Bedtime Fluff (Zero/Iris)

Iris awoke, but did not open her eyes. She was cuddled up against something warm and comfortable and she had no desire to move. Hoping to get a little more shuteye, she snuggled closer to the source of the warmth, and it let out a soft moan in response.

Iris immediately jolted wide awake. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself staring at a familiar red vest. Her processing chip nearly short-circuited and her core whirred to the point where it was in danger of overheating. She became acutely aware of two arms wrapped securely around her waist and a soft, steady breathing that wasn’t her own.

Iris felt her face burn as she pieced together the truth. She had fallen asleep next to Zero and had somehow ended up in his arms. This wouldn’t do. What would Zero think if he woke up and found her next to him in his bed? Or what if Ciel or someone else suddenly walked in and found them like this? There’d be rumors flying around the Resistance Base in no time flat! Iris knew there was only one thing to do, and that was get out of there without waking Zero up.

Slowly, she attempted to pry herself from the red Reploid’s grip. Much to her frustration, the more she tried to get away, the tighter Zero held onto her. It seemed Zero was surprisingly cuddly in his sleep, which she would have found adorable had it not been for the fact that she was not supposed to be in bed with him. She panicked as she heard him stir and mumble something, but he soon fell back into a deeper sleep. Iris did her best to keep calm as she tried to think of a way to get out of this mess.

At last, she got an idea. The very thought made her blush tomato-red, but she couldn’t think of any other way. Ever so slowly, she moved closer to Zero’s body until she was practically pressed up against him. As she did so, she felt his grip loosen the slightest bit. Iris gulped as she thought about what she about to do. Slowly and timidly, she began nuzzling his chest. It took every last bit of her willpower to keep from freaking out. Her only consolation was that it was working. Zero’s grip slackened as he sighed with pleasure, enabling Iris to gently remove his arms from her backside. She was finally free.

Iris quietly climbed out of Zero’s bed and crept towards the door. She checked the clock and noted with relief that it was four in the morning. No one would be up and about at this hour, meaning she could sneak back to her own room without anyone seeing her. No one would have to know that anything had happened.

She glanced back at Zero, who was still fast asleep. She was suddenly overcome by the urge to climb back into his bed and snuggle up beside him again. She found herself longing for his warmth, those arms around her waist, the sound of his gentle breathing and the soft hum of his core…

Iris quickly shook her head. What in the world was she thinking? Sweet, innocent Iris wanted to sleep next to a boy? And besides, there was no way that the legendary Maverick Hunter would fall for an ordinary Reploid like herself. He was probably dreaming about some other girl and had unconsciously held Iris the same way. Having successfully persuaded herself, Iris left Zero’s room and hurried back to her own. She climbed into her own bed and went back to sleep, trying not to think about how cold and lonely she suddenly felt. She couldn’t have known that shortly after she left, Zero turned over in his sleep and muttered a single word.

“Iris…”