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When Alhaitham heard that Cyno would be returning to the Akademiya to give a presentation to the young Spantamad students, he rushed over to the presentation room. He wanted to see if this rumor was true because it had been weeks since he last saw Cyno but months since he returned to the Akademiya.
The reason for his long absence was because Cyno was getting older and the work of the Matra was not getting any easier on his body. So Cyno decided to step back as the General Mahamatra and once he saw the Matra would be okay, he retired to give his body its long awaited rest.
Alhaitham was excited to see Cyno even if it had just been a few weeks since his last visit in Sumeru. Unfortunately his work schedule typically created conflict and held him back from seeing Cyno right away so thank whoever invited Cyno for a presentation because Alhaitham would be first to see him this time.
Once in the room, Alhaitham's eyes darted straight towards the stage, and was greeted by the beautiful truth of Cyno presenting on stage. His body looked well or at least didn't show any major injuries so Alhaitham could let out a sigh of relief that he returned safe.
Alhaitham excused himself through a small crowd of students just so he could be somewhere in Cyno's line of sight. Well he doubted Cyno could really see him but he wanted to believe that was the case when Cyno began looking in his direction more often.
Since the speech was about Spantamad topics, Alhaitham didn't listen to much of what Cyno was speaking about. Instead his focus was on Cyno's person and just getting to see him made Alhaitham beam in awe due to his growing beauty! Even if he looked practically the same since last time.
Cyno's whole section went on for an hour, thirty for his speech then thirty for questions. When students began clapping, Alhaitham was snapped out of his lala land, and hurried to join in on the clapping. He blinked a few times to focus his eyes then kept them open when he saw Cyno was making eye contact with him.. right? Only able to speak with his eyes, Cyno gestured for Alhaitham to go out into the hallway.
Once out, Alhaitham didn't have to wait long because Cyno came rushing out from around the corner.
"Alhaitham!" Cyno quietly exclaimed since they were still by the door.
"Cyno." Alhaitham opened his arms when he saw Cyno running to him with open arms. Good thing his legs were still strong as ever because anyone else would have fallen back by this so-called hug when it really felt like a tackle.
Neither spoke as they hugged each other as they wanted to take the moment to take in the feeling of seeing each other once again. Although it was for a few weeks, the two hugged each other as if it had been years.
"I missed you." Cyno confessed then tilted his head up.
"I've missed you too." Alhaitham started patting the top of Cyno's hair and smiled when Cyno's bangs fell back to expose both eyes. "You should change your hairstyle." He suggested while using his pinky to brush the remaining hair strands off Cyno's face.
"I'm never cutting my bangs again." Cyno laughed and tried to hide the freshly exposed half of his face.
"Hello~ I'm here too, you know." They looked over and saw Kaveh standing with his arms open for a hug.
"Sorry, sorry." The two separated so that Cyno could hug Kaveh but their hug was brief. A shame Cyno couldn't return back into his arms.
"So how have you been? Meet anyone during your trips?" Kaveh chuckled but Cyno turned his head away.
"I have been good for your information but people.. well no one caught my interest." Cyno honestly replied which brought a big wave of relief over Alhaitham.
He shouldn't be jealous about the people Cyno meets during his journeys but he didn't want Cyno to fall in love with anyone else. For years Alhaitham had this crush on Cyno but he always bit his tongue because he could never find the right time to confess or so he claimed. Everyone knew about his crush and constantly pushed him to confess or scolded him when he backed out.
"Why don't you tell us about your new trips at the tavern tonight? We can get the gang back together." Kaveh gasped and so did Cyno.
"And we can play TCG!" Cyno pulled out his casket of tombs to pull out a brand new card.
"Very well.." Kaveh reached back, "Just know that I have been practicing as well!" He too pulled out a card that made Cyno's eyes twinkle with joy.
Sadly Alhaitham did not carry his casket of tombs any longer once he saw no reason in doing so. He used to carry it because Cyno would duel him at random but as his travels became longer, Alhaitham left it at home so the memories of their duels wouldn't sadden him throughout the day.
"How has-"
"Um excuse me," The three saw a student poking their head out from the door, "Could Sir Cyno please return to the stage? They want to take pictures."
"Okay, one second." Cyno put his card away then gave both another hug. "I'll see you guys tonight."
"See you." The two waved him off as he returned to the class.
"You looked real happy over a hug." Kaveh snickered but Alhaitham looked away. "Oh come on, you'll have to tell him eventually."
"The time is just never right." Alhaitham sighed.
"The time would be if you stop overthinking it." Kaveh crossed his arms over his chest. "You better tell him before someone else does."
Alhaitham walked away.
Later that night at Lambard's Tavern, Kaveh and Alhaitham were holding the table while they waited on the rest to show up. Kaveh had started drinking but Alhaitham refrained from drinks just so he could see when their party arrived.
"Staring at the door won't make him appear faster." Kaveh said but not even a second after, Cyno walked through the doors.
Alhaitham looked over at Kaveh with a smirk.
However Cyno didn't directly come to the table because other customers who knew of Cyno pulled him aside. The two watched him be passed around the tables and through the chaos, missed that Tighnari arrived with Collei.
"Hello to you guys too." Tighnari took his seat beside Kaveh while Collei took hers at the head of the table.
"Oh hey." "Hi." The two greeted their new guests.
"So any news?" Tighnari asked Kaveh but Kaveh sighed. "Seriously? Nothing still."
"Unfortunately." The two looked at Alhaitham but he was busy watching Cyno.
"How come?" Collei squeezed herself into the conversation.
"Ask him." Kaveh rolled his eyes as he took a sip from his drink.
"Why haven't you asked Cyno yet?" Collei asked a bit too loud that Tighnari had to shush her.
"Ask me what?" Once at the table, Cyno took the only available seat which was beside Alhaitham. He looked at each of them then Alhaitham for an answer.
After some silence, Alhaitham answered with "Nilou is having a show later this week. Would you have time to join us to watch it?" He would have been in trouble if it wasn't for the fact he overheard students talking about it earlier.
"Yes! Actually she gave me tickets to hand to you guys." Cyno pulled out a small bundle of tickets then began handing them out. "But why was that such a big secret?"
"It was supposed to be a surprise because we didn't know if you were going to stay that long. I mean you don't stay around as long anymore." Tighnari's ears drooped because he was sad that Cyno didn't stay for at least a week now.
"Oops." Cyno awkwardly chuckled. "So are we playing now or having drinks first?" He moved on from the topic rather quickly.
"Two can get the drinks while the rest set up the table to play." Collei suggested.
"Smart. Come on Tighnari." Cyno stood up and Tighnari followed him over to the counter to place their orders.
"You should tell him at the show." Collei whispered but Alhaitham shrugged. "If not before then after. Come on, you have to tell him."
"She's right." Kaveh spoke up. "Everyone can see the way you look at him but they also know how much of a coward you are to talk. If you keep this up then someone might come by and snatch him from you."
Alhaitham scoffed but Kaveh was right. The longer he postponed a confession, the greater the risk that the opportunity would be zero. Could he really accept a life without Cyno?
Once the two returned, Collei got up to help Tighnari with the drinks in his hands, because Cyno was carrying only two. He handed Alhaitham his cup with a, "Here you go."
As he took the cup, he noticed it was his favorite drink. "You remembered?" Alhaitham looked up and Cyno nodded.
"Of course. I also remember you constantly stealing sips from my cup before you ordered your own."
"Ah right." Alhaitham lowered his head with a smile. He couldn't believe Cyno remembered his favorite drink when it had been a while since they last shared drinks.
"How will we play since there's five of us?" Collei couldn't sit still in her chair because she was shaking with excitement to duel whoever dared to go against her.
"Why don't we do pairs then the odd one out is the final opponent?" Cyno suggested and the others agreed.
Due to his skills being greater than everyone, Cyno was selected to be the final opponent.
"How many people have you fought since?" Collei asked while she swapped seats with Cyno.
Down in his new seat, Cyno crossed his arms over his chest, then lowered his head before menacingly chuckling. "About a hundred and sixty since we last saw each other."
The table was silent.
"Alright it was nice seeing you guys." Tighnari got up and the other three stood up.
"Huh?!" Cyno stood up in a panic.
"Whoever is against him is doomed." Kaveh wept and the other three solemnly nodded their heads.
"I won't go that hard on you guys." Cyno said but was met with three pairs of glaring eyes. He was lying, he would obliterate them the second there was an opening. "Just sit down." He huffed and so they all did.
The matches were to begin.
"Good luck to you." Tighnari and Alhaitham shook hands then gave Cyno a coin to flip to determine who plays first.
Tighnari was first.
"Let me see." Alhaitham showed Collei his cards then showed them to Cyno when he saw he was trying to peek.
"No helping him." Tighnari scolded him but waved Cyno over. "So which card should I play first?"
"I thought you said no help." Alhaitham scoffed.
"I told him to not help you, not me." Tighnari replied then looked at Cyno for help.
Before Cyno could open his mouth to offer advice, Alhaitham spoke up, "No helping him either." And that made Cyno shrug.
"Boo." Tighnari grumbled then put down his first action card.
"That's it?" Kaveh asked but Tighnari glared at him.
"Give me a second." Tighnari scolded him which had the group chuckling at Kaveh's pout.
To make the matches more exciting, Cyno began hosting the duel. He told the table the amount of damage one player did to another, the buffs of a card, and suggested potential moves the players could make but always ended it with "or I don't know."
The match between Alhaitham and Tighnari was intense but only one could come out as victor. Tighnari only had one character but if he could just survive this round, he had a chance to defeat both of Alhaitham's low HP characters. However, Tighnari held his breath when he saw Alhaitham's smirk slowly grow as he exchanged his cards to match his character's element.
No.
"And after a powerful 8 hit by Fischl's Midnight Phantasmagoria to Kokomi, Alhaitham is the victor!" Cyno exclaimed while shaking Alhaitham by his shoulders.
The table laughed and more when Alhaitham's cards fell out of his hand thanks to Cyno's shaking. Cyno laughed as he leaned onto Alhaitham with his arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders so he could catch his breath.
"That was a good game." Tighnari said through gritted teeth.
"Good game." Alhaitham smiled but his mind was going haywired. By the way Cyno was leaning onto him, he wondered if the tavern could hear his beating heart, or even worse, Cyno could feel it!
"Good luck." Cyno leaned over and patted Collei's head to fire her up.
"I will end you." She told Kaveh then handed the coin to Cyno to flip.
"Do you see this?" Kaveh asked Tighnari but Tighnari was drinking his sore loser feelings down.
Throughout Kaveh and Collei's duel, Cyno remained hugging Alhaitham from behind, and leaned onto him when he had to make a big announcement about a powerful hit. Alhaitham couldn't focus on the duel beside him but not that he minded because he got to have Cyno on him. One of Cyno's hands was holding onto his shoulder so Alhaitham timidly raised a hand but stopped once his fingers reached his collarbone.
They couldn't hold hands like this, they weren't together.
Alhaitham lowered his hand then moved his eyes away from Cyno's hand only to see that Tighnari was watching him. Tighnari looked away but Alhaitham knew he had so much to say.
"And what's this? Did Collei just manage to surprise us all with a powerful 13 attack from her Chongyun that obliterated Kaveh's poor remaining character, Xiangling?" Cyno gasped and let Alhaitham go to shake Collei by her shoulders.
"She's so scary." Kaveh hid behind his remaining cards which only made Collei laugh harder.
Once Collei had swapped seats with Tighnari to be across Alhaitham, Cyno flipped the coin, and gestured for Alhaitham to make the first move. Thankfully by now Cyno was off him so he could focus on the duel before him but his back started to get cold and wanted Cyno's warmth back on him. No, that would be awkward to ask of Cyno so Alhaitham put his focus back onto the battle. Cyno went back and forth between the two but lingered when he was behind Alhaitham to help suggest a play with a shrug.
Despite all the help, Alhaitham was no match for Collei, and she came out of victor so Cyno shook her by the shoulders in celebration of her ongoing winning streak. She bathed in the praise and air of victory until she remembered who she was up against now. Cyno chuckled as he walked around the table and took his place behind Alhaitham.
"You can stay, it's fine." Cyno told Alhaitham as he leaned forward to rest his arms on Alhaitham's shoulders. "Is this okay or would you like to hold my cards?"
"Ugh." Alhaitham was at a loss for words.
"I have faith in you so rub those lucky hands and bless my cards." Cyno jokingly said but Alhaitham did it.
Tighnari shook his head with a small snort.
"Kaveh, may you flip the coin?" Cyno handed it over then gave Alhaitham his deck.
Cyno lowered his head down to Alhaitham's ear, "Thank you." He whispered which nearly sent Alhaitham's heart flying out his chest.
"You're up Cyno." Kaveh coughed which made Alhaitham notice that the three were watching them with a small smirk. It wasn't like that but he wished it was.
"Ugh! You cheated." Collei claimed while the group was heading out of the tavern.
Cyno raised a brow then cupped his hand behind his ear, "Sorry, I don't hear anything in the loser frequency." He laughed.
Collei chased Cyno around as the other three walked towards the hotel Tighnari and Collei were staying at. At one point Cyno used them as a barrier but Collei squeezed herself through just to continue chasing him.
"She's like a rabid dog." Tighnari mumbled which made the two beside him stifle a laugh. "Thank you for the invitation guys, it was nice seeing you all again."
"Same here." Kaveh agreed and wrapped an arm around Tighnari's shoulders. "But would you be able to remember this in the morning without a headache?"
"Of course. Haha I'm not that bad at drinking." Tighnari leaned into Kaveh so the two began walking all funny.
"Whatever you say, Tighnari." Those two continued on ahead so Alhaitham slowed down to keep an eye on Cyno and Collei.
Alhaitham noticed it was quiet but before he could look around, Cyno spoke up from behind. "She ran ahead."
"Oh okay." Alhaitham stopped so he could walk beside rather than ahead of Cyno.
They walked in silence, watching their friends talk, and laugh from afar. Alhaitham glanced down at Cyno but Cyno was focused ahead. Ah, what should he bring up? He asked all he could about his travels at the tavern so what else could there be to talk about?
"I like you." Alhaitham was caught off guard that he abruptly stopped walking but Cyno stopped a few steps ahead of him.
After some silence, Cyno nervously turned around to see why Alhaitham wasn't answering, and it was because Alhaitham was trying to hide his blush behind his hand. For some reason, seeing that made Cyno smile so big that Alhaitham started blushing harder.
So beautiful.
"Me too." Was all Alhaitham could squeeze out. Sure he had imagined this exact scenario in which Cyno confessed before him but now that it was happening, he couldn't think. He had prepared himself to confess after Nilou's show but not three days before it!
"What was that?" Cyno leaned in with a hand cupped behind his ear.
"I like you.. too." Alhaitham quietly said.
"Yeah?!"
"Yeah."
Cyno let out a big sigh of relief then began laughing when he saw Alhaitham's face had gotten all red. He came in for a hug but got pulled into it instead.
Alhaitham placed his head on top of Cyno's head then hugged him tighter. His heart was beating very loudly but he didn't care if Cyno could feel it because it was for him.
"I think my heart is about to pop out." Alhaitham softly chuckled.
"I'll be sure to catch it." Cyno lifted his head and began nuzzling his face in the crook of Alhaitham's neck.
The two didn't say anything else for the remainder of the night but enough time had passed that they had to pull apart. But this time they didn't pull away entirely because their hands were what kept them connected still.
"Let me walk you home." Cyno started pulling on Alhaitham's hand.
"Do you remember where it is?" Alhaitham followed along.
"Of course. I always pass by it when I visit." Cyno admitted. "I sometimes spot you."
"And you never came by to say Hi?" Alhaitham gasped.
"I actually did say Hi but you always have your headphones on- actually where are they?" Cyno just now realized they were gone.
"I um take them off when you're here. I-" Alhaitham cleared his throat, "I want to be able to hear your voice the whole time you're here."
Cyno turned his head away to hide his blush.
"You did not waste any time to speak so boldly." Cyno chuckled and Alhaitham shrugged.
As the two walked, Cyno began to bump his hip against Alhaitham's hip, and Alhaitham returned the bump. Since they were holding hands, they got to be pulled back towards each other to give a harder bump, and one bump nearly sent the two down. They laughed about the close call and Alhaitham felt happy to see his long awaited dream come true right in front of eyes.
Days later during Nilou's show, the two took advantage of the lack of lights over the audience to hold hands in secret because their friend group did not know yet. They wanted to surprise them for the long awaited relationship. So at the after party, Cyno for everyone's attention by slamming their hands on the table.
"We're finally dating!" He then shook their hands in the air to show everyone. Alhaitham tried to pull their hands down but when he couldn't, chose to hide behind his other hand.
"Finally!" The group shouted then started bugging the new couple about the confession details. That was when the couple learned about the ongoing bet on who would confess first and that many had placed their money on Cyno.
"I trusted you." Collei wept to Alhaitham as she had to pay up for losing.
"Sorry." Alhaitham lowered his head.
"Sorry my ass. You two took forever." Dehya shook her head then looked at Cyno. "But see? I told you that he would have accepted your feelings had you asked years ago!"
"Years?!" The table gasped.
"Mn. I have liked Alhaitham a bit after that incident with the sages and it grew throughout the years." Cyno explained.
Kaveh looked over at Alhaitham but failed to hide his smile from others.
"How long has Alhaitham liked him?" Tighnari asked Kaveh but Kaveh started slowly drinking while avoiding eye contact.
"Don't worry about it." Alhaitham lowered his head further.
"You liked him the longest didn't you?!" The group sat up and Cyno lowered his head to see Alhaitham's face. He was blushing.
"When did you start to like me?" Cyno asked.
The truth would come out eventually but not today. Well only Cyno (and Kaveh) should know this secret so Alhaitham leaned over and whispered to Cyno, "Since we first met."
"No way!" Cyno jumped back and the others urged him to tell what Alhaitham told him. "No! It's a secret for me."
"Boo!"
Cyno looked at Alhaitham with a small smile then started laughing when Alhaitham rolled his eyes. When Alhaitham sat up straight, Cyno scooted himself closer so Alhaitham could wrap an arm around him.
"Okay! We get you two are a couple now but no pda!"
Alhaitham only hugged Cyno closer and Cyno laughed with his hand on Alhaitham's chest, hand over his heart. The group tried to pull them apart to end the pda but they held onto each other tightly to rub it in their faces.
The couple shared a look and laughed as they were about to reveal more news to their friends. Once their friends were settled down, Cyno announced that he would be remaining in Sumeru from now on as he found his reason to stay once again.