Chapter Text
Al Haitham was dreaming. He could tell. Even though he could feel his weighted blanket and arms around him, he knew it wasn't real. The edges of his bedroom lacked color, looking quite similar to Kaveh's blueprints. He did not move. After all, dreaming was still a new experience. He was also being held in place by what he assumed was his roommate.
He had heard from Lesser Lord Kusanali directly that dreams were often confusing. They could hold tons of meaning or none at all. There's shuffling behind him, signaling dream Kaveh was awake. The man rose, stretching and yawning at the same time. He didn't seem to worry about disrupting Al Haitham. He felt dream Kaveh lean over him. Almost instinctively, he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep(which, he was). Dream Kaveh placed a kiss upon his forehead and whispered something incoherent.
When he felt dream Kaveh pull away, he opened his eyes. He was met with a complete bedroom and an empty bed. How odd. He felt a strange emotion but decided to ignore it for now. He had other things to do, like get ready for work.
He bickers with Kaveh as per usual. It's crucial to his schedule. But even after he returns home from work, the feeling does not dissipate. Actually, he dreams once more of Kaveh. He dreams of him over and over again. Dream Kaveh is always wearing a soft smile and his hands are always feather-light. Gentle.
Al Haitham found himself enjoying the dreams more than he should. He would wake up and still feel a slight warmth in his chest, pulling him back into Dream Kaveh's arms. He had even begun to take naps on his day off, wanting nothing more than to feel Kaveh's gentleness. Of course, he recognizes this as something odd. Something he should not be looking forward to or indulging in.
But still, watching Dream Kaveh sway around in their shared kitchen with two coffee cups in hand leaves him smiling. Maybe he was feeling more touch starved than usual, or his job as Acting Grand Sage was too stressful, and that's why he was having dreams of someone taking such great care of him. Of loving him. Al Haitham decides not to dwell on it.
One morning, he woke up much earlier than he normally would. He finds Kaveh in the living room, looking particularly bored with whatever he was working on. He's lying on their divan, holding blueprints above him. Al Haitham assumes that he's dreaming still. His vision is blurry with sleep, so he makes his way to sit with Kaveh.
The Architect notices him, "Archons, Al Haitham! You scared me. What are you doing up so early?" His voice is weirdly loud in Al Haitham's ears. Dream Kaveh's voice was always quiet. Always gentle. Gentle, gentle, gentle. Al Haitham doesn't respond, just stares down in silence. "Are you still asleep?" Kaveh places his blueprints on the coffee table, but when he goes to stand up, Al Haitham pushes him back down. Not hard, though.
Kaveh starts to sputter questions at him to no avail. "Shh." Al Haitham shushes and places his hands on Kaveh's chest. Something was off. Dream Kaveh had always been the one to shush Al Haitham and pushing him to lay down. To sleep. Kaveh is still making confused noises, but Al Haitham's weight is suddenly atop him. He is completely silent when Al Haitham pushes his face into Kaveh's neck, breathing in a scent he can't normally smell in his dreams.
"What the hell..."
╰┈➤
Kaveh is a lover. He will always be a lover, yearning for cutesy dates and flowers as presents. Al Haitham is nothing of the sort, so why does Kaveh keep dreaming of him? He knows Al Haitham and he is certainly not the type to bake cookies and go out on romantic picnics. Kaveh imagines his idea of a "date" is hanging out at home reading to each other. Which isn't all that displeasing.
Al Haitham lacks the enthusiasm of being a lover. He lacks a general enthusiasm about everything actually, save for reading and knowledge. That's why Kaveh is the architect and Al Haitham was the scribe. Their personalities clash, they bicker near constantly, and yet Kaveh still finds himself enjoying the other's company. Whenever Al Haitham sits just a tad closer to him on their divan, or when he switches from looking into Kaveh's eyes to his lips, Kaveh can't help but think of the Al Haitham from his dreams.
He has to remind himself that they are not the same. Al Haitham was not a romantic; he would not tuck Kaveh's hair behind his ear and kiss his forehead. Even the idea of this makes him want to run laps. Al Haitham would want no such thing with Kaveh and frankly, Kaveh doesn't either. Or at least that's what he's telling himself.
Kaveh supposes Al Haitham is just becoming more and more comfortable with him. He just didn't think the man would be comfortable enough to sleep on top of him. Maybe was sleepwalking, who knows? Kaveh had given up on moving Al Haitham. He was clearly fast asleep, and it was late. Maybe Kaveh had been too loud, and this was Al Haitham's way of getting him to go to bed.
It's not like he can't move the scribe. Kaveh is perfectly capable of manhandling if needed. He just feels... guilty. If he had disrupted his slumber, then it was his fault. Plus, he was feeling tired himself and Al Haitham's body heat was perfect to lull him to sleep.
He wakes later than usual, body sore from the couch. Al Haitham was gone, most likely already at the Akademiya. Kaveh wonders if they would talk about what happened, if it was a big deal at all.
Of course, it isn't brought up again. Kaveh assumes it was an accident. A half-asleep attempt to get Kaveh to stop making noise so early in the morning. Still, he wishes it had been more. The architect also noticed Al Haitham's sudden interest in dreams, along with his sudden need to take naps. Perhaps... perhaps they could both be dreaming of one another. Kaveh shook his head. Don't be weird.
On one of the rare days the two men got out of work, Kaveh was sent to go shopping. He had grumbled and disagreed with going, but Al Haitham casually brought up his rent, or lack of. Seriously, he had to be abusing his power of basically being Kaveh's landlord. He left with one last sigh, "Fine, but you're cooking." Al Haitham mumbled under his breath and Kaveh is glad he didn't hear what the scribe had to say.
So, one uneventful trip later, he returns home. Kaveh doesn't see Al Haitham in his regular spot, but rather sprawled out on the floor under the window. The sun had been shining directly onto his sleeping figure. Kaveh would almost certainly mistake him for being dead if not for the rising and falling of his chest. He's taken aback at how... peaceful Al Haitham is. How vulnerable. He looks younger, too.
It hits Kaveh that Al Haitham is in fact younger than he is.
He places the bags down on the floor gently, and crouches down beside him. He isn't sure why he chose the floor of all places to sleep, and he most certainly will be complaining about it later, but Kaveh still doesn't wake him. Al Haitham reminds him of a cat taking its daily naps in the sun. His heart beats a little faster as he stares.
Has Al Haitham always been this pretty?
"Kaveh..." The scribe rasps out, eyes still shut firmly. Ah. Is Al Haitham dreaming of... Kaveh? The architect's face grows hot with the thought. He acts on impulse and reaches a hand to brush Al Haitham's bangs out of his eyes. The man only burrows his head further into the touch, much like a nuzzling cat asking for pets. "Warm..." His voice is barely a whisper.
Archons, this is going to be the end of Kaveh. He watches him sleep there until his back starts to ache from slouching. Eventually, he has to get up and put the groceries away. Needless to say, Al Haitham does not cook that night and Kaveh can't find it in himself to be angry about it.
╰┈➤
Something has definitely changed. Kaveh is cooking for him without complaint (mostly). His demeanor is also different... nervous. Al Haitham has had enough of it. He doesn't like how it makes him feel. Just watching Kaveh avoid eye contact and fidget so much during a casual conversation frustrates him. He isn't sure why.
He breaks the silence over dinner, "Have you broken something?" Kaveh looks up, confused. "Gotten into trouble somehow? Committed a crime? Or maybe you've killed someone." Al Haitham has a finger on his chin, thinking mostly to himself.
"What the actual hell are you talking about? Of course, I haven't done any of those things! Are you just accusing me of anything now?!" His voice rises and Al Haitham smirks. There he is. You see, Al Haitham doesn't mind being cooked for, but Kaveh has stopped bickering with him. He doesn't enjoy an anxious Kaveh. "And after I've been cooking and being so nice to you... I swear."
Al Haitham takes a big bite of his dinner. "Exactly. It's not your job to be nice to me, and neither is it mine."
"So... You want me to be mean to you? Kind of weird, Haitham" His voice trails off.
It's Al Haitham's turn to sigh. "You're the one being weird." Kaveh goes to interject, but the scribe is already standing, taking their now empty plates to the sink to wash up.
"How am I the weird one?" And with that, they fall back into their usual quarrels.
But that doesn't stop the dreams from plaguing their sleep, doesn't stop the way they view each other to change. While Kaveh is attempting to drown out the way the dreams make him feel, Al Haitham is swimming in them. He knows it isn't right, knows it is affecting his day-to-day life, but he can't help himself. He wakes up feeling... happy. So warm and almost giddy. He's sure he has a stupid smile on his face even in his sleep.
Whether or not this is changing the way he sees the real Kaveh, he isn't sure. Kaveh is... noisy. He's loud, obnoxious, sensitive, and always willing to give. Even when he shouldn't be. Al Haitham thinks that if Kaveh were to lay down with him and press kisses into his hair, he wouldn't mind all that much. Maybe it was the illusion of his dreams, but he felt more comfortable with Kaveh's touch than anyone else's.
╰┈➤
It was Kaveh's designated "go out and get drunk" night, but this time, it was Tighnari and Cyno who invited him. They had also invited Al Haitham, and despite his best efforts to avoid the gathering, he was still going. Kaveh has a very particular way of convincing people to do something he really wants. Al Haitham just isn't sure why he'd want him to go. All he does is dampen the mood.
"It isn't me inviting you, its Tighnari and Cyno! You're going to go." Kaveh reminded him, sounding much like a mother scolding her child. Al Haitham grumbled before getting up. If he was going somewhere, he might as well get dressed. He makes sure to grab his hearing aids, which also work as noise cancellers, on the way out.
Kaveh had put a bit of more effort into his eyeliner. "Why're you getting dolled up to hang out with them?" Al Haitham's voice betrays him. He sounds annoyed, jealous.
The architect only snorts, "I actually care about my looks, unlike someone." The conversation ends at that, and they're left with the quiet bustling of the city. The air is a bit humid and chilly. Al Haitham finds himself staring at Kaveh's eye makeup instead of where he's going. He trips up over a stray stone, almost falling face first if not for Kaveh's hand around his own. "Look where you're going, Haitham." He scolds even in his worry.
After a moment of stillness, he looks between their connected hands. Kaveh pulls away at the realization. Pulls away like it had burnt. They continue their walk to Lambad's Tavern. Just as Al Haitham stretches his pinky finger to brush Kaveh's hand, they arrive. Tighnari yells out to them, "Took you two long enough!" His tail is waving in an excited manner. For some reason, Al Haitham's uneasiness grows.
The four of them grab a table and fall into easy conversation. They speak of Sumeru and its growth, of Tighnari's injury and his healing process, of Kaveh's recent project and its success, and finally, of Al Haitham's job as the Acting Grand Sage. They play over decks of cards and multiple cups of alcohol. He watches Kaveh out of the corner of his eye. He hasn't had too many drinks that he'll be sick yet.
They eventually get to the topic of dreams. Cyno is the one to ask about them, "What about you, Oh Grand Sage? Any interesting dreams?"
Accidently, he lets his gaze slip to Kaveh. "No, hardly any." The only bad thing about Cyno and Tighnari is their unrelentless perception. And Cyno's jokes. Their eyes also avert to Kaveh for a second.
"You said hardly. So, you must have had a few." Tignhari smiles a little bit too slyly for Al Haitham's taste. He knows how to press people, but Al Haitham, in all his autistic beauty, knows how to dampen a mood in seconds.
"Bad ones. Nightmares, I think they're called. I'd rather not discuss them." Cyno's uncovered eye stares at him, all knowing. Al Haitham has to repress a sigh. The conversation moves quickly onto another person.
Al Haitham's mind moves back to earlier, when Kaveh had yanked his hand away from his. He lets himself zone out, or dissociate, he wasn't sure. Over and over again the movement plays in his head. Like it had burnt. He mindlessly downs a few drinks, still stuck in his thoughts. Only when Kaveh laughs way too loudly at something Tighnari had said does he break out of his trance.
Something burns inside of his chest. He thinks maybe he's having heartburn, or that he's overstimulated, but the feeling grows when Kaveh tipsily plays with Tighnari's claws. The fox-eared man doesn't seem to mind. He's wearing an easy smile as well. Al Haitham's scowl deepens. "I want to touch too." The three other men at the table turn to look at him, dumbfounded.
"Sure." Tignhari's stretches his arms further across the table. Al Haitham presses at the man's palm and watches as his claws expose themself. Was this something Kaveh liked? Al Haitham was faintly aware of the desert foxes that followed him around. His mind, unhelpfully, supplies the image of Kaveh with fox ears and a tail of his own. Was he drunk? He's probably drunk.
He pulls away after a moment. The table is oddly quiet after Al Haitham had asked. Perhaps he had thrown off the vibe. Or whatever the hell. He takes another large swing of his drink. His body feels warm all over, but somehow tingly. Cyno makes a joke to break the odd tension, and while Tighnari and Kaveh groan about how bad it was, Al Haitham finds himself giggling.
Once again, there was an odd tension. All heads are turned his way, seemingly flabbergasted. "Did you just... laugh? Like, giggle, at one of my jokes?" Al Haitham turns his head to face Cyno slowly. He tries to answer, but the sudden urge to laugh even more takes over. He lets out a chuckle; the table is still silent.
And then it isn't. Cyno is telling every joke he has, Kaveh is nagging him about how he never laughs at him like that, and Tignari is asking him if he's feeling alright. It seems none of them had been paying attention to how much Al Haitham drank, not even himself. At some point, Tighnari orders them all a glass of water and orders them to drink some.
It's nearing the end of their night out and Al Haitham can admit, he's absolutely wasted. He blames it on his new job. God, he really hates his job. The forest ranger and general walk the two of them home, not trusting a slightly tipsy Kaveh to get a very drunk Al Haitham home. Before Kaveh can even close the door, Al Haitham is yelling at him to wait.
He stumbles outside to the porch, where Tighnari and Cyno are still standing. Al Haitham steadies himself, closes his eyes, and places two swift kisses on the two men's cheeks. They stand there, perplexed. Al Haitham whispers after a moment, "To make him jealous," He smiles in a way they've never seen before.
"Al Haitham! Stop that, you have to ask before kissing someone, idiot!" Kaveh reaches for his collar, pulling him back to his side. "Sorry about that."
Tighnari is the first to speak, as always. "It's quite alright. He's drunk. Plus, we're all friends. It was just a peck." He turns and grabs Cyno's wrist, who seems to be in a state of shock. "Goodnight you two. I already gave you some meds for his hangover tomorrow." He smiles and waves, leaving Kaveh with a slumped Al Haitham.
"Goodnight! Let's get together again, okay?
"Absolutely." Cyno is still quiet beside him as they turn to leave. "Got yourself a crush, Cyno?"
The general's head snaps up, "No." He says with a scowl, but there's a faint blush on his cheeks.
"Okay, okay. No need to get mad." Tighnari raises his hands in defense, knowing full well Cyno had not been mad.
As the two of them make their way down the lamplit streets, Cyno asks, "Do you think they'll be okay?"
"Hopefully."