Thread by @JJKMagic

#haikaveh King Deshret Reincarnation #Alhaitham

Something felt off as "he" came to.
"He" opened his eyes and yet, he thought, that was not something he should be capable of.
"He" should not be here.

Light flooded his vision. His environment was brightly lit and yet "he"...

didn’t take any of it in, just staring blankly ahead, his mind buzzing. Too many thoughts, too many sensations, too many questions.
Where was "he"? What happened? Who-

"He" raised his hands instinctively and was still surprised when they suddenly entered his field of vision.

"He" stared at them, not quite comprehending that "he" was the one controlling them.
Whose… whose hands were those?

Unbeknownst to him a door opened nearby and there was a sharp intake of breath.

“Haitham! Finally you’re awake! How are you feeling?”

There’s a flurry of motion and "he" looks to the person that is suddenly next to him and regrets it immediately.
His head flares up in pain. He groans as he presses his eyes shut the combat the sudden onslaught of memories, of emotions, that don’t seem to belong to him.

But then, why would they be in his head?
There was a noise of sympathy next to him, followed by a soft touch to his forehead.

“Still hurts, huh? Well, you hit your head pretty good but it doesn’t seem too bad.”
Those words meant nothing to him, they barely even registered.

His mind was already in overdrive, trying to process and filter the flood of information threatening to burrow him beneath.
The moment the pain subsided he sat up, ignoring the fussing next to him that caused.
“Don’t get up so suddenly! You’ll get dizzy. What are you doing?”

But "he" didn’t hear the words, they registered in the back of his mind without any meaning attached to them. The moment "he" swung his legs over the side of the bed he was apparently lying on "he" froze.
There was a mirror on the other side of the wall...

A man with gray hair and turquoise eyes was staring back at him.

"He" had never seen him before.

His voice was raspy and unfamiliar to his own ears when "he" spoke for the first time since awakening.

“...Who am I?”

Cliffhanger! xD
Man, I haven't written in months (years?!) but I just had to get this off my chest.
And Haikaveh just really REALLY makes me want to write for them, so hopefully I'll continue this soon^^

#haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation

There was a shocked intake of breath next to him and for the first time “he” looked over the blond next to him properly.
His red eyes were wide, the hands he had raised to his face clearly rather inefficient at concealing his shock.

“No, no, no…” the blond muttered to himself frantically. “You hit your head but certainly that didn’t-“

He stopped abruptly, his eyes brightening as if he had just come up with an idea.
“Wait right here! Don’t move! I’ll go get Tighnari,” he said determinedly, his eyes stern.

Of course “he” didn’t reply. “He” had no intention to leave, not even knowing where “he” was in the first place or what “Tighnari” referred to. If anything “he” wanted this situation just as badly as the blond in front of him.
The blond didn’t seem happy with his silence...

but since “he” didn’t make any attempt to get up from the bed anymore he seemed satisfied enough to leave anyway. The door closed after him but “he” didn’t hear him move any further straight away. Instead, after a short silence, there was the audible Clack! of a lock.

Apparently the blond didn’t trust him to not just decide to up and leave after all.

“He” thought he should feel offended, maybe even threatened being locked up like that, but he only felt a faint sense of amusement welling up inside him. It confused him but also felt natural.

“He” might not recognize the blond but his- this body clearly did. And so he felt calm enough to just sit and wait, trying to process his situation and his surroundings.
It wasn’t like “he” didn’t know who “he” was. Actually he was acutely aware.

Because “he” had sealed himself away an eternity ago, never to return again. So how could it be that “he” was here now? And whose body was this? Clearly it couldn’t be his own… right…?

#haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation Part 2

On the entire way back Tighnari assured Kaveh that he was overreacting. Even IF Alhaitham suffered from amnesia like Kaveh suspected, there was little he could do. Most cases of amnesia were temporary and fixed themselves.

It wasn’t Tighnari’s area of expertise either, so he was better off referring to a local member of the Birmastan. But Kaveh insisted.
He had a bad feeling ever since he had left the house and with each passing moment the dread pooling in his gut only got worse.

Something had seemed “off” about Alhaitham, apart from his obvious display of not recognizing himself. Or maybe it was connected. Kaveh really couldn’t tell, he couldn’t even THINK properly, his mind too frazzled.
He breathed a sigh of relief when they finally arrived back...

at their house and he ushered Tighnari inside. Tighnari still protested the urgency and most of all the unnecessary manhandling, but Kaveh was too anxious to really notice any of it. They needed to get back to Alhaitham asap.
He unlocked the door to Alhaitham’s room and...

saw Tighnari raising his eyebrow in confusion, but it didn’t last long. Noticing their arrival the gray haired man looked up, not having moved from the position Kaveh left him in, and with just one glance at Alhaitham, Kaveh could practically FEEL Tighnari switch to high alert.

His ears twitched.
So Tighnari noticed it, too, Kaveh thought.
Something about Alhaitham was different. His EYES were different. And he didn’t mean they LOOKED different but it was the the way he looked AT Kaveh and Tighnari. There was no recognition in them whatseover,

not much of trace of emotion at all, really.
And for anyone else it might have been hard to tell because Alhaitham certainly wasn't an emotional person to begin with but to Kaveh the difference was obvious. Now it felt like he was wearing an unmoving mask.

“I’ll take a look at him. Is that alright?” Tighnari directed his question to Kaveh, his voice low but intent.

“S-sure,” Kaveh replied taking a step back and watching silently from the doorway as Tighnari approached Alhaitham.

-POV Switch-

"Alhaitham,” someone said. “How are you feeling?"
The man with the tall ears was looking at him. Alhaitham… The blond had said something similar.
Was that… his name? “He” didn’t recognize it.
"I..." that unfamiliar voice echoed in his head again.
"I don't know."

The man looked at him intently. His eyes weren’t unkind, but guarded, watching his every move.
"Are you in pain?" he asked after a moment.
“He” shook his head.
The man hummed, his furry ears twitching as he pondered over how to proceed.

"How much do you remember? Kaveh mentioned you hit your head."
That made him pause, unsure of how to respond. There was a clear disconnect.
The question wasn’t directed at him but “Alhaitham”, whoever that was, and “he” didn’t remember a single thing about him.

In the end “he” just said: "…Nothing.”
When in reality, “he” remembered the downfall of his kingdom, with startling clarity even, but it was doubtful this piece of information was beneficial to his current situation.

#haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation Part 3

“Do you mind if I examine you for a moment?” the man asked after it became obvious that no more information was forthcoming.
“He” merely shook his head and remained silent as the man went about examining him...

checking his pulse and blood pressure and a number of other things before stepping back again, an unreadable expression on his face.
“He” had no idea if the man’s finding were satisfactory as he seemed neither worried nor relieved.
“At least physically you seem perfectly fine,"

,” the man said as he took out a small notebook from his back pocket and started to write, clearly lost in his own thoughts.

“He” watched him for a while but when there was no sign of him finishing anytime soon his mind also started to wander again.
“He” didn’t notice...

notice when the man eventually stopped writing.
"Alhaitham."
It took a while of the man staring at him before “he” remembered the man was talking to him. “He” had already forgotten that was his name. It still sparked no recollection whatsoever.

It was what the man asked next..

that made him rethink their whole interaction: "Who are you?"
“He” probably wasn’t fast enough to hide his surprise from showing on his face as “he” returned the calculating gaze from those brown-green eyes that seemed way more perceptive than “he” had given him credit for.

Clearly he wasn’t someone to be underestimated.
"He” tried to gauge what the man was aiming for with that question and how to respond.
With his memories slowly sorting themselves to form a coherent picture "he" wasn’t exactly honest when "he" eventually replied: "I don't know."

#haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation Part 4

Tighnari was quiet for a while after he had left the room and closed the door behind him, unnerving Kaveh with every second that ticked by silently.
He had no idea how much time had passed, could only have been seconds but...

but could also have been HOURS as far as he was concerned, before Tighnari finally looked at him and uttered the words that shattered Kaveh’s world: "I am not sure that is Alhaitham."

For a moment Kaveh didn’t even comprehend the words, certain he must have heard wrong.

"W-what do you mean 'not Alhaitham'??" Kaveh sputtered after it was clear that had not, in fact, heard wrong.
Tighnari hummed as if Kaveh’s world hadn’t just been turned on its head by those words.
"It's only a hunch for now," Tighnari started before explaining his suspicion.

“He doesn't react to his name. It's like he doesn't recognize it at all, neither consciously, nor subconsciously. That is unusual, even among amnesia patients. They mostly remember their names, only forgetting recent or specific memories," Tighnari explained, his ears twitching.

"For someone to completely forget themselves AND the person closest to them altogether..."
Kaveh couldn't stop a blush from spreading on his face at Tighnari just casually referring to him like that, the person closest to Alhaitham. But it was true, wasn't it? There certainly...

wasn't anyone else putting up with that infuriating Scribe every day, but Kaveh quickly reminded himself to focus.
"It's almost like his memory got completely reset. Either that or..."
"...he is not actually Alhaitham," Kaveh finished the sentence, even though the mere thought...

filled him with dread. Who else would it be, if not Alhaitham? And much more importantly: if that WASN’T him then where was he?
"Both possibilities are equally unusual so it's impossible to rule them out. I couldn't detect anything unusual about his body or his elemental energy..

he is not a copycat or a trickster. It didn’t feel like he was lying either, but he was certainly withholding information from me. You said he was perfectly normal before his injury?" he asked Kaveh, trying to confirm his assumptions.
"Well, yes. We were in the House of Daena...

He was looking for some boring books as usual so I didn't pay any attention. I only noticed because I heard him fall. I'm afraid he hit his before he even collapsed to the floor because he knocked over a whole bunch of books," Kaveh recounted the event with increasing anxiety.

"He was breathing though, and there was no visible wound, so I didn't think it would be too bad!"
He could feel the hot tears of desperation gathering in his eyes threatening to spill and hated himself for his weakness. He should have helped Alhaitham, not cry about it now!

A hand being placed on his arm and the soft look in Tighnari's eyes stopped the tears and managed to calm him down before his thoughts spiraled further.
"No one’s blaming you. You couldn't have known what would happen, and you probably couldn't have prevented it either,"

," a hint of sadness entered his brown-green eyes. "I'm sorry I can't offer more insight at this point. At least he doesn't seem hostile, if anything he seems just as perplexed as we are. Who knows, maybe my speculation is completely off and his memory will return just fine...

in a few days," Tighnari said finally, his expression brightening in an attempt of encouragement.
But the fact that Tighnari was so perplexed at all was enough reason for Kaveh to worry.

I'm back with #haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation Part 5 (We're not even halfway there yet lol)

Ever since he had talked to the man it has been quiet in the house. "He" had no idea if the man or the blond had left, but considering that the door to his room remained...

unlocked despite the blond's earlier worry "he" doubted "he" had been left alone. But no one had come to speak to him again either. "He" had no idea how much time had passed, his sense of time was limited at best. The sun outside his room, still high up in the sky, told him...

it could only have been a few hours at best. Then again "he" hadn't bothered to check the sun's position when "he" had first woken up. "He" was starting to get restless though, and the simple sleep attire "he" was wearing started to annoy him the longer he wore it. It felt like..

"he" had slept in when "he" was supposed to be doing something else. That combined with his restlessness eventually led him to get up.
There were clothes draped over the bedside chair, so after reconfirming that there were no immediate sounds coming from the rest of the house...

house he decided to change into them. They fit perfectly and were comfortable enough, so it didn’t take him long. It even felt natural to adjust the accessories on his sash. It was the coat “he” had trouble with. When “he” pulled it on it certainly fit him, just like the rest...

but it just didn’t FEEL right. “He” moved his arms around and while it didn’t exactly hinder him, “he” couldn’t help but feel unnecessarily restricted.

After unsuccessfully fussing with it for a while, “he” eventually gave up on it and pulled it off again with the decision to..

to forego it entirely for now. (How was he supposed to know to wear only one sleeve?)

However, “he” noticed there was a vision attached to the coat as well and “he” paused when his hands fell upon it. For a moment “he” thought that could have been the source of his discomfort..

but when “he” touched it fleetingly it was stirring, slightly warm to the touch, clearly responding to his presence. It was indeed his.
No, not HIS, but Alhaitham’s.
- - -
After a cursory check of the other rooms in the building "he" found no trace of the man he had spoken to...

but "he" eventually found the blond in what "he" assumed had to be a kitchen.
There were utensils laid out in front of him like the blond had planned to do something with them, but he was staring blankly ahead instead as if he had gotten lost in thought while he was at it.

"Kaveh."
The blond hummed in response before suddenly going stock still. When he turned around a second later his eyes wide with too many flickering emotions to be read in time before they had already disappeared again. Confusion, surprise, HOPE…

"He" hadn't meant to say that.
"He" hadn't even KNOWN that was the right thing to say, and yet...

"Wait, did you remember something??"

#haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation Part 6
(in which we finally get rid of the mysterious "he" xD)

After a moment of contemplation he just said:
"No, nothing."

I remember YOU, he didn’t say. Because it wasn’t quite true either. “He” had no memories of the blond...

"he" couldn't even grasp what their relationship was. But one thing he did know: the feelings this body – Alhaitham – harbored were too powerful to be contained, even without the memories attached to them.
There were conflicting emotions even. “He” was nervous around the blond..

happy, CONTENT to be around him, but also hopelessly overwhelmed and insecure. Like “he” had a crush.
No.
The moment the thought even entered his mind “he” knew how woefully inadequate that description was. “He” was DEVOTED to this man in body and soul.
And yet "he" was...

lacking the necessary context, the memories, to define their relationship. They were close; he could tell that much, but it didn’t seem like they were together and he had no idea why.
His current predicament was problematic enough without trying to navigate whatever...

unfinished business Alhaitham had left in his wake.

“He” still had no idea who he was, this Alhaitham.
“He” didn’t FEEL like Alhaitham, despite apparently retaining some of his feelings, if nothing else.
After having had some time to sort through the memories “he” DID have...

it was obvious who “he” was. He was... Deshret, King of the Desert, with all of his memories intact despite that being impossible. He had made sure of that.
Deshret also didn't know if it would be a good idea to disclose his identity. He still knew too little about this place...

about what had happened after his death, after he had made sure to rid the world of his presence. He didn’t even know how much time had passed. Decades, centuries maybe?
Did people even remember the Desert Kingdom? Remember King Deshret? If so, what did they think of him?

Or had his name been lost to time, along with his sacrifice? Did his people even still exist?
There were so many questions, but no way to ask them, not without inadvertently revealing too much. There was no way to tell how much Kaveh, or anyone currently alive, knew about...

what had transpired; if they even knew it had transpired at all.
Surely some extent of questionable behavior might be blamed on his head injury, but Deshret felt like even the man who had examined him had already seen right through him to an extent. At least he must have...

concluded that this was not just the result of a head injury.
Something else must have triggered his awakening but Deshret had no idea what. And the only one who could possibly offer at least the semblance of a hint... was the very man whose very body he was currently occupying.

Deshret only hoped that Alhaitham hadn't gotten lost forever in all of this. He certainly had never intended to disrupt someone’s innocent life like this; he really wasn't planning to continue “his life” like this either.
He did not belong here, and he doubted he could just...

just "pick up" where Alhaitham had left off, either.

It didn't feel right, and he wasn't even sure if it was possible, certainly not without any memories of the life Alhaitham had led before.

#haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation Part 7

Deshret didn't realize Kaveh had been watching him ever since he fell quiet, lost in his own thoughts.
“You look…” Kaveh spoke up suddenly, his eyes taking in Deshret’s clothes, “good.”
But his expression quickly faltered...

taking on a sadder note. “But hey, if you remembered my name I’m sure you will remember everything else in time, right?” he said, clearly trying to sound hopeful but not entirely succeeding.

Deshret doubted it would be that easy because he had regained plenty of memories, but...

Kaveh was in none of them and neither was this house…
- - -
A few days passed uneventfully.
He didn't regain any more memories, at least none regarding "Alhaitham" despite Kaveh calling him that every day.
"Haitham," he uttered the pet name softly, always a little unsure and...

with each day his expression turned sadder when he realized Deshret still didn’t recognize it. Because he was not Alhaitham.
It tore at his heart to see Kaveh like this, while Deshret carefully tried to uphold the status quo, when all he wanted was to take Kaveh into his arms..

hold him tightly and assure him that everything would be fine. Although he had no way of knowing if that would become true.
Kaveh didn't need Deshret, he needed Alhaitham, the man his eyes sought out every time they landed on him, and Deshret doubted he would ever be able to...

to replace him.
Kaveh had taken some time off to stay with him despite that being pointless. Deshret wasn’t sick, he didn’t need any help and it was entirely unsure IF and when he would “get better”.
For Deshret on the other hand, well Alhaitham more precisely, it made sense...

sense to take time off. Deshret couldn’t very well just take over for him. He didn’t know what exactly his work entailed but from what he learned it was a rather high-ranking position since his absence apparently caused quite a mess, as Kaveh mentioned on multiple occasions.

"Lesser Lord Kusanali must be swamped with work with your prolonged absence," Kaveh mused to himself one morning over breakfast, dutifully prepared by Kaveh himself since most of the recipes of this time were somewhat lost on Deshret.

He hadn’t exactly been a master chef during his own time either.

"Wait a minute!" Kaveh exclaimed suddenly, snapping Deshret from his own thoughts.
"Of course! Lesser Lord Kusanali! Certainly she would be able to figure out what happened to you!"

(Really sorry about the long break. I am working on the next part and am actually slowly nearing the end, so I'm optimistic about finishing it before Christmas^^)

FINALLY back with #haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation Part 8 ❤️

And so Kaveh arranged an audience with the Dendro Archon. Honestly Deshret was a little apprehensive about meeting another God in his current state. If you had asked him if he knew the Dendro Archon he...

would have said yes, but he didn’t recognize the name Lesser Lord Kusanali. While it was true that the Dendro Archon might have changed in his absence he strangely also couldn’t remember the name of the Archon he used to know. Were they the same, after all?

Kaveh was right behind him as he approached the small figure in the center of the Sanctuary of Surasthana.
The Dendro Archon looked at him in confusion for a moment but her eyes brightened in clear recognition not a moment later.
"King Deshret," she addressed him, as expected..

of the God of Wisdom.
He heard Kaveh gasp but in that moment he only had eyes for the God in front of him who seemed eerily familiar even though he was sure he had never met her before.
"Less-"
No, he "knew" her name, the name she favored. It appeared in his mind unbidden.

"Nahida." There was a hint of surprise on her face but her expression quickly softened. Was that his own memory, or Alhaitham’s influencing him again? He had no idea. “It’s an honor to meet you.”
“There’s no need to flatter me just to ask me for help,” she replied with obvious..

amusement in her voice, “I can see that the current state you are in was not a conscious decision.”
It was Deshret’s turn to smile. There was no denying it. It was easy to talk to her, familiar in a way he couldn’t quite grasp.

“Of course, nothing escapes the knowing eyes of the God of Wisdom.”
“This seems to be quite the predicament. Do you mind if I take a look inside you? That’s what you came here for, right?”
There was not a hint of doubt inside him. She had his trust and respect and so he...

didn’t hesitate to get on his knees before her.
“Please do.”
Nahida extended her hand and soon after he saw a faint green glow emanating from it and felt the warmth of soft, but inquisitive magic flowing through his body.
He closed his eyes feeling her magic spread throughout..

his body, examining every last corner of his mind, and just as quickly it disappeared again.
"Hm…"
When he opened his eyes again Nahida was quiet, clearly lost in thought.
He didn't mean to rush her but there was just one thing that was most important.
"Please," he said...

"I only need to know one thing. What happened to the mortal soul that normally inhabits this body?"
“Huh?” Nahida looked surprised. "Oh, no. King Deshret, there's only one soul in your body," she said. "Alhaitham, the mortal you're referring to and you are merely...

two halves of the whole."
“But that’s impossible. I made sure I would not be reincarnated. To prevent-“
To prevent what actually? How could it be that something seemingly so important now escaped his memory?
Nahida looked at him with sadness in her eyes, but also understanding.

"What you sealed away was not yourself, King Deshret, but your memories and knowledge," she explained. "The seal did not prevent you from being reincarnated, just from accessing your memories. But something must have weakened the seal and instead of merging the two halves...

of your soul, it seems like you accidentally 'switched places'," Nahida concluded, a thoughtful expression on her face. "It seems like snippets of his memories are accessible to you, but I suppose they will never be enough to form a coherent picture."

"Then I must find a way to reverse our positions back to the way they were before."
"I would suggest a different approach," Nahida said, stopping him before he could even begin to formulate a plan. "It seems to me, that while that may never have been your original intention...

it might be time to finally reunite the two halves."
Reunite. What would that even look like? He was supposed to continue existing in this time? As Alhaitham, a man he knew nothing about?
"I can see your confusion. The only one who can do it yourself. All I can do...

is allow you to meet your other self in a dream. Maybe that will solve everything," she said l, smiling encouragingly.
Meet Alhaitham. Truthfully he had thought about that before,hoping there would be a way to contact him, and apparently there was.
"Please," he said,

bowing his head once more.
Shortly afterwards he saw a glimmer of green just before everything turned black.

- - -

When Deshret was able to see again, he was alone. Well, not quite.
He saw… himself and yet not. As if looking in a mirror he saw Alhaitham looking back at him.

The very same eyes he had seen in a mirror these past few days. Really, there was only one difference and Deshret almost laughed when he noticed one half of Alhaitham's coat hanging off his shoulder. Of course. He hadn’t even considered that. Deshret looked at his own shoulders..

both covered by the same coat after he had given up on figuring out what bothered him about it.
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow at the action, but he made no move to comment, so Deshret took the initiative.

"So you're 'Alhaitham'. Kaveh has been asking for you."

That got a reaction, one Deshret couldn't quite read, but no verbal response, as if Alhaitham was waiting for something else.
Deshret had no idea what that might be, but two could play a game.

"He really is gorgeous," Deshret commented off-handedly.

He didn't know why the first thing he thought of to get a rise out of Alhaitham was Kaveh, but maybe Deshret already understood him a lot better than he thought.
"I'm aware," Alhaitham responded coldly.
Why are you telling me something we both know? He didn't ask but it seemed..

to be written in his eyes all the same.

"You love him and yet you're too much of a coward to tell him."

"Better a coward than someone who caused the downfall of their own kingdom,” Alhaitham retorted immediately.

Deshret paused. Alhaitham's words were harsh but true...

Anyone else might have softened their blow or felt offended upon hearing these words. But Deshret had accepted his mistake, tried to right his wrong, but he never denied it, and so he only smiled ruefully.
"You really are me."
"Took you long enough to figure that out."

"You mean yourself," Deshret replied and saw the smirk forming on his face mirrored on Alhaitham's expression.
It would have been eerie how they understood each other with so little words if Deshret didn't already know that they were essentially the same person.

"But what about him?" Deshret asked, not quite satisfied with the answer he had received. "Kaveh has been looking for you every day. He clearly loves you.”

For the first time Alhaitham averted his eyes, unable to look at himself in the most literal way possible.

“I can’t lose what I don’t have…” he said softly, for no one to hear but himself, and Dehret’s heart hurt, suddenly reminded of the most beautiful person he had ever met.
Now that the thought had appeared in his mind he realized that Kaveh was not unlike "her"...

beautiful, brilliant, but also stubborn, refusing to agree to his plans time and time again. And the one time she had finally relented… he wished she hadn’t.

Her loss had been more than he could bear. It seemed only natural that in his next life he would instinctively...

try to avoid reliving his loss at all costs.

“I’m sorry. If you had always had my memories maybe you wouldn’t have been so…" he wanted to say "scared" but he knew he wouldn't take that well, "...hesitant to form relationships and achieve more in your life."

Now that they shared the same space it was easy to see who Alhaitham was, how he thought, what he had experienced.

“I don’t need more. It’s fine as it is," Alhaitham said stubbornly.

And maybe he was right. After all he had saved Sumeru and ensured peace for its people...

but mostly for himself. Because at the core they were both selfish. That was why he had refused to listen to reason even from the person closest to him, too obsessed with his own goals. He, too, had wanted nothing but peace for his people and yet...

he had condemned them to the opposite.

Maybe Alhaitham was right. Curiosity was a dangerous thing after all, and so was ambition if it was misguided.

“You’re right. Settling down doesn’t sound too bad," Deshret mused. "If only I had a beautiful partner to settle down with…”

“Shut up. I know what you're doing."

Deshret chuckled. “But truthfully, my mistake was not loving her. It was not listening to her when she was right."

Alhaitham still wasn't looking at him but Deshret could feel his defenses crumbling. In truth, they weren't strong...

to begin with, not against an emotion that was too powerful to even be forgotten.

"Just think about it, and return to him. He has been waiting for you."

Alhaitham looked at him and nodded, too proud to agree verbally. But what could Deshret say? They were the same after all.

And just like that Deshret could feel the space between them blurring, because there had never been meant to be space between them in the first place.
They were the same, one soul, two lives and it was time to return to his current one.

- - -

Alhaitham opened his eyes...

(One last cliffhanger for you guys! xD There should be one last big part, coming before Christmas as promised^^)

It's here, the FINALE!
#haikaveh Deshret Reincarnation Continuation Part 9

Nahida looked at him and immediately seemed to know that he had been successful.
"King Deshret-"
"Alhaitham will be fine," he corrected her, offering her a soft smile that she quickly returned.

"It's good to have you back."
"I was never really gone."
She giggled softly and turned to look at the door leading outside.
"I think there's someone who would disagree," she said. "He is still waiting for your return."
There was, and Alhaitham was desperate to see him.

His feet had already turned towards the door, before another soft giggle reached his ears and he remembered his manners.
He turned back to Nahida.
"I apologize. Thank you, for everything, Nahida."
Nahida smiled brightly at him.

"It’s alright. I know you have something important to take care of."
And if, even with the memories of his two lives intact, he still could not actually remember why it felt like they had known each other forever, he ignored it for now, and merely hoped that the warmth...

rushing to his cheeks wasn't too obvious as he quickly turned to leave once more.
Someone was waiting for him.

- - -

Kaveh was standing on the platform in front of the sanctuary overlooking the city, and even from a distance Alhaitham could see him shivering, clearly not...

dressed for the incoming evening chill.
He took off his coat, draping it across Kaveh's shoulders as he approached. Kaveh startled at the sudden touch but quickly relaxed when he noticed who it was.
"Archons, you scared me!" he complained but pulled the coat closer regardless.

"Why are you waiting outside if you’re not dressed for the weather? If you get sick I have to take care of you again."
Kaveh’s eyes widened.
"Haitham, you're back!" His relief was palpable, a big smile spreading across his face, but only until the words registered.

"Wait, what do you mean 'again'? Ugh, why did I even want you back? Is nagging me ALL you can do?"
"Oh? So you wanted me back?"
"Ugh, nevermind, forget I said anything! I wish I never asked Lesser Lord Kusanali for help," he grumbled, but his words did nothing to hide his blush.

Alhaitham smiled. Yes, that was how it used to be between them. The return to normalcy was so seamless that he could almost imagine the past days had been nothing but a dream.
But he remembered now, he remembered the desert, he remembered his people...

He had been given a second chance to live a life without regrets.

Kaveh eyed his smile suspiciously.
“What?” he asked, clearly expecting Alhaitham to be amused at his expense.

“Nothing. I’m just glad to be back."
Clearly surprised by that answer Kaveh fell quiet.

He was looking at Alhaitham intently, as if trying to solve a puzzle, before he eventually said: "So you really are King Deshret."

"I think you know me as Alhaitham."

"Of course I do! But you ARE him," Kaveh insisted.

"I may not have been aware of it for most of my life, but I suppose I am," Alhaitham confirmed. "Why? Does that change anything?"

"No, not really. Just explains a few things, I guess," Kaveh mused. "All this time you have been such a weirdo... because you're actually a God...

who apparently failed to seal himself away. Who would have thought there actually was a logical explanation for your robotical behaviour."
"I am not a robot," Alhaitham replied annoyed.
"You sure act like one. And it's not like you're different now either...

Huh, guess you're still just a weirdo," Kaveh teased, mirth written in his eyes. "That's so like you though."

"What is?"

"You're a perfectionist, always so focused on the details that you miss the obvious instead. Like sealing your memories but not actually sealing YOURSELF."

Alhaitham unfortunately couldn't even deny that so he only hummed in acknowledgement.

"If that's so 'like me' though, what else is there that I'm missing?"

Kaveh's blush suddenly returned with a vengeance, covering his face all the way to the tips of his ears.

"You not knowing only proves my point!"
Alhaitham grinned and following his intuition took the chance to close the distance between them, stopping right in front of the blond.
"W-what are you doing?" Kaveh asked, trying his best to sound annoyed but he couldn't even...

look Alhaitham in the eyes.
"Hopefully not missing the obvious," he replied before closing the remaining distance between them with a kiss. It was soft, explorative, and despite his complains Kaveh didn't hesitate to return it, his long lashes brushing against his soft skin...

as he closed his eyes.
He was utterly captivating and Alhaitham couldn't turn away, not from the kiss that sent a soft tingling feeling, not unlike happiness, throughout his entire body and not from the beautiful man in front of him.
Alhaitham raised his hand...

softly cupping Kaveh's cheek before slowly breaking their kiss, noticing Kaveh's clear hesitancy to do so.
Those crimson eyes opened, focusing entirely on him.
"You're an idiot," Kaveh muttered, but he was blushing furiously and clearly incapable of keeping a smile...

from spreading across his lips. "I have waited for you to do that for ages."
Alhaitham merely hummed, resting his head on Kaveh's shoulder.
"But if it was so obvious why didn't YOU do anything?" Alhaitham asked.
"What! Now you're trying to pin the blame on me?! Inconceivable!"

But as Kaveh's voice rose in agitation, failing to hide that he was merely embarrassed at having no proper response to the question, Alhaitham merely smiled as he tightened his embrace and placed a kiss right beneath Kaveh's ear.
Kaveh sputtered for a moment before shutting up..

and Alhaitham offered no resistance when Kaveh instead cupped his face to pull him into another, DEEPER kiss.

His argument was quickly forgotten altogether in favor of more enjoyable things…

(WE DID IT! I can't believe how long this turned and especially how long it TOOK to write in the end, but it's done!
I hope you enjoyed^^
I'll edit/format this and upload it on AO3 as well for better viewing pleasure, but that might take a few days^^)