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Kaveh was heavily indebted and, funnily enough, no-one would've guessed it.
Lack of work couldn't be to blame. In fact, it's easy to say that a slightly prolonged look, taken with minimum attention, was enough to notice the dark eyebags and uncut hair; while a second look revealed that yes, the folder seeming everyday a bit closer to actually explode was indeed an ever-growing collection of drafts and projects.
Clearly he had clients.
So why the debt? Alhaitham liked to say that Kaveh had as many clients as holes in his pockets, for the money that went in would soon come out, flowing like water. Be it a drinking session with his friends or a particularly lucky scammer, Kaveh's money didn't last long enough to fully repay the debt.
Hence the need to increase his earnings.
"A magic show?", Alhaitham asked, raising an eyebrow.
Kaveh nodded eagerly.
"Sumeru City is full of tourists for the conclusion of the Mid-Winter celebrations", he mixed an unhealthy amount of sugar with his coffee, "and between Nilou's performance and the flowery parade for Lesser Lord Kusanali, I think the atmosphere is just right."
The last piece of baklava was quickly finished and the sweet remnants licked from the tip of his fingers.
"Moreover, crowds pay way faster than overly demanding clients".
Alhaitham, for once, closed his book, having judged the conversation interesting enough.
"Well then, I suppose you would be already well versed in the art of illusion. Although I don't remember having ever seen you read or practice anything of that sort".
Kaveh promptly shushed him with a hand.
"That, dear Haitham, means nothing. I am a genius. I'm sure I'll be able to handle a couple of tricks".
Alhaitham hummed and traced the pages of his book with a finger, searching for the right one.
"Go on then", he said, "Stop wasting your time eating and try to be productive".
After that, a short fight ensued.
***
Three days later, Alhaitham was woken up in the middle of the night by the all too familiar sound of hammering.
Kaveh was at it again. A sigh escaped his lips.
He stared at the stained-glass window, where pale blue met vibrant green, and for a moment, a brief stillness in time, suspended above the flow of sands and rustling of leaves, the moonlight eneveloped his mind in a dreamy haze.
One moment- A single instant and sleep would've graciously returned to him, he was sure-
Kaveh hissed and Alhaitham went searching for his slippers.
***
"Did you hurt your fingers again?"
Kaveh jumped with a high-pitched scream.
He turned with wide eyes and a trembling lip.
Like a bunny, Alhaitham barely acknowledged the thought. Cute.
"Haitham! You almost gave me an heart attack there!"
"Sorry."
"W-why are you up this late?"
A frown bloomed on the Scribe's tired face. He took a moment to observe the dishevelled state the other was in.
He wore the top of his pyjama with his everyday trousers; two hairclips where fighting for dear life trying to remain attached to a few messy strands; the froggie socks were there, but the slippers lain abandoned at opposite corners of the room and, if possible, he looked even paler.
Soon enough, the pangs of worry made themselves known, and Alhaitham's frow deepened.
"I would say it is 'early' rather than 'late', since it's likely around four in the morning."
A moment of silence. Kaveh looked down.
"Ah."
When he swayed a little, Alhaitham quickly moved forward and grabbed his arm firmly.
"Kaveh", he started, "what are you doing? You have no deadline to meet at the moment, I know that. Is it-"
He was interrupted by a quivering voice.
"Look, Haitham, I'm sorry I woke you up. And- and I know I promised you to never use the hammer again during the night, it's just... I couldn't sleep and... I had to study but I felt like going crazy 'cause it was late and it was, what? Two, three hours ago? And I said 'Hey, I'll work on a non-urgent project now, so maybe I'll be able to take Haitham out during the weekend'. Doesn't that sound great?", he let out a humourless chuckle.
"Yes, obviously it does. So- so I started working on a- a- ...", he stopped for a moment, as if his train of thoughts had been suddenly cut short. His sleep deprived brain was barely working.
He shrugged.
"A something. You see it there. But, and here comes the fun, it turned out so ugly and disproportionate that I completely wiped it out with my hammer. Isn't that absolutely ridiculous?", he chuckled again and again, grasping onto Alhaitham's shoulders like a lifeline.
Alhaitham felt his chest clench painfully.
"Kaveh..."
"... I'm sorry."
No more words were needed.
Alhaitham held Kaveh close to his chest, circling his back with an arm and gently threading through his messy hair with the other hand. The architect layed his weight completely on him, quickly hugging back.
The Scribe looked at the table behind them.
Wood splinters and curved nails where scattered over open journal pages, probably as an initial protection for their table.
A destroyed scale model was barely recognisable among the rubble.
Though what caught his attention was the short pile of books on a chair.
《1001 easy magic tricks to conquer your audience》.
《The art of illusion: beginners' guide》.
《The fine science and precise art of fooling your friends》.
Pursing his lips, he spoke again, softly, aware of how Kaveh's body had started slumping against him.
"Kaveh."
"Hm?"
"Where you studying magic tricks again?"
"...yes."
Alhaitham sighed.
"Listen, Kaveh. I often solicitate you to work and be productive because I know the weight this debt has brought on you. I know you can't stand it.
I don't intend to change that. I'll torment you every day till you repay that archonforsaken debt of yours to the last mora, and it's a promise.
When that day comes, I'll treat you to the finest drinks Lambad has to offer and I'll smack you on the head should you ever think of opening your wallet again.
But there's time before that."
Kaveh hummed, face buried in the crook of his neck. Slowly nuzzling the skin there.
"I want you to wear you pyjama properly and go to sleep. Then, tomorrow, you will have a shower and we will discuss the matter at hand before a cup of coffee and your favourite cakes. How does that sound?"
The answer never came.
Kaveh had fallen asleep like that, standing.
Alhaitham sighed again and looked around the room.
Being able to go back to sleep would've needed a miracle.
***
Saying that Alhaitham was disappointed would've been an understatement.
After tucking Kaveh in bed, he had spent the rest of the night dealing with mess the blonde had left behind.
Then, when the pinkish, first rays of sunlight started seeping through the window, he changed out of his night attire, grabbed his key and went out, slightly shivering in February's chilly morning air.
He didn't need his sound-blocking earpieces, for the streets were pleasantly deserted.
As dawn painted Sumeru City's streets pink and gold, only the chirping of birds and the fading frinium of crickets accompanied his lonely walk.
He tried to impress every sensation in his memory. A morning all too beautiful to be easily forgotten.
When he arrived to Puspa Café, the owner was opening the front door.
She seemed surprised to see him up that early, knowing perfectly well how the Akademiya's Scribe valued his routine, but welcomed him nonetheless.
This was the only place in Sumeru City that opened that early in the morning, having to prepare for busy clients needing breakfast before the usual rush hour.
He waited for an hour and, when the box full of fresh cakes was handed out to him, he paid and left the Café, heading straight home.
After checking up on Kaveh and seeing him snore soundly, Alhaitham prepared the table and started grinding the coffee beans.
He opened the box of cakes and slieced each of them in half, positioning them in two plates in what he hoped would be an aesthetically pleasant composition.
When the coffee was ready, he poured it in two cups and let them rest on the pyro infused glass slate, to make them stay warm.
When everything was ready, he sat down on a nearby chair and opened a book.
He did his best to not fall asleep, wanting to wait for Kaveh to have breakfast together, but in the end he dozed off.
When Alhaitham woke up, a ray of sunlight almost blinded him.
He groaned and hunched over the table.
A blanket fell from his shoulders.
He looked up only to see the blue sky out of the window, accompanied by the lively chatter of people in the streets.
He looked at the table. A cup of coffee was empty, three out of four pieces of cake had disappeared from Kaveh's plate. The lemon one was the only left.
Obviously. Kaveh never liked sour taste.
The whipped cream was beginning to melt.
Alhaitham was disappointed.
He was disappointed and Kaveh had escaped their much needed talk.
He finished his cold coffee in one go, took a bite of the lemon cake and quickly disposed of everything else.
He was off to work twenty minutes later.
***
Sumeru City' streets were bustling with people; tourists and locals alike wanting to admire the dendro Archon on her flowery carriage.
Alhaitham sat on a nearby bench, enjoying the silence his earpieces provided while reading.
A brand new book, still at chapter one. A lightweight compared to his usual complex lectures, but, in any case, it wasn't the first romance novel to secretly occupy his shelves.
The cool winter breeze caressed his air, bringing forth rose of Sumeru and sweet flower, mint and citrus.
The noises from the crowded street were barely audible.
He noticed Cyno's presence only when the latter stopped next to him.
"You're blocking the light, general Cyno", he said, never once lifting his gaze from the book.
A small movement and the light returned.
"Are you patrolling the streets?"
Cyno hummed affirmatively.
"The last day is always the busiest one"
"Hm"
None of them spoke again for a while, each one focused on their occupation.
Suddenly Cyno turned to face him.
"I just remembered", he said, "it's your birthday today, isn't it?"
For the first time since he had started reading, Alhaitham looked up from his book.
He slowly blinked.
"Ah.", a moment of silence and then: "Yes. I suppose it is."
Cyno nodded and returned his gaze to the street.
"Happy birthday then."
"Thank you."
The general side-eyed him.
"You seemed surprised. Kaveh has been talking about it nonstop"
"Is that so..."
"I saw him perform at the Gran Bazar."
Alhaitham stopped reading at once.
"He seemed to be doing quite well."
The sound of a book snapping close marked the end of their conversation.
***
When Kaveh entered their shared house, humming a soft tune, Alhaitham was leaning against the wall. Arms crossed and visibly unhappy.
Kaveh froze. The whispered melody faded away.
They stared at each other for a few seconds and then Alhaitham's lips parted, ready to probably reprimand him, harshly, as per usual.
"Kaveh-"
"Before-!", he interrupted, silently pleading the other to not stop him.
Kaveh cleared his throat.
"Before you say anything...here."
Alhaitham's world suddenly bloomed.
Red, white, pink petals. A vibrant red ribbon.
A perfect bouquet was shoved right into his arms.
He could only stare at it, dumbfounded.
Every cutting word and resolute speech he had prepared vanished like smoke in the wind.
Only the scent of flowers remained.
Kaveh looked at him expectantly, observing every change in his expression.
He then turned around to search in his bag.
A small box, covered in colorful paper and a ribbon, was handed to Alhaitham.
"Also, this is for you", Kaveh said.
"Happy birthday, Haitham."
Kaveh smiled, as warm as the sun, almost blinding.
When Alhaitham shook his head, the smile faltered. Then he made a step back and Kaveh started panicking.
"Aah...", the Scribe sighed, "I knew I shouldn't have bothered with it..."
He turned around and disappeared in his room.
Kaveh could only stare, every trace of joy evaporated from his pale face.
He...didn't like it?
He felt numb.
He willed himself not to cry.
His room, yes, he had to...go hide in his room and-
Alhaitham reappeared in the corridor and Kaveh suddenly couldn't stop the tears anymore.
"You!", he yelled, face red from tears and rage.
"You asshole! I- Do you even know how hard I worked for those gifts? How-", he sniffed, "How much time I spent practicing stupid magic tricks just to be able to buy you something nice on your birthday?!
And- And you-", he started sobbing.
"If you didn't like the flowers, you could've said so... There was non need to be so cruel..."
He wasn't yelling anymore, just quietly mumbling while wiping away the tears furiously.
"Kaveh."
"I don't want to listen to you."
"Kaveh-"
"You're an idiot! A bastard, a-"
"Senior Kaveh, please, look up."
As Kaveh lifted his gaze from the ground, he became speechless.
Alhaitham was there, standing in front of him. His arms were full of flowers.
The architect blinked slowly.
It was the richest bouquet he had ever seen.
Blues, reds, whites, pinks, yellows-
Flowers from all year around. No ribbons.
It was messy, and yet one of the most beautiful compositions Kaveh had ever seen.
He looked at the other in the eyes.
"Is it...for me?"
Alhaitham nodded.
"If you will accept it."
Kaveh scoffed and grabbed the bouquet.
"Obviously I'll accept it, you idiot. I think... I think this is the first time you've ever gifted me something like this.
And on your birthday too. Who gives others gifts on their birthday?"
The Scribe shrugged.
"I apologise for my previous reaction. As you can clearly see, I was just surprised we had the same idea; but I assure you, I do love the flowers you gave me."
Alhaitham was looking at him, smiling so fondly that Kaveh's felt like floating.
Joy bubbling in his chest.
He felt giddy.
"Alright, alright. I, as a compassionate and understanding senior, will forgive you", he declared.
"And I have to say, I'm amazed your bouquet is actually nice looking. I would've imagined it to be an eyesore."
Alhaitham sighed, but the small curve of his lips never faded.
"I won't comment on that."
Kaveh gasped.
"You won't start a fight with me?! Oh, Haitham, it's true, ageing really makes one wiser!"
Alhaitham flicked him on the forehead and even Kaveh thought it was well deserved.
***
"I don't want you to overwork yourself just to buy things for me."
Kaveh continued eating peacefully.
"You can't tell me what to do."
"I'm telling you what not to do."
"It's the same."
"No, it isn't. Learn to understand before you speak."
"Alright, alright. You win."
A waiter brought them a new bottle of wine and almost spilled it over when someone hit them from behind.
Lambad's tavern was quite crowded.
"Ah and thank you for the cakes."
"Hm?"
"This morning. You were sleeping so soundly I didn't dare waking you up. But the cakes were delicious."
Alhaitham nodded and took a sip of his wine.
"Anyway," he rested his head on his conjoined hands and looked at the other in the eyes.
"How did the magic show go? Judging from the birthday dinner you are offering me, I suppose you managed to fool someone. "
Kaveh grinned proudly.
"Hah, dear Haitham, you are now talking to a master magician!"
"Hmm... I'll believe it when I see it. Show me something."
Kaveh took the napkin from Alhaitham's side - his own having become a mess of quickly drawn lines and sauce stains a long time ago - and positioned it between his hands.
"Now look. I'll make it...disappear! Ta da!"
Alhaitham didn't move a muscle.
"Kaveh"
"Hm? Are you amazed yet? Hehe~"
"I can see it. In your sleeve."
Kaveh blinked.
Alhaitham stared. Then smirked.
"Try saving yourself now. Come on."
Kaveh gulped.
"Well- Obviously you discovered the trick! After all you're not like everyone else, Haitham. You can't be so easily fooled!"
"Unlike someone else, I'd say."
"Hey! I- I'm not easily fooled!"
Alhaitham deadpanned.
"Kaveh. Twelve keychains to save homeless children. Do I really have to say more?"
Kaveh shook his head and downed his wine in one go.
"You know what? Maybe magic isn't for me after all."