Morning didn't arrive gently in the mansion.
It arrived like it always did now—soft footsteps, small voices, and the distinct feeling that sleep was no longer something the house respected.
"Dan-tee."
A pause.
Then again, more insistent.
"DAN-TEE."
Dante opened one eye.
Then the other.
He stared at the ceiling in complete silence, as if the answer to his problems might be written there.
It wasn't.
From the hallway came the sound of tiny feet shifting impatiently, followed by a very serious little voice:
"Dan-tee up."
Dante exhaled slowly.
"…No."
The doorknob rattled immediately.
Then came the negotiating tone of a two-year-old who had never lost an argument in his life.
"Up."
A pause.
"Now."
Dante sat up.
"…This is how I die."
The door opened with far too much confidence for someone that small.
And Zarek walked in.
Messy pale hair sticking up in all directions.
One lion plush tucked under his arm.
One teddy bear squeezed against his chest.
And an expression so serious it looked like he was here on official business.
"Dan-tee," he said again, like that was both greeting and command.
Dante looked at him.
"…Good morning."
Zarek climbed onto the bed without hesitation, boots still slightly uneven as he used Dante's leg as leverage.
Then he sat directly on Dante's chest.
"Play."
"I'm working."
Zarek blinked slowly.
Then shook his head.
"…No."
Dante stared at him.
"…That was not a discussion."
Zarek tilted his head.
"Dan-tee come."
"…No."
"Dan-tee up."
Dante closed his eyes again.
"…Five minutes."
Zarek immediately nodded.
"Otay."
Then patted Dante's cheek very proudly.
"Good Dan-tee."
Dante froze.
"…Don't call me that."
Zarek looked confused.
"Why?"
"…Because that is not my name."
Zarek thought about this for approximately one second.
Then nodded.
"Dan-tee."
Dante gave up.
By the time Dante finally made it downstairs an hour later, the mansion had already transformed into chaos in motion.
The kind of chaos that wasn't loud or violent.
Just… persistent.
Zarek was in the living room.
Dante was on the floor.
And somehow Dante was now being used as both furniture and transportation.
"Dan-tee car," Zarek announced proudly.
Dante did not move.
"This is not a car."
"Car."
"…This is my spine."
Zarek patted his head.
"Good car."
Izana stood in the doorway.
Silent.
Observing.
Dante turned his head slightly without lifting himself from the floor.
"…Say something."
Izana walked in calmly.
"…It appears you are functioning as transport."
Dante closed his eyes.
"Thank you for your emotional support."
Zarek spotted Izana immediately and lit up.
"DA-DA."
He climbed off Dante instantly and ran over.
Izana caught him effortlessly, one arm lifting him into the air without hesitation before settling him against his chest.
Zarek immediately pointed back at Dante.
"Dan-tee car."
Izana glanced at Dante.
Dante glanced back.
"…Don't."
Izana's expression remained neutral.
"…Noted."
Zarek nodded seriously.
"Dan-tee strong."
Dante muttered into his hands from the floor:
"I'm being emotionally dismantled by a toddler."
Later, the mansion settled into a quieter rhythm.
Izana was in his office.
Leah was downstairs going through some documents Elias had left behind.
Elias himself was near the window reading.
And Dante—
was supposed to be working.
But "supposed to" had become a very loose concept in his life.
Because Zarek had decided Dante's job for the day was not paperwork.
It was:
"Play."
"Dan-tee."
Dante looked down at him from the sofa.
"…Yes."
Zarek held up a toy lion.
"Hungry."
"…That's a stuffed animal."
"Hungry."
Dante sighed and took the lion.
"…Fine."
He pretended to feed it an invisible snack.
Zarek immediately clapped.
"Dan-tee good."
Dante stared at the ceiling.
"I used to run operations."
Zarek nodded.
"Dan-tee run now."
"I regret everything."
A little later, Zarek attempted to climb onto a chair by himself.
He made it halfway before slipping slightly.
Nothing serious.
Barely even a stumble.
But Dante was already moving before Zarek even hit the ground.
He caught him instantly, one arm securing him against his chest.
Zarek blinked up at him.
Then relaxed immediately.
"…Okay."
Dante paused slightly.
"…You're not scared?"
Zarek shook his head.
"Dan-tee catch."
Simple.
Certain.
Like it was the most obvious fact in the world.
Dante went quiet for a moment.
Then adjusted him slightly so he was more comfortable.
"…Of course I did."
Zarek smiled.
"Good Dan-tee."
Dante didn't correct him this time.
Izana noticed everything.
Of course he did.
He always did.
From the doorway of his office, he watched Dante sitting on the floor again while Zarek stacked toy blocks onto Dante's head like he was building a tower.
Dante didn't stop him.
Didn't complain.
Just stayed still.
Izana spoke quietly.
"…You've been compliant today."
Dante didn't look up.
"I'm being furniture."
"That's not new."
Zarek turned toward Izana immediately.
"Da-da, Dan-tee toy."
Dante lifted his head slightly.
"…Don't phrase it like that."
Izana stepped closer, observing the structure Zarek was building.
"…He seems attached."
Dante sighed.
"…Unfortunately."
Zarek immediately shook his head.
"Not unfortunately."
He placed another block carefully on Dante's shoulder.
"Dan-tee family."
The room went quiet for a fraction of a second.
Even Dante paused.
Zarek nodded like it was the simplest truth in the world.
"Dan-tee stay."
Dante looked down at him.
Something in his expression shifted briefly—something he didn't say out loud.
Then he adjusted Zarek slightly so he wouldn't fall.
"…Yeah," he said quietly.
"I guess I do."
Zarek smiled brightly.
"Good."
Later that afternoon, Zarek was still following Dante everywhere like a shadow that had learned to speak.
Dante had given up trying to escape it.
He was sitting at the table attempting paperwork when Zarek climbed directly into his lap.
"Dan-tee."
"…Yes."
"Draw."
"I'm working."
Zarek placed a crayon directly on the paper anyway.
"…Now."
Dante stared at it.
Then at him.
Then sighed.
"…Fine."
He drew something extremely simple.
A stick figure.
Zarek immediately gasped.
"Dan-tee draw me?"
"…Apparently."
Zarek pointed proudly.
"Me good."
Dante looked at it.
"…Sure."
Zarek then grabbed another crayon and drew something next to it.
A very messy shape that might have been Dante.
"…Dan-tee."
Dante studied it.
"…I look like a broken chair."
Zarek nodded.
"Dan-tee strong chair."
Dante exhaled through his nose.
"…I'm going to pretend that's a compliment."
"It is."
Evening came slowly.
The mansion grew quieter.
Leah passed through the living room at some point and stopped briefly, watching Dante still sitting with Zarek half asleep against his chest.
"…You're not moving."
Dante didn't look up.
"I'm stuck."
Zarek murmured sleepily without opening his eyes:
"Dan-tee stay."
Leah smiled softly.
"…He likes you."
Dante looked down at the sleeping child for a moment.
Then quietly:
"…Yeah. I noticed."
Zarek shifted slightly in his sleep, fingers still clutching Dante's shirt.
"Dan-tee…"
Barely audible.
Dante adjusted him carefully so he wouldn't fall.
"…I'm here."
Zarek immediately relaxed again.
Leah watched that for a moment longer.
Then quietly walked away.
Night came fully by the time Zarek finally woke up again.
Dante was still on the sofa.
Somehow.
Zarek blinked up at him.
"…Dan-tee?"
"…Still here."
Zarek sat up slowly.
Then suddenly hugged him.
No warning.
No hesitation.
Just small arms wrapping tightly around his neck.
"…Tomorrow play?"
Dante hesitated.
Just for a second.
"…I have work."
Zarek pulled back slightly.
Thought about this very seriously.
Then nodded.
"…After work."
Dante looked at him.
"…You're persistent."
Zarek nodded again.
"Dan-tee too."
That made Dante pause.
Then, very quietly:
"…Fine."
Zarek smiled immediately.
"Yay."
Then leaned back into him again.
"Dan-tee good."
Dante exhaled slowly.
"…Don't get used to it."
But he didn't move.
And for once—
he didn't sound like he wanted to.