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Kaveh is the type to jump from one topic to another in seconds. He came home after a day of work, complaining about everyone as usual. HIs latest client who didn't appreciate the vision he had, an academia student who apparently didn't respect him, the batista who put whole-milk instead of almond into his coffee. He had the habit of scrunching his nose up when remembering something unpleasant, and it was the cutest thing Alhaitham ever got to witness.
As he was staring at his rambling senior and roommate, one hand on his cheek, the other tapping against his cup of tea, time seemed to stand still. Alhaitham liked those evenings. He liked the noise Kaveh brought into his silent life. Whether it was the hammering late at night because passion stroke, his too loud laughter, the way he stomped around and huffed to get attention. He didn't even mind when Kaveh came home drunk and needed help to survive the night - the amounts of time he had spent on the bathroom floor, holding hair out of his face and patting his back could not be counted on both hands.
Kaveh was the light to the darkness Alhaitham had been living in. It wasn't a bad live, it was simple, silent and there was no unnecessary amount of money spending going on. Now, he had to pay for more food, pay for copious amounts of bills left behind at the tavern (which he didn't truly mind, he just liked to see Kaveh embarrassed and pouting the day after), and not to mention he was also the one getting crafting supplies the other wanted for personal use only.
But Alhaitham didn't mind.
"-I am telling you, the way he looked at me was condescending! He dared to raise his brows and look down on me! Didn't even offer to help me up, even though it was clearly him running into me! But it's all good, Miss Faruzan was close by. Well, she didn't help me up either, but she glared at that kid and said some words you'd scold me for if I said them now-"
Kaveh was interrupting his own words with laughter, head thrown back into his neck, golden hair which usually covered his face now falling behind his ears. It was a beautiful sight.
"I like you."
It went straight over his head.
"-and I wanted to invite her for a drink afterwards, but you know how she is. As busy as the wind, and it's not like I had any money on me anyway!"
Alhaitham had a small smile on his lips, which Kaveh only noticed now as he finally paused to catch a breath.
" Ha! That's a smile, right? I made you smile today, mister always grumpy and angry. You'll never get a partner if you keep that up. You should smile more, it doesn't look half as bad on you, dare I say, it even makes you look quite handsome!"
Chirper as always, Kaveh had said his final words and got up. He stretched his arms high above his head making his shirt move up enough to show off the soft skin of his tummy, and groaned unnecessarily loud; one might even call it a moan. After those obscene sounds, he simply turned and left, moving towards the bathroom. That was Alhaitham's cue to finish up his own business and call it a night. The smile still hadn't left his lips, even though Kaveh didn't acknowledge his confession. It's just how he was, he probably didn't even hear it, too busy with his own thoughts and words.
It was close to midnight when Alhaitham finally put his book down, switched the light off and decided it was time to sleep.
It was 2a.m when he heard a loud thud, waking him enough to disturb his deep slumber, but not enough to get up and see what it was.
It was 5 minutes later, when the door to his room was thrown open, with Kaveh standing there, beet red face, shoulders heaving up and down from his heavy breathing.
"Y-you-!"
Alhaitham was nice enough to sit up. His hair was disheveled, but so was the other's, and he wore a blank look on his face. Even if Kaveh was the light of his life, even if this was quite the pretty sight, he valued his sleep and did not enjoy being woken up at ungodly hours.
"You-!" It was closer to a squeak than a shout. "You like me?! You! The grand scribe of the Akademiya, the smartest and sexiest man of Sumeru, my junior. You like ME?!"
Alhaitham saw those lips move, saw his body shake slightly, and he would have worried the man was sprouting a fever by how red he had turned now. But he couldn't listen any further. He was still rambling, and whilst he was used to and liked Kaveh's noise, he couldn't deal with it after being woken up like that. It was a lot to his ears.
"Yes, Kaveh. Now please let me sleep again, we can talk about this tomorrow, if you want." He tried to sound firm and confident, but he was just a tired man, and after those words he laid back down and pulled the covers tightly over his body.
"W-well, I like you too!"
"Goodnight, Kaveh."
"Goodnight!"
The door was thrown shut, then he heard another, followed by a squeal. He gave up questioning why he fell for this man a long time ago. All he knew was, he couldn't imagine a life without the loud architect anymore.