Work Text:
Jealousy, what a pathetic word. But it was even more pathetic the feeling itself. Someone as powerful and dangerous as the wise doctor of the Fatui Harbingers wouldn’t be able to feel something like that, right?
Well, that’s what Pantalone thought.
When it came to problems in their relationship, Pantalone was always the first one to bring the topic up, he would ask nicely about it and try to solve it, even if the doctor got mad at him, he never screamed or did something he knew he would regret. He was a calmed man, after all.
But today, today something was off. Dottore wasn’t talking about his experiments, he wasn’t even looking directly at the other’s eyes, he wasn’t relaxed around him as he used to be, he looked nervous. Lately, Pantalone and Columbina got closer after she discovered the relationship between the doctor and the banker, she was dating Arlecchino, so now they could talk about their partners together! Regrator smiled at the thought of that.
“Lone, what a surprise to see you in here!” A soft and angelical voice said, the door closed after her, letting the small woman in. “And, Dottore! What a nice moment I came in, I didn’t hear your voice and I’ve been standing out for a few minutes! Is everything alright?”
“That’s none of your business.” He looked more tense now, his hands grabbed the pen tighter, almost breaking it. She smiled and sit right next to the banker. Dottore was in front of him, almost two meters of distance between them. “Huh?” He murmured when Columbina laid down on the Regrator’s shoulder. Pantalone didn’t even seem to care! “I have things to do.” He stood up and left the room without saying anything else.
At the mensual meetings, Pantalone and Dottore used to sit together. But when the second arrived later to the reunion, his sit was already taken, Columbina was sitting there, she smiled at him and waved. The doctor did his best effort to not start crying out in rage. He sat down on Columbina’s place as everyone looked at him. Why were they so close? They didn’t even seem to like each other a few weeks ago!
Dottore sighed, during the whole meeting, they were exchanging notes, laughing and talking quietly. A tear streamed down the man’s face but he quickly wiped it away, luckily, nobody saw it. Even Pierro looked happier, he didn’t have to shut up the doctor six times today… maybe, just maybe, maybe Columbina was a bit better than him. How bad it felt.
When the meeting finished, everyone started to leave the room, but, Pantalone and Columbina were walking together… why? Their offices were really far from each other. Zandik started to follow them quietly, but when they arrived at the Regrator’s office, he closed the door, leaving the mint-haired man outside. His knees started to feel weak, his eyes started to get wet and his hands were starting to shake. No, he couldn’t let this happen, not right here and not because of this!
He ran outside the palace, the snow hit his face, but he was wearing a mask, so his eyes didn’t get any damage. He sat down on the stairs near the entrance of the building, maybe freezing to death hurt less than seeing his partner getting close with someone else. Were they just friends? Was he cheating on him? He started to cry, no shame out of it.
A few hours passed, and it was already dinner time. Pulcinella sat down next to him.
“Is everything alright, doctor? You’ve been acting quietly strange these days.” The major asked, looking straight into his eyes, even if he wore a mask, he felt the elf staring right into him.
“Yeah, I guess everything’s alright.” He sighed, before Pulcinella could say something else, he stood up. “Let’s go inside, we don’t want you to freeze.”
“Says the man who’s been watching the snow flakes fall for almost three hours. It’s dinner time, I don’t know what were you doing here, but I hope everything’s better now that you did it.” The doctor nodded in reply, he wasn’t even sure about what the man meant, but he did.
It was like a torture, we’re they doing it on purpose? Because it wasn’t funny at all, he got the message, he got the fact that Pantalone loved Columbina more than as a friend. They never kissed, but used to hug a lot and even whispers right into each other’s ear. But tonight? Tonight was the drop of water that broke the glass.
“Lone..!” They were sitting together again, during dinner, and Dottore was exactly in front of them. “Give it to me!” They were joking around, playing around, just, being happy around. But why? Why her of all the people? Why? Why wasn’t him enough? His hands started to shake when Columbina laid down on the banker’s lap, trying to fall asleep. He felt the tears run down his cheeks, he was crying like a little child.
“Dottore.” He heard Pierro’s voice and the touch of his hands. “You can leave the room if you want, I’ll check on you when dinner’s over.” Finally, someone that actually cared.
He stood up in silent, everyone watching him almost breaking down at the dinner table. He went to his room as soon as possible, breaking everything on his way. When he got there, he grabbed a pillow and hugged it, starting to sob against it, knowing that this night, he’ll be alone, completely alone. Pantalone wouldn’t caress his hair, he wouldn’t calm him down if he had a nightmare, he wouldn’t stay awake until he felt asleep. He’ll do that, but to someone else. He cried even harder at the thought of that. Oh, how replaceable he felt.
“Dottore, I’m going to come in.” Pierro entered the room and saw the doctor laying down on the bed, his face was red, body completely shaking and only wearing a pyjama. They had a father-son relationship, well, more or less, Pierro was the first one who agreed with his ideas, with his ideals, with his thoughts and with his perception of reality. Since then, he’s been taking care of Zandik when he feels like this, which is quietly strange, it happened… twice a year? Maybe less. “Do you want to be alone?” The doctor denied with his head quickly. “Are you having a “I need a parental figure” moment?” He nodded and Pierro laughed in a low voice. “I’ll carry you to my room, you can stay the night if you want.”
At least, someone cared about him. Pierro made sure no one saw him cry on the way to the room, Dottore looked like a kid in his arms, he was tall, almost two meters, also strong. You could feel protected in his arms. He put his head in the curve of Pierro’s neck when he saw Pantalone and Columbina walking together. He felt the looks they gave him.
“D-Dottore…?” See to believe, they say. “Are you feeling bad?” Don’t be a hypocrite now, Regrator, you know damn well it’s your fault. “Hey! Pierro, is everything okay!? I can take care of him if you’re- you’re busy or something!” The Second Harbinger tightened their hug, letting know the man that was carrying him that he was feeling worse.
“I’ll take care of him.” The Doctor could feel the blood going up to his face, he was embarrassed, it wasn’t the first time Pantalone saw him in this mood, but it was indeed the first time it was because of him. “He’d like to be alone, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m sorry, of course.” A disappointed look was the last thing Zandik saw before bursting into tears again. Oh, what a long night it would be.
When Dottore woke up, at exactly 7:00 A.M., he felt warm and long arms covering his body, he let himself relax for a second, until he remembered whose hands were holding him. He turned back, watching Pierro sleeping peacefully, he felt a wave of embarrassment run in his back. He tightened the hug and hid his face into the man’s chest.
“Are you awake?” He asked the second Harbinger. He nodded. “It seems like you’ve got a really big problem, what’s the matter, dear?” Pierro caressed his hair slowly, he was still jealous, nothing will change from night to morning, but he still had some hope deep down his now broken heart.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into… Pantalone lately… I think he’s cheating on me with… Columbina, they’re always together, I don’t even know what to do at this point!” The Doctor buried his face into the leader’s chest. But he moved away.
“What do you mean? Columbina is dating Arlecchino.” What the fuck. So, he was seeing things that weren’t there the whole time!? How stupid!
“Huh?” He murmured, instantly, he stood up and changed his clothes as the man who took care of him last night watched him with a confused look in his face. “I need to visit Pantalone!”
He didn’t even let Pierro finish his sentence as he ran away from the bedroom, he ran as fast as possible to their shared bedroom, maybe, he would still be sleeping or was sleeping with Columbina. His stomach started to hurt at the thought of that, but no! He needed to see him right now! He opened the door and saw the sleeping man on the bed, he got scared when he heard the door opening, but was too tired to care at all.
“D-Dottore?” He rubbed his eyes and put on his glasses, looking as confused as Pierro was about two minutes ago. “W-What happened?”
“Is Columbina dating Arlecchino?!”
“Y-Yes, but, how did you find out? And are you okay? Why were you crying last night? Did something happen?” A wave of embarrassment went all the way up to his face, making him blush out in shame. “Please tell me you didn’t think that we were dating…” Pantalone covered his face.
An awkward silence took place in the room.
“I… was jealous.”
Oh, he didn’t expect that. Jealous? Dottore?
“Wait, you thought we were dating, I’m fucking gay and she’s a lesbian! And all this time we were talking about our partners!“
“Wait, really?”