(Not fic)
CW: mpreg, spoilers for song of the welkin moon AQ acts 9 & 10, what if
What if kaveh was pregnant when the events of act 9 began.
He’s in the last two weeks of his third trimester and his baby is coming home any day now. The nursery’s been set, his projects either done and dusted or put on hold for a few months.
Deciding to have a baby isn’t an easy choice—especially not for these two. Becoming fathers when their own had left them so early in their adolescence. It was only after many debates, and a strong sense of yearning growing in both their hearts that they decided to try for a child. But only on one simple condition.
Neither of them are allowed to die before their little one turns 18.
On what was meant to be the first cozy few months of early parenthood, a crisis forced them all trek across the forest and into the arid desert.
Al-Haitham was the busiest he’s ever been. Delegating duties to Akademiya staff, discussing strategies and plans with the sages and making sure their archon was well and safe.
And when it was required for the greatest minds of the Akademiya to come together and help build an entire system to replace the great Irminsul tree— Kaveh couldn’t sit by idly.
Despite the protests of his friends, he worked and worked. It was hard, cramps and aches wracked his body. Even took a risk at trusting the old coots that call themselves the pillars of King Deshret and walked 7metres up in the air on invisible platforms.
No one’s ever seen Al-Haitham look that stressed out before.
But he’d do it all again in a heartbeat. Because his nation, his home needed him. Kaveh needed his home—His baby needed a home to call their own too.
The one moment of reprieve from the chaos, atop the Mausoleum of King Deshret, Kaveh shares these sentiments with Al-Haitham. He lets himself rest against the other and distract themselves with talks of being parents soon.
That morning, his cramps got worse, but merely assumed that it's continuous from him pulling all nighters and running around the place all day long. Kaveh fails to realise that he’s beginning to go into labour.
Tighnari, who’s mostly been tasked to monitor the different groups working on resolving the crisis, had noticed the moments Kaveh bending over in pain has become more and more frequent.
He hurriedly goes to Aaru village to fetch a midwife before Tighnari’s needed in Sumeru city.
Then it comes down to the final moments. Everyone was in position ready for the puzzle pieces to fall into place.
Aaru has gone live. A beautiful sight to behold.
Nahida, Wanderer and the traveller had gone into Irminsul to confront Dottore. Cyno, Dehya and the others going in to distract the Fatui in the city. Kaveh, Al-Haitham and the sages were on standby for the transfer of information from Irminsul.
Their plans and the technology were as good as it would be, but there was no way to account for possible anomalies. Whatever happened, Kaveh and Al-Haitham needed to keep monitoring the transfer.
But the pain in Kaveh’s abdomen has been getting worse and much more frequent. It gets to the point where he fully keels over in pain and almost falls to the floor. Luckily one of the pillars—Heryshaf, had caught him.
“By the gods, you are in labour.”
There was no denying it anymore. But Kaveh tried to argue that he needed to stay—needed to see this crisis resolved to it's very end.
Al-Haitham takes over Kaveh’s console and assures him that their odds of success are guaranteed. Despite him being the light of keshahrewar and a renowned genius, the entire room is filled with sumeru’s greatest minds. From the newly appointed grand sage, to new and old scholars recalled for the mission.
In other words, they will be fine.
It’s at this moment too, Collei comes rushing in with the midwife that Tighnari had called in earlier.
With that, Kaveh stops resisting and lets himself be whisked away into a private hall away from everyone else to finally give birth.
In the meantime, Al-Haitham doesn’t let himself get distracted, now on double duty. He doesn’t let his thoughts wander on his family, only letting himself focus on Aaru and his role to play.
A few hours later, the transfer is complete. They get news that the dendro archon had burned away irminsul and that their mission was a success. The nation of Sumeru is saved.
Someone taps Al-Haitham on the shoulder and tells him that he can step out. They smile and tell him that he should go and see his newborn baby girl.
In a dimly lit hall, Al-Haitham hears the cries of a baby. And at the end, he reaches and locks eyes with a teary eyed Kaveh.
Exhausted but a bright smile on his face when he sees Al-Haitham come rushing forward to meet him and their baby resting in his arms.
“Today is the birth of Aaru. And today is also the birth of my daughter.”