Work Text:
"Kaveh? Can you come here for a moment?" Alhaitham's warm voice sounds through the house, catching Kaveh's attention from where he is putting away the plates in the drawers of the old house.
The married couple had just moved into their new home in the woods, far from the village and with a big garden for the both of them to take strolls in and observe the animal life. It used to be Kaveh's parents' house, the house he grew up in, but since his father had passed away and his mother had found a new lover in Fontaine, the house was free for the architect and his husband to move into. It was also more convenient for Kaveh's mother to live with her lover and his family. Living in the big city would surely keep up her spirits.
Alhaitham had also figured it would be for the best to move to a familiar area for Kaveh. Maybe the familiar surroundings will trigger his brain enough to stop forgetting everything on a short term. The reason for his amnesia was a horrifying car crash at the beginning of the year. Spring had just started and he and their son, Zayan, had been on their way home from art school when the deer appeared in front of the car.
Kaveh shouldn't have turned the wheel to avoid the deer. He knows he shouldn't have, but he did it anyway. The car had flown off the road at top speed and hit a tree. Kaveh had hit his head hard against the steering wheel. It had damaged his brain severely. The doctors had told Alhaitham that his husband would have trouble with his short-term memory and to be patient. If he woke at all.
When Kaveh had woken up from his coma after three days, Alhaitham had been there, next to him, holding onto his hand while he was nodding off in the chair. It was late in the evening, the room unfamiliar, but the sight of his husband's silver hair and green eyes calmed him immediately. "What happened?" He had asked when Alhaitham had clutched his hand in both of his in relief. Alhaitham had explained everything with tears streaming down his face. He told his husband to sleep. Rest would make him feel better.
The next day, when Alhaitham had returned to the hospital to see his ruby-eyed spouse, Kaveh had looked up at him panicked. "What happened?" He had asked. Alhaitham knew this would happen. The doctors had warned him about the amnesia, had warned all their friends about it. But that didn't make it any easier to explain time and time again what a horrible crash the blond had gone through.
So soon after, Kaveh had gotten his diary. Empty pages he could slowly fill with everything he heard and wants to remember. He draws the faces of the people he meets and writes short sentences next to them so he can remember them.
When he had finally gotten home, the first thing Kaveh did was hug their son tight. He was so glad he got out unharmed. Their poor little Zi Yin. He would be the one spending time with him now. His career as architect is over. He wouldn't be able to remember the projects he would take on anymore. Alhaitham still works as CEO for the... what was it again? Kaveh cannot remember.
And thus, the little family had moved to a place that may trigger Kaveh's brain in remembering again. So far, it hadn't really helped, but after the accident, anything had been a good enough excuse to leave behind a place of such trauma. Not only for Kaveh, but for Alhaitham also.
"Yes, Haitham?" Kaveh joins him in the hallway, next to the stairs. Alhaitham points at the differently coloured bowls on the table.
"You can put your stuff in here, so you won't forget where you put them." He smiles and Kaveh sees the small handwritten papers on the bowls. 'Keys', 'Phone', 'Panic button'.
He frowns at the last one. "Panic button?" He eyes Alhaitham's face and the kind smile he is giving him. Then the man notices a black device with a single red button on it in his husband's hand.
"I have to go to work. If anything is wrong, you can just push the button so I can come and save you from anything, okay?" He explains softly once Kaveh took the device from Alhaitham's hand. He pushes the button as a test and immediately afterwards, an alarm comes from his husband's phone. The older man smiles and ends the alarm. "I also have a tracking app for your phone so I can find you when you forget your way home, okay?" He shows it to Kaveh.
It's not that he doesn't appreciate Alhaitham trying to help him. Hell, Kaveh has been impressed by how patient and calm Alhaitham has been with his condition, but he feels a nauseating feeling in his stomach when he sees the map with his phone's exact location shown on Alhaitham's screen. He just doesn't like that he needs guarding like this now. His husband has been treating him as if he is made of glass after the accident and it bothers Kaveh.
"Haitham..."
"I know, dear. It's just in case, okay?" Alhaitham circles his arms around Kaveh's waist and kisses his forehead softly. "I'm just so glad you survived the crash." He whispers in his ear before pecking his lips. "I have to go to work now. I'll see you later today, okay? Oh, and before I forget, I also installed a device on the door that will warn you when the front door is opened. I'll see you later, okay?"
Kaveh nods softly and waves with a small smile as Alhaitham leaves through the front door into the cold November air. The front door closes and Kaveh sighs.
"Did Daddy leave already?" He looks up and sees Zayan standing on the stairs, pouting softly. "I wanted to say bye."
He is a handsome five-year-old boy, who they adopted when he was just a baby. He was a dream of a child. He never makes a fuss and is really polite. They both love him dearly.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. We will give him a big kiss when he comes home later today, alright?" Kaveh opens his arms so Zayan can jump into them. He catches him easily. "Will you help me unpack the last boxes? Papa will make you Nutella crepes after."
Zayan smiles and kisses his cheek. "I'm not hungry, papa. But I will help."
Kaveh takes him upstairs again and puts him down. "Well, you have to eat something." He says but shrugs as Zayan starts to open up the boxes, no longer listening to him.
For the next hour, they keep themselves busy with putting the last trinkets into their new places. "Papa? What is this?" Zayan runs into the room with a mirror in his hands. Kaveh blinks. He recognizes it.
"That mirror is granddad's, sweetheart. Where did you get it?" He reaches towards the mirror, but before he can take it, Zayan trips and the mirror falls on the floor. The glass cracks and shatters.
"Oh no." Kaveh quickly picks his son up so he won't step into the glass. Zayan hides his face in his papa's hair. "I'm so sorry, papa." He sniffs. "I didn't mean to."
Kaveh rubs his back. "It's fine, sweetie. I didn't like that mirror anyway. Go downstairs, okay? I'll be there in a few minutes. I'll clean this up first."
Zayan runs out of the room and the world around Kaveh goes quiet. He hums softly as he cleans the broken glass. "Father used to tell me that this mirror keeps the ghosts out of the house." He has no problem remembering things that happened before the accident, it's just the memories from after the accident that keep disappearing. Whenever the red sand comes, he knows he is about to forget.
Like now. Together with the shards of glass, a load of red sand disappears into the bin when he comes downstairs.
"Papa?"
He looks up at Zayan startled. He is sitting at the kitchen table, which is entirely set up and ready for lunch.
"Zayan? Why did you set the table, sweetheart? We just had breakfast."
The little boy frowns at him. "No, papa. It's 1 in the afternoon." he giggles. "You said you would make crepes."
Kaveh blinks. Then he sighs, giving up on trying to remember. For all he knows, he just got out of bed. He starts making crepes.
~*~
"Eat your dinner, Zayan," Kaveh begs their little boy softly. Alhaitham had come home a few minutes ago, always right on time for dinner, and had not even said a word to their son, who is just playing with his food.
"Alhaitham, please. Can you tell him to eat?" Kaveh looks at him desperatly, catching Alhaitham's emotionless gaze. "I don't always want to be the bad guy yelling at him. He hasn't been eating well for a while now." Kaveh knows he hasn't since he wrote it down in his diary next to a picture he drew of Zayan.
His husband frowns at him and looks at the full plate next to him. He sighs and turns back to his phone without saying a thing.
Kaveh huffs. "Alhaitham!" Meanwhile, Zayan gets up and runs upstairs to his room. Kaveh groans and drops his face on the table in frustration.
"Are you okay, Kaveh?" Alhaitham whispers to him and gently strokes his hand over his back.
Kaveh shakes his head. "No, Alhaitham, of course I'm not okay!" He snaps and lifts his head to glare at the man. "You barely take time for your son anymore! You are always working! And my mother has abandoned us in favor of a complete stranger!" He has tears in his eyes once he is done snapping at his husband and shakes his head, immediately feeling guilty at the helpless look on Alhaitham's face.
"Fuck, I'm sorry I yelled, Haitham. This is just all so hard for me." He sniffs and shakes his head. The feeling of guilt is settling deep in his stomach. With a deep sigh, Kaveh wipes his tears away. "I think I will just be going to bed early tonight."
Alhaitham nods, putting his phone away to the side and gently squeezing Kaveh's hand. "It will all be okay in the end, dear. Come. I will help you clean up the dishes."
The ruby-eyed man nods sadly and rubs more tears away from his eyes. He gets up, thanking his husband quietly.
~*~
That night, Kaveh wakes up in the middle of the night. He yawns as he sits up to look at the clock, carefully sliding out of Alhaitham's arms.
3.22 am.
Kaveh hums and lifts the covers to push the red sand out of his bed. He doesn't recognize the room he is in immediately, but Alhaitham being near him and sleeping soundly gives him a feeling of safety. Then he recognizes the room as his parents' old bedroom. They must have moved.
It is then he registers the noise. Kaveh stands up and walks out of the bedroom slowly.
'Close door.'
'Close door.'
'Close door.'
The mechanical voice keeps repeating those words, making Kaveh's blood run cold. As he looks to his right, he can see the door to Zayan's room is ajar. The colourful stickers on his door spell out the boy's name. Kaveh checks on him silently. He is sleeping peacefully in his bed.
He closes the bedroom door before he decides to go find out where the mechanical voice is coming from.
He walks down the stairs slowly.
And then, like a ghust of wind, Kaveh hears a giggle and childlike footsteps run through the hall behind him on the top floor.
He gasps, goosebumps spreading over his skin, and turns around, only to be met by an empty hallway.
"Zayan?" He asks whispering.
There is no answer.
Kaveh shakes his head and continues his way downstairs. The 'Close door' is getting louder and louder. And then he is standing in front of the widely opened front door.
How can it be opened like this? Alhaitham makes sure to lock it every evening. He shakes his head and steps forward to close it. Then his eyes fall on the garden outside. A hooded figure is running through the garden. Fear hits him in the chest like a dagger as he yelps. "Hey!" Kaveh runs outside to follow, but as soon as he is standing on the grass, the door slams shut behind him, making him jump and turn around as the figure disappears into the woods.
"Haitham?" Kaveh is starting to panic now. He doesn't have a key with him, so he is locked outside in the cold air. Without shoes on he can feel his feet getting wet in the grass. If he doesn't want to spend the whole night outside, he will have to wake up Alhaitham now and see a disappointed look in his eyes.
"Oh, drat." He whispers and looks up at the building. Right above the entrance is the window of Zayan's room. Next to that one is the bathroom window. Then the light flicks on in his son's room.
Kaveh's eyes widen in terror when he sees a figure walking through the room. It's only when he sees the familiar hood hiding the figure's identity he loses it. Kaveh starts screaming loudly. "Zayan! No! Haitham! Alhaitham, please! Zayan!" He is ringing the doorbell over and over again while banging the door with his other fist. He then takes a few steps back again to look in through the window. There is blood on the window now.
Kaveh screams again and starts banging his shoulder against the door, trying to get it open with force. Tears are streaming down from his face. He barely notices the red sand starting to pour from the roof of the house and covering him.
The light in the hall flicks on and there are hurried footsteps on the stairs. "Kaveh?" The door opens by the time the ruby-eyed man has stopped ringing the doorbell.
Kaveh looks up at Alhaitham when he opens the door for him.
"Kaveh, dear? What are you doing here? What's going on?" Alhaitham has a panicked look on his face. Kaveh can see the fear in his eyes.
"I-I..." He stutters and looks down as the last of the red sand only he can see blows away. "I don't remember." He whispers and hugs his husband close.
Alhaitham sighs deeply and pulls him close against his chest and running a hand through his husband's blond hair to calm him down.
"It will be okay, Kaveh. It will all be okay," He takes him back to their room and wraps his arms around him when they settle back in bed. "Try to sleep some more." Alhaitham presses a gentle kiss between Kaveh's shoulders at the base of his neck.
Kaveh reads the clock.
3.16 am.
~*~
"Be careful, Zayan, I don't want you to fall out of the tree," Kaveh yells a few days later when he sees his son climbing a tree late in the afternoon. Alhaitham had taught him the best way to climb the three last year. He is such a bad influence on their son.
"No, papa. I am careful." He yells back giggling.
Kaveh shakes his head fondly before he continues cleaning the windows. He hates doing that. Windows get dirty again way too soon. He hums to himself as he finishes his work and smiles. "That's done." He goes inside to get rid of the dirty water and sends a text to his husband.
'Everything is okay. I'll make your favourite today for dinner. Zayan and I love you, dear. xx'
He puts his phone away before starting to clean out bucket he used. It's only when he is rinsing out the sponge that he notices there is no more movement outside. The sponge drops on the floor at Kaveh's feet when he sees the boy laying deadly still instead, at the base of the tree.
His heart skips a beat. "Oh, no. No! Zayan!" He runs back into the garden as fast as he can. The boy must have fallen out of the tree. "Zayan?" He crouches down near him and gently shakes him with shaking hands. "Sweetheart, answer me." He isn't even breathing. His skin is pale and lifeless. "Zayan?" Terror is once again clawing at his throat. He should call an ambulance.
"Boo!" Zayan shouts then and shoots up, making Kaveh fall back as he looks at his son in shock. It was a prank. Just a joke.
"Dammit, Zayan! Don't you ever do anything like that again!" He yells at him before he pulls him close and hugs him. He feels the relief wash over him and softens his voice. "Don't you ever do that again."
~*~
Kaveh had taken Zayan to the shop with him. He had remembered the cashier from last time he went. Nothing can take the smile away from his face now. He had made progress. He remembered something without having to look in his diary.
He takes the bend in the driveway to their house and stops in front of the large black gate. He takes the device he needs to open it and pushes the button. Nothing happens.
"That's weird." He mutters and pushes the button again, but the gate won't open.
"Papa? Why are we standing still?" Zayan asks. "I am hungry. You need to drive home now."
"Of course you are hungry now. You never eat unless it's candy." Kaveh smiles at him. "Don't worry, though. Papa is going to open the gate." He gets out of the car with the device. He tries pushing it again. Still no movement.
He tries to open it by hand, but the black iron won't budge. "Looks like we are stuck..." He mutters.
"No!" A shout from right behind him makes Kaveh jump. "I am hungry! Papa, I want to eat right now!" He hadn't heard Zayan get out of the car, but he is standing right behind him, raising his voice at him.
"We will have to wait here, sweetie. Papa is-"
"No! I want to go in! I am hungry!" He starts screaming non-stop as he starts slamming the car door close again and again.
Kaveh watches in shock at first, not knowing what to do. He tries to take his son's hands away from the cardoor but his son pushes him away with remarkable force for such a young boy. Zayan has never acted like this before. He has always been so well-behaved. "Now! Now!" He keeps yelling. Kaveh backs away from him scared as the windows of the door start to rattle with the force the young boy is using. An image flashes in front of his eyes. A broken mirror.
"Stop!" Kaveh whispers at first, but as the banging of the door grows louder, so does Kaveh's voice. "Stop!" Kaveh yells in pure horror as he backs away, hands over his ears and eyes closed. The screaming of his son only seems to become louder, a window shatters. "Stop!" He screams again.
Then suddenly there are arms around him.
"Kaveh? What's going on?" Alhaitham sounds panicked as he pulls his husband close to his body. The screaming stopped. Zayan is in the car again when Kaveh looks up as if nothing had happened. There is no broken glass anywhere.
"Alhaitham" Kaveh is shaking as he stares at him in confusion. Alhaitham is supposed to be at work. "I..."
"Tell me what's wrong?" Alhaitham whispers softly, pressing kisses to the top of his head. "Why are you out here without a coat?" He sounds so worried about him.
Kaveh shakes his head and looks at his husband. "The gate won't open. I kept pushing the button and..." He shows Alhaitham the device.
The taller man groans immediately. "Come on, Kaveh. That is the panic button." He lets go of him abruptly and gets into the car. "This," He holds up another device with grey buttons." is the button to open the gate." His face is stern. Kaveh recognizes the look as anger.
"Oh..." Kaveh frowns at his own stupidity. "I didn't-"
"You didn't think. That is your problem, isn't it! You keep interrupting me at work. If you could just use that giant brain of yours for once in your life, Kaveh!" Alhaitham snaps at him then. After all those months trying to be patient with him, Alhaitham has finally started to give up on him. Something Kaveh knew would happen eventually.
Kaveh stumbles further away from him still shaken up. "I'm sorry." He stutters.
He wishes he could be a good husband for Alhaitham again. He knows if he doesn't, he will leave him eventually.
~*~
From that moment forward, Kaveh starts to notice. Alhaitham will always be preoccupied with work. He will stay longer at work, leave home earlier. Even when he is at home, he won't stop calling and texting. Kaveh starts to doubt it's all about work.
But Alhaitham wouldn't cheat on him, right?
He tries to shake it off and focus on something else. The situation with their son is also not going any better. Alhaitham is still ignoring him most of the time. Zayan is still not eating, he is acting like a brat whenever he can and Kaveh hates to admit it, but he is getting scared of his own son.
Some days he finds him covered in blood, only to forget about it a while later. Other days he thinks he has disappeared completely.
Kaveh doesn't know what is happening anymore. He doesn't know what to do.
He refuses to talk to Alhaitham about it, scared he will snap at him like that day at the gate again. He doesn't want to disappoint his husband any more than he already has.
The only good news is that Kaveh is starting to remember little bits and pieces of the year. It helps when he looks at pictures sometimes. Like the one they took on Zayan's birthday. All their friends are there with Zayan in the middle, blowing out the candles on his cake.
It had triggered the whole day to come back. Kaveh had been so proud of himself, but when he told Alhaitham, all he had gotten was a fake smile and a peck on his lips.
"Haitham? Could you put away your phone at the table please?" Kaveh asks gently. "You are not being a good example for your son. Who is still not eating, by the way." The sarcasm slips in unintended.
Alhaitham tears his eyes away from the phone for a moment before he glances at the chair Zayan is sitting on. "Eat." He simply says before he starts texting again.
"Alhaitham!" Kaveh drops the knife annoyed.
"Sorry, Kaveh, baby, but I have to go. They need me at work today."
"It's Sunday, Haitham," The ex-architect says unimpressed and tries to glance at his husband's phone. "And what's up with "baby"?"
He is cheating on him. At this point Kaveh is almost sure about it. He just doesn't have the evidence yet.
Alhaitham pockets his phone quickly and puts on his coat and shoes in a rush. "I know, I'm sorry, but they need me. Bye, baby." He kisses his husband's cheek quickly before leaving. It's like he didn't even hear Kaveh
"Just say goodbye to your son!" Kaveh yells, but it is no use as the door closes before he even finishes his sentence. He flinches and sighs, willing himself not to cry in his son's presence.
Everything is falling apart around Kaveh, and he has no idea how to stop it.
"Papa?" Zayan suddenly speaks up and Kaveh looks at him. "Daddy has a secret." The little boy whispers with a smirk. When he raises his hand the car keys are lying on the palm of his hand.
Kaveh stares at the scene in front of him for a second before making up his mind. "Ah, yes, Zayan, you are right. Come on, pack your stuff." Kaveh gets the both of them ready in record time and puts Warlock in the car. He then starts following Alhaitham to wherever he is going.
It wasn't hard to catch up with his husband's fancy silver work vehicle. It's keeping enough distance without losing him out of sight or being seen that gives Kaveh trouble. That and the stress about what he is about to find out. It all goes well until Alhaitham starts taking a few unexpected turns. Kaveh frowns in confusion. He has been so careful, how did Alhaitham notice him?
Soon, they are parked in the underground car park of Alhaitham's workplace. The ruby-eyed man is frowning and biting his lip in frustration. How is this even possible? He is pretty sure this was not Alhaitham's original destination.
"Papa? I'm bored." Zayan whines.
"I know, sweetheart. Just a little bit longer, okay?"
"Can I play a game on your phone, papa?"
Kaveh nods and smiles. "Of course." He takes the phone from his pocket and types in the code, ready to go through his apps, searching for the game Zayan always plays. His eyes fall on the tracking app Alhaitham installed instead and understanding dawns on him.
Of course! this is how he knows his husband was following him.
A plan then immediately starts forming in his head. He decides to call Tighnari, their best friend, to help put it in motion.
"Hello?"
"Ah, Tighnari. I need you to come pick up Zayan, please?"
"What?" Tighnari sounds confused. Kaveh can almost see the look on his friend's face.
"Don't ask questions, just trust me. Please, just come pick him up? We are parked under Alhaitham's work building."
"What are you doing- No, wait. I don't even want to know what you are going to do. I'll be there in ten minutes, Kaveh." He hangs up.
Kaveh hums satisfied and hands Zayan the phone. "There you go, sweetheart." He lets him play while they wait for Tighnari to arrive. Kaveh keeps himself busy by keeping an eye on Alhaitham's car, making sure he won't get away without him seeing it.
Soon a familiar black car pulls up next to him and Tighnari gets out.
"Uncle Nari!" Zayan smiles happily and hands his papa back his phone. Kaveh gets out and hugs his friend.
"Thank you for coming to get him, Tighnari. I owe you one. Please don't ask any questions?" He begs him silently. Zayan stands next to them. "Daddy has a secret! Papa is going to find out." He sings happily, "And I will stay with you." He jumps up and down before climbing into the black car by himself.
"Do you have his things?" Tighnari asks the older man warily. Kaveh nods and opens the car door. He takes out the superhero backpack Zayan brought with him and slips in his phone. The tracker is still on, so when Tighnari drives away, with Zayan and the phone in his car, Alhaitham will think he left.
And indeed. Not five minutes after they left Kaveh sees his husband get back into his car and hurry away.
Kaveh's heartbeat speeds up as starts up his car, leaving enough distance between him and Alhaitham's car as to not be seen.
He feels his heart beating vigorously in his chest. He is feeling nervous. He doesn't want it to be true, but there are not many other possibilities.
They drive for a few minutes before Alhaitham parks his car and gets out. Kaveh can almost feel his heart break when he looks at the building his husband disappears in.
It's a flower shop.
Tears spring into Kaveh's eyes as he waits for Alhaitham to return. He is getting his secret lover flowers. He never brings home flowers for Kaveh anymore.
"I knew it," Kaveh screams and hits the wheel, almost missing his husband's car leaving again to its next destination. He can't lose himself now. He needs to know who it is. Who it is that has his husband's heart now.
Wiping away the tears in his eyes, Kaveh wastes no time starting up his car again and resuming to follow Alhaitham.
Kaveh keeps rubbing his eyes during the drive, willing back the tears and hoping this is all some misunderstanding.
He is more than confused when he finds himself parking the car at the cemetery.
'Are they meeting up here? Do they fuck here when they are all alone? Dirty Bastard.' All kinds of scenarios are running through Kaveh's head as he gets out and looks for Alhaitham at the different sections of the cemetery.
When he steps out from behind yet another hedge, he stops. Alhaitham is sitting at a grave on the grass. He is sitting with his back to Kaveh, but it is clear to him that he is crying. The ruby-eyed man frowns. They don't know anyone who died recently... do they?
Kaveh gets closer slowly, now catching the words his husband is saying.
"I miss you so much." His voice is filled with emotion, the flowers he got are lying next to him in the grass. It's a heartbreaking scene to see his husband in so much pain. Kaveh almost steps forward to reveal himself and offer comfort to Alhaitham.
Then his eyes fall on the name on the small headstone.
Zayan
Kaveh's eyes widen as he puts a hand in front of his mouth in shock. This is their son's grave. The son he just left in Tighnari's care. His eyes scan over the date on the bottom of the stone.
March 25.
The accident.
He blinks his eyes. There is the sound of a scream, screeching tires and then a loud crash and glass shattering. A blurry image of his son, laying on the ground with blood all over his face, his skin an ashen grey.
Dead on impact. He wasn't wearing his seat belt and flew through the front window of the car when they crashed into the tree.
A loud sob leaves Kaveh's mouth as he falls on his knees in the grass where he stands. The tears have started to stream down his face now.
It is then Alhaitham finally seems to notice him, alerted by the choked sobs coming from his husband. He snaps his head around to look at him.
"Kaveh?" He sounds worried. His eyes are red from crying already. "Shit." He gets up to get to his husband.
Kaveh clings to him, grabs on Alhaitham's shirt, scared that he will disappear when he lets go. "He is dead." He whimpers. "Our little boy is dead." He closes his eyes and hides his face into Alhaitham's neck as he cries. He doesn't want to look at the grave anymore.
"I'm so sorry, Kaveh, dear." Alhaitham tells him and rubs his hand over his back powerless. "I'm so sorry."
~*~
It took a whole day for Kaveh to get over the shock of finding out. Alhaitham had brought him home and cuddled with him in the bed. He had taken the week off at work too, so he wouldn't have to leave his husband for a moment when they work through this.
"You lied to me," Kaveh speaks up finally. "You kept his death from me. Everyone did." He remembers celebrating Zayan's birthday two months ago, when the accident had long since passed. "Why?" He looks up at Alhaitham when he comes in and sits on the bed with a sigh, putting the water he brought on the bedside table.
"It was easier for you." Alhaitham starts explaining gently, not wanting to anger or hurt the ruby-eyed man any more than he already did. "You kept forgetting he died. The doctor... You started talking to him again. The doctor told us your brain blocked out the memories of him dying. You see him, Kaveh. It was just easier."
Kaveh nods slowly. "I haven't seen him since... you know."
Alhaitham nods sadly as Kaveh looks out of the window. The red sand had not taken away his memory anymore. He has a feeling it will never return.
"I want you to be honest with me, Alhaitham, if I forget again. We almost fell apart because of this secret. You weren't able to mourn properly." Kaveh pulls his husband close to himself.
"Promise me we will get through this together from now on," He whispers as he places a kiss on his silver hair.
"I promise we will get through this together," Alhaitham whispers back. "I promise."