Inevitable Crash (2)

While Iris pondered about the mysteries of life, Kyro brought her to the door. "We just need to act as an idyllic, lovey-dovey couple, and they'll leave us alone in a few days. There's nothing as boring as the expected," he whispered in her ear.

His warm breath tickled Iris' skin, and her cheeks gained color, but before she could react in any other way, Kyro opened the door. Behind it stood an elderly pair. The woman was a bit over fifty years old, but shining with a healthy vigor.

There were only a few laughing lines by her mouth, nothing else to betray her age. She wore a white blouse and beige pants, while in her hands she held a pie. It looked really pretty, light brown in color, and with a the word 'Welcome' written in powdered sugar at the top.

"Good day! Me and my husband saw you arrive, so we rushed over to be the first to welcome you into our community. It's a really great place, and you won't regret it, I assure you! But enough about us, you two look so good! Are you going to live here all the time now? Or is it just a transition place? Are you married? Oh, I love your hair! It's such a lovely color. Do you dye it?"

The barrage of questions startled Iris. She wanted to answer at least one, but the woman gave her no chance. One question had barely ended when she voiced another, and another. It almost felt like there was some kind of competition, and she was trying for first place at who can speak the fastest.

When her speech continued without apparent end, Iris turned to Kyro for advice. Was she supposed to interrupt that woman to answer? Or should she just listen until the end and ignore most of the stuff that was said?

Kyro noticed her pleading eyes and smiled. He wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her to his side. "We haven't yet decided how long we're going to stay here," he told the woman, having managed to locate the fraction of a second when she was taking a breath. "And we're not yet married."

The woman's face fell a little, but her gaze became even more piercing. "Young people these days." She laughed, pushing the pie forward. "Take it, take it. It's for you. Just from the oven, I assure you."

Smiling awkwardly, Iris thanked her and took the plate with the pie. It weighed heavier in her hands than she expected. Hopefully they weren't going to talk much longer.

"So how did you meet? Are you planning to have kids?" the woman asked, and the pie almost slipped from Iris' hands. It would have certainly fallen if Kyro hadn't noticed what was happening and grabbed for it.

"I-I better take it inside," she murmured, her cheeks flaming. Like a frightened chicken, she rushed inside before anyone could voice an opinion.

In the kitchen, she placed the pie on the table, breathing heavily. What was wrong with that woman? Who would ask such a thing on the first meeting! It was despicable!

'But I probably still have to return…' Almost crying from unwillingness, Iris walked back with wooden legs. She wasn't certain what the woman might ask next, and she didn't really want to find out.

"... shouldn't do that! Do you want to scare them away?" The husband was lecturing the woman when Iris came back.

He was a little more touched by the years, but not yet bowed by them. He was as tall as Kyro, and his figure was muscular and robust. Dressed in a polo shirt and shorts, he looked the image of somebody living the easy-going life in a residential area.

At the moment though, he was rolling his eyes at his wife. "They haven't even settled yet, and you already badger them with personal questions."

The woman frowned at him, then beamed at Iris. "Sorry, sorry, I wasn't thinking. Do forgive. I know, I'll make dinner tonight in apology! What do you think? Would you be willing to come over? I promise it won't be anything fancy, just a simple dinner to get to know each other. Sounds great, right?"

There was nothing that sounded even remotely good in that statement. If Iris was a fox, all her hair would be standing up at the moment. Five minutes with this chatterbox was enough to send her scurrying away, so what would a few hours do to her? Just thinking about it was enough to terrify her.

As she was about to shake her head, Kyro put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, but we're really tired today and could use some rest. Maybe next time?"

Iris would have preferred if he hadn't said the last part, but it was necessary to keep appearances. As much as she didn't wish to spend an evening being drilled by this unknown woman about her life, it would be worse to gain a reputation for being unapproachable or always siting on her high horse.

"That's understandable," the husband swiftly agreed. "It's us that are bothering you right after you came. It must have been a long journey for you."

"Right, right," the woman soon echoed. There was reluctance in her expression at first, but it faded away in the blink of an eye. "I'll go tell everyone to give you time to acclimate, and then next week we can have a small party to introduce you to the community. Yep, that's the best way! I'll be looking forward to it then."

After that, the two said their goodbyes and left. It was a quick escape, surprising Iris. Had that woman really changed her mind so soon? But no, the next moment, she saw her shifting course and going into a house that was not her own. A middle-aged woman welcomed her in, and Iris instantly realized that a gossip session was about to start.

"We're going to be the talk of the town," she murmured, her eyes narrowed.

"Inevitable." Kyro closed the door and went back into the house. "It's not often that they get new residents."

Iris followed him into the living room and the kitchen. "Why didn't they recognize you?"

"Oh, don't worry, they did. Caron was just too excited to focus on it right now."

"Great…"

Iris shook her head in resignation and found a knife to try out the pie. It was made from apples, and the taste was heavenly. The texture wasn't slick, but not dry either. Just a perfect combination that went well down the throat.

It would be even better with tea, so Iris looked around for a teapot. While doing that, she noticed that Kyro's gaze was locked on her face. "Hm?"

He stood up and came closer, invading her personal space. "What are—"

The question died in her throat when he raised his hand and brushed the corner of her lips. "You've got powdered sugar there," he said in a low voice.

It was just a casual sentence, but when coupled with Kyro's touch, it sent Iris' heart beating. She looked at him through lidded eyes, her cheeks growing warmer with every passing second.

He didn't say anything more, but didn't step away either, his finger still by her mouth as his eyes roamed all over her face. It was a kind of torture that Iris hadn't known existed.

When she could no longer take the embarrassment and was about to speak, the movement of her lips attracted Kyro's gaze back to them. He lowered his head and pressed his lips to hers, a gentle touch soon turning into something more demanding, almost desperate.