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It was supposed to be a calm evening. Supposed is an operative word here, Alhaitham would have said, if anyone had asked him.
***
Alas, you cannot be sure about calm anything when you have three partners. Especially partners like his.
Kaveh is the loudest of them all. It's their nature (Alhaitham knows it's an act they chose for themself, not actually nature) - too much of everything: too much tears, too much laughter, too much love, too much empathy. "It's a good but a terribly dangerous quality," Cyno once said. They complain about Alhaitham's books way too often but refuse to notice how blueprints overflow couches. Kaveh is a genius architect - the light of Kshahrewar - who cannot understand (too often) sometimes that not everything can be included in the project. They are too empathetic saving desert foxes and crying over baby shroomboars because 'Haitham they're SO tiny' but cut everyone who dares disrespect their partner with this silver tongue of theirs (not that any of them need it, but they appreciate it nonetheless). If Alhaitham was asked to use one word to describe Kaveh he'd choose the adverb 'too'.
Cyno is... Infuriating sometimes. One may suspect him being made only of sharp edges and mahamatra rules, but it just means that they don't know him outside of his title. Cyno is ridiculous cracking jokes while arresting someone, he takes his love for TCG way too serious. Celestia, one time the man literally played cards with eremites who captured run-away scholars, because he was ordered to arrest them and bring them back (Alhaitham is still not sure, were the scholars relieved that they were saved, terrified that they were arrested by General Mahamatra himself or enraged that their lives had cost only one round of TCG). Cyno hates bugs but always brings scarabs for Tighnari from the desert, Cyno scratches himself sometimes when the spirit of Hermanubis is too restless, Cyno takes most of the bed whille asleep because he ends up splayed like a starfish in the middle of it. If Alhaitham was asked to use one word to describe Cyno he'd choose the noun 'contradiction'.
Tighnari is safe. He isn't loud not being able to stand the noise as well as Alhaitham. He is calm, collected, and - what's more important - patient. He strives for knowledge and Alhaitham respects this, but he also literally told Academya to get off of his back which Alhaitham respects even more. Tighnari got all of them around his clawed finger with Kaveh fixing buildings, irrigation systems, children's toys and whatnot in the Gandharva Ville, Cyno 'not knowing' about Karkata at Pardis Dhyai, and Alhaitham accepting his research proposals and helping to publish articles. And they wouldn't have it any other way especially for the price of petting Valuka shuna's tail and ears. Though, don't be fooled by his calm demeanor, Tighnari is more than capable of protecting himself, and Alhaitham still breaks in goosebumps when he remembers how the Valuka shuna once literally tore apart treasure hunters who dared to cut the mushrooms off from shroomboars (one of them cried that the price of these mushrooms is higher than of the best rukkhashava mushrooms). Even Cyno was shaken up when he came to take criminals under arrest, terrified from seeing their usually calm and soft-spoken, albeit sarcastic, partner snarling and baring his fangs while his ears were literally glued to the head. If Alhaitham was asked to use one word to describe Kaveh he'd choose the adjective 'fierce'.
***
But back to the matter at hand.
It's one of the days for Kaveh. Sometimes they doubted everything and everyone. Especially people's feelings. Especially Alhaitham's feelings.
Alhaitham was glad that Cyno and Tighnari were there. They could give Kaveh what he couldn't or didn't wat to give. Sure, he knew that the blonde loved him no matter how hard it was sometimes, despite all their sharp edges that they clashed against each other, bluntness that Alhaitham was sometimes incapable of balancing, and other things ('My best qualities' Alhaitham once joked and got a pillow straight to his face thrown by Kaveh); but still, having people who loved Kaveh and him and cared about both of them was nice especially when his human understanding was failing him or the man was simply too overwhelmed to deal with the world much less the blonde.
Now though, Kaveh was interrupting his reading and Cyno's and Tighnari's TCG round while whining about the fact that Alhaitham hadn't done anything nice for him for a long time. He mused if Alhaitham was actually willing to stay with them or he was just simply comfortable to stay that way.
"There is a belief in Snezhnaya," suddenly said Alhaitham, "that you shouldn't drink from someone's cup."
"How so?" Cyno asked putting his cards down on the table.
Alhaitham closed his book.
"It is believed that you'll take their burdens on yourself. Either share them or deal with them on your own, there is actually no common agreement, probably due to the territorial differences. But anyway.."
Kaveh's breath hitched when the man deliberately took their cup and, without breaking the eye contact, took a sip. From Kaveh's cup.
"Well, that was bold," Tighnari half-whispered, swishing his tail lightly.
"Does this answer your question well enough, Kaveh?" The grey-haired man tilted his head still not breaking the eye contact.
"I-"
The blonde felt their eyes are starting to sting with tears. They knew quite well that Alhaitham didn't love the way they do - not a lot of people do, actually, as Tighnari said once. They were told hundreds of times that romantic love is not something Alhaitham knows or wants. It was the reason of their fallout years ago when Kaveh couldn't bear the idea of not being loved, thinking that they were an unloveable problem. Despite all caring their boyfriend had done then, they couldn't put Alhaitham's idea of 'I don't need to love you, especially romantically, to be with you and care about you' in their mind. Blunt wording hadn't helped, of course, but Kaveh's problems and desire to be respected had blinded them completely especially after their fight about that damned project.
Now, they finally came to a certain level of understanding. After having to live with Alhaitham, seeing his routine, habits, the way he treats any kind of relationships, his ideals in general and how all of this affects his life, they can understand and even realise why it's not bad not to be loved by Alhaitham. Kaveh has lovers - Tighnari and Cyno - who fill their need for love, affection, touch and sex. Both receiving and giving. But having Alhaitham close, living with him, being able to argue about little things, seeing him napping on every available surface and a lot more things is so important to them. Kaveh thinks it's impossible for them to stop loving Alhaitham in every way possible and having another chance is a blessing from archons themselves.
And now, when Alhaitham did this - drank from their cup after saying that some people believe that this can lead to a harder life - they are feeling like they are falling in love with the man once again. The man who is doing everything possible (and sometimes impossible) to keep their life calm and simple has just shown them that he is ready not only to share their problems but deal with said problems. Kaveh loves loves loves him.
"May I kiss you?"
"In the forehead."
Kaveh leant, reaching their partner. They gave the man a light kiss, barely touching his skin. When Kaveh drew back, Alhaitham had a little smile on his lips clearly for his partners' sake, showing that it's okay and he enjoyed the kiss.
"Our turn," smiled Tighnari also leaning to kiss a grey-haired man in the forehead. Cyno followed with a loud 'mwah' sound, making Alhaitham grimace.
"We love you," Cyno said to Alhaitham curling his hands around Tighnari's and Kaveh's wrists.
"I know," muttered Alhaitham returning back to his book, showing that the conversation is over and he doesn't want to be bothered. "I appreciate you."