Iris hummed to herself as she finished her batch of cookies, pulling them off of the hot metal tray and setting them on a small plate. She felt her heart pound as she found the perfect way to cheer Arylos up. She let out a light laugh as she saw how soft and warm they were, perfect for the Titan. She took Bellona’s words from the previous day to heart, finding a way to help Arylos that only she could do. She took the plate of cookies in her hand and made her way down the hall, knowing that what Arylos needs is a reminder of the life he has now.

Iris knocked gently on the door before sliding it open. Arylos was exactly where she left him; laying on the bed facing the wall, cocooned in a blanket. Iris closed the door behind her as she slowly approached the Titan.

“Hey honey, would you like some cookies?” she asked with a smile as she came next to the bed. She saw Arylos stir under the blanket yet stayed silent. Iris smiled as she set the plate on the table next to the bed and she sat next to Arylos, putting her hand on his shoulder.

“Come on, I made them with spice and gingerbread; I know you’ll love them,” she said in a soft voice as she slowly rubbed Arylos’s back.

Arylos stirred once more, almost as if he wanted to roll over yet refused. Iris sighed as she had an idea come to her. She lifted the blanket and crawled underneath it with Arylos and ran her hands along his exposed back, feeling the scars in his back.

“Are you going to stay in bed or are you going to eat my cookies? I know you want to eat them,” Iris said with a bigger smile as she rubbed Arylos’s back.

Arylos stirred and Iris could feel his legs brush up against hers. She was about to try something else before Arylos slowly rolled over to face her, his face sorrowful. He had no tears for her, but his face was void of any emotion she knew him for.

“Aha, so you do want some cookies,” Iris said while tapping on Arylos’s nose. Before Iris could pull her hand away, Arylos gently grabbed her hand and examined her hand as if enamoured by her. He growled softly as he brought her hand closer to him.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a soft voice as he held her gently like a bird.

“For what?” Iris asked as she stroked his cheek with her other hand.

“For everything,” Arylos replied as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers gently. “For scaring you, for attacking you, for not protecting you, for trying to control you.”

Iris sighed with a smile as she moved closer to Arylos. “I understand; you were trying to protect me.”

“That does not make it right,” Arylos said with a sad voice.

Iris pulled her hand free of Arylos and held his face between both hands as she rubbed his cheeks. “I’m sorry I made you worry,” she said in a soft whisper. “You told me to run, but I didn’t listen to you and I could have gotten more seriously hurt. I didn’t consider how afraid you were and the effect I have on you.”

Arylos sighed as he took in her warmth, bringing his head closer to her as he closed his eyes. He felt as though he had more tears to give her and yet he was drained of them. He could only bask in her warmth as she slowly brought him back to reality.

“But to be fair, I do agree that you were an asshole,” Iris said with a soft laugh. “You want to protect me, and that’s fine. But do you not understand that I want to protect you too? I don’t want to lose you either, you big idiot; I don’t care how immortal or disposable you are.”

Arylos slowly opened his eyes as looked at her, taking in all of her features as if he was seeing her properly for the first time. He opened his mouth to speak but Iris put her finger to his lips.

“You might think you’re expendable, but you’re not to me,” Iris continued with a soft voice. “I’ll only ever have one of you just like you with me. So please stop being so suicidal like that. If I accept that you’ll protect me, will you accept that I’ll protect you too?”

Arylos closed his eyes and nodded with a sigh. “I just don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you. I don’t want to be alone again. You’re all I have.”

“And do you not see that’s why I don’t want anything bad to happen to you?” Iris asked with a chuckle. “If I lose you, I have nothing left. I’ll have an empty house and uneaten cookies.”

“No one to give you attention?” Arylos asked while finally smiling.

Iris puffed up her face and tapped Arylos’s nose. “Why else do you think I keep you around? Love works both ways, honey; you can’t expect me to let you get seriously hurt just to protect me. I want to protect you too, even if it may be pointless. With everything you’ve done for me, I owe it to you to at least try.”

Arylos nodded and closed his eyes once more, settling into Iris’s hands as if he could fall asleep in her arms. “I understand, and I’m sorry that I disregard how you feel.”

“Good boy,” Iris said with a smile as she gave Arylos a soft kiss on his forehead. “Don’t forget that I love you too.” Iris let go of Arylos and reached around behind her, ungracefully reaching for one of the cookies on the platter and brought it towards Arylos. “Now eat my damn cookies,” she said with a childish laugh.

Arylos opened his eyes and laughed softly. He reached for the cookie but before he could grab it, Iris put it in her lips and laughed with the cookie hanging out of her mouth. Arylos scoffed as he remembered that she was still a child at heart. Arylos came close and bit off a portion of the cookie while it hung in Iris’s mouth. As he got close to her, Iris wrapped her arms and her legs around him, holding him close and refusing to let him go.

Arylos swallowed the treat and buried his face in her neck, taking in the feel and scent of her as he felt his worries slowly drift away. Iris rubbed his back as she tried her best to keep Arylos grounded in reality. She had more questions she wanted answers for, but she knew that those questions would only hurt Arylos more.

But she had one question she wanted the answer to. “Do you feel any better now?” she asked in a soft voice in Arylos’s ear.

“You take all of my pain away,” Arylos said while holding her tighter.

Iris smiled as she kissed Arylos’s cheek. “Good; you had me worried there for a while.”

Arylos laughed as he brushed Iris’s hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Were you getting lonely, little girl?”

Iris blushed as she looked away. “Shut up,” she said with a laugh.

Arylos laughed as he rediscovered his love for her. Without warning, Arylos moved Iris onto her back as he sat up and slowly undid the strap of her robe.

“What are you doing?” Iris asked as her face continued to go red.

“My boyfriend duties,” Arylos said as he moved her robe, examining the wound on Iris’s stomach, free from the bandages and left as a dull scar just above her waist. Arylos came in close and gently kissed the scar, his beard tickling Iris’s skin and warranting a laugh from her. Her laugh slowly turned into a shuddered gasp as his touch awoke something in her.

“B-Be careful of what you do down there, big boy,” she said in a shuddered breath as her cheeks went completely red.

Arylos chuckled to himself and kissed along Iris’s waistline, taking in the warmth and smoothness of Iris’s skin. Arylos held Iris’s thigh and kissed along her thigh causing the girl to squirm as she clenched the blanket.

“Is this some attempt to make things up to me?” Iris asked as her voice wavered in her gasping breath.

“Is it working?” Arylos asked with a chuckle as he kissed Iris’s inner thigh, knowing exactly where to strike. Iris gasped as she felt hot, weak under the Titan’s influence. Arylos continued kissing her body as he moved up her torso and Iris habitually locked her legs around his waist as he kissed her clavicle and neck.

“Fuck it, you win,” Iris said with an exacerbated sigh as she grabbed the Titan by his cheeks and gave him a warm kiss, feeling the heat well up inside her once more. Arylos’s gentle touch made her crave for more as she pulled him closer to her.

As she lost herself in him, she finally felt that things were going back to normal.