[Single? No More!] – Val’s Back II

Again, Peggy cried and sobbed more in Val's arms, and slowly, after a few minutes, her breathing gradually stabilized. Val continued rubbing her back and hugged her close while comforting her the best he could. He didn't reply and patiently waited for her to let her emotions out. He knew it wasn't the best time, and the effect could be disastrous if he said anything stupid now.

Slowly, her crying came to a halt, and with her voice raspy from all the wailing, she murmured in his chest, "Do you know Nina found your body first? She was the one who found your body in the forest after you crashed into it and realized that you were disintegrating. Do you even know how traumatizing it was for the poor little girl?

Seeing you disintegrating, piece by piece, the person, the father figure she had come to respect and love, seeing him turn to ash. She cried non-stop and refused to eat anything for days. She had nightmares of you crumbling away. It didn't let her sleep, and she would scream and cry in fear almost every night.

She shouldn't have been the one to find you. But she did, and it caused a huge mental scar for the little girl. She's nothing of her cheerful self; right now, she's become an emotionless husk. It's so heartbreaking to see her like that and..."

Peggy took a deep breath and continued, "Her mother, Magda, is devastated. Although she puts on a mask to hide her true feelings when Nina's present when she's alone, the mask breaks apart. She cries while repeatedly blaming herself for what happened to you and constantly tells herself that it is her fault that this is happening. However, she gets support from Erik, whose presence comforts them.

Logan and Victor. They act as if they aren't fazed by anything, but deep in their hearts, they feel the pain and trauma like everybody else. I've noticed they never looked at your crumbling body for more than five seconds and always cracked jokes to lighten the atmosphere. They couldn't bear to see you like that. They couldn't endure the slow torture.

Charles analyzed your body and discovered that strange energy was attacking you from within. He tried to stop the energy in every way he knew and more, but he couldn't stop it. Raven, too, cried the entire time, and she'd say, 'This shouldn't have happened to him!' and would repeat the same thing for hours and days on end."

Peggy tightened her arms around him and said, "You changed these people's lives. You helped them. And the worst feeling they feel when you are crumbling away is the feeling of utter helplessness. It is the feeling of despair and hopelessness and anguish, and they're still going through that pain. You are the reason their lives have changed for the better. You're the reason they've hope and happiness. These people consider you their friend, mentor, brother, and father. These people think of you as their family."

'Family? Wha—?' Val suddenly heard the words Yggdrasil whispered to him before in his head.

'Take care of your family!'

These words repeated again and again and again, and the meaning finally sank down on him like a mountain. His eyes widened, and he felt lightning strike him when he realized what they meant, what he considered everyone as, and what he hadn't thought.

They considered him as family, a man without whom the entire mansion would fall apart.

The reason why they came up to his room regularly to check up on him or why they worried the most when he was crumbling to dust. The reason why Nina felt extremely emotional and traumatized because of him. The reason why Raven, Magda, even Logan, and Victor couldn't bear his painful, torturous demise and couldn't sleep peacefully for days on end.

It was because he was an essential part of their lives, an indispensable part of their family.

Peggy separated herself from him and looked at him.

Val saw the tears in her eyes, wiped them away with his fingers, and said, "I don't like to see tears on your pretty face."

"Then, don't do anything that would make me cry. " Peggy said while smiling.

"I promise, sis. I would never do anything again that would hurt me, you, or my family. Now or ever. I promise!"

Peggy couldn't hold back her tears and hugged him tightly, saying, "Thank you! Thank you so much! You have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words from your mouth. Thank you! Thank you so very much!"

Val smiled and kissed her head while saying, "I've never broken a promise to you before, and I intend to keep it that way."

"Hehehe!" Peggy giggled and separated herself from him.

"Come here!" She said and grabbed his hand. She led him to the couch, where she made him sit and sat next to him.

"Stay here with me for some time. I missed you!" Peggy said and clasped her hands with his.

"As you wish!"