There's a damn good reason Stephen hasn't brought many people home. That reason is Cyrus, who has taken it upon himself to make sure that only the most worthy of Stephen's potential prospects (in his own estimation) make it as far as Livia's dinner table.

Of course, the survival rate of the relationships that have taken that rare and vital step is still zero.

"Well, considering all the work he's been doing changing that reputation, I think maybe the time is right," Cyrus says, lightly teasing, with a brotherly shove to Stephen's shoulder.

(That's what he's doing, Stephen. He's dooming this as surely as he knows how; tangling this up so it can't be the casual thing he's positive they hoped it would be. The sabotage might not even be fully conscious; but the message is clear nonetheless. You pursue this on my terms, or you don't pursue it at all.)