"Liz, you can head off to sleep. There are things I need to discuss with Van," Amoria said, the evening of chores winding down.

Liz gave a silent nod. "Good night, Mom..." Her eyes flicked to Van, laden with the shadows of unspoken words, remembering his recent harshness toward Michael.

Van offered her a gentle smile. "Good night, kid," he said with a calm smile.

Liz's brows furrowed slightly, a spark of irritation in her gaze as Van called her a kid. She turned abruptly and disappeared into her bedroom. Left in the echoing quiet, Amoria exhaled deeply, her frustration palpable.

About a minute later, Amoria relaxed on the sofa.

"...Did I say something wrong?" Van inquired, picking up on the chill in the air as he joined Amoria on the sofa.

"Van, you need to start acting your age around Liz," Amoria chastised, her tone firm.

"What? I am acting my age," Van retorted, his calm belying the tension.

"No, act your actual age," Amoria corrected sharply.

"Uh... Should I have read her a bedtime story then?" Van asked, clearly missing the point.

Amoria's patience snapped. She reached out and grasped his cheeks, squeezing with exasperation. "For the love of all that is holy, act like the teenager you are supposed to be!" she growled, her voice thick with irritation.

"... Even if you say that... I can't just mimic some random teenager," Van protested, his words muffled and distorted as Amoria manipulated his face playfully yet pointedly.

"It seemed like you managed just fine earlier when that boy was here!" she countered, her fingers tweaking his mouth into a grimace.

Van fixed her with a serious look, his muffled voice struggling for clarity. "Do you disagree with what I said?" he asked, his words garbled as Amoria's grip forced his lips into a distorted plea.

Amoria peered into Van's eyes, discerning the sincerity within them. She released his mouth and reclined on the sofa, her expression softening.

"You know, you could have been gentler with that boy, for both his sake and Liz's feelings... At least, that's what I would've told you 2 years ago. However, Liz often wears herself out trying to entertain him. It would be fine if he reciprocated, but he doesn't due to his timid nature; which makes him awfully selfish- and she's the one who always ends up drained. He doesn't seem to consider her needs above his own, ever, and I worry she might break under the strain," she confided, her voice tinged with concern.

"In short... Since she won't say it herself..." Amoria paused, turning to face Van with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Van."

Van nodded. "Sure."

Amoria's gaze lingered on him longer than usual, prompting a cautious, "Uh... Amoria? You good?" from Van.

She let out a playful chuckle and swiftly leaned in close, her face inches from his, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"..." Van's reaction remained impassive as he met her gaze calmly, yet confusedly.

Seeing his slightly flustered reaction, Amoria giggled, her voice a seductive purr as she pulled back slightly. "You don't have to tease me like that. It's... I might get the wrong idea," he murmured, looking away.

Ignoring his discomfort, Amoria shifted her entire body, seating herself on his lap and wrapping her arms around him. Van gasped softly, feeling her weight press against him, the initial shock fading into a warm embrace. His heart thudded wildly with anticipation.

"The wrong idea... What might that be, Vanny?" she cooed, her forehead resting against his, her smile intimate and inviting.

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"Please, Amoria. I'm... I thank you for what you've done, I am. But this is hardly the time for these... Games." Van murmured, his voice hesitant and low.

"That I might actually want to kiss you...?" Amoria whispered, her breath a warm caress against his cheek.

"Amoria..." His reply was a mere murmur, laced with uncertainty.

"I wasn't just teasing you back then, Van... And..." Her voice dropped to a sultry whisper, tickling his ear before she drew back slightly, her forehead resting against his, her golden hair cascading around them, forming a curtain that blocked out the world. Her eyes, deep blue and shimmering, held him captive.

"...And I'm not just teasing you now..." she continued, her fingers tenderly cradling his face as her lips inched closer to his.

"...I can prepare a second bath afterward... In case you realized you actually do need my help..." She cooed.

‘Is it fine... maybe?’ Van wondered, gazing into her eyes—eyes that showed not a trace of hesitation. ‘Are the last two years with Alicia... really gone? Just like that? Can I let myself indulge in this...?’ His heart tightened. ‘Is it really fine? Even though... I wanted to go back...?’

"...What about your kid?" Van asked, still leaning back, maintaining some distance between them, though his eyes remained locked on hers.

"She's already asleep... Just relax," Amoria whispered smoothly, her voice warm and inviting. "I... I always wanted to do this with you, you know?"

"I see..."

Van glanced down for a moment, thoughts swirling. ‘Right... I was supposed to be with Amoria from the beginning.’ His mind flickered back to his time in Magus's party. ‘Now that he's gone... I can, can’t I? I can be with someone without fearing she'd get.. Taken, since she loved me even back then, to a degree. And... it’s someone I wanted, even before Alicia.’

Amoria’s warmth pressed against him, the soft weight of her presence sealing out the cool air. He could feel her breath, the way her hair brushed against his skin, trapping the heat between them.

‘Should I really...?’ he thought, his mind teetering on the edge. Her presence was intoxicating, drawing him in. ‘Just... let go?’

His eyes fluttered shut, surrendering to the moment, anticipation humming through him. His mind drifted toward the sweetness of her lips...

...Alicia’s lips.

The sudden shout shattered the stillness, snapping Van back to reality.

"Hey, Amoria, ya' there?" The voice echoed through the apartment as the door swung open with a bang.

Startled, Van and Amoria jerked apart. His eyes shot open, just in time to catch the sharp shift in her expression—annoyance flickering across her face. She clicked her tongue in frustration, her gaze darting toward the hallway.

‘Woah... I’ve never seen that look on her before,’ Van thought, surprise mixing with a strange sense of admiration.

Amoria slid off his lap, standing with a frustrated sigh.

Van leaned back, exhaling softly, as if releasing a burden he hadn’t realized he was carrying.

‘...Maybe it’s a good thing,’ he thought, feeling as though he had held onto something important after all.

"Ah... Marcy, Lalyn...! What a pleasant surprise!" Amoria's voice wavered slightly, her smile taut as she greeted the arrivals. Marcilla, brash and unconcerned with decorum, strode past the kitchen while Lalyn entered with a serene elegance, her gaze sweeping the room quietly.

"Hello, Amoria..." Lalyn's greeting floated through the air, soft and composed.

'I was too invested to notice them coming,' Van thought, 'But that voice...'

'Marcy?' His thoughts fragmented as he stood, turning to face his former companion, Marcilla the adept mage-warrior.

Her expression was an enigmatic mask as she regarded him. Before he could complete his greeting, "Marcy, I—" she rushed over and embraced him with unexpected force.

"Oh..." he exhaled, surprised by the intensity of her grip. Even Amoria pulled back slightly.

"I fucking missed you, helmet-headed dumbfuck." Marcilla's said, her head resting heavily on his shoulder, her arms engulfing him completely.

Van chuckled softly, the sound muffled by the tight embrace. "Missed ya' too, Armstrong..." he murmured in his chuckle.

'This one always got her to punch me,' Van thought in amusement, half-expecting Marcilla to start throwing punches even in the embrace.

"Shut up..." she whispered instead, clinging to him.

'Huh, she wasn't kidding, then... Well,' He took a deep breath,

'I can't say the feeling's mutual. The fact she's hugging me like this, yeah. None of them know they were brainwashed.'

Amoria's smile warmed as she watched them. "Van..." she murmured, drawing his attention as she sidled up beside them, joining the hug. "It's really good to finally see you again," she added.

'...'

"Meatshield," Lalyn called out coldly from a distance, her towering stature imposing as she merely observed Van.

Van turned to Lalyn. "It's good to see you're in fighting form..." she commented, her voice softening with a hint of a blush as she placed a hand on his other shoulder, avoiding his gaze.

'Huh. Arlyn didn't tell her, then?' he thought, not fully intaking how the trio continued to lean into him.

'Yeah. This hug means nothing.' He concluded.

"Well..." he murmured, capturing their attention as they remained close.

"It's not bad seeing you all in good shape," he confessed, his expression relaxing.

'But it's not... Not bad, either.'