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For the first time since moving in with AlHaitham and Kaveh, Cyno had slipped, and of course Tighnari wasn’t home. The latter was busy finishing up some last minute duties, and he was due to be home later that afternoon, but Cyno wasn’t having it.
He stood in the living room, sobs wracking his chest as he cried for Tighnari. He didn’t know where he was, or where his caregiver went. He was tired and scared, and he wanted Nari.
He shoved two fingers in his mouth, the action doing little to muffle his cries. He refused to sit, he refused to listen to either of his other partners, instead he stood yanking on his shirt and staring at the front door expectantly.
“Sweetpea, do you want some water? Or your uh…” Kaveh pursed his lips, staring at the small jackal plush he had found in what was now Cyno and Tighnari’s room. “Your little guy?” He settled with that, shaking the plush slightly to try to entice the little.
Cyno stomped his bare feet on the ground, his cries growing on volume. “Wan’ Nari!” He sobbed around his fingers.
Kaveh’s frown deepened. “I know, baby, but Nari’s at work. You’re just hanging out with Haitham and I.” The blonde knew of Cyno’s regression prior, as did AlHaitham, it had been something that Tighnari was adamant in them accepting for the relationship to work out, but neither of them had ever seen Cyno little.
When the boy continued to cry and stomp, AlHaitham sighed. “If he doesn’t calm down I’m going to pick him up and put him to bed.” The scribe huffed, clearly overstimulated by that point.
“Don’t you dare .” Kaveh snapped back. “He’s confused, Haitham. You’re not going to traumatize him more.”
AlHaitham shifted uncomfortably where he sat, eyeing Cyno from over the top of his book. He loved all his partners, truly, but this was very overwhelming and he didn’t know how much longer he could deal with it. He simply clicked on the soundproof function of his earpiece and tried to go back to reading.
Kaveh sighed, turning his attention back to Cyno. The boy was driving himself into a panic attack by that point, breaths coming in short puffs as he continued to stare at the entryway. The blonde leaned forward, propping his elbows on his knees.
“Cyno,” he spoke gently, as to not spook the other further. “Do you know who we are?”
Cyno shook his head, his white bangs falling over his eyes. His legs shook, only for his knees to buckle and send him tumbling onto the ground. He let out a pained noise when his knees hit the hard floor, even more tears springing to his eyes. He curled up into a little ball, mumbling to himself about how he needed Tighnari.
Kaveh’s heart ached at the sight. “Well, I’m Kaveh and that’s Haitham, we’re you and Nari’s partners. We’re not going to hurt you, Sweetpea, we’re here to help.”
That did nothing to ease Cyno. The boy rocked himself back and forth, his free hand shaking in the air as he tried to soothe himself. He couldn’t help but feel like Tighnari had abandoned him with these strange people. He just wanted his caregiver to be there to hold him and kiss everything better.
Kaveh clenched his jaw. He couldn’t just leave Cyno unattended, but he knew his and AlHaitham’s presence weren’t making things any less scary. He twisted his fingers and glanced at the scribe, who had curled himself into quite the odd position while reading.
“Habibi,” He called out, waving his hand to try to get the other’s attention. When AlHaitham’s eyes flicked to meet his, he began to sign. “Go send for Tighnari .”
The scribe’s frown deepened as he put the book down to sign back. “He’s working.”
Kaveh rolled his eyes. “Yes, but go send someone for him or get him yourself, this is important.”
AlHaitham pursed his lips, then got to his feet without further argument. He placed his book down where he had been sitting and made his way to the door, not without placing a kiss on Kaveh’s cheek as he passed. He glanced once more at Cyno, before quickly making his leave.
The architect turned back to the little, whose cries had begun to calm. Whether it was from exhaustion or dehydration, Kaveh didn’t know. Slowly, he lowered himself onto the floor in front of the younger boy. He placed the little jackal plush in front of Cyno, pushing it closer until the toy’s snout touched his leg.
Cyno snatched the toy up, hugging it close to his chest and curling his body around it. He pushed his nose against its head, whimpering quietly. It smelled like Tighnari, of course it did, he demanded the plush remain in bed with them so it always smelled of his boyfriend. He bit down on his fingers, which undeniably hurt, to try to muffle his distress.
“Haitham went to find Tighnari.” Kaveh said softly. “I know you want me to go away but I can’t, I can’t leave you all on your lonesome, Sweetpea.” He wanted nothing more than to pull his partner into his arms and hold him tightly, but he couldn’t in fear of frightening Cyno further.
The pair both jumped when Mehrak’s mechanical beeps came from behind Kaveh. The blonde turned, finding his briefcase hovering over one of the divans.
“I thought I turned you off.” Kaveh sighed, getting to his feet and going to grab his companion.
The briefcase moved out of the way of Kaveh’s grasp. It let out a fury of noises, almost as if to lecture the architect about leaving it unattended. When Kaveh went to grab the device again, he froze at the sound of quiet giggles.
He turned, finding Cyno watching Mehrak’s every move. The boy still hid behind his bangs, but a little smile graced his features.
“Is my frustration funny to you?” Kaveh said with a fond smile, finally grabbing Mehrak’s handle. “You just want to see me suffer.” He teased, going to sit back down with Mehrak in his lap.
Cyno’s smile flattered slightly when Kaveh came to sit back down. He scooted back slightly, leaning his cheek against his jackal toy. He stared at Mehrak, squirming slightly. The briefcase chirped, its expression overjoyed. Weird to think a machine could be so expressive…
The little watched with wide eyes as Mehrak began to project images, most of which were 3D renders of Kaveh’s blueprints, but the sight alone was enticing. Carefully, Cyno reached to pass his hand through the green projection. He giggled quietly, repeating the action. He rubbed his plush’s head against his lips, wiggling his fingers in the green light.
The front door slammed open, Tighnari rushing inside in a panic. He ran into the living room, clearly frazzled beyond belief and desperate to get to his partner.
“Oh, sweet boy, what happened?” He breathed out, falling to his knees and pulling Cyno into his arms.
Cyno’s face crumbled once again the moment he saw the fox. He wrapped his arms around Tighnari and clung desperately to him, his cries starting all over again. He tried to push himself into the Fox’s lap, choking on his own sobs. He buried his face into the other male’s neck, clinging to him like a lifeline.
“Oh, darling, I know…” Tighnari cooed, helping Cyno into his lap and hugging his waist tightly. “I know it’s scary, I’m sorry I wasn’t here.” He removed Cyno’s face from his neck to place kisses on the emotional boy’s cheeks.
“I tried all I could to get him to calm down, but he wouldn’t let me near him. I had no other choice but to let him cry.” Kaveh said with a frown. “He seemed to like Mehrak, but I couldn’t get close, neither could Haitham.” He stared down at his fingers, twisting them together shamefully.
“It’s okay,” Tighnari said once he had Cyno settled. “He gets really anxious when I’m not here. I should have told you, but I didn’t think he would slip without me here.” He gave the blonde a soft smile. “You did great, honey, I promise.” He said, reaching a hand out for Kaveh to take. He squeezed the architect’s fingers before letting go and returning his attention to Cyno.
“He didn’t know who we were.” AlHaitham piped up from where he was standing behind one of the divans. Although it wasn’t clear on his features, Tighnari and Kaveh knew he was hurt by even saying that.
Tighnari’s face fell. He looked down at Cyno, brushing his white bangs back. “You know them, baby, what do you mean you don’t?” He asked, to which Cyno whined and hid away in his neck. He sighed softly. “Okay,” he turned his attention back to his other partners. “I’m sorry, usually he’s pretty conscious of what was happening when he was big. It might have been the new environment that threw him off.”
“It’s okay.” Kaveh said with a smile, before standing up to place a kiss between the fox’s ears. “I’ll get him some water, he’s been crying for some time now.”
Tighnari nodded, thanking Kaveh quickly. His eyes then went to meet AlHaitham’s. He frowned, noting the way the youngest kept a watchful eye over Cyno, despite keeping his distance.
“Habibi,” Tighnari breathed out. “Is everything okay?” He asked, to which AlHaitham shrugged. “Are you overstimulated?”
The acting grand Sage hesitated, then nodded slowly.
“You can leave.” The fox hummed. “I’ve got Cyno, you don’t have to worry. Plus, Kaveh’s helping.”
AlHaitham breathed out a sigh. He rounded the divan and grabbed his book off the cushion. He gave Tighnari a small smile before making the quick escape to his office.
As Kaveh stepped back into the living area, he frowned. “Is everything okay?” He asked, going to sit beside the pair and hand Tighnari a cup of water.
“Mhm.” The fox hummed. “Haitham’s just overstimulated. He’s going to calm down, I don’t want him to have a meltdown.”
Kaveh nodded, folding his legs as he stared at the duo. He reached forward to brush through Cyno’s hair, now that the younger had calmed down. The little still wouldn’t look at him, which was fine, Kaveh was just glad he could be close now. The only way he knew how to comfort was through touch, he didn’t know what to do otherwise.
“Here, baby, you want some water?” Tighnari asked, to which Cyno simply snuggled closer. “Cy, you need to drink a little bit. You’ve been crying a lo- Oh! OW!” He quickly put the water down. “That’s my fur!” He quickly reached around his back to try to detach Cyno’s hands from his tail. “Cyno- Cyno, baby, you have to let go- OW!”
Kaveh quickly tried to wiggle his fingers between Cyno’s hands and Tighnari’s tail. He tried to make eye contact with the boy, and when he finally did his heart broke at the pure terror in the little’s eyes.
“Cy,” Kaveh breathed out. “You have to let go, bubba, you’re hurting him.” He cooed, finally managing to wrench Cyno’s grip off of the fur of Tighnari’s tail. He watched as Tighnari’s shoulders sagged with relief.
Tighnari hooked his hands under Cyno’s arms, lifting the boy up to look at his face. He frowned at the way the little’s face crumbled and he erupted into more tears. He smooched Cyno’s cheek, shushing him softly.
“Baby, look at me.” The fox cooed. “You’re not in trouble. That being said, I know you’re upset, but we don’t grab at my tail. We use gentle hands, remember?” He said as he thumbed away Cyno’s tears.
Tighnari picked up the water again, holding it to Cyno’s lips and helping the male take careful sips. He placed a kiss on his partner’s forehead.
“Good job, Sweetpea.” He said with a gentle smile. He passed the cup back over to Kaveh, whispering a small thanks. He tucked Cyno under his chin, rocking back and forth slowly. “You don’t have to cry anymore.” He whispered. “I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”
Tighnari flashed a smile to Kaveh as he watched the blonde get up, continuing to rock their boyfriend. His eyes followed the architect as he went to his shared bedroom with AlHaitham.
It wasn’t long before Kaveh re-emerged, half-dragging and half-carrying a blanket. He sat back down with them, carefully draping the blanket over Cyno’s back. That’s when Tighnari realized how heavy the blanket was.
“Isn’t this Haitham’s?” Tighnari asked, his ears twitching.
“Mhm.” Kaveh rubbed Cyno’s back slowly. “He isn’t using it right now, but he swears it’s the best thing he’s ever purchased. It always calms him down when he’s having a meltdown.”
Tighnari nodded, leaning his cheek against Cyno’s head. When he felt hands touch his tail again, he wrapped the appendage around his waist so it would be more accessible to the little. He couldn’t help but coo when Cyno pet him with the utmost care, fingers carefully brushing through the fur.
“Good job, honey.” He hummed, adjusting the blanket around Cyno’s shoulders.
The fox continued to sway, finally allowing himself to relax knowing that Cyno was alright, as were his other partners. He flashed a smile to Kaveh, who leaned in to give him a quick kiss in return. Tighnari hummed, his cheeks flushing a healthy pink.
The blonde grinned at how such a simple action could fluster the younger. He glanced down at Cyno, who’s hands had since stopped moving and eyelids had fallen shut.
“He’s slumped.” Kaveh said with a light chuckle. “Go put him to bed and put something more comfortable on, I’ll check on Haitham.”
Tighnari seemed to hesitate, and upon seeing that Kaveh frowned. He brought his hand up to caress the Fox’s cheek gently.
“You can always put him in Haitham and I’s bed, it’s bigger. We can all pile in there if it makes you feel better.”
Tighnari nodded, carefully removing the weighted blanket from around Cyno’s shoulders so he could stand up. He could just barely support his partner’s weight, he couldn’t handle another twenty pounds. He slowly got to his feet, holding Cyno protectively. He shuffled along to AlHaitham’s room, careful not to bump the little against the doorframe.
As he did so, Kaveh went to find AlHaitham himself, and declare that they all needed quality time together now that Tighnari was home and Cyno was calm.
———
Tighnari stretched his arms above his head once he was freed from his binder. As much as he hated wearing it, he wasn’t yet willing to come out to his work colleagues. His partners were the only people allowed to know, at least as of right now.
He pulled on a sports bra, rolling his shoulders from the newfound comfort. He put on a pair of Cyno’s shorts, and when he turned to leave the room he flinched at the sight of AlHaitham in the doorway.
“ Creep. ” He signed, smiling at the scribe.
AlHaitham hesitated a moment, his cheeks a light shade of pink. “ You have a nice back .”
Tighnari rolled his eyes, a fond chuckle escaping his lips. “C’mere you big dummy.” He giggled, holding his arms out and waiting patiently until AlHaitham wrapped him in a tight hug.
He smushed his face against AlHaitham’s chest, rocking from foot to foot and bringing the other male with him. He visibly relaxed when large hands massaged over his shoulders and a pair of lips kissed the crown of his head.
He stood there for a moment, just taking in the warm hold of his boyfriend, before letting go and taking a step back. As much as he wanted to burrow into AlHaitham’s chest and take a nap, he was still worried about Cyno.
“C’mon, habibi.” He hummed, taking the youngest’s hand and shuffling out of the bedroom. He grinned to himself, quite literally dragging AlHaitham to the other room.
Upon entering, Tighnari was surprised to see Cyno awake again. He let go of AlHaitham to tend to the little, who held his arms out expectantly. Kaveh, on the other hand, was watching Cyno fondly.
“Oh, there’s my sweet boy.” Tighnari cooed, crawling into bed and immediately pulling Cyno into his lap. “I had to change, I didn’t mean to leave you for too long.” He smiled when Cyno snuggled into his chest and returned to gently petting his tail. “I would’ve been back sooner if someone wasn’t watching me change like a pervert.” He joked, narrowing his eyes at AlHaitham.
The scribe simply shrugged, grabbing a book off the nightstand and laying down on his respective side. Kaveh settled close to AlHaitham, brushing his fingers through the scribe’s hair as they basked in each other’s warmth. The blonde cooed quietly at the way Cyno stared up at Tighnari as if that latter had personally hung the stars.
Tighnari giggled quietly, kissing the space between Cyno’s eyes. “Hey, pumpkin.” His smile only grew when one of Cyno’s hands gripped the strap of his sports bra, ever the clingy. “You’re supposed to be napping, you’ve had a long day.” He said as he leaned against the headboard, patting Cyno’s hip gently.
Cyno rubbed his cheek against Tighnari’s chest, almost like that of a cat. “Nari…” he mumbled quietly.
“That’s me.” Tighnari giggled softly, tucking Cyno’s hair behind his ear.
The little simply whined, turning to unceremoniously smush his face against Tighnari’s sternum. This made the fox snort, a fond chuckle escaping his lips.
“You’re so weird.” He laughed. “Get your face out of my boobs, Weirdo.”
As he tried to move Cyno, he whimpered in distress and clung tighter to the forest watcher. Tighnari’s laughter quieted, a frown etching onto his face. He rubbed up and down Cyno’s back, scratching gently between his shoulder blades.
“Alright, you can stay there.” He cooed. “I’m not leaving you, Cy, just trying to make sure you don’t suffocate yourself.”
Cyno didn’t budge, if anything he clung tighter. From beside them Kaveh watched carefully, his eyebrows furrowed.
“Is he always so clingy?” The blonde asked, his fingers twirling absentmindedly at AlHaitham’s hair.
Tighnari shrugged. “Sometimes, it just depends on the day. He’s usually my little shadow no matter what, always following me around.” He said fondly. “He’s always liked skin to skin contact though, especially after a bad day, says it helps ground him.”
Kaveh’s eyebrows shot up and a mischievous expression washed over his face. “ Oh , so when he’s upset you two-“
“No!” Tighnari’s face flushed red. “We don’t- Kaveh ew .” He scrunched his nose up, shaking his head. “He’s ace, you baboon, he doesn’t like that stuff anyway. He just…” he looked down at his boyfriend, pursing his lips. “He likes being close, and I get it. Especially when he’s small he doesn’t have much concept of personal space. My space turns into his as well.”
Kaveh smiled fondly, leaning in to kiss Tighnari’s cheek. “I’m just teasing.” He hummed, swooping down to smooch Cyno’s head as well, now that he could get closer. He tried to get a good look at their partner’s face, but he couldn’t move much without dislodging AlHaitham. “Is he asleep again?”
Tighnari pursed his lips, dipping his head to try to get a look at Cyno’s face. “Probably.” He hummed, shrugging his shoulders. “He’s drooling on me, so probably.”
“Ew.” The blonde scrunched his nose up. “You guys aren’t allowed to drool on me.”
“I don’t care, as long as he’s happy.” The fox cooed. “I’ve had his blood and vomit on me, a little drool is nothing.”
Kaveh gagged dramatically, throwing himself over AlHaitham- which the scribe did not appreciate. He straightened up, his nose scrunched in disgust. “And I’ve kissed you ? Gross!”
“Kaveh!” Tighnari giggled, a wide smile curling on his face. “You act like you and Haitham haven’t done some disgusting things.” He laughed, shaking his head. “At least my disgusting things aren’t kinks.”
Kaveh gawked, his face and ears blooming red. He fell dramatically on top of AlHaitham, burying his burning face in the scribe’s neck. The latter simply grunted upon impact, then held his book higher so he could see over Kaveh’s head. He didn’t seem to care much about the architect’s antics, just as long as he could continue to read.
Tighnari smiled at the pair. He reached over to scratch lightly at AlHaitham’s scalp, cooing at how the youngest’s eyes rolled back from the feeling. The fox usually wasn’t fond of his animalistic features, but the long nails were a plus when he got to see his partner’s face so relaxed.
The fox retracted his hand and slowly laid down, moving Cyno so the little was tucked safely against his side. He couldn’t help but coo when his boyfriend squirmed, snuggling against him and slotting a leg between his. He brushed through Cyno’s hair with his fingers, kissing the top of his head. He looked up when Kaveh rolled back over, attaching himself to the Matra’s back and holding him close.
“C’mon, Haitham! You’re missing out over here.” The blonde groaned.
“I’m okay.” AlHaitham hummed, closing his book and placing it on his nightstand. He took off his headphones and did the same.
“Love you, Haitham.” Tighnari said lovingly, reaching his hand towards the youngest.
“And I, you.” The scribe took Tighnari’s hand and kissed his knuckles, before laying down with his back to Kaveh’s.
“Missing out…” Kaveh whispered teasingly, leading to Tighnari yanking a lock of his hair. “Ow! What the hell?”
“Be nice.” The fox narrowed his eyes. “If he doesn’t want to cuddle he doesn’t have to.”
Despite that, AlHaitham ended up curled protectively around Kaveh’s body a few hours later, his face hidden in the eldest’s neck.
Tighnari, on the other hand, remained trapped under Cyno’s weight, cozy and warm as the Matra snored away. His worries eased away as his boyfriend clung to him even in their slumber.
Oh, how he loved his boyfriends, and how he couldn’t wait for what the coming months had to offer. They had a lot to work on, and a lot to get used to, but it would work out in the end.
It always did.