about an hour or so left before the sun went down, all the children out of school. There was a soccer game happening at the other end of the park, some highschoolers sitting and sipping dollar gas station soft drinks, some middle schoolers holding a basketball game over something arbitrary.
It took Iris moments like these to remember that life went on. It wasn't all a magical fight to the death, it wasn't all an alien civil war.
Earth was her home.
"You miss Ephedia?" She asks softly.
"Of course I do."
"So you want this all to be over soon."
"No matter what."
"No matter what?" Iris looks at him.
Mephisto glances towards her. "Yeah."
She took a bite of her corn dog, sighing. "Don't you ever get tired of the back and forth?"
"Don't you?"
Iris glanced at him, rolling her eyes. "I see what you did there. Ha- ha, okay?"
He grinned. "Yeah."
How had conversation gotten so easy?
It'd been bumpy at first, unseen hair triggers of his making the words as hard to navigate as a field of active landmines.
But they got used to each other. They calmed down and accepted the situation, and it was okay.
Iris' phone had been blowing up since they fought in the park, and every time she'd looked at the caller ID it'd been the same things. Talia. Auriana. Aunt Ellen. Nathaniel. Priya. Doug. Talia. Auriana. Nathaniel. Talia. Auriana. Talia. Auriana. Aunt Ellen. Auriana.
Iris slid her teeth down the thin stick, taking the last bite of corn dog with her. She'd needed a day like this, out of her house and with the other two princesses out of her hair. They were her friends, definitely, and she loved having them around, but a 'me' day wasn't something she'd had since before she'd auditioned for Lolirock.
She glances to the side, to Mephisto. He'd finished his corn dog earlier, the stick in her shopping bag and his lemonade half drunk. His eyes were turned to the side, to the creek, to the fish splashing through it and the bugs humming lazily over the water and the frogs sitting, croaking loudly.
"Is earth always so loud?"
Iris hummed. "Yeah, usually. There's always something, no matter where you are, no matter what's happening."
"Do you like it here?"
"I grew up here."
"But do you like it?"
Iris bit her lip. She wasn't entirely sure how to answer that… she wanted to like it, sure, but it wasn't always easy to like things. It wasn't easy to be so attached, especially when she knew she'd have to leave. And that time, when she'd have to say goodbye, was frighteningly close. She wasn't going to be allowed to stay here, no matter what her heart said.
The silence carried on. A frog croaked.
"Enough." She finally decides on an answer.
He's staring at her, his green, green eyes seeing straight through her.
"That's all?" His eyebrow rises.
"That's all." Iris nods.
Iris smiled at the ice cream vendor as she handed him her card, his partner working on making the mile-high swirls of their ice cream. They didn't have many flavors, just vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint, and carrot cake. The sugary cones were tall and the swirls of the soft serve were tight, and it'd been too long since she'd gotten to have some.
Iris hands Mephisto the mint green ice cream, taking the pink one for herself. They're still bound together, the sun not down yet. Not long left, and then they'd be on opposite sides again.
"So, what is this again? It looks xerin." Mephisto's eyebrows are furrowed together, staring at the sugary treat.
"It's ice cream," she replied, lapping at the top of her own swirl, "try it."
He glances at her, how she's licking it and moving her mouth over the creamy substance, and looks back at his own.
"It's safe to eat?" He presses.
Iris rolls her eyes and steps closer to him, leaning forward to lick up the side of his cone, pulling back with a dot of the green on her nose. "Happy?"
His face started to color.
He reached forward and caught the dot of ice cream from her nose with his bound hand, moving her hand with it. He pulled the finger up to his mouth and licked the ice cream off slowly.
His eyebrows went up.
Iris swallowed and stared at him. "Well?"
"I don't like it."
She snorted, closing her eyes. "Well, that's okay. Uh, here, try this one." She held her cone up for him to steal some from.
He leaned forward and lapped some up, eyes on her as he did it.
Was it normal for villains to be this collected and comfortable? Was it normal for heroes to be this flirty? She didn't want to overstep her boundaries, but this moment was just… this was correct.
He hums, nodding. "Yeah, that one's better."
They clumsily trade cones until he has her strawberry and she has his mint, then they start walking towards the main park again.
"When does the park close?" He asks.
"I'm not sure… I've always been able to come whenever." Iris glances around, feeling her phone buzz against her thigh again.
"That's good for you, goody two shoes." He looked over at her. "Aren't you going to answer that? Make it stop making noise?"
"It's Talia and Auriana, we don't have long left until the concert." She reminded him.
"And if the crystal doesn't come off at sundown?"
She bit her lip.
"You said it was going to."
"It's supposed to."
"Why did you cast it that way, especially if you weren't expecting to get caught with me?"
He hummed.
"A lot of reasons, most of which are… ha! None of your business."
"Really?" Iris paused, staring at him, some ice cream dripping down onto her finger. "You're going to play that?"
"What, like you wouldn't?" He dragged his tongue up the side of the strawberry ice cream, and she gets a flash of his teeth, the sharp canines, as he does so. "In my position you'd be just like me."
"We're going back to that?"
"Obviously."
Iris rolled her eyes. "I could be bad, if I were more like you. But if I were more like you, this day would have been way different."
"It would have been." He sucks on the top of the ice cream.
Iris leans forward absentmindedly to lap at her own cone. "We would have fought more, your temper isn't easy."
"If you were more like me, we wouldn't have to fight at all."
She paused, and he turned to face her, stepping into her space.
"That's… not true."
"What, you're saying that if you worked for Gramorr, lost your kingdom, had nothing left… you would still try to fight me?"
"I'm sure we'd find something to fight about." Iris took a step forward, lifting her chin.
"Like what? Who got to beat the princesses? Who got to make the monsters?"
Iris leaned towards him and licked up the side of his ice cream, the look in her eyes defiant.
He smiles in surprise, laughing once. "Do it again, I dare you."
Iris kissed the cone before she stole another bite. Strawberry was her favorite, after all.
Mephisto moves his arm to the side and drops the cone, his leg swiping her legs out from under her so she tripped back. His left hand moved to catch her, seamlessly, and he leaned flawlessly into her space.
"Princess," he purrs, "you shouldn't have done that."
Iris swallowed, holding her own cone to the side. "You wasted it…"
"Then make up for it."
He leans in and presses his lips to hers, and she doesn't pull back.
There was a lot of things she would say about Mephisto.
He was evil.
He was devious.
He was handsome.
He was clumsy.
Sometimes he could be clueless.
He had high cheekbones and eyes that saw straight through her, strong hands, a terrifying laugh.
His lips twisted against hers and she arched her back up into him, whining into the kiss, and all she could think was that she'd never say he was bad at kissing.
He pulls her so that she's standing up again slowly, their lips still locked and her turning her head to deepen it and get more. There's a strong taste of strawberry on his lips that shifts from pleasant to addictive, and she wishes they weren't handcuffed so that their hands, her left and his right, weren't caught in such an awkward position.
A drip of mint ice cream slides down her wrist, cold. She gasps into his mouth and he bites her bottom lip.
He moves to kiss across her cheek and down her jaw, trailing over her neck and her shoulder and the inside of her arm.
His tongue follows the line of ice cream, leaving her shivering and the skin wet.
Mephisto moves to suck on each of her knuckles then drag his tongue up the cone.
"I thought you didn't like the flavor?" She whispered.
"I like it better when it tastes like you."
She supposed that sometimes he could be smooth too.
Iris brings the cone back between them to lick over her skin where his tongue had been, his dark eyes on her. She takes all of the ice cream into her mouth and sucks, her cheeks hollowing for a second around it, then pulling it back out of her mouth.
Mephisto leans down and licks his way into her mouth, catching every drip of the ice cream and deepening the kiss.
It isn't smart to have the cone between them, her shirt would definitely get ruined, but the hand of his on her back moves down and down and down until it pushes up, under her skirt, slowly dragging his glove over her skin.
Their bound hands move so that they're holding hands again, the only thing they can do as the sky turns red, the light getting darker around them.
Iris moves forward and feels a drop of something wet and cold on her chest, pulls back with a gasp.
His eyes follow down to the source of her distress and he grins.
"That's unfortunate."
She blushes. "Oh, shut up."
He darts down instead, that cursed tongue dragging between her cleavage and following the line that the mint had made. She barely got the cone out of the way before he was there, her face heating up more and more as she feels a trail of saliva replace the ice cream.
The hand of his on her thigh moves to cup her ass and he picks her up, her dropping the other ice cream cone in surprise as he spins her. Her hand moves to dig into his back, his cape swirling and the shopping bags on her arm hitting her side, but when he's done he settles them so that they're sitting away from the mess, her on his lap his face ducking up to kiss her chin.
Iris pulls back and pokes her sticky fingers into his mouth, his tongue swiping over them now.
Her cheeks are on fire. She breathes out slowly.
His hand squeezes her ass again, her back arching instinctively forward. He grins around the appendages in his mouth, his teeth catching them gently.
Iris pulls them out and wipes them on his chest, him grinning at her.
"You're nasty." She leans forward.
"You're a delight, too." He rolls his eyes and leans into it, the next kiss starting up.
Her arm moves to wrap around his shoulders and bring him closer to her, pressing her chest against his and twisting her head to the side to deepen the kiss.
Everything leaves her mind while they kiss.
She isn't thinking about the bag of goodies on her arm, the phone buzzing in her pocket, the sticky feeling from where there'd been ice cream and then his mouth on her skin. She isn't thinking about the concert she'll surely be late to and the fans she'll surely disappoint, or how angry Auriana and Talia will be, or how Doug will interrogate her.
She's thinking about the hand on her ass, the tongue between her lips and tangling with her own, the hot breaths between them, the soft glow of the sunset against their faces, the rocking of their hips against each other, the way she slowly lifted her left hand to cup his cheek and moan into his mouth.
With both of his hands rubbing and kneading her ass, her hands tugging on his hair, the kiss quickly got deeper and messier.
She rolled forward and he moved his hands up to slip his thumbs up under the edges of her underwear, skimming her hot skin with his gloved, covered ones, the way they absolutely devoured each other.
Somehow it felt like this was how it was always meant to be. Every time they had fought and every time their swords clashed and every time she beat him, it had fed into this passion, this tension between them, a foggy haze so thick that even their crystal swords couldn't slice through it.
He pulled back from the kiss suddenly to press their foreheads together, gasping for breath and grinning. Iris opened her eyes to see that and peppered his open, laughing lips with gentle kisses, giggles of her own bubbling up.
When they started the morning, when she went for a walk and he attacked her, they hadn't expected this.
When they huddled in the diner, sat in the park, tried on the dress, wandered as the sun slowly died and an evening chill sent a shudder up her shoulders, they hadn't expected this.
"You like that?" He whispers.
She nods, moving to cup his cheeks again and press a short kiss of her own to his lips.
"I do."
Somehow it felt less like a confirmation and more like a promise.
He laughed and moved his hands to wrap them around her waist and tug her closer, her knees scraping the grass and wrapping her calves around his waist. They stay like that for a few moments, exchanging kisses and giggles and holding each other close, smiling like idiots and forgetting everything.
The last of the sun disappears, the lights at the path long since turned on, the faded gold hardly reaching them.
Iris felt her phone buzz again.
"You,"
Kiss.
"Should,"
Kiss.
"Really,"
Kiss.
"Get,"
Kiss.
"That."
She whined and nibbled on his bottom lip. "But then I'll have to go… They'lll…"
Iris froze.
"Hm?"
"The concert!" She pulled back, face furiously red as she realized it was several minutes past sunset, that they were free.
He blinked then glances at his own hands, then smirked. "Too caught up on me?"
"Oh hush." She pulls back, running her still-sticky fingers through her hair to attempt to get it fixed. "I… We can come back to this, or something, right? If I don't make it they'll never forgive me."
He leaned in very close, twisting his head to nibble on her neck and suck.
Her body immediately melted, her hands falling to his shoulders again. When had she started to become so responsive to the villain's touch? When had she fallen so hard?
He pulls back once he's satisfied, pressing a final kiss to her lips. "Now you'll have something to remember me by."
Her cheeks get, somehow, even redder.
"You didn't!"
His cackles fill the night.