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Alhaitham knew from the moment he woke.
The very action of opening his eyes felt like his eyelids were being pried apart, and what sight he could get between them was blurred. He was all too aware that there was too much in his head, weighing it down so that the mere act of rising was a fight against a stronger gravitational pull. The weight spread throughout his body to his chest, sinking in his stomach, his limbs, every movement feeling sluggish. Even the action of sitting up felt like it consumed more energy than it reasonably should have.
Alhaitham sat on the edge of his bed and closed his eyes as he considered his options. His current state was enough of a signal that no matter which he took, the day was going to be hell either way, and it would take at least two more before he would start to feel better. If his position were still that of the Scribe, he could have taken it easier, the tasks being simple enough and his capabilities more than sufficient that he could get through it without much additional trouble, or he could even leave the Akademiya early. However, his current position as Acting Grand Sage threw a wrench in that sequence. The workload was more intense, and the Akademiya even more reliant on the role being carried out in the current time. Sure if his sickness was really bad enough, Alhaitham could get away with making a brief appearance before returning home. But the Akademiya wasn’t yet ready for him to do that, and allowing any of the work to become a backlog would only cause more for himself to do in the following days, especially considering what mistakes others may make in his absence. It all would end up being even more bothersome for him to deal with later than if he were to do it now. If only this wave of illness had postponed itself for just another week.
The distant sound of Kaveh’s footsteps pattering around the halls of the house signalled that Alhaitham had lingered in his bed for longer than usual. Alhaitham lifted himself out of the bed, taking note of the wave of dizziness that struck once he stood. The day was indeed going to be hellish. But he’d gotten through such days before, he knew he could very well do it again. He prepared himself, dressing himself slowly and putting on his headphones.
Alhaitham moved to step out of his room. He placed his hand on the doorframe, steadying himself for a moment before exiting into the hall. Kaveh was in the process of walking back through the hallway past his room as he did so, a large bag in hand. Kaveh paused in his step and turned to face Alhaitham.
“Ahh, look who finally decided to wake up after all!” Kaveh’s voice rang out, a light grin on his face as he raised his eyebrows. He had been more chipper the past few days, and it seemed the mood hadn’t dissipated yet.
“You make it sound like I’ve overslept,” said Alhaitham. “It’s barely fifteen minutes past the hour.”
“Exactly, any longer for you and I might have had to consider calling for someone,” Kaveh continued his path down the hall until he made it to the living room. Alhaitham followed.
Kaveh placed his bag, still open, on the couch next to where Mehrak was already placed. Kaveh exited out of the other side of the room briefly before returning with a small, light blue pack. He put it into the open bag and tied it closed. Alhaitham leaned against the wall, observing Kaveh in order to fight against his eyesight that threatened to glaze over.
“I think that just about does it,” Kaveh said, looking over his luggage. “It’s a similar load to what I had the last time I went through the desert, and that worked out quite well for me.”
Kaveh had barely settled back from his last trip away and here he was just about to leave again. Kaveh had received word from a prospective Fontainian client a matter of days ago, requesting him for a desired project at the border between Sumeru and Fontaine. The gentleman had noted in his letter that he was willing to pay generously above the standard rate for the privilege of Kaveh’s involvement, a rate that the mere mention of had brightened Kaveh’s mood significantly.
“Oh!” Kaveh clicked his fingers in realisation. “Alhaitham, I believe you’ve still got my key on you. I’m going to need that.”
“Are you sure about that? I’m not going to get another spare made if it just so happens to end up among the sand dunes,” Alhaitham responded dryly. “You made it back from your last outing perfectly fine without it on you.”
“I’m not going to lose it!” Kaveh frowned and took steps towards Alhaitham. “And I’d preferably avoid having to search for you like last time to fetch a key when I’m already exhausted on my return. Look, if it’ll get you to hand it over, I promise that I’ll cover the cost and process of getting a new spare in the unlikely event that something happens to it. Do we have a deal?”
Alhaitham reached for the keys in his belt pouch in confirmation. It was not as smooth a motion as it should have been, with the keychain of Kaveh’s key briefly catching on the pouch as Alhaitham pulled it out, but with a quick tug he secured it and held it out for Kaveh to take.
Kaveh reached to grab for his key with a wide grasp, his fingers touching Alhaitham’s hand as he took it from him. Kaveh looked down at the key, turning it in his hands before he looked back up at Alhaitham. Kaveh’s frown remained, but shifted its angles into something softer. He opened his mouth as if to say something else, before hesitating.
“Anything else you request of me?” Alhaitham asked.
“N-no, that should be it…” Kaveh said, his voice trailing off.
“Good, then I’ll be heading to the Akademiya now. I’ll see you when you return.” Alhaitham turned to head towards the front door to leave. Kaveh took a step in his direction.
“You’re not going to eat something?” Kaveh asked. “There’s still some fresh fatteh I made and set aside if you want it-”
If it were any other day, Alhaitham might have taken up the serving for himself. The condition of his stomach however was a delicate one, and the thought of any sort of food entering into it made it churn unpleasantly and risked the back of his throat responding in kind. He was not going to upset that state any further.
“No, I’m not hungry,” Alhaitham said. “If I feel like eating something later, I’ll do so.”
With that, he stepped out of the house to head to the Akademiya.
Alhaitham had underestimated the Sisyphean torture that was getting through a loaded work day while feeling like rubbish.
As the day trudged on, his head filled further, packed with noise, every request that came to him, and the build-up of physical and mental exhaustion. The pain in his head, having started dull early in the day, worsened to a sharper strike through his ears and across his head. No matter how much he turned up the noise cancellation of his headphones in order to combat his surroundings, it felt as if his own sensitivities grew to negate the adjustment. Every sound was caught, piercing through his headphones. Even the placement of the headphones themselves were becoming irritating, the sensation of touch increasing to the point where it felt as if they were closing in on him at the sides of his head. The blue glow of the Grand Sage’s office became overpowering, filling his sight to the point where it felt like he was hallucinating patterns and shadows.
Alhaitham pushed through, knowing that the evening was waiting for him in the end. His house would be empty and quiet for him to rest and recuperate, to let go and give himself what he knew he needed. He gave himself moments throughout the day, particularly when documents he had to peruse through were looking like nonsensical scratches on pages, to lean his head forward, place his hand at the bridge of his nose and take some even breaths to recalibrate his position and focus on the immediate task. As long as he continued to get through each task after the next, there was going to be an end point.
However, once that point came, he could barely find it in him to feel any sort of relief. The journey from the Grand Sage office, down and out of the Akademiya, and the short walk to his house, felt as if he had miles to traverse. Even the lift down from the office, simple and smooth as it was, felt like he was spinning, the whirring of the lift drilling into his head. He took deep, slow breaths as he stepped out. He would just need to make the walk.
He kept himself composed, walking with as much purpose as he could muster so as to not be approached. He looked straight ahead and avoided eye contact as he always did, made easier in light of how his peripheral vision was shrinking. Relief only began to creep into him once his house was in sight.
Alhaitham pulled out his own key from his pouch before he even made it to the front doorstep, not wanting to spend a second longer outside than he had to. After one attempt where he missed the keyhole, he inserted the key and unlocked his front door. He pulled the key out and returned it to his pouch as he pushed the door open and stepped through into the house. Once he was inside and the door began to slowly swing shut, he closed the door the rest of the way with his body, letting his balance go and leaning his back against it until it latched closed. Alhaitham exhaled in a sigh. He allowed his eyes to finally close as he hung his head forward, letting go of holding the weight of his own head as it dropped to the side to nearly rest on his right shoulder. It was finally quiet once again, with only the sound of his breathing, accompanied with the pounding of his heart and head from the effort exerted to make it home.
“Alhaitham!”
Kaveh’s voice was already loud enough by default, let alone when it was suddenly travelling through the foyer and echoing into Alhaitham’s skull. Alhaitham opened his eyes.
Kaveh had entered the main room, and was approaching him in the foyer. Alhaitham blinked, making sure he wasn’t just more intensely hallucinating.
“You’re here,” Alhaitham said, angling his chin upwards slightly but not enough to raise his head much. “Surely you haven’t already happened to argue and break-off with the client, would you?”
“You-” Kaveh paused in his step. “Is that really the first thing you’re saying to me upon coming home looking like that?”
While Kaveh expression was still downturned in offence, his brow was lacking in the sharp frown he usually shot back at Alhaitham. Instead, it was the softer shape across his face once again. His body remained facing Alhaitham as he resumed walking towards him.
“For your information,” Kaveh said quickly. “The trip has been postponed.”
It seemed Alhaitham wasn’t going to get the silent evening that he had originally planned. However, Alhaitham couldn’t say that he was exactly disappointed by the outcome.
Alhaitham moved to raise himself from his lean against the door. In the action of bringing himself up however, it caused the room to spin further, Alhaitham’s balance tipping in the other direction as he stumbled forward.
“Whoa, hey!” Kaveh rushed forward to reach Alhaitham and close the space between them. He placed his hands on Alhaitham’s shoulders to steady him. “Don’t push yourself, you really do seem in a terrible state. Here, let me-”
Kaveh brought himself to Alhaitham’s side. He took a hold of Alhaitham’s right wrist, bringing his right arm around Kaveh’s shoulders as Kaveh’s left arm held around Alhaitham’s torso. The position had Alhaitham leaning his weight partially onto Kaveh himself.
“I don’t think this is necessary,” Alhaitham said. “I’m still capable of walking myself through the house.”
Kaveh shook his head. “I’m not taking chances,” he said. “You look like you’re about to pass out. I’m surprised you even made it through the day.”
Alhaitham’s head tipped forward and he closed his eyes again. He wondered if his limbs felt as heavy on Kaveh as they were feeling for himself to lift up. Kaveh’s hold around him tightened.
“Here, let me get you to your room,” Kaveh said.
Alhaitham didn’t protest further. It wasn’t as if doing so would have convinced Kaveh to cease the action anyway. Kaveh kept his hold on Alhaitham as he slowly walked them through the living room and into the hall. Alhaitham kept his eyes closed, trusting in Kaveh to not lead him into the side of a wall as they walked.
Once they had made it to Alhaitham’s room, Kaveh gently sat Alhaitham on the side of his bed. He then guided Alhaitham down on his side to lay onto the bed, easing his head down so that it didn’t drop suddenly onto the pillow. He removed Alhaitham’s boots for him before lifting his legs onto the bed as well. With Alhaitham now lying on his side on the bed, and Kaveh’s hands now free, he placed one hand on Alhaitham’s forehead, pushing aside the hair that hung over his face so that his palm was directly against Alhaitham’s skin. Kaveh placed a hand on his own forehead underneath his hair for comparison.
“My god, you really are burning up,” Kaveh said. “You already seemed off when you woke up this morning, and I got my confirmation when you gave me the key. Your hand was much too warm, and clammy as well.”
Not that Alhaitham knew exactly how warm his body temperature had peaked, but considering the symptoms battering him in the head, it had been a given that he was experiencing a fever of some sort.
“Hold on a moment, I’ve got something that will help with this,” Kaveh said. “I’ll be right back.”
With that, Kaveh stepped out of Alhaitham’s bedroom. He was gone for not even half of a minute before he came back with the light blue pack that Alhaitham had seen him put in his luggage just that morning, squeezing it in his hands.
“This should alleviate some of the head symptoms.” Kaveh said.
Kaveh reached over Alhaitham to place the pack against the back of his neck, adjusting and fixing its position so that it could stay in place against Alhaitham’s neck. The cool temperature of the pack hit Alhaitham’s skin instantly.
Alhaitham let out a small hum in satisfaction. “What is that?”
“I guess there are things even the mighty Grand Sage doesn’t know, hm?” Kaveh smirked and raised an eyebrow. “It’s cryo slime condensate. It was a tip I learned travelling in Liyue. It’s supposed to help with fever and relieve headache.”
Kaveh seemed satisfied with his little imaginary victory, despite the lack of an opponent within his perceived competition. But, Alhaitham had to agree that Kaveh’s tip was effective; the cryo slime condensate was alleviating some of his pain, slowly drawing it out from his head. That, and the brush of Kaveh’s fingers against the nape of his neck before his hand withdrew, left a pleasant tingle in their path.
“Alhaitham, did you end up eating anything at all today?” Kaveh asked.
“No,” Alhaitham said. “I never felt hungry.”
Kaveh shook his head. “You’ve got to get something in you,” he said. “Even if it’s small.”
Alhaitham supposed he was correct, there was an emptiness in his stomach that had since joined the nausea, to the point they had become intertwined enough that it was difficult to distinguish where one feeling ended and the other began. He could afford to try a little bit of food to see which one it was.
Kaveh rose from the bed once again to head out of the room. He took longer this time, walking further away in the house to prepare what he had left to fetch. Alhaitham kept his eyes closed in the meantime, relaxing in the atmosphere of his room with his head finally down and rested on a soft surface, although his mind was not quiet enough to sleep yet, especially with the sounds of Kaveh in the distance.
He heard Kaveh’s footsteps and the slight clatter of what he had brought with him as he returned to Alhaitham’s room. Kaveh set the item down.
“Here, let me help you sit up,” Kaveh said, his voice coming closer.
Alhaitham opened his eyes and assisted Kaveh in shifting himself upwards, Kaveh fixing up the cushions on Alhaitham’s bed so that he could be in a somewhat seated position. Once Alhaitham was in a more upright position, Kaveh grabbed what he had set down. It was a bowl of what seemed to be minty bean soup. While it wouldn't have been Alhaitham's personal choice, it seemed Kaveh had decided his food for him nevertheless. Kaveh sat on the side of the bed, holding the bowl in one hand as he grabbed a spoon in the other and scooped some soup. He held the spoonful out to Alhaitham.
Alhaitham looked at the spoonful. “You know illness doesn’t render me incapable of feeding myself.”
“Just shut up and eat your soup.”
Alhaitham complied with the instruction, taking the offered spoonful in his mouth. The minty bean soup seemed to have been cooled, simple yet refreshing. It was definitely much easier to eat when it was being fed to him, rather than when Alhaitham would be eating with one hand and trying to maintain the cleanliness of his book with the other. As he ingested the soup, Alhaitham realised how much of the earlier nausea had indeed become hunger throughout the day. Kaveh continued to serve him more spoonfuls, quietly watching to make sure Alhaitham was properly eating. Kaveh’s eyes were observing, careful, taking in Alhaitham’s condition for any change. It had been a long time since they’d been directed at him for so long in one go, without words or frowns interrupting Kaveh’s gaze.
After a period of silence as Alhaitham ate, he broached an earlier subject. “Did the client say why the trip has been postponed?” he asked.
“Uhh,” Kaveh slowed in getting the next spoonful, looking very carefully into the soup as he did so. “Actually, to tell the truth… it’s not postponed. I’ve sent a notice to Fontaine that I’m unable to take part in the current project.” He avoided eye contact as he held out the next spoonful.
Alhaitham silently took the next mouthful. Kaveh had full intentions of going just that very morning, mere moments away from departing from the house himself. The only possible explanation for this change in plans was-
“Kaveh,” Alhaitham said. “You wouldn’t have happened to decline a potential client, one that was willing to pay you a generous amount, just because you happened to see my symptoms, did you?”
Kaveh’s jaw tensed as he put the spoon back into the bowl. Instead of scooping another mouthful, he pushed the spoon around, distractedly stirring, looking into the bowl as if words themselves were in there.
When he didn’t answer, Alhaitham pushed. “Why did you do that?”
He knew why. Just like he knew the motivation behind Kaveh doing anything he did. Kaveh wouldn’t have been able to let it go; it would have weighed on his conscience, distracting him during his entire time away. What Alhaitham was curious about was how Kaveh was going to justify his decision this time. Especially now that Alhaitham was the person for whom he stayed behind, choosing to spend his time fussing over him as if Alhaitham’s care were his responsibility. Alhaitham hadn’t considered what it would be like being on the other end of it, to see Kaveh’s face of concern directed towards himself. Ultimately unnecessary, but not something Alhaitham was going to reject either.
“Are you seriously going to interrogate me now?” Kaveh said.
“Are you going to answer the question?”
Kaveh exhaled shortly. “I mean, what was I supposed to do?” he said. “Leave you here by yourself in this state?”
“Yes,” Alhaitham said. “You could have very well done that. I never requested any assistance, nor would I have felt any grievance over you taking your trip. I would have been perfectly fine on my own.”
“I don’t doubt you would have, even if through sheer stubbornness alone,” Kaveh said, rolling his eyes. “But I couldn’t be out there knowing you were here like this.”
“Did you stay back for my benefit, or for yours?”
“Why must it be one way or the other with you?” Kaveh huffed, turning his head from the bowl to look at Alhaitham, his stare once again accompanied by that furrowed brow. “Why can’t it be both? Is it so hard to believe that I care about you too? That your well-being could be important to me as well?”
There was a pause as Kaveh’s words lingered in the air, drifting through the space between them and replaying in their heads. As they held their gaze with each other, Kaveh’s frown faltered. The sharpness in his eyes wavered as they widened, a flicker of realisation crossing them. Alhaitham continued to watch him as Kaveh blinked and averted his eyes back towards the floor, pressing his lips together.
Kaveh cleared his throat.
“When’s the last time I’ve been the one to take care of my underclassman, hm?” He said, his voice noticeably lacking in volume. “It’s the least I can do.”
Kaveh slowly scooped at the last of the soup in the bowl, taking care to not create any irritating scraping sounds against the sides, and held it out to Alhaitham one more time. After Alhaitham ate it, Kaveh rose from the bed, holding the now empty bowl and spoon in one hand.
“I’ll leave you to get your rest,” Kaveh said. “You know you can get me if you need anything. I’ll be here.”
Now that the discomfort in his stomach had settled with the light food, Alhaitham was truly ready to sink into the exhaustion of the day. He adjusted the cushions on his bed so that he could lie down once again. His eyes slipped closed easily, welcoming the weight of his eyelids that now felt much more pleasant.
“Sure,” Alhaitham said. “Thank you, Kaveh.”
The lack of sound in the room after saying so signalled Kaveh’s initial lack of movement, remaining standing in the middle of the room. After some moments, he heard a few steps of Kaveh approaching him, and sensed Kaveh’s body leaning over him. A cool sensation touched at the back of his neck once again, Kaveh evidently fixing up the condensate pack that had slipped when Alhaitham had sat up to eat. There was a light pressure as Kaveh held it there in place, the relief of the temperature allowing Alhaitham to sink deeper.
He barely caught the murmur of Kaveh quietly responding. “You’re welcome…”
The gentle pressure was then regrettably removed, however it was soon followed up with the touch of fingertips at Alhaitham’s hair, sweeping his fringe slightly dampened with sweat aside for air to reach his face and forehead. Kaveh’s presence then eased away from the bed, the sound of his footsteps drifting out of the room, back out into the halls towards the main living room.
Alhaitham let go, allowing himself to drift and succumb to sleep. In the silence and solitude of his room, all that was left was the sound of his own heart beating. How much of its increased current rate was a result of his body fighting the sickness, and how much was caused by the actions of another, would be something he would discern once he recovered and woke again.