A/N: Please put a smile on my face by voting and commenting!

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Iris POV

"Sure, take care!" Kevin nods and Karen leaves us to see Darius. I noticed a little smile on her face as she turned away but God knows if that was meant for us or Darius. Anyway, now I am alone with Kevin.

"So..." he trails off.

"So?" I shrug.

He slips his hand into mine and entwines our fingers together. I love holding hands like this. Each finger in between the others.

"Kevin?" he and turns to me. "Can I ask you something?" and we stop walking.

"Go on!"

I take a deep breath.

Here goes nothing!

"Love is a big word. Like a really big word and it means a lot to me. When you said it to me, I swear, my heart flipped. I was so scared at one moment thinking that you never meant that-"

I feel a pair of big hands cup my face and the next thing I know is that Kevin's face so is close to mine that the distance between our faces is barely two inches and his emerald irises divulge my soul. I stop saying whatever I was saying because I can't say it anymore. Not when he is looking at me like this.

My breathing quickens. 

"When I said 'I love you!', I meant every word of it." he begins. We're alone now, beside a tree and I am sure no one can see us unless they purposefully peep inside this small space. "The first time I saw you, I started as a small crush but over time, it got stronger. All I could think of was about you. I swear I am in love with you. What I feel for you is so much different from what I felt for other girls in my life." he confesses and my heart begins to melt. 

But other girls? He had other girls in his life?

"Kevin..." I breathe.

"I have never said those three words to any woman except my mom and Karen and you!"

My head drops down in embarrassment. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said that." I apologize and hold his arm earning a smile from him.

"It's okay, love! People tend to use that word carelessly, while that word means a lot than just mere infatuation. Now I have a question, do you love me?" he asks, a glint of hope flickering in his eyes. 

Do I love him? Do I really love him? I asked if he loved me to confirm his feelings for me, and now I don't know what I feel for him. 

"Iris..."

"I...I don't if what I feel towards you is love? I have never experienced any of this before, so I don't know the difference between infatuation and love." I say and he just holds my face like that, looking into my eyes. "I have never had any boyfriends before...and honestly I am so scared of this whole thing!" 

"Why are you scared?" he asks.

"I don't know, I don't want to get heartbroken! I don't want to regret our relationship!" I admit.

"Heartbroken? I would never do that to you, baby! I swear I will never do anything to break your heart. If I do, I will never be able to forgive myself. Karen will murder me!" he assures and I chuckle.

"I know that I want you in my life and if something happens between us, I don't want to lose you. That's what I am scared of. I hate losing people that I like from my life. I've seen people lose the one they loved just because they broke up. I don't want that." I tell.

"You'll never lose me. You'll never lose Karen. We will always stay together, the three of us! Friends or...lovers." he assures me and kisses my forehead. I wrap my arms around his waist tightly and bury my face in his chest. He chuckles and hugs me tighter, the two of us staying like that for a few minutes until I break the hug.

He looks at me again, straight into my eyes.

"God, your eyes are so beautiful!" he compliments and I blush. His eyes stay there but slowly drift down to my nose and then my lips.

I know what he wants. And I know I want it too. Because it's high time that I had my first kiss. So I give in.

"Kiss me, Kevin!" I whisper and that is all he needed. He leans in presses his lips firmly into mine but something explodes inside me. Bolts of energy keep shooting to my core and I find it terribly difficult to stand.

At first, I don't know what to do so I just let him do his thing. And does it so passionately, that I begin to move my lips in sync with his as his hand rests firmly on my waist. 

So this is how a kiss feels like! I love it!

Time stops, reality stops, everything around me is invisible. All I could see, smell, hear, and feel is Kevin. He pulls away but I moan in protest because I was enjoying that. 

"You have no idea how long I have waited for that!" he pant-whispers, resting his forehead on mine.

"So, that's how a kiss feels like?" I gasp.

"Yeah, you like it?"

"I want to do it again!" I say and pull his head towards mine. We kiss again, this time Kevin pulling me tighter towards him. I stay there, enjoying the very first kiss of my life, savoring every minute of this wonderful moment.

Kissing without breathing for minutes makes me pull away from him for breath. We're panting now and I let my head fall on his chest and giggle, feeling the vibrations passing through his chest and into me, as he does so. His quick heartbeat drums in my ear and I bet mine is the same too.

"I love you!" he says cupping my face in his hands. My heart flips and I wish I could say it back to him with the same sincerity, same genuineness as him. But I can't. If I say it to him now, I wouldn't mean it the same way he does.

So I get on my tiptoes, pull his head down and kiss his forehead lightly pecking his lips as well. He chuckles and we resume walking again hand in hand, swinging them back and forth in the air as Kevin starts talking again. A while later, we see Karen jogging her way toward us. 

"Hey lovebirds, tell me something good happened?" she pants upon reaching us. And that seriously is the first question she asked and I look down, blushing terribly.

Kevin chuckles but doesn't say anything and a scowling Karen looks at us. "So I am guessing something happened! Details love birds?"

I bet my face is red as beet now.

"Okay, stop calling us that! We just...kissed, alright!" Kevin states and Karen squeals in excitement and starts jumping around, hugging both me and Kevin tight.

"I took the right decision to you leave you guys alone, you have no idea how happy I am!" she exclaims.

"What did Darius say?" I ask quickly changing the topic.

Her expression changes. "Umm...he just wanted to talk...just sort of...umm..." she trails off and I look at her suspiciously.

"Karen...."

"We just talked you know...random stuff...like Eponian stuff, history, and all that stuff," she says sounding anything but honest.

"You hate history!" I remind her.

"Yeah, but this is Eponian history we're talking about. If I am going to be queen, I have to know the history of my kingdom, shouldn't I?" she asks.

"Of course, you should Queen Karen!" teases Kevin and jokingly bows before.

"But you don't sound honest, what are you hiding?" I ask narrowing my eyes at her.

"Yeah what are you hiding from us? No secrets!" he reminds her and she huffs.

"How do you guys know everything about me?" she scoffs.

"Because you are our freaking friend, duh!" I counter.

"Okay, fine! I'll tell you!" she raises her hand in submission and Kevin smirks. "We were talking and we sort had a moment...I don't know," she sighs, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

"A moment?" asks Kevin.

"Yeah, like the way he talked he seemed to be so understanding...and sweet-"

"We don't understand you?" interrupts Kevin.

"You understand but he...he was different. The way he looked at me, touched me and he held me like I was so fragile," she recalls dreamily.

"You? Fragile?... Nice!" teases Kevin.

"Exactly! I never feel weak and I submit to nobody. But this guy, I swear, I just wanted to melt into his arms." she sighs. "He said that he wanted to talk to me a long time back but Entonia didn't give him permission." 

"Why would she do that?" I ask.

"I don't know but he sounded sincere...like he had waited for this moment for a long time."

Kevin hums. "Sounds like he has a crush on you!" he deduces and her eyes widen. 

"Don't!" her forefinger rises. "Don't give me that hope!" she whines dramatically placing her hand on her chest.

"So, you do have an eye on him!" Kevin winks.

"I mean, he's so hot! It's an instinct to have an eye on him." laughs Karen.

"Well anyways, I am exhausted!" I yawn and start stretching. For some random reason, I just wanna go to bed and sleep again.

"We barely started the day! Why you so tired?" Karen asks, nudging my shoulder.

"I don't know!" I whine. "I just wanna go to bed and cuddle and sleep!" I giggle throwing my arms around Kevin's waist and resting my head on his chest.

"You hug him all the time! You never hugged me this much!" states Karen.

"Firstly, he so warm, and comfy and very huggable. Secondly, you never hug me!" I say.

"You never wanted a hug from me!" she argues.

"You don't hug as good as him!" I say and feel the vibrations pass through his chest as he chuckles.

"Maybe I should get myself a hug worthy boyfriend!" ponders Karen.

"Darius looks hug worthy!" suggests Kevin his hands resting on the small of my back. Karen blushes, punching his shoulder. 

"I want to sleep!" I whine, rubbing my eyes. 

Why can't I just sleep?

"No, we have work to do!" Karen admonishes.

"You always say this, what works?" I moan.

"You'll see...come let's go!"  and we start walking towards the palace.  

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A/N: So our actual adventure might be starting pretty soon. And what are your thoughts on Darius and Karen? Comment below!