Awakening

Dusk was slowly creeping over the hut on the hill, that Ian and Iris now called home. The evening sun shining the last few rays of warmth before finally setting, letting the night take her reign.

Pulling back from the hug, Ian stared at Iris, his eyes darting from left to right looking for hint of doubt on Iris's face.

With a sweet smile on her face and her emerald eyes glimmering with tears in the dimming light of the hut, she looked at him with an unwavering gaze.

Ian opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as if trying to come back to his senses.He wasn't expecting Iris to accept his marriage proposal and he wasn't expecting for her to tell him that she loved him. Letting the air out of his lungs and finally opening his eyes.

" Iris, my sweet little angel, queen of my heart!" his voice shaky, swallowing the lump in his throat, he was overflowing with all kinds of emotions.

" I love you! I will do anything and everything in my power to make you happy!" he confessed his love and adoration for her, in a heartfelt declaration

Iris stared at him with a sweet smile, tears flowing down her cheeks, happy that she finally felt loved and could love in return. She silently wished that, this moment would last forever and she would happily relive it over and over.

" I love you Ian!" she professed, her voice soft as a wisper while cupping his face with both of her shoulders hands and giving him a tender kiss on the lips.

Ian pulled Iris into his arms making Iris sob louder, gently rubbing her back to soothe her, he kissed her shoulder, resting his chin on it.

"I keep making you cry, my sweet little angel!" he murmured feeling a little guilty that he made her cry, yet again.

"Happy tears, silly!" she chided in a cheerful voice, the new wave of emotions slowly settling down.

" Mmm, if you say so!" he hummed with a smile on his face, while slowly pulling away from the hug to look at Iris.

Holding both of her shoulders, he looked at her tear streaked face and sighed in relief that they finally, have come clean about their feelings for each other.

" We should have some food and will talk some more!" he suggested with a small smile on his face, while gently wiping the remaining tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.

Iris nodded " Yes, let's eat! We seem to have made a habit in skipping meals!" she agreed smiling back at him, grabbing his hand and giving him a soft kiss on the palm of his hand.

Clearing his throat "Let's eat!" he quickly agreed grabbing Iris's hand and draging her to the table, feeling a little rattled by her sweet kiss.

He quickly grabbed the bowl, filling it up with the soup that was in the pot, placing the bowl with food on the table.

Bending over to kiss her temple "I'll make a fire, it's getting a bit cold!" he spoke against her temple, a little worried seeing the goosebumps on her skin

"You can start eating! I won't take long!" he encouraged her in a sweet voice while turning around and making his way to where the spent fire laid.

Iris nodded, instead of eating she looked at Ian poking the fire, waiting for him to join her at the table.

A shaky sigh escaped her lips and her thoughts drifted to the earlier events, she felt her heart squeeze and her eyes filling with tears of joy. She still couldn't believe that she finally could feel what love was, it didn't feel real and she had to pinch her cheeks just to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

" Ouch!" she winced in pain whispering to make sure that Ian didn't hear her.

" Are you hurt?" Ian quickly jumped from his spot, making his way to Iris in one quick stride, his eyes raking all over body looking for the source of the pain.

Iris giggled at Ian's reaction " I thought I was dreaming, so I.....I pi...pin...pinched myself!" she explained stuttering, little embarrassed of her actions and thoughts.

He let out a hearty chuckle, sighing " I had to do that myself more times than I can count since we met!" he confessed, amused at their childish behaviour.

Iris giggled at Ian's confession, she stood up on the tip of her toes and gave him a peck on his lips.

" Does it feel real?" she asked while studying his expressions.

He wrapped his hand around her waist pulling her close, leaving no gap between them, with his other hand he pinched her chin and gave her a ravenous kiss.

" Yes, it feels very real my queen!" he spoke against her lips, in a shaky voice

Swallowing the lump in his throat " We should eat, before I change my mind and eat you instead!" he hummed, his lips curling up in a naughty smile.