Chapter Text
“Haitham, we should get a pet.”
This is how it starts. Alhaitham’s absolute waking nightmare. Up until this point, the day had been pleasant and relaxed. The scribe was off from work, so he opted to spend his free time reading on the divan with Kaveh laying on his chest. His eyes pause over the sentence he was in the middle of translating.
His gaze shifts to the man on his chest for a moment before responding, “Why would you want to do that?”
“Why does anybody get a pet? They’re adorable and they’re a good source of companionship. It could be like… starting a family, in a way.” Kaveh speaks, voice muffled slightly from the fabric of Alhaitham’s shirt. He huffs a bit as he awaits an answer from his junior.
“You provide good looks and company just fine on your own. No need to be so modest.” Alhaitham smirks a bit, moving his free hand to rub circles into Kaveh’s back.
Kaveh scoffs dismissively with pink-tinted ears. “You know that’s not what I mean…” he shifts his head to look up at his partner with pleading eyes, “We could get something low maintenance. Like a cat or something! They’re great pets for someone like you.”
“Absolutely not.”
Kaveh’s voice comes out as a frustrated yelp, “What? Why not?! You’re not even going to consider it?” At this point, he has scrambled to lean up on his hands, glaring at Alhaitham. The other man is unbothered, looking back at his book as he answers bluntly.
“I did consider it. Cats are slightly better than dogs, I’ll concede on that point. But even so, they’d scratch up my furniture, they’re expensive, and they cover everything with fur. Not interested.”
The blond looks at Alhaitham dejectedly, pretty pink lips pursed into a pout, “You’re no fun.” As if to emphasize his disappointment, Kaveh moves off the divan and strolls to his room. Alhaitham watches him leave, eyes trailing to his backside for a moment – he can’t help himself – before shifting his attention back to his book.
This is just like any other unwise idea Kaveh has come up with during the length of their relationship. And just like every other time he has rejected them, Alhaitham is certain that his partner will sulk in his room for a few hours before coming out and cooking dinner like nothing had ever happened.
Well… he’s certain until he’s not.
Unlike every other time, Kaveh doesn’t emerge from his room back to normal. Far from it. He does eventually return to the living room, but he still has that same dispirited look on his face as when he left. Even as he cooks dinner in the kitchen, he’s silent – a stark contrast to his normal behavior. Alhaitham tries not to let it bother him, but intuition tells him that something is off.
His concern is confirmed when he attempts to give his partner a kiss, only for Kaveh to turn his face away at the last second. He frowns deeply. He can’t even get a kiss. Why? Why does he care so much about this?
Would getting a cat be such a massive sacrifice compared to not being able to kiss Kaveh?
Alhaitham sighs with frustration leaning against the counter, facing the opposite way as Kaveh. He watches the other man with searching eyes. Food sizzles as it cooks on a pan, filling the room with the scent of chicken and pepper. Kaveh doesn’t say anything, only moving to stir the food around.
“Do you really want a cat that badly?” Alhaitham mumbles to Kaveh, feeling his will begin to break, even though he prides himself on his stubbornness. The blond sighs a bit at the question.
Beyond that, though, he says nothing except for a small, “Mhm.”
The scribe sighs deeply, in exasperation… and defeat. He can rationalize this to himself. Cats can be quite cute, he supposes. Plus, it’s not like he couldn’t afford a pet – he’s got plenty of extra funds for such an expenditure. Most importantly, though, it would make Kaveh happy. After a moment’s deliberation, he whispers one word, “Fine.”
Kaveh gasps as he drops his spoon and spins to face him, “Fine? As in…”
At the blond’s expectant look, Alhaitham smiles a bit before replying, “As in, fine… we can get a cat. At least it’s not a dog.”
“Haitham!” Kaveh exclaims happily, jumping a bit before giving Alhaitham a deep kiss – one that he is happy to reciprocate. His hands tighten around his partner’s waist to keep him steady on his feet. When they pull away, Kaveh is all smiles and energy. “Thank you. I promise I—”
“On two conditions.” Alhaitham speaks up, playfully stern tone in his voice, “I get to choose the cat and I increase your rent.”
Kaveh scoffs in mock offense, “Rent? I’m your boyfriend and I still have to pay rent? You’re so unromantic.” Despite his words, he gives Alhaitham another kiss on the corner of his mouth, then his cheek, then the juncture between his ear and his neck. The scribe tilts his head slightly at this.
He’d never admit it, but he adores when Kaveh is physically affectionate with him.
Alhaitham takes his kisses as a relenting acceptance of his terms. He looks down at his senior, the man appearing to be in much higher spirits than he has been in a long while. This expression of happiness is worth all of the mora he’ll have to spend on this damned creature – no – worth all the mora in Teyvat.
Kaveh gives him one last peck on the lips before whispering, “Love you, Haitham.”
The other man smiles fondly before returning the sentiment, only to spin Kaveh back around and mutter in his ear, “Don’t get too distracted or the food will burn.”
Only a few days later, a new addition enters Alhaitham’s home.
A black cat with greenish-yellow eyes, fluffy from head to tail. He had decided to get a cat that would suit Kaveh’s tastes – aesthetically pleasing, but a rescue, rather than specially bred – but also his own needs. For instance, he chose a black cat so that the fur wouldn’t show as much on his clothes. He also chose a female cat, since he was informed by Tighnari that they tend to be better behaved than their male counterparts.
He didn’t really have a name for the creature, opting instead to let Kaveh choose it, who had just about imploded with excitement when his eyes first laid upon her. The blond decided to name the cat “Malak”.
Thus starts the waking nightmare part of the story.
At all times, Malak chooses only to spend time with Kaveh. She lays in his lap or next to him on the divan, purring loudly at any semblance of affection given to her by her owner. Kaveh is more than happy to give the cat these things at her beck and call, which, naturally, takes away from the attention he gives to Alhaitham.
That is the situation currently. The scribe looks over at the blond who was sketching in his notepad with the cat curled up against his hip. Even worse, the personal drawings that would normally be portraits of him have been replaced with the new spawn of Satan.
Alhaitham decides in that moment that this cat is his greatest enemy.
He narrows his eyes at the furry creature as he pouts like a child who got their favorite toy taken away. This was a terrible idea. Why did he agree to this? He should be the one pressed up against Kaveh. A huff escapes his lips before attempting to continue reading the book in his hand, but to no avail.
When the architect is away, Malak acts like a completely different cat. She, without hesitation, will ruthlessly knock over Alhaitham’s most expensive books from his shelves. The scribe swears on his life that she intentionally only messes with his things, as she has not once shown this behavior towards Kaveh’s possessions. Rationally, Alhaitham can only conclude that these small acts of aggression are a declaration of war.
It only gets worse from here.
The downfall begins one night when the couple is together in the scribe’s room, small moans and gasps filling the space as Alhaitham sucks on the skin on Kaveh’s neck. The blond looks like a dream, utterly debauched with his thighs spread apart and his skin flushed red. His lips are swollen from kisses and small red marks trail from his neck down to his chest.
Nails scratch down Alhaitham’s back, earning Kaveh a hiss from the younger man, as two fingers slowly but surely open up the blond’s hole. His cock leaks with pre-cum, smearing over the skin of his abdomen. It twitches with interest as pleasure fills his senses.
Alhaitham isn’t much better, hard and desperate, moving as quickly but carefully as he can so that he can sooner be inside of his lover.
A loud groan escapes Kaveh as Alhaitham bends his fingers to hit that bundle of nerves that makes the man arch his back off the bed. The scribe is a quick study – it hadn’t taken him a long time once they started becoming intimate to learn exactly how Kaveh likes to be touched, which spots make him desperate and needy. He screams out, “Oh god, Haitham! Please— just like that… don’t stop— please…”
“So good for me. Your sounds are like music to my ears.” Alhaitham’s voice is dark and raspy as he speaks, something that always turns on the blond. The praise itself goes straight to Kaveh’s dick, a slutty whine falling from his lips. His hips buck up against the air, only wanting more.
Alhaitham adds another finger inside, and Kaveh’s hole clenches around them tightly. He anticipates how it will feel around his cock, the dull ache between his legs becoming harder to ignore. Using his free hand, he palms himself through his pants. He humbly notices the dampness of the fabric.
Kaveh looks at him with blown-out eyes, pleading, “Hayi, come on, already… please. Just-… just fuck me. I want you inside.”
“How can I deny you when you beg like that?” he teases. Fingers are quickly pulled out as soon as the words escape Kaveh’s mouth. Alhaitham's lips tug up into a smug smirk as he pulls his own cock out of his pants. He feels a palpable sense of relief just from removing the barrier that had been making him so incredibly tense. Teal meets carmine before he gives the other man a deep kiss.
He moves to position himself between Kaveh’s legs until he is abruptly stopped, a hand against his chest.
“Wait— uh… Haitham. I hate to stop you,” the blond’s words are tremulous and quiet, “but…” His eyes move towards the door. With a furrowed brow, Alhaitham follows Kaveh’s bashful gaze only to see a black void with eyes staring at the two intertwined men.
Archons, save me.
He looks back at Kaveh with an unamused look, “Really? You were begging for it just now, and you suddenly don’t want me to fuck you because of a cat?”
“It’s weird! She’s staring at us… I feel like she’s judging me.”
This is a man who has graduated from the highest academic institution in all of Teyvat, a man who is highly revered as one of the greatest prodigies of his darshan… and yet, he is overtly concerned with the opinion of a cat at the expense of his sex life.
This only further solidifies Alhaitham’s belief that book learning doesn’t encompass all of intelligence.
He sighs with frustration before rolling off of the bed and pulling his pants back on. His hard-on throbs between his legs. The furball licks its paw for a moment, practically taunting Alhaitham before he growls out to himself, “Fine. If the cat is the problem, we can just get rid of the cat.”
A hesitant step towards Malak. Then another. Before Alhaitham can grab her, though, the absolute demon of a cat swiftly dodges him and runs to Kaveh on the bed. The blond squeaks in surprise, but gives Malak scratches against her head anyway. The cat purrs loudly, only shattering Alhaitham’s pride even more. At this point, Kaveh looks over at his partner apologetically, “I’m sorry, Haitham. We can do it another time, I promise.”
Alhaitham’s eye twitches. Of course, he’s not going to pressure Kaveh to do anything he doesn’t want to do. The tightness in his pants grows to be even more unbearable.
“Okay. I’m going to take a shower.”
The scribe spends the rest of his time for the night under the faucet of the shower, willing his erection to go away. Borderline freezing cold water trickles down his back, but to no avail. His dick continues to stand stubbornly against his stomach.
He considers just tugging one out, but the shame of doing that because a cat of all things managed to cockblock him ultimately kills his boner.
When he returns to his bedroom, Kaveh is already asleep with the fuzzy fucker curled up against him. The idea of sharing a bed with such a diabolical creature makes Alhaitham feel physically ill, but he relents and crawls under the plush covers. He snuggles into Kaveh, holding him close in a spooning position. One last glance towards the cat, and she has her eyes open just barely, scrutinizing the younger man as if to say, Victory is mine.
Alhaitham narrows his eyes back at Malak in response. You may have won the battle, but I will win the war. He grabs Kaveh possessively and tugs him to be somehow even closer.
Somehow, he is able to fall into a dreamless sleep, even with the extra presence in the room.
The breaking point arrives a few days later.
Alhaitham had done his best to tolerate Malak’s antics up until this point, but he can’t help the loud swear that escapes him when he sees that one of his grandmother’s old books had been torn to shreds by none other than the feline herself. While he has many books from his family, it does not stop the painful feeling in his chest when he assesses the damage.
Upon hearing the chaos from the study, Kaveh pops his head in the room, “Haitham, what’s wrong?”
“That damn cat! I knew getting her was a bad idea. Look at what she’s done! This book was priceless and now it’s just— it’s ruined.” Alhaitham tosses the book down onto the ground in frustration. A lump grows in his throat and he almost senses that tears are building in his eyes.
Kaveh looks at his partner with a deeply sympathetic expression, walking up to him with light footsteps. He doesn’t really know what to say. Of course, he understands the desire to conserve possessions left behind by family members. And it was his idea to get Malak. Was this situation his fault in the end? He feels himself getting upset as well.
“I’m so sorry, Haitham. I had no idea she’d do something like this. She’s usually so well-behaved…” He shakes his head, guilt swarming his mind.
Alhaitham glares at Kaveh with bitterness before barking out, “Yeah, right. She’s only well-behaved for you. That cat has made every move to torment me. This isn’t the only book she’s managed to tear up. Just the only important one.” He looks down at the remnants of the hardcover, shredded paper strewn about the room.
Kaveh doesn’t say anything. For once, Malak is nowhere to be found, even though she usually follows the architect around like a duckling.
When he receives no response, Alhaitham simply scoffs before picking the book back up and throwing it on his desk. Perhaps there’s some way that he can recover at least some of the pages. He cannot fathom the concept of mindlessly throwing it away. “Just forget it, Kaveh. It doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter! I know those books are important to you. I really am sorry. I feel responsible.” The blond grabs onto Alhaitham’s hand.
The younger man takes the olive branch, gripping tightly. He responds more calmly, “You’re not responsible. You can’t control every move Malak makes. She just… infuriates me sometimes.” His ears turn pink in embarrassment as his long-built frustration starts to leak out of his carefully created façade.
Kaveh notices the blush that slowly creeps onto Alhaitham’s neck. It is at this moment that his “genius” finally begins to bear fruit, eyes widening as he realizes what’s going on.
“No way… Haitham, are you jealous?” His eyes crinkle up with amusement when he sees his junior avert his eyes from Kaveh’s scrutinizing gaze. It almost reminds the blond of their Akademiya days, when Alhaitham had been a shyer kid.
Of course, though, the scribe responds stubbornly, “No. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“You totally are!” Kaveh laughs loudly, “Wow, Mister Rational-All-The-Time is jealous of a cat! This is a new low for you, Haitham.” He takes another step towards his partner before resting his arms around the other’s neck.
Alhaitham doesn’t reject the advances, but he also doesn’t make any moves to reciprocate them, merely huffing with irritation.
He mutters, “Don’t tease me. That little cretin kept you away from me for days now.” A shameless pout finds itself onto the younger man’s face as he continues, “How am I not supposed to get irritated when it even prevents me from being intimate with my partner?”
Upon hearing the question, Kaveh’s face turns bright red. “W— What? You’re still thinking about that?”
“Of course I am, Kaveh! If you want to talk about ‘new lows’, I’d like to suggest that my cold showers take the top spot.” Alhaitham finally returns his stare to Kaveh’s face. His brow is furrowed as he takes in his senior’s expression.
Kaveh recovers quickly, an exasperated smile spreading across his face. “Well, gods, Haitham, had I known that was so important to you, perhaps I would’ve acted differently. This is what happens when you stay quiet.”
Ironically, Alhaitham says nothing to this.
In lieu of words, he simply moves his arms to hold Kaveh’s waist. His head drops to rest on his partner’s shoulder. Kaveh huffs out a laugh, thoroughly entertained by the direction of the conversation. He runs his fingers tenderly through grey hair, soft to the touch.
“You’re really quite hysterical sometimes, my love.” The blond presses a kiss to Alhaitham’s temple. His voice comes out a bit more quietly now that he’s closer to the other man, “You have nothing to be jealous of. As much as I love Malak, nothing in this world could ever compare to the love I have for you.”
Kaveh rubs Alhaitham’s shoulder comfortingly with his free hand, which makes the scribe practically melt in their embrace. He adds, “I’m sorry, though, that you’ve felt a bit… neglected. I promise to make it up to you, okay?”
He feels the other man nod wordlessly.
At this moment, Malak decides to make her appearance, a soft meow coming from below. She looks up at the two men, rubbing her body against Alhaitham’s leg. He allows it for now – hopeful thinking leads him to believe that perhaps this is her way of apologizing.
He supposes that he can try to make peace with the creature. As long as he still has Kaveh to love everyday.
Eventually, Alhaitham lifts his head from Kaveh’s shoulder and leads his senior to the living room. He falls onto the divan, taking the blond with him. Without words, he adjusts Kaveh so that they can comfortably lay together. The other man takes the hint, nuzzling into Alhaitham’s neck with all of the love and affection he can muster.
He whispers in his partner’s ear, “I love you, Haitham. More than anything ever. Even when you’re stupid.”
Alhaitham’s lips tug downward a bit at this before lifting Kaveh’s chin and giving him a long, chaste kiss. When he pulls away, he presses their foreheads together, feeling the other man’s warm breath against his cheek.
“I love you too. Even with the cat.”
He gives the blond another short kiss as Malak jumps onto the divan and lays down next to Alhaitham’s leg. Loud, obnoxious purrs fill the otherwise silent room, and they stay like this for the rest of the afternoon.
He’ll learn to accept the cat. Eventually. If only to see his lover smile.