Iris and Aras stood in uncomfortable silence.
They had stopped walking a few minutes ago, waiting by a small clearing marked by shattered stones and old roots.
The trees here were thinner, letting more sunlight bleed into the open space.
Iris kept glancing at Aras, quickly looking away whenever he caught her.
Aras sighed, folding his arms across his chest. "You're not very subtle, you know."
Iris straightened, defensive immediately. "I'm not doing anything."
"You keep staring," Aras said bluntly, tilting his head. "If you have something to say, say it."
"I wasn't staring," she muttered, crossing her arms now too. "I was just... checking if you were still with me. You're quiet."
"You're louder than both Ash and Rhian combined," Aras said without missing a beat. "Hard not to notice you're still here."
Iris narrowed her eyes, but there was no real anger there. She could tell Aras wasn't trying to mock her.
