Work Text:
It was supposed to be a normal inspection on his work, when all of a sudden eremites attacked. And now all that was left were his clients, their bodyguards, himself, and a broken mehrak. It seems like his mother was right he was just a failure who couldn't protect anything dear to him. First it was his father, then his relationship with alhaitham, now it was mehrak. If people said he was dramatic he probably was even though he knew deep inside himself he thought that mehrak was more than a machine, he was his assistant and his friend too you know. Kaveh pushed the thoughts aside and picked up the broken mehrak and bid farewell to his client, then quickly set for home.
Even though he pushed the thoughts aside they were still getting louder repeating two sentences over and over again. "You're just a failure" "You can't even protect anyone" and then he snapped "Shut up!" he accidentally said out loud. 'Great, not only is mehrak broken, the citizens of sumeru might think I'm crazy too' he thought. He then walked faster just wanting the day to be over.
But of course, the gods aren't merciful to him because his roommate saw him in his disheveled state. And of course, that man just had to infuriate him by saying "you look like you've been ran over by sumpter beasts, what happened". Kaveh then replied "it's none of your business". Not wanting to continue to converse with him anymore, kaveh just went straight to his room and without even taking a bath he went straight to bed. When he woke up he had a raging headache, 'Ugh maybe i should've taken a bath' he thought to himself.
After he took a bath, he went to the kitchen and was suprised to see that there was food and coffee on the table with a note attached which said "i made this for you make sure you finish it, i don't want you bothering me because i didn't have any manners by not making you breakfast". 'Classic alhaitham' he thought to himself but he knew that his heart skipped a beat because of the note. He then ate gis breakfast and thought of going to the grand bazaar in hopes of finding a blacksmith that can fix mehrak. Sure kaveh can fix the core but he needed a metal casing for mehrak and he can't make that, thankfully he still has mehrak's blueprints.
When he finally found the blueprints, he then set off to the grand bazaar. He easily found a blacksmith skilled enough to make mehrak's casing. Since he was hungry he decided to go to a food stand, but while on the way he saw alhaitham holding a bouquet of roses with baby's breath while talking to nilou. He then felt a tug on his heart and he knew the feeling well it was jealousy. He then felt disgusted with himself, how could he be jealous of nilou of course alhaitham would fall for her she's perfect in every way. He then swallowed the bile in his mouth and walked home after seeing that scene.
Once he got home, his breathing got erratic and his knees felt weak. He tried to calm himself down but the voices were getting louder. Thankfully, tighnari and cyno found him in time, they then rushed him to birmastan.
When he woke up, tighnari was right by his side but his boyfriend cyno was nowhere to be found. He then spoke "what happened, why am i here?", "me and cyno found you having a anxiety attack and took you to birmastan" tighnari curtly replied and then spoke again "you better be thankful because if me and cyno were not gonna give you an invitation to our wedding personally you'd be gravely ill and passed out on your doorstep". "Wait what? You and cyno are getting married!" Kaveh said in a volume that irritated tighnari's ears but he didn't mind much. "Yes we are, but first i wanna know why you had an anxiety attack in the first place, i wont probe but i do hope you tell me the truth" tighnari said. But of course, kaveh as always a difficult man said "I'm not ready to talk about it but i will tell you sooner or later" and tighnari as the understanding friend he is said "fine i promised i won't probe but do get better so you can make it to our engagement party this Friday". After that conversation tighnari bid farewell and left.
Now that kaveh was left alone the voices got louder again, but a little more manageable this time because he knows that at least cyno and tighnari love and care for him. But he didn't expect the next visitor that came in, it was alhaitham looking way out of it pupils narrow and he was sweaty. Once he saw kaveh he breathed a sigh of relief almost looking like he cared for kaveh but kaveh knew it deep inside himself that it was impossible. But that didn't stop his heart from wishing that alhaitham actually loved and cared for him.
When the silence stretched far too long to be comfortable, alhaitham spoke "how are you feeling" "fine" kaveh quickly responded. "That's great that means you would still be able to pay rent" alhaitham said, earning an eye roll for kaveh "is that really all you care about alhaitham" kaveh said in annoyance. Trying to change the topic alhaitham asked "where's mehrak i haven't seen it since last night?" "Oh its broken, luckily i found a blacksmith in the grand bazaar who can make its casing" kaveh replied. Trying to keep the conversation going kaveh asked " How did you know i was here?" " Oh when i came home you weren't there then i saw a note that was clearly quickly written saying you were at birmastan" alhaitham said like a fact known to everyone.
He was then quickly discharged and allowed to go home. When they got home, he was surprised to see the same bouquet he saw at the bazaar on their kitchen counter. He then said "Where are those flowers from?" curiosity filling him "Oh those, they're nothing" alhaitham quickly said. The clearly flustered alhaitham made kaveh suspicious. He wonders why alhaitham hasn't given it to nilou yet, but the thought makes him sick so he just pushed it aside.
They then had dinner in utter silence, which was weird even for them. Normally, one of them would try to start a conversation( it was mostly kaveh though). But kaveh was too tired to overthink so he just took a bath and went straight to sleep.
When he woke up his mind was a mess, he had a nightmare after all that every single one of his friends would leave him. Because of that kaveh's mind spiraled even though it was just 5 am in the morning. The voices were there again saying he was weak, that he was full of himself, that his work was trash, that he can't even take care of his finances properly so he shouldn't expect anyone to actually love him, that his mother was ashamed of him, that he was the reason his father died, that he was the problem in all his friends lives.
But before he knew it alhaitham was inside the room comforting him, when he realized he broke down into tears. In less than a second he was turned into a sobbing mess repeating "im sorry" to alhaitham. Then alhaitham said "what are you sorry for?" which made kaveh spurt out everything " I'm sorry it was my fault that *hic* mehrak broke, I'm sorry i made my father... die, I'm sorry my mother left *hic* because of... me, im sorry that you get... stressed because of *hic* me, and I'm *hic* sorry i got... jealous of nilou". "Oh. Oh, kaveh none of this is your fault machines get broken at least once, everyone dies kaveh, your mother left because she found happiness in fontaine, i don't get stressed because of you, and everyone gets jealous" alhaitham said to comfort kaveh.
"Why are even comforting me? Don't you hate me?" Kaveh said "Are you dense kaveh? Do you think i let someone i hate live in my house. Do you think i buy flowers for someone I don't love" alhaitham said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Wait... What!" Kaveh screamed then spoke again "You love me?" "No i don't" said in a flustered tone with his ears flushed. "Wait then.. why were you giving nilou flowers yesterday at the bazaar" kaveh asked "oh you saw that, that was because i asked her if the flowers would suit your preferences" alhaitham replied. Oh, how much of a idiot kaveh was.
"Anyways, just forget this conversation even happened" alhaitham said "Why?" Kaveh asked clueless "What do you mean why, aren't you disgusted?" Alhaitham said confused "Wait" kaveh said then laughed a breathy laugh, one alhaitham hasn't heard in years. After kaveh calmed down he said "We are both idiots how did we not know we loved each other" alhaitham's eyes then lit up with happiness and then alhaitham smiled, now kaveh was shocked. "Can i kiss you?" Alhaitham asked and who was kaveh to deny him when he asked so cutely "Yes. Yes. You big dummy" they then kissed passionately in kaveh's bed but neither of them cared where they were or what time it is all that mattered was that they loved each other. Now with the love they held for each other the voices quieted down and all that was left Were the dreams of their future.
The End.