Chapter Text
Kaveh sucked in a breath as he prepared himself for the discussion about to come. The fact that Alhaitham finally had enough shame to wear something other than lingerie, albeit he only added a loose sweater that's showing off his collarbones to his getup, was helping.
Kaveh slapped and then gripped his knees, catching Alhaitham's attention, "Alright!" Kaveh opened his mouth but closed it again to suck in another breath as a wave of headache visited him, "you don't like chit chat and I don't really want to have this discussion, so let's just get straight into it."
"That would be a great idea if only you didn't spend so long staring at the thin air," Alhaitham commented.
Kaveh ignored Alhaitham, "First off, let me clarify this, are you really going to marry Zandik whom you've only gotten acquainted with for less than two months?"
Alhaitham's wings twitched in annoyance as he leaned back to his couch, "Mind your word, Kaveh. Wording your sentence like that made it sound like you disagreed with my decision. Which is very presumptuous of you since not even Lord Kusanali is allowed to have a say in my relationship."
"Hey," Kaveh pointed at Alhaitham warningly, "don't change the subject. Let's get this done quickly."
Alhaitham blatantly rolled his eyes, "Then I think I have the right to remain silent and not answer any of your interrogations."
Kaveh froze on his couch. Then he slumped back and pressed both of his palms to his face before letting out a loud groan.
If Alhaitham said that, then the chance was, even if he did say something, it would be very cryptic and Kaveh needed to decipher it himself, "You must love Zandik that much, huh. Say, did he put something in you?" Kaveh said from behind his palms.
"I wouldn't say that I love him," Kaveh peeked from under his palms because what, "and yes, he did put something in me," Kaveh put his hands away to look concernedly at Alhaitham, "his di-" Kaveh threw a pillow at Alhaitham's face.
"Answer seriously!" Kaveh yelled with a flushed face.
"I answered you very seriously," Alhaitham said with a straight face yet his wings twitched in amusement, "although perhaps, 'his seeds' would answer your question more precisely."
Kaveh could only block his ears with his hands as he no longer had any projectile to throw at Alhaitham.
"You're getting out of topic and I don't really need to know that information," Kaveh dispiritedly muttered but he made sure Alhaitham could still hear his voice clearly, "and what do you mean by 'I wouldn't say that I love him'? You're going to live in a foreign country with absolutely zero connection, and you're telling me that you don't even love your soon to be husband?" Kaveh gestured his hands around to show his bewilderment, "I mean, that sounds like you're being blackmailed, y'know."
Alhaitham crossed his arms and leaned back, smugness oozing from his being, "I recall that you were very determined to know about my relationship the first time you met Zandik. Why the behavioral change?"
Kaveh showed Alhaitham his clenched fist, "Stop," he dryly said, "you know I didn't want to know it back then," Kaveh leaned back frustratedly to his couch, "just tell me you actually love Zandik enough to leave Sumeru."
Alhaitham raised his eyebrows, "I said that I wouldn't consider myself in love with Zandik. Lord Kusanali ordered you to have this conversation with me, didn't she? Perhaps 'to make sure that I genuinely want to go with Zandik'?" Kaveh's frozen reaction told Alhaitham all he needed to know, "in that case, by telling me to simply say that 'I love Zandik' would mean that this interrogation is not genuine," Alhaitham tilted his head and lazily waved his hand, "besides, saying that I love him would be incorrect."
There was a blinding headache that pulsed pain all over Kaveh's body, Kaveh leaned back to his couch and tilted his head up to stare at the ceiling, "... So until the end you still make everything hard for me…"
Alhaitham blinked in surprise, "What is it now?"
Kaveh laughed bitterly and then that laughter turned into sobbing, causing Alhaitham to puff his wings in confusion and surprise, "Be serious with me just this once, please," Kaveh choked out between his sobs, "this might be the last time we see each other. Which is good because you're an insufferable asshole, but also not good because you're all I have left that I can call a family."
Alhaitham froze, his wings twitching behind him from nerves, "Kaveh… I…" Alhaitham starts hesitantly, "all I can say is that I am emotionally attached to Zandik and so is he. But emotional attachment doesn't always mean love."
Kaveh straight out had a breakdown at that. Because Alhaitham was still an asshole to the very end. Because Alhaitham's insistence on saying that he's not in love with Zandik meant that his decision is genuine. Because Kaveh most likely wouldn't see Alhaitham again. Because Alhaitham is betting his life in a marriage with the most despicable Avian in Teyvat.
Alhaitham and Dottore are lying on their side. It's their past routines, silently lying close to each other, but it feels like it has been ages since they last did it.
Alhaitham stares at their loosely intertwined hands while Dottore observes Alhaitham. Never in Dottore's life did he ever think he would be married one day. The fact that his bride was sent off willingly by a bridal carriage was an addition to his bewilderment to the situation.
Dottore got legally married as per the tradition of his hometown, the hometown he was exiled from. Absolutely hilarious.
Alhaitham silently tightens the holds of their hands, snapping Dottore from his musings.
Dottore uses his thumb to gently rub the back of Alhaitham's hand, "Say," he starts, "are you in the mood to mate?"
Alhaitham glances up to look at Dottore's face who is pointedly staring at their intertwined hands, "Why do you ask? Actually, why is it that you find you need to ask me first?"
Dottore is still avoiding Alhaitham's eyes, he stubbornly squints at their hands, "You… were afraid of me," it's hard for Dottore to spit out what he wants to say, he puts the blame on Omega Build, "you might even still don't trust me. Why was it that you willingly came along? Why went so far to announce it to your group of friends to show them that you're willing?"
Alhaitham drags himself up so that he can let their noses rub together, causing Dottore to finally look at him but Alhaitham has his eyes closed, "You are correct," Alhaitham whispers, "but I trust that you're intelligent enough to realize that you like me best when I'm able to hold a conversation with you," Dottore stares wide eyed at Alhaitham, "and I trust that you'll hold your words and protect me. Telling them was necessary to make sure that they won't go recklessly searching for me. Possibly causing several troubles, decreasing their work quality, and in the worst case scenario causing several diplomatic insults that will lead to war."
Dottore is tense as he observes Alhaitham's calm expression. Alhaitham said all that as if it's an entirely separate case from him.
It's beautiful.
Dottore barks a laugh. He unclasp Alhaitham's hair decorations along with his green veil and throw them away carelessly. Then he tucks Alhaitham's head under his chin.
Alhaitham nuzzles into his neck and lets out a chittering sound. Dottore stops his laugh in order to send back a rattling sound.
"So," Dottore trails off as he leaves featherlight caresses along Alhaitham's body, "let's mate?"
Alhaitham snorts, "Zandik-"
"Doctor," Dottore cuts Alhaitham off.
Alhaitham hums, "Doctor, we are on a boat, in the middle of an ocean. How could you think of mating at this kind of place?"
"Why, I'm merely concerned for your well being," Dottore slides his finger between Alhaitham's ass, nudging his hole, "I recall that you said this place here missed me so much it almost drive you to my level of insanity," he keeps teasing said place.
Alhaitham lets out a hum that morphs into a chirp when Dottore gently rakes his nail around his hole, "Fair enough, but do you even have a lubricant in this ship?"
Dottore freezes for a moment before he uses his free hand to grab Alhaitham's jaw to face him.
Alhaitham finally opens his eyes and Dottore's lips split into a grin as they make eye contact, "No, but… I have my tongue."
Alhaitham's face has no reaction, but his wings flutter behind him and his hole clenches around nothing, still he raises another question, "Is this room even soundproof?"
Dottore retracts his hand under Alhaitham's clothes to rolls himself up and loom over Alhaitham, "No," Dottore answers in a sing song, then he leans down so that their lips almost touching, "who cares if anyone hears. I'm their superior," he lowly whispers to Alhaitham's lips.
Alhaitham lets out an amused exhale, "Why are you such a menace?" and yet he's the one who initiates the kiss.
It doesn't matter which part of the boat you are at. There's no escape from hearing the dying Avian noises coming from their Lord Harbinger's room.
Of course, none of the Fatui dares to stop their superior. Even if the noises are coming from The Doctor's mate, i.e. the new Sumeru diplomat, even a mere reminder will be considered as speaking out of turn. No one dares to interfere since it's The Doctor, death will always be a better outcome than receiving his ire.
"Captain," the chief cook of their boat calls, "it's almost time to prepare dinner."
The captain looks up from his desk and raises his eyebrows at the chief cook, "Well, go on then. Since when do you need to inform me first before carrying out your duties?"
The chief cook stands restlessly, "Sir, shouldn't the Lord Harbinger be informed?"
The captain, taken aback, puts down his pen and straight up looks at the chief cook weirdly, "Do you have a death wish?"
The chief cook's face looks very appalled, "No, Sir," he rubs the sweat clinging to his eyebrows, "but it has been hours since His Lordship locked himself in his room along with his mate, and while His Lordship doesn't need food and water as much as the rest of us do, perhaps his mate need them," the chief cook looks out the window to stares to the horizon when a shrill squeal travels to the room, "especially because of their activities."
The captain massages his temple, "Are you even hearing yourself? What makes you think that Lord Harbinger would want to give his 'guest' food and water if he's currently torturing his 'guest'?"
The chief cook freezes, then his shoulders slump in disbelief, "Captain, Sir. With all due respect, anyone who stays around his Lordship's room will realize in under 5 minutes that His Lordship is not torturing his mate."
The captain looks at the chief cook questioningly. The chief cook answers by simply gesturing at the general direction of the Harbinger's room.
Alhaitham grips the pillow pressed under his face as the force of Dottore's thrusts keep pushing him to the headboard. He screeches a squeal as Dottore bites down the back of his neck and a hand harshly slaps his ass.
Dottore grabs Alhaitham's waist to stop him from being shoved further, "I see that you really like this position," Dottore whispers to Alhaitham's ear before he pulls Alhaitham by the waist to meet his thrusts and hitting Alhaitham's bundle of nerves head on.
Alhaitham's wings spasm from the feeling and he can only let out another strangled squeal among his many moans and whimpers.
It's almost too much. Alhaitham pants from the overwhelming pleasure as he lets Dottore do as he wishes.
Oh, Alhaitham's eyes roll up, but he wants more.
The captain's eyes slowly lose their focus as he stares at the thin air. The blood in his blood vessels are in a state of uncertainty as they can't decide whether to drain from his face, from shame that he didn't realize the situation sooner, or to rush to his face, because of the pair's shamefulness. Then again, for someone who's the third in command only after The Jester and her Highness, the captain supposes that this kind of thing is very tame.
In the end, the blood decides to rush to the captain's face and he awkwardly clears his throat, "Well… in that case, then who dares to interrupt Lord Harbinger's business?" The captain vaguely waves his hand, "just prepare a couple of hearty portions and leave it in front of his Lordship's room."
"Understood," the chief cook leaves the room with a salute.
The captain awkwardly sits in his office alone. He can hear a loud caw from The Harbinger's room now. Truly, ignorance is bliss.
It's not rare to be in the throne room.
Tartaglia looks around, his brown with specks of white wings subconsciously pressed tightly to his back to guard against the cool air.
But it's rare for so many Harbingers to be called into the throne room at the same time.
Pulcinella subtly pinches Childe's thigh to remind him of his manner. Childe covers his chin with his scarf to hide his pained grimace.
The Harbingers are busy lots, they're spread across Teyvat to fulfill their majesty's wishes.
Pantalone's lips twitch in amusement at the two's antics, but it barely shows in his ever smiling face. He calmly rearranges his black wings before continuing to wait for Her Majesty's announcement. He has an inkling as to what it is.
This is the first audience where all Harbingers are called after The Fair Lady's death.
Three of the Harbingers silently stand still in a row before the way to the throne.
The door to the throne room opens and a petite yet powerful figure walks in, bringing with her the bitter frigid air.
All the Harbingers bow their heads as The Tsaritsa makes her way to the throne, "Raise your heads," she orders once she's seated on her throne.
The Tsaritsa casts her cold gaze on her Harbingers as The Jester silently steps to stand beside the throne.
"Today, Her Majesty has gathered you in this room to hear an announcement," The Jester says, his voice reverberates in the icy room, "Il Dottore will arrive in Snezhnaya tomorrow, bringing with him the electro gnosis that has been taken by The Balladeer and the dendro gnosis from the Dendro Archon," he pauses, "and along with those, his mate," the room falls silent.
Childe chokes on air and he tries with all his might to not cough. But what in the world, he thought it was a joke.
"But his mate is from Sumeru, The Akademiya, and they are not on our side. He is one of the new Sumerian diplomats that will be sent to stay here. In other words, they are neutral and we have the obligation to welcome them as the second's Harbinger mate. But they have an obligation to report what they see here to the Dendro Archon so carefully keep your distance."
"Your Majesty," Arlecchino speaks up after the long silence, "pardon me for questioning your decision but-" she clamps her mouth shut when The Tsaritsa raises his hand.
"I'm aware of your concern, my Knave," her voice is just like that of billowing wind during a blizzard, "but The Doctor himself will keep his mate in check and what's left of our duty is to welcome them."
Arlecchino subtly frowns, "Will you have an audience with them, Your Majesty?"
"Of course not," The Tsaritsa answers, "as usual, The Rooster will be the one to greet the diplomat. I don't have to personally greet them, so rest assured," seeing as no one else opens their mouths, The Tsaritsa waves her hand, "dismissed."
The Harbingers, except for The Jester, bow before orderly walking out of the throne room.
Childe soullessly walks beside Pulcinella.
Pulcinella glances at Childe before letting out an exhale, "What's it, Childe?"
"Dottore, he…" Childe sucks in a shaky inhale, "he really is mated to someone now?" Childe laughs hysterically, "it must be a lie."
Pulcinella blindly pats Childe's thigh in reassurance, "Oh, don't worry about it, Childe. It's probably a contract marriage."
Childe lets out another burst of hysterical laugh, "Yeah, you're right," and then he freezes before running off.
"Where are you going?" Pulcinella yells after Childe.
"To the port! Dottore's mate will have a terrible life for being married to him so the least I can do is to give them a warm welcome!"