Work Text:
AlHaitham was never a family man. While he respected those with opposing feelings, he never understood the appeal of children. They were loud and messy and overwhelming, all of which were things he despised.
That was, until he met his daughter.
Oh, she was gorgeous. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, the way her small hand curled against Kaveh’s bare chest and her cheek pressed against his warm skin. His breathing hitched as he watched her so carefully, taking in every detail of her small face. She was so small, smaller than any child he had ever seen, but the doctors had declared her healthy, just as healthy as any other baby.
“Haitham?”
AlHaitham looked at his partner, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and wonder. It was when he met Kaveh’s eyes did he realize how exhausted the blonde looked. Sweat collected on his brow and his cheeks were flushed, but he wore a smile.
“Do you want to hold her?” Kaveh asked.
AlHaitham hesitated, looking back down at the baby girl. He slowly shook his head. He couldn’t, he didn’t want to break her. She was so tiny. She looked like she could fit in the palm of his hand, he could just put her in his pocket and keep her close to his heart forever.
She looked so content against Kaveh’s chest, AlHaitham didn’t want to disturb her. Plus, Kaveh had spent so many long, painful hours to deliver her, he didn’t want to separate them.
“It’s okay,” Kaveh cooed. “You can hold her, you won’t break her.” He said, as if he had simply read the younger man’s mind.
As Kaveh began to try to move the baby, she whined. AlHaitham’s eyes widened in panic as he stood, slipping his hands under the small baby’s body and lifting her up to keep Kaveh from straining himself. He awkwardly stood there, holding his daughter in the air and staring at her as she fussed.
“Honey,” Kaveh adjusted himself on the bed with a wince. “Hold her against your chest, support her head.” He said as he grabbed a small blanket and held it out for AlHaitham to take.
Slowly, the scribe sat back down, bringing the little girl to rest against his chest. He grabbed the blanket from Kaveh and draped it over her body. He adjusted his hold on her, patting her back until she calmed down and relaxed against him.
AlHaitham felt like he couldn’t breathe. She was so tiny, so fragile, but she was all his. Despite being only a few hours old, she was so unmistakably Kaveh . Wisps of blonde hair curled around her ears and over the crown of her head, and according to his partner her eyes were the most beautiful ruby red. She was perfect, and he was planning on going to the ends of the earth to make her happy.
He had never held a baby before, but now he understood the appeal. His daughter was so warm, so gentle. Her tiny fists grasped at his chest as she tried to latch onto his shirt.
AlHaitham leaned down to place the softest of kisses on her head, careful not to put much pressure at all. It was more a brush of his lips against her fine hair. He couldn’t risk hurting her in the slightest. He had read all about the soft spot on babies' skulls, so he was hyperaware of how careful he had to be.
“You won’t break her.” Kaveh repeated, watching the pair with a tired smile. “She’s tougher than she looks.”
“I know.” AlHaitham breathed out. He glanced up at his partner with a small smile. “You did really good at making her.”
Kaveh let out an amused laugh. “You helped, dumbass. I can’t do it on my own, that’s not how it works.”
“I know but…” The Acting Grand Sage hesitated for a moment. “You did most of the work, and she came out perfect. I’m really proud of you.” He said quietly, almost under his breath as he stared lovingly at their child.
Kaveh smiled as he leaned his head back against the pillows. He wanted to sleep for the next ten years, but he also couldn’t take his eyes off the two people that made up his perfect little family.
AlHaitham glanced at his partner briefly. “You can sleep.” He hummed, looking back down at the child in his arms. “I’ll watch her.”
Despite his earlier hesitation, now that the baby laid upon his chest he didn’t want to let her go. He was so worried she wouldn’t like him, but he supposed the countless nights of reading to her in the womb really paid off. Every night he would lay in head in Kaveh’s lap and read them a few chapters of whatever book he had picked up that morning. According to the blonde it was “crucial for her to learn her dad’s voice”. Maybe Kaveh was right for once.
“Wake me up if anything happens.” Kaveh said with a yawn. “If she smiles or burps or shits, I don’t care, wake me up.” He said as he shifted to get comfortable. He settled down against his mountain of pillows, falling asleep within minutes of getting comfortable.
AlHaitham nodded, barely taking his eyes off his daughter for a moment. The more he stared at her, the more he was able to analyze every detail of her small face, and the more he fell in love.
She had a small mole on her cheek, one that mirrored his own. He had read somewhere that it was highly uncommon to be born with such a thing, usually they developed in early childhood. He longed to ask his Grandmother if he too was born with the blemish, but that time had passed and he had since come to terms with her passing.
Oh, how he hated his blemish, but it fit her face so well.
“You’re beautiful.” He whispered. “You look just like your Baba, who’s also beautiful.” He brushed his thumb over the crown of her head, his eyes widening as she yawned. “I love you so much, just like I love your Baba.” He pushed his finger into her palm, his heart squeezing at the way her fingers encompassed it.
“Just wait until you meet your Uncles, you’re going to love them.” He continued on. “Your Uncle Nari is very kind, like Baba, and I’m sure you’ll be the only one allowed to touch his tail.” AlHaitham said with a fond smile. “And you’ll love his girl, Collei. She’s much older than you are, but I’m sure you’ll make good friends.” He stole a glance at Kaveh, who remained passed out. “And then there’s your Uncle Cyno. He’s strange, and I will admit it took me a while to warm up to him, but I’m sure you’ll adore him.”
He ran his hand over her back absentmindedly as he gazed back down at her face. As much as she looked like a tiny Kaveh, he was beginning to see himself in her as well. Her nose was all his, with the way it curved over the bridge. It was perfect.
“I love you.” He whispered again. It was almost as if he couldn’t say it enough. He wanted her to know just how important she was.
“I love you, and I will always love you, no matter what. I’ll always be here for you, I promise. No one will ever hurt you, ever.”
AlHaitham continued to speak in hushed tones to her, even as she fussed and he began to panic. He realized that maybe he was getting the hang of this, and maybe babies weren’t that bad after all.
No, scratch that, he still didn’t like children, except for his own. She held his whole heart.