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Alhaitham woke at what must have been two in the morning and staggered for the bathroom.
Shoulder slamming into the nearest wall, he clapped a hand over his mouth. The night air was too hot, too humid. Sweat stuck to his skin. Gasping, Alhaitham stumbled. He rammed into the wall again when he tried to walk. I can’t—what’s going on—his knees shook. The world was spinning, and dark, and he couldn’t—his head hurt—
“Alhaitham?” A hand touched his arm. Turning, Alhaitham met Kaveh’s gaze. Red eyes flicked across his face. “What’s wrong?”
“I—” Gesturing, Alhaitham tilted again. Kaveh caught him. The world was still spinning, his stomach pulled a flip. Touching the side of his head, wincing at the bruise still there, he—he really needed the world to stop spinning, that would be nice—“I think I’m going to throw up.”
“Okay, okay, let’s get you to the bathroom—” Carefully, Kaveh pulled him along. The light flicked on.
Alhaitham had enough time to wince, and then he was unconscious.
When he stirred, his stomach did another flip and copper flooded his mouth. Kaveh must have been right by him. A bowl was shoved under his face. A hand brushed his hair back out of his face. Then, a clip slid into his hair, pinning it back. Someone was murmuring to him gently, soothingly. It was like his grandmother, one of the only times where he had gotten sick. The voice was wrong, though. It was a little deeper, a bit rougher.
A pillow pressed into his cheek. He was hot, the world was way too hot. Panting, he grabbed for whoever’s hand was in his hair. Their fingers tangled together. “Hey. I know, I know. It’s okay, you’re okay, honey. It’s going to be fine.”
Kaveh. That was Kaveh. Tangling their fingers a little tighter, Alhaitham cracked his eyes open. The world was still a little shaky. In front of him, Kaveh managed a smile. Gentle fingers carded through his hair. They found the bruise on the back of his head. Flinching, Alhaitham looked up at him.
“Sorry, sorry. Just checking to make sure you’re not bleeding, ‘haitham.” Kaveh whispered. Gently, he pressed a kiss to the top of Alhaitham’s sweaty hair. His hands were shaking. “You’re pretty badly concussed, I think. Do you want me to try and get someone from the Bimarstan to make a home visit? It might help.”
“’m fine.” He mumbled, dropping his head back against the pillow. It pressed into his cheek. Blessedly, it was cool. Eyes half-closed, he looked at Kaveh and smiled softly. “You’re pretty.”
Kaveh stared at him in horror. “Oh, you’re feverish. I’m going to—no, wait, I can’t call Tighnari. Uh. I’m going to call someone.”
Alhaitham grabbed his hand before he could go, mumbling something.
Even he himself didn’t really know what it was. Still, Kaveh turned and looked down at him softly. Those red eyes of his softened further, and he settled down on the floor by the couch. Alhaitham let go of Kaveh’s hand. Gently, Kaveh brushed his hair back again, rubbed his shoulder, and then turned to look off somewhere.
Alhaitham blinked languidly, closing his eyes. He only meant to doze for a moment.
Without meaning to, he drifted off.
In full honesty, Kaveh didn’t know what he would have done if Alhaitham hadn’t drifted off on his own.
He wasn’t good with sick people. Okay, that was a lie. Kaveh was actually great with sick people, but he hadn’t used those skills in a while. Alhaitham wasn’t the kind of person who got sick often. Neither was he, actually. That would be Cyno and Collei, actually. Both of them had what Kaveh thought was called a “weak constitution”. According to Alhaitham, that was not what that phrase meant. Apparently describing them as having weak immune systems was probably better.
Still, Kaveh took advantage of Alhaitham’s current lack of consciousness to make him some soup and then send a bird to Cyno’s father. They had spoken a few times before. Cyno got concussions and got sick often. Surely, he would know how to help with a concussion. Knowing Cyno, he had probably gotten severe concussions in the past.
Now, normally, Kaveh would ask Tighnari this sort of thing. Tighnari was good with anything medical. He was a Forest Watcher, he knew what he was doing. He knew a lot about first aid. However, Tighnari was currently the one in need of that first aid and medical, having been struck by lightning recently. Currently, Collei and Cyno were taking care of him. So, sending a dusk bird letter to Cyrus it was.
And while he waited, he could make Alhaitham some…wait. He didn’t like soup. Ugh, why did I fall in love with Sumeru’s worst bachelor? Whatever, maybe he’s too concussed to eat anything normal. I can force it down his throat if I need to. The last time Lisa had been in Sumeru, she had given Cyno and Cyrus a recipe for some kind of chicken noodle soup that was common in Mondstadt. It sounded pretty good, he might as well try it out while Alhaitham was sick. Maybe it would be something he enjoyed.
As he cooked, Kaveh continually glanced over at Alhaitham where he snored away on the couch. The man was loud. Really loud. And this is why we sleep in separate beds. Archons know I would strangle him in my sleep otherwise.
There was also the time where they had tried sharing a bed, only for Kaveh to wake up in the middle of the night, smile lovingly at Alhaitham, only for Alhaitham to scowl at him and steal his pillow. Because, apparently, Kaveh had stolen Alhaitham’s. He had not, in fact, stolen anyone’s pillow. Alhaitham’s had just fallen down the side of the bed. It was incredibly rude.
Of course, Kaveh had gotten him back a few weeks later by angrily declaring that he was going to commit a murder on an unknown “you”. Look, he had been having a nightmare that someone was attacking Collei and it sent him into a rage. He justified his actions. It was much better than being angry that someone had “stolen” his pillow.
(Now…the other times that Kaveh spoke angrily in his sleep was…something else. Something he wouldn’t talk about. According to Cyno and Tighnari and Collei, Alhaitham also talked in their sleep. They only discovered this because they went on a camping trip that was a not-so-subtle attempt to get Kaveh and Tighnari to stop working themselves to death while Collei and Cyno staked out some mercenaries who might have been planning a murder. During the middle of the night, Alhaitham began talking in Liyuean, and Kaveh started replying in Fontainian. It was…embarrassing, but also really, really funny.
They weren’t the only ones who spoke in their sleep. Once, Collei had held out a small stuffed bunny that her friend Amber had made her and demanded that Cyno “fix it”, cheerfully responded with “thank you” when Cyno had taken it, and once terrified all four of them when she declared “ugh, I hate that teacher” in a rage while sleeping on the couch.)
As he stirred the soup around, Kaveh glanced at Alhaitham again. His partner was still stretched out on the couch. One of his legs was stuck out now, foot brushing the ground. Hurrying over, Kaveh hefted Alhaitham back onto the house. Then, he went back to cooking. The smell of chicken stock and noodles filled the air, warm and savory and nostalgic in a strange way.
Once he was finished, Kaveh quickly pulled out two bowls to put the soup in. He filled Alhaitham’s bowl more. Now, for the toast. I wonder if he would enjoy some spice in it. Though…he doesn’t seem like the type, I suppose. With a sigh, he went and then touched Alhaitham’s shoulder.
Alhaitham took a while to stir, which always happened when he was sick or injured. Normally, he stirred at almost every single sound, unless he wasn’t wearing his hearing aids. Then, it took an earthquake to wake him (that had happened before). Crouched by his side, Kaveh reached up and then brushed his hair back. “Hey, love.”
Blinking, turquoise eyes bleary with sleep, Alhaitham sniffed and then rubbed at his eyes. Smiling, Kaveh brushed his bangs back again. The silvery hair glittered in the sunlight streaming through their curtains. I knew those windows were a good choice. Still think we should add some stained glass somewhere. Can add some pretty constellations in—maybe Paradisaea and Vultur Volans? Those would be good options. He studied Alhaitham’s face as his lover stirred a little more.
Archons, I love him.
“Mmm…what’d you make?” Alhaitham asked.
“Soup.” Immediately, Alhaitham’s expression soured. “Buh-buh-buh, I don’t want to hear it! This is the soup recipe we got from Lisa, and you don’t want to disappoint her, do you?”
Stretching, Alhaitham let out a sound that might have just been a soft moan from the effort. He winced as he opened his eyes. Getting up, Kaveh hurried to draw the curtains. Sure, they needed the lanterns, but he could at least dim the lights where possible.
Slowly, Alhaitham pushed himself up. “No, no, don’t move. I’ll bring the soup over. How does Sumeru rose tea sound? Do you want the usual amount of milk and sugar in it? I don’t think we have any more chai or chamomile tea, and I know that getting Liyuean white tea is also going to take a bit. The usual supplier’s been held up in Inazuma because of that stupid storm.”
“Sumeru rose is fine.” Taking another breath, Alhaitham stretched his arms in front of him. “When did I fall asleep?”
He tried to push himself up. Instantly, Kaveh was at his side and got him back down on the couch. More than that, he was pulling Alhaitham’s hands away from his eyes. “Not too long ago. Also, stop rubbing your eyes, you’re going to hurt yourself.” Letting Kaveh pull his hands away, Alhaitham tried to frown at him. It didn’t quite work. He looked a little too tired.
Smiling at him, Kaveh brushed his bangs out of his face again. The clip had disappeared. When he glanced down, he could see that, somehow, Alhaitham had managed to take off the clip in his sleep. It was now clutched in his palm. Humming, Kaveh brushed his fingers against Alhaitham’s palm. Tanned, calloused fingers curled around his own, warm and familiar.
“I’ll go get the food and bring it back. I made toast with the right amount of butter.” He added the last bit in a sort of sing-song voice.
Leaning back against their couch, Alhaitham watched him go with a faint smile.