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0.) Cyno
The General Mahamatra is a master of stealth. Or at least, that’s what he tells himself. It’s a little hard to be stealthy with Alhaitham kissing beneath his ear like this, hands in Cyno’s hair, tugging ever so slightly. Cyno bites down hard on his lip and wraps his legs around Alhaitham’s waist from where he’s seated on his own desk, report on his latest operation completely abandoned. He can’t quite keep in the groan when Alhaitham switches to kissing down his neck. He grabs hold of Alhaitham’s shoulders and pushes him away, just a bit.
“We’re going to be caught.”
“Mmm. Worth it.” Alhaitham tugs him closer once more, leaning forward so Cyno is pushed, bit by bit, into laying on his desk.
Ugh. No. Cyno knows exactly where this is going and then they’re definitely going to be caught. Maybe if this was one of their late night rendezvous it would be alright, but the sunlight is streaming through his window and lining Alhaitham in gold—Archons, he’s beautiful—and any moment now someone is going to come knocking and the last thing he needs is to be caught splayed out on the desk with the Academiya’s Scribe laving kisses down his neck. He pushes his elbows down before Alhaitham can force him completely flat and unwinds his legs.
“We’re going to get caught.”
Alhaitham sighs and stands back. He’s annoyed. Not at him, necessarily, Cyno knows, but just has that general annoyance at the world when it’s being subpar. The world is subpar a lot. That’s why Alhaitham works so hard to block so much of it out. “So we get caught. Would that really be so bad? Cyno—” He leans forward once more and catches his chin in his hand. “You know I don’t care. About what anyone says.”
There are times when Alhaitham blocks out the world, and times he throws so much out into it that it’s nearly blinding. Cyno doesn’t understand anyone who thinks Alhaitham is emotionless. They haven’t looked properly into his eyes. There’s galaxies spinning in there.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks. He wants to know what star Alhaitham is currently circling.
“Mmm.” Alhaitham tips his head back. “I found an interesting set of research notes the other day on the history of Decarabian’s rule. I’m thinking about that. And the book I’m currently reading. It’s quite entertaining how the author jumps to conclusions with no solid evidence except his own desperate desire to be right. I’m also thinking about how much I want to kiss you. But mostly I’m thinking about how I don’t give a damn what people would say if they found out about us.”
“And I don’t either,” Cyno mutters, hands going to fiddle with the papers strewn across his desk. “It’s just…”
“You do though,” Alhaitham interrupts. “Or we wouldn’t be sneaking around like this.”
Alright, he does care. Because the moment it comes out that Cyno and Alhaitham are in a relationship, it’s the only thing the Academiya will talk about. All of Sumeru City. Hell, maybe all of Sumeru. They’re both public figures with enough rumors surrounding them anyways. And this thing with Alhaitham, it’s still so young and wonderfully new, kisses like champagne bubbles on his tongue, touch like electricity, every movement and every meeting of their eyes like fire down his spine.
But it also feels so fragile.
Right now, things are perfect. But having other people know, having other people gossip and pry, Cyno hates it. Can’t stand the idea. He wants this perfect thing for as long as he can hold onto it without opinions splashed up on the public message boards, without vicious words passed between lips. He’s already had enough of those for this lifetime.
“I want it to be ours,” he says softly, and Alhaitham’s expression melts. He kisses Cyno gently, all champagne bubbles on his tongue, and whispers, “It’s always going to be ours.”
“I’m not ashamed or anything.”
“I know that.”
“I just don’t want the whole world to know yet.” Give him just a little bit longer with his perfect thing. He’s so scared to lose it.
“It’s fine.” Alhaitham kisses him again, and Cyno knows he doesn’t really think it’s fine but Alhaitham will still do it. “It’s fine. We’ll wait.” Another kiss. A chuckle, buried in the nook of Cyno’s neck. Alhaitham’s breath is so warm and ticklish. “How hard can it be to keep it a secret anyway?”
1.) Tighnari
“He lives rent-free in each of our hearts.”
Tighnari manages to keep his reaction to a sigh, rather than thunking his head down on the table like he wants to. Could Cyno be any more ridiculously obvious?
Luckily, the rest of the crew take it as another terrible joke and move on. It’s when Tighnari is testing Collei’s TCG deck against Cyno’s Deck of Destiny (new shiny card included) that he leans across the table and mutters, “Really? He lives in our hearts?”
Cyno doesn’t glance up as he rolls his dice. “Doesn’t he?”
Tighnari glances down at the cards in his hand. He’s solidly losing. “He doesn’t live rent-free in my heart.”
“Well then you are a poor landlord,” Cyno says calmly, and plays five Cryo dice to obliterate Tighnari’s active character and freeze his last card.
“Cyno.”
“Hmm?”
“Cyno.”
“I’m concentrating.”
“People are going to find out,” Tighnari states, and throws in his last card. “I concede.”
Cyno shoots him that thoroughly annoyed look he gets whenever someone concedes a game. “I didn’t get the chance to play my new card.”
Tighnari leans back and crosses his arms. “Tough. Walk with me.”
Collei is busy building another deck out of the spare cards Cyno had loaned her. She starts to stand up when she notices Tighnari starting to haul Cyno out the door, but he gestures her back down. She doesn’t need to be a part of this intervention.
Cyno loses any fight left in him when Tighnari drags him out the tavern doors. “What is it?”
Tighnari groans and pulls his dunderhead of a best friend towards the trees, away from prying ears. “You might have everyone else fooled, but you can’t fool me.”
And finally Cyno starts looking cagey. “Fool you about what?”
Tighnari can feel his ears starting to twitch with annoyance. “How long has Alhaitham been living in your heart, hmm?”
Cyno glances away so his headdress hides his expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Tighnari frowns. For Cyno to not tell even him…
“Cyno, what’s wrong?” he sighs, reaching across to squeeze Cyno’s shoulder. Cyno keeps his head carefully ducked.
“Nothing is wrong. You’re worrying unnecessarily.”
“Now you’re just making me worry more.”
“It’s unnecessary.”
Tighnari huffs and draws his hand away. Is it…one-sided? Is that the problem? Tighnari doesn’t know Alhaitham as well as the rest of them so it’s hard to make a judgment. Would Alhaitham ever even be in a romantic relationship, or is Cyno just steering himself to heartbreak?
Dammit. Tighnari can…sort of understand it too. Why Cyno would let Alhaitham start living rent-free in his heart. The two of them had worked together an awful lot after Lesser Lord Kusanali was freed, and as much as Alhaitham talks about the Scribe being an easy job, he hadn’t backed down when the Academiya needed an Acting Grand Sage, and everything he sets his mind to is completed with utmost efficiency, exactly like with Cyno. Just because one of them does so to get back to a leisurely life and the other from a sense of duty doesn’t change the end result.
Cyno respects him. Maybe even trusts him. And Cyno is so intensely bad with emotions that Tighnari actually isn’t surprised at all they ended up in this situation.
“Does Alhaitham feel the same way?” he asks gently, and Cyno finally looks up, eyes hard.
“The same way about what?”
Like Tighnari’s going to be intimidated by that ‘mean old General Mahamatra’ voice. Please. “Can we just pretend for one minute that I’m not an imbecile? Does Alhaitham feel the same way?” Archons, why did he pick such a stubborn boar as a best friend?
Cyno reaches up to rub at his temples. “I don’t know what you want me to say. How am I supposed to feel about Alhaitham?”
“You. Like. Him,” Tighnari says through gritted teeth.
Cyno drops his hand and nods decisively. “I do. He is a dependable ally and never concedes a game.” Tighnari gets the evil eye at that point. “I know Kaveh has his grievances but I find Alhaitham to be good company.”
For the love of—
“If there were something ever the matter,” Cyno adds, voice gentle, “I know exactly who to call on. But for now, please let it go.”
Tighnari is not good at letting things go. He crosses his arms as his ears flick flick flick in irritation. “I just…don’t want you getting hurt.”
Cyno smiles then, his tiny little smile. “I know. I am not planning on getting hurt.”
“You know I’d string him up a tree if you need me to.”
“I know that too.”
“You should probably not mention him living in your heart. If you want to keep things a secret.”
“There’s nothing to be kept secret.”
Not that Tighnari would ever, ever actually wish for this scenario to happen, but Cyno would be amazing under interrogation. His expression doesn’t even twitch. He stares at Tighnari and then gives a soft sigh. “Come on.” He grabs Tighnari by the front of his robes and starts pulling him along the street, through the twilight crowds. They receive congratulations and condolences for losing the Championship left and right, but Cyno just keeps tugging Tighnari behind him, leaving Tighnari to nod and thank people for the well wishes and invite them to his lecture next month. Cyno leads him to where the path starts heading up towards the Academiya and Tighnari realizes where they’re going. He extracts his robes from Cyno’s grip and is the first to hop off the path onto the great tree. He sees the flash of Cyno’s smile when Cyno follows, and then they disappear from the light of the streetlamps, scampering up the tree that had been their sanctuary as students. Tighnari, especially, had gotten good at hopping out his window whenever he heard the sages approaching, and Cyno had always responded to a few pebbles chucked against his own. Well, until he decided to become the General Mahamatra and everything changed. But for years, they’d run up and down this tree, perching in the highest branches where no one could find them. It gives Tighnari an odd pang in his heart to be doing so again.
He knows where Cyno wants to go. Their favorite branch, hidden by a canopy of leaves but a favorite spot for fireflies to congregate. He collapses onto the familiar wood, fingers running along the grooves of the bark. Cyno goes to lean against the trunk, one ankle crossed over the other, arms across his chest.
“Not that the trip up memory lane isn’t appreciated, but why exactly are we here?” Tighnari tugs one glove off to feel the bark with bare skin. Imagine if all cities in the world could be built around a tree…
Cyno reaches out a steady hand and waits for a firefly to drop into it. “Because I don’t want you to be hurt either.”
Huh. “Sorry?”
Cyno stares at him, face lit by the firefly. “If you think I’m keeping something from you—”
“Which you are.”
“—it’s not because I don’t trust you. You have and will always be my best friend.” Cyno lifts his hand to encourage the firefly away. It manages a few pathetic flaps upwards before landing on the nose of his headdress. Tighnari snorts. Cyno mutters something under his breath about ‘stupid little insects’ and goes to join him, sitting cross-legged with his own personal lantern lighting them both up. “I just…I just need you to trust me on this. Please.”
Tighnari rests one cheek in his hand and sighs, ears flattening. “Fine. I get it.”
Cyno nods solemnly. “Thank you.” And then yelps when Tighnari flicks him in the forehead.
“But cut it out with the ‘living in our hearts’ garbage. Honestly!” Tighnari shuffles so he can lean again Cyno’s side, just like old times when they’d complain about their theses and professors. “As a matra, I’d honestly think you’d be better at keeping a secret.”
Cyno flicks at his headdress and watches the firefly meander away. “What secret?”
2.) Kaveh
Days of peace between Kaveh and Alhaitham are rare, ones where the insults are kept to a minimum and Kaveh’s blood pressure stays beneath possibly fatal levels.
This is not one of those days.
“And once again you continue to fail to acknowledge the major flaw in your inherent character,” Alhaitham tells him dryly when they run into each other at the doors at the Academiya. He probably has that stupid, condescending look on his face, but Kaveh can’t tell. The pile of blueprints in his hands is too high.
“You could at least offer to help,” he spits out, not really expecting anything of the sort.
“I find it best you are given the chance to recognize your follies.” Alhaitham replies, and when he opens the door, it sends the top few blueprints scattering in the wind. Some of the actual kind and courteous students look up at his cry of dismay and run to grab the blueprints before they can land in the fountain. By the time Kaveh is calm and collected once more, Alhaitham has disappeared down the walkway. Ugh. Kaveh accepts the twine one of the students offers and binds up his papers before starting out into the sunshine. He would have done that earlier! Really! He just hadn’t been able to find a length of twine in his office which, he can admit, is a little full of bills slowly taking over the floor and half-created concepts pinned on every wall.
Either way, he’s determined now to catch up to Alhaitham and list the ways he is the absolute worst. He hefts the blueprints and hurries off down the walk. Of course, they’ll doubtlessly both end up at the house, where Kaveh could say his piece, but he prefers confronting Alhaitham in public, just so he has witnesses when Alhaitham proves himself the most unbearable person in Sumeru. Not that it ever really matters. Alhaitham’s renown is too absolute to be shaken by some cruel words that nobody will understand anyway because the man probably reads a thesaurus to fall asleep at night. Still.
He catches up with Alhaitham at the foot of the hill, and has his mouth open to inform Alhaitham that he is the actual most unbearable person in Sumeru, but stops when he realizes Alhaitham is already engaged in conversation. With a guard. A matra. Kaveh stops, blinks, and then shuffles forward enough to eavesdrop.
“The General’s jokes have a certain degree of complexity that may pass by the common person. It’s a pity that most people in Sumeru lack the cognitive ability to comprehend them. In your case, I would hope to be reassigned soon so you may try to broaden your horizons when it comes to sophisticated humor.” And Alhaitham turns on his heel and calmly walks away.
After a moment, Kaveh realizes he should probably close his mouth. He glances over at the poor guard, who looks like they’ve stared death in the face, and shifts his stack of blueprints to one arm so he can pat them on the shoulder. He should probably say some comforting words.
“He probably won’t ever talk to you again,” is the best he can come up with. The guard slowly turns their head, so slow he can almost hear the grinding of joints, and whispers, “All I said was I was glad I didn’t have to listen to the General Mahamatra’s jokes. They don’t make sense! But if Scribe Alhaitham says otherwise…”
Archons. Kaveh leaves the poor guard muttering to themselves and scurries along. Alhaitham has made it all the way to the house by the time he catches up. Kaveh actually has his key—for once; it’s been missing so often recently—and bursts through the door, previous bad mood dissipating like smoke.
Alhaitham is laid out on the sofa and gives Kaveh an unimpressed look when he drops the pile of blueprints with a thump. “Can I help you?”
Kaveh folds to his knees on the opposite side of the coffee table, rests his chin in his hands, and grins. “You just inadvertently did the funniest thing to happen to Sumeru in decades.”
Alhaitham marks his spot in his book with a finger, frowning. “What do you mean?”
This is delightful. “I mean that now that the great, grand, renowned Scribe Alhaitham has declared the General Mahamatra’s jokes as clever, every single student, scholar, and sage is going to be analyzing those jokes top to bottom, trying to find the hidden meaning that makes them actual masterpieces of humor. It’s going to drive them all mad and I, for one, can’t wait to watch.”
For a moment, he could swear he sees Alhaitham’s cheeks tinge pink, but it’s probably the light. “Cyno’s jokes do not deserve the reputation they have. Some are actually quite amusing.”
This is beyond delightful. “I’ve been the victim of many, many, many of Cyno’s jokes, and they are not amusing in any way. You just didn’t like hearing anyone trash talk him.”
Alhaitham scoffs and turns back to his book. “So I want to protect a friend’s reputation. Is there anything wrong with that?”
“Alright, first off, you actually referred to someone as a friend, which makes me worry. Are you sick?” Oh, damn, maybe he is sick. Kaveh goes to stand up. “Are you actually sick? Do you need medicine or something? Where do you keep the medicine?”
“I’m not sick!” Alhaitham snaps and, oh dear, he is actually blushing, isn’t he? That’s not a trick of the light. His entire face is starting to look like a tomato.
But Alhaitham doesn’t care about reputation. Not even his own. For him to actually defend Cyno’s awful jokes is…
Well it’s…
Oh it couldn’t possibly be that , could it?
Alhaitham has a crush on Cyno and this is suddenly a very good day.
“What are you smiling about?” Alhaitham snarls, and Kaveh wrestles for his blueprints and staggers upright.
“I’m not smiling about anything,” he says, and beehives it for his room. His nice room, with a solid door between him and Alhaiham when the other’s inevitable wrath sets in. “You’re definitely sick!” he calls over his shoulder, and finishes the thought with the door ready to slam shut. “Lovesick!”
It’s actually impressive how hard Alhaitham’s book collides with the door.
Not like Alhaitham would ever actually fall in love. Kaveh sets his blueprints on his desk and smiles. No way would that ever happen.
Right?
3.) Nilou
Nilou enjoys going out of the city to practice. Whenever she’s in the city, any dance moves she makes are considered a performance, and she needs a place where she can make mistakes.
She’s just picked a nice meadow with no obvious enemies around when she spots the figure hunched against a tree.
It isn’t exactly a surprise to see Alhaitham out here. The Scribe is definitely eccentric, and she knows he often leaves the city seeking solitude. It’s more of a surprise they managed to find the same meadow to avoid people in. Possibly ironic.
“Alhaitham!” She waves when he looks up and spots her. She can hear his book close with a snap all the way from here. It would be rude not to say hello though. She wades through the grass and flowers until she reaches the cover of the trees. Alhaitham stares her down with his usual deadpan expression. He’s not mean, though, Nilou knows. Just…sort of different. “What are you reading?”
His eyes widen, more life coming to his face than she’s possibly seen before. “It’s nothing,” he says quickly, way too quickly. Suspiciously. She knows she really shouldn’t, but it’s a little fun to see Alhaitham flustered. She ducks her head to read the title of the book before he can hide it away.
“ King of Invokations .” She smiles up at him. There had been a lot of things to remember about the Extravaganza, but Cyno’s dramatic speeches had certainly been up there. She’d never known he was such a nerd. “That’s Cyno’s favorite book, isn’t it?”
“It is.” Alhaitham’s eyes flick to the side. Apparently the bark on the tree over there is really interesting. “He loaned it to me. Quite unasked.”
“How is it?”
Alhaitham shrugs one shoulder. “The plot is ridiculous, the characters one-dimensional, and the purple prose is nigh unbearable.”
Nilou scrunches her nose. She doesn’t understand him. “Then why keep reading it?”
Alhaitham ‘hmmphs’. “So I can give my full and nuanced review of the work later.”
Nilou twines her hands behind her back, suddenly feeling very awkward. “Won’t that hurt his feelings?”
Another huff. “Cyno’s feelings are not my concern. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” Alhaitham peels away and disappears through the trees. Probably searching for a meadow without company. Nilou watches him go, sighs, feels momentarily sorry for Cyno, and returns to the middle of the meadow to practice.
She doesn’t think much more of the interaction until a few weeks later, when she’s down on Treasures Street, running errands for the theater. Cyno always tends to stand out wherever he goes, with the headdress and staff, and it’s so rare to see him down here that Nilou is momentarily shocked still before sidling up to him at the booksellers. Knowing that Cyno is a bit of a dweeb and not as scary as he looks helps her put on her biggest smile. “What are you searching for?”
Cyno turns to look at her, eyebrows raised, and then smiles just a little and gestures to the stacks of books. “I need a copy of King of Invokations .”
Oh. Had Alhaitham ruined the book somehow? That didn’t seem like him. “Don’t you have it already?” she asks tentatively, and jumps a bit when Cyno gives a cry of triumph, unearthing a copy of the book from a pile of light novels. He looks back to her, eyes shining. “I lent my copy to Al…a friend, and he was so taken with it I decided to buy him his own copy!”
Nilou blinks. What had happened to the ridiculous plot, one-dimensional characters, and purple prose? And why didn’t Cyno want her to know it was Alhaitham he’d lent the book to? Strange.
Actually, what had happened to not caring about Cyno’s feelings?
“And…uh…what did this friend have to say about the book?”
She really, really shouldn’t have asked that. Cyno’s entire face lights up and he begins talking almost too quickly to keep up, flipping the book open to point out specific passages and quotes that his friend had apparently loved. Was it definitely Alhaitham he’d gotten this feedback from? Is there anyone else she knows whose name starts with ‘Al’?
No, no, no, it has to be Alhaitham. Alhaitham, who had spared Cyno’s feelings and apparently given him a full report on how his favorite book is a veritable masterpiece. Nilou nods along as Cyno blabbers and thinks, ‘Cute.’ And then, ‘Why?’
Alhaitham doesn’t care about people’s feelings. It’s a little refreshing, actually. He’s never shy to share his opinion and sometimes that is exactly what needs to happen to lead to improvement, like in the theater. So why would Alhaitham, for what might have been the first time in his life for all Nilou knows, not give his honest opinion about a book he had, from what he told her at least, detested?
She stares at Cyno’s bright eyes and barely-there smile. He doesn’t look a thing like the scary General Mahamatra. He’s just excited and sweet and if this was the result of Alhaitham’s words then…
Alhaitham knows how to read people. He would know exactly what his words would do. Nilou stares at Cyno, still going on about the world-class writing style, and thinks, ‘Ah.’ She is pretty sure she just figured something out.
She wishes she could see Alhaitham’s face when Cyno gives him his own precious copy of King of Invokations . And, as it turns out when Cyno does a bit more digging, volumes two through thirteen as well.
4.) Nahida
Sometimes it’s very difficult being the God of Wisdom. And not because she still has so much to learn. No, right now the problem is that she is sometimes far too good at learning and the two men standing in front of her are so obviously hiding something it’s making her itch. If she could just poke inside their heads for one second…but no. That would be wrong. She trusts Alhaitham and Cyno and they should be able to trust her as well.
But they’re trying to hide something from the God of Wisdom and it’s so tempting to find out what.
Even though Alhaitham stepped down as Acting Grand Sage, she still prefers him to make reports on the Academiya. He saved her, after all, and the Scribe knows more about everything going on in the Academiya than any one sage. And of course, Cyno is Cyno, and is always included in these meetings.
A few months ago, they would stand comfortably shoulder to shoulder—alright, head to shoulder—while they discussed the current state of the Academiya. For the past few weeks, though, they’ve been standing practically on other sides of the room. They don’t seem hostile, however. In fact, Nahida has caught them actually smiling at each other, which wouldn’t seem quite so strange if she’d ever seen them smile before.
The clincher is when Cyno makes one of his jokes about Dendro slimes and Alhaitham actually chuckles as he hangs his head. Nahida usually finds Cyno’s jokes amusing—and when she’s taken walks around the city lately, a strange number of people seem to be searching his puns for some sort of higher meaning—but Nahida has never actually heard anyone laugh out loud to one of those jokes before.
One little peek into his mind…no. Not allowed.
Alhaitham covers the end of his laugh with a cough and lifts his head. Cyno is looking vaguely smug. “Madame Faruzan is also quite pleased with the students who have decided to attend her lectures,” Alhaitham concludes, and that’s all the Darshans covered. Nahida nods and turns to Cyno. He takes a step forward
“It’s been quite quiet lately. I’ve had most of the matra on patrol around Port Ormos to tie up any loose ends on forbidden knowledge smuggling. There was a case of a scholar stealing research and attempting to flee through the desert but…” He doesn’t need to finish the sentence. It’s laughably easy for Cyno to catch anyone who decides the desert is their best option. Not that he doesn’t always track down his prey, but Nahida has genuine concern for those who would risk their lives in the sandstorms and welnut territory just to be inevitably captured by a child of the desert.
“They did manage to fall right into the clutches of some consecrated beasts,” Alhaitham adds, folding his arms.
“A minor setback,” Cyno replies immediately, and Nahida’s eyes land on the bandage around his thigh, almost covered by his uniform but not quite. “Easily overcome.”
Alhaitham huffs and crosses his arms tighter across his chest. Interesting. Alhaitham’s being quite protective.
She wishes she understood just a little more about human emotion. Then maybe she could figure out why they’re acting so strangely.
“Maybe if the General Mahamatra didn’t insist on going on these missions alone…”
Cyno narrows his eyes at Alhaitham, and Nahida gets the distinct impression this isn’t a new argument. “I am completely capable of completing these assignments by myself. Bringing others along would simply slow me down.”
“Oh, so now the matra are incompetent?”
“The other matra didn’t grow up in the desert.”
Nahida smiles as she watches them argue back and forth. Humans are interesting when they’re worried about each other and don’t want to show it.
“Perhaps,” she peeps up, and the two of them seem to remember she’s in the room at all. Both go a little red. “Perhaps if another Vision bearer were to accompany Cyno, he would not find himself slowed down.”
“I’ll go,” Alhaitham says immediately, and Cyno’s response is a delightfully scornful look she’s never seen from him before.
“You have a job here, remember? If Lesser Lord Kusanali wills it, I’ll simply hire Dehya. She knows the desert as well as I do.”
It’s a very practical solution. And yet, Alhaitham still seems angry. “I could miss a few days. You know that. I’ll come with you next time.”
“You’re being foolish.”
“And you’re being foolhardy.”
Really, she should step in and stop this, but she’s learning quite a lot. Like how people can care so much about each other it turns into fighting.
A lot of fighting.
Alright, she probably should step in and stop this.
Nahida clears her throat and swings her legs from up on her seat. “What if Dehya were to accompany Cyno into the desert and you, Alhaitham, accompany him if his target happens to escape into the forests? Would that be acceptable?”
Cyno clenches his jaw. She can tell he’s really struggling with the whole concept of, essentially, being babysat. “Lesser Lord Kusanali, I assure you, I am quite capable of performing my job without assistance. Alhaitham is simply being…”
Alhaitham is angry. He’s being a little bit irrational. Mostly Nahida senses he’s just stressed, even if he’s trying to hide it. Alhaitham never used to care when Cyno showed up to these meetings a little scratched up. Or, at least, he never showed it so openly.
“Absurd,” Cyno decides upon, and Alhaitham whirls back on him to continue their spat.
Nahida swings her legs back and forth, back and forth. “You two care about each other very much,” she says at last, and they both clamp their mouths shut. Alhaitham goes pink across the face. It’s not as obvious on Cyno, with his darker skin and way he ducks his head so his headdress hides half his face, but she’s sure he goes a little red.
“Alhaitham is…is…important to the functioning of the Academiya,” Cyno mutters at last.
“Same for Cyno,” Alhaitham says, and places a hand on his hip. “Naturally I’m worried for his safety.”
“Even though you don’t have to be,” Cyno mutters and oh dear, this could go on for hours, couldn’t it?
Nahida claps her hands together. “It’s okay to be worried about someone you care about though, correct? And it’s alright that Alhaitham cares about you, right Cyno?”
Cyno goes completely still, possibly not even breathing. She watches Alhaitham’s eyes flicker to him, waiting.
“Of course it’s alright,” Cyno says at last, voice hollow. “It’s perfectly alright.”
“So is it also okay that he worries about you?”
“It’s…yes, Lesser Lord Kusanali.”
She feels a little bad doing this. It feels like a reprimand, and neither of them have done anything wrong but have emotions. She turns to Alhaitham instead. “And isn’t it also okay that Cyno wishes to do his job without company? He’s been doing so for many years now, after all. If you care about him, don’t you want to respect his wishes?”
He doesn’t. She can see it on his face. What odd, odd creatures humans are. “Yes, Lesser Lord Kusanali.”
Nahida chews on her lip a little bit, and then turns back to Cyno. “If you know Alhaitham worries about you, don’t you want to do something so he doesn’t worry?”
Cyno’s eyes remind her of a trapped animal. “He doesn’t need to worry.”
“But he still does.”
“That’s—”
“I think you should probably talk about this alone,” Nahida decides. Any longer and she really will poke into one of their minds. “You can both go now.”
They turn to stare at each other, and then make for the door, gravitating together so their sides almost touch. She can tell they’re muttering to each other as they push open the doors and leave. The doors close with a click. Nahida hums. They care about each other very much, don’t they? Do they think that standing so far apart in the room is going to fool her?
Nahida loves a lot of people, even if it took her a while to understand the emotion. She loves the two stubborn men who just left her sanctuary. She loves the Traveler and Paimon. She loves everyone who helped free her from the sages. She even thinks she might be starting to love her ‘prisoner’, no matter how much he’d hate it if she ever told him. In a broader sense, she loves all her people, and animals, and the Arinara, and Pari, and every single creature of Sumeru.
But she’s never experienced romantic love—quite obviously—and is very very quite curious if what she just witnessed could have been it.
She has so much left to learn.
5.) Candace
Cyno shows up to Aaru Village in the worst mood she’s ever seen from him. His companion, meanwhile, seems quite content, arms crossed behind his head and a slight smirk upon his face.
“I wouldn’t expect to see you here, Alhaitham,” Candace greets him, trying to ignore the way Cyno stomps off.
“I’m helping Cyno track down some problematic Eremites,” Alhaitham answers with a little shrug and, alright, maybe Candace understands Cyno’s bad mood. He and Alhaitham get along a little better now last time she checked, but the first time she’d checked, Cyno had been trying to take Alhaitham’s head off. Usually Cyno handles these sorts of cases all by himself, so having Alhaitham tag along must feel like quite the insult.
“Can I offer you some water? Food?”
Alhaitham smiles, still looking like a cat who found a nest of flightless baby birds. “Actually, we were hoping you could lend us a room for the night. Is that alright?”
She nods. “You’re always welcome here.”
It turns out that the ever-so-mature General Mahamatra has already found the spare bedroom she had in mind and is sitting on the edge of the bed, headdress abandoned on the side table and hands buried in his hair. His pack has been slung haphazardly onto the floor. Alhaitham drops the smug act the moment he sees him. “Hey, are you alright?”
“Just tired,” Cyno sighs, and Alhaitham huffs.
“I told you we could wait a day!” He turns to Candace and points accusingly. “This idiot spent all last night traveling back from Gandharva Ville and then insisted on starting off for the desert today.” As if she can do something about it? Cyno’s always been that way. Already he’s keeled over and tucked his legs up, eyes falling closed.
“Well, sleep will heal everything,” she soothes. Alhaitham had been so calm moments before and now he’s completely on edge. It’s…not how she remembers him. “Let me show you to your room.”
Alhaitham blinks, frowns, and then says, “We can share a room. It’s fine.”
Candace cocks her head to one side. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Alhaitham tells her shortly. “I’m rather tired too. Thanks for the room. Bye.” He practically slams the door in her face. Alright. That was odd.
Odd as Alhaitham’s behavior was, though, they could still use food and water. Candace strolls to go fetch some, and gives a light knock on the door so not to wake Cyno. When no one answers, she opens the door slowly, allowing a sliver of light in through the crack in the door.
Oh. They’re both asleep. Which wouldn’t surprise her—traveling through the desert is probably quite rough on Alhaitham—except…
Well, she wouldn’t expect Alhaitham propped up against the headboard, Cyno bundled into his arms. This is definitely something she isn’t supposed to see.
The matra are famed for sleeping with one eye open, so Candace closes the door as silently as she can and leaves the water and food right outside. She was never there.
So are they…? It would explain Alhaitham’s strange behavior. Candace rubs at her temples as she walks back around the village, starting a mindless patrol. But maybe Alhaitham was just being considerate, asking for one room only. Maybe there was only so much space on the bed…
She would watch them during dinner tonight. Then she could get a more accurate reading.
The afternoon comes and goes. At one point she sneaks over to see if the food and water are still in front of the door. They aren’t. She speaks with the Village Leader about incoming supplies and reprimands some children for provoking the buzzards with stones. And then dinner has arrived and Candace watches their guests from across the table, trying not to be too obvious about it. But there doesn’t seem to be anything to see. Cyno and Alhaitham sit side by side, a map of the desert spread out in front of them, marking the spots the Eremite band has been reported. Nothing suspicious at all. Just two men planning a mission. Until—
“We can head out tomorrow,” Cyno decides, and then glances over at Alhaitham. “You’re looking a bit red. Let me apply the sunburn lotion tonight.”
“I’m not sunburnt,” Alhaitham argues back. He’s mostly right. There’s just a little bit of pink around his shoulders .
“You’re sunburnt,” Cyno insists, and Candace fully expects them to fly into an argument, but Alhaitham just stares at Cyno and then shrugs.
“If it’ll make you feel better.”
“It will.”
“Then fine. That stuff smells like a rotting crocodile though.”
“It’s made from grease pupa shoots, actually.”
“Are you…you don’t kid. Alright. Whatever.”
It’s always a little odd to see Cyno relax when tense is simply his natural state of being. But he does relax, shoulders sagging, spine curving in from its usual stick-straight position. “Thank you,” he says, and Alhaitham scoffs, turning back to their map.
“Just to stop you worrying your head off.”
Candace’s eyes fly from one to the other and she grabs for her goblet of wine, nearly splashing it all over her. She can’t say anything if her mouth is full. What the hell was that? Cyno? Worrying about a little spattering of pink on Alhaitham’s shoulders? Alhaitham, actually bowing down to Cyno’s will? Just to stop him from said worrying? Their relationship has changed a lot since she last saw them.
She swallows her wine and carefully sets the goblet aside. “Are you both feeling alright?”
“Hmm?” Cyno blinks at her, eyes wide. “I’m feeling much better now. I just needed some sleep.”
“That’s…” She shouldn’t pry. Whatever their relationship, it’s none of her business. Unless they start trying to kill each other again. Then it’s her business.
“I need to do my rounds,” she says, and pushes back from the table. It’s not her fault, really. She’s simply used to checking every scene for details. It’s how you stayed alive out here. So it's a complete accident that she glances beneath the table and notices that—Archons—Cyno and Alhaitham have crossed their ankles together, legs pressed close in a way that has been kept secret from her the entire meal. She jerks her head up and smiles as best she can. “Say goodbye in the morning before you go.”
Cyno nods, and Candace retreats, trying desperately to find some sort of other explanation for two grown men to sit with legs intertwined and finding none. Of course they want to share a room. Of course the way they treat each other has changed. The only question on her mind is why they’re bothering to keep it a secret. Especially when they’re both so bad at actually keeping it.
Candace finds a nice dark spot behind a tree and sinks to the ground. She’s…so happy for them. She had never considered Cyno the type to be in a romantic relationship, and Alhaitham…well…is Alhaitham. But maybe that is why it works.
They don’t have to keep it a secret. Not from her. She would never tell a soul if they didn’t want her to. But it’s not her place to feel hurt. If they’re keeping their relationship private, there must be a reason and she’ll respect that.
But do they honestly think that no one has noticed?
+1.) Alhaitham
Alhaitham has never been more glad he splurged on a nice bed. Wide. Comfy. Good for sex. They’re under the covers now, Cyno’s head tucked beneath his chin, Alhaitham rubbing a hand up and down his arm. Cyno is always so warm. And gorgeously pliant when he’s sleepy like this.
“I want to hold your hand,” Cyno mutters, which, okay, Alhaitham can manage that. He takes his free hand and intertwines their fingers together to lay across his chest. “No. Not that.” Cyno mutters, though he tightens his grip. “In the streets. At the tavern. Where everyone can see.”
Alhaitham blinks and stares downwards. Cyno tilts his head up, jaw set stubbornly.
“What, so after…” Alhaitham has to think backwards. “...five months, you want to make sure all of Sumeru knows I’m off the market?” Not that he’d ever really presented himself as on the market, but still. “Are you sure?” This whole secret keeping thing had been Cyno’s idea in the first place.
“Hmmph.” Cyno pulls away and turns so his back is to Alhaitham. Was it something he said? Usually. He tends to know what he said wrong though. Not this time.
“Cyno.” He leans over and brushes Cyno’s hair to the side. Kisses his neck and feels the responding shiver. “You know I don’t care. I want people to know. I want people to know I’m yours.” Fuck, that feels so nice to say. He’s Cyno’s. He belongs somewhere and it’s beautiful. “But I’ll wait as long as you want to.” Another kiss, another shiver. Alhaitham takes the opportunity to slip an arm over Cyno’s waist and pull him close.
“Won’t things change?” Cyno whispers after a moment. “If everyone knows?”
Alhaitham has never been able to fully grasp the mindset that is caring about what random people think. But he’s also seen the messages on the public boards, talking trash about how the General Mahamatra isn’t enough of a scholar. And he’d been there, of course, as a student of the Academiya when Cyno was the only one of desert origins among them. Plenty of insults there that Cyno had definitely been able to hear. They’ve had different lives, the two of them, and Alhaitham has tried to be understanding even if he doesn’t quite understand.
“Things will change,” he says at last, and places a palm over Cyno’s heart, imagines he can feel the beat. “People will definitely talk. Probably say some idiotic things. Like how it’s amazing a robot like me can actually have feelings.”
“That’s absurd.” Cyno turns back around to face him and buries his face in Alhaitham’s chest.
“Yes. Well. It’ll all be absurd. But they’ll all shut up after a week or two. We won’t be the hot gossip for long.” He runs his fingers up and down Cyno’s spine. Cyno spends so much time asking what Alhaitham is thinking, what his opinion is, what’s going on inside his head. No one has ever been so interested in what makes Alhaitham’s mind spin. In return, Alhaitham is trying to map out every inch of Cyno’s body, trying to learn what will make him relax, what can strip away those matra senses, what he can do to make Cyno feel safe. He feels Cyno go calm beneath his hands as he runs his fingers up and down, up and down, feeling every vertebrae. “But that’s just a week or two. What’ll happen forever is we can hold hands wherever and whenever we feel like it. And I’m going to kiss you in public. And you’ll hate it. But I have to prove that you’re off the market too, you know? And I won’t care if we’re caught making out in your office…”
“I still care about that.”
“...and we can finally tell people. You can tell Tighnari and Collei…and I guess I can tell Kaveh why I’ve been stealing his key more often lately, because he really is starting to get annoyed about that.”
“You’re unnecessarily cruel to Kaveh.”
“And you’re still taking his side because of the card he gave you.”
“He didn’t give it. I bought it at a fair market price.”
“Well, I think he might as well know he’s been locked out every night because we needed the house to have sex.”
“You don’t need to tell him that.”
“Maybe I should finally warn him about the sofa—oof!”
“You will not .”
He will. He needs to see Kaveh’s face. But Alhaitham just falls back into the rhythm of running his fingers up and down, up and down.
“It won’t get ruined?” Cyno mumbles, and Alhaitham stops short at that.
“Why would it get ruined?”
A shrug.
“Gods, sometimes I wish I could see inside your head.”
Cyno huffs and tries to turn away again, but Alhaitham doesn’t let him. “Ugh,” he mutters, and his hands clench into fists. “I don’t want to…to lose this. I’m…I’m scared of losing this.”
Alhaitham’s usually buzzing mind goes blank. Cyno? Scared? That doesn’t happen.
“Why would letting people know make us lose this?”
Another huff. A pause. Cyno can take a while to get his thoughts in order when it comes to these conversations. “Because things are perfect,” Cyno says at last. “And if things change, they won’t be perfect anymore. Everything will change and what if…what if it all goes away?”
Gods. Alhaitham pulls him even closer, warm skin and pliant body. “It won’t.”
“Hmm.”
“I’m promising you that it won’t.”
“Hmm.”
“Sorry. You’re stuck with me forever.”
“Hmm.”
They stay like that for a few long minutes. Alhaitham doesn’t know what else to say. No way is he letting what they have slip away. He’ll be holding onto Cyno’s ankle being dragged around the city for all eternity if Cyno is the one to say goodbye. It took every ounce of courage he had in his body to lean in for that first kiss. No way is he letting go. This thing they have is too precious, whether people know or not. His fingers are feather-light on their path up and down Cyno’s spine.
Finally, Cyno turns his face away from his chest so his voice doesn’t come out all muffled.
“Forever?”
Alhaitham’s hand pauses. “Sorry?”
“That’s what you said. Forever. That I’m stuck with you forever.”
Well…he…it had just sort of…slipped…out…
To hell with it. It’s how he feels anyway, and he’s never been one to conceal his feelings (unless it’s his true opinion on King of Invokations .)
“Forever. Unfortunately for you.”
Cyno hums and sneaks an arm across Alhaitham’s chest. “You really think that?”
“That you’re unfortunate? Yes, that’s irrefutable—okay, don’t pinch me. Yes.” He dips his head down to kiss the top of Cyno’s head. “I’m invested in making this last. So…stop worrying. And don’t be scared, because that’s very out of character and completely unnecessary.”
“Oh.” A long pause. “How are we supposed to tell people?”
Alhaitham shrugs one shoulder. “We just do. It might come as a bit of a surprise to some, sure, but they can deal with it.”
“I’m pretty sure Tighnari figured it out.”
“Oh? How?”
“I said that you lived in all of our hearts.”
Archons, Cyno is ridiculous. “Yeah, I bet Tighnari picked up on that.” Tighnari is way, way sharper than Alhaitham is generally comfortable with. Alhaitham frowns and then sighs deeply. “Kaveh…might have said I was lovesick.” Not that Kaveh is particularly sharp but…
Cyno laughs—it’s a great sound—and rolls over to lay on top of Alhaitham, chin perched on his hands, their legs tangled. “Why would he say that?”
It was just Kaveh being ridiculous. “I told…I told one of your matra that your jokes are funny.”
Cyno blinks. “Well, aren’t they?”
“They really aren’t, no. No matter how many times you ask me. My answer remains the same.”
Cyno frowns at him, like he always does when Alhaitham insults his jokes, but then his eyes go comically wide. “So that’s why people have been asking me…Archons, Alhaitham, you could have told me!”
“Anyway!” Alhaitham continues, “Kaveh caught me at it and said I was lovesick. So he might…have a clue.”
A long pause. “Lesser Lord Kusanali could probably read our minds,” Cyno says dully. “And…and I didn’t tell you because I didn’t…it’s Candace. It’s fine if it’s Candace. But she came into the room, when we were both sleeping. I heard her footsteps. Didn’t open my eyes. Didn’t need to. She saw us.”
Alhaitham sends Cyno his best unimpressed look and reaches to push his bangs from his forehead. “So you didn’t tell me?”
“We don’t need to worry. It’s Candace.”
Fine. It’s Candace. There is something inherently trustworthy about Candace. Alhaitham tucks Cyno’s hair back behind his ear. It swishes right back to cover his eye, of course. He smiles. “I never told you that Nilou found me while I was reading King of Invokations .”
Cyno perks right up and raises his head. “How is Volume Nine? Are you enjoying it?”
“Oh. A lot. I’m really enjoying it.” He’s pretty sure he misplaced it. “But she remembered it was your favorite book.”
Cyno nods solemnly. “Well, it is a masterful piece of fiction. She was there when I was buying you your own copies, too. I think she was quite excited when I told her how much you’d enjoyed it! Well, I didn’t say it was you, just in case, but…”
They both pause, eyes locked, and then Cyno purses his lips and mutters, “I’m not sure we kept this as well a secret as we hoped.” Alhaitham groans, shuts his eyes, and thumps his head back into the pillows.
“You think?”
***
Of course, Tighnari hears the rumors first, because the General Mahamatra and the Academiya’s Scribe getting together is bound to send a lot of tongues wagging. He bides his time, waiting for those two dunderheads to come to him. Like hell it’ll be the other way around. Finally, he gets the note asking if he might have a room handy for a few days. Collei goes a little pink when he asks her to prepare a hut for two. Some of the gossip has involved quite scandalous, sweepingly romantic stories about how two of the most powerful men in Sumeru fell into a passionate love. He’ll have to make sure they hear some of those.
So, in two days time as promised, as the sun sets over the trees, Tighnari stands at the entrance to Gandharva Ville, arms crossed but smile fighting to get up on his face as he watches his favorite dumbass and favorite dumbass’s boyfriend come strolling up the path, hand in hand. “Took you long enough.”
***
“You did what on the sofa?” Kaveh shrieks while Alhaitham sits there and smirks. This is the day. This is the day he kills his roommate. “Congratulations though,” he says to Cyno as an aside, who stands there looking completely mortified.
***
Nilou is just bowing and thanking her audience for the flowers thrown up on stage when she catches sight of Cyno, always so easy to spot, even in a crowd. It takes a moment for her to realize it’s Alhaitham standing at his side. He lifts a hand in greeting, and the both of them turn to head down the street. Nilou pauses in her curtsies to watch and, yes, there it is.
She smiles and it has nothing to do with the cheers.
They were holding hands.
***
Nahida swings her legs back and forth, back and forth. She looks up at her Scribe and her General, standing head to shoulder. “I’m glad you worked out your differences,” she tells them earnestly.
“Alhaitham will accompany me on missions when his schedule permits,” Cyno confirms. He glances up at Alhaitham. “If he insists on worrying so much about my safety.”
Alhaitham scoffs. “I don’t doubt the safety of the General Mahamatra. I just want a vacation every once in a while.”
Cyno manages to keep a straight face for a few seconds before he ducks his head. Nahida is pretty sure he’s smiling.
It’s when the two of them are leaving that Cyno stops and turns back to her. “How long have you known, Lesser Lord Kusanali?”
He doesn’t need to specify what. “For certain?” she asks. He nods. “Just now.”
At his confused stare, she places a hand over her heart and shakes her head. “I would never attempt to read your emotions or your minds. I value you two far too much.”
Something in Cyno’s expression gives. “Thank you.” And he hurries to catch up to Alhaitham.
Nahida sighs happily. She really looks forward to learning some more.
***
It’s a few months since their last visit, and Cyno and Alhaitham show up at Aaru Village arguing about the sunburn on Alhaitham’s shoulders. Alhaitham is just telling Cyno to stop being a mother hen when Candace steps out of the shadow of the tree. Cyno, of course, just nods. Alhaitham doesn’t have a matra’s senses and jolts a little.
“Would you mind us taking up a room for the night?” Cyno asks. He’s in a much better mood than last time.
“One room?” she asks.
“One room,” he confirms.
She leads them to the same spare room as last time. “I’m getting the lotion,” Cyno tells Alhaitham firmly, and starts towards the doctor’s residence. He’s stopped by Alhaitham’s hand around his wrist, and then Alhaitham tugs him close and leans down to kiss him, sweet and gentle. Cyno goes red. “C-Candace is right there!” he splutters, and Alhaitham stares over at her, expression blank.
“I don’t think Candace minds.”
“ I mind !”
Candace quickly holds a hand up in front of her mouth to hide her grin. “Tell you what, why don’t I go get that lotion for you?” She starts down the path, the light bickering fading into the background.
“You can’t just kiss me…whenever you want!”
“Why not? Don’t you like it?”
“That’s…that’s completely besides the point!”
“And if I did it again?”
“...well, I guess that would be fine.”
Candace muffles a laugh. At least they aren’t pretending anymore.
Some things aren’t meant to be kept secret.
+1.5) Cyno
The bed in Aaru Village isn’t as comfy as Alhaitham’s, but the size gives Cyno a good excuse to tuck himself in real close to Alhaitham’s side. He has an arm wrapped tight across Alhaitham’s chest, and Alhaitham is fiddling idly with his hair.
“What are you thinking?” Cyno asks at last. He can practically hear Alhaitham’s mind whirring.
Alhaitham gives a little snort of a laugh. “The book I’m reading. The notes from the last inter-Darshan meeting. Mostly that we’re supposed to be at least moderately intelligent, right?”
“I’m pretty sure you’re considered a genius, but go on.” Cyno starts walking his fingers back across Alhaitham’s chest.
“Well, for a supposed stealth master and a genius, we can’t keep a secret for the life of us.”
Cyno curls even closer to Alhaitham on the bed. He doesn’t smell great—as great as mashed up grease pupa shoots can smell—but Cyno feels like he can never get close enough. He wants to just disappear inside of Alhaitham, watch how his brain works, feel his emotions for himself. Discover every single last inch until he knows Alhaitham better than he knows himself.
Everyone knows now. And nothing is ruined. He still has his perfect thing. Sure, he knows there were notes pinned up on the public message boards, but he had ignored them and knows for a fact that Kaveh—bless him—has made it his personal mission to tear them down. He does care about them. He really does. (Even after Alhaitham told him about the sofa.) And sure, there was gossip and cruel things passed between lips, but it still feels like champagne bubbles when Alhaitham kisses him, so those are the only lips he finds himself caring about. And nobody dares say anything within hearing range of the Academiya’s Scribe and the General Mahamatra. Things have changed since he was a student.
So yes, all of Sumeru might know, but Cyno has protected his wonderful, perfect thing, and Alhaitham says it will last forever and he can’t remember ever feeling so safe than when held in Alhaitham’s arms.
“We’re terrible at keeping secrets,” Cyno agrees, and shuts his eyes. He’s pretty sure that when he tells Alhaitham he loves him—soon now, so soon—it won’t come as a shock at all.