Re: Home: Iris and Manning
At that point in time, she had been fragile, because her believing so had made it true. And those she had known at that point in time hadn't done anything to pull her back from that belief. Not until Manning. He might not think that he was the cause of it, but she knew that without him, she wouldn't have been able to find any strength within herself. She would have been the same broken person she'd been just a few short years ago.
And to be able to think that someone actually wanted her. Not to own or to command her, but to build a life and family together. Add the fact that he'd told her his identity - the history and power that he held in his hands every day - and he still felt so strongly about her, still wanted her and still wanted to build a family with her. It was heady, and it made her feel stronger with every day, a steady solidifying inside that made her carry her head higher.
To see him walking towards her, slow and intense, caught her breath in her throat and made her heart double-beat. She wanted him, wanted to be with him, for as long as she could. Not just until their small little family was grown, but as long as possible. And there was a pressure inside her that wouldn't let her ignore it anymore. She melted into his embrace the way she always did, feeling tethered and secure and somehow more right with him there. "Hi," she replied, just as soft, as she slipped her arms around his waist and moved her head to he could reach every place he wanted to, ending by going on her toes so she could return his kiss.