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“…Kaveh I knew you were stupid but I didn’t think you’d be this dumb.” Alhaitham said with his signature deadpan look. His eyes looking back and forth between the small child-like figure to his offended roommate. Alhaitham mentally face palmed, seeing as Kaveh gasped and continued to carry the small girl like it was his actual daughter. To be absolutely honest, he hadn’t seen him hold something so dearly since the creation of Mehrak.
Thinking back, Alhaitham should have known something was wrong as soon as Kaveh stepped into the house.
—————
It was a cool morning, not too hot but not too cold. As soon as Alhaitham rolled out of bed, he felt great about the day. Perfect weather to make a cup of coffee and sit in the living room and read. Especially since Kaveh just left to meet a client in the desert. Taking advantage of the rare peace, Alhaitham got up and ran a hand through his tangled hair, heading to the shared bathroom to comb his gray hair and brush his teeth.
After brushing his teeth for exactly two minutes, combing his hair, and changing into comfortable sweatpants and a loose T-shirt, Alhaitham grabbed his latest book and settled down on the couch in his room. But as soon as he opened his book to the page he last ended at, he heard a sound from the living room.
Alhaitham knew that if Kaveh was out meeting a client, and especially if it was in the desert, he would not get back this early. He summoned his trusty sword, standing up from the plush olive green couch that Kaveh always complained about and walked toward his door. He rests his hand on the cool metal handle, counting to three. On three, he slowly opens the door, holding his sword, ready to attack. But later on, he’d regret even getting up from bed.
He sees Kavehs blond head first. Seeing the familiar figure, he sighs and keeps the sword. “Did the mighty Kaveh lose his way to the desert? Or did he forget something? Maybe the rumor that a large quantity of alcohol makes one lose their brain cells was true.”
Kaveh jumps at the sound of Alhaitham’s smooth voice, cursing and clutching whatever he was holding tighter. He then winces and apologizes to said thing in a whisper. Alhaitham raises an eyebrow, thinking that his roommate has gone insane. But before he could say anything, Kaveh opened his mouth, his back still facing him.
“I- uh- The client canceled on me, no big deal. They had to attend to some business.” Kaveh squeaks out, then clears his throat in embarrassment. Although Alhaitham couldn’t see his face, he knew he was lying.
“Well Kaveh I don’t know how they’d cancel on you without an Akasha. Did you hear them from afar? I heard apes had wonderful hearing.” Alhaitham sarcastically says, walking towards his roommates in two confident strides. But when Kaveh hears him coming he tenses up and steps forward a little. Seeing he made Kaveh uncomfortable, he stops advancing.
“W-well they sent a…messenger! Yes a messenger to- uh- alert me of their cousins untimely…death?” Kaveh stutters, laughing nervously with his back still facing Alhaitham. He sighs, moving closer and before Kaveh could move away, he grabs his shoulder and twists him around. He was thinking that Kaveh was hiding something, a crate of wine maybe. But it was nothing he’d imagined.
In Kaveh’s arms, was a tiny child. A very familiar child that is. Alhaitham was stunned to see their archon being carried by his flustered roommate. Kaveh was red, and looked like a rabbit getting cornered by a wolf. Alhaitham stared at Nahida for a few more seconds, before letting go of Kaveh’s shoulder and sitting on the living room couch. He puts his head in his hands as he sighs. Loudly. The silence couldn’t be cut by even the Raiden Shoguns Musou no Hitachi.
He heard Kaveh’s mouth open and close multiple times, his teeth clicking together each time until he finally talked. “I found this kid on the street, near the grand bazaar. She looked lost so I-“ Kaveh started.
“You grabbed her and carried her to your home?” Alhaitham offered sarcastically, head still in his hands. “You- You never let me finish my sentences! Stop making me sound like a kidnapper. Anyways I asked her who were her parents and-“ Kaveh snapped back, but was interrupted yet again.
“I don’t make you sound like a kidnapper, and even so who just grabs a child off the street and brings her home?” Alhaitham cuts in, finally raising his head to look Kaveh straight in the eyes. Kaveh turns red with anger, and Alhaitham smirks from the result. Nahida looks curiously between them, but doesn’t intervene.
“Let me finish! So she said she didn’t have parents, but she was looking for someone. I figured I would bring her to you because you know everyone and anyone.” Kaveh rushed so Alhaitham couldn’t cut him off again. Alhaitham looked at Nahidas curious green eyes to his roommates' crimson eyes and sighs.
Which brings them to now
—————
“…Kaveh I knew you were stupid but I didn’t think you’d be this dumb.” Alhaitham said with his signature deadpan look. His eyes looking back and forth between the small child-like figure to his offended roommate. Alhaitham mentally face palmed, seeing as Kaveh gasped and continued to carry the small girl like it was his actual daughter. To be absolutely honest, he hadn’t seen him hold something so dearly since the creation of Mehrak.
It looked weirdly adorable. Kaveh holding a small child as if they were his most precious jewels. His eyes shining as he beamed like the sun itself. He was always beautiful to Alhaitham, his blond locks soft and swaying in the nonexistent breeze, his face always as bright as the sun. His lips twisting into a scowl whenever they argue will always be his favorite expression on the man’s face. But Alhaitham would rather die than admit these thoughts to the blond, and would rather continue remaining as his stoic poker-faced junior. One day he’d move out, and Alhaitham would definitely forget him, maybe only remembering him as the annoying roommate.
Snapping out of his daydream, he realizes he had two pairs of eyes locked onto him. A furious burning crimson and a mischievous lime green, both staring at him like he’d just commited a crime and they were the judges. “Why you- I was talking to you! Switch those headphones off or I’ll do it myself.” Kaveh huffs, and Alhaitham notices he's still holding onto Nahida. Although he seems stiff and awkward—he’s never held a child before, of course he’d be—Nahida looks comfortable, playing with a small strand of hair poking out of the braid.
Then Alhaitham notices the mischievous little grin on the archon's face. Alhaitham squints suspiciously at her. What she was planning, only celestia would know. But as Alhaitham was going to retort back, Nahida pulled Kaveh to whisper something into his ear. Alhaitham strained to listen, but he could only hear ‘love’ and that was all. Alhaitham felt the tips of his ears burn, but the look on Kaveh’s face was priceless.
His mouth was wide open, and eyes as big as saucers. He looked from Nahida to Alhaitham, cheeks turning more and more red as time passed. Then Nahida chuckles and says loudly, “You guys seem to like each other a lot!” She says this in a weirdly childish voice, probably to continue pretending to be a child for Kavehs sake. Both Alhaitham and Kaveh turned as red as tomatoes. Kaveh spluttered while Alhaitham just stared at the child.
Then, Nahida chuckled, and jumped out of Kavehs arms. “Sorry for intruding, Alhaitham! Hello Kaveh! I’m Lesser Lord Kusalani, pleased to meet you.” Kaveh turned redder, knowing he’d mistaken the archon as a simple child. “Now, I'd leave you guys to talk about your feelings, you guys seem to think about each other a lot. Goodbye!” Nahida giggled, snapping her fingers and disappearing with a flurry of green leaves.
The two men look at the empty space where the archon was once at, and look at each other. They both blush and look away.
“I-I’m gonna go now…still got that job-“ Kaveh stuttered, grabbing his bags and making his way to the door.
“We can talk tonight alright?” Alhaitham said quietly, smiling to himself.
Kaveh looks back at him with shining eyes and smiles. Thanks to the dendro archon. Literally.
——————
Bonus
“So that’s why you ran away from me at the grand bazaar?” Wanderer grumbled, biting into his hashbrown. Nahida giggled, grabbing his hand and letting him lead her to the nearest stall.
“Maybe I can help you with that Kazuha boy next time” She said with twinkling eyes. Wanderer splutters on his hashbrown, and his cheeks flush red.
The dendro archon really is a matchmaker