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The first time Kaveh wakes up to a cold bed, upon further careful inspection it's revealed to be caused by the absence of two essential things. A blanket he so carefully tucked himself in last night, and a pair of hands that always used to rest around his waist. Parts of his night that never changed.
But now, they're gone.
He stirs in place, confused and barely awake as his hands rummage through the empty space next to him. Nothing.
What the hell happened to Nilou?
He rolls over, bolts of panic cracking through the haze of sleep and shooting his eyes open wide as he blinks away the darkness that soon lets him recognize shapes and shadows around.
Her side of the bed is not empty.
Relief flooding his lungs is almost too much to bear as he sighs to let it rain down, letting his mind finally settle to its usual function. Nilou's still there. Nothing happened to her. She must've just taken the blanket all to herself in her sleep, not even realizing it. Kaveh can't help the soft smile splitting his face. She could be so effortlessly adorable at times. Now he just needs to carefully slide it to his side, and…
It falls like a curtain, revealing the horror that settles on the back of Kaveh’s eyelids for what seems like the rest of his days.
Mehrak, his own creation and assistant, wrapped tenderly into Nilou's arms like some kind of a stuffed animal or pillow. The very same arms that always were locked around him, now so carelessly thrown around the lifeless metal of its surface instead of basking in the warmth of human skin.
How could he be so easily replaced?
Kaveh yanks the corner of the blanket towards him, forgetting all about being careful. Mehrak's screen, previously in sleep mode, lights up in alert only to change into a manifestation of guilt collected inside the few pixels of the robotic face. Kaveh tugs harder. Good. Let it feel the weight of consequences.
“Kaveh?”
Nilou's voice snaps him out of the spiral of violent thoughts, forcing him to lift his eyes to meet hers, droopy and unfocused in the dark. “Is everything okay?”
He lets go of the fabric, letting it fall back on Mehrak's display. “Sorry. The blanket just—”
Her face slowly changes, from light confusion all the way to a soft smile that graces his heart with its light. “Ah, I see. I didn't notice it shifting. Come here.”
He happily complies, scooting closer and letting her arms wrap around him, pushing the fluff of a blanket over both. Kaveh's eyes close as he revels in her warmth once again. He needs to apologize to Mehrak tomorrow for overreacting. How could he be so harsh? Of course it was just a misunderstanding, a simple malfunction that was just as easily fixed. There's nothing to worry about, nothing—
He wakes up the following night, cold and alone in his misery.
Slowly turning his neck to the side, painfully aware of each creak of bone and twitch of an eye, he finds Mehrak. Blissfully cradled on Nilou's chest.
It happens every single night. The scenario repeats itself — one minute he's asleep in Nilou's arms, the next lonely watching a toolbox take his rightful place.
His own creation. The one that was supposed to be his loyal assistant, so casually stepping between him and Nilou’s happiness without a shadow of remorse. The cruelest of betrayals, by the hand of his own child.
Kaveh blinks. Well, Mehrak wasn't actually his child, and certainly didn't have hands. Maybe he was being a little dramatic. Just a little.
But Archons, did it hurt.
He finds himself staring the toolbox down every chance he gets, distracting himself from work and definitely catching some of Nilou's worried glances along the way. Kaveh was never the best in hiding the underlying emotions that itched his skin, but the speed with which she got enough of his behavior was exceptional.
“Kaveh.” Nilou says one morning, both hands pressing him to the wall as he leaves the bathroom just before he can let out a concerningly high-pitched scream. “Is something wrong?”
He stares at her, way too intimidating for someone whose head is still on the level of his chest. But her gaze is heavy and determined on his face, demanding answers.
“Nothing is wrong. Why would you think something is wrong? Everything couldn't be farther than wrong.” He tries, weakly and unconvincingly getting off track with his eyes jumping everywhere except her face.
“Kaveh.” Nilou's voice dreadfully chilling in its gentleness. “You’ve been trying to draw a straight line with a teaspoon and stirred coffee with a ruler. Something is wrong, and I need to understand what exactly.”
“It’s—” He starts, interrupting himself with a sigh. “Okay. Alright. Something isn't right, and it bothers me to the point of losing sleep.”
Something twists in his heart when Nilou's expression changes into the tender worry he wants to kiss away. Archons, why does she have to be so gentle? “Kaveh… What happened? Is it something at work? Oh, did your mom write something? Please tell me, we can find a solution together, okay? We…”
“It’s Mehrak.”
Nilou closes her mouth, pausing. “Mehrak?”
Kaveh squeezes his eyes shut, getting out each word with great effort. “Mehrak. Sleeping on your side of the bed. Stealing my blanket. Stealing my… Everything!”
Her face changes to become unreadable, a soft pondering expression gracing her features until she speaks up again. “I see… Well, it's nothing we can't fix. I can get a second blanket, and—”
“It’s not about blankets!” He barks, immediately regretting ever opening his mouth. “I mean, it's not the problem. We can get a dozen of those, but I still won't be able to sleep when Mehrak's here!”
Nilou's eyes look almost darker when confusion fills them. “Huh? But why is that? Is it something Mehrak did?”
“I… Ugh, it's just—”
“Why are you acting so defensive about it?” Her eyebrows lower more. “Is there anything bad about letting Mehrak sleep with us? It's your own creation after all!”
“Why would you even let Mehrak in bed?’ Kaveh raises his voice, losing the last remnants of control over it. “Toolboxes don't need sleep!”
Nilou frowns, matching the volume with the next exclamation. “I don't know, feeling left out?”
“Well now I feel left out!”
Their hands lower in silence, eyes boring into each other under the weight of realization that so dangerously creeps onto her face.
“Wait.” Nilou's brows knit in a thin thread between concern and amusement. “Kaveh, are you.. Jealous of Mehrak?”
“Yes.” He says, immediately biting his tongue upon realizing the misstep. Damning his brain for not catching up with his mouth, he tries to fix it. “No!”
Not so successfully. Nilou doesn't look impressed.
His head hangs low in defeat. “...Maybe.”
“Ah, you poor thing.” Her hands end up cupping his face, gentle but fast enough to confuse his brain out into overload. “You could've just said it. I'm sure Mehrak will be happy if you join the cuddle.”
Kaveh's eyes grow wide, shooting a glance at the display of his toolbox that now carries the expression of digital happiness. “I… Really? You wouldn't mind?”
“Of course not!” Nilou stares at him like he just popped a dendro core out of nowhere. “Why would you think I would?”
Kaveh bites his lip, dancing on the glass of embarrassment that shattered around him with the impact. “I… I don't know. You just looked so… Peaceful. So comfortable with just Mehrak being there, and I— I was always left out. Every single night, I would just wake up to see… You.”
Nilou's arms slip around his waist, pulling him closer until her cheek touches his chest. “Kaveh.”
His heart threatens to jump out with a choked whisper. “Yeah?”
“I would never replace you.” She hums, nuzzling to him. “And especially not with a toolbox.”
“You… Wouldn't?” Kaveh almost wants to make a face at the way his words come out in almost pathetic half-sobs.
“Of course not. You’re my one and only human, Kaveh”
For the first time in a week, he allows himself a laugh. “And Mehrak is our one and only toolbox.”
Nilou looks up from her place on his chest, a glint of fun catching the fire in her eye. “Exactly. It would be unfair for us to leave someone out, hm? How about you settle in the middle of the bed this time?”
Kaveh blinks, taking in the unexpected answer. His gaze slowly shifts from her face to the glimpse of green that quickly hides behind the corner of their bedroom and shakes his head with a barely contained laughter. “Alright. But you better not let go of me this time.”
The following night, he falls asleep with a weight on both of his hands. Pressed between the warm arms of a softly snoring into his ear Nilou and Mehrak's cold surface against his cheek, Kaveh can finally let his body succumb to a slumber that won't be interrupted until the very morning.