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Kaveh was a stubborn man; Alhaitham knew this fact well. At times, it could be admirable—Kaveh always held steadfast to his ideals, never willing to budge. It had been a source of conflict for them when they were younger. Now, though, Alhaitham had matured enough to respect it for what it was: an admirable display of conviction.
However, there were times when Kaveh's stubbornness irritated Alhaitham. His refusal to accept help when he needed it could be infuriating at times. Whenever he was sick, Kaveh refused to take a break to recover or accept help from others. It didn't matter who was offering; Kaveh still said no. Apparently, it wasn't necessary—he could recover just fine on his own, without taking a break, as long as he had medicine. Alhaitham had tried to point out that Kaveh would recover quicker if he just allowed himself to rest, but that resulted in a three-day argument and a hefty wine bill as a form of apology.
Why was any of this important? Well, Kaveh had come down with a mystery illness a couple of days ago. The usual song and dance ensued. Kaveh adamantly said he didn't need any help, and Alhaitham shrugged and told Kaveh to do whatever he wanted. The two of them were finally in a good place; Alhaitham was not going to risk anything.
Things didn't stay this way for long, though. After a day, it became very clear that whatever Kaveh had caught was not just a run-of-the-mill cold. Kaveh was lethargic, almost concerningly so. His appetite had dwindled, and it seemed as though the little bit of food and drink that Kaveh did had caused him pain, possibly due to a sore throat. Even with the obvious signs that this wasn't going to be an easy illness to navigate, Kaveh was still determined to push through it, at least until he couldn't anymore. That is exactly what happened, but it didn't take long. By halfway through the second day of Kaveh's illness, Kaveh had begrudgingly accepted that he couldn't do what he usually would when he was sick. For the first time since they had started living together, Kaveh asked Alhaitham for help.
If Kaveh had a bit more energy, Alhaitham would have taken him to Bimarstan so he could be checked out. Right now, though, Alhaitham didn’t believe that he could get Kaveh there and back without the blond collapsing. And that was not a risk he was willing to take. So, instead, he ensured that Kaveh was in bed, comfortable, and with a jug of water in an easily accessible spot, then set off to Gandharva Ville in search of Tighnari.
(Sure, Alhaitham could have just gone to Bimarstan and asked one of the doctors there to make a home visit, but he didn’t have the fondest memories of their work. Besides, if Kaveh felt sick enough to ask for help, it meant that he was incredibly uncomfortable. Having someone that he knows and trusts would be far better.)
It didn’t take much to convince Tighnari to accompany him back to Sumeru City. All Alhaitham had to do was utter the words ‘Kaveh is sick and asked for help’, and Tighnari immediately made plans to delegate his tasks to other people so he could attend to Kaveh. Tighnari was familiar with Kaveh’s stubborn nature, so he understood the seriousness of the situation. Kaveh must be really, really sick if he’s willing to be seen by another person.
Thankfully, the journey back to Alhaitham's house was a quick one, and upon their return, Tighnari wasted no time. As soon as he entered Kaveh’s room, he frowned. At first glance, Kaveh almost looked out of it, eyes firmly shut.
“Kaveh, how are you feeling? Any dizziness? Do you feel excessively warm?” Tighnari asked one question after another as he pulled out a few tools that he would need.
With his head still resting against the pillows, Kaveh cracked one eye open. “Alhaitham, please tell me that you didn't bother Tighnari for this?”
“It’s not a bother,” Tighnari snapped, eyes narrowing in annoyance. “And answer the questions.”
Kaveh sighed, then allowed his eyes to slip closed again. “I feel terrible. I was dizzy earlier, but it has subsided for now. Also, I’m not excessively warm; more the opposite, actually.”
With a click of his tongue, Tighnari rummaged through his tools. “Mmm. You probably have a fever, then. Let me check you over.”
For the most part, Kaveh complied with each instruction he was given, making Tighnari's job easier. Fifteen minutes later, after checking Kaveh's temperature, throat, and other things, he sighed quietly and patted Kaveh's shoulder. "I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not entirely sure what's going on here… it may just be a particularly nasty violence. I'm going to leave some medicine behind, you'll need to take it for a couple of days. Kaveh, rest up and cooperate with your roommate. Alhaitham, can you come with me? I have some instructions for you."
Alhaitham trailed after Tighnari, following him out of Kaveh's room and into the house's main living area. "Do you think it'll take long for him to recover?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Tighnari admitted. "Kaveh works himself to the bone sometimes; this was a long time coming. Anyway, I'm going to leave some medicine in this box for you—it'll help with his fever, sore throat, and anything else he may end up experiencing. If he gets significantly worse in the next day or two, ask Cyno to come get me."
The instruction sparked the slightest sense of fear in Alhaitham, but he pushed it aside for now. “Understood. Thank you, Tighnari.”
"It's fine," Tighnari replied, already gathering his things to head back to Gandharva Ville. "Just take care of him and keep a close eye, alright? For some reason, I have a sneaking suspicion that this illness is going to knock him around a bit."
***
Whatever this illness was, it was truly doing an absolute number on Kaveh. Another day had passed, and Kaveh felt even worse. He was weak and lacked so much energy that he could do nothing more than lay in bed all day. Eating or drinking was almost impossible, too. Safe to say, Kaveh was absolutely miserable and in no condition to do any work.
After checking on Kaveh in the early morning, Alhaitham decided to take Kaveh's work matters into his own hands. Kaveh would be out of commission for at least a week, which meant that any client meetings he had booked needed to be rescheduled. The first of those meetings wasn't meant to be for another two days, and realistically, Alhaitham could leave this task for Kaveh to do later on once he was feeling better. If he did that, though, it would probably stress Kaveh out. If Kaveh was stressed, it would take longer for him to recover. So, with that thought in mind, Alhaitham spent the morning tracking down each of Kaveh's clients so he could explain the situation and reschedule their meeting.
It took a long, long time. By the time Alhaitham returned home, it was midday. Kaveh had been left alone for a few hours now. Alhaitham should check on him and administer the next dose of medicine.
When Alhaitham creaked open Kaveh’s bedroom door, his heart sank. Kaveh clearly had a fever, one that had gotten worse since the early morning. His skin appeared flushed, and his hair was sticking to his forehead. Despite that, Kaveh had the blankets pulled up to his chin; he was probably cold, but it wasn't helping the situation at all.
“Kaveh? How are you feeling?” Alhaitham called out softly, taking tentative steps toward the bed.
Kaveh groaned softly and shook his head. “I’m so cold, but… I also feel warm. I also feel a bit nauseous, too. Ugh, didn’t I take medicine for the fever earlier? How do I still feel so terrible?”
“It’s been more than a few hours since then. It’s midday already,” Alhaitham explained, heart clenching at how miserable Kaveh sounded. “I’m going to go and prepare another dose of it for you, okay? I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
With almost impressive speed, Alhaitham left Kaveh's room and headed towards the kitchen, where Tighnari had left the box of medical supplies. After rummaging through the box, he found the right medicinal ingredients and relevant instructions to make the remedy for Kaveh's fever. Thankfully, it wasn't a difficult process, nor was it a long one.
Once the medicine had been prepared, Alhaitham returned to Kaveh's bedroom. He sat it down on a side table near the bed and then assisted Kaveh so he could sit up against the pillows. Kaveh could barely keep his eyes open, but his expression gave away his growing discomfort.
"Alright, I have the medicine here for you," Alhaitham said, his voice soft as he picked up the glass and handed it to Kaveh. "It's in liquid form since you're still having trouble swallowing things."
At the mention of the medicine, Kaveh’s nose wrinkled up in distaste. “Ugh…that medicine tastes terrible. I'm already nauseous; it’s making me reluctant to take it.”
Before he could stop himself, Alhaitham sighed quietly. “I understand that it isn’t appealing, but you need to take it. Your fever clearly isn’t going to break on its own.”
“I know, I know, it’s just… awful,” Kaveh complained. “Is there water close by? So I can take something immediately after to get rid of the taste…”
Alhaitham glanced at the side table to confirm that there was still water in the jug. "Yes, there is. I'll give you some water after. If you don't end up feeling sick after, I'll go and cook something for you—something that hopefully won't upset your stomach."
“Mmm… alright. Actually, can I have some water now?” Kaveh asked, clearly trying to stall a bit. Then, just for good measure, he added a bit more. “My throat is a bit dry.”
Alhaitham obliged only because he had confidence that Kaveh would eventually take the medicine. He poured Kaveh a glass of water, noting that the jug had run out already. "Try not to drink the whole glass, so you have some for after the medicine. The jug just ran out. I'll need to go refill it."
"Alright," Kaveh murmured. He took a big gulp of water and returned the glass to Alhaitham. Then, once he was ready, he gestured for Alhaitham to hand him the medicine. After taking a few moments to stare at it in distaste, Kaveh quickly downed it, hoping to get it over and done with.
Alhaitham handed the glass of water back to Kaveh, desperately fighting off a grin. The entire display had been amusing, he would admit that. Once Kaveh had finished the glass, Alhaitham took it back and sat it down on the side table. "Are you alright for me to go and fill the jug up? Or do you want me to stay, just in case you feel as though you're going to be sick?"
“I think I’ll be okay,” Kaveh replied, a disgruntled expression still on his face. “Could you go and refill it? I think I’m going to need more water soon.”
"Mmm, I'll go now." Alhaitham turned to pick up the empty jug, then cast a worried look in Kaveh's direction. "I'll only be a couple of minutes, okay? When I return, we'll wait and see how you feel. If things are fine, then I'll make you some food."
With that, Alhaitham quickly hurried out of Kaveh's bedroom, immediately making a beeline for the kitchen. He didn't want to be out of Kaveh's room for too long, just in case the nausea Kaveh felt did end up taking effect. Thankfully, it wasn't hard work to fill up a jug of water, and he was at Kaveh's door within a minute. When he cracked the door open, though, Alhaitham was met with nothing but silence.
A quick look in the direction of Kaveh’s bed had Alhaitham sighing fondly as he made his way over. Kaveh's eyes were closed, and based on the evenness of his breathing, he had fallen asleep. After setting down the jug, Alhaitham reached over to brush some hair out of Kaveh's face, and a soft smile graced his face. Kaveh was, in fact, out like a light. Clearly, the illness had taken a big toll on him. Thankfully, Kaveh listened to his body's needs and allowed himself to get some much-needed rest.
There was no point in leaving the room to prepare food, not yet, anyway. Just in case Kaveh felt he was going to throw up, Alhaitham should stay by his side and monitor him, and then he could prepare some food for both of them later. It was the responsible thing to do, after all. A simple part of his duty as Kaveh's caretaker, that's all.
Unfortunately, it wasn't very interesting, of course. Alhaiahtam hadn't brought anything with him, so he could do nothing but sit with his thoughts. It was hard for Alhaitham to stop his mind wandering as he sat in silence. While they had known each other for a very long time, albeit with an extended separation, Alhaitham couldn't recall a time when Kaveh had been this unwell. On one hand, Alhaitham was glad that they had come far enough now that Kaveh could trust him enough to allow himself to be vulnerable and depend on Alhaitham. But on the other hand… Alhaitham was worried. Hopefully, it won't take long for Kaveh to recover.
***
It took another two days for Kaveh to start feeling better. There wasn’t a drastic change in how he felt, but he no longer felt as weak as he had a couple of days ago. He’d regained a bit of energy, enough to get up and out of bed so he could walk around or go to the kitchen to get water. Alhaitham still kept a close eye on him, though. Despite Kaveh’s improvement, he was still experiencing dizziness—this made for a dangerous combination with the slight weakness he still felt.
Doing virtually nothing but lying in bed had done a number on Kaveh physically. Right now, he felt gross. Alhaitham had helped Kaveh clean himself up a bit with washcloths each day, but it was different from going and actually bathing. It was also impossible to wash his hair like that. Unfortunately, Kaveh had to tolerate it, at least until he no longer felt as weak as he had. They had tried it after the second day, but Kaveh had almost collapsed, startling them both.
Now, though? Kaveh felt ready to try again…with Alhaitham's supervision, at least. Alhaitham agreed to run a bath for him after Kaveh voiced his desperation, but he said he would stay in the bathroom until Kaveh was done, just in case. At first, Kaveh protested this—a sign of improvement: his stubbornness was slowly returning. But, after a bit of back and forth, he relented. Kaveh agreed with Alhaitham that it was better safe than sorry. He just didn't want to inconvenience the other man, that's all.
After a bit of careful manoeuvring, Alhaitham got Kaveh into the bath, then pulled up a chair beside it. The satisfaction Kaveh felt was evident; his body had relaxed considerably after meeting the warm water. The very first thing Kaveh did was wash his body thoroughly, relishing the opportunity. After that, he decided to just sit for a few moments before washing his hair, since he didn't feel too dizzy. For a couple of minutes, Alhaitham indulged that whim. Then, when he felt enough time had passed, Alhaitham made a careful suggestion.
“Would you like help with washing your hair?” Alhaitham asked tentatively. “It might be easier if someone else does it for you. You can just relax, and there will be a bit less movement required from you.”
Kaveh hummed quietly as he considered the idea. Then, after a few moments of deliberation, he nodded. “That would be nice, actually. I think my hair is what’s bothering me the most right now. It feels awful.”
The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as Alhaitham reached for Kaveh’s shampoo, as well as the cup that they kept in the bathroom to make it easier to rinse product out of hair. Alhaitham gently worked the shampoo through blond locks, taking care not to tug too hard at Kaveh’s hair. As Alhaitham did this, Kaveh leaned into the touch ever so slightly, letting out a small, content sound.
Once he had lathered it up enough, Alhaitham carefully rinsed the shampoo out of Kaveh’s hair and then tapped his shoulder to get his attention. “Do you shampoo once or twice?”
“Oh?” Kaveh blinked a couple of times, clearly caught off guard by the sudden question. “Twice, always.”
Alhaitham simply hummed in response and then repeated the process once more. After he rinsed the shampoo out of Kaveh’s hair, Alhaitham tapped his shoulder again. “How are you feeling right now?”
For a moment, Kaveh offered no response. Then, suddenly, he sighed and leaned his head on Alhaitham’s arm, which was still resting against the bath. “Admittedly, I’m starting to feel a bit dizzy. I should probably get out.”
Immediately, Alhaitham sprung into action. He offered a hand out to Kaveh to help him out of the bath, supporting him as he carefully clambered out. Then, Alhaitham helped Kaveh towel off and get dressed, helping him reach certain areas and pull on certain items of clothing while also supporting him and holding him upright. Once that was all done, they slowly walked to the living area, settling on one of the divans. Kaveh didn't want to return to his room just yet, especially while his hair was damp.
They sat there in silence, with Kaveh's eyes squeezed shut as he desperately willed away the dizzy spell he was experiencing. He clung onto Alhaitham's hand, grateful for the support. Eventually, after fifteen minutes, the dizziness began to fade, and Kaveh sighed in relief. Right now, he wanted to finish drying off his hair, which he couldn't do while experiencing severe dizziness.
"Alhaitham, could you… um. Could you help dry off my hair a bit more and brush through it?" Kaveh asked, voice uncharacteristically timid. "It's fine if you don't want to, but I figured—"
“Let me get another towel,” Alhaitham replied, cutting Kaveh off. “The one you have around your shoulders will be too damp. I’ll get your brush too.”
Without waiting for a reply, Alhaitham left the living area and quickly went to the bathroom. A minute later, Alhaitham returned with another towel, a brush for Kaveh's hair, and a couple of hair ties just in case he wanted to tie it back. Kaveh shuffled over so he could sit with his back to Alhaitham, eyes already drifting closed. After sitting down behind Kaveh, Alhaitham gently dried the rest of Kaveh's hair, ruffling it slightly as he did so. The ends were still a bit damp, but it was now dry enough for Alhaitham to brush Kaveh's hair.
As Alhaitham worked the brush through, he ran his hands through Kaveh’s hair, trying to work through any knots that may have formed. Kaveh leaned back with a quiet, content sigh—the feeling of Alhaitham's hands in his hair was lovely. Alhaitham could've stopped after a minute, but he didn't. Instead, he gently combed through the blond strands a few times until the tension in Kaveh’s shoulders dissipated.
Once he was sure that Kaveh was fully relaxed and content, Alhaitham gently tapped his arm and murmured quietly. “Do you want me to do something with your hair? I would say that it's about… ninety-eight percent dry.”
Kaveh tilted his head to the side so he could smile softly at Alhaitham. “Can you tie it back somehow? I just want it out of my face.”
Alhaitham hummed affirmatively in response before separating Kaveh’s hair into three parts. “I’ll braid your hair, then. I used to do this for my grandmother when she couldn't, before she passed. It will keep it away from your face and off your neck for the most part. Maybe that will help you not feel as feverish.”
Silence fell over them after that, a comfortable one. Alhaitham was focused, paying careful attention to the little details. The steps it took to braid another person's hair came easily to Alhaitham, almost like muscle memory. It only took a minute to finish braiding Kaveh's hair, but Kaveh didn't move from his spot once Alhaitham was done. Instead, he turned his head to the side and glanced at Alhaitham, eyes darting between Alhaitham's face and shoulder.
Ah.
Immediately understanding the hint, Alhaitham patted his shoulder. Kaveh quickly shuffled himself around so he could lean against it, eyes fluttering closed at the warmth radiating from Alhaitham. Neither one wanted to break the silence, so they sat there on the divan, side-by-side, for as long as they could tolerate it. Alhaitham's mind began to wander again, just as it had when Alhaitham sat by Kaveh's bed and monitored him while he slept.
The importance of the fact that Kaveh had allowed himself to be so vulnerable with Alhaitham over the past few days was not lost on Alhaitham. It showed just how far they had come since their fallout and subsequent reunion. At first, Kaveh could barely stand in the same room as him for more than a minute. But now, after the Interdarshan Championship, things had changed considerably. Maybe it was the information about Kaveh's father that Alhaitham had discovered and presented to him, or maybe it was the concern that Alhaitham couldn't help but show, even if it resulted in an argument between them.
Either way, Alhaitham was relieved. If Kaveh could allow himself to be looked after and taken care of like this, then there was hope for the future. Hopefully, though, this vulnerability wasn't just restricted to severe illness—if it could extend to other things, like Kaveh allowing himself to lean on Alhaitham when things got tough, then Alhaitham would be content. For now, though, he would cherish the opportunity. Who knows when he will get it again?
***
The worst of Kaveh's illness had passed. Kaveh no longer felt feverish, overly dizzy or nauseous, and swallowing food or liquids was easier now. There was still a bit of fatigue, but that was to be expected. Tighnari came by a week after his initial visit to check on Kaveh and seemed pleased with his recovery—though he did tell Kaveh to take it easy and give himself more time to rest. Thankfully, when Alhaitham rescheduled Kaveh's client meetings for him, he scheduled them for the latter half of the week, just in case.
The foresight Alhaitham had came in handy, too. While Kaveh wasn’t attending any client meetings, he was working on designs when he thought Alhaitham wasn’t looking. It wasn’t subtle; Alhaitham knew what he was doing, but turned a blind eye to it. The reason for this? Kaveh’s body kept forcing him to stop and rest at regular intervals, and for once, Kaveh was listening to those signs. Perhaps the intensity of his illness had knocked some sense into him, or maybe he just couldn’t push through the fatigue.
The day after Tighnari’s visit, this happened to Kaveh in the early afternoon. Kaveh had been sitting on the divan and working on a design, sketching out the finishing touches and making changes as necessary to ensure the design was cohesive and practical. At some point, Alhaitham had joined him, book in hand, just to keep him company. They sat in comfortable silence, engrossed in their own task, for at least an hour and a half. Then, tiredness seemed to suddenly wash over Kaveh, forcing him to set aside his sketchbook with a resigned sigh.
It seemed as if Kaveh was weighing up his options for a few moments; he just sat on the divan, staring at his hands. Then, he suddenly turned to Alhaitham and reached out to tap his shoulder. “You can say no, but is it alright if I nap here for a bit?”
"Of course? You don't need to ask me if you can sleep on the divan. You live here too," Alhaitham replied, eyebrows raised slightly. A moment later, realisation dawned on him—Kaveh was asking for something else, without actually saying it. Well, Alhaitham would give him permission, without actually answering the unasked question. "If the divan is a bit uncomfortable, you're welcome to use my shoulder."
Kaveh just pressed his lips together in a thin line, then nodded. It looked like he was having a fierce inner battle, trying to decide what to do. Eventually, though, Kaveh moved closer to Alhaitham and rested his head against his shoulder. "Let me know if you want me to get up, okay?"
All Alhaitham offered in response was a gentle hum and a slight readjustment of his shoulder so that it would be more comfortable for Kaveh. After that, the living area fell quiet once more. The only sounds in the room were Kaveh's breathing, which quickly evened out as he fell into a peaceful sleep and the turning of pages as Alhaitham made his way through the book he had been reading. Eventually, though, an hour later, Alhaitham completed his book, but Kaveh had yet to stir.
After carefully putting the book to his side, Alhaitham glanced over at Kaveh. The other man looked peaceful as he slept on Alhaitham’s shoulder, eyes fluttering ever so slightly as Alhaitham readjusted his arm. For a moment, Alhaitham thought that he had woken Kaveh up, but that seemed to be the opposite. Instead of stirring awake and moving away, Kaveh just nuzzled further into Alhaitham’s shoulder, and one of his arms came up to wrap around Alhaitham’s waist.
Cute.
Even if this was endearing, Alhaitham knew that Kaveh would wake up with an incredibly sore neck if he stayed like this for much longer. So, albeit reluctantly, Alhaitham gently shook Kaveh’s shoulder until he sleepily sat up.
"Oh, did you want me to move? How long have I been asleep?" Kaveh mumbled, desperately trying to blink away the lingering remnants of sleep.
"At least an hour," Alhaitham replied. I don't necessarily want you to move, but I was going to offer to let you readjust how you were sleeping. I'm fine with you sleeping on me; I just know you well enough to know that you'd end up sore if you slept like this for too long."
As Kaveh’s eyes darted over to meet Alhaitham’s, a faint blush began to dust itself over his face. “Oh, um… that’s sweet of you, but—”
“Kaveh.” Alhaitham cut Kaveh off, then sent a sharp look his way. “I’m going to move down to the end of the divan so you can lay down properly, with your head in my lap. You don’t have to; I won’t force you. The option is there, though.”
True to his word, Alhaitham immediately picked up his book and set it on the table in front of the divan, then moved down to sit at the furthest end of the divan. The sound of quiet shuffling followed a moment later, and Kaveh quickly laid down and put his head in Alhaitham’s lap. Kaveh refused to stare up at Alhaitham. Instead, he had his eyes stubbornly averted so he could stare at the spine of the book Alhaitham had been reading.
“Thanks, Alhaitham,” Kaveh said out of nowhere. Then, as if he read Alhaitham’s mind, he quickly blurted out more to stop Alhaitham from saying anything. “I’m only saying it once, so don’t start with your ‘earnest thanks is given three times’ nonsense, okay?”
Alhaitham chuckled quietly as he reached out to brush Kaveh’s bangs out of his face. “It’s quite alright. Actually, there’s another book on the table. Can you reach that?”
"Mmm, one second." Kaveh leaned over to grab the book Alhaitham was talking about, then handed it over and settled back into his previous position, eyes drifting closed again. Just as it had before, the room fell quiet, but this time, it wasn't because Kaveh had fallen asleep. Kaveh was deliberating whether or not he should elaborate on his gratitude and explain what he meant.
Eventually, though, Kaveh spoke up, startling Alhaitham. “I wasn’t talking about this, although I guess I should include it too. I mean more… Thank you for taking care of me, getting Tighnari to come see me and bring medicine, all of that. As you know, I can be a bit difficult, so… Thank you for not leaving me to suffer, I guess. I would’ve deserved it, with how stubborn I can be.”
“No, you wouldn’t have deserved it. Normally, even if I don’t approve of it, you can push through your illnesses. It may not be advisable, but you still manage. This time, you couldn't. Obviously, I would take care of you," Alhaitham replied, eyes trained on a page that he'd tried to read three times already. Then, just to stop Kaveh from getting uncomfortable, he added on a little more. "Also, you said there would be none of my 'earnest thanks' nonsense, but you just said thank you three times. So…"
Kaveh groaned, which just made Alhaitham laugh a bit louder this time. “You’re terrible, Alhaitham. Whatever, fine, you got your earnest thanks. I’m going to try to get a bit more sleep.”
With that, the room fell silent again for the third time in a few hours. This time, Kaveh's breathing evened out once more, signalling that he had fallen asleep again. Once he was sure that Kaveh was asleep, Alhaitham tilted his book to the side so he could peer down at the sleeping face of his roommate. After a few moments, Alhaitham returned his attention to his book, for good this time. While the illness had been unfortunate for Kaveh, it had been almost a blessing in disguise for the progression of their relationship, whatever it currently was. Hopefully, Kaveh wouldn't shy away from Alhaitham once he returned to work… He could get used to having the blond sleeping in his lap.