The living room sounded peaceful, if you ignored the dying noises coming from the dining room.
Lev's pen scratched across paper like it wanted revenge, a steady, violent rhythm that didn't stop long enough for him to breathe properly, and Felix kept making long, dramatic sighs as if he was being forced to write his last will and testament instead of a club form.
Alex's handwriting stayed neat, steady, and painfully sincere, the kind of sincerity that made Felix sound personally offended every time he glanced at it.
Soren leaned back into the sofa cushion and let himself enjoy the warmth of the room, the kind that sank into your bones and convinced you, for a few hours at least, that nothing urgent was waiting around the next corner.
The desserts sat on the low table in front of them like trophies.
The pudding dish was already missing a suspicious amount, and the spoon resting in it had been abandoned with the subtle guilt of someone who planned to return the moment nobody was watching.
Amelia sat close enough that her thigh pressed into his, eyes fixed on the surroundings with the focused patience of someone waiting for the exact moment she could eat again without being judged for it.
Across from them, Lilliana sat with a book in her lap, posture relaxed but composed, looking like she belonged here in a way that made the whole room feel more stable.
It was fitting, really, considering she was the main reason the clubroom didn't slowly decay into a mess of abandoned cups, crumpled papers, and half-forgotten blankets.
Louise was curled at the edge of the sofa for now, still bright-eyed despite her yawn a few minutes ago, and Esper was perched nearby with a smug little smile, occasionally glancing between Soren, Amelia, and Lilliana as if she had discovered a new form of entertainment.
Olivia sat with her hands wrapped around her cup, gaze flicking toward the direction of Alex every time he spoke, like his voice anchored her even when she wasn't looking directly at him.
It was… good.
A simple kind of good that didn't require effort to hold, the kind that existed when nobody was trying to prove anything, when nobody was bracing for something to go wrong.
From the dining room, Felix's voice rose again, dramatic and wounded.
Lev's reply came instantly, sharp as a snapped twig.
"Write something and stop whining."
Esper laughed quietly into her sleeve, shoulders lifting with the sound.
Soren smirked and reached out without thinking, fingers brushing through Amelia's hair once more.
Amelia leaned into the touch with immediate satisfaction, eyes half-lidded, and expression softening.
Esper noticed.
Of course she did.
"So is this just a thing now?" Esper asked, voice dripping with amusement, as if she had stumbled onto a secret and was delighted to have permission to poke it.
Soren didn't bother denying it.
"She likes it, I like it, so why not?"
Amelia's ears flicked.
She tilted her head slightly, as if to make his hand fit more comfortably, like she was helping him do the correct thing.
Esper's grin widened.
"I see~"
Louise clasped her hands together, practically glowing.
"It's so cute, isn't it?"
Amelia's eyes narrowed at Louise like she was about to bite, the warning plain enough that even Louise blinked and reined herself in.
Soren gave Amelia's head another slow stroke, then looked toward the dining room.
"How close are you?"
Lev didn't even look up.
"Done in five minutes if Felix stops acting like a moron."
Felix made an offended sound.
"I'm not a moron. I'm a victim."
Lev's chair scraped back hard enough to be threatening.
"I'm leaving the moment Alex writes the last line. If this club makes me do paperwork again next week, I'm committing arson."
"You wouldn't, would you?" Louise asked, sounding genuinely curious, like she was weighing the likelihood as a fun hypothetical.
Lev glanced at her flatly.
"Try me. Just remember that all of my equipment is here."
Soren laughed under his breath.
"Noted."
Five minutes turned into eight, because Alex insisted on rewording one sentence to sound less "like a school report," and Lev insisted it didn't matter because nobody read these things anyway.
Eventually, Lev shoved the form through the doorway without ceremony, his arm thrusting into the living room like he was delivering a dead fish.
"There," he said. "It's finished. It's coherent. It's not my problem anymore."
Felix stood up immediately, stretching like he had just survived a long battle.
"Thank the Gods."
Lev didn't say goodbye properly.
He grabbed his papers, shoved them into a folder, and started walking down the corridor toward the exit like the clubroom might collapse if he stayed inside longer.
Felix followed at his shoulder, already arguing.
"I'm just saying—"
Lev's voice drifted back, crude and sharp, and it carried the exhaustion of someone who had reached the end of his patience days ago.
"—The only thing that matters is that you shut up."
Their voices faded as they went, the sound of the front door further down the hallway muffling the last of Felix's complaints until it finally vanished into distance.
The sudden lack of noise left the living room feeling even warmer.
Louise yawned for real this time, covering her mouth with her hand.
"I should sleep too," she said with a sigh. "Third-year schedule waits for nobody."
Soren nodded.
"Go then. Don't fall asleep in a lecture."
Louise looked personally offended, chin lifting.
"I would never. I'm rank six, remember?"
She huffed and grabbed a cupcake off the table like it was a reward for enduring all the complaining that drifted from the dining room.
"Goodnight, Little Brother," she said brightly, then paused and leaned in slightly, her voice softening the way it did when she actually meant what she was saying. "Don't stay up too late."
Soren narrowed his eyes.
"You say that like you're my mother."
Louise grinned, unapologetic.
"I may as well be at this point," she joked.
Then she stood and left, footsteps light as she disappeared down the corridor toward the exit, and the faint glittery energy she carried with her seemed to drain out of the room behind her.
Olivia shifted like she had been holding herself still this entire time and only now remembered she was allowed to move.
Alex looked toward her with a small, polite smile, the kind that made his face look warmer for a second.
"I'm going to train, just for a bit. What about you, Liv?"
Olivia's eyes widened, then softened.
"I'll go with you, if that's okay."
Alex blinked once, then nodded like the answer was obvious.
"Why are you asking? You usually just come along anyway."
They stood together, and Soren watched Olivia hesitate at the doorway like she wanted to say something but didn't know how to fit it into her mouth without it crumbling.
Esper tilted her head, amused, noticing it too.
Olivia took a breath, cheeks turning pink, and spoke in a rush, words tumbling out before she could change her mind.
"Do you maybe—do you want to go somewhere again soon, like—"
The sentence cut off as the door closed behind them, leaving only the faint echo of her voice lingering in the room for a heartbeat.
Soren smiled to himself, warmth sliding through his chest.
'Wow. She's fast.'
Esper stretched lazily, then stood with deliberate slowness, like she was making sure everyone noticed her leaving.
Her eyes flicked toward Soren, then to Amelia leaning into him, then to Lilliana sitting opposite with her book and very calm posture.
Esper's grin returned.
"Well," she said, voice far too pleased with herself, "this has been productive~"
Lilliana's ears twitched.
"Miss Esper."
Esper ignored the warning completely.
"I'm going to bed. I have standards, and those standards include not being awake when the moon is this high."
Soren raised an eyebrow.
"Since when do you have standards?"
Esper placed a hand to her chest, insulted.
"I'm a delicate young lady. Shouldn't you care more for your fiancée?"
Amelia made a small sound that might have been a laugh if it wasn't so short and clipped.
Esper's gaze slid to Lilliana, and her tone turned playfully sweet.
"Try not to do anything too scandalous."
Lilliana's expression stayed composed, but the faintest flush crept up her cheeks, the colour betraying her faster than her face could hide it.
"Hurry up and leave."
Esper gave a lazy salute.
"Yes, ma'am."
She walked away with light steps, still smiling, and disappeared down the corridor.
The room settled.
No Felix groaning.
No Lev cursing.
No Louise sparkling.
Just the soft hum of the mana lights and the quiet warmth of the living room.
Soren exhaled and looked around, the silence feeling different now that it wasn't being filled by other people's noise.
Amelia shifted closer.
Soren's hand rose automatically to her hair again, and she leaned into it without hesitation, looking pleased with herself for winning continued access.
Lilliana turned a page in her book.
The sound was small, but it felt loud now that the room was emptier.
Soren glanced at the low table and the scattered plates.
"I'll handle the dishes," he said, pushing himself up from the sofa.
Lilliana closed her book gently, as if she had been waiting for an excuse to move.
"I'll help."
Amelia's head lifted at the same time, eyes sharpening with immediate interest.
If Soren was moving, then the correct response was obviously to follow him.
She stood without a word and trailed them into the kitchen, then planted herself beside Soren like she had been assigned that position by fate.
Soren turned on the tap.
Warm water filled the sink, steam curling up as he started stacking plates and utensils.
The last traces of frosting clung to a fork.
Someone had left a smear of chocolate on a plate that looked like a murder scene if you didn't know it was dessert.
A spoon sat in the pudding dish like it had been abandoned mid-crime.
Lilliana rolled up her sleeves with practised ease and began rinsing, her movements calm and efficient, the kind of steady competence that made everything around her feel more organised just by proximity.
Amelia leaned in and rested her head on Soren's shoulder.
Soren's hands froze for half a beat, not because it was heavy, but because it was inconvenient in the most Amelia way possible.
He shifted his shoulder slightly and nudged her forehead away, gentle but firm, refusing to let her turn dishwashing into an obstacle course.
Amelia's head lifted immediately.
She stared at him like he had insulted her personally.
Soren didn't even look guilty.
"Go sit down," he said, tone casual. "You're going to get in the way. Unless you want water splashed on you."
Amelia's lips pressed into a pout so obvious it almost made him laugh.
She lingered for two more seconds, clearly weighing whether she could win this by sheer stubbornness, then turned on her heel and stomped back into the living room with exaggerated offence, footsteps just loud enough to make her point.
Soren watched her go, amused.
Then he turned back to the sink, and the kitchen felt quieter in a way that made him notice things he had been letting slide.
Lilliana's hands moved steadily through the dishes.
Calm.
Efficient.
Controlled, as always.
She rinsed and passed things to him without looking up, and Soren dried and stacked, the two of them slipping into rhythm without needing to speak, the kind of teamwork that felt natural because they had done it before in a dozen different ways.
Soren didn't mind silence.
He just noticed that today, Lilliana's silence felt… deliberate.
Something felt off.
He glanced sideways.
Lilliana's expression was composed, but her ears kept shifting: tiny movements, barely there, as if she was trying to pretend they weren't reacting to anything.
The smallest flick, then a correction, then stillness that didn't last.
It was subtle enough to fool most people, but Soren wasn't most people, and Lilliana wasn't someone he could ignore when something didn't sit right.
He dried a plate, set it down, then spoke lightly, keeping his tone casual on purpose.
"Are you doing alright?"
Lilliana blinked, like she had been pulled out of her head.
"Huh?"
"You've been acting weird today."
Her hands stopped for the briefest moment, then resumed rinsing as if nothing had happened, fingers tightening around a spoon just a little too firmly.
"…Weird?" she repeated, a little too carefully.
"Yeah," Soren said, voice even, still drying. "You keep doing that thing where you act normal, but it feels fake."
Lilliana's ears twitched sharply, then flattened a fraction before she corrected them back into place, like she was trying to discipline them into obedience.
She didn't look at him.
"Was it that obvious?"
Soren snorted.
"To me? Yes. I don't know about everyone else."
"That's not comforting."
"It wasn't meant to be," Soren replied, setting down the towel for a second, then picking up another plate. "So. What's up?"
Lilliana's jaw tightened, just slightly.
She rinsed the spoon longer than it needed, letting the water run over it like she could wash the tension away by force.
"…It's nothing," she said after a few seconds.
Soren stared at her profile for a moment, unimpressed.
He wasn't stupid, not when it came to people he cared about.
Lilliana didn't get "weird" for no reason, and she definitely hadn't acted like this before, not around him.
The fact that she was refusing to look at him only made it more suspicious, like she was afraid that if she met his eyes she would say something she couldn't take back.
Still, he didn't want to corner her.
But he also didn't want her walking around like she had swallowed a thorn.
Soren set down the towel and leaned his hip against the counter, watching her hands for a second.
"You know what's funny?"
Lilliana glanced at him warily, the look small but sharp.
"What?"
"You keep telling me not to hide things," Soren said, tone almost conversational, like he was commenting on the weather rather than nudging at something sensitive. "You keep telling me to talk when something's wrong."
Lilliana's expression didn't change, but her ears shifted again, betraying her anyway.
Soren continued, voice still light, but there was a clear line in it now.
"And then you do shit like this."
"This?" she echoed, defensiveness snapping in despite her attempts to stay composed.
"This," Soren repeated, nodding toward her whole posture, her controlled movements, the way her shoulders were held too still. "The martyr thing. The whole 'I'm fine' thing."
Lilliana's fingers tightened around a bowl, and the water ran over it in a thin stream that splashed against the sink.
She didn't answer immediately, and the pause was loud in a way their earlier silence hadn't been.
Soren sighed, but it wasn't heavy.
It was the kind of sigh you let out when someone you care about was being stubborn for no reason.
"Lilly, I'm not going to fall apart because you're in a mood."
Lilliana flinched faintly at the wording, the reaction quick enough to be accidental, not performed.
Soren saw it and corrected without making a big deal of it, because he wasn't trying to stab old wounds.
"I mean… I'm not that fragile," he added, almost amused at himself. "I know I probably don't sound convincing given everything, but seriously, you don't have to treat me like I'm going to break if you breathe wrong."
Lilliana's mouth opened, then closed.
For a second she looked genuinely stuck, caught between wanting to argue and not wanting to reveal what she had been hiding behind her "nothing."
Soren reached forward and poked her cheek with his wet finger.
Lilliana jolted in surprise.
"Hey!" she snapped, more startled than angry, cheeks colouring faintly.
Soren grinned.
"Pfft. Look at how tense you are, and you're telling me you're fine? I call bullshit."
Lilliana stared at him, ears angled forward in irritated embarrassment, eyes narrowed like she wanted to stab him with the fork in her hand.
"Ugh," she groaned, the sound muffled by her own frustration.
Soren dried another plate, then spoke like he was stating a simple fact.
"You're overthinking again."
Lilliana's gaze dropped.
"I am not."
"You are," Soren said immediately, like it wasn't negotiable. "But at the end of the day, whatever it is, you don't have to tell me right now. I'm not going to interrogate you."
Lilliana's hands slowed, water dripping off her fingers before she reached for the next dish.
Soren kept his tone steady.
"But stop acting so weird. It makes it harder to talk to you."
Lilliana's lips pressed together.
Soren softened his voice by half a degree, not turning their conversation into a therapy session, just keeping it honest.
"If you want to be quiet, do it. If you want to be annoyed, go ahead. Just don't do the thing where you pretend it's nothing while something's clearly wrong."
Lilliana didn't answer right away.
She rinsed the spoon, set it aside, then passed him another plate.
Soren took it, dried it, and waited, giving her space without letting her escape the topic entirely.
For a few seconds, the only sound was water and cloth and porcelain.
Then Lilliana spoke, so quietly it almost didn't count.
"…I'll try."
Soren's smile returned, satisfied.
"Good," he said simply. "That's all I wanted."
Lilliana exhaled, shoulders loosening by a fraction as if the admission had released something she had been clenching for hours, and the rhythm of their hands in the sink steadied again.
————「❤︎」————