After our lips separated, I stared at Iris’ blushing face and couldn’t stop myself from hugging her tightly, she started complaining about how I was crushing her, but I ignored it this once. It was hard to believe this was real, so hard that I couldn’t help wanting to have her entirely within my embrace… Nonetheless, I couldn’t keep Iris like this for long, or I would really crush her. So I whispered ‘I love you’ into her ear and then kissed her again. Only after that I loosened up on my hug.

Iris seemed about to complain about it, and I was happily going to receive everything she threw at me, but… We heard some clapping. We looked to the side and saw that hyper fairy crying and clapping at us. I completely forgot she was there. “This was so beautiful! I’m so glad the both of you are finally together! At last Iris gave up on playing hard to get and let the girl of her dreams capture her, you to go wonderfully together! We should make a play staring you both!”

… Does this girl have some mental problems? I wanted to ask that to Iris, but my lover was blushing so heavily, that I thought it would be better to not say anything.

“Freeeeeyaa!!!!” Iris roared while flying after the crazy fairy, it was such an animalistic growl that I had never expected to see Iris making… I wouldn’t have ever seen this kind of reaction within a dream, I’m glad I did get back to the real world.

While the two fairies played the most deadly version of tag I ever saw, I tried to slowly get up… What I realized in the process though, was that my legs were aching a lot more than they were before, and that my breathing was a lot heavier than I had noticed… This was bad, it seems like I need to go back to the material world and rest soon… But it’s been so long since I last saw Iris, I want to stay with her longer… But it would be a big betrayal of her trust if I lied to her about my condition again, not to mention I’m not sure what would happen if I were to run out of mana while I was here. It’s better if I don’t find that out.

After Iris caught up to Freya and started choking her with a tad more seriousness than I thought she should have for this kind of thing, I approached them both and said, “Iris, I think I might be running out of mana already, so it might be wise for me to go home. Though I don’t want to get away from you…”

Iris made the most shocked expression I have ever seen in her face. She immediately let go of Freya and looked at me in disbelief… What? Is it that hard to believe my mana already ran out? I’m still recovering. “Aria… Are you suggesting we put some distance between ourselves for your own health?”

I replied in a panic, “No no no! I don’t mean it like that! I’ll summon you as soon as I feel better! I just am unsure of what will happen if” I wasn’t allowed to finish, for Iris flew straight at my chest and hugged me, and I could feel tears running down her cheeks… No! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it that way!

She then spoke, “I’m so glad…” Wait, what? Iris, what’s going on here? “You didn’t lie to me and instead prioritized your own health instead of harming yourself again… I’m so, so glad…” Ah, so that’s what she meant…

“I’m sorry for having worried you about these things for this long, I’ll communicate properly about my own health from now on, I swear.” Iris snuggled with my chest and I gently caressed her back with my finger. This definitely felt much better than the tearful partings we’ve had so far… Dear gods, why did it take me this wrong to realize I should do this?

Iris distanced herself a bit and smiled at me with a still teary face, “It’s okay, I’m just glad I won’t have to see you coughing up blood again.” I’m really sorry for that… “So, I guess I’ll see you soon?”

I nodded, “For as long as you answer my summons.” I teased her a bit.

She giggled, “I’ll be sure to.” She then flew closer and kissed me. “Take care, Aria. I love you.”

“I love you too.” I kissed her one more time and then started drawing a magic circle in the ground to bring me back home.

While I did that, Freya chimed in one last time. “Awn, you’re going so soon? I wanted to get more blackmail material on Iris.” And then she was punched right in the face… I didn’t know Iris could be so violent, though I don’t particularly dislike that side of her.

I finished my circle and poured my mana into it. A portal to the material realm slowly opened in front of me. “I’ll be going then.” I said to Iris.

She waved and said, “See you soon.”

I smiled and crossed the portal, back to my own realm.

As soon as I finished going over it, the connection between both realms was severed and I was now alone again. I felt sad over not having Iris with me, but it would be fine. We’re lovers now after all, a few days without her don’t mean much if we can properly make up for it later…

I wonder how we’ll do it in bed though, it was always a bit awkward with the dream Iris… I guess it’s because she couldn’t do something that went too far from what I had already imagined… I can’t wait to find out.

For now though, I guess I should start traveling again and find a new job, I’d like to give Iris a roof to sleep under at the very least.

END