Work Text:
The gathering held to celebrate their group's success at Jnagarbha Day faded out after the Traveler left for the Sanctuary of Surasthana and everyone present had a few drinks. 'Lightweight' did not describe Alhaitham by any means, but the stumble to the Scribe's usually graceful walk and the sway in his stride indicated that he had drank more than his fair share. Archons above know that he would need it in the coming weeks, given his increased workload following the expulsion of the majority of Sumeru's governing force.
As he approached his house, a figure sitting on the steps to the door came into Alhaitham's view- he almost snickered at the sight.
"There you are!" The venom in his roommate's voice came soon after he caught sight of Alhaitham. "I've been waiting here for almost 5 hours!" Kaveh stood from his spot on the steps and impatiently motioned for Alhaitham to open the door.
"Oh? Why wait for me to come home when you could've simply used your own key?" Alhaitham smirked as his roommate's face grew red with anger when he presented the key to him.
"You bastard, we both know you stole it this morning!" Kaveh snatched the tiny object from his roommate's hand and inserted it into the door's lock.
"Stole? What cruel language, Kaveh. I do believe I own this house, so how could I have possibly stolen the key that opens it?" Despite the temptation to continue bickering, Kaveh simply rolled his eyes in annoyance. He knew full well that Alhaitham had a point, and after waiting for hours on end for his roommate to come home, he didn't have much energy to come up with a witty reply. Swinging open the door to their house, the elder of the two shrugged off his cape and threw it onto the couch, slumping down right beside it. Alhaitham hung his half-coat on its rack in a much more civilized manner, before sitting down in a similar fashion next to the Kshahrewar graduate.
"You reek of alcohol," Kaveh grumbled as he glared over at his roommate.
"Do you have a problem with that? Last I checked, I'm a fully grown adult, so I'm allowed to have a few drinks. Also, don't act like you don't go to the tavern at least three times a week." Alhaitham watched as Kaveh slid out of his shoes and put his feet up on the edge of the nearby table.
"Oh please," Kaveh huffed, "I haven't had a solid drink in over a month."
"That's because you've been gone from Sumeru for almost 5 weeks. You were off frolicking around in the desert sand while I and my companions were left to save the Dendro Archon, dismantle the Akademiya from the inside out, and shut down the Akasha."
"Oh you just love bragging about your rescue mission, don't you?"
"I believe I've earned it, have I not? Rescuing an Archon is quite a commemorative task." Once again, a reluctant role of the eyes was all Alhaitham received from Kaveh, who had no quick response to give.
A rare few moments of quiet settled over the room as Alhaitham's mind sobered up and Kaveh's anger towards his roommate slowly dissipated. These moments where they weren't at each other's throats were few and far between, and though both parties enjoyed bickering with the other, neither could ever muster up the courage to break silences like this.
The final rays of sunlight that had once peaked through the half-open window disappeared as it settled below the horizon. The first chills of the night made their way into Alhaitham's house, causing the two to shiver in their light clothing. Kaveh stood up from the couch, quickly making his way to the windows and closing them to capture what remained of the house's warmth. Alhaitham followed suit, opting to focus on creating warmth, rather than preserving it, by stoking the fire in the fireplace. Subconsciously, the two appreciated how harmoniously they worked, not needing to say a word to the other but still completing a task.
The two men sat back down on the couch, a little closer this time, with their hands just shy of brushing each other. Alhaitham took note of how Kaveh's leg began, almost unnoticeably, bouncing in place, indicating an anxiousness about something.
"Hey, Alhaitham?" The Scribe hummed in response. "If your work at the Akademiya ever becomes too much, don't be afraid to ask me for help."
Alhaitham turned towards Kaveh, not bothering to mask his surprise at the sudden offer. "Why are you saying this?"
Kaveh inhaled deeply, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "I know full well what the exile of the Sages entails for you. You, along with the higher-ups who remain, are going to have your workloads increased tenfold while Lesser Lord Kusanali works to find new Sages. But until that happens, you will be indefinitely responsible for the majority of, well, everything that happens in Sumeru. Though I have long since graduated from the Akademiya, this nation is still my home, and I want to help it in any way I can. I wasn't there to support you during the events on Jnagarbha Day, but let me promise you that from this point onward, I'll be here for you."
Alhaitham stared dumbfounded at Kaveh, who had a light tint of red dusting his cheeks. He had always known that his roommate cared deeply for others, but to be on the receiving end of the man's compassion after so many months of his endless bickering felt like whiplash. "I never took you as one to make such ridiculous promises," Alhaitham mumbled while covering the lower half of his face in embarrassment.
Slowly, Kaveh took Alhaitham's hand and lowered it, creating a sense of exposure for the Scribe. "It is not a 'ridiculous promise'- I mean it. For all we bicker, Alhaitham, I consider you my closest friend. I don't want you to resort to drinking or other risky behaviors as a coping mechanism like you did tonight. Please, come to me instead, if not for help with work, but just to talk." Kaveh's hand felt unnaturally warm around Alhaitham's. "Alhaitham," he whispered, "Do you promise you'll come to me first?"
"Yes." The words were spoken without hesitation. Alhaitham is a rational man, and Kaveh proposed a rational offer- it would be irrational for the Scribe to refuse. At least, that's the justification Alhaitham used to explain the foreign, but not unwelcome, feeling he felt at finally forging another aspect of his relationship with his roommate. As Kaveh pulled away and let go of Alhaitham's hand, the irrational part of his brain screamed to not let go.
He did not listen, after all, Alhaitham is a rational man.
Kaveh gratefully smiled at his roommate, and bid him a soft "thank you" and "goodnight", before making his way to his bedroom and closing the door behind him. Alhaitham slumped back against the couch and stared into the fireplace. His hand felt frozen and numb after Kaveh had let go.
Alhaitham is a rational man, so surely rational men should not have irrational feelings, right?
If you had asked him just an hour ago, he would have argued "no". Now, he wasn't so sure. Kaveh had almost caused him to act without thinking; it would have been a small act, simply grabbing his roommate's hand, but it would have held heavy implications. Alhaitham wasn't ready for that. Not yet.
For now, having Kaveh to support him as a friend was all he needed. He could lean back on Kaveh and not have to worry about falling- he trusted him- but no more than that.
For now, this was enough.
Slowly, Alhaitham rose from the couch, extinguished the fire, and made his way to his bedroom.
If Alhaitham had been half as attentive as he usually was, he would have noticed the fact that Kaveh's door never actually closed. He would have noticed that the door was open just wide enough for his roommate to look through. He would have noticed that Kaveh did not close his own bedroom door until he heard the faint squeak of Alhaitham's bed as the Scribe laid down on it.
If Alhaitham had ever been half as attentive as he usually was, he would have noticed that Kaveh did this every night.