Chapter Text
"Archons, I can't stand you!" Kaveh paced around the living room, infuriated, before suddenly turning to Alhaitham, glaring at him with all his might. "You really think you're the smartest man in the world, don't you?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice, contrasting with the poisonous smile on his face.
"I like to believe I'm fairly intellectual," Alhaitham stared at him, utterly unimpressed as always. Unaffected, unbothered, bored . Impossible. He was just impossible !
"You–" He huffed. "Ha. It's impossible. How could anyone reason with you?" He crossed his arms. "You don't even try to think like other people."
"Why should I? Maybe other people are the ones who are too small minded to try to think like I do."
Kaveh's hands tightened into fists, hackles raised at the clear swing at his intellect. "You're unbelievable ."
Alhaitham didn't say anything for a second, before looking Kaveh directly in his eyes. " So , how did your last project go?"
Kaveh bristled. How could he?!
He knew damn well the whole thing had fallen apart, landing him in trouble with several officials from the Akademiya – and he hadn't offered him even the slightest bit of help as the Acting Grand Sage, and Kaveh wasn't going to hold it against him but..
To use it as ammo in the middle of an argument? This was crossing every single line.
"Alhaitham!" He growled, so consumed by his anger he didn't even notice the way the other man jumped. " That's enough! " He hadn't realized he was giving a command until he'd snapped out of it. Shoot – whatever, it would be fine, not like there were any subs around here, he'd thought.
And then Alhaitham fell to his knees.
"Haitham?!" He dropped down beside the other, concern gripping him like a vice, his rage forgotten immediately. Even if the man was insufferable, it didn't mean Kaveh didn't care for him. He held the other by the shoulders, noticing how he flinched at the touch. "What's wrong?"
The scribe shivered and then turned to Kaveh, and he had to bite his cheek to keep himself from doing something strange. Alhaitham's eyes were glossy, unshed tears filling them, and his face flushed a pretty pink. Undoubtedly, with his blushing face and parted lips panting desperately, this was the face of a sub under command.
Kaveh's breath hitched. Fuck . "Shit, shit, shit.." He muttered under his breath.
"It's okay, it's alright.. I'm sorry, Haitham." He frowned at the other, but all he did was stare, wide eyed and almost afraid. Of course he was, Kaveh just used a command on him in the middle of an argument .
He took a deep breath. "Alhaitham. It's okay, let go ."
The effects were immediate, the scribe crumpling in his hold like a puppet with his strings cut. He whimpered, and Kaveh tightened his grasp around him, gentle but firm.
"I'm so sorry, Haitham." He rubbed the other's back, kind and caring. The tears had started flowing and this was all he could do to help. He would've been content to comfort Alhaitham until his mind cleared enough for him to punch Kaveh in the face, but something else entirely happened.
" Kaveh ," Alhaitham gasped, one trembling hand coming up to grasp Kaveh's sleeve.
He tried to pull away, but the sub whined as soon as he did, pulling on his sleeve.
"What is it, Haitham?" But the other couldn't answer, and as Kaveh inspected him he came to a realization: Alhaitham was in sub drop .
Fuck.
"Oh, fuck, um, alright," No one had ever prepared him for this! The Akademiya's few obligatory classes on anatomy never specified what you should do after accidentally sending a sub into sub drop, much less during a fight..
"It's okay, you're alright," he reassured the other mindlessly, running a sweaty hand through his hair. Shit, what the hell was he gonna do? Alhaitham is going to kill him when he's back to normal .
"Nnnngh…." Alhaitham whined, shaky hands clawing at Kaveh's chest. " Please ," he whispered, and it was so sweet Kaveh almost forgot where he was.
"Please what, Haitham?" I'll do anything .
"Please forgive me…" Tears slid down the younger man's cheeks in rivers, his voice quivering helplessly as he begged.
"For– Oh, baby, no, no… You don't need to be forgiven, you haven't done anything wrong."
"But.." He started, somehow desperate to convince Kaveh of his perceived wrongdoing – as if anything could've made him deserve this – but Kaveh interrupted him.
“No, Haitham, truly. You're fine,” he put his hands over Alhaitham’s trembling ones, pulling them away from his chest and gently rubbing his fingers over them.
He didn't know what to do, but he'd be damned if he let Alhaitham stay like this.
“You're alright,” he whispered, and watched with growing desperation as Alhaitham hiccuped. He didn't know what to do with such a startling display of vulnerability, but he knew he wanted to take care of the scribe, so he did his best to push everything unimportant out of his mind, leaving space only for the sub in front of him.
“Come here,” he pulled the bigger man into his lap, carefully watching Alhaitham's expression.
As the sub settled into his lap, sniffling, Kaveh moved to wrap his arms around him, rubbing his back gently.
“You didn't do anything wrong, honey.” He pressed a hesitant kiss into the space beneath Alhaitham's eye, feeling reinvigorated when the other leaned into it.
“You're a good... Um,” he paused. He really had nothing to go off of. He hadn't even previously known that Alhaitham was a sub, and he had definitely never inquired about the other's rules and limits for play. Still, he must've been a bit more lucid than before, because he looked at Kaveh through wet lashes and finally spoke.
“I'm good?” It was a purely curious question, not quite a seeking of praise, more like he genuinely couldn't believe what Kaveh was saying. Well, he couldn't just leave it at that.
“Of course. You're so good.” He brushed his fingers through the bangs that obscured Alhaitham's other eye, smiling fondly.
“Hm.” Alhaitham hummed softly, tucking his chin into his chest, but his eyes kept flicking to Kaveh’s.
“I'm sorry for scaring you.” Kaveh offered, wincing ever so slightly at the reminder of his offense.
“It's fine.” Alhaitham remarked confidently, raising his head. As if his face wasn't streaked with tears and his eyes weren't reddened and glossy still.
“Can I make it up to you?” He smiled softly, deciding not to point out that Alhaitham should still be upset at him. He was certain the other would get to it as soon as he felt like himself again.
“Mm…” Alhaitham looked down at his hands as he thought, a soft crease forming between his eyebrows. Kaveh, who typically resisted the urge when it came to him, finally gave in and reached out a thumb to smooth it out.
“Um.” Alhaitham looked back at him. It was strange to see him like this. Clumsy. Completely unlike himself. He felt a little lightheaded, even. Although that could just be the hormones rushing to his head.
“Can you pet my head?” He didn't seem embarrassed by his own request – more worried, as if Kaveh would ever say no to something this simple.
“Of course!” He smiled warmly. Oh well. If Alhaitham cut off his hands and killed him after this, Kaveh would die a fulfilled and happy man, glad to have gotten to rub the head of Sumeru’s Acting Grand Sage.
He moved to place his hand on the other's head, but Alhaitham expertly dodged, going as far as to shift away from him.
“Wait.” The sub interrupted, and Kaveh blinked at him sheepishly.
“Yes? Is something the matter?”
“Not like this. Um,” he climbed off of Kaveh's lap, moving to sit on his knees by their divan, “you sit here.”
“Okay..” Kaveh settled onto his seat on the divan, curious to see what Alhaitham would do next.
To his surprise, Alhaitham shuffled closer, until he was close enough to rest his head on Kaveh's lap, where he made himself comfortable before speaking.
“Can you do it now? Please?” Kaveh nodded, and upon realizing Alhaitham couldn't see it, hummed an affirmation that he hoped didn't sound as choked as he felt.
Others might be surprised to learn this, but Kaveh doesn't actually have all that much experience. Sure, he's played here and there, just enough to keep himself from harming his health, but he's never had an exclusive relationship with a sub or played with someone he was actually close to. And this was Alhaitham. Insufferably hot Alhaitham. Untouchable-crush-since-their-days-at-the-Akademiya Alhaitham. Laying his head on his lap, asking Kaveh to pet his head oh-so-sweetly. Well, he might feel just a little delirious.
Gently, softly, he placed his hand on the scribe's head, sinking his fingers into soft gray hair and brushing through the strands with a slow, repetitive rhythm. Alhaitham seemed to melt, snuggling into Kaveh's thighs and humming contently. If he were a cat, Kaveh imagines he'd be purring right now. There was something fuzzy warming his chest, but he ignored the feeling and tried to focus on giving Alhaitham the best head rub in the world rather than the suffocating fondness that was rising inside him.
He continued his movements until the other fell asleep, and even a little after that, indulging himself in what would probably be the last time he ever got to touch Alhaitham like this. He knew he should probably try to get them into their respective beds, but he didn't want to risk waking the other, so instead he carefully pulled the scribe onto the divan, letting him rest against his side and allowing himself to drift off as well. Whatever happened tomorrow would be tomorrow-Kaveh’s problem.
-
Tomorrow, er, today-Kaveh had seemingly struck luck. Rather than waking up with a limb missing or out on the street, he woke up alone on the divan, a blanket strewn over him. Then, Alhaitham must've not been mad. Somehow.
He got up and had breakfast – which was still on the stove and warm – and then moved to his room to pack up his things for the day. He had a client to meet today, so he would do that instead of allowing himself to linger on his thoughts all day long, letting his mind destroy him from the inside out.
The day was uneventful as ever, and everything went exactly how it normally did, with the single exception of Kaveh's thoughts. No matter what he did, who he spoke to, or how much he tried to do otherwise, all he could think of was Alhaitham. His reddened cheeks and teary eyes, and the way his warmth felt when he was resting besides Kaveh. It was undeniable: Kaveh had never once gotten over this crush, and whatever happened last night had most definitely made it a thousand times worse. It definitely didn't help that he hadn't seen the infuriating man since the event, so he hadn't even had Alhaitham's wonderful attitude to pull him back to reality like he usually would.
That was another issue. It was time for him to head home, but he knew for a fact Alhaitham would be there, and he was – well, he wasn't afraid, but Kaveh would be lying if he said he wasn't avoiding it. Besides, only Lesser Lord Kusanali knew what last night's events would mean for their relationship – and Kaveh was a bit fearful to learn what it meant for his housing status.
-
When he finally had the guts to return home, he was surprised by the smell that greeted him at the door. It was a familiar scent, but definitely not something he had expected, especially considering the current situation. He put away his things and walked curiously into the kitchen, wondering if his nose had failed him somehow, but he had been right.
Alhaitham was in front of the stove, stirring something in a pot – soup! Alhaitham had made soup! – and even more surprisingly, donning the kitchen apron which he usually made fun of Kaveh for wearing. It was such a subversion of expectations, Kaveh couldn't help but voice his confusion:
“What are you..” he began, but he didn't get to finish, because Alhaitham turned to look at him, and his eyes brightened ever so slightly, and it stunned him right back into silence.
“Kaveh,” he raised the wooden spoon he was holding, “taste this for me?”
“I.. uh…” At a loss for words, all he could do was move forward to comply with the request.
“It's good.” He offered, giving Alhaitham a hesitant (and extremely confused) smile, to which the man hummed and went back to stirring.
“I think it's done, then.” And he blew out the flame and moved to rid himself of the apron.
Kaveh, who was more confused than he'd ever been in his whole life, couldn't help but fall into a daze, and when he came back to his senses, he was sitting on their dining table, an empty bowl and Alhaitham sitting in front of him.
“Did you like it?”
“Ah! Yes, it was good,” he cleared his throat, “say.. Alhaitham…” He started hesitantly, wondering what would be the right way to breach the subject.
“Yes?” The other's face was as impassive as ever, but he tilted his head, as if he were questioning Kaveh's behavior.
“About last night..” Kaveh winced as he spoke, squinting his eyes shut. He expected something. To be brushed off, maybe, or to be scolded to hell and back, but what he saw when he opened his eyes again was nothing he could've imagined.
Alhaitham's face flushed heavily, red coating his features all the way up to his ears, and he averted his gaze. A pale hand came to cover his mouth, and Kaveh tried to keep his jaw from dropping as the man finally spoke, ever so quietly.
“Ah, yes, last night..”
Kaveh swallowed roughly. Don't do anything stupid , he thought to himself. Don't you dare do anything stupid, Kaveh.
Despite all his preparation, when his mouth finally moved, the first thing that came out was:
“You're way too cute.”
Kaveh, you're a fucking moron, his inner dialogue screeched, and he couldn't help but agree. He was the dumbest man on Teyvat. He must've also been the luckiest one, because instead of scowling at him, Alhaitham blushed harder and hid his face in his hands. Oh my god, Kaveh must've died and gone to heaven.
“Uh! I mean–” he tried to correct himself, “A-Are you okay?”
Alhaitham peaked at him from behind his fingers, “I'm fine.” His voice still sounded as cool as ever, and if Kaveh wasn't looking at him right now, he would think he was unaffected.
“Right..” he sighed, glad to finally have the relief of knowing he hadn't caused any terrible harm. Then, there was one thing he still needed to do.
“Alhaitham, can you look at me?” He asked seriously, watching as the scribe ever so slowly lowered his hands to offer him a questioning look.
“Thanks.” He smiled, and took a deep breath before bowing his head, pressing his forehead against the table.
He could almost feel Alhaitham's surprise, and he was certain the man was about to speak, but he did it first, before he could lose his confidence.
“I'm so sorry, Alhaitham!”
“I was out of line. I should've never used a command like that, even if I didn't know that you were a sub–” He would've kept going, but Alhaitham interrupted him before he could.
“What are you talking about?”
…What?
He raised his head quick enough it gave him whiplash, “What?”
“...That's what I said.” Alhaitham deadpanned, but the blush on his face hadn't fully faded away, so it lost some of the dry sass it usually possessed.
“I mean, I gave you a command without consent, Alhaitham. That's the worst thing a dom could do.”
“Is it?” Alhaitham tilted his head, “I suppose it was a little frightening at first.”
Kaveh winced again, guilt weighing on his conscience. “I really am so sorry.”
“Well,” Alhaitham blinked at him, “that doesn't mean what we did together doesn't count, right?”
“..huh?”
“I've never..” Alhaitham looked down at his lap, “I've never played with anybody before.” He said the word with a bit of disdain.
“What?!” Kaveh gasped. “Not even once? No, wait, how did your body even survive that?”
“I don't know.” Alhaitham shrugged. “I never did it, so I didn't crave it, but..”
Kaveh watched with wide eyes as Alhaitham stood from his seat, coming to stand beside him. He turned to face the other, ready to question him, but then Alhaitham sat on his lap and his brain stopped functioning again.
Arms wrapped around his tense shoulders and the man hid his face in the crook of his neck before he spoke again.
“Kaveh,” he paused, and the blonde almost stopped breathing in anticipation, “you do want to be my dom, right?”
Archons above, he was going to die tonight .
He didn't know what to say. Of course I do, was the first thing that came to mind, but would that really be right? If Alhaitham had never played, could someone as inexperienced and messy as Kaveh really be his dom? More importantly, what if Alhaitham couldn't fully understand the gravity of what had happened last night, and he thought that the only natural course of things was for them to become a pair? Moreso..
No. Alhaitham was an adult, even if he was a really weird one. He knew what he needed to say.
“Is that what you want, Alhaitham?” He brushed his hands over the other's back, resisting the urge to squeeze him close.
Alhaitham let go of him, moving so he could look Kaveh in the eyes. He inspected him for a moment, cogs turning in his head before he spoke.
“It's all I've wanted since I met you.”
Kaveh couldn't help the grin that spread his lips. “Then, if you'll have me,” he pressed his forehead against Alhaitham's, “I'm yours.”