Pink clouds danced across an orange and purple sky. Bushes were returning to their standard hue of vibrant green; thin, flimsy branches slowly gaining their foliage back. 

Neighboring trees were beginning to thrive again, so the forest surrounding the Bale property didn't seem so dreary. Small white flower petals lined the cracked stone pathway that lead to the front door. 

In the distance, city lights awoke in a mass of yellow. They'd only get brighter as the sun continued its slow descent.

Alessandro was in the middle of sweeping some debris off of the porch when he heard a car pull up. He turned around and came face to face with an unfamiliar black vehicle. Luckily, the windows weren't tinted; so he could see inside. It was easy to make out the familiar face behind the wheel.

Tan skin, light facial stubble, green eyes, longer brunet hair.

Leonardo hadn't aged a day since he last visited.

Alessandro put down the broom as the car was parked. He ran down the stone pathway with an excited cheer. "Hey, asshole!"

"Sup, bitch!"

The two brothers met for a tight hug. Both men erupted into enthusiastic fits of laughter. Faint vibrations ran across their chests.

Leonardo was a few inches taller and a bit more muscular. Those specific features made it easier for him to pick up and spin around his brother. 

Once Alessandro was put down, he was playfully shoved. He did the same right back. A rough furrow of his hair was given in return. Unkempt curls became even messier than they already were, and the action further proved that a certain mask didn't need to be worn in Leonardo's presence.

When he was around, it was okay to just... exist. The same way it was with Lance whenever he was present.

"Where's your boyfriend?" The question was coupled with a teasing smirk.

"He's not my boyfriend, dumbass." Alessandro chuckled while helping with the luggage. "And Lance is inside. He was taking a shower, but he's probably out by now."

"Perfect.~"

"Be nice. A lot of shit's been going down for him, and he's been stressed out. He's actually kind of nervous to see you."

"Doesn't need to be. I don't bite." Leonardo winked. "...Much."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on."

A short honk resonated from the black car once it was locked. White headlights flashed in tandem with the quick sound.

A medium sized suitcase was pulled along the stone pathway. Leaves crunched when they were run over by plastic wheels.

A slight breeze ruffled surrounding foliage. Ringing came from a new wind chime, which was hanging by the door, as it danced from its high perch. Rippling water from the nearby pool could be heard as well. A faint aroma of chlorine became stronger with every step closer to the Bale residence.

Upon opening the door, Alessandro was greeted by Rain's excited meows. When she saw Leonardo, her tail's swishing became more frantic. Fast strides were taken up to the man as he put down his belongings in a free spot by the door.

"There's my cutie!" Leonardo happily scooped up Rain and rubbed her face against his own. "My soft little lady. Has your papa been treating you well? Is he giving you all your snacks? If not, let me know. I'll go to the store right now just for you, baby."

A long meow was given in response. It made both men laugh.

Leonardo settled down on the couch near Rain's bed. He held her up in the air like an actual baby and marveled at her soft underbelly. Gentle kisses were pressed against the area. Afterwards, she was held close to his chest. Numerous pecks were planted onto her tiny forehead as well. They were reciprocated with a few generous licks and purrs.

Seeing as Leonardo was occupied, Alessandro excused himself. He walked over to his room with his hands in the pockets of his thin joggers. Partial attention was kept on the designs that were etched into numerous wooden floorboards. It was fleeting though, as dark wood quickly shifted to bright tiling.

Steam made its way out of an open doorway leading to the master bathroom. The shower wasn't running, so it was presumed that Lance was finishing up.

Green eyes took in the sight of said male while he was drying his hair with a towel. He had on a pair of above ankle leggings with matching shorts. He hadn't put on a shirt yet, so Japanese kanji from a familiar spine tattoo was on full display.

Light scratch marks were embedded into the pale skin of his hips. Mostly faded hickeys lingered near the tops of both shoulder blades.

Alessandro took partial offense to that. He was tempted to further enhance the vibrancy of those markings, regardless of whether or not they had company in the house.

Now that sex was common between the two, he'd become quite greedy when it came to leaving territorial love bites on Lance.

"You're staring." A smooth voice broke the silence as their gazes met in a tall mirror.

"Can't help myself. I'm drawn to things that I find beautiful."

"Flattery will only get you so far, Andro."

"Yeah, I'm hoping it gets you back in bed."

Lance snickered. He hung the towel up to dry and reached for a gray T-shirt. The garment hugged his figure while still giving the illusion of comfort.

After checking over his appearance once more, he met Alessandro in the entryway. "You're quite bold for wanting to fuck when your brother's in the other room."

"He wouldn't mind. Knowing him, he'd probably congratulate me and then drink all the wine as payback for leaving him alone for too long."

Comical laughter echoed into the hallway as the two walked together.

Feeling lighthearted, Alessandro nudged Lance in the shoulder. A slightly rougher shove was given in return. It kept going until pushes turned into pokes.

A well placed prod at his side made Lance suck in a breath. He tried to hold back his smile but ultimately failed. "Andro, I swear- if you tickle me again-"

"Too late."

Lance tried to run away. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't compete with the superior speed and strength from the other male.

Alessandro grabbed hold of Lance by his waist when they made it into the kitchen/living room area. Light pokes near his abdomen caused high pitched yelps to mix with hysterical cackling. He tried to twist his body to escape, but Alessandro's hands were firm.

His smile remained large throughout a bout of incessant tickling. His eyes, on the other hand, softened in response to Lance's blinding grin.

"Careful, Ale- if you break him, I won't have a drinking partner." Leonardo chuckled from his spot on the couch.

"What do you mean? I drink with you," Alessandro replied after finally stopping.

"Yeah, but you got your moderation thing going on."

"That makes two of us," Lance chimed in.

"Ah damn. Guess I gotta get piss drunk by myself."

Leonardo gave one last kiss to Rain before rising off of the couch. He made his way over to Lance, and—without hesitation from either male—they met for a tight hug.

The friendly gesture had been ripped out of the past and planted straight into the present.

"It's good to see you again, Lance. You look great."

"Same here, Leo."

"How's it been with my brother? I'll go push him in the pool if he's been an asshole."

"There's no need," Lance said with a snicker. "He's been more than great."

Alessandro smiled at the scene. He let the two catch up and made his way into the kitchen.

The oven light was switched on, revealing the contents of what would soon be dinner.

A metal container housed a thick beef brisket. Cut up potatoes and asparagus were cooking alongside said meat. Colorful specks from multiple seasonings gave the meal some additional color. Waves of heat made everything look like it was undulating within the oven's confines.

After giving the brisket a few pokes to check for its desired preparation, Alessandro let the meat sit atop the stove. He put his oven mitts back in their spot near the cutting board.

When he turned his attention to Lance and Leonardo, he found the two now talking in the living room. They were both smiling with only a few inches of space between them.

It was like years worth of distance hadn't happened. They were still as close as they used to be.

A part of Alessandro was a bit envious of his brother in that regard, but such a negative mentality was immediately stashed away. "Food just has to rest. Should be ready to go in ten minutes or so."

"Awesome," Leonardo answered. "Want to eat poolside?"

"Ooh, that sounds nice," Lance added.

Alessandro nodded with a quiet hum. He reached down into a cupboard beneath the sink to grab some wet wipes. They were brought out of the kitchen as he made his way down the hall. 

Getting to the glass wall, he pulled open the sliding door which led to the pool and balcony space. Rippling water was much louder now that he was closer. The strong smell of chlorine and flowers was refreshing.

A set of lounge seats occupied the space closer to the doors. A large outdoor grill stood in a far off corner near some glass railings. Five metal chairs with padded cushions surrounded a circular table.

Alessandro spent a moment cleaning its surface since it hadn't been used in awhile.

By the time he was finished, Lance and Leonardo were bringing out portions of food. The former went back inside to fetch a trio of glasses and a bottle of wine. It gave the two brothers a chance to talk in private.

"You two are way friendlier than I thought you'd be," Leonardo commented. "How's it been working and stuff like that? You've never really gone into detail about it."

"At first it was kind of tense, but everything naturally simmered down after we talked things out. We've been a lot more open with each other. It's why he's trusted me to help him with a lot of his issues. I appreciate that he wants me to be there for him."

"How honest have you been?"

"As much as I can comfortably let myself be." Alessandro looked out toward the sunset.

"...Does he know about... what happened with her?"

"No. Not yet, at least. I know sooner or later I'm going to have to tell him. I'm just not ready to do so yet."

Leonardo nodded in understanding. He lightly smacked a hand against his brother's shoulder. "Consider my lips sealed then."

They turned their attention to Lance when he returned. A previously tense conversation turned calm without issue.

*

"So then I'm sitting there with Nonna and Pa, and they're looking at me like I have five heads or some shit. All because I said we ran out of fresh sauce at home and ended up having to get store bought. Don't look at me like that, Ale- it was an emergency! The earful I got for that was fucking crazy though. I don't care if there's a blizzard outside- next time I run out of fresh ingredients, I'm trekking my ass up to the farmer's market and making my shit from scratch. But! I might not even have to- because every time Nonna comes over now, she gives me a jar of her stuff. And we all know she does it best, so I'm not even mad."

Leonardo spoke with wild hands. His cheeks were red due to how much wine he had, and his laughter broke through his chaotic story telling.

Hyperactive movements made the other two men more hysterical in terms of their own cackling.

"I haven't had Nonna's cooking in ages," Alessandro said, resting his cheek against his hand.

"Come over when you're free. I'm sure she'd be happy to see you again. She misses your big head, asshole." Leonardo's expression became a little more delicate. "We all do."

"I've thought about going back. I just- I don't know. I've been really into work these last couple of years. Guess I'm still learning how to give myself the chance to properly unwind."

"Maybe I can teach you a thing or two during our retreat." Lance beamed. "There's no need to be Mr. Perfect when you're not on the job. There's no need to be Mr. Perfect at all- but that's a conversation for a different day. I think you should actually take some vacation time this year instead of just letting it sit like you usually would. Doesn't do anything for you if you don't use it."

"Maybe. It's just been awhile since I've taken a proper vacation overseas. I might need to bring you along for that too, Lance. You know- to show me the ropes and all that."

"No complaints here, Andro. Maybe your parents will stuff me full of gelato, and I'll never be able to leave. I'm more than okay with that."

Their casual flirting brought about more fond and tender smiles.

Neither of them noticed when Leonardo knowingly glanced between both men. A smirk came onto his face as he realized there had been a little more chemistry at play here than he initially thought.

Upon noticing this, he downed the rest of his wine and jumped to his feet. "Welp! I'm going to go put my stuff away and hit the shower. You two have fun while I'm gone!"

And just like that, he and his dinnerware vanished. All anyone could do was blink at the sudden departure.

"He's still as eccentric as he always was." Lance chuckled, reaching for his wine glass. "It's still funny as shit too."

"Yeah, he usually is."

Alessandro leaned back in his chair with a sigh. He breathed in the smell of nature. He also silently reveled in a certain someone's cologne.

The temperature dipped once the sun completely set, but the cooler air still felt nice against his skin.

Underwater light fixtures caused a blue tint to emerge from the spacious swimming pool. An aquatic turquoise reflected off of surrounding glass railings. The water itself looked like it was glowing. Such an intriguing visual brought about a want to go swimming despite the chilly breeze.

Lance seemed to pick up on the train of thought because he glanced at the pool as well.

Instead of saying anything, he reacted by placing his electronics and wallet on the table. A loose pair of shorts were pulled off, leaving him clad in his leggings and shirt. He motioned toward the water with a slight nudge of the head.

Alessandro followed suit by putting his own belongings on the table as well. He grabbed the hand that was presented to him.

Bare feet padded against the ground as they walked toward the pool's edge. A single toe was dipped into the water to test the temperature.

It was cold but still pleasant.

They sat down, draping their legs into the water. Gentle kicks made tiny waves form. Small splashes dove over the other side of the pool, wetting some nearby floor tiling. Sections of their pants became wet as well, thanks to the slight movements.

No one voiced any opinions of annoyance or any want for the childish antics to stop.

Green eyes glanced upward to take in the view. Since the pool and outdoor balcony lights were on, not many stars could be seen. Fortunately, a few brighter dots still made themselves known. They were presented alongside a thin crescent illuminating a darkened sky.

Even with his attention elsewhere, Alessandro felt it when a presence scooted closer beside him. Random shapes were traced along the skin of his palm. He did his best to remain still as a means of not interrupting the relaxing atmosphere.

"You excited for tomorrow?" he asked.

"Course. I love road trips. Plus... I'm looking forward to having you to myself for awhile." Bluish gray eyes looked up toward the sky as well. "I know it's probably going to be busy during our retreat. There may not be a lot of time for us to hang out by ourselves. I know we'll be rooming together while we're there, but still. I like when it's just us. When it's you and me- and the rest of the world is just... away. Things are easier when it's like that."

"I know what you mean," Alessandro added. "We don't really get much time to hang out like that. We may be living together, but life still manages to get in the way. We're both usually tired after coming back from work. When we do have free time, it's usually spent doing chores- or us going off to do our own things. I- Sleeping together helps give that sort of comfort, I guess. Like, when we're fucking around, there's nothing to worry about except us. Life kind of stands still for a little bit. If I'm being honest, I wish it did so more often."

"How come?"

"Because when I'm with you, the world isn't as much of a scary place."

Lance chuckled to himself. "You finally divulging your inner workings to me?"

"A little bit. It's something that I'm still learning how to do comfortably. I'm not used to talking about this stuff with people who aren't paid to hear me complain."

Featherlight digits continued to glide across Alessandro's hand. They traced the outlines of his fingers and settled near his wrist. He looked over when a kiss was planted onto the spot.

"I've always wondered something about you, Andro."

"And that would be?"

"You and I are very different. We don't normally like the same things, and sometimes our personalities don't really mesh well. But somehow, back then and now, we've been able to build a strangely deep friendship. I'm just curious as to why you think that is because I've never really had an answer for it."

"It's easy," Alessandro said with an affectionate tone. "I've always admired that you can find such warmth and happiness in the things I can't. And whether or not you realize it, you've done the same."

"Admiration, huh?" Lance muttered. "I guess that's one word for it."

Before Alessandro had a chance to question the statement, he was pushed toward the surface of the water. He grabbed Lance out of reflex, and the force caused both men to fall into the pool.

They resurfaced with loud gasps. Heavy breathing quickly turned to shared laughter.

Alessandro opened his eyes in time for him to dodge a planned splash to the face. Smirking, he swam forward with the intent of grabbing Lance.

A wide grin made the edges of his eyes crinkle. High pitched squeals escaped him as he tried to run away but was unable to get far since the bottom of the pool was slippery against his bare feet. When strong arms wrapped around his torso, Lance's boisterous hollering made him snort. 

The cute sound brought about even more laughter.

With their attention on each other, neither male noticed Leonardo peeking from inside. He watched the scene in front of him with a proud smile.