Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I made this fanart and got inspired to write a fanfic based on it lol

here's the fanart:

And here's the fanfic lol

BTW: will include headcanons such as autism spectrum!Alhaitham and ADHD!Kaveh

Also, idk if i headcanon kaveh as natural blonde or brunette so that might flip back and forth throughout the fit lmao

Chapter Text

It was a cloudy afternoon over all of Sumeru. Which isn't unusual for this time of year, of course, the rainy season was rolling in and Tighnari anticipated many more grey days in the coming months.

Which made this batch or water-repellant gel all the more important to get finished. He doesn't need to be wringing his tail dry every single day. Especially since he ran out of gel just a few days ago.

He poked at the small fire keeping the concoction warm before scooting his chair to the other side of his desk.

Where a stack of unread papers sat.

Where they've sat for the past week.

Because he hates paperwork.

Not just because of how tedious it is but because the way they're written makes his ears bleed. All the legal and regulatory jargon to try and trick him into agreeing to some destructive project of some rich retired scholar with too much free time on his hands.

And too little care for the health of the forests.

So most of the time with paperwork included Tighnari rejecting proposals and drafting letters explaining exactly why it was such a stupid idea in the first place.

Of course, worded in a much more...eloquent way.

But alas, there are only so many ways to eloquently tell someone to fuck off.

This is all besides the point.

He was in the middle of rereading a pamphlet of papers when a dusk bird swooped in to land on his arm. 

It shook itself dry, splattering most of the papers with big blots of water.

Tighnari sighed, "You should really be more careful." He scolded as he untied the small container from the bird's leg.

He receives many letters from dusk birds and this particular one is very well trained. So it should know better than to get so close to his work. 

Though, it seemed the poor little thing was in a hurry so Tighnari will let it slide this time. So he offered a piece of harra fruit, which it happily took.

Now to whatever this letter is...huh...

"Please come to the Office of the Acting Grand Sage immediately. Thank you." it read, in very neat handwriting and stamped with the Lesser Lord's seal.

"Well isn't that interesting." He stated. The bird squawked, heading back on its way.

Tighnari watched it leave and upon seeing the state of the forest, sighed.

It was pouring.

-a long, wet trip later-

Tighnari pulled his rain cloak tighter as he ascended the many many winding pathways up to the Akademiya. 

This had better be something very important to make him come all the way into the city in the archon-forsaken rain. 

He shouldn't forsake the rain though, it's vital for the health of the world. But it's also a pain in his ass sometimes. His tail is going to be so frizzy tomorrow and it's going to be awful.

Grumbling, he shoved open the doors to the Akademiya and trudged inside, his shoes squeaking and squelching with every step across the clean tile floors. He ignored the confused looks on passing students' faces and made a B-line to the House of Daena. As the elevator ascended, he pulled back the hood of his cloak. His ears sprung up and he gently ran his damp gloved hands over them to get rid of the static. 

The elevator door opened and Tighnari stepped out. 

"What could be so urgent that I had to come here in a rain storm--" Tighnari stopped talking upon seeing the scene in front of him. 

"What on Kusanali's green earth is going on here?" He said as he attempted to process the sight.

Lesser Lord Kusanali sat at the Grand Sage desk and in front of her stood three children. 

Three children who appeared far too familiar. 

The tallest, a light brown-haired boy, standing with his arms crossed and an angry pout on his lips. The next with long, messy white hair and dark, sun-kissed skin. And the smallest, with short grey hair and a slight blush to his cheeks. 

On the desk sat three piles of neatly folded clothes-which looked like their usual outfits. They, on the other hand, seemed to be dressed in spare children's clothes probably brought up from the Akademiya's daycare. 

"Chief Forest RangerTighnari! I appreciate you coming all the way out here for this." Nahida began, hands held together on the desk in front of her, "As you can see we have quite the situation on our hands."

"Yes, yes--I can see that." Tighnari mumbled, bringing one hand up to rub at his forehead, "What happened?" 

The room went silent with everyone just exchanging glances.

Kaveh let out a long sigh, uncrossing his arms to put his hands on his hips, "Fine! Since nobody else wants to talk, I will." He said, voice carrying an unmistankingly "Kaveh" tone to it. Making it very uncanny to be hearing it from a child.

-earlier that morning-

"--and that is why I urge the Office of the Grand Sage to allow me and my team to move forward with this construction project." Kaveh finished with a breath.

"That was better but you're going to need to do more to convince me to approve this." Alhaitham stated.

Kaveh stopped walking and breathed out a dramatic groan, "I have explained it five times already!" The architect declared, "What else is there for me to explain?! Shall I grovel at your feet, oh Mr. High-And-Mighty?!" 

Alhaitham stayed quiet for a moment, continuing forward.

"You--ugh." Kaveh grumbled, jogging to catch up.

"How much further until the proposed location?" Alhaitham wondered, glancing at the trees surrounding the path. 

"Not too far, just keep moving west and--wait, what's that?" Kaveh stopped walking, turning to look at something in a nearby clearing.

Alhaitham kept moving, "Now isn't the time to discover new plants and animals--"

"I'm not! Just--come look at this!" Kaveh insisted. 

Alhaitham sighed and walked over. He wanted to get back to his office. It was humid and hot today and he had actual work to do. Not to mention the clouds rolling in threating rain. This little excursion wasn't factored into his original plan, which is already packed to the brim and perfectly paced for him to get off fifteen minutes early. If this takes any longer, he might even have to work overtime. 

He does not want to work overtime. 

"It's a ley-line deposit." He stated, starting to get annoyed. 

"I know that! But it turned red for a moment, I swear--oh! There it goes again!" Kaveh tugged Alhaitham's arm.

While still skeptical of whether or not this was some sort of forest illusion, Alhaitham would be lying if he said his interest wasn't piqued. 

"Interesting." He said softly. 

"What do we do? I mean, obviously the Acting Grand Sage now knows about whatever this situation is but should we alert any matra or the forest rangers?" Kaveh wondered, looking back at the shifting, cloudy orb as it shifted back to blue. 

"The General Mahamatra studied Spantamad, correct? He might have some insight on this." Alhaitham suggested. 

"Let's go get him then. Though, maybe one of us should stay here to keep an eye on this and make sure nobody gets near." Kaveh suggested. 

They both nodded, Alhaitham sitting down on a nearby rock while Kaveh began his journey back to the city. 

-a while later-

Alhaitham perked up from his book upon hearing voices approach.

"You're sure it wasn't some illusion or construct made by a fungus?" Cyno asked, spear in hand.

"Yes I am sure, what do you take me for? Some kind of idiot who doesn't know an illusion from reality?" Kaveh scoffed.

"Occasionally." Cyno answered, mouth turning upwards in a smirk.

"I swear both of you are the worst." Kaveh grumbled before meeting eyes with Alhaitham, "How's the ley-line doing?" 

"Fine. It shifts at an interval of two and a half minutes blue and five minutes red and lets out a puff of energy every fifteen. While the fog was at its thinnest I checked the plant life of the perimeter. The grass is significantly shorter where the fog touchesand all the wildflowers seem to be returned to buds." The man explained.

"So it seems as if this ley-line deposit is reverting the plants to a different state-of-being." Cyno stated, stepping forward to get a clear look.

"Is there any information on the meaning of red ley-lines?" Kaveh asked. 

"No. At least, nothing concrete. Just speculation due to the extremely rare occurrences. I, for one, thought they were just early documented ways to explain withering zones. We know ley-lines interact with the world in a unique way, seemingly acting as a memory for any life it comes into contact with. But I've never seen anything like this." Cyno said, bending down to pick a former flower from the ground. 

"You said it pulses energy every fifteen minutes?" Cyno asked Alhaitham, who nodded, "And how long has it been since the last wave?"

"About twelve, give or take." Alhaitham answered.

"Right, so let's--"

Before Cyno could finish, the ley-line flashed bright before engulfing an entire thirty foot radius of the clearing with thick red smoke.

The three men coughed as the smoke filled their lungs. 

It felt as it filled their entire beings, making every inch of their bodies tingle from the inside and out. Which, yes, felt as strange and unsettling as it sounds.

The world felt as if it was shifting. Or were they shifting? 

Until after what felt like an eternity, the ley-line deposit vanished as if it was never there in the first place.

-back to present time-

"And so we made our way back to the Akademiya for help." Kaveh finished explaining. 

Tighnari rubbed at his temples, "You should have come to the forest rangers first." He grumbled to himself, "So why was I called here?" He decided to ask the archon.

The archon smiled, "Well, they'll need someone to care for them, of course." She answered.

The three boys flushed red.

"They all seem to have their adult minds, I can't possibly be asked to babysit three grown men." Tighnari pointed out.

"Yes but they have the bodies of small children. Small children who don't have the same coordination as their adult bodies do." She explained. This fact was evident when they first came into this office. She would definitely use the word "toddling" for Alhaitham.

Tighnari nodded. That makes sense, plus, they're so small they could be kidnapped or easily hurt. Which reminded him.

"How old are you three anyway? How far back did that ley-line revert your bodies?" He asked them. 

"Judging by my hair length and my height, I'd say around six." Kaveh answered.

"Hmm...pro'ly 'bout four." Cyno answered, obvious childish lisp affecting his speech. 

Alhaitham tugged at the bottom of his shirt, "F-f--" He paused, furrowing his brows, "F-fe--" He huffed through his nose before just holding up three fingers. His face burned hotter, both with embarrassment and in frustration. He vowed to avoid talking. Or at least saying words that he would fumble the most.

Tighnari nodded, "I see." So The ley-line rewound their bodies around 25 years. 

"It's my hypothesis that this ley-line effect will eventually wear off on its own." Nahida said.

"And how long will that be?" Tighnari asked, placing a hand on his hip. 

"Could take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, it's impossible to make predictions at this moment. Though, I'll be doing my own research to find out more about this phenomena." She assured him.

"Alright, well, it sounds like it's still raining and my home all the way in Gandharva Ville isn't very child-proofed so--" Tighnari started before Alhaitham held out a key.

"Mm-mine. S'close." He managed to say, shuffling forward to hand Tighnari the key.

"Hey! That's my key!" Kaveh declared, noting the little lion keychain.

The now-babysitter walked over to gather up the clothes of the three former adults. 

"Then let's head off. Thank you, Lesser Lord Kusanali." He said with a nod. The archon nodded back.

"Happy to help, I'll let you know if I find any information." She told him as he ushered the three kids into the elevator. 

Once the doors closed, Tighnari closed his eyes to think about the situation he was currently in.

Never in a million years would he imagine this being his life. 

And yet, here he is.

With the kid versions of the Light of Kshahrewar, the Acting Grand Sage, and the General Mahamatra.

This has got to be the strangest babysitting job anyone has ever done.

__

A/N: No promises on an update schedule, work be busy and I be tired lol

Chapter Text

The elevator ride was mostly silent until someone's stomach growled.

"I'm so hungry." Kaveh whined.

Alhaitham shot him a glare, wanting to go on about how 'Of course you're hungry, because you always forget to eat proper meals and even when you DO remember to eat, it's random junk that provides no substance and just leaves you more tired than before' but keeping his mouth shut so he doesn't make a fool out of himself again. 

While it's normal for him to be a man of few words, the reasons for staying quiet are different in his day-to-day life. Whereas on a normal day, he finds no need to say anything because he just doesn't want to; right now he doesn't want to say anything in fear of embarrassment.

I mean, how much worse can this situation get?

These clothes don't fit right and the texture is just god awful, everything seems brighter and louder, and he has all these strange swirling emotions in his stomach that make it feel like one wrong move and he'll have a meltdown. He can't even wear his earpieces because they're too big now. 

It's all a mess and he shouldn't stayed in his office. None of this would've happened if he just kept his ass in his office chair doing his job.

Breathe, Alhaitham breathe, no use working yourself up over it right now. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the elevator doors slid open, making an awful grinding sound as they did so.

Mental note: get that the fuck fixed. He thought to himself as he quickly covered his ears with his hands and followed the rest of the group.

"Alhaitham? Hey, Alhaitham are you even listening?!" Kaveh demanded, to which Alhaitham just deepened his earlier glare. Apparently, the other three were having a conversation during the elevator ride.

"You sure you s'ill got your 'dult b'ain in dere??" Cyno asked, momentarily cringing as his poor enunciation. 

"Yes-jus-shh." Alhaitham insisted. He wants to go home.

"I'm not even being that loud, jeez." Kaveh pointed out.

Tighnari sighed, "Just leave him alone right now. What do we want to have for dinner?" He decided to change the subject.

Kaveh immediately perked up again, "Soup! I never getta have good homemade soup!"

"I like soup," Cyno agreed.

"NO!" Alhaitham yelled before thinking, making the whole House of Daena look in his direction. 

Tighnari looked down in surprise. He doesn't think he's ever heard Alhaitham raise his voice before. 

While this library was usually always quiet, it now carried a heavy air of awkwardness as students and professors alike turned to see whatever small child just yelled in here.. So Tighnari started to more quickly usher the three boys out. 

"I can make them soup and make you your own dish if you'd like." He suggested, wanting to calm the situation before it spiraled. 

The scribe huffed, face red, and nodded.

"Perfect, now what sort of ingredients do you have in your home, Alhaitham?" Tighnari wondered.

"Defin'ly nothing to make soup, that's for sure." Kaveh said.

"Then we may need to make a stop at the market."

"Ugh but it's still raining!" Kaveh groaned as Tighnari pushed open the Akademiya door. 

"I'm sure Nari can a-rain-ge a solution." Cyno stated, crossing his arms proudly. 

The rest of the group just ignored him, "We can handle bein' in a house on our own for jus' a little bit." Kaveh suggested, rolling his eyes.

Tighnari narrowed his eyes as he looked at each kid, "Why don't I believe you?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Cause we're still adults. Just tiny now." Kaveh insisted.

"We're res-repson-respona-re-reponsable." Cyno managed to sound out. His mouth just wouldn't make the proper motions for that word. Frustrating, but he nailed it in the end. Of course.

"Uh huh." Tighnari nodded slowly, "Let's just...get to Alhaitham's house and think of next steps there." 

With that, he scooped both Cyno and Alhaitham up. Very easily. Because, you see, they are very small now. It'll make the trip much quicker considering how very very slow Alhaitham, in particular, was toddling. Besides, tripping on these pathways can be painful and also dangerous. Better to be safe than sorry.

Cyno just gasped but settled with one arm around Tighnari's shoulder and the other gripping tightly to his hoodie. Alhaitham, on the other hand, was not happy and made that very clear.

"No, no no no, no hold." He insisted, trying to wriggle free. 

"Alhaitham, it's still pouring and I want to get to your house as soon as possible." Tighnari tried to reason. 

But the now-toddler continued to shake his head. He did not want to be held. He did not want to be touched. He wants to go home.

His hands gripped tighter around his ears.

Loud.

Loud.

The rain is too loud. 

He wants to be put down.

He needs to be put down. 

He barely registered his feet making contact with the ground again and when he did, he just crouched down and kept shaking his head. 

"Alhaitham, you need to listen to my voice okay? You gotta breathe with me." Tighnari said calmly, crouching down. Since it was pretty clear Alhaitham didn't want to be touched, Tighnari unfolded the jacket that the scribe normally wore over one shoulder. Why one shoulder, no one will ever know, but hopefuly this is something big and familiar enough.

Gently, Tighnari draped the cloak around the little scribe, "Breathe in......And breathe out." He continuously said. 

Eventually, Alhaitham started hesitantly following along to the breathing and let go of his ears, pulling the coat tight over the top of his head.

"Good, keep breathing, but let's try to stand up straight, okay?" The fox gently coaxed, glad to see that Alhaitham listened and was slowly standing back up straight.

After a few more rounds of breathing, Alhaitham sniffled and wiped his eye with a fist, "S-so-sow-sorry." He stammered, face growing hot. Not only was he tired from coming down from a sensory overload but he was incredibly frustrated at himself for letting it happen in the first place. He knows how to calm himself down if a trigger suddenly occurs but just now he couldn't stop. It just felt too big and he feels so small and the world is so much. 

It was awful.

"No need to be sorry. I'm sorry for picking you up without asking." Tighnari insisted before standing back up, "Now, luckily for you, the rain has lightened up quite a bit." He pointed out.

"You okay?" Kaveh asked quietly, stepping over to stand next to Alhaitham. 

The scribe just nodded a little, pulling the cloak tighter around himself. 

"Alright then, to Alhaitham's house and then to the market."Tighnari confirmed, "Cyno, would you still like be carried?" He decided to ask.

"Yes." The mahamatra said, raising up his arms. Once he was up and settled on Tighnari's hip, he smiled, "It's like a carnival ride." He explained, glancing around from his new high up vantage point.

"Kaveh, hold my hand,"Tighnari said, offering up his free one.

"What, why?" Kaveh asked, absolutely insulted. 

"Because you are small and this city is big and I do not want to lose you." The fox explained.

"You won't! I'm not dumb, I'm not gonna get lost." He insisted, folding his arms over his chest.

"I never said that you're dumb. Please just take my hand, Kaveh. It's for your own safety and my sanity." Tighnari went on, not wanting to argue more. 

Kaveh glared at the outstretched hand, "You make us dessert too?" He wagered.

Tighnari sighed, "I'll make dessert." He agreed.

Kaveh laughed heartily and took the hand.

This was an absolute win.

"Alhaitham, keep a hold on my tail, please." Tighnari said, looking down at the smallest little guy. 

Hesitantly, he pulled one hand from inside the safety of his coat and gently touched the fox's tail.

Immediately, his eyes lit up and he stepped closer, sticking both hands in. It was warm and soft and very very nice. 

And with that, they were on their way.

But archons-above did it take way longer than it should have. 

Tighnari only prays it won't be like this the whole time. 

And the author says "hehehehe"

Chapter Text

With everyone settled in their spot along the Tighnari train, the walk to Alhaitham's house was relatively seamless. 

Only "relatively" because of the many times Tighnari had to slow down because Kaveh spotted something and wanted to stop and look as well as every time they went down an incline, Alhaitham would tighten his grip in Tighnari's tail and shuffle very very slowly. Though, that part was completely understandable considering the poorly thought-out ramps scattered around the city. They were a huge hazard, being far too steep and having no guard rails whatsoever. He made a mental note to bring it up to Kaveh once this whole thing is over. The architect is well-respected and should have enough sway in Kshahrewar to get this fixed.

But that is all for later. Back to now.

They finally made it to the house and Tighnari unlocked the door with the key Alhaitham handed over earlier.

"Thank the archons, my hand was gettin' sweaty." Kaveh announced, letting go of Tighnari's hand and heading inside. 

Alhaitham let go of Tighnari's tail and quickly made his way in as well, going straight to his room. 

"Alright so I'll make Sabz Meat Stew for myself, Kaveh, and Cyno and I'll make some pita pockets for Alhaitham. Sound good?" Tighnari asked as he set Cyno down and made his way to the kitchen. 

"And dessert!" Kaveh called from the study.

"Yes, and dessert. But it's not going to be homemade." Tighnari pointed out with a nod, "Now, are you all sure you can stay here on your own while I get ingredients?" He asked, mentally checking off spices and flour from his mental shopping list since he spotted them in the cabinets.

"Yep!" Kaveh called again.

"Mmhmm." Alhaitham mumbled as he toddled back into the great room, a large fluffy blanket wrapped around himself and dragging on the floor behind him. 

"Can I go with you?" Cyno wondered. 

"Sure, but since I'm going to have to carry things, you need to stay close. No wandering off." Tighnari said firmly.

"Kay." Cyno said, turning to leave. 

"Alright, let's go then." The fox said before closing the door behind him.

Alhaitham made his way into the study. Considering he was going to be stuck like this for an uncertain amount of time, he wanted to go ahead and fetch a few books he'd been meaning to get to. Luckily he still retained his ability to read or else he doesn't know what he'd do. Probably just curl up in a corner and sleep until the leyline effect wore off. 

Or die.

Unfortunately, the books he wanted were all on shelves he could no longer reach. Not even that high either, literally just the mid-height shelves. 

He furrowed his brows.

"Stop pouting, which book did you want?" Kaveh asked, suddenly appearing at Alhaitham's side. This made the scribe jump in surprise but he quickly replaced the expression of shock with a frown.

"Was no' poutin'." He insisted.

"Sure you weren't. Which book?" Kaveh asked again.

Alhaitham stayed quiet for a moment, knowing that he would not be pronounce the long, complicated titles of the books he wanted. So he simply pointed and answered with a simple affirmative sound when Kaveh grabbed the correct books.

"T'anks." He said, holding the three very thick, and very heavy, books to his chest.

"Ya know, I think I like you better this way. Tiny, cute, and quiet. My sweet little junior." Kaveh said with a giggle, ruffling Alhaitham's hair. 

This got another angry pout from the smaller.

"T'iple w-rent." Alhaitham struggled but successfully stated, before turning to leave. Rent dues increased for this roommate harassment. 

"Oh you--ugh, whatever." Kaveh huffed and returned to his desk. He hopped up into the chair and scooted his actual work off to the side. He needed blank paper.

Now that he's home, he can finally let out this energy that's been bubbling up inside of him. Not even just restlessness, like usual, but a huge wave of artistic motivation.

And any artist knows that once you get the energy to create, you need to act on it before the motivation wave passes.

He felt like he was just overflowing with creativity and inspiration and also just wanted to make sure he could get all the ideas he had on paper before he aged back up. 

Granted, nothing he writes or draws right now will be usable considering his terrible coordination, but he puts the actual execution portion to his future self. It's the ideas that are most important right now. 

So let's begin.

-meanwhile-

"Alright so we've got the baklava, snapdragons, onions, tomatoes. All that's left is the meat and milk." Tighnari listed as they made their way to the general items stand.

Cyno held the bag with the onions and tomatoes close to his chest like they held the rarest TCG cards in existence. 

If he didn't stay completely focused, he feared he'd drop it and that cannot happen. He's very very hungry and wants dinner as soon as possible.

Plus, he can feel the spirit of Hermanubis swirling inside himself just itching to come out and wreak havoc. He had hoped that the pact he made with it years ago would've still stayed intact to keep the spirit in line but it seems that isn't the case.

So he must be careful, not get too excited or stimulated. Just focus. It doesn't matter if he already feels a headache coming on, he can cope. 

At least Hermanubis hurts him more than it hurts others. The last thing he wants is to put others at risk.

Maybe he should've just stayed at Alhaitham's house and not bothered to tag along with Tighnari. But he can't help it, he likes helping and accomplishing tasks. 

"You sure you're okay holding that bag?" Tighnari asked, obviously noticing the strained look on Cyno's face.

"Yes. Jus' hung'y." Cyno stated. Tighnari knows Cyno very well so he obviously knew something was up.

"Is it Hermanubis?" He asked softly as they entered the Grand Bazaar as a shortcut.

"Maybe." Cyno mumbled. 

"You'll be alright, you've dealt with it before and without the foresight you have now. And also all alone without the support of friends." Tighnari assured him, gently patting the boy's fluffy white hair, "Besides, you're too small now to hurt anyone too badly." He added as they exited back outside.

Cyno nodded a little. He guesses Tighnari is right. But he still doesn't want to let himself relax too much. 

Nevertheless, the milk and meat were obtained and the two were headed back to Alhaitham's place. 

Tighnari unlocked the door and strolled in, glancing around to see if Kaveh and Alhaitham were okay. 

Kaveh came running in from the study, a mix of chalk pastels and charcoal smeared across his arms and face, "You're back! Finally! I'm starving!" He declared.

"What in the world have you been doing?" Tighnari asked as he set the ingredients on the counter. Cyno set his bag up there before grabbing a seat at the table to watch Tighnari cook.

"Drawing." Kaveh answered, reaching towards something on the counter. Tighnari caught his arm before he could touch anything.

"Ah! No, you are not touching anything in this kitchen until you clean yourself up first." The fox ordered.

Kaveh groaned, "Fine! Ugh, it's not even that bad." He mumbled, turning to go wash his hands in the bathroom. A little chalk in his stomach isn't that big of a deal. He's even drank paint water before, he'd survive. Builds character. But whatever, guess Tighnari is the boss now. 

"Wait, where's Alhaitham?" Tighnari asked.

"I dunno, am I s'posed to be his babysitter?" Kaveh asked, shrugging. 

The fox sighed and rolled his eyes, "Cyno, can you go find Alhaitham please?" Tighnari said.

"So I'm the babysitter?" Cyno wondered.

"Yes, now go." Tighnari said, waving a hand to shoo the boy off.

Cyno hopped down from his seat and started searching. 

Nothing in the study. Except for Kaveh's giant mess, that is. Kaveh is gonna get an earful from both Alhaitham and Tighnari about that.

Nobody in the living room. 

Kaveh's in the bathroom scrubbing aggressively at his arms. And making another mess. 

So now Cyno stands before the closed door to Alhaitham's bedroom.

The man is very clear that he never wants anybody in his room ever. 

Maybe because he holds secrets in there that the world is not ready to know?

Maybe he lives out sick fantasies that would ruin his life and reputation if word got out?

Yeah, no, he's just very particular about his things.

Obviously. 

Cyno gently knocked at the door. 

After a few moments - and the sound of books closing, some struggling, and gentle footsteps across the floor - it opened, "Yes?" Alhaitham asked simply, blanket still wrapped around himself.

"Nari wanted me to check on you. He's makin' dinner." Cyno said simply. 

"Kay." Alhaitham stated before closing the door back.

Cyno walked back to the kitchen, "He's in 'is room." He reported, climbing back up to sit at the table. 

"Did you tell him I was making dinner?" Tighnari asked as he washed the produce in the sink.

"Mhm." Cyno said.

"Thank you." Tighnari said with a nod.

Tighnari made quick work preparing dinner. Both because he himself was quite hungry and because Cyno and Kaveh were getting increasingly impatient; constantly asking if it was done yet.

It made the fox want to borrow Alhaitham's noise cancelling head pieces.

Or tape those impatient babies' mouths shut. 

But luckily, the stew was finished. 

"Stew is served," He said, setting two bowls at the table for Cyno and Kaveh, "It's still hot, so wait a bit before--." He warned, though Kaveh had already brought a spoon to his lips.

"Ah!" Kaveh declared, dropping his spoon. Tears pricked at the edges of his eyes.

Tighnari just sighed and made his way to Alhaitham's room, "Alhaitham, dinner is ready." He said, gently knocking on the door. 

He knew the boy, even as an adult, was very sensitive to sound and so yelling for him from the kitchen wasn't a good idea. 

The door opened slightly and Alhaitham looked up, "I eat in here." He stated.

"No, come eat in the kitchen, I don't want you making a mess." Tighnari said.

Alhaitham frowned, or well, deepened his frown, "Bu' I eat here e'ry day." He insisted.

"Yes, when you're a well-coordinated adult whom i can trust not to make a mess." The fox pointed out. 

They stared at one another in a ol' fashioned stand off.

Until Alhaitham's stomach rumbled and he finally relented. 

"No' fair." Alhaitham mumbled, shoving his way past Tighnari and heading to the kitchen. 

Yes how incredibly unfair of me. Tighnari thought to himself as he followed.

The boy started to climb up into his seat until Tighnari stopped him, "Ah, no blanket at the table." It's just one other thing to get messy. And it seemed like Alhaitham really liked this blanket so having tob put it out of commission to wash doesn't seem like the best outcome.

But the expression on the boy's face was something Tighnari had never seen Alhaitham show ever.

Distress.

Alhaitham pulled the blanket tighter and shook his head.

"Not even for twenty minutes so you can eat?" Tighnari asked gently. 

Alhaitham knew he was being difficult. He knew this wasn't the hill he wanted to die on. He knew he could survive 20 minutes without this blanket around him. It shouldn't be a big deal.

But it was.

Today has been the worst!

He's back to being the super-sensitive kid that he's worked for so many years to manage. Everything is just too much and it's awful! And the only comfort is his favorite blanket, which is nice, soft, and warm.

It almost feels like if he takes this blanket off, everything will just fall apart. 

So he can't.

He can't!

"Then can I help you into the chair and re-wrap the blanket so your arms are free to eat?" Tighnari asked.

Alhaitham took a deep breath, "Mmkay." He mumbled. 

Tighnari lifted the boy into the chair and gently readjusted the blanket so it draped around the back and over his arms, folded a few times on the ends to keep his hands free.

"T'anks." Alhaitham mumbled. Though, he glanced at the table surface and blushed, "Um....too high." He said. 

Both Cyno and Kaveh were knelt up on their chairs to properly reach the table but even if Alhaitham did that, which he didn't want to, he still wouldn't reach.

Tighnari mentally noted to get booster seats next time he was out. Or at least something that could serve the same purpose. 

"It's probably just easiest if I feed you then, is that okay?" Tighnari finally asked.

Cyno and Kaveh couldn't help but giggle but quickly quieted down when a glare was sent their way.

Alhaitham furrowed his brows and huffed through his nose, "Fine." He relented. Honestly, he just wanted this evening to come to an end so the sooner dinner was eaten, the sooner he can go to bed and wake up from this nightmare. 

Dinner passed without anymore hiccups, thank the archons.

Tighnari set the dishes in the sink to soak overnight before turning to the three boys still at the table, "Lights out in an hour and a half." He announced.

"Did you just give us a bedtime?" Kaveh asked with a laugh.

"Yes, because I am tired and those small bodies of yours need lots of rest." Tighnari said.

"The sun's barely down! I don't think I've ever gone to bed this early!" Kaveh declared.

"If you go t' bed at all." Alhaitham pointed out as he slid down from his seat and readjusted the blanket around himself.

"This is so unfair, I'm still an adult!" Kaveh said, which only got a raised eyebrow from the fox.

Cyno leaned down to Alhaitham, "Wanna make a bet dat Kaveh will fall asleep before den?" He whispered.

"I don' t'ink so." Alhaitham stated. Kaveh is notorious for staying up late. Even in this younger body, he's sure to have kept his fucked up circadian rhythm.

"Hund'ed mora?" Cyno offered is hand out.

"Deal." Alhaitham agreed, shaking Cyno's hand.

"What're you two chatting about?" Kaveh demanded, swiveling to glare at them.

"Nothin." Cyno stated, hopping off his seat and strolling into the living area.

Alhaitham just made a "lips sealed" signal before walking away as well. 

"Nevertheless, it's lights out in an hour and fifteen." Tighnari reminded.

"What?! It's already been fifteen minutes?!" Kaveh gasped, jumping from his chair and rushing into the study to continue working on his ideas.

Tighnari leaned back against the counter. 

Yeah, Kaveh's definitely gonna be out like a light before the hour's even up.

He's sure of it.

____________________________________

A/N: Don't worry guys, I haven't forgotten about this fic. It has haunted me the whole time it hasn't been updated. I fall asleep at night planning the next scenes lol.

Thanks for sticking with it and thanks for reading and have a wonderful day :)

Chapter Text

Tighnari stood at the sink washing the dishes from dinner, his mind running through the events of today. 

He'd never heard of any leyline incidents like this before. Yes, leylines held the memories of the world but it only ever showed as recreations of animal or plant life. One could interact with it but it never lasted long enough to make an impact.

There have been reports that, on occasion, leylines could sort of "replay" a past event that took place in that same spot. 

But nothing about present people being directly effected by a leyline disorder even when removed from the leyline location.

So what in the world happened to Alhaitham, Kaveh, and Cyno?

Tighnari huffed through his nose and dunked the plate he was holding under the soapy water.

Whatever was actually happening wasn't any of his business!

It was the business of the Dendro Archon herself!

All Tighnari is tasked to do is take care of these three in the meantime.

Which is already a monumental task to begin with so he shouldn't spare any energy to postulating his own hypotheses on the matter.

All this would do is cause him a headache.

Of course all of this needs to be reversed as soon as possible but he has more important things to do.

Like getting these three to bed. 

"Alright," He said to himself as he unplugged the sink drain, "Bedtime." He dried his hand with the disk towel before setting it down on the counter. 

"Already?" Cyno asked from the living room, TCG cards strewn across the couch around him.

Tighnari nodded, "Yep, clean that up and go brush your teeth. Me and you can sleep out here on the couches. I'll go find some spare blankets." Tighnari said.

Cyno sighed, sadly picking his cards back up to put back in his Casket of Tomes.

"Kaveh? Where--" Tighnari began as he opened the door to the study.

Said child was sleeping soundly, head and arm resting on the messy drawing he was working on.

"Knew it." Tighnari mumbled, making his way over.

He gently picked the boy up, noting the colorful smears on the side of his face that was against the drawing. Kaveh can forego the teeth brushing tonight but Tighnari is definitely wiping all this stuff off. The still-sleeping boy just readjusted in Tighnari's arms and continued to sleep.

They made their way to the bathroom where Tighnari dampened a washcloth with warm water. Kaveh made a quiet whine as his face and arm got cleaned but otherwise stayed sleeping. Jeez, he must've been really tired. 

On their way to Kaveh's room, Tighnari poked his head into Alhaitham's room to ask where the spare pillows and blankets were.

Only to realize that Alhaitham was sound asleep as well.

With a sigh, he just continued to Kaveh's room. He pulled back the covers and gently laid the boy in bed. Honestly, both Kaveh and Alhaitham had pretty big beds and it seemed a little unfair that their current teeny tiny kid bodies have all that space while Tighnari has to fit himself on the couch.

They can have a discussion about the sleeping arrangements tomorrow morning.

For now, Tighnari tucked Kaveh in snug as a bug and exited the room to do the same for Alhaitham.

Books were scattered around the tiny body that laid sleeping in bed and the one he was reading laid open across his torso. Tighnari started collecting the books, making them into a neat pile before setting them on the bedside table. He slipped a bookmark into the open one before setting it aside as well. 

With that, he pulled the covers over Alhaitham. The boy made a soft noise before turning over and sticking his thumb in his mouth. This action caught Tighnari off guard and he had to cover his mouth.

So cute! 

As strange as this whole situation is, that single action caused an explosion of warmth inside Tighnari's chest.

He quickly exited the room to leave the boy in peace.

"Found the blankets." Cyno called from the bathroom, having just finished brushing his teeth.

"Shh, they're already asleep." Tighnari pointed out.

"Oh, sorry." Cyno whispered as he pulled a big fluffy blanket from a closet in the hallway. the pillows were on a much higher shelf but luckily the blankets were down lower.

Tighnari walked over and pulled out everything they needed, helping Cyno carry them to the living room. He headed back to the bathroom to brush his teeth and whatnot and by the time he was finished, Cyno was already asleep, having blanket burrito-ed himself.

Tighnari checked that the door was locked before turning off all the lights and tucking himself in. He's not sure how sore he'll be in the morning from sleeping out here but he knows he's going to sleep well. 

In just half a day of babysitting these three, he feels like he's run laps around the desert three times. 

Let's just hope tomorrow fares easier.

Even better, maybe this whole thing will be over and he won't have to lift another finger!

Yeah...

---3 a.m.---

"-nari! T'nari!" A whisper said. The fox jolted awake, ears perked and tail fluffed up.

"What?! What happened?!" He quickly asked, still delirious from sleep. 

He blinked a few times in the darkness before glancing at his side, "Kaveh?"

"Sorry!" Kaveh whispered, clutching his blanket and pillow around him. 

"What's wrong? Why are you up?" Tighnari wondered, leaning forward and wiping his eyes. 

"Uh, it's just...uh...really dark in my room....and it was kinda freaking me out.....and my bed feels too big.....so....uh.....mind if I sleep out here?" Kaveh explained. If it wasn't so dark, Tighnari would've seen the dusting of pink across Kaveh's cheeks. 

Tighnari took a moment to process what Kaveh said. "Yeah, go ahead, there's--" he began to point out the extra couch but before he could Kaveh was climbing up on the same one Tighnari was laying on.

Whatever, the kid's small and won't be much of a bother. Tighnari got used to sharing a bed when he first took in Collei and she'd be too scared to sleep on her own. He'd sit and wait for her to fall asleep but end up falling asleep as well. 

So the fox just pulled his covers back up and fell back asleep. 

---6:15 a.m.---

Tighnari opened his eyes to the beginnings of dawn. He usually woke up around this time to start preparing for his daily Forest Ranger duties. While, technically, he wasn't working today, his body still forced him to wake up early. 

He went to stretch his legs and back but felt a small body curled up against him.

Oh yeah, Kaveh came out here last night.

But...there was a little bundle of blonde (Author here: I still dont know if I headcanon Kaveh being a natural blonde or a brunette so bear with me as this changes throughout the story) hair sticking out from beneath the covers near his chest. 

Tighnari craned his neck to see behind him and spotted a messy head of pale hair against a tanned face.

When the hell did Cyno come over here?

Tighnari sighed before laying his head back down. Neither kid seemed to want to wake up any time soon so he might as well get at least a half an hour longer of rest. Archons knows he needs it.

---10:45 a.m.---

Tighnari awoke to the smell of smoke.

So immediately he launched himself out of bed.

He scrambled into the kitchen to see the disaster.

Kaveh stood on a chair at the stove which was billowing thick grey smoke.

Cyno stood with a bucket of water ready to splash it.

And Alhaitham sat at the table holding his nose shut.

"CYNO! Do NOT throw that water!" Tighnari yelled first, grabbing the extinguisher from the cabinet and swooping in to grab Kaveh and get him away from the stove. He then wrapped his hand in the nearby dish towel before grabbing the smoking pan. Which then got carried outside. He then sprayed a healthy amount of extinguisher onto the pan until the smoking slowed down. 

He left it there to cool off before heading inside and opening every window he could.

Which now brought him standing in front of the three kids, arms crossed over his chest. 

"What the HELL were you guys thinking?!" He demanded, "I understand you still have your adult minds but that doesn't mean you have the same dexterity and ability to handle something dangerous like cooking." He chastised. 

Kaveh and Cyno stood there sniffling while Alhaitham stared at his feet. 

"I-I was just trying to make some pancakes." Kaveh mumbled, a few tears rolling down his face, "They're easy."

Tighnari sighed and rubbed his temples, "They're easy when you're adult-sized. With adult sized hands and adult strength. Just...why didn't you guys just wake me up?" He asked. 

"'C-cause you were sleepin' an' we di'n't wanna bother you." Cyno squeaked, pulling at the hem of his shirt, "Sorry." He knew how exhausted Tighnari got and figured they'd be able to handle this so the fox could get a few extra moments of shut eye. 

The one adult in the room stared down at the kids, debating every decision made in his entire life to bring him to this moment. 

"Well at least none of you are hurt." Tighnari finally said, shaking his head.

"'cept all my senses." Alhaitham said softly, struggling just to get those four words out and said understandably. 

"You'll survive." Tighnari stated as he reorganized the kitchen so he could actually cook some goddamn pancakes. And also brew himself some coffee.

Because it's gonna take a whole hell of a lot of coffee to get Tighnari just through this day.

This morning.