Chapter 23

"Wha... You... You... love me?!"

Iris stared at Edmund in disbelief. All her life, she was told she didn't deserve anyone's love. Her aunt had beaten it into her mind that she was an unwanted, worthless freak. But here he was, looking into her eyes, smiling and claiming he loved her. She couldn't comprehend it.

"Yes," Edmund confirmed, still smiling. "I do love you. Why is it so hard for you to believe it, Iris?"

Iris felt a bit overwhelmed. Edmund had expressed his love for her in the simplest way possible. She didn't know how to respond. Frustrated, Iris replied, "But why?! I'm a freak! No one wants me. How can you say you love some worthless freak like me?! I-I don... I don't..."

Edmund placed a finger on her lips as he stood up and stopped her from saying any more. He wiped away her tears and cupped her cheeks lovingly, "Shhh... You are worth more than everything to me. You are not a freak. And if loving you will make me one then I'd gladly be called a freak for the rest of my life. My love for you is as real as a river flowing to the sea. I just can't help falling in love with you."

Overwhelmed with emotions, Iris jumped at him and hugged him tightly. As she cried into his shoulder, Edmund gently stroked her hair and spoke with a soothing voice, "You'll never be alone Iris. You are loved, you are wanted. You are priceless to me. I love you and there's no power in this world that can make me say I don't. No matter what crisis you face in your life, even if the whole world is against you, I'll be there for you. That is a promise of a lifetime. And I never go back on my word."

Iris was wailing as he finished speaking. There was someone who cared for her, who loved her. Sniffing, she spoke with her mouth hiding in his shoulder, "Yes..."

"I'm sorry? I didn't hear you."

"YES!!..." Came a muffled cry.

"Yes, what."

"Yes, I love you too, Edmund."

His felt over the moon. In that moment, Edmund forgot all about his revenge. Iris' words kept repeating in his mind. He tightened the hug and savoured the feeling of her body against his. He could feel her heartbeat against his chest. Iris had reciprocated his feelings.

Mustering immense willpower, he broke the hug but immediately felt the emptiness. He grabbed Iris from her waist and brought her closer. Cupping her rosy cheek, he rubbed it with his thumb as Iris leaned into his hand.

Looking into each other's eyes, they leaned forward while slightly parting their lips.

Edmund could feel her warm breath against his mouth. His lips brushed hers, softly, delicately, just long enough that he could inhale her breath, feel the warmth of her skin, and the feeling lingered even after they parted.

Not wanting to end it, Iris kissed him back. It was soft and moist and hot and breathy, not trying to win a battle but seeking closeness and sharing that one timeless and passionate moment. The heat rose in her cheeks as her tongue touched Edmund's, quick and electric and sweet, then firmer, more determined.

It was their first kiss, and it tasted like breakfast.

They embraced each other, with their hands intertwined as they sat down next to the fireplace that was conjured by the room. Edmund told Iris about the history of his family and it's origins, about the Elemental Nations, about Naruto and his ancestors who escaped to medieval England to save the lives of their children. He told her about chakra and what it was capable of. Lastly, he told her about the nine-tailed beasts and how they contacted him in the previous year.

"So that's how you were able to do all that wandless magic. It was all chakra. But how could it hurt the soul piece? A soul is not something physical right?"

"You are right about it, my sweet little raven," Edmund teased her while she pouted. It wasn't her fault she was so short!

Doing his best to ignore those soft, slightly swollen lips, Edmund continued, "But chakra is made of two energies that complement each other. They are the Yin and Yang. I am able to separate my chakra into them and add more Yin chakra to my attacks. Since Yin chakra is more spiritual in nature, I could hurt Voldemort."

They sat in silence and enjoyed being close to each other. A house-elf who was given the duty to remind Edmund of his daily training appeared in front of them. "Master Eddy, it is time to train."

Edmund groaned, "I completely forgot about that. Thank you Dicky, you may go now."

Looking at Iris, he asked, "Do you want to watch me do my daily workout?"

Iris smiled and nodded.

As she found a place at the corner of the room, Edmund created a bunch of shadow clones that surrounded him and attacked him all at once. Edmund parried every attack effortlessly and countered every move made by the clones. New clones puffed into existence to replace any that got destroyed, creating an endless stream of opponents for Edmund to fight who were as skilled as him.

Iris was amazed by the speed at which they moved. She could barely follow their attacks while Edmund breezed through the training session. She could feel the force behind their attacks even while standing so far away from them. But for Edmund, it was just a daily workout.

Two hours later, Edmund finally stopped and used a scourgify spell to clean himself off the sweat. He approached Iris with an excited smile and a strange glint in his eyes. Iris watched him cautiously as he spoke, "So let's talk about your training, shall we?"

Iris could swear she saw two horns sprouting out of his head with a pointed tail swishing excitedly behind him.

(ROTS)

A/N: This was the first time I tried to type a romantic scene and needless to say I took some inspiration. Forgive me if it was too cheesy or not that magical for you. They are teens, they can be a little cheesy. I'm just a writer for fun. (Sorry, couldn't help myself. If no one got the reference, you need to watch 'One-Punch Man').