"Well, if no-one minds, I think I should have a bit of a talk with Zev and Nova?"

"Well, me and Ant should probably head to school, so we're gonna get on that. Lan, were you heading back to your parents' today?"

"Yeah, I suppose I should, at that..." Lan sighs. "Drop me on your way?"

“We are seeing you soon, yes?” Zev asks Lan. 

"Yeah, just haven't managed to talk my tutor into coming here. Suspect my parents had a hand in that-"

-there a sound of ceramic cracking from the direction of Ira.

Zev presses closer to Nova, looking at Ira with concern. 

She's moving, slow and careful like she's well aware that she's startled them. The bowl in her hands is obviously fractured, and there's blood dripping from them, along with whatever was in the bowl as she deposits into the sink.

"Do we need to go to hospital?" Steve is obviously having a hard time not going over to Ira, but he also isn't.

Flinch at the mention of hospital. "Not that bad."

Ira sounds a lot like him. 

His hand throbs sympathetically. 

"C'mon, I'll give you a hand cleaning that up and text Drex."

"No point wasting his time," Ira says, but heads for the door, arms crossed awkwardly at the wrists, palms up.

"We've talked about this, Ira," Steve says gently. "It's not a waste of anyone's time to make sure you're healthy and comfortable, and not injured."

“I’ve had to tell Nova the same thing,” Zev says, watching Ira.

Nova shrinks a little against Zev's side.

"It's hard to see your own worth sometimes," Steve says, gaze moving from Ira, to Nova, to Zev. "Especially when you've been told you deserve the way you've been treated, that you owe people for everything you are, when in truth, you're all stronger than those people will ever be."

Zev knows part of that is directed at him, but ignores it.

"See? It's not just me," he says to Nova, squeezing his hand.

Ira leaves, and it's almost like she's fleeing, although her movements are still steady and controlled. (And still somehow awkward.)

"Aaren-?"

"I got her, Steve," Aaren assures. "I'll make her play Ludo with me."

And he follows Ira out.

Zev watches her go, and doesn't blame her for fleeing. If it wasn't for Nova, and how much he wanted him to feel safe, he'd probably have been right on her heels. 

Instead, he keeps himself anchored by gently stroking his thumb across Nova's hand, using that to try and calm the racing of his heart.

"I'm not going to ask any difficult questions just now," Steve says. "I'm mostly here to introduce myself, and get to know you both a bit. If that's okay with you, that is?"

Nova squeezes Zev's hand slightly, hoping it'll help somehow.