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This was, by far, one of the strangest things Kaveh had ever experienced.
There was a body flushed against him. A very active body, one with a pair of fluffy, spotted ears and an equally fluffy, spotted tail. Alhaitham was nuzzling right into the crook of Kaveh's neck as though there was food to be found, and all the architect could do was brace an arm onto the couch to keep himself from toppling over.
There was purring. Lots of purring. There was sandpaper being dragged along his throat, too. Kaveh kept his spare arm wrapped around Alhaitham as Tighnari studied the papers from across the room.
"Unfortunately, there isn't a cure," he mumbled amidst the rumbling purrs. "A researcher was transporting some goods through Pardis Dhyai. Alhaitham and I were discussing some things regarding the election of the new sage for the Amurta Darshan when the goods happened to spill. The researcher has apologised, of course, but... it just so happened that one of the bottles contained a rather potent blend of catnip and activated fungal spores."
Kaveh nodded along absently. While the details were appreciated, he would much rather be briefed on a solution. It was strange enough being pampered with affections by his typically stoic lover. He couldn't help but worry about whether Alhaitham was hurt or in pain.
A flick of a tail, another lick from a coarse tongue, a needy whimper. Alhaitham did not whimper. It was starting to unsettle Kaveh. It felt no different to witnessing his lover drunk out of his mind for the first time in forever.
But he was not a cruel man, nor was the architect a heartless boyfriend, so he stroked Alhaitham's back gently and let him be, if only to appease him and keep him calm. Goodness knows how the shredded plants and panicked researchers around Pardis Dhyai came to be before Kaveh had arrived.
"How long will this last?" Kaveh asked.
"Well, the report says that it'll last for about a few hours, given the amount of exposure Alhaitham had been under. The side-effects should continue to heighten, then he'll stay like that for a while before he starts to come back down. And if he’s lucky, it’ll be gentle."
"A few hours?!" Kaveh's heart practically shrunk like a raisin, only to inflate again when Alhaitham flinched awfully hard. His ears flattened themselves back against his head, and it was only through a comforting apology whispered to them did he ease his grip on Kaveh's sleeve.
Tighnari paid them no mind. "Yes, a few hours."
"Can't you... well, can't you take care of him until the catnip wears off? Not that I'm complaining, but I'm not a doctor. What if I accidentally hurt him?"
"I am not staying in the same room as him," the forest ranger said. His tone of voice alone held no room for argument, and the state of his ragged clothes spoke of... an awful experience. "I've arranged a spare room for the two of you. You can stay there until Alhaitham returns to normal. He's responding well to you, anyway, given your relationship. We can perform a check-up in case there are any adverse effects afterwards."
The papers were flipped, scanned through with a critical eye before Tighnari pinned Kaveh with a stern look. "If there is any trouble, try not to panic. The amount of catnip Alhaitham had been exposed to should still be safe, if only extremely potent. Considering his tendency of becoming overstimulated, however, it's best to keep watch. You should know how best to look after him."
Well, that was true. Kaveh wasn't denying that. There was an odd sense of pride in his chest for being recognised as such, but even still, never had he ever needed to care for Alhaitham. It was akin to treading on new soil. Just what was the architect to do when his lover was acting no different to an oversized and overzealous house cat?
He supposed... there was no arguing against it. Despite his many doubts, Kaveh wouldn't dare leave his lover alone. He had arrived here to find Alhaitham confused and aggressive toward anyone—everyone—else. He had been utterly inconsolable, not unlike an intoxicated man who had forgotten what humans were shaped like.
The room Tighnari had arranged was simple, yet well-stocked. The closet had two sets of spare clothes, and the nightstand was filled with almost anything a guest could need. The curtains were drawn as Kaveh helped his lover to the single bed.
"Thank you," he said. "I'll call if I need anything."
Tighnari simply nodded in acknowledgement. "I will bring dinner over once it's time. Make sure he doesn't injure himself. Oh, and I would advise taking his Vision, just in case."
Ah, of course. "I'll get to that."
One last nod, one last glance, and Tighnari left the two men alone to their peace. The silence that fell was a strange thing, almost awkward, especially when Alhaitham was quick to latch back onto his lover.
He nuzzled and purred and rolled his body like a squirming fungus. His tail swayed behind him on the bed as he clung and tugged and bared his fangs. His eyes were heavily-lidded, yet from what Kaveh could see, the pupils were nearly swallowing up the vibrant green of his irises.
A quiet sigh left the architect as he carded his fingers through silver hair. "I suppose I shouldn't ask if you're feeling alright." He doubted he would receive a substantial answer, anyway.
And, sure enough, all he got was a coarse tongue being dragged against his sleeve. Oh, dear, his lover was going to tear the fabric to shreds—but he looked so happy! Kaveh hadn't the heart to chide him. It was such a surreal sight, not unlike seeing him truly drunk for the first time.
The architect shuffled further up the bed, laying against the headboard with his lover in tow. Alhaitham seemed to follow his scent, rather than his own eyes, as he crawled back to Kaveh's side with a slew of needy purrs that demanded he stay still. Words were unnecessary with him, what with the way he began licking at Kaveh's temple.
"Ugh, you're such a spoiled cat, you know that?" Teasing as that was, it was said with fond exasperation. Kaveh appeased his lover with a finger underneath his chin, scratching lightly at a sensitive spot. As expected, Alhaitham practically melted. His tail twitched before it swayed to and fro, not unlike a lazier version of an overexcited dog.
He smelt of something peculiar—likely, whatever sort of catnip he had been exposed to. He looked terribly dazed, as though his mind was clouded over and divorced from his body. His movements were sluggish, languid, and weighed by gravity. His noises were unabated, too. He knew to demand for more pets, so that was what he did.
And Kaveh was but a slave to those demands.
It was nice, he could admit. Being called over to Pardis Dhyai on such short notice had definitely been a fright, but now that the situation was clear, he could finally take in the silliness of it all. Just what were the chances that Alhaitham would be here, only to face an accident with a researcher carrying something that affected him so strongly? There was humour in this entire incident, disregarding the trouble he had caused as a result.
Alhaitham angled his head low, brushing his ears against Kaveh's gentle fingers. It was an obvious request, one which the architect gladly obliged.
Carefully now, he grazed the back of his fingernails through the soft fur, from the tip to the base where his ear met with his scalp. The shade of grey matched perfectly with his hair, save for the black spots, of course. Alhaitham shivered against him, letting out a sound less like a purr and more akin to a low moan. A giddy smile spread across his face as Kaveh indulged him further, until his lover's tail came to wrap around his free wrist.
"Aww, you're adorable like this." Perhaps the architect should start a fun little experiment regarding different sorts of catnip. Surely, it must be possible to brew the milder blends that'd serve as a sedative. It may very well help Alhaitham with those bouts of overstimulation he was prone to. "Can you look at me, Haitham? Let me see those pretty eyes of yours."
Kaveh placed a hand on his lover's hip. He stopped his petting to cup his cheek, too. Alhaitham tightened his tail around his lover's wrist and whined, though he seemed to have heard him, at least a little bit, for he did as he was asked.
His eyes were beautiful, just as always. The red in his pupils had nearly swallowed up his irises. It made for a strange look, but far from unsettling. Kaveh would even describe it as... unique, yet also familiar in an amusing way. The shade of crimson almost matched his own eyes, and the particular expression his lover wore was rare. Alhaitham didn't look the least bit impassive. In fact, he seemed quite relaxed, to the point he almost looked star-struck and lust-drunk at the same time.
A needy whine, a hapless whimper, and a pair of hands tugging at his sleeve. Alhaitham's lips were twitching, yet it was clear that he couldn't cobble together a coherent sentence. He leaned right into Kaveh's palm, staring through him as though he were in a trance. His ears drooped as he fluttered his lashes, held still for just a moment, before twisting his body against Kaveh and nuzzling right into his shoulder.
A deep, sultry purr reverberated against the architect's skin. Kaveh couldn't help the shiver running up his spine when Alhaithan took in a greedy breath and ran his tongue along his throat again.
Although Kaveh wasn't unaccustomed to his lover's less... human-like behaviour, he was still a human himself, and that meant his skin wasn't exactly suited for such a rough tongue meant for grooming.
It didn't hurt, though it wasn't particularly comfortable, either. It was no different to a constant, burning friction rubbing his skin raw, and while Kaveh loathed to interrupt him, he knew he would receive an earful for letting the scribe go this far.
"Darling, please, could you let up for a second?" The architect's voice was a blend between gentle and firm. Gentle, with the way he caressed the nape of his lover's neck; and firm with his tone, raising his volume just loud enough to snatch Alhaitham's attention. "Come on, sweet thing, I know you must be feeling all floaty and fuzzy from the catnip, but you'll crash if you keep this up."
Squirming around, breathing in so many scents, and running his throat hoarse with all his purring was sure to exhaust Alhaitham, if not overwhelm him entirely. Perhaps he wasn't feeling any discomfort right now, but soon enough... Kaveh could already predict the misery.
Though his lover complained, grumbling and twisting away from the architect defiantly, Kaveh merely tutted him. He curled his fingers under the hem of Alhaitham's collar and grabbed firmly at his scruff. The reaction wasn't substantial, per say, but it was tried and tested often enough, and the result was all that mattered. The scribe froze stiff, as though his limbs had suddenly become paralysed, before his body went completely limp. A deep warble reverberated then. A pair of dazed eyes slipped shut. Alhaitham's tail uncoiled itself from Kaveh's wrist and fell across his lap.
He was dead weight, though still conscious—to an extent. Kaveh pressed an apologetic kiss to his lover's temple as he took his wrist and drew featherlight circles into Alhaitham's palm. "Sorry about this, Haitham. I'll treat you to some biryani when this is over, alright?"
Holding the scribe by his scruff was generally—universally—ill-advised were it not Kaveh. While he wouldn't consider it a 'privilege', he couldn't deny that there were many... benefits to being Alhaitham's lover. Benefits, such as, the lack of volatile hostility aimed toward him should the architect try such a tactic. Alhaitham never liked having his weaknesses turned against him, even if it were for his own good; and doing so felt wrong in Kaveh's eyes, anyway. But there were times when it felt necessary, and he would always try to keep it gentle.
Kaveh helped his lover to lie down properly. It was like manoeuvring a doll, guiding Alhaitham's head to his lap and letting go of his scruff to card through his hair instead. The scribe turned to his side and curled into a ball. His tail flicked and swayed and thumped against the bed with a mind of its own. His hands picked and plucked at the thin sheets absentmindedly.
Alhaitham didn't seem tense, nor did he look anxious. Rather, he had melted right back to a puddle as Kaveh returned to indulging him with pets and scritches. A good sign, the architect reckoned. It was rare to see his lover so mellow. His affectionate side was a treasure in itself and as sweet as honey.
Laying down as he now was, the scribe began to relax. His head was heavy on Kaveh's lap, yet his mind must certainly be in the clouds. His noises had become stuck in his throat while his eyes couldn't keep themselves open for much longer. Alhaitham only stretched his body taut when his lover scratched the base of his ears, letting out a silent yawn before curling back into a ball and shivering.
There wasn't much else to do but smile. Kaveh watched his lover fall fast asleep, never once pausing his affections even when Alhaitham's tail fell as limp as his body.
"Come on, hayati, don't make this worse than it already is."
Unsurprisingly enough, Kaveh's prediction came true. Just hours later, when dinner was soon to arrive, Alhaitham had woken from his nap in a terribly foul mood. His eyes were squeezed shut, the fur of his tail stood on end—looking no different to a bristled feather duster—and his face was twisted to a scowl as a constant growl left his throat.
Kaveh sighed and offered him a cup of water. He fed the rim to his lover's lips and slowly tipped it over, letting Alhaitham drink at his own pace. It was quiet for a moment. The scribe was shivering up a storm. His hands gripped tightly at Kaveh's scarf like a lifeline.
"I don't suppose you remember what's happened?" The architect kept his voice quiet, though exasperation laced his every word. It was just... the whiplash of seeing Alhaitham acting blissful and affectionate before now was a little jarring. Now, Kaveh was dealing with an extremely prickly leopard, a leopard with fangs and claws that could pierce flesh as though it were paper.
Of course, Alhaitham would never hurt his lover, but one could never be too cautious for either of their sakes. The scribe was in pain, and that left him in quite a vulnerable state.
Alhaitham gasped when he finished his water. He bared his fangs as his tail thrashed about. His ears were flattened to his head, undoubtedly as sensitive as an exposed nerve. He looked absolutely miserable, if not from the potency of the catnip, then from his overzealous behaviour whilst under its influence.
Kaveh hadn't the heart to chide him on anything. Instead, he kept quiet and calm, watching over his lover with a gentle gaze and a steady arm in case Alhaitham risked worsening his pain. It was awful, having to sit by his side because any touch would set him off. His clothes must surely be uncomfortable—the sheets, his own hair, even his eyes darting about behind his eyelids, too—yet the scribe couldn't bring himself to do much about it. Alhaitham had already pulled a few threads loose from Kaveh's scarf.
Though it hardly helped, the architect began humming a soothing tune, something to ground Alhaitham whilst not joining the cacophony in his head. While Kaveh's voice wasn't the best for singing, he knew it often put his lover at ease. It was worth a try, anyway; far better than just doing nothing.
Kaveh hummed a simple tune, something pleasing to the ears whilst also easy on his vocal chords. It was a tune dug up from the depths of his memory. It didn't bear much significance aside from its soothing nature. Alhaitham had taken kindly to it once, so surely...
Though miniscule the result, the architect noticed his lover easing his muscles just a bit. His grip on Kaveh's sleeve loosened itself until his knuckles were no longer stark white. His scowl calmed to a mere downturn of his lips. His brows slowly flattened from their furrowed expression. It all happened slowly, near imperceptible upon a glance, yet none of them passed by Kaveh.
A knock on the door startled him, breaking the ebb of flow of his song. Like a dream being shaken at its foundations, Alhaitham grumbled and frowned once again, but he allowed, he recognised—he welcomed—his lover's hand in his hair, wading through the shorter locks on the base of his skull.
Tighnari needn't a verbal invitation to enter. Although, he was kind enough to keep every movement quiet. His footsteps were light, walking toes-first as he approached the bed. His ears twitched at the tune Kaveh hummed, but he made no comments.
In the forest ranger's hands was a tray bearing twin sets of bowls, plates, cups, and utensils. There was steam wafting, along with a pleasant scent of stewed beef and vegetables.
"Something easy to digest," Tighnari said as he set the tray on the nightstand. "I see he's come back down. From the look of things, however... Overstimulation?"
Kaveh sincerely hoped that his facial expression conveyed everything Tighnari needed to know. From the mirror on the wall, at least, the architect caught a glimpse of himself. Dishevelled; that was the word he'd use. He looked as though a Rishboland Tiger had dragged him by the cape through the entire rainforest.
A twitch of an ear, then a tail, an inscrutable face. Tighnari then turned around and waved Kaveh goodbye. "Well, I suppose I'll leave you two alone for a while longer. You seem to be handling things. Goodnight."
Oh, for the love of—Kaveh was so going to tell on him the next card game night!
Before he could properly shoot a glare towards the forest ranger, however, the body beside him shifted once again, and a noise crawled out of it, sounding like proper human speech.
"That... idiot."
Oh, who? The researcher? Tighnari? Kaveh? The architect wasn't sure of who his lover was cussing a storm over, but he wholeheartedly agreed. Tighnari hadn't the courtesy to even shrug. He simply flicked his tail and shut the door behind him.
Knowing him, Kaveh wouldn't be surprised if he were to find some exceedingly potent medicine for Alhaitham come tomorrow morning.
Presently, of course, his attention was focussed on the garbled nonsense leaving Alhaitham's lips. His words came out slurred and weak, raspy and disjointed. Although, a common trend was the utter torment in his tone. Amidst the mess, Kaveh could pick up a few things; such as, "Never coming here again," and "Should've clawed his limbs," among others.
It wasn't anything unusual. Kaveh was used to the threats. Never were they aimed towards him, specifically, and he had much more empathy for his lover than he had sympathy for whoever had put him in this state, regardless of intent. Perhaps later, when hindsight kicked in, he would feel an ounce of guilt, but Alhaitham was certainly feeling nothing of the sort.
For however long it took, Kaveh hummed his song and waited for the worst of Alhaitham's pain to ease up. He kept his lover's cup full, urged him to keep hydrated, and held his hand firmly when it was reached for first. Neither of them had a particularly restful night, and exhausted as Alhaitham was, he simply couldn't get comfortable enough to settle in bed. The blankets were too thin, too scratchy, too staticy. The material of the bedsheets and pillowcases clung to his sweaty skin. His own clothes were too tight, too loose, warm. And that wasn't encompassing the noise, the sights, the smells...
The lamplight had been turned off ages ago. Their dinner had gone cold. The fragrance of a filling meal had wafted away, too. Neither men were hungry—Alhaitham could barely stomach the occasional cups of water as he was, Kaveh hadn't the appetite. By the time the moon was beginning to descend, the room had gone eerily silent.
The singing had stopped. The grumblings, too. All that entered the ears were the ambience of cicadas and leaves outside, the shallow, erratic breathing, and a steady heartbeat. Alhaitham had taken Kaveh's hand to his chest. He was curled so tightly into himself. His tail twitched every so often without a particular rhythm to its actions. He was far from calm, but... Kaveh could at least observe that it was starting to get better.
"Kaveh..." His name was spoken so softly, laced with a keen want. The scribe let a whimper sneak past his lips as silence met him in response.
Kaveh didn't quite trust himself to speak in a gentle tone, not when his hours-long humming had run his throat dry. He opted instead for a different option. That being his scarf. He offered one end of it to his lover, brushing the soft tassels along his knuckles. Alhaitham's tail shifted as he brought his nose closer. The familiar scent seemed to spur him onto grabbing Kaveh's scarf and burying his face into it.
There was mumbling again, muffled by his scarf. There was a lessening tension all over Alhaitham the longer he breathed. His tail became lazy, its fur smoothing back down as it swayed like the morning tides. The pain wasn't all gone, yet Kaveh was relieved his lover could rest a bit easier now. It was like a boat traversing through a violent storm, having finally reached tranquil waters. He would be a poor lover to rock that boat, wouldn't he?
Perhaps later—much later—Kaveh could indulge Alhaitham in all the care he wanted. This wasn't something the architect would tease him about, no matter if the scribe had been so adorable whilst blissed out of his mind. Kaveh would very much like to sleep in bed with him, rather than on the cold, lonely divan, thank you very much.
And maybe afterwards—definitely afterwards—Kaveh will join his lover on a manhunt. Not a literal one, of course. He certainly wasn't insane, but he believed in the concept of consequences, and if Tighnari hadn't already given that researcher a stern scolding, then Kaveh most certainly will, along with Alhaitham.