When Iris said he made her feel safe, Caspian couldn’t help but smile. He wasn’t sure why she felt that way around him, especially since she had been the one to save [i]him[/i] multiple times now, but he liked knowing that she did. He’d never thought of himself as the type to be looked up to as a protector, since he’d spent his whole life being looked after by the royal security team and doted on by people who treated him like he was fragile. Hearing that someone actually thought he was capable of keeping her safe was new. It stirred something inside of him that made him want to live up to her expectations too.

Shifting his weight, he noticed the redness that flushed her fair skin and wondered if she’d misunderstood what he’d meant when he’d agreed with her about looking for shelter. He really had been talking about looking for a real bed, but the stammer in his voice might have been misleading. He fidgeted awkwardly with the blanket beneath him. While he couldn’t deny that the thought of “sharing a bed” had crossed his mind a few times, he wasn’t trying to push for anything like that when they had just gotten back together. Thinking about it made his heart race, but he wasn’t [i]that[/i] impatient. Besides, he wasn’t sure if it was even a good idea, given their circumstances. They didn’t exactly have access to protection, and having an “accident” while they were on the run from the rebellion was a risk he didn’t want to face.

Not wanting to give her the wrong idea, he cleared his throat awkwardly. [color=#b97703]“I, uh, I didn’t mean…”[/color] he trailed off, inwardly cursing himself for being unable to say the words to her. Around his friends, he had no trouble joking around about the subject, but talking about it to someone he actually wanted to be with intimately made him feel hot under the collar. Forcing himself to get over it, he went on, [color=#b97703]“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give you the wrong idea. Truth is, I’ve never even shared a bed with someone before, so I just wasn’t expecting the suggestion. Not to say that I don’t want to. I just want to make sure you know I’m not trying to… well, you know…”[/color]

[color=#b97703][i]And the award for most uncomfortable conversation goes to Caspian Maydestone,[/i][/color] he thought with chagrin, wishing he could just crawl under a rock and forget he’d even bothered to open his mouth. He’d thought that clearing the air would make things better, but apparently he was only good at making them worse. Eager to pretend like nothing had happened, he laid down next to Iris and pressed a hand to his face, hating how completely not-smooth-at-all he was. The media liked to make him out as some sort of royal playboy, but that couldn’t be further from reality. He was sure that if the reporters ever found out just how much he squirmed when the subject of being with a woman came up, they would have a field day.

Trying not to dwell on it, he focused on the feeling of Iris’s arm draped over his chest and the steady rise and fall of her torso beside him as she settled down to sleep. Although he was still feeling awkward because of his clumsy attempt to explain himself to her, he enjoyed the way her small frame fit against his side, and he closed his eyes, trying to relax a little while he waited for her to take her nap and wake up again, so they could check on her fever.