[color=#b97703]“What? It’s true,”[/color] Caspian laughed when Iris called him a tease. He hadn’t thought much about the words before they’d left his lips. Some things made him flustered, especially pertaining to milestones he’d never crossed in previous relationships, but he wasn’t ashamed to admit that he liked being close to her. She already knew how he felt about her anyway, so there was no reason to pretend like he wasn’t fond of cuddling or of letting her nap against his side. Saying that they could do so anywhere was just a fact, because they could.

So, when she teased him in return by asking what he would do if she didn’t want to cuddle anymore, he rolled his eyes. [color=#b97703]“Don’t forget that you’re the one who just fell asleep on my chest,”[/color] he reminded her with a laugh. [color=#b97703]“You’d better not be planning to cut me off just to prove a point. That isn’t fair.”[/color] While she picked up the blanket, he did what he could to help her pack everything back up in her backpack, inwardly relieved that they would be moving to a better shelter than the trees over their heads. The makeshift campsite had been a good option while she’d been stricken with a fever and couldn’t keep moving, but now that she was feeling better, he didn’t want to stay outside. Being inside a building make him feel safer than sleeping on the ground would.

Once everything was put away, he studied the bulging backpack in her hands, chewing on his bottom lip thoughtfully. Before, he hadn’t thought much of it because he’d been trying to keep his distance from Iris, but now that they’d crossed the bridge to become more than friends again, he didn’t like the thought of leaving it in her hands for the entirety of their trip. [color=#b97703]“Here, let me take that,”[/color] he offered. Without waiting for a reply, he slipped the bag away from her and slung it over his shoulders. It was a little heavy because of all the supplies they had crammed inside of it, but that was all the more reason for him to carry it, in his opinion. He was stronger than she was, and she was still getting over a fever. It just made more sense for him to hold onto it, and he wanted to start carrying his weight instead of dragging his feet while she did everything for them.

When she reached for his hand, he noticed her brief hesitation before she followed through with the gesture, and he wondered if something was wrong. However, the pause was so brief that he ultimately decided it must have just been due to the fact that they were still getting used to being more than friends. Seeing no reason to question her about it, he let it slide as he followed her lead through the trees. [color=#b97703]“Where are you taking me this time?”[/color] he asked instead, turning his head to look at her inquisitively. [color=#b97703]“You know, for an amnesiac, you’re remembering a lot of really random details about the districts out here. Do you think you’ve visited a lot of them?”[/color]