"P..Please. I.. I'm sorry for whatever I did.. D..Don't hurt me." Sirius turned around sharply, his eyes wide as he stared at her panicking form, "Do what?" he questioned, his tone slightly alarmed.

As he stared at her, a tense silence filled the room around them. Unable to bear it, Iris lifted her arms to cover the sides of her head, lowering down to appear as small as possible as she shut her eyes. And a good thirty seconds passed. A sudden laughter erupted from Sirius' throat. When Iris hesitantly looked up at him, she saw that he was smiling, "Look here, little lady. I'm not going to hurt you." Sirius carefully placed down the knife, and walked over to Iris, gently tweaking her cheek, "You're quite adorable when startled, though."

Third POV

Iris stared up at him, feeling almost awed by his sudden and vivid smile. Sirius still had that imposing aura to him, yet there was now a striking sensuality to him in that moment, one Iris hadn't noticed before. She wanted to meet his gaze, but at the same time, she felt overwhelmed by it, causing her to avert her gaze instead. Iris' heart was clanging loudly like an alarm bell buried within her chest. She couldn't even begin to think of a single thing to say.

Sirius dropped his hand away, the movement seemingly casual, and returned back over to the sink. The intense atmosphere that seemed to follow him whenever he went dissipated, and Iris felt as though she could breathe again. When he had picked up that knife, just for a moment, Iris had felt overwhelming terror consume her. Iris knew that all the members of the Black Army, including Sirius, had sworn to protect her, and she felt awfully rude for doubting him like that. However, she had only just come to this world, she still didn't know who to trust or whether she could even begin to feel safe here.

With his back turned to her, Sirius' deep voice calmly filled the room, "No more yelling, okay? You'll wake the others if you're not careful." Iris let out a solemn sigh, staring down at her lap, "I know. I apologiz-" Her voice got caught in her throat as she tried to speak, a sudden tear rolling down her cheek. Another followed it, and another, trickling down off her chin and pattering soundlessly onto the wooden table. Why was she crying now?

Iris' hastily reached up, attempting to dry her eyes before Sirius noticed. But his soft voice caused her to pause, "You went to sleep yesterday without eating anything, didn't you?" "I um.. Yes, but ther-" she paused to catch her breath, "There's no need to worry. I.. I'm fine." "Iris, you shouldn't lie like that." Sirius spoke, his back still turned, "Instead of crying and trying to act like you're fine, you need to get some nourishment into you." Iris opened her mouth to reply, but the words caught in her throat. No one had ever called her out like this, they usually just took her word and moved on. ..How did he even know she was crying or trying to act?

Iris looked up, staring at Sirius' broad back as the sounds in the room slowly reached her ears. She could hear the rhythmic thud-thud-thuding of a knife chopping something. As she sat there, attempting to calm herself, she soon heard the sound of something boiling, followed by the gentle scent of soup wafting into the air. Realization that Sirius was cooking slapped her hard. But.. Why? Why was he doing that? Calm flooded her senses slowly, but she was slightly annoyed that she had allowed herself to get so worked up over a pathetic dream.

Her tears finally dried as she sat quietly, focusing on the noises in the kitchen. Slowly, she began to notice the empty throb of hunger within her stomach, and a flash of nausea filled her senses. "Let's see…just a little more salt. And… it's ready." Sirius murmured to himself. He walked over to Iris, placing a bowl filled with thick, white soup on the table in front of her. "It's leek and potato soup." He told her., noticing the way she averted her gaze away from the bowl. "You've been asleep for so long that your stomach might not be ready for a hearty meal. So this will have to do you for now."

"..Thank you, Sirius, I really appreciate this but.. I can't." She muttered, keeping her head down low. She wasn't used to eating much, sometimes going days on just water. Iris knew it wasn't healthy, but there was nothing she could do to change that. It was the life she'd been given, the cards fate had dealt her, there was no changing how her body would react.

Noticing her hesitation, or rather, refusal, Sirius lifted up the spoon and scooped up some of the soup, lifting it towards her lips. Iris stared at the spoon, still refusing despite how wonderful it smelt. "Iris, you can't starve yourself. Please.." Sirius pleaded. Sighing in defeat, Iris took the spoon from Sirius, the gentle warmth and flavor bringing a small smile to her lips, before the dread set in. But noticing the encouraging smile on Sirius' lips, Iris continued to eat small spoonfuls. Each taste filling her with energy and warmth.

Before she even realized it, the bowl was completely empty. "Do you want seconds?" Sirius asked. "..Yes. It's.. It's good." Iris muttered. A gentle smile formed on Sirius' lips, "Glad to hear it." Sirius set down a second bowl of soup in front of Iris, then sat down at the table. Sitting across from her. She had been so focused on eating just to appease Sirius, that she hadn't noticed he'd been staring at her. Noticing his gaze, Iris looked up and met his eyes, "Is there something wrong?" she asked. But Sirius only smiled, "Not at all. It's the chef's privilege to admire people enjoying their food."

Sirius reached out casually towards Iris, her spoon pausing halfway to her mouth. Using a napkin, he gently wiped the edge of her lips. Such a subtle action caused Iris' heart to skip a beat as her face flushed with embarrassment. Had she had soup on her face? "Oh.." she whispered. But rather than teasing her like she'd expected, Sirius only gave her a kind and reassuring smile, "Don't worry about it. It just means it was worth the effort I put into making it. I feel almost like I've taken in a stray kitten." A deep chuckle escaped his throat.

Iris wasn't exactly sure on how to take such a remark. But she chose to let it slide. She felt like she had harshly and overly judged Sirius based on her first impression of him, and that had been unfair. "I'm.. I'm sorry for my reaction earlier. I feel a bit silly about it now." She admitted. "It's fine, really. Honestly, I'm glad you still had the strength in you to make such a fuss." Iris noticed Sirius' gaze drifting to where her sleeve had slid up, but rather than saying anything, he gave her a small smile as he stood and moved over to the sink once again.

Iris wondered if Sirius had noticed the scars that littered her skin underneath, but that maybe he'd chosen not to ask about it. Yet at the same time, she began to notice the strange sense of calm she felt in his presence. This may have been the first time she actually felt relaxed since coming to Cradle, maybe since.. awhile. She sat at the table, silently observing Sirius as he moved about.

Sirius had a tall and slender figure, yet he had broad shoulders and large hands. He was also much more handsome than Iris had first realized, with brown hair swept to the side and deep amethyst-colored eyes. Even as he rolled up his uniform sleeves and set about washing dishes, his movements seemed more refined and filled with precision. He wasn't just imposing, Sirius also seemed to be cool, and mature. He was also so much kinder than Iris had ever imagined.

The bowl still had a faint warmth as Iris wrapped her hands around it, recalling the gentle taste. "Well, I'd better get back to work," Sirius began, "When you've finished eating, try and get some more sleep. Just leave your bowl and spoon in the sink." He began to walk towards the door, before pausing and turning back to Iris, "Oh, also, make sure you get up early tomorrow." "May I ask what for?" Iris asked. Sirius only smiled, "We're convening in the courtyard at oh-eight-hundred hours. Don't forget." And with that, Sirius left the kitchen behind him. Leaving Iris to wonder who the hell says time like that.

By the time she had finished eating and left the kitchen, there was a safe warmth heavy on her body. A part of her was grateful for Sirius' kindness, while the other desperately wanted to go and puke up what she'd just ate. But she chose to ignore it, instead thinking of what Sirius had said. He had meant for her to meet him at 8:00 am, right? She couldn't help but wonder why. Iris was lost in thought as she headed back towards her room, no longer feeling jumpy at the night's shadows. She already knew that there was a low possibility of having any more nightmares that night.

Just before 8:00 am the night morning-

The courtyard was filled to the brim with Black Army soldiers. It looked as though something was about to start. Iris stood back, looking around and analyzing her surroundings when her eyes met Sirius' across the crowd of people. He beckoned her over with a smile, and she took a deep breath before hurrying over. "Morning, Sirius." she spoke as she approached. "Morning. You're right on time." Iris glanced around once more, "Mhm.. What should I be doing, exactly?" she asked.

"Right now you're in charge of this. Sit down on that bench over there." He placed a brown paper bag in her hands and pointed over to a nearby bench. Hesitantly, Iris peered inside the bag. Inside was a thermos and a couple of sandwiches, was he really telling her that she was supposed to have breakfast? "Erm.. Okay." she murmured. Sirius gave a casual wave in response as he turned to go and talk to some other soldiers.

Taking a closer look at the contents of the bag, Iris noticed a pastrami sandwich and a couple of fresh strawberries, along with the thermos being filled with tea. Iris sat down on the bench and placed the bag next to her, taking small sips of the tea. "Good morning, Alice!" she heard the familiar voice of Seth. Looking up, she was met with the other members of the Black Army. "What a great morning, huh? Perfect weather for fightin'!" Fenrir exclaimed.

She noticed Ray's eyes widened slightly as he took in her appearance, "Are you really drinking tea for breakfast? You look like you're still half-asleep." Luka frowned at the raven-haired man, "You're just naturally an early riser, Ray." "Ah.. Good morning, everyone." Iris spoke as she started to stand from the bench, but Seth placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back down. "No, no, stay where you are! You should finish your tea and breakfast." Seth smiled. "Sirius always bakes the best croissants, so you should take the time to enjoy it." Luka commented.

Iris froze slightly, "Wait.. Sirius made all this himself?" she asked. Recalling the soup from yesterday, Iris was astonished at how great of a cook Sirius was. Ray smirked, clearly amused by Iris' reaction, "Why are so surprised? It's no big deal for a grown man to make a few croissants." Iris let out a small huff and narrowed her gaze at Ray, "I didn't mean it like that. It's just not what I expected from Sirius, that's all." "Hey, no need to explain! Just sit here, relax, and enjoy the show, okay?" Fenrir gave Iris a wide and friendly grin as he spoke. But what show? What was he referring to?

"Hey, guys!" came Sirius' voice from across the courtyard, "When you're done saying hello, we're ready to get started." "Yes, sir!" Luka and Seth spoke in unison. "Oooh yeah, baby! It's time to get a little wild!" Fenrir laughed, turning towards Ray, "Give us your orders, partner!" "Sure. Break up into your individual units and begin practice." Ray commanded, his tone impassive. As soon as the command was spoken, all leaders moved away, weaving throughout the gathered crowd of soldiers.

They soon broke up into smaller groups of several dozen men before pairing off and beginning to fight each other. Realization that practice had meant military training struck Iris, she hadn't even taken into account that the courtyard was also the training grounds. But slowly, she found her gaze drifting in Sirius' direction. He was holding something that didn't look as though it would belong in any sort of military exercise that Iris could imagine. Was that a watering can?

From what Iris could see, he was watering the flowers as he watched over his soldiers training. But honestly, he appeared to be more focused on watering the flowers rather than on watching his soldiers. Sirius' gaze focused on the flowers in front of him, and the water trickling down over the vibrant petals. But a moment later he spoke, and Iris blinked in surprise-

"Tim and Mark. You two haven't warmed up at all. Start over."

"Sorry, sir." "Understood!"

"Stephen, fix the angle of that kick. Try it again, about 20 degrees up and to the right."

"Oh, you're right! Thank you, sir!"

"Paul, you're over-exerting yourself. Deep breaths, c'mon now, deep breaths!"

"Yes, sir! I'll try that!"

Sirius was barely looking, yet he was given such precise orders. And he even remembered all their names, despite the fact there were hundreds of soldiers. Each time he spoke to one of them, they immediately responded attentively to his calm voice. The soldiers who were training seemed serious and earnest, but Sirius himself is, well- Iris felt as though his gaze seemed sharper when watering the flowers compared to when he was speaking to his soldiers.

She had thought he was a strict military leader, yet he was surprisingly gentle. The more she learned about Sirius, the more surprised Iris was that he didn't fit into her original image of him. "Boss. It's almost time." Sirius spoke. "You're right. Okay, boys. Playtime's over." Ray called. Suddenly, all the soldiers were attacking faster and more furious than before. Iris paused, realizing that they'd only just been practicing the moves, and were now fighting for real.

Ray stood still in a spot that allowed him to see everyone, and he cast his stern, emerald gaze across the fast-moving soldiers. Luka and Seth moved amongst their own soldiers, giving instructions now and again. Fenrir had actually joined in on the fighting, providing a demonstration for his soldiers. They were all so amazing. They kicked and punched at each other's elbows and shins with such fierce accuracy, each blow was forceful yet nimble. Iris knew nothing about fighting, yet even she could see just how skilled and well-trained they all were.

Iris almost forgot to breathe as she watched them in awe, but then her focus was broken as the bench squeaked under her. "Did you like your tea and sandwich?" Sirius asked, looking directly at her. Iris stared at him, surprised. She had been so distracted that she hadn't even noticed his approach. "It was.. delicious.." Iris muttered, feeling slightly embarrassed, "Thank you, really. But.." she trailed off. "Hm?" Sirius settled back against the bench, his gentle gaze quietly encouraging Iris to keep talking.

"I.. I was so focused on watching everyone practice." her gaze dropped to her hands, folded neatly in her lap as she tugged at the sleeves, "I probably sound really simplistic, but.. Everyone seems so incredibly strong." Sirius' gaze narrowed, like he was thinking deeply about something, "You're right. They are. And these incredibly strong soldiers are the ones who've sworn to protect you." Iris froze, falling into silence as she listened to Sirius talk. A kind smile formed on his handsome face, "So you can put your mind at ease."

When she looked at that kind and soft smile, Iris suddenly realized what he was trying to tell her. "..Did you bring me out here to watch everyone.. Just so I could understand that?" Iris asked, narrowing her gaze at the man next to her. "Maybe." Sirius admitted, "I figured you'd rather see it for yourself than take my word for it." His voice, deep and soft, felt as though it were echoing inside Iris' heart as she felt an odd sense of calm warmth fill her body. Even as he was speaking to her, his gaze remained focused on his soldiers, watching every little movement.

Iris didn't think she'd met anyone who was as kind as him. She still didn't know anything about this crazy word she had fallen into, but one thing was for sure. Sirius was someone she could trust.

The warmth seemed to spread throughout her entire body as she turned and smiled up at Sirius. "Iris, look out!" Luka shouted as a brown lump came hurtling at Iris with immense speed. Panicked, Iris shrunk back against the bench. But only a moment later, Iris found herself hugged tightly against a warm, broad chest. "Are you okay, Iris?"

HIS POV

It was the day after the Black Army had decided to take in a stray.

"P..Please. I.. I'm sorry for whatever I did.. D..Don't hurt me." came her startled voice. Sirius turned around sharply, eyes wide as he spoke- "Do what?" It was the first time he'd ever heard Alice the Second give out an actual shriek with such fear laced into her normally soft voice. Sirius stared at her as she shrank down in her seat, then he noticed at the kitchen knife in his hands. Realization filled his mind quickly as he began to understand what assumption Iris had made.

Laughter began to erupt from his throat. He was used to people being scared of him, but never once had someone reacted like this- especially when he was cooking them dinner. She had seemed so calm and determined when facing off against Lance, but he realized that a part of her was still a scared child. "Look here, little lady. I'm not going to hurt you." Sirius placed down the knife, making sure she had seen him do it, and then he walked over. Gently pinching her cheek with a smile on his lips, "You're quite adorable when scared, though."

Iris' round, dark blue eyes went wide, and she stared up at him, seemingly frozen in place. Sirius paused, 'Damn, did I take it too far?' he wondered. Dropping his hand away, Sirius returned to the sink. From behind him, he could hear her let out a soft breath. It sounded as if she'd been tense all this time, constantly bracing for the worst. But that wasn't really surprising, given the situation.

Even if he told her over and over that she was okay, that she was safe, he knew she'd probably felt so lost and confused that the words would only fall on deaf ears. Iris was lost in a strange world, being attacked for reasons she didn't understand, and Sirius needed to reassure her. It was an easy decision for him to simply add that on the list of jobs he had to get done. And for now..

Sirius pulled out some vegetables from underneath the counter, and he spoke over his shoulder without looking at Iris. "No more yelling, okay? You'll wake the others if you're not careful." "I know. I apologiz-" Her voice came out cracked and trembling as it faded out partway through the last word. Sirius felt himself tense, 'Oh no. Are you crying?' He'd grown up with sisters, so he wasn't as panicked as most men would be. But even so, he was meant to be taking care of her. He couldn't just leave her crying like that.

There were a few different ways to stop someone from crying, and- "You went to sleep yesterday without eating anything, didn't you?" Sirius commented. I um.. Yes, but ther-" she paused to catch her breath, "There's no need to worry. I.. I'm fine." "Iris, you shouldn't lie like that." Sirius spoke, his back still turned, "Instead of crying and trying to act like you're fine, you need to get some nourishment into you." She didn't say anything more, seemingly opting for silence as Sirius got to work. He stopped talking and focusing on making a simple dish for her, something he was good at and knew she'd enjoy.

"Let's see… just a little more salt. And… it's ready." He murmured to himself. Sirius filled a bowl with soup, and placed it down on the wooden table in front of Iris. A delicious scent rose up from the thick, white soup. Even Sirius had to admit that it turned out pretty well. Seeming to notice Iris' hesitation, Sirius spoke- "It's leek and potato soup," he explained, "You've been asleep so long that your stomach might not be ready for a hearty meal. So this will have to do you for now."

Iris muttered a 'thank you,' yet she still seemed hesitant. However, after a bit of prompting, Sirius got her to eat. He moved away to prepare something to drink, but kept an eye on her. Her pale face finally flushed with color, the haunted look in her eyes subsiding as a small smile formed on her lips. Soon, the bowl was empty, but Iris kept her head down. Her little smile was evident. "Do you want seconds?" Sirius asked. Iris gave a couple words of approval, some hesitance still in her voice. But progress was progress.

Sirius served her a second bowl, then sat down across from her at the table. She was so clearly enjoying it, despite what she could say. Sirius couldn't help but enjoy watching her as she ate. She seemed to notice that he was watching her, but went back to focusing on her soup again as he gazed quietly at her. Sirius' gaze narrowed as he fell into deep thought, analyzing Iris, 'You're going to be here for a month, so I need to treat you like everyone else- like you're a part of our family.'

He knew from experience that that was the best way to bring them closer together, to make her feel more comfortable. But as he took in her delicate features- her pale skin, the scars that peaked out from just beneath her clothing, her round dark blue eyes, her long, soft white hair- another realization hit. 'But you're not like our rowdy, brusque soldiers. I need to build a different relationship with you. I need to go easy on you.'

He paused in his thoughts, noticing she had gotten soup on herself. Without thinking, Sirius picked up a napkin and reached out. It wasn't until he'd already wiped the soup from the corner of her lips that he realized what he was doing. Sirius' eyes widened, surprised at his own actions, 'I didn't actually mean to do that.' Her pale cheeks flushed with a tint of pink immediately, the look in her eyes almost suggesting that she was mortified. But she only let out a small squeak of, 'oops.'

Sirius smiled, 'You're a sweet girl, Iris.' he thought. "Don't worry about it. It just means it was worth the effort I put into making it." Sirius looked at her, the look in his eyes almost fond, "I feel almost like I've taken in a stray kitten." His words were spoken half in jest, but rather than smiling, Iris looked away. 'What is it?' Sirius wondered. "I'm.. I'm sorry for my reaction earlier. I feel a bit silly about it now." She admitted. Sirius paused, was she referring to when he picked up the knife?

Sirius let out a low laugh with a smile on his lips, "It's fine, really. Honestly, I'm glad you still had the strength in you to make such a fuss." 'Get your body moving, and eventually your heart will follow along.' Iris seemed a little more relaxed than before, so Sirius figured it was safe to move back to the sink. He rolled up his sleeves and filled the sink with water before beginning to wash everything he'd used in making the soup. He was long used to the feel of a sponge in his hand and soap bubbles against his skin. Sirius didn't really mind it.

But then, he felt someone's gaze on him, and realized that Iris must've been looking at him. He waited for her to say something, but the room remained silent. 'I guess you don't feel ready to make idle conversation with me yet. But if I'm taking care of you, I'm not gonna leave you scared and crying.' Sirius finished washing the dishes and turned to look at Iris as he wiped his hands dry with a towel. "Well, I'd better get back to work," he began, "When you've finished eating, try and get some more sleep. Just leave your bowl and spoon in the sink."

Sirius began to walk towards the door, but paused and looked back at Iris, "Oh, also, make sure you get up early tomorrow." "May I ask what for?" she asked. Sirius smiled at how formal she could sound sometimes, but chose not to address it, "We're convening in the courtyard at oh-eight-hundred hours. Don't forget." It was the first step in his plan to ensure that the young woman in his care felt reassured. It was a little unsettling that the first ingredient in his reassurance recipe was getting her to watch the army train, but- he was willing to use whatever he had at his disposal.

Sirius could still see in his mind the look in her eyes as she'd eaten the soup and admitted what she thought. And he felt positive that she'd look even cuter if she felt calm enough to genuinely smile. 'Eventually I'd like to see you relax properly and feel at ease. And maybe smile for me.' Sirius had seen a lot of rough things in his life, but even with the walls Iris put up and the scars that peaked out on her skin, there was a gentleness to her. A gentleness that seemed dazzling to Sirius, one that gave him an odd sense of yearning.

She may not be here in Cradle for long, but it would mean a lot to him if she could enjoy it. Even just a little.

Sirius kept the thought to himself as he left the kitchen. He wanted to plant a little seed of reassurance within Iris, and help encourage it to blossom. But at the time, Sirius had no idea just how deep that seed would spread its roots.