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I
''What do you mean you didn't buy any vegetables?'' growled Kaveh.
''They all looked bad today'' replied Alhaitham, bored.
''Surely that's it and it's not that you didn't take a good look at them?! Alhaitham! I needed them for today's dinner-''
Alhaitham rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming. An angry and indignant Kaveh, who would not shut up even if the force of that God created by the Fatui fell upon him, so he turned off his headphones so that Kaveh could reproach him for whatever he wanted without the need to bother the scribe.
But when Alhaitham took out the groceries, with his headphones off, Kaveh snatched the bag from him, replying this time in sign language
''You're coming with me now, and we're going to buy what we need! If I have given you a shopping list, it is for you to complete it! It can't be that I always have to follow you when you go shopping alone-''
Alhaitham was speechless. He didn't know Kaveh knew sign language. Had he learned it for him?
A small chuckle came out as Kaveh, still not quieting his hands, gestured very fast and furiously, while still scolding Alhaitham for not having bought the vegetables.
And of course, Alhaitham ignored with intensity that heat that was born in his chest at the sight of Kaveh communicating with him in his real language.
II
''Are you sure you're all right?''
''For the last time, Kaveh, yes. Ziyab couldn't even touch me'' Alhaitham mumbled, as both of them had just left the trial to the academic.
Kaveh was very concerned to see how Ziyab looked at his roommate. With real hatred.
When the matra took him prisoner, they met again and that murderous look returned to Ziyab's eyes, Kaveh standing in front of Alhaitham even though he knew that the scribe could take Ziyab with one hand tied behind his back.
He heard the scribe's laughter and suddenly his hands moved very fast.
"That Ziyab has been such a loser. You know I didn't even need to fight him face to face? Sending my crystals was enough to defeat him''
"Really? What a mess, and this guy has been the one who has messed all this up?''
''Just to show you how many incompetent people there are in this academy.''
"Haitham! That was rude!''
" Then w hy are you laughing?''
The other people who had also attended the trial stared at the scribe and the architect making strange gestures with their hands while laughing.
III
''I need your help''
Kaveh looked at Alhaitham in surprise, not only at this request, but at how he had asked for it.
Stepping away from his desk, he nodded to Alhaitham and the Sage showed his headphones.
''What happened?''
''Some hilichurl have frightened off some pack animals I was guarding. They were carrying goods from Fontaine, one of them hit me, threw my headphones to the ground and trampled them.''
Kaveh picked up the headphones with sorrow, seeing that they were beyond saving.
''What now?''
''I'll wait for them to bring me new ones. In the meantime, I need your help.''
"How's that?''
''I need you to be my interpreter. I need you to translate everything I say to the students, academics or simply fellow countrymen. It will only be for a few weeks-''
''All right'' gestured Kaveh but Alhaitham did not see it.
''I promise I won't give you a hard time-''
"Haitham, it's okay.''
"And you will be rewarded financially-''
Finally Kaveh stopped Alhaitham and smiled ''I will help you, Haitham.''
IV
''I'm serious! Mondstadt needs architects like me urgently! How can you call yourselves the nation of freedom and not have any building that conveys that!!!?!?'''
''Ssshh, Kaveh, shut up'' Tighnari scolded him at the blond's shouting.
Kaveh couldn't stop laughing, his cheeks dyed red and his voice failing from the alcohol coursing through his veins.
He looked at Alhaitham, who was looking at him with that mocking smile that made him so angry and amused.
''Tighnari doesn't understand me. He should have seen Mondstadt with his own eyes''
''I've seen it with you and I didn't think it was such a bad city.''
''AGH. ANOTHER IGNORANT PERSON WHO IS INCAPABLE OF APPRECIATING ART!''
Alhaitham began to laugh, feeling sorry for the way Tighnari was looking at them, confused.
''You know what? I can't stand you guys, I'm leaving!'' Tighnari snorted, the two roommates laughing again.
''Tighnari, wait! Come back!''
''But tell him in your voice, you idiot!'' he chuckled to Kaveh, still laughing.
V
When Alhaitham saw Cyno enter his office, with one stride he arrived where General Mahamantra was standing.
Without saying anything to each other, Cyno nodded and Alhaitham felt his legs weaken and his eyes water.
''Take me to him, please'' he whispered with a broken voice.
When they arrived to the village Aaru, Candace and Dehya had the same sad look that Cyno wore, and the same thing that he asked the general, he asked the two women
''How is he?''
Candace sighed, not knowing what to say ''He is very scared. It took us all night to get him out of the cave. We didn't want to stress him any more, but he wasn't answering anything either.''
''What's more, it seemed that when we talked to him, he shrank more from fear. We don't know how to communicate with him,'' Dehya continued.
''How serious are his injuries? And if he has been held captive, he must be starving to death''
''We need to check them and of course he needs to eat and drink, but Alhaitham, I don't know if it's safe to approach him. As I told you, he's very frightened''
It broke Alhaitham's heart to hear Candace talk about Kaveh. As if he were a wild animal that had been rescued from poachers.
He entered the house, heading for the room Candace had indicated, and there he saw him.
After agonizing weeks of not hearing from him, where he thought he would never see him again, Kaveh was finally in front of him.
But Candace was not dramatizing at all.
Kaveh was in the corner of the bed, with the blanket wrapped around his body, and his gaze, though lost, alert.
Alhaitham approached him cautiously, pausing when their gazes interacted.
Raising his hands, Alhaitham began to speak to him, in the softest voice he had perhaps ever shown, "Kaveh, it's me. Calm down, it's me. You're safe, in the Aaru village, remember?''
Kaveh was still looking at Alhaitham in pure silence and dread, Alhaitham moving closer to him when he saw the blond cry.
''May I come closer?'' Nothing "Kaveh, do you recognize me?'' Nothing ''Are...are you uncomfortable with me?''
Still nothing. He watched as Kaveh's breathing slowed, the architect's hands trembling as well as his back, and his crying intensified, his hands covering his ears.
Taking a risk, Alhaitham sat down in front of the blond, touching his knee. As expected, Kaveh reacted as if his touch burned, but at last he could have him in front of him.
An awkward and long silence fell between them, Kaveh kept his mouth open, weak and miserable moans were coming out of his mouth, and tears were falling from his eyes.
Alhaitham put his hand on his opponent's knee again, leaving it there when he saw that this time he didn't move away from his touch, to raise it again and call the blond's attention.
''Can't you speak?''
Kaveh's face softened, as if a great relief had come over him as he saw how Alhaitham spoke to him, and he denied
''Do you think you can answer me with your hands?''
Kaveh looked down at his trembling hands and gestured ''Y...es''
''That's fine. That's perfect'' Alhaitham smiled ''Have they managed to heal you?'' Kaveh denied "Have you eaten anything?'' Another denial. ''Are you hungry?'' Kaveh finally nodded
Alhaitham smiled, relieved to be able to communicate with Kaveh ''I'm going to get something to eat. Shall I get you some fruit?'' Kaveh nodded, and Alhaitham stood up "Can you be alone?''
Kaveh looked out the window and shrank back, hiding in the blanket, and Alhaitham could see his refusal.
He tapped him on the shoulder so that he could see him and asked if he would be comfortable with Dehya and Kaveh nodded. But before Alhaitham left to call his friend and bring food to the blond, Kaveh stopped him ''Zay...her... kpt...quiet''
The way he communicated with Alhaitham was awkward, unsure and shaky, but Alhaitham managed to understand him.
He managed to understand him when he woke up from a nightmare, how could he not be able to understand him when he had suffered this?
''You want absolute silence'' It was not a question, but Kaveh nodded.
Alhaitham took off his headphones and put them on Kaveh, activating the sound override ''Do you hear something?''
Kaveh read Alhaitham's lips and denied, Alhaitham smiling at that ''I'll be right back.''
When Alhaitham commented on the breakthrough he had with Kaveh, Candace suggested that she be the one to prepare the fruit and that Alhaitham bring the first aid kit and between him and Dehya to tend to his wounds.
Kaveh nodded when Alhaitham asked him through his hands if they could touch him to heal his wounds, Dehya and he being quick to note the blond's discomfort at being exposed, even in a friendly home.
After bandaging his wounds, Candace was quick to bring a plate of fruit salad and the two women said goodbye to Kaveh, in the most absolute silence as the wounded man had requested (even if it was completely unnecessary thanks to Alhaitham's headphones) but the Sage was grateful that in spite of that, the two women respected what Kaveh had asked for.
''Are you feeling better?" asked Alhaitham as Kaveh began to eat.
Kaveh nodded, again his sensitive side making him cry again and Alhaitham resisted no more and being careful with the bowl of fruit salad, the Sage embraced the man he loved so much, smelling the aroma he longed for, wanting to protect that thin and now wounded and weak body he always wanted to protect and care for.
The hands of each were behind the other's back, both being unable to understand each other, but still, their hands spoke.
''I'm sorry.''
"Thank you.''