Morning sunlight filled Zarek's bedroom softly.
Warm light spilled across the floor, across scattered toys, plush animals, and the small pile of clothes Izana had placed neatly beside the bed a few minutes earlier.
Zarek sat in the middle of the mattress holding his lion plush beneath one arm while Izana crouched in front of him.
"…Arms up."
Zarek stared at him sleepily for a second.
Then slowly lifted one arm.
Only one.
Izana looked unimpressed.
"…You appear to be missing another arm."
Zarek looked down dramatically.
"…Oh no."
Izana almost smiled.
Almost.
"Very tragic. The meeting will need to be cancelled."
That immediately got Zarek's attention.
"No!"
"Then I suppose you'll need both arms after all."
Zarek quickly lifted the other one.
Izana pulled the shirt carefully over his head while Zarek's muffled little voice came from inside the fabric.
"Dark."
"…You survive these traumatic experiences every day somehow."
The shirt finally settled properly.
Zarek blinked up at him with messy blonde hair sticking everywhere again.
Izana adjusted the collar before reaching for the smaller black trousers beside him.
Over the past two years, helping Zarek get dressed had somehow become one of the calmest parts of Izana's mornings.
No meetings.
No weapons.
No business calls.
Just: small socks, tiny hands, and sleepy toddler conversations.
Though unfortunately—
Zarek had also discovered he enjoyed making things difficult.
Izana reached for one sock.
Zarek immediately hid his foot beneath the blanket.
Silence.
Izana looked at the blanket.
"…Really."
Tiny giggles came from underneath it.
Izana sighed quietly.
"…I see."
Then suddenly he grabbed the blanket entirely and lifted it away.
Zarek gasped dramatically before laughing properly this time.
Bright little laughs filled the room immediately.
Izana caught his ankle before he could escape.
"Found you."
"Nooo."
"Yes."
Zarek kept laughing while Izana pulled the sock onto his foot.
Then the second sock followed.
Then shoes.
Though halfway through putting them on, Zarek leaned forward suddenly and pressed the lion plush against Izana's face.
"…Lion help."
"The lion is interfering with critical operations."
"Helpin'."
"Poorly."
Zarek giggled again.
Izana finally finished adjusting the tiny shoes before standing again.
"…Done."
Zarek looked down at himself proudly.
Then immediately held both arms up.
"Up."
Izana lifted him automatically without hesitation.
One arm under him securely while Zarek curled against his shoulder comfortably.
Small warm hands grabbed lightly at the collar of Izana's shirt.
"…Da-da."
"Yes?"
"Can go wif you?"
Izana's expression softened immediately.
Of course he asked that.
Over the last two years, Zarek had become obsessed with following him everywhere possible.
Especially after discovering Izana disappeared for "meetings."
Izana adjusted him slightly higher against his chest.
"…Not today."
Zarek blinked slowly.
"Why?"
"The meeting isn't at the office."
"…Still go."
"And your mother would probably kill me."
That made Zarek think seriously for a moment.
Because honestly—
fair point.
Still, his little face visibly fell afterward anyway.
"…Oh."
Izana noticed immediately.
Always immediately.
The slight sadness in his eyes.
The way his shoulders drooped.
Izana's hand rubbed slowly up and down Zarek's back.
"…Hey."
Zarek stayed quiet.
Izana pulled him closer gently into his chest.
"I'll come back soon."
"…Promise?"
"Yes."
A pause.
Then Izana added quietly—
"And I'll bring your favourite chocolate."
Zarek immediately looked up.
"…Choc'late?"
"Yes."
"Big one?"
"The biggest one that doesn't make mommy angry."
That earned the tiniest smile.
Success.
Zarek nodded seriously.
"Otay."
Izana pressed a soft kiss against the top of his head.
"…Good."
An hour later the mansion downstairs was finally awake.
Morning light filled the large living room while breakfast sat untouched on the table beside scattered papers Dante had clearly been trying to organise before getting distracted.
Leah sat on the sofa with Zarek beside her while Elias quietly read something nearby.
And on the floor—
Dante was currently holding one of Zarek's toy lions while Zarek explained something extremely serious to him in mostly incomprehensible toddler language.
"…An den lion go RAWR."
Dante nodded like this was important intelligence.
"Obviously."
"An den—BOOM."
"…Tragic."
Over the last two years, Dante had somehow become softer around Zarek without anyone noticing exactly when it happened.
At first it had only been tolerance.
Then babysitting occasionally.
Then carrying him around the mansion.
And now apparently: serious lion conversations at eight in the morning.
Leah looked deeply amused watching it.
Then footsteps echoed from the staircase.
Zarek looked up immediately.
The second he saw Izana—
his entire face lit up.
"DA-DA!"
He jumped up instantly and ran across the room with tiny fast footsteps.
Dante watched him leave with betrayal.
"…I was abandoned."
Izana barely had time to brace himself before Zarek crashed directly into his legs.
Izana caught him automatically and lifted him into his arms smoothly.
"…There you are."
Zarek immediately wrapped both arms around his neck.
"Da-da look!"
He proudly held up the lion plush.
"I see."
"Lion miss you."
"…I'm sure he did."
Leah walked over toward them smiling softly.
Izana's free hand moved automatically to her waist when she stopped beside him.
Then he leaned down slightly and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek.
"I'll see you later."
Leah leaned lightly into the kiss for a second.
"…Be careful."
"Always."
Zarek looked between them suspiciously now.
"…M'too."
Leah laughed quietly.
"You too what?"
"Kiss."
Izana looked at him.
"…You're demanding kisses now."
"Yes."
Leah smiled immediately.
"Sounds fair to me."
Izana sighed like this was deeply exhausting before pressing a kiss against Zarek's forehead.
Satisfied.
Zarek grinned proudly afterward.
Leah reached over carefully then.
"Come here, sweetheart. Let Da-da leave before Dante starts complaining."
"Already happening," Dante muttered nearby.
Zarek allowed Leah to take him, though his hands still reached toward Izana slightly afterward.
Izana brushed a hand gently through his messy hair.
"…Goodbye."
"Bye Da-da."
Another soft kiss landed against Zarek's head before Izana finally stepped back.
Dante grabbed the remaining folders from the table dramatically.
"If we leave now, perhaps we can still save the organisation from collapse."
Izana ignored him completely and headed toward the doors.
Dante followed after him.
Behind them, Zarek waved excitedly from Leah's arms.
"Choc'late!"
Izana glanced back once.
"…I remember."
Then he left.
And somehow—
even after all these years—
the mansion still felt slightly quieter every time he did.