Alhaitham X Kaveh - Love and Logic

13.Feast Your Eyes

Kaveh felt exhausted. This was it. The moment they all leave him. They have to...
Alhaitham will want nothing to do with him. If he finished her all those years ago, this wouldn't have happened. If he ever made the right choice.

Alhaitham thought about what Kaveh told them. Now that they had enough evidence they could prosecute his aunt. But he wasn't worried about that. Kaveh believed she was dead. He lived with the guilt of sending two of his family members to their deaths for most of his life. The first was utter nonsense and the second wasn't true. But Kaveh always found a way to see himself as the cause of other people's suffering, no matter the evidence. He always thought he should have done more.
"Why did you let her go? You knew the explosion might not kill her." Cyno asked, his voice giving no indication of how he was feeling. Kaveh shrugged and chuckled: "I don't know anymore. Sometimes it's that I couldn't because she reminded me of my mother. Or that she was right. We were all rotten and the ones that weren't... Well, they are gone."
Kaveh felt being turned around until he was faced with Alhaitham's glare. He jumped on instinct but could barely move. Alhaitham's voice was low, almost a growl at this point: "You might be stupid enough to believe that excuse, but I am not. You let her go, because you couldn't bear to have another family member on your conscience." He took a deep breath before he continued, this time his voice was softer: "But you were never at fault for what happened to your father and you're not responsible for your aunt's immoral activities either. You need to stop tearing yourself apart or there will be nothing left of you." He cupped Kaveh's cheek, smiling as the other man leaned into his touch. Kaveh tried to stop the tears as he whispered: "You don't hate me... "
Tighnari shook his head as he stated: "We could never hate you. Especially Alhaitham over here."
Kaveh chuckled trying to wipe away his tears as he laughed: "Are we that obvious?"
Collei smiled: "You're not as bad as Master and General in the beginning."
Kaveh returned her smile, seeing Tighnari blush at her words. Cyno took the opportunity to whisper something in his ear, which made him completely red, and slapped the general's hand that was on his thigh. Kaveh and Collei laughed before they were interrupted by one of Cyno's subordinates, yelling as he entered in: "THE PRISONERS! They ESCAPED!"

His aunt was waiting for them in the middle of the village. Kaveh felt his stomach tighten as she smiled at him. Not again. He can't do this again.
"Oh lil cub ..." she sang as they approached. Alhaitham could see Kaveh was scared. He bit his lip to stay quiet. All he wanted was to grab him and take him as far away from this wretched woman as possible. Some of the villagers were kneeling in front of the mercenaries, taken as hostages. His aunt must have had some people hide and follow them when she got captured. She was ready for this, maybe she planned it even. The hostages were the priority but he will do whatever is necessary to protect Kaveh. He tightened his grip on the hilt of the sword. She noticed and smiled: "Ah, the Acting Grand Sage. It's an honour to finally meet you dear. And to think, we are practically family."
He let the sword float behind him and crossed his arms on his chest, beginning to understand what Kaveh had to deal with. Delusions, manipulation... For Kaveh emotional manipulation was a weakness, for him it was something he could use. But he didn't feel like indulging her: "I see Kaveh got all the brains, the little that was left that is. Your men are surrounded."
She chuckled: "Ah yes, you see if cub stayed put, this could have been avoided. All these people wouldn't have to suffer."
Alhaitham shook his head but before he could answer Kaveh spoke: "Stop calling me that."
His aunt let another man take over her position as she stepped in front of the hostages taunting Kaveh: "What was that lil cub? Do you think you're a lion now? Lions don't quit you know. They don't kill their own."
Alhaitham interrupted: "Actually they do. If a lion is considered useless he is killed by his pride. But this analogy alone is stupid. Kaveh is a man, not an animal and you are not his own." He took a step forward, seeing a glimpse of panic in her eyes. She was scared of him. Good.
"I hoped you had a plan, something interesting to observe. But all that this is is a desperate last attempt. You are a child playing a game, seriously overestimating yourself. Tell me, did you at least research Kaveh's new family before you decided to attack us?" his sword appeared in his hand again and Tighnari's vision shone from one of the trees before a rain of dendro-infused arrows descended upon the attackers. Tighnari's knowledge of the human body might have mostly been used for healing, but in this case, it was used for cruel punishment. One of the men dodged his arrow but had his thigh grounded by one of Collei's. The hostages fled to safety once they realised what was happening. Kaveh's aunt screamed charging forward Alhaitham with her sword. Too easy. He blocked it, using her momentum to throw her off balance. Someone released an arrow. He turned around trying to block it, but Kaveh got there before him, holding his claymore.
He is holding it.
Alhaitham knew Kaveh would rarely hold his weapon, for a long time he didn't believe he could do it. But Kaveh looks aside, and possessed tremendous strength, he just refused to use it most of the time. The next moment he understood why. The blonde swung his claymore, throwing it in the direction of the attacker. After a scream, Mehrak brought it back, blood dripping from the edge. The man, well half of him fell from the podium he was standing on.
"Ah, sweet cruelty. That's my boy." his aunt laughed, unfazed by the cruel death of her man. Alhaitham saw the rest of her men defeated, some dead and some unconscious. But she couldn't care less.
"I think our boy lost it, Acting Grand Sage. He might finally be gone for good. Rotten apple of the rotten tree. Such..." Her next words were cut off by Alhaitham knocking her out before turning to Kaveh who just stood there, motionless. It was like he wasn't breathing. Alhaitham was reminded of a statue his grandmother once showed him. An empty shell of a man. He whispered his name, making Kaveh drop the claymore and Mehrak, take a step back. Was he afraid of him? He tried to keep his voice calm, but couldn't hide the shaking as he called his name again: "Kaveh, love..."
"NO, please, Haitham, I can't. Please, I don't want to hurt you," Kaveh cried as he kept retreating but Alhaitham was faster. After a leap he pulled the blonde into his arms, whispering his name over and over again. Kaveh thrashed begging him: "Stop lying, you saw me, you saw what I am. Stop pretending to care. I can't hurt you, I can't lose you, please." He stopped making sense, his cries muffled as he hid his face in Alhaitham's chest. Slowly his breathing slowed down, Alhaitham gave him a few squeezes to let him know... What? Everything. That he won't leave. That this wasn't his fault. He saved him and he took care of the attacker. He understood what Cyno meant when he said he didn't want the details. Kaveh will do anything to protect the ones he cares about. But he was scared of what he was capable of, the cruelty he possessed. Alhaitham knew enough about people to know they all possessed the capacity to hurt or be hurt. No matter who they were and everything else came down to life itself. But Kaveh punished himself for any pain he could potentially cause until he exploded, losing control and letting the pain pour out of him. Alhaitham couldn't help him stop it. But he promised himself to be there to catch him as he inevitably crashes. Cyno and Tighnari took care of the prisoners, Collei leading the patrols searching for any other assailants that might still be hiding in the forest. They stood there for a while before Kaveh spoke up again: " I want to go home." Alhaitham nodded, letting him go long enough to grab his hand and pull him in the direction of Tighnari and Cyno conversing. As he talked to Cyno about the case, Kaveh stood there, silent, looking at the ground. Tighnari took his other hand and squeezed it. He looked up at him and the ranger whispered: "You are safe now. We got her. But please Kaveh, let him in. He wants to be here for you." They hugged, Kaveh sniffling into his shoulder before they said goodbye and they took off for Sumeru city. Kaveh was unsure if he will ever be able to let Alhaitham in.

I GOT KAVEH ON THE PULLS <3
Hope you all got him too, babygirl is home. And Mehrak is so cute with his angry face :)
I have been thinking if I tried writing smut in the next chapter, what do you all think?
Also thank you for all the votes and comments, it's so nice and it brightens my day <3