im rykno (ryk)// kinda new heree.. but i like snz and i like genshin and i kinda wna write for it. this is a secondary blog so if i ever comment on things it would be from the primary account (it has a similar name, @rykkno)
reuqest/asks - ill answer within 1-2 dayss
my works: most of them are tagged under #ryk.fic i think, i have 0 idea how to do masterlists or linking.. haha
PLEASE MAKE SNZCANONS FOR WRIOTHESLY AND NEUVILLETE PLEASE PLEASEEEEEE
HI ANON HI HI HI HI HI i am so excited about this ask w/rio is my FAVOURITE RIGHT NOW AKSJAJDJS
i will be so biased towards this post honestly.. the way i literally have an extremely long post in my notes app of snzcanons for this loser. i feel like its gonna put my other hc posts to shame⊠oh well ! w/rio and n/euvi for you lovely anon
also should preface by saying i love these two as a pairing so there might be some shippy stuff or whatever, also i have some Thoughts about potential kink!n/euvillette but theyll be right at the bottom if that isnt anyones cup of tea so you can skip :)
w/riothesley
has 100% been said before but him having spent so much time in the fortress of m/eropide away from the entire outside world he has definitely got some awful hayfever
âł i see him as the ceo of allergy denial too. he has no problem admitting when heâs sick but as soon as it comes to allergies its like talking to a brick wall âare you sure youre okayâ â*very very obviously not okay* yepâ
âł will be denying until every subsequent snz has his head spinning
unless its someone(s) heâs properly comfortable with, he will be stifling in front of people
âł âŠeven though stifling is kind of a Task. i imagine it starts to hurt after a few
normally he will snz in doubles exclusively unless he does stifle then that will take it up to maybe four at once, nothing too excessive
âł not hugely loud? but definitely not quiet. theyre pretty heavy too with a decent amount of force behind them, as such: âhhuhâdDJSHhh! âŠâdjiISHHhâuh!â
âł stifles into a fist, regular snz into his elbow and he grips the elbow w his other hand
âł i also have this really specific thought that after he stifles a couple of times, the next snz gears up immediately after and he has this gasping, stuttery buildup before the last snz that will be very much harsher and ultimately unstifleable: and i spelled it out too! âhhânNGt! âGKKts! -ahH! h-hhaaHhâGKSHHhâuh!â
(these headcanons are literally getting princess treatment im so sorry to all the other characters. my bias is showing)
aside from above though, (and allergic snzs) his buildups are next to nonexistent. he has a few tells, if you look closely youâll see his brows draw together, nostrils flare and maybe a fluttery blink before a single hitching breath and then heâs off
colds đđđ when heâs sick i feel like he gets tired a lot, but he kinda ignores it and wont sleep any more than he usually does (which probably isnt a lot)
âł although if someone were to insist that he take a break, he would 100% be passed straight out the second he was horizontal
Ⳡthink he has such a gorgeous sick voice⊠LMFAO - its just slightly deeper and with the tiniest gravelly quality + those kind of rounded out consonants⊠yeah
definitely isnt particularly kind on his nose, especially when it comes to allergies.. he knuckles at it with way too much force
âł i think partly because being just itchy would bother him to no end, doesnt let him concentrate on anything
i have a whole thing in my head about him fighting in p/ankration or whatever and getting a bloody nose, whether it be when heâs sick or allergies are just particularly bad but hes just sneezy about it ⊠yeah
âł broken/injured nose = no touching, so he canât stifle for a while. because of this he ends up hovering a hand awkwardly in front of his face like a shield (blood everywhere, most likely.) also he cant rub it in this state, so his nose will most certainly be scrunched up (which hurts just as much, but he finds being itchy is more annoying than being in pain)
âł some other thoughts idk. heâs trying to clean up a wound on his face but the alcohol reaaallly gets to him; eyes are streaming and hes sniffling so bad and he has a three second window to get it done before heâs sneezing lmfao
something to do with the dog/wolf motifs of his character, he definitely scrunches up his nose when its irritated
âł maybe an involuntary little head shake/twitch after a particularly harsh snz
has a habit of turning fully away to snz, obviously to be polite to anyone whos there but he also does it when hes alone. just turns around lmao
i see him as slightly photic, again just because he spends so much time in the dingy ass fortress so thereâs probably a bit of light sensitivity there
Ⳡhowever i feel like its never enough to actually make him sneeze, it just tingles a bit and is generally annoying⊠but it DOES prove useful for coaxing out a stuck snz
probably anti-holdbacks until he has a raging headcold with an awful throat so even breathing hurts, so heâll try his best to stave sneezes off
n/euvillette
stifles all. the. time. i know this
âł theyâre basically silent, pinched between two fingers, but occasionally the tail end will slip out so thereâll be a bit of a âkssh!â to be heard
âł singles usually with the occasional double that honestly catches him off guard, he never expects more than one
âł probably takes a lot of convincing to get him to Not stifle. unstifled snz i think isnt super vocal in sound, and is decently forceful and kinda wet: âehHâtchSHHhh!â something like that
i think dust and particularly potent fragrances make him sneeze - he isnt allergic per se, just sensitive
âł for this reason he likes to keep his space very clean and tidy and without perfume or whatever. an outsiderâs perspective might see it as plain but he does it for his own benefit
âł probably had to tell w/riothesley to stop wearing cologne when he visits
doesnt get sick very often, he probably has a good immune system and this paired with being nonhuman probably means hes not susceptible to colds
âł HOWEVER. on the off chance he does come down with something, you absolutely know about it. itâs very clear in his face - eyes and nose both rimmed red, and he just looks pretty tired in general.
âł colds for him are probably very sneezy too,, poor guy lmfao
âł also, with the thing where it rains when heâs sad⊠being the hydro dragon and all the weather probably turns pretty foul until heâs feeling better (puts a whole new meaning on the phrase âunder the weatherâ hahaha)
âł obviously continues to work through it who do you think he is! even if he has a court case, heâll stay through the whole thing even if his head is pounding and heâs stifled enough to burst a blood vessel
âł in court if anyone notices the obvious congestion in his voice nobody dares make a comment lmfao - this makes him think heâs got away with it even though its blatant heâs unwell
âł the people close to him finding out heâs sick for the first time definitely involves a lot of âwow, i didnât know you could even get sickâ
handkerchief user âŠ.. he really just seems like the type
dutifully blesses other people but gets lowkey flustered if anyone else says bless you to him
alright. hereâs my kink!n/euvillette thoughts with w/riothesley so skip this part if that isnât your thing :)
- is definitely one to comment on w/riothesleyâs snz, and kind of challenge him when he denies being allergic to things⊠such as âthat was five back to back, are you quite sure itâs nothing?â/âthat sounded like it hurtâ/âiâve never seen you sneeze that many times in a rowâ
- would have a vase of rainbow roses or something on his desk completely nonchalantly when âprofessionallyâ meeting with w/riothesley. neither of them comment on it whilst n/euvillette watches w/riothesley try his damnedest to keep composure knowing full well heâll never admit the flowers are bothering him
- n/euvillette definitely becomes a totally different person when its anything to do w the kink,, like heâs the last person youâd expect for it but he will literally be making an absolute wreck of w/riothesley
- something about dragons and âneedsâ or whateverâŠ.. i have no knowledge about monsterfucking or dragons or anything but thereâs probably something there right??? someone who knows more might inform me do dragons have heat
thats all i have !!! ahhhhhhh anon ur awesome thank you for requesting my favs đâ€ïž i loved making this post im so so fixated on these two so i hope you liked these hcs :) sorry the post is kinda really long uh. blame the autism for that one
Small note: There won't be any snz spellings in this fic because those are HARD!!! (aHHHHHH) but there will still be descriptions of them, but still generally not that many
(insert word count here later)
--------
Thursday:
It started with a sore throat, nothing a little swallowing couldn't handle. It wasn't uncommon for Kaveh to wake up feeling a little dry. Poor sleeping posture that left his neck tilted sideways and mouth open, it was bound to happen some mornings.
He didn't think much of it, stealing a toast from Alhaitham's plate before scurrying out of the house. He had a meeting with a client just under an hour later, and would hate to be late. This guy in particular had been giving him quite a lot of issues, from wanting a fireplace that close to the front door such that it was quite literally opening into it, to winding stairs with no railings to speak of.
Now, Kaveh knew he was getting paid good money to blueprint this house, but boy were some people who were just pure rich with no brains to back their wealth up.
It didn't help that he could already feel a headache building up.
-
Kaveh was going to pop a vein.
"I told you! My blueprint, my rules!" His client crossed his leg, leaning against back against the chair before taking a long drag of their cigar. After a pause, smoke fills the space between them.
Across the table, Kaveh presses hands against his forehead, partly because he was in utter disbelief, and partly because the smoke was messing with him.
"Sir.. what you are proposing is a fire hazard.. we live in a rainforest."
His sore throat wasn't going away.
-
Alhaitham was already at home by the time Kaveh got back.
"This FUCKING client.."
"Welcome home Kaveh, want some dinner?"
The architect stopped in his tracks, looking over at the steaming food on the table.
"..I'm not hungry."
"Oh come on," Alhaitham snapped his book shut, placing it on the coffee table before standing up. A few steps to reach the other later, he wrapped his arms around Kaveh's waist. "I waited for you to come home."
Kaveh felt a warm breath upon the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Normally, he would've caved, would've turned back to devour Alhaitham in a deep kiss.
But tonight, just the mere thought of leaning that far back made Kaveh's head dizzy. Just the thought of having to swallow food through his aching throat made his appetite disappear.
"Not today Haitham, I'm going to bed."
-
Friday:
His throat felt like sandpaper, nothing a little water couldn't fix. Kaveh got out of bed, holding his head in his hands to make the world stop spinning.
Throwing a quick glance at his bedside alarm, Kaveh nearly got a heart attack. FUCK! He was supposed to meet the client in 10 minutes, and it took 15 just getting to the meeting point.
Wriggling out of his pajamas, Kaveh threw on yesterday's shirt and cape before grabbing Mehrak and bolting out of the door.
-
"I'm- ahem! -I'm sorry for the delay!" Kaveh frantically took a seat, his voice accidentally hitching an octave higher.
The client sighed, whispers of smoke surrounding him. "Please remember that I am paying you to be here."
"Yes, yes, of course of course!" Kaveh laughed nervously, opening his suitcase to remove the blueprints. "About yesterday's discussion.."
"Have you made the appropriate changes?"
"..Excuse me?"
"The fireplace."
"You can't seriously still want it that close to the door.. plus you're paying for a high-quality wooden doorframe."
"Enough." The client exhaled in Kaveh's direction, causing him to hide behind closed fingers yet again. "You're going to do up the blueprint for me by tomorrow, or I no longer require your services."
-
As usual, Alhaitham was already home by the time Kaveh got home.
"Dinner."
"Ahaha- sorry.. I'm not in the mood."
"Kaveh. You haven't eaten since yesterday."
"Ahaha.." HOW DID HE KNOW???
Defeated, Kaveh makes his way over to the dining table, collapsing onto the chair.
"Are you alright? You sound different."
"Ah.. is that so.." Kaveh mumbles. The client today cost him a lot, his voice was just one of those things.
"I'll feed you."
"H-Haitham!! There's really no need!
With that, Kaveh quickly took his spoon, eating the meal without a second glance at his roommate.
Alhaitham smirked, mission accomplished.
-
"Kaveh, come to my room tonight."
"I can't! I have to finish this blueprint for my client."
Alhaitham's eyebrows furrowed. "Come on, indulge me." He hugs Kaveh from behind, nuzzling into his neck.
"C-Can't!! Sorry!!"
So the Scribe stood alone in the hallway, dirty dishes on his left and no Kaveh on his right.
-
Saturday:
Kaveh had not slept. How could he, when he was up all night fixing every little detail of the blueprint to his client's demands?
He had taken a 40minute power nap though, so that was that.
Not that his clogged sinuses would let him rest in peace. Somewhere in the middle of the night, the annoyance of his sore throat had somehow made its way up his soft palette and into the confines of his nasal passages.
It was just his luck that all his tissues seemed to have ran out too.
-
"You're up early."
If not for his throat, Kaveh would've screamed.
"H-Haitham!!? I could say the same about you."
"I have to head to the office early. You?"
The duo stared at each other in silence, one seated and one standing.
There was no way in Hell Kaveh was telling Alhaitham what he came out for.
"W-Well we just happen to have very similar schedules!"
"Hoh-"
Eyeing Alhaitham's toast, Kaveh swiped one, wrapping it thickly with kitchen towels before leaving the house.
-
Kaveh sniffles against his wrist. He just- just needed to dash into an alley real quick to blow his nose.
He was thankful for the empty streets.
Leaning against a brick wall, Kaveh unwraps the toast slowly, pressing a tissue against his face. He blows productively, that was, until the congestion came back with full force. Inhaling, Kaveh used the wall as support as he tries again.
The effort leaves him gasping for air, head foggy. His left ear was blocked too. Just his luck.
-
"Finally." The client smiled at the new blueprint. "This is exactly what I want."
Kaveh didn't know if he should be relieved or terrified.
"Now, about those stairs I proposed-"
Terrified, he should be terrified.
-
The first sneeze came while he was walking home. It was late, Kaveh's voice was shot from arguing, and he was tired. There was no one around, but he still felt it necessary to stifle it between tightly pinched fingers.
Force of habit, he supposes.
Perhaps it was because of the relief that his next meeting with the client was pushed back to next week, or perhaps it really was this cold catching up to him, but Kaveh shivered harshly against the Sumeru wind.
Hold yourself together, home is just three steps away.
-
The moment the front door opens, Kaveh feels himself get enveloped with a pair of strong arms.
"H-Haitham??! You scared me!"
"You're shivering."
Kaveh felt him blush at the other pointing out the obvious.
"Have dinner with me." The warm breath breathed down his neck, making it hard for Kaveh to decline the offer. "I made your favourite."
"You did?" Kaveh whispered. He had been craving for something warm.
"Mm." Alhaitham hummed in reply, spinning Kaveh around gently to capture his lips in his. "I did."
Initial shock melted into bliss as Kaveh melted into the kiss. All his pent-up stress seemed to disappear for awhile before-
"Haitham wait- I'm sick, you can't-"
"Too late," Alhaitham mumbled, closing the distance between them once again. "Two days too late."
"You knew?!"
"You were trying to hide it?" He scoffed. "You suck."
"N-No you suck!"
"Mm, as you wish.." Alhaitham teased, dropping to his knees and fiddling with Kaveh's belt.
"H-HAItham!!" Kaveh blushed. Whether it was from this situation or his fever, he didn't know.
"Alright alright," the movements on his pants stopped. "Dinner first, then you're sleeping with me tonight."
Leaving little room for excuses, Kaveh was dragged to the table.
-
"Bless you."
"Ah, t-thanks.." Kaveh mumbled through the back of his fist. The steam from the shower they just had did wonders to clear his congestion, but at the price of-
He presses the back of his wrist harshly against his nose.
Before Kaveh could even begin hitching for air, he is startled out of it by the warm sensation of someone grabbing his arm.
Cracking open blurry eyes, he's met with Alhaitham's piercing stare. Alhaitham frowns, pulling Kaveh's arm away from his face before pressing their bodies together. He pushes Kaveh down onto the sheets below them, causing the other to fall onto the pillows with a soft "uff-!"
Alhaitham leans over him such that his hair was tickling Kaveh's collarbone. Tilting his head upwards, Alhaitham whispers in a low voice,
"Don't stifle. Let me here them, please."
Kaveh felt a chill run down his spine. "S-Sorry? I must have heard you wrongly," he stutters. "My ear is blocked on the left side.."
Alhaitham lets out a low laugh, collapsing on Kaveh's right side before pulling him in for a hug.
"Is that so?" He then lowers his voice to a volume barely above a whisper. "Can you hear me now?"
He was so close, Kaveh could feel Alhaitham's lips moving on his ear. Still, he remained silent, as if he hadn't heard a thing.
"I love you, Kaveh."
In response, Kaveh turns away, curling into himself, hands shooting up to cover his face in embarrassment.
"So you can hear me."
"O-Of course, you IDIOT!"
"Mm, that's good. So I'll kiss you on the Right." Kaveh felt Alhaitham yet again pulling him in, lips on his shoulder, tongue on his neck.
He shivers, but this time not from the cold.
-
Sunday:
Kaveh wakes up wrapped in blankets and Alhaitham. Last night was still foggy in his mind.
A second of peace passes, before Kaveh gasps desperately, snapping to the side as a fit of sneezes rush out of him. The morning sun streaming in from between the curtains luminated the fine droplets before they settled on white sheets.
"Good morning to you too.." Alhaitham nuzzled into his neck. "What a way to wake me up."
"I'm s-"
"Mm, don't apologise.." Alhaitham mumbled, leaning forward to kiss Kaveh on his cheek. "Turn around, want to look at you."
"But I'm a mess right now."
"Don't care." Alhaitham languidly climbs over Kaveh's body till they were once again facing each other. "Come on, don't be shy."
Alhaitham kisses him just above his lip.
"Mm, delicious."
-
The next time Kaveh wakes, Alhaitham had already left for work. He sits up, groggy from sleep.
There was a glass of fresh water on the bedside table along with a little box with words on it. Kaveh squints in the darkness, reaching for the box.
"4 in 1, 16 tablets. Suitable for colds, coughs, fevers, and blocked nose." Kaveh sighs. What is this?? A checklist for all his damn symptoms??
He flips the box around, pausing as his eyes dart over some words in ink.
"Get well soon Kaveh, I'll see you tonight."
Maybe this cold won't be that bad after all.
- end -
-------------
So, ig alhaitham has the kink here
tysm for reading, this fic was self indulgent af sorry :')
This was the inspiration for the stairs the client wanted btw, didn't know how to describe them :)
i saw that you responded to that request about being friends and talk about genshin,i don't remember if i was the one the owner of that quest or i send you another ask (hope i dont sound strange or anything) the i hope we can be friends if it's not a problem...
hii anon, sureeee!! it's always nice to make new friends :>
similarly my dms are open here or i also have a discord if you wna add there instead (you can send your user via another ask if so)
Is it okay if we be friends and ramble about genshin together???
oh shit shit shit shit shit anon im so sorry đđ i didnt see this im so SO so sorry!! ive not been active on tumblr that much but i have no idea how this didnt turn up in my Activity notifications until i misclicked into my inbox today
To answer, yess! i would love to be friends and ramble abt anything tgt! (if you manage to see this, again im so sorry). my dms are open here and i have a discord if that is more convenient for you!
Happy birthday to a certain special fox-eared archerâ!
Also, this is a gift for @rachwavs! Surprise, I'm your secret santa!
Thanks to @kawaii-kushami for organizing it!
If you like my drawings, and are willing and able to do so, please consider commissioning me, pledging to my Patreon, or donating through ko-fi â! You're not obliged to, but every bit helps to keep me living decently and I really do appreciate it!
Commission for @alans-snz ft. this fun pairing of gen/shin guys âš
If you like my drawings, and are willing and able to do so, please consider pledging to my Patreon or donating through ko-fi â! You're not obliged to, but every bit helps to keep me living decently and I really do appreciate it!
. Has a harsh sounding sneeze, not quite a dad sneeze, more like one that's definitely teetering on the edge tho. Something along the lines of, "HhishEEew!" And then maybe it ends with a squeaky sound????
. ALWAYS SNEEZES IN MULTIPLES. if it is just a sudden, unexpected fit it usually lasts 4-5 sneezes before he can catch a break.
. Stifles in front of humans most of the time, usually only if he isn't acquainted with them. Has never been seen holding a sneeze in front of a melusine though.
.Has had MULTIPLE fits during a trial and Fo/calors has had to call many recesses because of itđ
.has awful seasonal allergies. They always flare up in spring and because of the heavy amount of flora(especially around the court houseđł)
.is heavily prone to catch cold/flu in the summer, and at this point Fo/calors has it marked down on the calendar đ
.hides illness, and often never gets away with it. Whether it be Fo/calors, Wryo/thesley(personal hc, idk what their canon relationship looks like yetđ€đ€), but he is almost always figured out by the melusines.
. The melusines take him to Merusi village if they can and they all collectively take care of him (enter montage of the melusines braiding/doing his hair while he sleeps)
. Literally has no control over himself when he is sick. Enter hurricane season in Fontaine mid-summerđ
.is allergic to pretty much every flower in existence, but he knows how to deal with Fontaine Flora better...once he steps outside of the country it's overđ
. Dust allergy. Moving onđ€«
. Because of the...heavy implication that he has control (somewhat) over the weather in Fontaine, I hc that this includes allergic tears as well. Can't stop thinking about everyone seeing rain coming down and rushing to his home just to find him bent over, sneezing his ever loving brains outđ
. I have so many thoughts abt this man! This is all I could think of on the spot, if yall want to hear my hcs for other Genshin characters, lmk!
so I have a hc that genshin characters sneeze like their bursts/ults lol
here are a few of my character hcs + explanations; Iâll be uploading them in groups of two or three at a time since I have a long list! discussion is also welcome (no particular order, just in the order I thought of them), so please enjoy! Iâve been excited to share them :)
âââ
iâll start with the ragnvindr siblings first (biased because theyâre two of my favorite for many reasons)
kaeya
his skill is a quick, single stream of ice, and his burst swings shards of ice around him. both attacks are somewhat on the harsh and defensive side (fitting to his character), so sneezes imitate that volume and power. his burst imitates the duration of how long the tickle persists
- single sneezes or spaced out doubles, small fits of spaced out singles when sick
- no pressing allergies, but if heâs come down with a cold his nose gets hella sensitive so things like dust or pollen set him off more easily
- not usually a stifler, but he can if neededâhe doesnât usually get self conscious about sneezing unless heâs interrupting something important or in a situation where the noise isnât appropriate (not the best at keeping them silent, however)
- regular snz is quite vocal, can get empty-tavern-echoing loud if that makes sense (6.5/10 volume?)
- âhHâIESSHhhâu! hhihâŠhiiH-ISSCHhâiiew!â or something like that (it can get wet. harsh sniffling follows after)
- definitely the type to power through illnesses, always thinks he can make it through the day and sleep it off later (sometimes this doesnât work in his favor)
- unless youâre able to pick up the subtle changes in his usual composure heâs relatively good at hiding it
- diluc can tell almost immediately, but kaeya makes it an effort to hide it anyways (success rate: 0%)
- sneezes and gets over it. average maybe once a day thing for him. will joke about it when it happens, even
diluc
skill comes in threes; theyâre forceful, hefty swings of the claymore, but theyâre also very controlled and precise movements, meant to hit the target and only the target; burst is one massive, almost baseball swinging-like motion where the guy hardens his hold on the grip of the claymore, channels a full-body weight into the start of the swing, and allows the rest of the claymore follow through with the weight of gravity pulling it down
heâs not completely slamming the claymore into the ground for these, theyâre actually very slightly subdued
but in the case of snz, you know what that means..
- expert at stifling (prefers it), however it gets increasingly difficult to manage if whateverâs bothering his nose is persistent
- can usually manage to keep them entirely silent or with minimal noise, but natural sneezes can get powerful; both kinds have the force to send him ducking forward
- more he stifles, more intense it gets until he canât take it anymore
- unlike kaeya, heâs more self conscious abt sneezing in public so heâd conceal them whenever possible
- 1-3 usually (his skill works in the way that, once activated, the player has the ability to swing three times for the duration. if the three swings are not used by the end of the skill, the skill as a cooldown period and resets) so if diluc can stave off the tickle for long enough after the first one, heâll be okay đ
- probably photic. heâs an early riser, so if heâs leaving the house while the sunâs coming up expect him to snz every day at that time without fail
- knows his limits when it comes to working under the weather, but does he honor them? no lol
- the one thing he has in common with kaeya is the fact heâll do whatever he can to power through it; it canât be that bad if heâs still standing upright⊠right
- all the flower allergies everâthe floral street vendors drive him and his senses crazy (he already has a nasally, slightly congested-sounding voice but you could probably imagine how difficult it would be for him to keep things contained if the city of wind has flowers at like, every corner)
- lol during windblume festival season the guy is having a Fun Time
- allergies send him into these painful fits that immobilize him from doing anything else
- his skill has a really quick cool-down time compared to other characters so he can have multiples of these following each other
- pyro spreads fire. in other words, diluc can make a mess of himself by the end of it
âââ
if there is a character I havenât posted that you would like to see, send an ask/request my way! I havenât learned how to set up the ask button yet, but they should be open on my blog profile somewhere đ
simmer pot-smelling detergents arenât made for everyone.
âhhih⊠hiHâeTZSschh!â
Kaveh wakes himself up with a sneeze that sends a shudder twisting down his spine. He sits up in bed, sniffling, and lifts a hand to shield the sunlight that bleeds through the thin linen curtains of the palladian windows. His other hand he uses to swipe at his nose â he finds heâs been congested for a while now.
The blonde scrubs at his eyes, yawning, and slumps forward with a lethargic sigh. Ever since heâs moved in with the Akademiaâs renowned Scribe, life hasnât been all too torturous for the architect, fortunately. Heâs gotten accustomed to the warmth of a roof over his head again, and sleep comes much easier than it has in months. Still, the path of financial recovery proves no easy journey for anyone in debt, and Kaveh works extremely hard, so the man is tired nevertheless.
Today, heâs set to work on blueprints for his next commissioned project â not before he makes his rounds tidying up his roommateâs home, of course â but the sunâs just come up, and heâd spent the last night up terribly late, drafting designs in nightâs advance.
Iâm going to go back to sleep, he thinks to himself. He sniffles again and rubs the side of his nose with the back of his hand. He considers laying back down, to sleep off the apparent congestion and wait until the sun settles deeper into the day. A bit more rest wouldnât hurt, he concludes. At least Iâll have more energy to work into the eveningâ
ââSeems youâre up early for once, Kaveh.â
Kaveh nearly startles and turns his head to the right; in his sleepiness, heâd almost completely disregarded the man who shared the room with him. Alhaitham is up, one leg crossed over a knee as he sits at the right side edge of the bed, book in hand. Unlike Kaveh, âNight-Owlâ of Kshahrewar, Alhaitham is a morning person.
As per the newly-appointed Acting Grand Sageâs updated daily routine: Alhaitham wakes up early, showers, and makes breakfast (for two) â all just in time to toss his roomie a witty remark before making his way out the door. (Sometimes, the man likes to switch it up and check âwitty remarkâ off the to-do list first, but it makes no difference:
The early bird gets the first bite, as always.)
âOh, shut up, âHaitham.â Kaveh crinkles his nose. Itâs too early for this. The blonde leans back, pulls up the covers, and turns away.
âââ
Kaveh finds himself sneezing sporadically throughout the morning. His eyes, by now, burn with stinging irritation and take on an even more irritatingly red appearance. He canât see well enough to find out whatâs causing his reaction, so he resolves to attempt to retrace his steps with his mind instead.
Was there a draft in the bedroom last night? Did I leave the window open? It must be the dust. But I changed the sheets yesterday⊠and I did wipe down the bookshelves this morning- oh, I canât possibly be sick, can IâŠ? NoâŠ. no, now is not the time, Kaveh. You have four clients this month. Of all times, you cannot beâ
âhhiHâieESCHh-! hiIh-!â Poor Kaveh is interrupted out of his thoughts. âiDTâGZSCHh-hh! nghh..â
Heâd woken up with the itch already deep in his sinuses, so he could only assume heâd been congested through the night as well. Kaveh rubs at his nose in agitated vigor and wipes his reddened eyes from the moisture that threatens to return every other breath.
The architect exhales, defeated. Today⊠is going to be a long day.
âââ
Kaveh is blowing his nose in the kitchen when the front door unlocks with a click.
âIâm home,â a voice calls, and Kaveh can hear the door lock again, followed by the jingle of house keys that soon get muted with a clasped fist. Clothing fabric brushes against the floor as someone bends down at the doorwayâitâs Alhaitham, removing his shoesâand moments later, the figure is heading towards the kitchen.
Kaveh, still occupied with his affliction, doesnât turn around. âHey,â he offers, in lieu of proper acknowledgment. He wads up the damp tissue heâs been using, gives his nose a final swipe, and tosses it into the trash can. He reaches for another one, but hesitates as his roommate comes into view.
âihDTâTSschih-! hnGâNGXtt! sdff!â
Alhaithamâs soundproof earpieces are still on as he enters the room. As excellent as they are at muting noise, his eyes do not fool him. He can tell what his roommate is doing, even with his back turned â the deep bending motion as he wrenches forward with a sneeze, the animated shudders that run down his exposed back and shoulders as he gears up for another one.
Heâs tired, Alhaitham observes, turning the device off. He takes a seat at the dining table. âHey,â he replies, almost concerned. ââWhatâs up with you?â
âWhadt do you thibk?â Kaveh retorts, hand still clasped to his face wih tissues. The itch is still burning like coal in a firebox, and he rubs it vehemently.
âClientâs perfume again?â
âLike Iâbe seed adyone. Havedât left the house, gedious.â Noseblow.
âSomeoneâs got a short temper today.â
Kaveh massages his forehead with a hand, and takes another sharp sniffle. âIâve just been.. sneezing like this all day, Alhaitham,â he grumbles, still heavily congested. âItâs given me a migraine. But now that youâre home, youâre going to make it worse!â
Alhaitham watches as Kavehâs hands are thrown out by his usual expressive habit. They return just as quickly to his face to quell the itch that has forced itself upon him again. He finds it amusing, his roommates movements. Kaveh always gets so pouty when heâs upset. Itâs quite endearing, actually.
Both hands are at his head now, rubbing his temples in lethargic circular motion. Heâs propped his elbows up on the dining table, and heâs leaning in forwards, bracing nearly the entirety of his upper body against the tableâs wood.
Heâs quite tired.
âI should sleep, maybe,â Kaveh thinks aloud, as if heâd heard his roommateâs thoughts. âAlthough⊠Iâve tried that already, and it doesnât help. In fact, I think gets worse. I really donât get it, the dust shouldnât be be that terrible. I did the laundry last evening.â
Alhaitham blinks. Ah.
âThe bedsheets.â
âhh..htT-GZSHh-hh! snf! I said I washed them. What about them?â
âThe bedsheets, Kaveh,â Alhaitham repeats.
Ah. Kavehâs mouth gapes open. There it was, then! But how?
âItâs simple. Youâre allergic to the detergent. I thought it was a coincidence, since I switched the tablets out yesterday.â Alhaitham pauses and gets up from the table, disappearing from the kitchen. He returns just a moment later, with a couple of detergent tablets in his hand. He holds the hand out, all the while maintaining a safe distance between the culprit and the man with the affliction.
âThese. You used them, didnât you?â
Kaveh reaches forward to take the tablet for inspection, but Alhaitham retracts his hand.
âI did. But I wonder why I couldnât smell it.â He pauses to consider; perhaps heâd been too congested all last night and this morning to register the detergent scent a possibility. âHow did you know?â
Alhaitham doesnât answer. I didnât expect you were this allergic, he thinks to himself. He turns around and starts back towards the hallway, still looking at the tablets as if heâs in the middle of considering something. Maybe he plans on throwing it away.
âNo, no, itâs okay! We can keep it. Things probably smell good with it anyways.â You probably smell good with it anyways, is what Kavehâs mind corrects. He physically fans the thought away with his hand, but only because the tickle has returned.
âThatâs masochistic,â The other man replies, lacing the thread between sarcasm and seriousness.
Unbeknownst to Kaveh, heâd gotten the tablets on purpose. Itâs a custom-crafted fragrance, a combination of his favorite autumn scents; a simmerpot of mulled cider and pine, and a sprinkle of other spices. To Alhaitham, this is what Kaveh smelled like⊠warm yet subtle, like summer slipping into fall. Though, he canât have the man sneezing from something that was meant for him. That would be inconvenient for both of them.
âHa! Letâs put it this way,â Kaveh quips suddenly, snapping Alhaitham from thought. âIâd⊠rather be allergic to you for a while than put it to waste.â
This surprises Alhaitham. For someone who canât handle his spices, Kaveh definitely loves to sprinkle his life with flavor. Or perhaps he feels bad, having lived under the scribeâs roof for this long. The scribe doesnât press on it. He likes Kaveh and the warmth to the house he brings; it doesnât matter to him either way.
Heâs snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the architectâs voice.
âYou know what? Iâm just going to pretend you did this on purpose!â The man starts up again, only to twist away with another shuddering sneeze.
A commission for @sneezybird based on another one of their incredible snz/sickfics: Love Languages are Not Studied in Haravatat!
If you like my drawings, and are willing and able to do so, please consider sending a little something my way through ko-fi â! You're not obliged to donate, but every bit helps to keep me living decently and I really do appreciate it!
It's that time of year again when the snzhnaya server celebrates so Happy Snalentines to you, @alans-snz! Hope you don't mind me going the Ka/veh routeâ
If you like my drawings, please consider sending a little something my way through ko-fi â! I don't have a steady source of income rn and I'll be opening commissions soon, but every bit helps and I really appreciate it!
Omg your fic was awesome!!! Now i kinda want to see their roles reversedâŠ
Thank so much for writing something that great :))
a little late reply since i was initially gna reply to this with a short fic typed below but couldn't really think of what to write at the moment.. though i have a vague idea of what im going to try for
but i will write a fic where their rolls are reversed eventually for sure since i love these two somuch
With Sumeru came Al/ha/itham and with him came K/ave/h
I havent written in awhile so here goes (3.7k words)
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(the parts from Kavehâs pov was very choppy since i wanted to try to make it seem like he was disorientated)
also kavehâs snezes were mostly in smallcaps because hes tired
-
Alhaitham was already pissed the moment he came home. Dishes stacked up taller than him, clothes strewn all around the living room, blueprints scattered across the floor, the culprit nowhere in sight.
Speaking of which, where was his annoying roommate? It wasnât like Kaveh to leave the house this early into the day since all he did was go out and drink, with Alhaithamâs money, no less, and the bar did not open until night.
Perhaps Kaveh had actually found himself some work to do. Alhaitham felt himself scoff at that thought. The day that Kaveh really went out and got a job would be the day that Alhaitham finally plucked up the courage to confessed to him â never; impossible.
It was how it was, how it will always be. Kaveh would always do something to mess with Alhaitham, theyâd argue, Kaveh would go and drink for hours, but he would always come home. Even if Alhaitham had threatened to kick him out moments before.
He blames it on his horrible taste in men that makes his heart beat so fast whenever Kaveh is around him, blames it on the fact Kaveh shines so bright; âLight of the Kshahrewarâ.Â
He blames it on the fact he had let Kaveh stay at his house at all. But he wanted it, wanted that proximity for reasons he could not understand. It frustrated him, these feelings which he couldnât quite put a name to.
Why he felt so strongly for Kaveh escapes him.
But back to the matter he had on hand, his roommate would never learn to pick up after himself if Alhaitham just did his chores for him. It was still early, he could wait all day for Kavehâs return.
And thatâs just what he did, propping a leg up onto the coffee table as he read a good book.
-
Kaveh just wanted to lie down. Â
His head had been hurting for a few days, and his throat had started to feel off since last night after his arguing session with the most infuriating Scribe in the whole of Sumeru, who also happened to be his roommate.
He had left the house in the morning after adding a plate to the tall pile of dishes at the sink, partly to piss Alhaitham off, but also partly because he wanted to head to the pharmacy as soon as possible to get something for his head.
Trust Alhaitham to be the only person he knows who does not have a stockpile of medicine at home on standby.
But they could argue more about that later, for there was a bigger problem right in front of him.Â
â...â
âOut of Stock? Youâve got to be kidding me..â
The shop assistant looked at him apologetically, having sold the last bottle to the customer before Kaveh. And so there he was, back onto the streets with nothing left to do. Kaveh remembers feeling the same way until Alhaitham took him in.
Alhaitham.. Kaveh didnât even know where to begin when it came to him. Everything the man said made sense, but yet it also did not. Sure, patterned curtains made no difference when it came to fulfilling their purpose, but plain ones were just so.. unartistic. It had taken a week of arguing for Alhaitham to finally allow Kaveh to install some new ones in his own room.Â
Just thinking about the whole ordeal made Kavehâs head pound a little harder. While he would have opted to head to the doctor, the bill would have exceeded his budget. And he would rather die than let Alhaitham know he wasnât feeling well when he settled the payment.
Then, a thought struck him: a friend did say that the nearby Liyue Harbor had a pharmacy that sold many different types of medicine. Not like he had much of a choice at that moment, though. Right, it was just a quick walk over and back, simple enough.
And simple it was, until it started to drizzle, the weather as unpredictable as Alhaitham during this part of the year.
Ah.. there he goes again, thinking of that stupid Scribe every second of the day. Truly, even Kaveh sometimes did not understand what went on in that brilliant mind of his and his. But still, he longed to hurry home, to be near the damned person that tormented him with every step he took.
Dark clouds blanketed the sky, making it appear darker than it should, even this late into the night. Unconsciously, Kaveh reached up to rub his nose a little, feeling a light breeze drift pass him.
He was shivering now, stepping carefully towards his front door. The half-a-day walk had left him more exhausted than Kaveh would ever admit. Alhaithamâs shoes were already there, not surprising since it was already way past dinner time. What was surprising though, was the light that still streamed out off the window.Â
Subconsciously, Kaveh frowns. It was late, judging by how far the moon had risen into the sky. He hoped Alhaitham wasnât once again pulling an all-nighter. Those tended to leave him tired and irritable for the next few days despite how much he denied it. While Kaveh would definitely not want to deal with a tired-tham, he also wanted his junior to look after himself.Â
How stupid of him, he supposes, since Alhaitham could care less about the people around him, much less himself. And yet Kaveh still kept running back to him everyday, sleeping in the same house with but a wall between them.
With a sigh he turns his key with a slight sniffle, the small lion keychain wet from the rain.
-
Alhaitham hears the lock, and he almost springs up to answer it. It was way too late for Kaveh to just come waltzing through the door as if nothing had happened. But instead he chose to remain as unbothered as possible, staring blankly at his book.
The dishes would not clean themselves, Kaveh would have to do them. Yes, that was the true reason why he had stayed up this late, to watch Kaveh wash plates, that was all, nothing more.
The door opened with a creak, but the head of golden hair did not pop out to start a shouting match.
Behind the short hallway between the door and the living room, Kaveh hung up his coat and kicked off his shoes, not caring where they landed. Now that he as home, the warmth and dryness of it all made all his pent up exhaustion catch up to him.Â
Kaveh sniffled, softly, bracing a hand onto the wall as his head started to spin. When was the last time he ate? Lunch? He ate a small bread for lunch. Dinner? He spent most of the day traveling to Liyue and back didnât he.. Maybe there was something in the fridge he could-
Quickly, Kaveh pinched those away, afraid that Alhaitham would be alerted by his arrival home. He would hate to be seen in this state. However, as if on cue, Kaveh heard the sound of a book being slammed shut.
âKaveh.âÂ
The voice sounded impatient. Had he done something wrong? He couldnât remember. Alhaitham sounded more angry than usual. What was it? Think brain, think!!
âKaveh. I thought I told you to wash the d-â
Alhaitham rounded the corner, arms crossed, but stopped when he saw the small frame clinging onto the coat rack. Kaveh looked worse than when Alhaitham had picked him off the streets. The Kaveh he was looking at now was pale, hair and clothes soaked through and stuck to his skin. Had Kaveh always looked this frail?Â
And for once, Alhaitham froze, not sure what to do. To reach out or to observe? Which would Kaveh want him to do, which would he be okay with him doing? His fists clenched in uncertainty.Â
Maybe he should-
âWhat? D- Did you.. snff! say something..?â Kaveh struggled to raise his head, the ceiling lights looking brighter than ever that they shone straight into his skull. He just wanted to lie down, badly.
Alhaitham felt his insides tighten as Kaveh picked himself up. Suddenly, all thoughts about the dishes vanished from his mind. âItâs.. nothing..â
âO-oh.. alright, Iâll go s-shH! shower then..â Kaveh mumbled weakly. Talking hurt more than it should, and it took all his strength to stumble towards his room without falling all over the carpet.
Alhaitham watched as Kavehâs shadow disppeared into the room. The door was swung shut but not closed, and he caught a glimpse of Kaveh gripping the side of his desk to balance himself. Drunk? Was he drunk? It wasnât uncommon for Kaveh to come home like this, an absolute mess, clumsy on his feet.
Alhaitham stared at the small crack in the door, at Kaveh, who removed a small cylinder from his pocket. He watches as Kaveh shakes it, removing two pills. Medicine? So Kaveh hasnât been feeling well. But how long has it been? Days? Weeks? Why didnât he say anything about it?
He remembers back when Kaveh just got off the streets, remembers when Kaveh came down with a fever on that same day, remembers how Kaveh had struggled for his life to swallow even the tiniest bit of the solid medicine that Alhaitham had to crush it down for him.
So Kaveh was feeling that bad that it pushed him to take not one but two? How had he not noticed? In his defense, Kaveh had been acting as usual for the past week. Their arguments flowed as usual, as did Kavehâs irresponsibility with cleaning up after himself.
Lost in his thoughts, Alhaitham heard Kaveh panting softly. He imagined how Kaveh would be behind the door, a palm pressed against his throat, forcing himself to pretend that there was nothing but water in his mouth, just water, just swallow.
He heard Kaveh choke a little, and was overcome by the want to be by his side, rubbing between Kavehâs shoulders to tell him that everything was going to be alright and that he was there. But Alhaitham couldnât move, so he watched silently.
-
Kavehâs eyes were watering. It was one thing to take the medicine, but it was another to take it quietly. After muffling a few coughs into his elbow, he shoved the bottle to the far end of his table, behind the stack of canvas, just in case.
He reached for a piece of tissue, holding it against his nose as he walked to the bathroom. He needed to bathe and sleep off this cold, for he was sure that Alhaitham would question him about last night in the morning. Kaveh liked moments like those, where his roommate would ask about him, making it seem like he cared.
Kaveh liked to pretend that he did.
âhiHâhAtchh!! hH-Hh.. ahâH.. ah..â he sighed, rubbing the tissue a little harder. âHahânnh.. snff- hHâ! ugnn..â He needed to sneeze, the bathroom tiles felt cold to his feet, his clothes were suddenly too tight. He had to get them off, but they were wet and clung to him.Â
His train of thought was messy; the water was warm on his back. Kaveh hunched over in the shower, arms pressed against the wall in front of him, helping him stand up straight.
He gasped, desperate.
âhiHâIHh- hHH!! Snnff.. hHâ hAH-zZchww!! hHâTchh!! hhH-aHâdtcHhh!!â The mist from his nose mixed with the vapour from the water flowing down his back. He shivered; not hot enough. He switched it off.
Back in his room, Kaveh toweled himself down shakily. How long would it take for the medicine to kick in? How long has it been? Was it morning already? Has Alhaitham left for work? Was he once again all alone in this house? His nose was running again, Kaveh noticed but didnât care. He pressed a sleeve of his pajamas against his face, tunneling under the blankets.
Still not warm enough..
-
The walls of his house were thin, Alhaitham knew, and he heard everything that came from Kavehâs room despite moving to the kitchen. He had tried to busy himself with the dishes (the responsibility being entrusted now to him), but that didnât stop the thoughts from creeping up on him.
Kaveh is sick.Â
His hands stopped moving, fingers squeezing the soapy sponge. That idiot. Switching off the tap, Alhaitham moved to the other counter, prying open the drawers for ingredients to make soup. He doesnât know if Kaveh had eaten already or not, he also doesnât know if Kaveh would even accept it, but it put his mind at ease.
Two clicks from the stove later, the soup was starting to simmer. Alhaitham carefully placed the lid on top, allowing a small gap for the steam to rise. It would be done in a couple of hours. In the meantime, he would pack up the mess that Kaveh left the living room in.
He started with the clothes, the same white shirt that he wore everywhere. The collar line was far too low and exposing in Alhaithamâs opinion, but he wouldnât say that he hates it, being able to see Kavehâs chest. The only problem was that everyone else could as well. He picked it up, moving on to the red cape that lay draped over the couch. The first time he touched it, Alhaitham remembered being in shock at how soft it was despite its sturdy appearance.Â
Itâs iconic red color together with itâs pattern and broad tassels made the cape look so much more than just a item of clothing. Maybe that was why Kaveh was so proud to wear it; he loved to steal the spotlight, whether intentionally or not.
He folded them, and moved on to the floor.
âHaitham!! What do you think of these?âÂ
Alhaitham could almost hear Kavehâs voice as he crouched down to pick up the blueprints. âItâs a rough sketch of what I think a school building should look like!â Alhaitham remembers what had sparked that project. The two of them were walking around the city when a couple of children ran into Kaveh. Kaveh laughed and brushed it off, before watching them disappear into the school.
Alhaitham remembers watching Kavehâs eyebrows furrow when he took in the state of the budling, all the beautiful features on his face scrunching up in disapproval. âReally, they ought to take better care of a place like that.â
The moment Kaveh reached home that day, he whipped out his pencils and started working. And when he was done, he was proud. âHaitham! Doesnât this look way better?â
And when Alhaitham had scoffed at his masterpiece,
âWhat do you mean âdesign doesnât matterâ? Maybe to you it doesnât, but to those students, I think it will matter. When children are still young, they are so filled with curiosity, and that dull school building doesnât boost that at all! Think about it Haitham, making sure that that creativity within each child doesnât burn out, thatâs what education should really be about.âÂ
Alhaitham remembers being at a loss for words, remembers looking into Kavehâs eyes to see the sparks within them. Pride towards the future generation of students, the same pride Kaveh had when he finally graduated, only to become bankrupt in the following years after chasing his dream.
Donât you ever learn when to back down? Alhaitham feels a smile creep onto his face. He supposes he isnât much different.
The soup is finally done.
-
âMmf..ah.. nnhHâ! snnf- snff!! hhH..ihh!!â
Kaveh feels himself being pulled out of sleep. Everything felt heavy, too cold yet he was sweating. His head weighed a ton, and his nose.. his nose-
âHihâtchh! hehâzchw!! eh-heHâtchzw!!â
âhh-! ehâtchw! huHâ hh..snf!..nghnâ
..wouldnât stop itching.
He lifted a palm to his forehead. It felt warm. Warm because of the fever, or warm because his fingers felt like icicles? He didnât know. His stomach made a sound, and Kaveh feels the feeling of hunger for the first time that night.Â
Using his other hand, Kaveh pushed against the mattress under him, but his body didnât rise. He felt weak and shivery. Maybe the blanket was just too heavy.. But he had no trouble getting out of bed this morning, so what was happening now?
He was tired, and sleep was dragging him down once again. Maybe if he tried hard enough, heâd dream of Alhaitham. Alhaitham.. heâd be strong enough to lift Kaveh up from the bed, from under these heavy covers..
As if right on cue, Kaveh heard a sharp knock on his door. He wanted to respond, to call out, but everything hurt. A second passed, and the door swung open, the light from outside just barely any brighter than his own room.Â
How considerate that the visitor gave a second thought to his eyesâ sensitivity to bright stuff..
âKaveh-â
The visitor was calling for him. Respond.. Respond..
âMmhyea..?â
âItâs me.. uh.. I made some... soup- ..food for you.â
âHaitham..?â
Kaveh started at the doorway. He recognised the voice but not the words spoken. Alhaitham made food for him? Right when he was just feeling hungry? Right when he was just thinking of dreaming about the man? Maybe he was..
âYeah, itâs me.â
..Or maybe he wasnât.
Alhaitham pushed himself further into the room. He felt weirdly hesitant. The Grand Scribe, doubting his steps, a new experience for him. âEverything with Kaveh is always a new experienceâ was the excuse he gave himself.
âIâll just.. put this-âÂ
âheHâtchh!! snff!â Kaveh swallowed quickly, blushing. The sneeze snuck up on him, and now Alhaitham was staring.
âThe.. t-table.. snff-Â would be g- good..â
Alhaitham recovered from his startle in an instant, gently placing the tray onto the desk. Kavehâs voice was soft, very much unlike him. Under the moonlight, he could see the reddish outline of Kavehâs nose, and Alhaitham felt his heart tighten.
âAre.. are you okay?â
âIâm- hH..hitâchhw! haHângxxT!! F-Fine..snf- why..?â Kaveh scrubbed at his eyes, avoiding Alhaithamâs sight.Â
âNo reason.â Alhaitham felt the words leave his mouth before hie brain could process them. Running away. âIâll come back later to.. get the bowl..â
When Kaveh watched Alhaitham turn to leave, he felt panic immobilising him. Wait. No, donât go, please.. s-stay.. âI need.. need-â
â..Need?â
âshit.. Need you to help me lift the spoon.. I canât..â Kaveh felt his blush returning, or maybe it was the fever. He had said that out loud?! ahh- what was Alhaitham going to think?
âOkay.â
Alhaitham quietly moved over to the bedside, pulling a chair over. He wordlessly but carefully pulled down the covers to Kavehâs waist, flinching when Kaveh shivered immediately to the cold air, turning sharply to his side.
âhH!! HâhaHâtCHhuu! s-sorryyhHâ tchHiww! snff-â Kaveh had his nose pressed firmly against his sleeve when he turned back, grateful that Alhaitham chose not to comment on it, instead helping to prop him up using some pillows.
Kaveh watched as Alhaitham reached for the steaming bowl, cupping it with his bare hands while the other stirred its contents.
âItâs not hot..?â
Alhaitham didnât answer the question. Of course it was. But how else would he feed Kaveh? Feed Kaveh. It was Alhaithamâs turn to blush. Thankfully Kaveh had his attention elsewhere, sleeve pressed to his nose, rubbing softly.Â
âhiHâtchhu!! ouwch.. snff.. hhH-â
âHere.â Alhaitham cleared his throat, holding out the spoon to Kavehâs lips. From this distance, he can tell how puffy Kavehâs eyes were, and how they were avoiding him.Â
Kaveh is just as scared as he is.
âT-Thank you..â Kaveh mumbled, the stuffiness making it hard to talk. The soup was warm, not too hot, not too cold; âdelicious.â
âGlad you like it.â
âIâm amazed you can cook. snff! Itâs not poisonous, is it?â
âUnfortunately not.â
Kaveh smiled, a little, and Alhaitham did too. Despite the moment they were in right now, they always found a way to bite at each otherâs throats. Thatâs how they were, everyone in Sumeru knew.
But what were they really, to each other?
The bowl was empty before another word was spoken, say for the regular sniffles (and sneezes) that Kaveh would take between each bite. It was all too soon, and Alhaitham was standing up, probably to leave.
Panic.Â
Kaveh didnât want to be alone, but he didnât want just anybodyâs company either. He wanted Alhaithamâs company. The house was too big and his room was too cold. And so he reached out.Â
âHaitham-!â
Alhaitham turned around, tray and bowl clutched in his hands. Kaveh was calling him, Kaveh needed something from him. What was it..? What was it? If he could, he would give Kaveh the world.
âYes?â
âP-Please stay?â
And there it was, the unspoken words that were finally said. Such a simple request. âOf courseâ Alhaitham thought. âOf course Iâll stay.â
âI will. I will be back after I wash these, alright?â
âAlways worried about the dishes arenât you, Haitham?â
Yes, I am worried, worried, but not just about the dishes anymore.
-
Kaveh watched as Alhaitham padded slowly out of his room. The defined muscles of his back poking through the thin shirt, as beautiful as they were the first time Kaveh laid eyes on them. Strong arms that he hoped one day would hold him. One day, soon.
âIâm sorry for always being such a mess-â
(And that you always have to clean up after me.)
âItâs alright. Itâs the way you are.â
(And itâs perfect, I love it.)
He hears the kitchen tap going off as sleep welcomes him once again. But this time, Kaveh doesnât need to dream of Alhaitham. Because he might have just became a reality.
-
When Kaveh wakes up the next day, his fingers were cradled within Alhaithamâs sturdy palm, the man in question seated upon the bedside chair, head resting upon the blanket, against Kavehâs thigh, their hearts beating as one.
(end)
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tbh that felt more like a character rs fic then a snzfic but thats not rly for me to decide.Â
i love these two so much and wna write for them abit more (when i stop being lazy)
ANYWAY ty for reading, and i hope you enjoyed that.