Archive of Our Own ^beta

Taking long strides across the plush grass, Alhaitham was looking forward to getting home. He wasn’t in a hurry necessarily, but it had been a long day. Being Acting Grand Sage was about as tedious as one would believe it to be, and while he rose to the occasion every time, he was admittedly tired from the constant trips back and forth from Sumeru City to Port Ormos and back.

If he made it back with enough time, he’d be able to relax a bit before Kaveh got home and inevitably would disturb the peace and quiet with his clumsiness. Whenever he’d returned home from work lately, it seemed he would just keep working. He’d recently been working on a diorama of some huts that could be built into the trees. Something he’d been working with the forest watchers on. Whatever it was, it was noisy. Of course, Alhaitham had soundproof ear pieces, but he’d like to have a moment with them off to relax and just be.

He tried not to get distracted by something so trivial and focus on the path ahead. There had been a baffling increase in the fungi population, so it was best to travel with a weapon or with someone experienced enough to keep you safe. Being the former, he had no concerns about such weak creatures causing him any trouble.

Up ahead, he sighed when he saw a huddle of them come into view. He first tried to stealthily move past them so as to avoid the inconvenience all together, but there had been one higher up in a tree that had seen him approaching. It alerted the others and just like that, he was in a fight.

Groaning softly in annoyance, he summoned his sword and got to work, slicing through every one of them with ease, dodging their attacks, and making quick work of them. He had a very fluid rhythm going, nearly through with them until he was startled. Behind one of the grounded hydroshrooms stood a type of fungi he hadn’t encountered before. Its shape resembled the stretchy fungi, but it had some sort of spike jutting out from the top of it and a striking golden hue. He put some distance between himself and the creature, eyeing it with an air of wariness.

He wasn’t sure he’d even heard about this type of fungi before. If that were true for Tighnari as well, he might appreciate receiving a sample of its spores. Giving it one last stare down, studying it thoroughly, he sprang into action. His sword cut right through it and took it down. Just as easily as any other fungi.

That was where things took a strange turn, the creature suddenly released a large puff of deep red pollen. Alhaitham instinctively covered his mouth and nose, moving away from it, but was unable to avoid the stuff sneaking its way into his lungs and seeping into his skin. He coughed and sputtered, stumbling to his knees as he wiped the stuff away. He’d encountered bizarre pollens before. Some with far more… stimulating effects, but this one was different. Not only the colour, but the aroma. It was savoury, like a well-crafted hot meal.

After the cloud of pollen had dissipated, he cautiously approached the slain creature. It was even more bizarre in death than in life. The golden colour had faded quite completely, leaving it a sickly white with flecks of the red dust speckled across it. Quickly bottling a sample in one of the vials he had on him, he quickly fled the scene.

The next step was to get back home. Quickly. Whatever effect this pollen would have was more than likely going to be something he wanted to deal with away from prying eyes. Ugh, he could already hear Kaveh nagging him for being irresponsible and overly confident. While yes, he should’ve perhaps used a more ranged attack, he hadn’t. And he was sure he’d come to regret that decision sooner rather than later.

As he neared the city, his stomach growled hungrily. That was to be expected. He hadn’t eaten since the morning, and the afternoon was now settling into early evening. He wanted to just eat something quickly at home, but something was stopping him.

His mind flashed back to the scent of the pollen. The memory pulsed through his body, almost as if he were living it again. This was immediately followed by a deeper, longer groan from his gut. He sighed, inconvenienced as always. So much for a restful, quiet evening.

He changed directions and headed towards Lambad’s, feeling the hunger building quickly within him. He was very aware that this was likely linked to the creature he’d encountered, but he’d hoped it would just be a full meal he’d need and he’d be set to return home.

When he neared the tavern, his belly seemed to leap with excitement as the delicious aroma emanated from the building. It put a bit of pep in his step. Next thing he knew, he was ordering.

There was a special that day on gilded tajine. That’s right, Lambad and Dehya had been discussing cuisines native to Sumeru Desert. He’d been wanting to expand his menu a bit, and it seemed he had already gotten to it.

One single thought about a time Alhaitham had eaten the dish before, and he was sold. As he waited for the dish to be prepared, he began feeling an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. A deep, raw, almost anger that was ravenously desperate to be satiated. The delectable smells that filled the air, the dishes tables near him were receiving, the thought of his upcoming meal… It was almost too much. His stomach absolutely howled and he winced, putting a hand over it. Gods, he couldn’t remember a time he was this hungry. It cramped again shortly after, Alhaitham gritting his teeth before the cramp finally released into another long, deep groan.

Archons… he needed to eat. Now. Of course he’d never act on these painful urges, but he did briefly imagine stealing someone else’s food and wolfing it down. He wasn’t sure if he could wait. He felt heavy vibrations beneath his hand as his gut cried out for sustenance. Sweat was forming over his forehead as he clenched his fists. He tried taking deep breaths, but that only further filled his senses with the incredible smells and tastes of the tavern. His mind was beginning to go fuzzy now. Hell, he might actually black out.

His belly roared loud enough for people near him to hear. They glanced over in surprise and he quickly turned away. This was horribly unbecoming… Especially for someone of his reputation.

The pangs were getting worse and worse. He felt like he could eat his own arm at that point, but he was so grateful when he saw a waiter approaching his table with his meal. Placing it on the table before him, the waiter asked if he needed anything else. He was very quickly brushed off as Alhaitham was finding it difficult to focus on anything but the food in front of him.

He was actually drooling, feeling his inhibitions melting away. As he quickly began digging in, he was dismayed to find that the dish was hot. That was to be expected, but Archons above, he could not wait. Grabbing ice from the water pitcher at the center of the table, he dropped them in and stirred up the stew. He hadn’t even realised that he’d ordered soup. While he didn’t even particularly like it, at least not for the practicality of it, he wasn’t multitasking now. He could focus on one thing and one thing only, filling his starving stomach.

He quickly blew on each bite, barely even chewing it as he devoured the absolutely delectable meal before him. He was inevitably drawing attention to himself, which was horrifying in its own right, but something seemed to have taken over his mind. He could do nothing but try desperately to stop the gnawing hunger in his gut. Before he knew it, the dish was completely gone.

He stared at the empty bowl in disbelief, immediately hit with the realisation that he was still absolutely starving.

He ordered tahchin next, knowing it to be a particularly filling dish. Waiting for it was agony once again. The soft sounds of digestion were overpowered by hungry groans, leaving his stomach a cramping, rumbling mess. He muffled a burp with his fist and tapped his foot impatiently.

It had gotten to the point where he just needed something more in his stomach. The only thing left to consume was the water. He chugged down a cup before quickly refilling it and finishing another off moments later. His stomach gurgled in protest, but there was no stopping him now. This intense hunger was a force to be reckoned with, and he abandoned every bit of humility in a desperate attempt to satiate it. He finished off the entire pitcher of water, squirming in discomfort at the hunger still relentlessly plaguing him.

His food arrived shortly after and he dug into it just as he had the first dish. The waiter had also assured him he would bring more water, watching Alhaitham scarfing down food like he’d never eaten before in his life, concern wrinkling his brow.

Just as quickly as the first dish, the second was gone before the waiter could even get back with the water. He let out a long belch, feeling really uncertain now. His belly was so full, slightly jutting out a bit, but he still needed more. So much more.

He abandoned all logical thinking and hurried up to the front to speak with Lambad.

“Good to see you, friend,” he greeted Alhaitham with a friendly nod. “Can I get you something?”

“I have…” His voice was coming out automatically. “Friends visiting tonight. I would like to order for them.”

“Oh! Is that right? How many friends we talkin’?”

Without a shred of thought or hesitation, Alhaitham answered immediately. “Ten.”

“I see, that’s a large party. Let me speak with the guys in the kitchen and we’ll see what we can do.”

Nodding slowly, Alhaitham clenched his fists as his belly tightened up painfully before the cramping released and a booming roar bellowed from it. Even the lively sounds of the tavern couldn’t muffle it. He waited patiently, trying desperately to silence the rumbling belches climbing up his throat. He was feeling almost delirious.

Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry. Hungry.

He’d never felt this way in his life, and it was truly terrifying. His usually sharp mind felt like mush as it was overtaken by a powerful feeling of emptiness in the pit of his gut, begging to be filled.

Nearly half an hour of him just about losing his mind, trying and failing to hide the rumbles and burps that forced their way out of him. The only thing he could do was keep chugging water. He’d ordered a cup of coffee as well, but it still didn’t satisfy his hunger. His belly sloshed and groaned, overwhelmed by the intake of food and water. He could tell he was getting a stomach ache. Not just from hunger, but from eating far too much, far too quickly. The feelings battled each other inside of him, leaving him drenched in sweat and trembling. He quickly rushed to the restroom.

He looked at himself in the mirror, noticing the way his pupils were dilated. He splashed water over his face and gripped the sides of the sink, his belly gurgling wetly. Gathering himself to the best of his ability, he returned to the front counter, where he was elated to see Lambad, smiling at him kindly with a huge crate of boxed food.

“There you are!” Lambad chuckled. “Think this should be enough?”

Alhaitham was nearly drooling again. “I hope so.”

“Well if you need anymore, feel free to stop by!”

“Thank you.”

Alhaitham quickly paid for his meal and the takeaway before hurriedly fleeing with this massive crate of hot food. He wanted to eat it so badly. Right then and there. He was so, so hungry. But he couldn’t continue making a scene in public. This entire ordeal had been humiliating enough.

He was home in record time, locking the front door behind him, kicking off his shoes, and dropping the crate onto the dining room table. Without a moment’s hesitation, he grabbed his flatware and began digging in.

The first dish was curry shrimp. It was gone in minutes before the box was cast aside and another was torn open. He believed it was a potato boat, but he’d been too ravenous to even notice.

Box after box, he cleared out every last thing inside of them. He groaned in discomfort as his belly had expanded massively. It was pushing up against the table by the time he ripped open another box. This was far more than just ten dishes, which he was eternally grateful for.

He grunted and gripped his swollen belly, wincing in pain as it sloshed around his enormous meal. It groaned and gurgled like he’d never heard it before. His shirt had ridden up and he felt the bloated organ straining against his pants.

He had to be full eventually. This hunger had to cease before things got too out of hand. But he was absolutely lost to the sheer tastebud ecstasy as he kept shoveling more and more food down. So much so, that he didn’t even hear the front door open.

“Alhaitham?!” Kaveh exclaimed in shock. “W-what— what are you doing?!”

Ignoring him only briefly, he swallowed a huge mouthful before leaning back in his chair, causing it to creak loudly due to the strain of him. Rubbing his hands over his huge belly, he exhaled deeply. “Just… sampling dishes.”

The look of absolute horror never left Kaveh’s face. “I think you’ve had enough!”

Before Alhaitham could argue, his stomach nearly shook the table with how powerfully it growled. He put a hand up to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut as a gargantuan belch rumbled up his throat and out his mouth. “Ahhhhh…” He groaned in satisfaction, rubbing the swollen mound.

Kaveh quickly hurried over and pushed the food away. Alhaitham tried to lean forward to get it, but found that he physically couldn’t. His massive belly bumped against the table, forcing another thunderous belch out of him. Kaveh put his hands firmly on Alhaitham’s shoulders. “You have to stop. You’re going to hurt yourself!”

“I… URRRPP—! C-can’t…”

Confused, Kaveh quickly grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet. His bulging belly wobbled and sloshed, releasing monsterous growls as he struggled to keep his balance.

“Unnnghhhh… Archons…” Alhaitham moaned in pain.

Kaveh carefully led him over to the couch and helped him sit down. Being completely unable to bend over, Alhaitham had to essentially drop onto the seat below, which his overstuffed belly did not like. It shook and howled in distress.

”OOOOOUUUURRRRPPPP—! Anghhhh… ohhh…” He leaned back and gasped when the button on his pants finally gave in and popped off, flying somewhere across the room. Alhaitham moaned again, feeling so much better now that his gut wasn’t being restrained. He burped again and exhaled deeply, rubbing his belly. He tried to pull his shirt down over it, but it had no chance of containing everything. It rode right back up, sitting bunched atop his belly.

“Alhaitham… what in Teyvat is going on?” Kaveh asked, unable to take his eyes off the gurgling mound before him.

“I… mgh…” He couldn’t even get a word out before he’d be interrupted by another belch. “H-hurts…”

“I imagine it does! Gods!” Kaveh stood up, unsure of what to do. Glancing down at his roommate, he frowned in disbelief. “I’m going to run to the pharmacy to get you medicine. Do not eat anymore!”

”HUUUUURRRRPPPP—! I don’t think I can… Mngh… I want to sleep.”

Kaveh wanted to believe him, but he wasn’t so sure. Quickly gathering the crate of food, he put it outside and hurried off. He needed to hurry. He wasn’t completely convinced by Alhaitham’s words, but there was no way he could bring him to the pharmacy with him.

Back at the house, Alhaitham gritted his teeth as his face tensed with pain. It hurt so badly. So badly. But under all of the mounds of mounds of food, he still felt so hungry. Turning his head towards the door, he rubbed his belly encouragingly before holding the back of the couch and awkwardly lifting himself up. His stomach nearly screamed at him and cramped with an unbearable pain, causing him to grunt and grip it tightly. The massive ball of food rolled around inside of him, stretching the walls of his stomach far beyond its capacity.

He had to stop himself. He couldn’t eat anymore. It was agony. But that undeniable pull deep inside him forced him to waddle along towards the door to fetch the rest of the food.

He slowly opened the door, looking around for any passersby before gripping the frame of the door and pulling the crate back inside. He gripped the doorknob and managed to avoid falling over as he pulled the door shut. He looked down at the food and knew for a fact he wasn’t going to be able to bend down and pick it up. But an absolutely primal roar in his belly forced him to drop to his knees and continue his feast.

He had no flatware now, but that didn’t stop him. Two helpings of samosa, scented meatballs, shawarma wrap, fish rolls, charcoal-baked Ajilenakh cakes, all down the hatch. His belly was wailing as it stretched and stretched, producing sounds he had never even heard before as he relentlessly shoveled food into his mouth. He belched between bites, moaned as he chewed, and finally reached the final takeaway box. Tearing into it, he placed it on top of his belly, now massive enough to double as a table. He burped loudly enough to shake the windows before digging into the final dish; an entire tandoori roast chicken.

He felt like he was going to explode. His stomach was groaning and roaring non-stop as it became more and more difficult to stop belching constantly. He felt absolutely disgusting. He barely felt like he was even actually living this anymore. This had to have been a horrible nightmare that he’d wake up from soon, but the pain was so real. He wolfed down the last of the food and leaned back against the door, his absolute boulder of a belly sitting heavily in his lap.

GrrRRRrrWWlllLLLLLL—

“Anghhhh… oh archons… oh, I can’t… OOOOOOUUUUURRRPPPPPPPPP—!” His eyes rolled back as another earth-shattering belch rang through the house. It felt good only very briefly before the agonising pain came back full force. He felt like he was literally going to die. He was completely pinned down by his belly and he was certain everyone even slightly near the house could hear his stomach screaming in pain. Another massive belch erupted from him, causing his belly to shake and ripple in response. He couldn’t stop burping. He was so fucking full. He would do anything to empty something out of him.

Yet still, still, despite the horrendous pain and agony, he was somehow still hungry. Whatever that creature was that he’d encountered, it needed to be wiped off the face of Teyvat forever. He rubbed desperately at his belly, praying for any relief. He dug his nails into the skin of it, stretched and taut as cramp after cramp felt like it was ripping him apart. He was shocked he didn’t feel even slightly nauseous. He just wanted more. He glanced weakly toward the kitchen. They had food there. And gods, he needed it.

He could barely lift his arm, let alone lift his midsection up. It felt like he was trapped by cement, completely unable to do anything but shake up his belly more, intensifying the pain. He was nearly sobbing now. So full. So full. So full.

He had no idea what to do next. His brain wasn’t functioning properly. All he had on his mind was eat, eat, eat. More. More. He was relieved when he heard sounds from behind the door.

“Dammit!” he heard Kaveh exclaim, no doubt noticing the glaring absence of the crate of food he’d left outside. Not to mention the groans of pain, endless rumbles, and quaking belches from behind the door.

Kaveh tore the door open, causing Alhaitham to fall backwards, his enormous belly further pinning him down.

“Kaveh…” Alhaitham’s voice was weak, faint.

Kaveh could not believe what he was seeing. The crate was completely empty. Takeaway boxes were strewn around with nothing left in them. And here was Alhaitham, bloated beyond what he thought was humanly possible, face and hands covered in remnants of the food he’d devoured. “O-oh— oh my gods…”

Hurrying inside and stepping over Alhaitham’s gigantic gut, he grabbed hold of his ankles and began to pull. Gods, he wasn’t budging. Not an inch. The front door was wide open, allowing anyone to look inside at this ordeal.

“C-can you move? At all?” Kaveh asked, sounding exasperated.

“Mmnghhhh… BRRURRRRRRRPPPPP—! Can’t… c— ungh…”

It sounded like a powerful thunderstorm comparable to the ones that had plagued Inazuma was waging inside of him.

Kaveh considered his options. He couldn’t ask for help. Alhaitham would be mortified. But could he even do this by himself? He needed to do something. Running his hands through his hair, he suddenly watched Mehrak buzz to life and grab onto the younger man’s ankles, pulling him back inside. Even it was straining against the weight, but it persisted. Kaveh quickly hurried towards the door and shut it tightly once Alhaitham was no longer in the way.

“Mehrak, we have to get him to the bathroom,” Kaveh asserted, finally feeling a shred of hope.

Noticing that Alhaitham had been lying on the front rug and it was being dragged along beneath him, he hurriedly grabbed one end of it and helped Mehrak pull.

Alhaitham groaned in agony, wishing he would just wake up from this nightmare. He rubbed his roaring belly, unable to even reach his navel anymore. He still felt his mind was absolutely useless. He couldn’t even form any coherent thoughts outside of “hurts” and “more”. As he was dragged through the house, he suddenly felt that pang of hunger that still remained get crushed by the weight of everything he’d crammed into his stomach.

Then came the nausea. It hit him hard. As did the increased stomach pain now that the strange high of hunger was wearing off. His stomach physically shook with every growl and moan that came from it. The skin was stretched so tight, he was afraid he’d burst. He was gonna be sick. But he couldn’t roll over. He couldn’t even speak. He felt like he was trapped in his own body, stuffed beyond imagination.

Finally, Kaveh and Mehrak had managed to reach the bathroom. The two struggled as they lifted Alhaitham by his underarms to sit up against the bathtub. His belly sloshed and wobbled as it settled heavily into his lap, absolutely roaring at them. He groaned weakly as sweat dripped down his face. He couldn’t take it anymore. He could barely breathe. Nausea swirled around as cramps twisted tightly inside of him. It felt like something was alive inside of him, struggling to get out. His whine quickly melted into another thunderous belch, practically shaking the room around them.

He barely could make out another command Kaveh had given to Mehrak. The device flew out of the room as Kaveh knelt down beside Alhaitham, placing a warm hand over his enormous belly. “When we get this sorted, you better start talking.”

“Mmghhh…” Alhaitham groaned back, weakly rubbing his hands over his swollen gut.

Kaveh’s face was twisted with worry, carefully circling his hand over this area of his belly. He seemed to light up when Mehrak returned, having used its grabbing features to gather several pillows and blankets from around the house.

Kaveh stood up and the two of them fashioned a comfortable bed around the bloated man, attempting to make him as comfortable as possible. Mehrak had also fetched a trash bin from the kitchen, holding it in front of Alhaitham.

A powerful pressure began building into Alhaitham’s already tight, overstuffed belly. It built and built, rumbling like an earthquake was tearing through it before it finally came to a head. Eyes rolling back, Alhaitham’s head fell back and a belch louder than any he’d ever heard (including his own from today) erupted from his mouth. It lasted nearly ten seconds as Kaveh and Mehrak stared in disbelief.

Once it was finally over, Alhaitham groaned loudly in relief. Rubbing his belly, he basked in the moment of comfort amidst the pain and agony he’d been enduring. Just then, he was horrified as he felt that small pang of hunger emerging again, getting stronger by the second.

“Alhaitham, you need to—“

Another gargantuan belch interrupted the older man, followed by a whine. “Mnnghhhh… so hungry…”

Kaveh blinked, beyond astonished by his words. “You… ‘hungry’?! How in the hell could you possibly be hungry?! Archons! I’m afraid your stomach is going to rupture!”

Alhaitham was genuinely about to beg Kaveh to bring him more food until he stopped suddenly, the nausea overpowering the hunger within him. He cried out in pain as the two sides waged war inside his stomach. It lurched painfully, decidedly unable to digest everything shoved into it. He let out one last rumbling belch before clamping his hand over his mouth, feeling an absolute tsunami of undigested food rushing back up his throat.

Mehrak held the trash bin almost like a shield as the biggest wave of projectile vomit spewed from Alhaitham’s mouth and into the bin. Oh, gods. Finally. Finally.

He gripped his belly and sobbed softly before more came up. And more. And more. Eventually, the bin was completely full.

“Mehrak, help me grab him!” Kaveh exclaimed before moving to lift Alhaitham again.

They worked together to push him forward, his enormous belly eventually stopping them from pushing any further. He groaned in pain as more vomit began climbing up his throat. Just in time, Mehrak and Kaveh had moved him far enough that his belly fell onto the floor heavily, pulling the rest of his frame along with him, his head hovering above the toilet bowl. More and more vomit poured out of him. He gasped for air, but suddenly inhaled the food being forced out of him, causing him to begin choking.

His eyes rolled back, tears pouring down his face. Kaveh quickly readied himself to give abdominal thrusts, but found he couldn’t reach all the way around Alhaitham’s belly. Barely even halfway. He panicked and began hitting Alhaitham’s back with all his strength. Meanwhile, Mehrak slid between the floor and Alhaitham’s belly, shoving forcefully against it until the vomit dislodged. As if uncorking a bottle, vomit spewed out of him like a faucet. He’s a teary, snotty mess by the time he finally begins slowing down.

He was gasping for air as he held his still massive belly. It’s most certainly gone down in size from what it was, but it was still enormous. He used one hand on the toilet bowl to move himself up slightly, relieved that he was able to lift himself again, though his back ached and arched with the weight of his gut sagging down. He flushed the toilet and weakly moved himself back against the pillows, face straining from the effort and discomfort.

Kaveh watched him carefully before settling in beside him. “Your stomach is still…”

Alhaitham exhaled deeply. “I’m aware.”

Pleased he at least has his attitude back, Kaveh wondered if he should proceed with his questioning. He needed to know just what the hell happened to cause this. He cringed at the continued gurgling and groans from Alhaitham’s bloated belly, and frowned when he looked up and noticed the discomfort on the younger man’s face. “Do you want me to… rub it? It might help.”

Alhaitham looked like he was planning to say no, but when his belly lurched and growled, he whined softly and nodded, snaking both hands beneath his bloated midsection, leaving it open and vulnerable as it continued to groan endlessly.

Kaveh carefully reached forward, sliding his hand over it. He could still feel it bubbling beneath his hand. Occasionally, Alhaitham would whimper softly as the mass of food shifted around inside of him, Kaveh feeling every move it made. It was absolutely awful. He did his best to comfort his junior and soothingly rub his hand over his belly to try and ease the discomfort.

“Mnn…” Alhaitham sighed, sounding a bit relieved.

“Is this okay?” Kaveh asked softly.

“Mm… yes. Continue, please.”

Kaveh obliged, his hand circling the entire expanse of the swollen organ. When Kaveh’s fingers brushed past his navel, Alhaitham gasped softly, his hands moving to either side of his belly to rub it gently. He whined again, turning his head to the side and burping.

Kaveh couldn’t wait any longer to find out what the deal was. “What happened?”

Alhaitham blew out a breath before answering. “Hooo… I… encountered a rare type of fungi. After I— AAUUURPPPP—! Mgh… pardon me. After I slayed it, it erupted in some sort of— gurrrppp—pollen. I can only imagine that is the cause of my insa—AAAAEERRRP— Hah… insatiable hunger.”

Kaveh contemplated, taking in what he was told. It was bizarre, to be sure, but he’d heard of stranger things happening in the wilderness. “Does Tighnari know about it?”

Alhaitham suddenly tensed as a cramp tightened in his gut before finally releasing with a deep groan. “Nngh…” He rubbed a bit more intensely, trying to ease the discomfort. “N-no… Not that I’m aware. I gathered a—OUUURRRRPPPPPP—! A sample.”

“We need to bring it to him ASAP. We can’t have something that can cause… this lingering around the house.”

“That’s the plan. As soon as I can— mmgh… M-move…”

“Hm… maybe we could—“

Alhaitham suddenly jolted forward, clenching his teeth in pain as his belly sloshed and roared angrily. Kaveh read the situation and helped him back to the toilet bowl, leaning him over it before more vomit came rushing out of him.

Kaveh cracked the window, covering his nose at the bile smell. He was trying not to vomit himself, but it was getting more difficult. Especially now that the shock from the situation was wearing off, he was becoming much more aware of himself.

He also noticed how much the toilet bowl was filling up with puke. Panicked, he quickly sat up on his knees and flushed it as Alhaitham continued to spew. With one more massive belch, it seemed he was finally done. At least for the time being.

Leaning back, Kaveh noticed his roommate’s belly was still very bloated, but to a much less concerning degree. It still groaned and rumbled, but Alhaitham was able to shakily get to his feet, one hand against the wall, the other on his lower belly, holding it firmly. Kaveh stood up as well, holding on to him to ensure he didn’t fall back down.

Letting out another huge burp, Alhaitham exhaled deeply before turning away. “I’m going to bed.”

Kaveh blinked. “Wha… W-wait, hold on. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Face tensing in pain at another sharp contraction, Alhaitham blew out another breath, trying to keep himself from being sick again. “Mngh… I’m… fine. I would just like to sleep.”

“Let me help you to your room.”

“No need. I can move independently now.”

Kaveh crossed his arms. “I’ve never seen anything like what you just went through. Let me be your senior and take care of you. Besides, I need you to take this medication I picked up for you.”

Alhaitham scowled at the thought of putting anything else in his belly. “…What is it?”

“It’s supposed to help with nausea and fever.”

Considering for a moment, Alhaitham tried to pull his shirt down over his belly, but it still only covered the top half of it. “I need to get rid of the rest of this.”

“Alhaitham…”

With an acidic burp, he cringed and rubbed his belly again, trying to settle it. “Fine.” Without another word, he shuffled along to his room.

Kaveh exhaled deeply. This had been… quite an evening. He was already tired from work, but this… this was a whole other thing entirely. He followed Alhaitham to his room, before leaving to grab a glass of water and the medication. He glanced over at the mess of takeaway boxes by the front door and frowned. Well, a new fear had developed; whatever that fungi was that did this to Alhaitham. Hopefully Tighnari could take the sample and create some sort of repellent…

Back in Alhaitham’s room, Kaveh watched as the younger man twisted his face up in discomfort as he lowered himself onto the bed. When he finally settled, Kaveh handed him the glass and medicine.

Glancing back up at Kaveh with annoyance, Alhaitham sighed. “Please bring another bin. I’m quite sure I’m not done.”

“Will do. Just take this please.”

Closing his eyes for a moment, Alhaitham hummed softly and accepted the gesture.

Mehrak had returned the pillows and blankets to their respective areas. Kaveh had asked it to bring his own pillow and blanket to Alhaitham’s room, however.

“Your machine has forgotten where your bedroom is,” Alhaitham commented, watching the device disappear into green sparks when Kaveh dismissed it.

“No, it hasn’t. I’m staying in here tonight.”

Alhaitham was already too exhausted to argue with everything else Kaveh had made him do today. Now this? He still wasn’t sure he had the energy to fight back. “Kaveh…” His tone was irritated, but subdued. He laid down, pulling the blanket over himself. “Do what you want. I don’t care.”

Kaveh tipped his head up slightly, feeling pleased with the outcome. “Good. I certainly will.”

He left the room briefly to ready himself for bed. When he returned, he climbed in bed beside the younger man.

“Goodnight, then.”

Alhaitham hummed a sleepy response, slowly rubbing his own belly, a mound beneath the blanket.

—

During the night, the room is filled with restless whimpering, deep, sickly gurgling, and heavy belches. Alhaitham frequently got up, hurrying to the bathroom to vomit again. Kaveh was woken up each time, frowning in concern. It seemed the medication hadn’t worked. At least for the nausea.

Alhaitham grunted softly when he would carefully maneuver himself back into bed. He was really struggling with intense cramping even still. By the time morning came, both of them had barely slept.

Kaveh went to the kitchen to fetch a hot water bottle, frowning when he heard Alhaitham’s faint whines he’d evidently been trying to hold back while Kaveh was with him.

When he re-entered the room, he made a decision. “We are staying here today.”

“I—“

“No. This is not up for discussion.” He placed the hot water bottle over Alhaitham’s stomach. “Neither of us slept well, and you are still recovering.”

His stomach was horrifically sore from all it had gone through in the last several hours. Even his skin felt sore from having stretched so far. He decided ultimately to just say nothing. The feeling of the hot water bottle on his belly was immediately soothing. For once, he actually agreed with Kaveh. They both needed to rest. As much as Alhaitham wished he could be alone for a bit, he admittedly didn’t hate his roommate’s presence. Especially as he continued to carefully massage Alhaitham’s belly, working around the hot water bottle and really helping to coax out any remaining burps. He would never admit it, but everything felt so perfect at that moment.

So perfect in fact, he was quickly being lulled back to sleep. He couldn’t have fought it even if he tried. His body was so exhausted, it only took mere minutes before he finally closed his eyes again.