Van leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching them pick at their food. “You gonna eat that, or are we starting some weird hunger strike I should know about?”

They mumbled something, pushing the food around their plate. Van sighed, stepping inside and nudging their shoulder as she sat down. “If it’s bad, just say so. I’ll eat it. I’ve had worse.”

They gave her a look, and she smirked. “Hey, I said worse, not the worst. There’s a difference.”

Silence stretched between them, but Van didn’t push. She just sat there, pretending to study the chipped edge of the table. After a while, she nudged their plate a little closer. “You don’t have to finish it. Just eat enough so I don’t have to start worrying about you, alright?”

They didn’t move at first, but then, finally, they took a small bite. Van relaxed, leaning back in her chair. “There we go. Progress.”

She stretched, rolling her shoulders. “Y’know, we could go do something after this. Get out of here for a bit. You pick.”

Their eyes flicked up to hers, uncertain. Van shrugged like it didn’t matter, like it wasn’t something she thought about all the time. “Movies, arcade, whatever. Could even just go walk around. Fresh air, some bad jokes-sounds like a great time, right?”

They hesitated. Van tapped her fingers against the table. “C’mon, humor me. Otherwise, I’m just gonna follow you around all day like some creepy stalker, and then we both lose.”

That got a small smile out of them. Van grinned back. “Knew you couldn’t resist my charm.”

She stood, ruffling their hair on her way past. “Finish eating, then we’re outta here.”