The dining table was already set when Elena waved everyone in. A long, polished wooden table stretched under the glow of a chandelier — not too fancy, but warm, lived-in. Bowls of steaming stew, roasted vegetables, fresh bread, and a few dishes Sunny didn't even recognize sat waiting, their aromas filling the air and wrapping around them like a blanket.
"Sit, sit!" Elena urged, ushering them all into seats as though they were starving despite the fact they'd eaten lunch only hours ago. "Growing bodies need proper food!"
Sunny had been hoping to quietly take a seat at the farthest end, but Elena effortlessly herded him into the chair right beside her. Avi took the other side, already digging into a loaf of bread with happy little noises.
Across the table, Ivan settled into his place with the quiet authority of someone who was used to commanding entire rooms. He ladled stew into Cassie's bowl first, before sliding the pot down. His serious expression softened slightly as Cassie leaned against his shoulder for just a second, murmuring a soft, "Thanks, Dad."
Juliet, seated opposite Sunny, raised a brow as Elena piled food onto Sunny's plate without asking. He opened his mouth to protest — but the sharp, don't you dare refuse my cooking glint in her eyes shut him down immediately.
He ate. Carefully. Slowly.
The others weren't much better off. Nephis sat ramrod straight, clearly uncertain how to behave in such a warm setting. She kept glancing at her bowl as though memorizing what to do with each utensil. Avi, on the other hand, had absolutely no reservations — she was already on her second helping and loudly announcing to Ivan that his cooking smelled "like victory".
Ivan chuckled, his deep voice rumbling. "Elena did most of the work."
"And don't you forget it!" Elena quipped, reaching over to flick his ear. He gave her a long-suffering look, but didn't argue further.
Juliet watched the exchange with an unreadable expression — but Sunny caught the faint twitch at the corner of her mouth, almost a smile.
Conversation drifted easily, mostly Elena and Cassie catching up. Cassie spoke about school, her friends, and small things she never got to share over a rushed call. Elena listened with bright, hungry eyes, hanging onto every word, while Ivan's quiet interjections kept her from rambling too fast.
Then, of course, the spotlight shifted.
"So," Elena said suddenly, turning toward Sunny, "Cassie tells me you're the one always dragging her into trouble."
Sunny choked on his stew. "W-what? No! I mean—uh—sometimes—but not always—"
Juliet helpfully leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, smirk firmly in place. "Always."
Nephis, to his horror, gave the smallest of nods.
Even Avi chimed in between bites. "He's a magnet for disasters!"
Sunny slapped a hand over his face. "Traitors. All of you."
Elena laughed, patting his shoulder. "Don't worry, dear. I like troublemakers. Keeps life interesting."
Sunny wasn't sure if that made him feel better… or much, much worse.
By the time dinner wound down, the warmth of food and laughter had smoothed the sharper edges of the day. Plates were cleared, dishes stacked away, and Elena firmly refused any help with the cleaning.
"Guests don't touch dishes in this house," she declared, shooing them toward the living room.
The group trickled into a cozy sitting area — all muted lamplight and soft shadows. The couches were deep and inviting, a low fireplace hummed with a gentle flame, and shelves along the wall brimmed with books and framed photographs.
Cassie, Elena, and Ivan were in nearly every picture, smiling in different places and times — birthdays, trips, little slices of family life. Sunny found himself staring at one in particular: a younger Cassie, hair shorter, holding up what looked like a fencing medal. Both her parents had their hands on her shoulders, pride written clearly in their faces.
She looked… happy.
Something in his chest pulled tight, the kind of feeling he didn't have a word for.
Avi immediately dove for one of the armchairs, snatching up a blanket and cocooning herself with the speed of a professional. She looked perfectly at home, grinning like she owned the place.
Nephis took the farthest corner of the couch, her posture immaculate as ever. But even Sunny could tell — the way her gaze flicked to the photos, then away again — that she wasn't entirely sure how to belong in this sort of warmth.
Juliet flopped onto the same couch as Sunny with zero hesitation, stretching an arm lazily along the backrest behind him. She didn't actually touch him… but the proximity was enough to make the air between them feel heavier than it should.
Sunny sank lower into the cushions, hoping no one noticed the faint stiffness in his shoulders.
Elena eventually returned with a tray of steaming cups of tea, Ivan following with a plate piled high with little golden pastries drizzled in honey.
Sunny, however, recoiled the instant the plate came into view.
"Absolutely not," he said flatly, scooting back an inch like the pastries were dangerous.
Elena blinked. "Not a fan of honey, dear?"
"It's not food," Sunny said with absolute conviction. "It's… it's insect vomit. Why would anyone willingly eat insect vomit?"
That earned him a sputter of laughter from Juliet and a quiet cough that sounded suspiciously like Nephis trying not to smile.
Ivan, however, narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. He set the plate down on the table with deliberate care before turning toward Sunny.
"…Excuse me?"
Sunny cleared his throat. "I mean, objectively speaking, honey is produced by—"
"Delicious bees," Ivan interrupted.
"—bees. Yes. Bees. Who regurgitate it after storing it in their stomachs," Sunny continued, trying to keep his tone level. "Which, if we're being logical, makes it—"
"Nature's perfection," Ivan said firmly. He reached for a pastry and took a slow, deliberate bite, holding Sunny's gaze the entire time.
Sunny stared, horrified. "That's… you're just proving my point."
Ivan raised an eyebrow, chewing calmly. "Son, you can insult many things in this world, but you will not insult honey under my roof."
The tension snapped when Elena let out a laugh, bright and unrestrained. "Oh, Ivan, stop intimidating the poor boy."
"I'm braver then I look," Sunny said, since he can't say that he is not intimidated, sitting ramrod straight, a bead of sweat running down his temple.
The rest of the group was snickering openly now, Juliet nudging him with her elbow, she quietly whispered in his ears so no one can listen.
"Careful, Sunless. I think you just made an enemy out of your potential father-in-law."
Sunny choked. "W-what—"
That was when Avi struck, eyes gleaming with mischief. She popped her head out of the blanket cocoon like a devil emerging from the shadows.
"You know, Uncle Ivan," she said sweetly, "Sunny and Cassie are super close. Like… really, really close."
Sunny went pale. Cassie tilted her head, confused.
"They always whisper to each other during training," Avi continued mercilessly. "And once, Sunny even—"
"Avi." Sunny's voice was low, desperate. "Don't."
"—he even called her cute!" Avi blurted, throwing her hands in the air triumphantly.
Cassie's cheeks colored faintly pink, though her smile was small and calm. Juliet had collapsed into silent laughter beside Sunny, while Nephis's brows rose ever so slightly in intrigue.
Ivan's eyes narrowed again, his expression unreadable behind the glint of his glasses. He glanced at Cassie to gauge her reaction, before putting his eyes upon Sunny.
Sunny waved his hands quickly. "That is not what happened! She's making things up!"
[A/N: As far as i remember , he didn't ]
"Am not!" Avi chirped.
Elena, who was laughing so hard she had to put down her teacup, reached over and patted Sunny's knee reassuringly. "Don't look so panicked, dear. She's just teasing."
Sunny slumped back into the couch, burying his face in his hands. Juliet patted his back like he was a child.
For the rest of the evening, though, Ivan made a point of sliding the plate of honey pastries closer to Sunny every so often — silent, deliberate — just to watch him twitch.
And for a while, there was nothing but soft conversation, the faint clinking of cups, and a warmth that wrapped around them like the glow of the fireplace.
It wasn't the kind of peace they were used to. It was softer, quieter, deceptively normal.
Sunny realized, with a strange heaviness in his chest, that he had nearly forgotten what a real home felt like.
And for some reason… that thought made him uneasy.
Dinner left them full and drowsy, but Elena was far from letting anyone escape into the night.
"You're not going anywhere," she declared, hands on her hips when Sunny timidly suggested maybe they should head back. "The sun's set, you're all exhausted, and my house isn't made of paper. There are rooms for all, you all are going to stay, anyone who suggests otherwise will face my wrath."
Ivan didn't contradict her. He just adjusted his glasses and gave the smallest of nods — which, as Sunny quickly realized, meant argument over.
And so, they stayed.
The evening unfolded in ways Sunny couldn't have predicted.
At first, it was small things — Avi somehow digging up a box of old board and card games, laying them out across the living room table with a grin. Cassie laughed when she heard the sound of cards being shuffled, and before long, the six of them were crowded around, playing something simple enough that even Avi could keep score.
Sunny lost. Consistently.
He learned quickly enough, but still wasn't able to win.
Every time he thought he had a winning hand, Avi( She already knows how to play from Juliet.) would smirk and toss down exactly the card that ruined him. Juliet didn't help either, deliberately playing just to sabotage him, while Nephis — infuriatingly — seemed to understand the rules instantly, and win half the rounds without breaking a sweat.
Even Cassie managed to tease him, though she wasn't playing of course, tilting her head with a small smile whenever he fumbled a turn.
"I think the cards don't like you," she said gently.
"They don't like being cheated against," Sunny muttered darkly, glaring at Avi, who only stuck out her tongue.
Laughter carried through the room, light and unforced.
Later, they drifted toward the shelves of framed photos. Elena pulled a few down, Cassie helping by describing which was which. Most were of Cassie herself — smaller, grinning with medals, standing in fencing gear, or curled up on the couch in pajamas while her parents smiled beside her.
"You were so tiny," Avi gasped, pressing her cheek to Cassie's shoulder. "Like a little doll. Still cute though."
Cassie chuckled softly, shaking her head. "I'm not cute anymore."
"Yes you are!" Avi protested, loud enough that even Nephis glanced over. "Don't even try denying it!"
Juliet smirked at the exchange, eyes glinting, while Sunny found himself staring at one photo longer than the others — Cassie in fencing whites, sword raised, her parents in the background cheering.
There was pride in their faces. A pride so simple and wholehearted, it struck him harder than he expected.
He couldn't remember ever seeing something like that in his own life. Not for him.
The tug in his chest made him set the frame down quickly, as if he hadn't been staring at it too long already.
The laughter continued around him, light and easy, but Sunny's smile came a second late.
The warmth of the room pressed close, yet a small part of him felt… distant.
Still, he let himself linger in that space with them, if only for tonight.