Thread by @cup_of_comfort

#haikaveh #アルカーヴェ

Kaveh stared at the paper in front of him that said, in bolded letters:
Positive, gestation age predicted to be six weeks.

...seriously?

Kaveh didn't know whether to thank or curse Alhaitham's obviously very virile seeds for this.

They hadn't been trying for long, anyway! Come to think of it, didn't they only do it like... three times since both Alhaitham and Kaveh decided to drop off protection to try for a second child?

He sighed, folded the paper back and tucked it inside his pocket.

They had been very busy lately, since Sabzeruz Festival was right around the corner and there're a lot of preparations ongoing. As the Grand Sage, of course Alhaitham had been busier—even if he didn't want to—and was getting home either late or absolutely exhausted every day.

There's barely time for them to relax and get intimate, in between work and caring for Aliyah, who turned two years old this year.

He knew that Alhaitham was reaching his limits, and knowing him, if Kaveh told him that he's pregnant now, Alhaitham wouldn't hesitate to drop—

—everything and probably refused to do more work in guise of caring for him. Oh, Kaveh absolutely wouldn't have that! Sabzeruz Festival was important, and Lady Nahida had been looking forward so much for this!

He would tell Alhaitham once the festival was concluded. Simple.

But this time, condition didn't favour Kaveh too kindly.

He slumped on the floor after throwing up for what felt like infinite time in three days. Nothing he swallowed could be retained for a couple of hours until he's forced to regurgitate them again, not even water.

He felt weak and tired, but work must go on.

"Mama?" Aliyah peeked from the door shyly. "Mama... sick?"

"I'm okay," Kaveh stood up slowly, so the dizziness wouldn't gotten worse. "Sorry Mama took so long. Is my little princess ready to go?"

But Aliyah just stared at him.

"Mama lying," Aliyah said. "Tell Papa!"

Ohh, Kaveh dreaded this. Why must his little princess be so similar to Alhaitham? Not only by appearance, but slowly, now her demeanor too? "N-No, Aliyah, Mama isn't lying! Papa is busy anyway, we musn't disturb him, right?" He reasoned.

Her brows furrowed and she gave Kaveh a cute little pout. "Then," she said, proudly, "Aliyah go alone!"

Kaveh wanted to laugh. "You can't, Aliyah."

"Aliyah can!" She insisted, small hands on her hips. "Mama rest. Aliyah go, with Papa."

...wait.

"If you still feel unwell, then you better get back to bed..." As if on cue, Alhaitham's cool voice emerged, before his figure showed up behind Aliyah. "...Kaveh."

"Wha—I thought you already went to Akademiya!" Kaveh spluttered.

"I did, but I pulled all-nighters for too long—

—already, so I excused myself early after instructing the others for the remaining preparations."

"Can you even do that...?"

"Of course I can. I'm the Grand Sage," Alhaitham said, sounding so smug Kaveh wanted to kick his shin. "I'll take Aliyah to the daycare first. You—

—should eat something."

Kaveh nodded slowly, getting out of the bathroom with Alhaitham in tow and Aliyah held on his arms. There, on the table, was rose custard and medicine.

"Drink the medicine after you eat. It's an anti-emetic drug. We'll talk more when I get home."

Frankly, Kaveh wasn't left with too much choice, not to mention that he still felt weak after not being able to eat anything for the past couple of days. He swallowed what he thought he could stomach and drank the medicine obediently, and waited for Alhaitham to get home.

It didn't take long for Alhaitham to be back, just in time before Kaveh fell back asleep.

"Have you eaten?"

"I try," Kaveh told him. "Hopefully I don't have to throw it up again."

"The drug should work, but if you throw up again, we'll go to the hospital."

There's silence for a while, before Kaveh spoke. "Since when did you know?"

"Pretty much the same time as you, I imagine," Alhaitham said. When Kaveh stared at him with shocked look, Alhaitham just raised an eyebrow. "I requested a copy of your results paper be delivered to me."

"That's illegal!"

"You're my wife," Alhaitham stated, deadpan. "If you won't tell me, then it's my duty to look by myself. Being the Grand Sage has its own merits, I suppose."

Kaveh gaped at him. "Did you just admit abusing your authority to get a copy of my medical record?"

"I haven't admitted to anything," Alhaitham sat in front of Kaveh. "Now, will you tell me yourself or should I do it?"

"Okay, okay! I'm pregnant!" Kaveh gave up. "I swear I'm not hiding it from you! It's just that Sabzeruz festival is only ten days away and there's so much—

—to do, and if I told you back then, you'll surely do... this!"

"Do what?" Alhaitham asked.

"Skipping work, to take care of me!"

Alhaitham's lips thinned. "You're my wife. Of course I'll prioritise you—and also Aliyah—than work."

"See? But Sabzeruz festival is important!—

—It's to commemorate Lord Kusanali's birthday, you know?!"

"And then leaving you and Aliyah for it?" Alhaitham growled, annoyed. "Do you think that lowly of me as your mate?"

Kaveh was taken aback. Alhaitham was.. angry.

"We've been married for so long yet you don't trust me."

Kaveh wanted to say that's not true, but he couldn't. This was already the second time, even when this time, he wasn't intending to hide it. He lowered his head and bit his lip.

"Am I not worthy of your trust? Tell me, Kaveh."

"It's not like that!" Kaveh exclaimed.

"I... I was trying to be considerate."

"In my opinion, sometimes you overthink things way than you should," Alhaitham told him. "And instead you don't think about things you should be thinking about."

"...are you trying to piss me off?" Kaveh growled.

"Don't be. It's bad for the baby," Alhaitham said, completely back to being his aloof self. To be honest, Alhaitham really killed the mood back then, but Kaveh was relieved that he didn't seem to be mad anymore.

"...Alhaitham?" He shyly approached his husband.

"Hm?"

"...I'm sorry," he murmured, touching Alhaitham's hand hesitantly.

Alhaitham sighed. "I'm disappointed at you, Kaveh."

"I know..."

"Most Omegas told their mates as soon as they found out they're pregnant."

"Yes, okay! I'm sorry! It's not that long anyway!" Kaveh protested.

"Which is why you can't complain if I decide to pamper you a lot this time."

"Fine, I understand—wait, what, pamper??" Kaveh repeated. Even when they hadn't been married, Alhaitham already did so much for him. Letting him stay in his (their) house, pay his tabs, cook him lunch..

Alhaitham took Kaveh's hand and pulled him closer so they're flush against each other. "After that stunt you pulled two years ago while being pregnant with Aliyah.." He whispered at Kaveh's ear and ran a hand down his spine, and Kaveh shivered. "...do you remember what I said?"

"No," Kaveh stubbornly replied.

"Then I'll enlighten you," Alhaitham said, arms still trapping Kaveh in his embrace. "'I'll pamper you. I'll massage your feet at night and your shoulders at day.' But this time..."

Kaveh yelped as he was hoisted up on Alhaitham's hands.

"..even if you don't ask, I intend to do just that, because you won't ever ask."

Kaveh shivered. He had seen how Alhaitham got overboard in spoiling Aliyah. Not just materially, but also emotionally. No matter how busy he got, Alhaitham was always there for Aliyah.

And for him.

"Okay," Kaveh murmured. "Now put me down, this is embarrassing."

"No." Alhaitham pressed a kiss on his forehead.

"Why not?!"

"It's too troublesome to put you down when I want to give you my attention."

"Are you going to treat me like you treat Aliyah when she's just a baby?"

"That might not be such a bad idea," Alhaitham smirked. "I'll bring you to the office and you can sit on my lap while I work—"

"Hell no!" Kaveh hissed. "This is just fine!"

There's a delighted rumble coming from Alhaitham's chest. "Do you feel fine?"

"...I'm okay," Kaveh grumbled.

"You literally just threw your stomach up just a couple hours ago," Alhaitham pinched his nose.

"Okaay, I might be a little hungry," Kaveh admitted. The rose custard was delicious, but it's not enough. "But lately anything I eat ends up being—

—thrown up. I don't want to waste food."

"Hm," Alhaitham pondered. "Anything else?"

"I'm only seven weeks along by now. There's not much to go by," Kaveh shrugged. "I'm just dreading the cravings and mood swings later."

"Cravings, hmm," his husband hummed. "Anything specific?"

"When I was pregnant with Aliyah, I kept craving for Sabz Meat Stew," Kaveh admitted. "But getting herbs and vegetables in the desert is difficult, so the villagers scrounged something with meat and some spices. It... doesn't taste the same than when you cooked it."

"My Sabz Meat Stew is special," Alhaitham snorted. "So I guess now I know why Aliyah looked like me."

Kaveh detected a hint of pride in Alhaitham's tone. "She's not! Besides, she also has my eye colour, so she doesn't just look like you!"

"A lot of people have said otherwise."

And of course, Alhaitham was right. Everyone who laid eyes on Aliyah would've recognised her as the Grand Sage's daughter first, even when she's walking with Kaveh. Cyno even commented at how uncanny their similarities were—except for her eye colour, obviously.

"I hate you," Kaveh mumbled.

"I know," Alhaitham nodded, placing a hand on Kaveh's still flat stomach. "It's nothing new, Kaveh."

"And now I'm having your child. Again," Kaveh moaned. "Do you know how much agony I went through with Aliyah?"

"I can imagine," Alhaitham said. "And whose fault is that, for not telling his husband that he's pregnant?"

Kaveh spluttered. "Stop bringing that up, please! I already said I'm sorry!"

"Then stop being so stubborn," Alhaitham shrugged. "I promised to pamper you, after all."

They ended up spending almost the entire afternoon bickering, Kaveh still in Alhaitham's embrace as the Alpha fed him Candied Ajilenakh Nut, until it's time to pick up Aliyah from the daycare.

"Let's pick up something from Lambad's Tavern," Kaveh said. "To celebrate... this."

He gestured towards his stomach.

Alhaitham raised an eyebrow. "You can't drink alcohol now."

"I don't mean drinking!" Kaveh protested. "You know, just... having dinner together? It's been a while since you sat down and have a meal with me and Aliyah. She misses you."

"So, it's only Aliyah who misses me?"

"Stop twisting my words around! You know what I mean!" Kaveh fumed, to which Alhaitham actually *laughed* at. "Don't laugh!"

"Okay, okay. Don't get angry," Alhaitham quickly pulled Kaveh back into his arms. "It's bad for the baby."

"And whose fault is that?" Kaveh hit Alhaitham's chest playfully. "Come on, let's pick up Aliyah already. She'll be waiting."

They dressed up and brought a few supplies for Aliyah before heading out. It's always a relief for Kaveh to see Aliyah again, but it warmed his heart—

—when he saw Aliyah's eyes literally sparkled when she spotted Alhaitham.

"Papaaa~" she rushed forward and slammed her little body right into Alhaitham, who had knelt down to greet her. "Papa done work?"

"Of course." Alhaitham placed a peck on his daughter's cheek.

"Eat together?" Aliyah snuggled happily into Alhaitham's neck as he stood up. "Aliyah love Papa!" Then she blinked, and turned to Kaveh shyly. "Aliyah love Mama, too."

Kaveh was sure he melted on the spot.

"Of course, we all love Mama, don't we princess?"

Alhaitham tucked a stray hair behind Aliyah's ears. "After all, he'll be bringing us something precious later."

Aliyah tilted her head curiously. "What is it?"

"Well," Alhaitham glanced at Kaveh, taking Kaveh's hand in his own, "how about we eat first? Mama will tell you..."

- part extra — END -

this ended up not exactly being haitham pampering preg!kaveh but at least we get some moment between haitham and his mini-him? 🤣
i cant exactly imagine haitham as papa but i did my best and hopefully it delivers!!

thank you for reading!

if you havent read the "main" story, start here!