A/N: I'm back at it again with these little men. I swear I haven't known peace since Alhaitham was released. At one point, the words "I'm thinking about Alhaitham right now" were met with indescribable rage by my best friend for how often he was forced to hear them. I can't believe I didn't like this little guy when he first appeared in-game ?

Title from the song "that unwanted animal" by the amazing devil

Nine days. It had taken him nine days to find Alhaitham. Nine days to cobble together the resources and information to make sure he wasn't walking into a death trap. Nine days, and it would have been more if the Traveler hadn't been in Sumeru at the time. If they hadn't agreed to step in and handle it. If they hadn't gotten Cyno to escort them through the desert and help. Nine days and Kaveh had never felt more helpless before.

They had planned this to be a stealth mission. Tighnari stayed outside to keep watch, while the rest of them were to split up across the underground base, find Alhaitham, and then get the hell out of there without alerting the dozens of treasure hoarders.

Cyno and the Traveler had offered multiple times for Kaveh to stay behind. In Sumeru City, at the border to the desert, at the entrance to the base. He had turned them down every time. He couldn't handle sitting to the side being useless. More useless than he already was. He had to do something.

Kaveh was just barely out of sight of the Traveler, having turned down a dimly lit hallway to the left of the entrance. Getting in had been less of an issue than he'd expected it to be. The base was sparsely guarded at best. Things were going smoothly.

Kaveh barely finished the thought when the unmistakable sound of a fight broke out. It couldn't have been more than a few corridors behind him.

"Shit, shit, shit," Kaveh picked up the pace, ducked into another room. He couldn't hear anyone now, but that didn't mean no one would follow soon. He needed to stay out of sight and find Alhaitham, now.

Kaveh continued down the hall, frantically opening every unlocked door he passed. Not even five minutes passed before he rounded a corner and quite literally ran into one of the treasure hoarders. Shit.

"I've got one over h-" he didn't get to finish speaking before Kaveh hit the side of his head with the blunt end of his sword. He went down hard and didn't stir. Kaveh didn't have time to check if the guard was unconscious or worse. Half of him didn't even want to know. He just turned on his heel and sprinted down the hall in the opposite direction. They knew where he was now, or at least his general location. The faint sounds of fighting near the entrance hadn't stopped yet, so he didn't have any backup, and he wasn't sure how many of them he could take down by himself. Not enough that he was willing to risk it, certainly.

Turning randomly wasn't losing his pursuers. All it was doing was getting him very, very lost. There was no way he could backtrack his path now. He must have been deeper into the base now, the lights getting fewer and farther between. Just how big was this place?

Another turn, and he was pretty sure he had gained enough distance to not be seen. He stumbled to a stop in another intersection of more dimly lit hallways, breathing hard. He tried to get his bearings, but everything in this Celestia-forsaken place looked the same. He didn't have time to stay and think for long though, because the sounds of the treasure hoarders chasing him were getting close again.

Kaveh couldn't keep running aimlessly through the hallways. As it was, he was hopelessly lost, and it was only a matter of time before he ran into even bigger trouble. That decided, he pushed into the nearest room and shut it as silently as he could. Kaveh slid down against the door and tried to catch his breath. Just seconds later the sound of the treasure hoarders thundered past his hiding place. Kaveh clamped both hands over his mouth to quiet his heavy breathing, squeezed his eyes shut, and sent a silent thank you to the Seven when no one stopped outside the room.

It wasn't until he could hear nothing but his own heartbeat that he opened his eyes. He squinted into the dark room, even more poorly lit than the halls outside. The faint glow from his vision caught on dust motes he stirred up but did nothing to dispel the deeper shadows across the rest of the room.

The room was completely devoid of furniture. Or anything else, for that matter. Kaveh was just about to leave, try to retrace his steps to get back to the others and regroup, when what almost sounded like shallow breathing caught his attention. It was barely there, but still. He wouldn't (couldn't) risk it, just in case.

"Alhaitham..?" He barely dared raise his voice to a whisper, but it still sounded harsh against the otherwise silent space.

No reply.

Kaveh crept farther into the darkness, and by the dim green glow at his hip, he was finally able to make out the silhouette of a figure slumped against the far wall.

"Alhaitham?" He repeated himself, still hardly above a whisper, "I need you to say something, now please,"

Again, no reply. The form (Alhaitham?) shifted, just a little, and Kaveh could see that his arms were tied out to his sides, close enough to the ground that he couldn't stand if he tried.

Another step closer, and the glow at his hip is enough for him to be sure. It was Alhaitham.

"Hey, hey, hey, are you okay?" Throwing caution to the wind, Kaveh rushed across the rest of the room and fell to his knees in front of Alhaitham, "Give me just a minute, we'll get you untied and figure out how to get the hell out of this place,"

Kaveh could nearly cry with relief at just breathing in Alhaitham's presence again after more than a week of worrying himself sick over this idiot. His idiot.

Only, Alhaitham still didn't react. Kaveh didn't register the silence, nor his entire form tensing as he got closer. He just kept whispering meaningless reassurances as he inspected the knots at Alhaitham's wrists. The rope looked rough, and though he couldn't tell in the dark, it must have left some nasty friction burns. That would have to be dealt with later though. Kaveh could only do so much at once.

"I'm going to untie your right arm now, okay? Just hold still for me, will you," Kaveh's voice trembled just a little around the edges, but he tried to pay it no mind as he talked Alhaitham through his every move. Alhaitham, who still hadn't acknowledged him in the slightest.

Kaveh's hands were shaking, but he needed to get the rope untied before he could make sure Alhaitham was okay.

Kaveh's hand just barely brushed against the ties when Alhaitham lashed out without warning. A well-aimed kick knocked the wind out of Kaveh, and he fell flat back against the stone flooring. Alhaitham kicked at him again a second later, but misjudged badly and barely clipped his hip. Kaveh scrambled backward, just out of reach. Alhaitham continued to struggle for another few seconds, then fell still, breathing erratically.

"What the everloving fuck, Alhaitham!?" His words came out more of a wheeze than a shout.

Again, no reply.

Kaveh sat back, struggled to take a full breath, and finally took a minute to get a good look at Alhaitham. His legs weren't restrained, evidently. His arms were tied out to the side, tight enough that his hands rested maybe six inches from his body. His head was leaned back against the wall, and it was only then that Kaveh realized he was tightly blindfolded, and that his hearing aids were missing entirely. His vision was nowhere to be seen, either.

For the nth time, shit.

"Shit," Kaveh repeated the sentiment out loud. Of course, of course, it was so obvious now that he'd realized it that Kaveh thought he must have been stupid for not seeing it earlier. He was struck with the overwhelming urge to cry again as he sat on the dusty floor, less than a foot away from the most important person in his entire world, and realized that he didn't know what to do. He was sure now that Alhaitham didn't know it was him here, he wouldn't have attacked Kaveh otherwise. In theory, all he needed to do was let Alhaitham know it was him, then he could get the damned blindfold off and untie him and they could go home and forget that any of this ever happened.

The flaw in his plan presented itself when he shifted closer and was immediately met with another misaimed kick.

" Fuck! I'm trying to help you, you infuriating idiot!" Kaveh snapped, shuffling to the side and out of easy range. He knew he was being unfair, that Alhaitham was only acting out of a misplaced sense of self-defense, but he couldn't seem to keep his mouth shut. It's not like Alhaitham was going to hear him anyway.

Kaveh sat back on his heels observing until Alhaitham stopped struggling again. The more he watched, the weaker Alhaitham seemed. He couldn't have good leverage from his position on the floor, either. He had surprise on his side the first time, but Kaveh was almost certain that if he went about it right, he could get close enough to hold him still, and then… Well, he'd figure out the rest as he goes. They'd known each other for years, Alhaitham had to recognize him eventually. Definitely. Probably. He hoped.

After what felt like far too long, Alhaitham finally settled back against the wall. His breathing was too fast, and he still looked ready to start fighting again, but at least he was still.

"I'm really sorry that I have to do this," Kaveh said to no one. For his own benefit, maybe. He stood slowly and crept to Alhaitham's right, careful to place his feet as softly as possible. If Alhaitham sensed his change in position, he didn't react to it. Kaveh stepped close enough to touch, then closer still. He really, really didn't want to do this.

He didn't get the chance to change his mind and back out, though. The hem of his clothes brushed against Alhaitham's arm. Just barely, but it was enough.

Alhaitham twisted in a way that had to be painful and tried again to kick at Kaveh. But he was ready for it this time and sidestepped the blow easily. It took concerningly little effort for Kaveh to pin both of Alhaitham's legs between his and hold them there. Alhaitham didn't stop struggling with him, but with Kaveh straddling him and his arms tied, he couldn't get any farther than useless thrashing.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Kaveh couldn't stop apologizing. He really hoped that the Traveler and Cyno had dealt with the treasure hoarders because he didn't think he could fight right now if he needed to.

"Just sit still, you moron, I'm trying to help you, I'm sorry," Kaveh's voice broke on the last word, and it sounded distressingly closer to a sob than anything else.

Alhaitham stilled. Kaveh thought for a moment that he had been recognized, but he barely had time to articulate the thought before Alhaitham lunged forward and bit him. Hard.

"Ow! Fuck! " Kaveh shoved Alhaitham back by the neck, and his head cracked loudly against the wall. Kaveh's shoulder throbbed with the movement.

Alhaitham made a panicked, pained noise, and Kaveh's heart shattered. The tears that had been threatening since he found Alhaitham tied up in this horrible place finally overflowed, and once he started he couldn't seem to stop. He'd finally found Alhaitham after all this time and now he couldn't even help him.

"I'm so, so sorry- I know, I know, I'm sorry-" He cut himself off with a sob, and he knew Alhaitham couldn't hear him, that his apologies were worse than useless because he was sitting there crying like a baby instead of doing anything useful. But Kaveh couldn't think of anything else to do but hold him as still as possible and apologize.

Finally, Alhaitham seemed to give up on fighting him. All at once he went limp in Kaveh's hold. His head fell against the wall again, hitting the same spot it slammed earlier. The sight brought a fresh wave of tears over Kaveh. This would haunt his sleep for weeks, if not longer.

Alhaitham's breathing was worse than Kaveh's. His entire body was shaking, from adrenaline or something else, Kaveh couldn't be sure. What he could see of Alhaitham's face under the blindfold was scrunched up in an expression that Kaveh recognized as him having his eyes screwed shut.

Kaveh forced himself to calm down as best he could. He didn't dare release his hold on Alhaitham, not yet. He couldn't stand to repeat this entire process from the beginning. After another minute of no resistance, Kaveh adjusted his grip on Alhaitham's shoulders and brought his hand to the edge of the blindfold. Alhaitham flinched away from the touch, and Kaveh felt his own face crumble.

"I know, I know, we just need to get this off of you," Kaveh knew it wasn't helping, but he couldn't just do this silently. The meaningless chatter was to keep himself sane more than anything else.

A little experimental prodding showed the blindfold was stuck in place. They'd fucking glued it to him. A gentle tug earned him nothing but another flinch. Alhaitham turned his face as far away from Kaveh's touch as he could, and when Kaveh reached out again, Alhaitham made a noise that could only be described as a whimper.

"I'm sorry, I won't touch it again, I promise. Damn it," Kaveh withdrew his hand, but Alhaitham kept his head turned. The blindfold wasn't coming off for now, then. He had no way to know what was keeping it in place, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt Alhaitham. More than he already had, his mind supplied unhelpfully. At a loss of what to do, Kaveh hovered uselessly.

They were at a standstill. Kaveh didn't move, and Alhaitham didn't fight him. Sitting this close, Kaveh could pick out every scrape and bruise littered across Alhaitham's face. If Kaveh ever met any of the people who did this to him, he was going to kill them. He didn't think he would feel particularly bad about it, either.

They couldn't stay here, though. It wasn't safe, and after minutes of limbo, Alhaitham's breathing still hadn't settled. Kaveh couldn't really blame him, but he was going to pass out if he kept on like this, and that was the last thing they needed. Even if it would make things simpler for a moment.

"Hey, hey, you need to breathe, you idiot," Kaveh's voice sounded fragile even to his own ears. Alahitham, of course, didn't react.

Kaveh was starting to plan out what he'd do if Alhaitham did pass out. A likelihood that was feeling more inevitable by the second.

In a last-ditch effort to do something, anything, he cupped the side of Alhaitham's head in a gesture as familiar to him as putting pen to paper. Alhaitham flinched again because of course he did, but there was no room left for him to move away. Kaveh ran his hand over the back of Alhaitham's head, careful to avoid what must be a nasty bruise forming, and tried not to cry again.

He repeated the motion once, then again. Still no reaction. On the fourth pass, he buried his hand in Alhaitham's hair and scratched a little. A motion that would usually make Alhaitham practically melt. Now, he just leaned back into Kaveh's hand. It was barely noticeable, but it was enough. Kaveh stilled, trying not to get his hopes up.

And finally, finally, Alhaitham whispered, "Kaveh?"

His voice was horrible, shaken and raw, and far too vulnerable to ever be coming from Alhaitham. Nonetheless, it was the most beautiful sound Kaveh had ever heard.

"Yes," Kaveh sobbed, "yes, It's me, I'm right here," and too late he realized that Alhaitham still couldn't hear him, so he let go of where he was still holding him down and tapped frantically on his shoulder. Prayed that would be enough.

It was. Alhaitham lost all remaining tension in his body at once and dropped his forehead onto Kaveh's injured shoulder. It hurt, but Kaveh wanted nothing more than to hold him there forever, where no one would ever be able to hurt him again. But Alhaitham's arms were still tied, and Kaveh still had to figure out how to get them both out of this place in one piece. Once they're home and safe in bed, he'll focus on never letting Alhaitham out of his arms again.

When Kaveh pulled away to start working on the ropes, Alhaitham jerked to follow after him and said what might have been the start of a plea for him to stay. His ties didn't allow much movement though, and he was forced to stop before he got far. Kaveh ran a hand through his hair one last time, hoped it was reassurance enough, and knew it couldn't be.

He made quick work of the ties. Just as he'd feared when he first saw them, Alhaitham's wrists were rubbed raw with rope burn. It looked painful, and Kaveh cringed in sympathy.

As soon as the ropes were untied, Alhaitham collapsed against him completely. Kaveh was already waiting to catch him.

The shaking was back tenfold. Kaveh held him as tightly as he dared and rubbed his hand up and down his back. After a moment, he began to rock slowly, much the way one would do with an upset child.

The worst part was over now, at least. The fact that he found Alhaitham at all in the maze-like hallways was a miracle in and of itself. All that was left to do was somehow retrace his earlier escape, find Cyno and the Traveler, and get outside and away. While carrying Alhaitham. Without getting caught by treasure hoarders, preferably. Easy-peasy. He'd had clients more difficult.

Unfortunately, that plan started with the slow process of extracting himself from Alhaitham's grip. The shattered remains of his heart twinged when Alhaitham buried his face in Kaveh's shoulder and clung all the harder for it.

Now, he thought, would be a great time for some backup.

For once in Kaveh's life, Celestia seemed to shine on him. He'd hardly finished the thought when he heard his name called. The voice was muffled, probably at least a few rooms away, but undeniably Cyno. Now that he was listening for it, he thought he heard the Traveler echo the call from farther away.

"I'm here," his voice came out shaky and too quiet. He forced a steady breath before trying again, "HERE! We're in here!"

The door banged open a moment later, and Kaveh sent another silent thank you to whoever was listening.

Cyno turned back to the hall, "I found them both, they're okay!"

Kaveh couldn't quite make out the Traveler's response.

"Are you injured?" Cyno knelt next to them. Alhaitham's vision shone at his belt. Kaveh breathed a sigh of relief. One less thing to worry about.

Kaveh shook his head, "No, I'm fine. I don't- I can't tell how badly he's hurt, but his headphones are missing and he can't see. I can't get the damned blindfold off. They had him tied up," Kaveh's voice broke on the last word.

"Hm," Cyno hummed his acknowledgment, "Can you carry him? The rest of the building is clear, but we need to get out of here before that changes."

"Yeah. Yeah, I can do that," Kaveh said, "as long as he doesn't fight me."

Just the fact that he wouldn't have to guess at a way out alone or avoid danger made the entire situation less daunting. Cyno was more qualified for this than Kaveh, that much was blindingly obvious in how composed he was.

Kaveh shifted until he was crouched next to Alhaitham and worked one arm under his legs, the other around his back to hold him in a bridle carry. Lifting him was easier than it should have been. Kaveh was far from weak, but they were nearly the same height and Alhaitham should have weighed far more. Would have, two weeks ago.

Alhaitham didn't resist, though he did grab a fistful of Kaveh's shirt like a lifeline.

Kaveh pressed a quick kiss to Alhaitham's temple and squeezed him just a little tighter. Once they were out of there, he swore he wouldn't let him out of his sight ever again.