Stef is trying very hard to be good, right now, but Vanyel is right there and gorgeous and his self-control is being sorely tried. 

Cory, once freed of Proster and finished kissing Tarinda for the time being, collects a stuffed mushroom from a dragon's tray and meanders over to Van and Stef. "Tarinda didn't say you had a boyfriend," she says to Vanyel.

- wait what? Vanyel freezes, his cheeks flaming. "I, um, what - I - I don't...? Stef is just my nephew's best friend?" 

(Stef is a little hurt by this assessment!)

"...really? Wow, I've been waiting for you to kiss for like at least an hour."

"I, um, would love to, but Van's uncomfortable about my age." This is actually really hurtful, honestly, he's not a child anymore. 

"Tarinda's fifty-eight and I'm either half her age or twice it depending how you count."

"Wow, really?" Glance over in Tarinda's direction. "She doesn't look it at all! I guess that makes sense, people probably don't have to get old in your world." 

Why does it feel like literally the entire universe is conspiring for him to kiss the teenager. 

"Yeah, I know, right, isn't she just gorgeous - how old are you, I guess maybe Sing hasn't cased your place enough to have tipped you off if you're mature for your age or not?"

"I'm sixteen. Probably almost seventeen, I was an orphan and I don't know when in the year I was born. Van's - thirty-five?" 

Vanyel is going to go with NO COMMENT on this entire conversation. 

"I don't know if Sing even bothers being very careful about sixteen or seventeen year olds - Angelette says usually not but sometimes, I guess there's late bloomers. I know if somebody's like twelve and wants to hook up with somebody then the somebody's going to be mysteriously really busy unless they're the sort of twelve year old who will be like 'that was a great idea' later..."

This entire conversation is mortifying and also Stef looks like a wounded puppy which is really upsetting! "I, er, I'm - not saying Stef is too young to - have relationships - I just think it'd be healthier with someone closer to his own age..." His face is crimson.

And also he now can't help imagining kissing Stef and his hindbrain thinks this would be amazing and he's not managing to step on it very effectively. 

"It seems perfectly reasonable to me," Leareth says, drifting in. 

Aaaaaaaaaaah was Leareth listening this entire time, Vanyel wants to sink into a hole in the ground. Though some other part of him is clamouring that if even Leareth thinks something is reasonable then it's awfully hard to argue with it. 

"Aren't you like two thousand - that doesn't make you wrong just kind of obviously biased -"

Stef giggles. 

"Mostly I approve of Vanyel being in a relationship. I think he would be happier." 

"I put 'girlfriend' on my list of demands when I was getting frozen! Being lonesome sucks."

Leareth is not sure he's the best-placed to comment on that, but it definitely seems suboptimal for Vanyel. 

"We could do a poll," Stef says cheerfully. "Ask everyone in the room if they think it's fine. If you're worried other people will judge you for it, that'd address it, right?" 

Oh gods. 

(He wants it to be fine, he wants it so so badly, which is maybe why he's so uncomfortable, it feels dangerous and wrong to want anything this badly–)

:Chosen, you're being silly. I bet everyone else does think it's fine, but that's not even the point. It's your life. I think you should kiss the boy already: