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~ Drafty ~
Alhaitham didn’t mean to do it. Still, it just kept happening.
It started out small. He’d noticed a draft from the window in the study. Kaveh’s desk was the closest to the window because he always enjoyed the light. This draft made it far too cold. Alhaitham found several towels, nice and dense, and folded them in a way that they would fit in the sill perfectly, blocking the draft.
Mission accomplished.
Or so he thought. When Kaveh stood from his desk, Alhaitham was by his side, hand hovering at his elbow. Kaveh turned to look at him, brows up in question.
“What are you doing, Haitham?”
“Stopping you.”
Kaveh turned his head to one side, brows knitted now. “... Stopping me from what?”
“From falling, obviously.”
Mehrak beeped in agreement, lightly pushing against his other side.
The blonde bit his lip, and nodded slowly. “You do realize that I have never in my life fallen as I was standing up from my drafting table?”
Alhaitham didn’t have an answer for that. “I…” He opened his mouth, only to shut it, and open it again. “I’m certain you’ve fallen at least once from your chair while drunk.”
That point was going to get him into so much trouble, still, it came out anyway.
Kaveh put his hands on his hips. “First of all, I have never fallen from this chair. Not while sober, drunk, sick, or anything else! Secondly, are you saying I’m drunk?! Or do you just suspect I’ve been drinkin? What are you even doing just standing around in here?”
“I was… just checking on something.”
“I feel like the reason you don’t lie is because you are a terrible liar. Anyway… if you’ll excuse me, I really need to use the restroom. I’ve been so thirsty, and feeling the consequences.”
Kaveh only made it a single step before Alhaitham found himself following him. When the blonde suddenly stopped, Alhaitham ran into his back. Kaveh spun on his heel to face him.
“What are you doing now?!”
If only he had an actual answer. “Following you.”
“... Why?”
“Just in case you are uncomfortable while using the bathroom.”
Kaveh blinked at him several times, and he couldn’t really blame him. This was odd, perhaps, but it was also important. Alhaitham was certain of that. It was important that Kaveh was safe, and comfortable everywhere he went.
“Un–” Kaveh cut himself off. “Just– Stay. Stay right there… Both of you.”
Alhaitham stared at the blonde, unblinking as Kaveh backed away a few steps, then disappeared into the bathroom. He stayed exactly where Kaveh told him, for at least thirty seconds. Then he started inching his way closer, Mehrak right beside him.
By the time Kaveh opened the door, Alhaitham’s nose was nearly touching it. He sniffed at the door, not only able to smell the finished wooden surface, but also Kaveh, where he had just been. Alhaitham’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment, then focused on the door in front of him.
The door opened, and a scream pierced Alhaitham’s sensitive ears. Mehrak beeped in alarm.
“Almighty Archons and Celestia above! What are you doing?!”
“Waiting.”
“Beep, beep.”
At this point, Kaveh’s mouth was moving, but no words were coming out. For a long moment, he simply stared at Alhaitham in disbelief. Alhaitham took that as permission.
“H-hey! What are you doing! Put me down!”
Kaveh’s arms instinctively circled around Alhaitham’s neck as he picked the blonde up. Gently, he lowered the blonde onto the couch, into the pile of soft blankets, pillows, and some of Alhaitham’s clothes.
He stepped back to make sure everything was in place, then accepted the pillows Mehrak was bringing over, and the blanket from the other couch. Each place he tucked in had to be perfect.
“What in the… You’ve both gone–” Kaveh cleared his throat. “Haitham?”
“Hm?”
One corner of the blanket wouldn’t stay behind Kaveh’s back the right way, it was incredibly frustrating.
“Have you… sent that letter to Neuvillette, by chance?”
A letter? That seemed familiar. Something about–
“... Oh.”
He was supposed to send a letter about new, odd behaviors that had developed about the time they made it home from Mondstadt.
“Yeah… Oh.”
Maybe it was time to write that letter.
“Stay,” he mumbled to Kaveh as he nearly ran through the house to retrieve a pen and paper.
“Hey! You can’t expect me to stay like this!”
Alhaitham forwent the response in favor of efficiency.
“Alhaitham!”
~ To Curve an Appetite ~
“And then I took two naps. I’m just so tired, but it sure is nice to see you for more than a check up.”
Tighnari had already done his initial analysis upon entering Alhaitham and Kaveh’s home. He had seen these two more than enough times, and knew them both personally long enough to know that something was a bit off. He just hadn’t figured out what that might be, yet.
As Alhaitham brought out more cheese, Tighnari considered briefly that it was the fact he was seeing their Scribe do actual things to accommodate the gue– That thought didn’t last long, as Alhaitham placed the plate of cheese directly onto Kaveh’s lap. It was still sweet, though.
There was something else to what he was seeing, all the clues catching his eyes. Some were small clues, like the cheese, and some were quite obvious, like the blankets surrounding Kaveh, along with cushions packed neatly behind his back. Then there was the hooded cape Kaveh kept trying to unclasp only to have Alhaitham fix it neatly back onto the blonde.
“It’s great to have a game night. With things being as busy as they have, and you both being back in Sumeru playing catch-up, We’ve missed you both,” Tighnari said with a smile, elbowing Cyno in the ribs before he could make a terrible joke. “So… anything, you know… new?”
Tighnari pointedly looked to everything tucking his friend in. Kaveh and Alhaitham both ignored it. Alhaitham, as usual, simply didn’t care to comment on anything he didn’t deem worthy. Kaveh, on the other hand, had a face. The one that said he was ignoring the situation.
Kaveh let out a slightly exasperated laughed. “No! No… Nothing new! Just the same old… stuff.”
“That’s not true. I bought you several new pillows and comforters. Stop pushing them away. You’re cold.”
“I already told you earlier– I’m not cold!”
“Nonsense. There’s a draft coming in from the window right over there. Besides, you need to be comfortable.” Alhaitham stopped harassing Kaveh with the blankets and turned back toward the kitchen. “And eat more.”
“But my pants are already getting too tight– Hey, come back! Please don’t bring more food…”
Tighnari, out of all the times he’d been to his friends’ house, never would have thought he’d see such pampering, his attitude was even worse in public. It wasn’t that Alhaitham didn’t quietly do things, especially without others around, apparently, and Tighnari had even seen the man be an entirely different person when worried.
This was a whole new level.
“You guys have to do something… anything…. Please help!”
Cyno stood. “I’ve always wanted to fight a dragon,” he said as he disappeared into the kitchen.
“He’s not a dragon, Cyno… And there he’s gone,” Tighnari sighed. “Kaveh, is there anything else that’s different– With either of you. Remember, as one of the doctors involved in this, you can talk to me about this, in whichever way you need. Just tell me.”
“Tighnari… I haven’t had time to think… or even more. I’m lucky if he lets me walk myself. Honestly, it started before we even went to Mondstadt. I was surprised I was even able to go, considering how much more protective he’d been that he already was. Those instincts of his… have really been something, but they are a part of him now. It was already bad enough before all of this… now it’s just crazy! How did dragons even function through this?!”
Tighnari hummed. “I haven’t spoken to Mister Neuvillette about that aspect too much, but… I have a feeling that Alhaitham’s new draconic side might simply be enhancing his human side, and this is simply how they work together. Even before your changes, Alhaitham was beyond protective of you. There are some people who are lucky to be alive. These dragon instincts have amplified what was always there.”
Kaveh hid his face in his palms, and shook his head. “Yeah… you’re right, but this is going to drive me crazy. I appreciate how dedicated he is, I really do, but is it going to be dangerous for others if he’s around for client meetings? Or even being in public?” He put a hand over his stomach. “I know I’m going to get big, a-and that people are going to eventually notice and I’m trying to prepare myself for that, but I can’t stop doing what I do. As much as I complain about some clients, my work is who I am, and it keeps me sane. Most of the time, at least.”
“I won’t stop you from doing what you love, Kaveh,” Alhaitham said from the doorway, holding more plates of food.
Tighnari rolled his eyes at Cyno, who was also carrying food. How was this helping? He supposed Alhaitham could bring out more at a time like this. The two of them sat the food down, and Alhaitham sat next to Kaveh.
“I do care about how you feel.”
“Okay… but you haven’t really been listening to me so far.” Alhaitham opened his mouth, but Kaveh quickly put his hand over it. “I know that’s not your goal! It’s just… your instincts are a little out of control. It’s summer in Sumeru, Haitham. We could have all the draft in the world coming from that window and I would be completely fine.”
Tighnari could see Alhaitham’s jaw clenching and unclenching, eyes finally landing on the pile around Kaveh.
“Maybe. I did send a letter to Monsieur Neuvillette,” Alhaitham finally replied.
Tighnari couldn’t think of a time he’d seen him look so dejected. It was so incredibly not Alhaitham-like. Usually, the man carried enough sass and confidence for multiple people. Now he was completely different.
“I know! I know you did, Haitham. And I know sometimes you haven’t even realized you’re doing it. Just maybe… you could try to listen better?”
Alhaitham nodded. “I’ll work on it, but I can’t guarantee.”
“Are those extra cheesy crackers?” Kaveh completely changed the subject.
“They are,” Cyno said, placing it in front of the blonde. “Alhaitham said you love cheese, so we added extra.”
Tighnari leaned closer to Cyno as he sat. “You were supposed to be talking Alhaitham into bringing less food! This wasn’t helpful!”
“We’ve got to keep Kaveh and our grandchild nourished, Nari.”
“Cyno, that’s not… It’s not actually our.” Tighnari closed his eyes. There was no point in arguing this with Cyno, move on. “Perhaps next time we could all wait until Kaveh asks for food. Then we wouldn’t have far too much food for a single person, pregnant or not, sitting out everywhere, going to waste.”
Kaveh already had two crackers in his mouth, cheeks poofed out, and a third was on the way. A glance at Alhaitham quickly became a double-take. The man was simply staring intensely at Kaveh as he ate.
“You’re chewing with your left side,” Alhaitham said calmly.
Kaveh paused, cracker nearly to his mouth. “I’m sorry… what?”
“You chew with your left side when you are enjoying a food, compared to when you are only tolerating something, then you chew with your right,” Alhaitham explained.
“... You’re watching me chew?”
Alhaitham tilted his head to the side just a fraction. “I’m observing your eating habits to gain a better understanding of your current eating habits and preferences.”
“That’s not something you need to do, Haitham–”
“Somebody should be keeping records,” Alhaitham said in all seriousness.
“T-that’s not keeping records! That’s– No. Tighnari, is that keeping records?”
Tighnari immediately put his hands up, wanting to stay out of it.
“It’s useful data,” Alhaitham continued. “It will help to ensure that your nutrition remains consistent, so you’ll experience fewer effects from an unstable diet. Therefore, I have confirmed and noted your preference.”
Kaveh pouted. “I didn’t ask for you to confirm my preference!”
He put the entire cracker in his mouth, and intentionally started chewing with his right side. Tighnari could only roll his eyes at the two of them and elbow Cyno hard enough to knock the smile off his face.
“You’re welcome,” Alhaitham said as he went back to the kitchen.
“Where is Mehrak?” Tighnari wondered aloud. “I haven’t seen her.”
Kaveh pouted louder. “Someone wore her out by having her help cover me in blankets all day! She’s resting.”
“She volunteered,” Alhaitham said from the next room.
All of them had completely forgotten about game night.
~ Unknowing ~
Kaveh wandered into the kitchen, looking for another snack. He froze when he found Alhaitham, hunched over the counter, working with something. It seemed like Alhaitham didn’t notice him, so he crept closer.
A towel and… a melon?
Kaveh’s brows furrowed. Alhaitham was wrapping a melon in a towel. That was strange, even with his new behaviors.
“... Haitham?”
“Hm?” Alhaitham didn’t look up, pulling one corner of the towel to tuck into another part. “The ratio is wrong.”
“The ratio of what?”
“The diagram accounts for a standard-sized swaddling blanket of forty by forty inches. A dish towel is neither the correct dimensions nor the correct weight. It’s far too fluffy, where swaddling material is a thinner, but dense material.” Too absorbed in his task to realize he’s being watched, Alhaitham unfolded the material and started again, mumbling to himself.
Kaveh crossed his arms and sat on the edge of the table for a moment. There were some things Alhaitham did that he considered adorable. Sneezing after he uses lotion. It got Kaveh every time, the way Alhaitham’s nose would scrunch up just before. Biting the inside of his lower lip when he solves problems. At some point, Alhaitham had gone from biting his lower lip to only biting the inside, so that most people wouldn’t notice. Kaveh did. The way Alhaitham would imperceptibly shudder when his socks got wet. The silver-haired hunk thought it was small enough to avoid drawing attention, but it was so cute, the way his spine would straighten, and his shoulders would level out, fists clenching for a moment.
There were other things, but this, Alhaitham trying to learn how to swaddle a melon, took the top place of that list. He wondered briefly how many other things would start popping up to the top. A large amount, he imagined.
Alhaitham’s brow was furrowed in such concentration, the same way it did when he was looking at difficult, but interesting texts.
“No, this corner needs to be tucked in better. Huh… I could use this technique on Kaveh to keep him–” Alhaitham cut himself off, and sighed. “No, he doesn’t want that… Maybe as he sleeps, it would be safer…”
Kaveh made a note to remove more blanket layers from the bed. Alhaitham had been working on not wrapping him up or cushioning him all the time, but they had a long way to go. At this point, Alhaitham was nearly as unpredictable as Kaveh was emotionally.
You never knew when Kaveh was going to start bawling about something simple, and you never knew when Alhaitham was going to suddenly feel the urge to keep him “safe” by wrapping him up until he couldn’t move.
He watched as Alhaitham redid the towel once more, wrapping it gently, as if the melon were a real baby and Kaveh was coming just a little undone by the care that was being put into it.
“You have months, you know,” he said quietly.
Alhaitham finally looked up, startled out of his trance. Truly, actually, startled. “I’m aware.”
“You could just ask someone who knows how…”
His attention shifted back to what he was doing. “If I figure it out on my own, then there is no need to interact with someone else.”
Such an incredibly Alhaitham thing to say, of course.
Kaveh had seen the other things Alhaitham recently began. Clearing the extra bedroom and marking the floor where furniture might soon be. The list on Alhaitham’s study desk simply labeled “Modifications,” but thoroughly laid out anything that might need to be done within the next few months. How Alhaitham’s reading material had almost entirely shifted to anything about babies.
He didn’t say anything about these changes. Instead, he leaned over the counter and kissed the top of Alhaitham’s head, and wandered off to bed. It felt so early compared to normal, but he was always so tired anymore.
A while later, just as Kaveh was somewhere between sleep and the waking world, he felt the bed shift slightly, and a hand came to rest low over his stomach.
“I know you can’t hear me yet,” he whispered, voice coming from next to his hand. “Your auditory senses won’t develop for a few more weeks, but… I know you can feel that I’m here, and that’s just as important.”
Kaveh kept his eyes shut, making sure to not even twitch, or breathe differently.
“Your other father is asleep,” Alhaitham continued, and something about the phrase “other father,” like it’s simply a fact, makes Kaveh’s chest ache in a way he wasn’t prepared for. “He works too hard, and doesn’t get enough sleep, but he’s stubborn. You’ll understand when you get older.”
Alhaitham paused, his thumb moving back and forth absentmindedly.
“I don’t know if what I’m doing is right,” his voice dropped a register, the way it does on the rare occasion he’s having trouble saying something. “I don’t fully understand what’s happening to me, I only know that so far, none of it has been a choice, but… I don’t think it’s bad. It may annoy your Baba, but it’s because I love you both so much. You’re barely more than a thought, but I would dismantle the world piece by piece for you. I just want you to know that.”
Kaveh didn’t trust himself to speak, there was no way his voice would be even. It would match his burning eyes instead. As Alhaitham moved to lay properly next to him, he snuggled up to his husband as he was pulled close.
Alhaitham kissed the top of his head. “Sweet dreams, Habibi.”