"Loud board games. Surely that's an oxymoron."

He nods at Ira, seeing a kindred spirit in her.

Her eyes are fixed on a point just to the left of the TV, her hands white-knuckled. When she speaks, her voice is brittle, and clearly not aimed at anyone in the room. "I stopped caring about your opinion three years ago."

"-Ira?" Steve sits forward in his chair.

Zev gathers Nova closer to him, watching Ira warily. 

"I- it's nothing," Ira says, shaking her head abruptly. "Sorry. Thought- Never mind."

Steve's quiet for a moment, before shifting forward enough to rest his hand on Ira's shoulder - she winces slightly, and then leans back into him. "I'm here if you need to talk to me. We can figure it out." He doesn't push though.

Zev watches, but doesn’t interject. This is something beyond his understanding. 

"-anyone want a cup of hot chocolate?" Aaren asks abruptly. "And scones! I have scones!"

“Ah, I wouldn’t say no to a cup?”

"Good idea," Steve agrees. "Me and Ira both." He squeezes Ira's shoulder gently when it looks like she's going to object - it isn't harsh, it obviously isn't to hurt, it's encouragement if it's anything.

"You two want to come help me?" he directs at Zev and Nova.

“Yeah...yes. Come on, Nova,” Zev says, kissing Nova’s temple to comfort him, before standing up to follow Aaren. 

Nova stays close to Zev as they make their way out of the living room.

"You guys okay?" Aaren asks quietly as he pulls mugs out of the cupboard, and cocoa powder.

“I’m fine. I’m just concerned about Ira. It would seem she’s haunted by literal demons.”

"She'll be okay," Aaren says, and he half sounds like he's trying to convince himself. "She's resilient." He looks thoughtful as he switches the kettle on.

"Resilient isn't the same thing as a wall. Doesn't mean she faces things she shouldn't have to, alone."

"Ira's used to facing everything alone," Aaren says. "She's still getting used to the idea that it can be any other way. Still getting used to being allowed to be herself, in more ways than one. Steve's working on it."

"You and your brother are good sorts. Not many would take on doomed charges."

Aaren stops what he's doing, and steps closer to Zev and Nova, hands half out-stretched, but he pauses, waiting for permission.

Zev checks with Nova before he steps readily into Aaren's arms.

Nova shuffles closer as well.

"You're not doomed, any of you," Aaren says with certainty. Underneath his words, there's something else, a promise, that Aaren won't let them be doomed.

Zev doesn't argue. but it doesn't change his belief. He still manages a smile when Aaren steps back.

"Cocoa was promised?" 

Aaren will work on it. They've got time (he hopes).

"Yeah," he says as the kettle clicks off. "I did promise that, didn't I."

And he sets about making it, giving Nova and Zev a couple of fetching jobs - milk, butter, jam, plates, knives, everything they need for the cocoa and scones.