Cassidy leaned against Warren's shoulder, giggling as she overheard Layla's excited voice coming from somewhere within the house.

"She's truly relishing the moment this time," Warren commented, turning to the next page of his magazine.

"Yeah, and Nana seems ecstatic too," he continued. "Can't you notice how lively the plants have become again? Having someone with similar abilities brings her joy since she finally has the chance to share her passion for growing plants with someone who appreciates their true essence."

Warren shifted the magazine on his lap, signaling for Cassidy to move her head off his shoulder. A sly smile crossed his lips. "It also means," he said in a hushed voice, "that we'll have more alone time together without fretting about being interrupted."

Cassidy playfully rolled her eyes and planted a gentle kiss on his lips before pulling back and resting her hands on his cheeks. "Well," she said, "we can always save it for later. Layla and Nana are going to spend plenty of time together, but today...we're hosting movie night with the others."

Warren wrapped his arm around Cassidy's waist, tugging her closer as he grumbled, "Are you suggesting we'll have to just sit and watch the movie without any distractions?"

Leaning in closer, he whispered into her ear, a teasing smirk on his lips. "I wouldn't mind a bit of...distraction, though..."

Cassidy felt her cheeks flush at Warren's whispered words, the sound of his voice sending a shiver down her spine.

"Distraction?" she repeated, attempting to feign nonchalance. "And what kind of...distraction are you thinking of, exactly?"

Warren chuckled, noticing the blush that crept onto Cassidy's cheeks as he spoke. He tightened his grip around her waist and leaned in closer.

"Oh, you know...the kind of distraction that involves just the two of us," he murmured, his cheeky grin widening.

Cassidy's heart raced as Warren's words sent another tingling sensation down her spine. She knew exactly what kind of "distraction" he had in mind, and part of her was tempted to ditch the movie night with their friends and give in to his proposition.

She managed to keep her composure, though, and playfully protested, "We have guests coming over in about twenty minutes," she reminded him with a feigned disapproving look.

Warren let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Those private movie nights that somehow transformed into a group event," he groaned, pretending to be irritated.

Despite his feigned annoyance, he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the peculiarities that came with this group. He would never admit it out loud, though.

"You have to admit, Zach comes up with some seriously fantastic movie recommendations!" She teased him, gently poking his chest. "You can't deny that the last one was incredibly good." Her words made him chuckle in agreement.

"Okay, fine," Warren admitted, "I'll give Zach credit for his movie choices. Last time, we watched that one film he suggested, and I have to admit, it was pretty damn good."

He chuckled as he spoke and looked at her, "But don't tell him I said that. His ego is already inflated enough as it is."

Warren's voice took on a slightly higher pitch as he pleaded changing the topic, "Can I please have some more of my Cassidy time?" He knew all too well that there was something about his altered tone that always melted her heart.

Sure enough, there was a hint of a smile on her face, and he knew he had her right where he wanted her.

Cassidy let out a soft giggle and threw her arms around him, giving him a tight hug. "Of course you can have all the Cassidy time you want," she said, "but I also need my Warren time, you know?"

Warren chuckled again and rolled onto his side, pulling her with him so they were both lying down, cuddled together. He feigned concern and said, "Well, I was worried you were getting tired of our alone time."

"Never!" Cassidy protested with a mock offended look on her face. "How could you even suggest such a thing? I always need YOU."

Warren looked down at her, scrunching his nose and shaking his head, "No more cheesy talk. We don't need it."

Warren smirked as she pouted at him, "But it's so fun to see your reactions," he chuckled, leaning forward in an attempt to bite her nose.

Casiddy squealed and dodged his attack, whining, "No, not the nose!! Anything but the nose!" She tried to wriggle out of his arms, but he tightly held onto her, proceeding to tickle her sides instead.

Warren continued to mercilessly tickle her, a mixture of laughter and gasps escaping her lips as she tried to break free. "No! Stop!" she managed to say through bouts of laughs. "Warren~! Stop, please! I can't take it anymore!"

Despite Cassidy's pleas for him to stop, Warren continued his relentless tickling attack, and she eventually managed to break free, running out of her room with him in hot pursuit.

Their playful chase echoed throughout the house, filling the air with a mixture of laughter, cries of "No!" and "You can't catch me," and determined responses from Warren, such as "I will catch you" and "You can't run."

Fiona and Layla sat in the living room, their laughter filling the house. They watched as Warren and Cassidy darted into the room, giggling and panting as they did.

Warren didn't seem to care one bit about maintaining his usual stoic demeanor; he was simply enjoying every moment of their playful chase.

Layla glanced at Fiona and asked, "Does this happen often?"

Fiona smiled, nodded, and took a sip of her tea before responding, "Yes, it's quite endearing, isn't it? It's lovely to see Cassidy act her age without worrying about the burdensome expectations that come with being the daughter of two notorious villains. Since meeting Warren, she's grown as a person, and not only because of him but also due to you and your friends," she added, "All of you are bringing her the happiness she deserved and has longed for."