Chapter Text
Baizhu had decided to make an unannounced visit to his brothers home. He thought it was a good idea at first, he could rest from work, see his family and enjoy his time away from the bustling streets of Liyue. But, an unannounced visit to a Fatuus was a rather..dumb move. But emotions did more than his brain in the moment.
At least he arrived as the sun was already dipping behind the horizon.
Snowflakes fell continously and a chill permeated the air that even Baizhu, accustomed to his own fragile constitution, felt deep in his bones. His thin coat was not enough to shield him from the cold, and his breath fogged in the air with every exhale. He always forgets just how cold Snezhnaya actually is. Always underestimates, always thinks 'it won't be that bad.' Or that hes wearing 'too much', in such a place there can never be too much clothing or warmth.
Besides that, he had been feeling under the weather for the past few days, whether it was his symptoms flaring up again or just some emotions...But nonetheless the thought of spending another lonely evening inside the carriage, sick and cold, irked him. He couldn't do it anymore. Plus it was quite uncomfortable, the seats were rough and his lower back was excruciatingly sore from all the sitting.
Hence why he asked to be dropped off at the station and insisted that he'd walk the rest of the way. Not like it's hard to find Pantalone's place, it was quite literally overlooking the entire city. But that was thw thing, steps, many, many steps. They weren't slick at least, he knew that those were always cleaned.
So he indeed walked. Uncomfortable and cold yes, but nonetheless worth it.
After all, Pantalone was a man of wealth, and his home was most likely warm, very..warm. The thought of warmth now made a shiver go down his spine, he couldn't wait.
The grand manor where Pantalone and his husband resided stood at the edge of the city, up on a hill, a towering structure of dark, ornate architecture, fitting Snezhnaya's aesthetic. Flanked by iron gates and surrounded by manicured hedges that crisscrossed the property.
Baizhu finally reached the gates, he took a moment to breathe, cold air getting sucked into his lungs only made him cough more. His nose was red, his cheeks tinted, and his legs were now sore as well. He stood there for a moment, still trying to catch his breath before looking at the two guards standing there. Both men were dressed in the signature fatui guard clothing. How were they not cold? He didn’t get it, maybe they were accustomed to the weather? Or maybe the thought of how large their pay is made them warm up immediately.
"State your business, sir" One of the men said, his tone firm. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm either. It was the kind of tone one used when addressing someone whose identity was unknown.
Baizhu’s eyes flickered with mild surprise. These men were certainly new to this post, and he could sense their uncertainty. He had spent years walking these grounds, had visited countless of times, had spent hours with the servants, the maids, and the staff, but the guards? They were a different breed. Their loyalty was to the household, to the estate, to the rules and the two men who reside there. They had to be safe that everyone who was coming in or out had no ulterior motives, or else. And right now, they were doing their job. That was understandable.
Baizhu’s lips twitched into a small smile.
"I’m Baizhu, Pantalone’s brother. I’m here to visit. I know its unannounced but I wanted it to be surprise." His voice was calm, even before them, he had no reason to be nervous, he was telling the truth.
"...The brother of Master Pantalone?" The taller man one with dark hair, repeated in disbelief, looking at his partner as if waiting for some confirmation that this was, in fact, who Baizhu claimed to be. They never knew Pantalone had family, but how could they even confirm it anyways? They did look similar.. no, very similar, eerily similar but still...
Baizhu stood in front of the iron gates, the cold air biting at his skin as he watched the two guards struggle. He shifted from one foot to the other, raising his hands up to his mouth to blow on them.
His mind wandered for a brief moment before the silence and the whispers of the guards was broken.
"Hey, you two, your shift’s almost over, the other— MASTER BAIZHU?!!!" The voice rang out with such shock, it almost seemed to echo.
Baizhu’s head snapped to the side as the voice came from beyond the gates. A figure was moving toward the gates, a blur of movement, though he quickly recognized her. One of the maids, a young woman, one who was no stranger to Baizhu.
She was a familiar face, and as soon as her eyes caught sight of him standing at the gates, the shock in her voice was palpable.
"Why didn’t these two idiots let you in?? For Tsaritsa’s sake, look at you!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with concern as she rushed toward the fence. "Freezing aren't you! Let him in!"
The guards, startled by her sudden appearance and even more so by her tone, looked like they had just been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. They straightened almost immediately, their faces flushing with embarrassment. One of them opened his mouth, no doubt to offer a explanation, but the maid didn’t give him a chance to speak. Her hand was already waving dismissively in the air, and her sharp gaze locked onto Baizhu as she opened the side gate with a spare key which was stuck to a ring of keys at her hip.
The taller of the two guards, the one who had been standing more rigidly before, looked over at his partner with an apologetic expression. "We… didn’t realize…" he started, but the maid had already cut him off with a sharp gesture.
"Didn't realize? Didn’t realize!" she repeated incredulously, stepping toward Baizhu and shaking her head. "Look at him, standing out here in the cold like a lost puppy! Oh just you wait until Lord Regrator hears about this." She ushered Baizhu through the gate.
"P-Please, miss, we didn’t—" the shorter guard started, but the maid cut him off too. She really wasn't letting either speak.
"Didn’t what?" she snapped. "Didn’t let the Master’s brother in?" She then turned back to Baizhu for a moment, her eyes softening ever so slightly as she offered him an apologetic glance. "You poor thing, standing out there like that, when you could’ve been inside the moment you arrived..."
"...W-We didn’t—uh, we didn’t realize, Miss Anya, really we are sorry" The guard said, clearly struggling to find the right words.
"We were just following the rules, you know? We were only doing what we were told. If we’d known, we would’ve—"
"Would’ve what? Let him freeze out here longer? Would’ve let him wait in the cold?!" She interrupted yet again, her voice rising. The taller guard, wide-eyed, held up his hands in surrender, muttering apologies that went ignored as Anya continued her tirade.
"Look at you two, fumbling over everything! Tsk, tsk" She turned on her heel. Her words were harsh, but there was a protective streak in her tone that softened her scolding. She shot them both a look as she held the gate for Baizhu.
Baizhu chuckled softly, shaking his head as he stepped toward the gate. "It’s alright" he said quietly, not annoyed at all.
"I didn’t mind the wait."
She shut the gate behind them, locking it back up before setting the key back where it was. She then gently placed a hand on his arm, guiding him toward the house.
"You’ve been standing out there long enough. Let’s get you warmed up." She then continued to mutter under her breath about those two guards who couldn't do their job right, even though they were.
Baizhu just nodded and followed along. He didn't say anything anymore.
The cold air stung his face, and the act of walking left him winded, but he persisted.
When by the door, she grabbed the handle, pulled it open and held it for him.
The entrance to the manor was just as extravagant as the rest of the building.
Polished marble floors gleamed under the overhead chandeliers, and the scent of incense lingered in the air. The warmth and the nice smell immediately hit him as he stepped inside, it was just as he remembers it being. How long has it actually been since he last visited? Too long..
They kept in touch over letters and such but neither really had the time to actually visit.
The maid let the door shut behind them. She gently hit her shirt a few times to remove any lingering snow from the outside before smiling at him, now her voice dropping, quieter. Unlike her yelling earlier. Inside the house it was quiet.
"Master Pantalone is not here at the moment. He's caught up with some work, but Master Dottore is at home. He should be in the living room." She said while motioning over for him to follow. "Some rooms are under maintenance so please be careful."
Baizhu nodded with a small smile, though his exhaustion from the journey was starting to settle in. "Thank you. And, that's fine" he said.
Was it? When did he last talk to Dottore? What would they even talk about?
When had he last spoken to Dottore properly? He paused mid-step while thinking. Not just exchanged pleasantries or trivialities, but a real conversation. Never, really. Plus, Pantalone was always present usually but obviously not now. So he can only imagine how awkward it would be.
Dottore didn't seem like a talkative guy anyways.
Nonetheless, the inside of the manor was warm, and the heat felt like a balm to Baizhu’s chilled body. He gave a small cough as he moved further, the cold having already taken its toll on his fragile health, and he pulled the scarf tighter around his neck, his breath slightly ragged.
The maid led him through the hall, their footsteps echoing off the high ceilings as they walked.
When she reached the living room, which was an open room, she gently knocked on the wall as a way of making herself known before speaking.
"Master Dottore, we have a guest."
She said before she quickly excused herself, leaving Baizhu alone in the lavish room.
Baizhu hesitated, uncertain of how to proceed. He knew Dottore and his brother had been married for quite some time now, but still... it felt strange. He had, of course, visited before, but it was always with his brother present, making things feel less awkward.
Today, however, he found himself alone in the home of a man he had never truly gotten to know as well as he would have liked.
It was kinda weird to call the second Harbinger your brother-in-law...
After a moment's contemplation, he sighed and moved closer.
Dottore looked up from his work, it wasn't work, he was done with it. He was just tinkering with some device in his hands. Probably just out of boredom, or maybe even a hobby. Who knew, who dared ask anyways.
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The fire crackled in the background. The air was thick with the scent of burning wood, and the warmth of the flames seemed to help Baizhu’s condition, though he still couldn’t shake the chill of the cold.
Dottore didn’t rise from his chair. Instead, he stared at Baizhu. He had always been a man of few words, and despite the familiarity of the situation, the silence between them felt... very...awkward.
"..Baizhu" Dottore finally spoke. "I assume you're here to see Pantalone." He added while averting his gaze, back on the device, his other hand held a screwdriver, he twisted something, removed something, put it back, and such.
Baizhu nodded, offering a faint, somewhat tired smile. "Yes. But I didn't realize he would still be working. I apologize if I am interrupting you in any way."
No handshake, no nothing, just like that.
There was a pause.
Dottore then gestured toward the large couch.
"Come. Sit. He shouldn't be too long but, meetings often drag out." He said, his tone uncharacteristically neutral as he leaned back against the soft backing of the couch. One leg over the other. His gaze still on the metal thing.
Baizhu nodded. His hands were stiff, and his breath still came in short bursts, though the warmth of the room was slowly working to counteract that. He shuffled across the room and lowered himself into an empty spot, not too close and not too far from the other. He didn't want to seem like he was avoiding him, nor did he want to get into the mans private space.
The discomfort of being in Dottore’s presence without his brother by his side was noticeable. For both really.
Dottore's full attention was at the trinket in front of him. Yet he still spoke, he probably found it easier to talk while doing something.
"I suppose you’re not here for a casual chat with me. What is it you need?" His words weren't cold, just matter-of-fact. Dottore wasn't one for small talk, and he didn’t seem overly concerned with the fact that Baizhu had been feeling ill lately. He noticed the small signs but made no comment, they were very obvious though.
Baizhu’s brow furrowed slightly at the bluntness of Dottore’s words, and he hesitated before speaking.
"I’m just... here, I suppose. I’ve been feeling a little under the weather, and I thought—well, I thought I could visit. I didn’t realize you would be alone."
Dottore glanced up from the trinket at that. "Hmm" he murmured, as if mulling over the situation. His eyes flicked back to the item in his hand.
And just like that for a while, the only sounds were the crackle of the fire and Baizhu’s occasional cough.
The awkwardness hung in the air, and Baizhu found himself glancing around the room, trying to find something to focus on. The walls were adorned with rich tapestries, and the furniture looked like it belonged in a palace. Every surface was meticulously cared for, from the polished wood tables to the velvet cushions on the chairs. But it was the shelves that caught his attention. The shelves full of books and pictures. Portraits on the walls, they looked rather eerie to him but his brother's style was different from his own so he probably found them beautiful.
He closed his eyes for a moment, mentally screaming at how awkward the situation was and probably cursing out Pantalone for not being there.
After a short while another maid came, she did the same motion, a soft knock on the wall before speaking. Dottore’s hands stilled then, he knew he was going to be distracted by whatever she was going to say.
"My lord, and sir Baizhu, would you like a drink? Tea? Coffee?" She asked, hands clasped infront of her as her head turned from one man to the other.
Baizhu’s stomach growled at the mention of a drink, though he couldn’t tell if it was from hunger or simply the exhaustion of the day. "Tea sounds good" Baizhu said.
Dottore just shook his head.
"Nothing. Any news about the Regrator?" He asked as his hands began work again.
The maid slightly bowed her head as she spoke to him.
"Not that I know of my lord, should I go and check?"
Dottore just sighed in return. "No, no need."
And with one last bow, the maid left.
Baizhu’s thoughts drifted back to his brother, Pantalone. What was he working on that kept him away so long? Baizhu knew that his brother was busy, he always was—but it wasn’t like him to be gone for long...right? He wasn't sure, then,
"..Excuse me, Dottore?" Baizhu’s voice was soft, careful almost as he spoke.
"Yes?" Dottore replied, same tone as earlier.
But despite his outward indifference, Baizhu could hear the very subtle shift in his tone, a slight eagerness to know what Baizhu needed, as if he was always alert for a conversation, even if it was about something mundane.
Baizhu hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to phrase his question. He hadn’t meant to sound so intrusive but it was his brother after all so it should've been fine.
"Does Pantalone often stay out this long at work?" He finally asked.
Dottore tilted his head, as if trying to find the perfect answer to his question.
"Hm, no, today just seems to be unfortunate. We usually return home together. I’d wait for him at times, but the last meeting of the say was extended, so..." His voice trailed off slightly.
Baizhu nodded slowly, watching Dottore’s movements as he spoke. He seemed more relaxed when he got to talk about Pantalone.
"I see" he murmured, though his thoughts continued. "I just hope he isn't overworking himself, that's all."
Dottore chuckled at that.
"He’s always working, but it’s not as though he’s unaware of his limits. He knows how to balance things... well, most of the time."
Does he really know his limits?
Probably not, both of them knew that.
Then, the sound of shoes.
"Here" A maid said and Baizhu turned to see her holding a delicate glass of amber liquid. He didn’t know what it was, but the scent of it was sweet, warm, and soothing.
Baizhu hesitated for a moment, then reached out, accepting the drink gratefully. "Thank you" he said quietly, his fingers brushing against the cool surface of the glass. His throat was dry, and the warmth of the drink promised a brief reprieve from the cold that still lingered.
Just as Baizhu lifted the glass to his lips, the sound of the door closing echoed from the entryway, followed by the familiar, muffled voices of the maids greeting someone. The noise grew louder as footsteps approached, and soon,
Pantalone’s tall figure appeared in the doorway, his dark coat shedding a thin layer of snow as he stepped inside.
"...Baizhu?" Pantalone’s voice was low, laced with that mixture of surprise and concern that always followed his twin’s unannounced visits. He took in the sight of Baizhu sitting in front of the fire, Dottore sitting near the table, and something flickered in his eyes, relief, maybe, or just the weight of an unexpected moment.
Baizhu looked up from the glass in his hands, his tired gaze lifting to meet his brother’s. Pantalone’s face was etched with weariness, his features softer than usual as he smiled faintly at his him.
"I didn’t expect to see you here today" Pantalone said, his tone almost apologetic. "If I had known I would've left the meetings ages ago, dear me.."
"I didn’t mean to intrude" Baizhu began. "I’ve just been feeling... off, lately. I thought I could visit, but it seems you’ve been busy." Baizhu said as he set the tea down at the coffee table. Careful not to spill.
"Welcome home dear" Dottore muttered out, his gaze not leaving the item he was STILL messing around with.
Pantalone glanced at him. "Thank you dear." He replied before sitting besides Baizhu.
"Ah, well... It’s been a long day, but I’m glad you’re here. I hope Dottore has been treating you well" he added with an almost teasing note, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Dottore glanced up, he finally set his things down on the coffee table and looked at the two. "Mm..I’m not entirely sure how to treat him, given the circumstances, but he didn’t complain."
Baizhu couldn’t help but glance at Dottore.
"He did treat me well, thanm you" he confirmed. "The maids too were wonderful."
Pantalone nodded as he loosened the collar of his coat as the warmth of the room finally began to thaw his own chill.
"I see, there also seemed to be some issue at the gate?"
Damn that maid was fast, she ratted the two out the moment Pantalone came home. Now thats talent.
Baizhu shook his head "Oh! No, nothing worth mentioning. Don't worry."
Pantalone didn't say anything else regarding that instead he apologized again for being late before speaking.
"I didn’t expect the meeting to run as long as it did, but—" He trailed off, his gaze landing on Baizhu again, taking in his features.
"Are you feeling alright? You don’t look well. Is something bothering you? Any symptoms flaring up again?" He raised a hand and placed it on the mans forehead, as if he could feel anything over his thick gloves.
Baizhu shifted a bit in his seat. If he said no, Pantalone would know he was lying.
"I’m fine, just tired, I think. Its been a long journey here, you know how it is."
Pantalone’s expression softened.
"You really should have told me you were coming, I would've had the best carriage come and fetch you. No cold, no discomfort, you wouldn't even feel like you were on the road." Cue in the scene of Dottore getting motion sick in their old carriage so they had to get new ones that weren't as jolty.
"I didn’t want to trouble you" Baizhu replied.
"Nonsense." Pantalone cut in. "You’re not bothering anyone. You know that, you're always welcome here and I will always have time for you. Today was just out of my control. Tomorrow,...tomorrow? Do I have something tomorrow my love?" He asked while turning to look at Dottore.
The man wasn't his secretary nor assistant but he still knew one thing and that was that tomorrow, was Saturday, and coincidentally, they had that day off. Shockingly. Since they worked almost every Saturday too.
Meanwhile Baizhu was a bit startled by the common usage of those sweet words. He wasn't expecting them to be used so often.
Dottore then finally replied.
"Tomorrow is a Saturday, day off, Loney."
Pantalone smiled as he looked at Baizhu.
"And there we go. Then on Monday it'll be back to regular scheduling. I might even finish by afternoon. Hows that sound? Its been awhile since we got so much time to spend together."
Baizhu nodded in return.
"It has, yes, I’ve missed you, but, don't spend your days off only on me."
Pantalone’s eyes fluttered open for a moment at those words, blinking as if the words had broken through a fog. He hadn’t expected them, and for a moment, he simply stared at his brother.
Before Baizhu could continue, Pantalone reached forward, his arms reaching out. Without a word, he wrapped them around Baizhu, pulling him into a tight hug.
Missed. That was a rare word for them. He didn’t know his brother was so lonely. He thought about how long it has been since they last saw face to face...quite awhile.
Baizhu was taken by surprise by the sudden hug. For a moment, he couldn’t move. He was frozen in the warmth of his brother’s arms, overwhelmed by the gesture. It wasn’t just the physical closeness, though that in itself was enough to make Baizhu’s heart flutter. No, it was the way Pantalone held him, almost desperately, as if trying to make up for lost time. He of course returned the hug.
Meanwhile Dottore had picked up his earlier tools and left to store them back to where they belonged. Even he knew it was wise to leave the two alone for a bit to have their moment.
"I’ve missed you too" Pantalone murmured.
"I didn’t realize how much I’d missed having you here. Not just for the occasional visit, but..." He trailed off, his brow furrowing slightly as if searching for the right words. "It’s been a long time since we’ve spent more than a day together. Every time we visit it seems to be at an unfortunate time."
Baizhu bit his lower lip, a faint sense of guilt bubbling up. He knew Pantalone’s work often consumed him, his own too but Baizhu also knew that he often kept himself away as well. He didn't want to intrude, to overstay or to make the man get off work.
"I know" Baizhu whispered.
They sat and chatted for awhile. Just about the basic stuff, hows work, health, weather, updates, or anything they hadn't mentioned in their letters already.
At some point Dottore had also returned, he sat where he sat earlier.
Baizhu sat still, his legs feeling heavy beneath him. The warmth from the fire had begun to melt away the cold from him, but the weight of the earlier exchange with Pantalone lingered in the back of his mind.
"Where is the bathroom?"
"Which one? There are multiple, but the one on this floor is under repairs. The upstairs bathroom, first left, is available." Pantalone replied as he pointed.
Baizhu needed a moment to gather his thoughts alone, and to wash his face.
He nodded as he rose from his seat.
As Baizhu disappeared up the stairs and into the bathroom, Dottore and Pantalone remained in the living room, and the scene that followed was an intimate one.
Pantalone had already begun to peel off the layers of his work clothes, his movements fluid, though tinged with the kind of fatigue that only an endless day of negotiations and management could bring. He had completely forgotten that he was still dressed in them.
He unbuttoned the dark coat, slipping it off his shoulders with a sigh, and hung it over the arm of the nearby chair.
Dottore was already moving toward him, his movements precise as he helped Pantalone remove his gloves. He slid them off, one finger at a time. Yet his fingers lingered a moment longer than necessary, his thumb grazing Pantalone’s palm in a gentle caress, before he set the gloves aside, his eyes tracing the lines of Pantalone’s hand.
"How was the meeting?" Dottore asked as he reached down to unlatch Pantalone’s boots.
Pantalone’s eyes closed again.
"Exhausting. I swear, if I had a coin for every time I had to smile through a lie today, I’d be richer than I already am. Those idiot businessmen really think I care about some pathetic investment they have." He lolled his head back, neck cracking in return. Its as if he had just now remembered his frustrations.
Dottore's hands found the edges of Pantalone’s boots and unfastening the buckles. "Dealing with people who think they can manipulate you. How tiresome indeed."
Pantalone let out a low chuckle, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he looked at his husband.
"You’re not wrong" he said, leaning back against the couch again. "Truly pathetic."
Dottore’s hands were gentle as he peeled the boots off, one by one, his fingers brushing against Pantalone’s ankles for a moment too long.
Then he moved his gaze back up, now sitting right beside Pantalone again, his hand reached out, grabbed his husbands hand and kissed the back of it, the gesture slow.
Pantalone rested his free hand on Dottore’s hip.
Dottore gazed at him, still holding his hand.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Pantalone turned his head towards him, gently squeezing the fabric of Dottore’s clothes beneath his fingers.
"Kiss me?" Pantalone replied.
And Dottore did with no hesitation he pressed a kiss to the mans cheek and then his lips.
Just then, the door at the top of the stairs creaked open.
Baizhu had returned.
He stood there on top of the stairway, but the moment he stepped out of the bathroom, his eyes locked onto the two men in the living room. He didn’t make a sound at first, didn’t step forward. He simply stood there watching the exchange unfold before him.
He hadn’t meant to intrude, but the scene before him, the way Dottore moved so gently, so intimately with his brother, caught him off guard. Pantalone, for all his carefully constructed demeanor, had always seemed like a man who would never let anyone see him as anything other than strong, unflappable.
Baizhu felt as if he were intruding, watching something deeply personal unfold before him. His breath caught in his throat as he quietly took a step back, not wanting to disturb them.
Dottore’s hands moving gently over Pantalone’s arms, the kisses, the shared words between them, felt so removed from the distant, often cold versions of themselves. He had never seen them like this before, never realized how deeply they actually loved eachother.
Neither man saw him.
And just like that, the moment passed, as fleeting and quiet as it had begun.
The night had settled quietly over the estate, the kind of peace that only the late hours could bring.
Baizhu had went to one of the guest rooms, Pantalone personally picked it out for him. Saying how it was the warmest, coziest and how it had everything he would need. How sweet was his older brother.
Nevertheless, while sitting on the bed and reading over some book he picked up he couldn't stop thinking about earlier.
He’d never seen Pantalone in such a light before, vulnerable, open in a way that was foreign to him. The tenderness Dottore had shown him, the way he’d moved so carefully around Pantalone’s form...
At first when the two had gotten married he thought it was for convenience or such. Pantalone rarely spoke of his emotions so of course he assumed. But today he was proven wrong. The names, the...everything.
Then, as if summoned, there was a knock at the door. It pulled him out of his thoughts, he set the book down and moved his hair from one shoulder to the other. "Yes? Come in."
Pantalone pulled the door open. "Just checking in if you had everything? Hows the bed? Warm enough?" Of course he was worrying like any brother would.
Baizhu looked at him as he set the book onto the nightstand.
"Oh no worries, everything is perfect.I was about to retire for the night" He said.
And as Pantalone turned to leave after a quiet 'good night' Baizhu hesitated for a brief second, but then his curiosity won out.
"Wait, do you mind sitting here for a moment?" he asked while patting the spot next to himself.
The dim light of the lamp from the corner of the room was bright enough to show that slight hesitation in Baizhu's face as he spoke.
Pantalone’s brow furrowed.
"Of course, Baizhu. What’s on your mind?"
It was a simple question, worried tone though. He let the door click shut behind him before he moved to sit besides him.
"I’ve been thinking" Baizhu started, though his gaze didn’t quite meet his brother’s. "About you... and Dottore." His words trailed off for a moment before he pressed on. "You really love that man, don’t you?"
The question hung in the air for a moment, and Baizhu immediately felt his heart race as he looked up at Pantalone, his older brother’s face unreadable. He didn't know if he was overstepping a boundary or if it was too much..
Pantalone didn’t respond immediately. His eyes softened. His posture shifted as he crossed his legs, his shoulders relaxed, and a soft exhale escaped his lips.
"Oh" Pantalone began, his voice quiet now. "so much." He finally replied.
It felt like a sleepover girls would have where they'd talk about crushes, the way Pantalone acted swooned was enough.
He'd probably never tell some of this stuff to Dottore though, he'd never act so love sick before him, at least not often.
"Its just that I’ve never seen you like this." Baizhu admitted
"I’ve never shown this side of me, have I?" He said. He folded his hands in his lap as he looked at Baizhu. "I’ve spent so much of my life focused on what I had to do, what needed to be done for work. I never let myself—" He paused, searching for the right words. "I never let myself feel anything beyond duty. Not until I met Dottore."
This was the same man who had a stoic face during their wedding, and no vows, and yet here he was basically speaking them with the only man he can lay it bare with behind closed doors.
The admission hung between them, raw and real. Baizhu could see how difficult it was for Pantalone to say those words. It wasn’t easy for someone like him to admit such things, but Baizhu had rarely seen him so open, so willing to let down the walls that had kept everyone at a distance.
"So you really do love him" Baizhu said again, a smile forming on his lips. "That's good, I'm glad."
He was happy for him of course, though at first he was reluctant..the second harbinger... it was rare to hear good things about him but he trusted his brothers judgment. Even if his taste was...peculiar, he was still glad Pantalone found someone fitting for himself.
Pantalone’s nodded.
"More than I ever thought possible."
"And him?" Baizhu began, his voice softer now than when he first entered the room. "Does he love you as much?"
The moment the words left Baizhu’s lips, Pantalone's face shifted. It was subtle, but it was unmistakable, the way his lips parted ever so slightly, the way his chest seemed to rise with a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. The change was instant, as if the very question had unlocked something inside him, something too deep to hide, no matter how practiced Pantalone was at concealing his emotions.
For a moment, he didn’t respond. He simply stared at Baizhu, as if weighing the question in his mind, as though he hadn’t expected his brother to ask it. Pantalone chuckled before answering.
"He does. A lot. When Dottore loves, he loves deeply. It’s like everything else disappears. When he loves, he’s all in. Completely. No one else exists."
Pantalone continued, his tone soft, but the certainty in it was undeniable.
Baizhu was quiet, processing the words, but he saw the way his brother’s eyes softened when he thought of Dottore.
"It’s hard to explain, but when Dottore looks at me, it’s like…" Pantalone’s voice faltered, and he paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "He makes me feel seen. Really seen. Like I don’t have to hide behind all the masks I wear for the world. He doesn’t care about the power, the wealth, or the influence I have. He cares about me. Just me."
The room fell silent for a long moment.
"Does he show it?" Baizhu asked quietly, his gaze fixed on his brother’s face, almost searching for the truth in his eyes. He just wanted to make sure their marriage wasn't a show or fake, though he knew his brother wouldn't lie to him about such a thing.
Pantalone’s smile widened, though it was affectionate, something reminiscent of a memory.
"Oh, more than I could ever describe. He’s not the type to say it often, but he shows it in his actions. In the way he cares for me, the little things he does without thinking. When I’m tired, he takes care of me. When I’m frustrated, he listens. When I need space, he respects it. And when I need him, he’s always there."
Baizhu couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh, both amazed and surprised by the depth of emotion his brother had allowed himself to feel.
"I never thought you’d talk about him like this, though brother, I am very glad and happy for you. You deserve it." Baizhu said quietly, still in awe of the raw honesty Pantalone had just shared.
Pantalone sighed. "I really do, don't I? He's wonderful."
Thought, doubt anyone else would want, or could, be with the second Harbinger besides him after all.
A match made in heaven, or rather hell? Well whatever, they were perfect for eachother in every way.