Chapter Text
"What are you doing?"
Al Haitham walks into Kaveh's room uninvited, his figure unsteady. For the past four weeks, his roommate, Kaveh, had been ignoring him with no explanation or conversation, which was entirely new for his predominantly lively and extroverted nature. Usually, a man such as Al Haitham would brush this treatment off, yet a feeling that would yield his chest every now and then was humanly impossible to dispose of, and the only thing that could solve this whole miscommunication was a long, sturdy conversation, or so the Grand Sage thought.
"Kaveh, answer me." Al Haitham crosses his arms, "What are -"
"I am not to be talked to in such a way."
Al Haitham's eyes widen at the extraordinary interruption. Kaveh's tone was cold and demanding, much more distinct to the cheery, noisy responses that the sage would usually be met with. The minute he heard his voice, everything the sage had ever done to supposedly wrong the man came rushing into his mind.
An empty box. A clean blackboard. No loathsome treatment of any kind came to mind.
"I find no fault in my perspective." Al Haitham mutters.
"Oh, of course you don't!" Kaveh shouts, "Because Mr. Grand Sage is never wrong, is he?"
Al Haitham's body shivers at the remarkably loud response, "I have never -"
"Spare the lecture. I don't want it." Kaveh brushes the man off, constantly walking back and forth from his wide, open closet.
"That's it." The Sage demands, "What are you even doing?"
No answer.
Al Haitham struts over to his unresponsive roommate, peeking behind his bed. His face turns pale as he finally catches sight of a spacious suitcase, several pieces of clothing along with personal belongings hastily thrown inside. Kaveh does not pay any attention to the bewildered man, and instead throws in larger piles of his clothes into the suitcase.
Al Haitham turns to look at Kaveh, his tone quivering, "No, you can't be doing what I think you're -"
"It's exactly what you think I'm doing." The blonde man shrieks, "I'm sick of this place. I'm sick of this treatment. I'm sick of you."
Al Haitham yells back, "Treatment? What have I ever done to you?"
"What have you ever done to me?" Kaveh howls, throwing his hands in the air, "Since you fail to see what you've done to me, I'll tell you instead!"
"Kaveh -"
"Would you like to talk about your constant negligence towards me? Or maybe the way you adore to make it clear of your hatred for me?"
"I -"
"If you're not interested in either of the topics, we can discuss your thoughtless replies towards me! Oh! Or maybe the fact that I'm nothing but an inconvenience to you, Mr. Grand Sage!"
"It's not like that at all. Please, do listen to me, Kaveh." A shuddering Al Haitham attempts to place a hand on Kaveh's cheek.
"Do not touch me!" The blonde man slaps the Sage's hand away, his screeches echoing through their home, "I thought that the Grand Sage himself would consider touching me as an abhorrent act."
"Kaveh, will you please let me explain -"
"Let you explain what, Al Haitham?" Kaveh hisses, "How your cold demeanor only wears off when you're about to lose me?"
The Sage pauses, his mouth partially open. He had no answer.
He was right.
He only ever considered mending things with Kaveh when they were about to get out of hand, except that this time, he was far too late. Far too late as Kaveh had become aware of the simple game of manipulation that Al Haitham used to keep him around. He didn't want him there, but he didn't want him gone.
"I've already sent my previous suitcases to my new area of residence. This one will be the last."
Al Haitham gasps, "New area of residence? When were you able to -"
"It is no business of yours to know of my establishments. I am taking nothing but my own personal belongings."
"Kaveh, please, don't do this." Al Haitham clutches the man's arm, "Please. I assure you things will be different from now on."
The blonde man replies with no hesitation, "No. I should have known when this happened more than twice. I won't fall for your bitter words again. Let go of me."
Al Haitham bites his lip, "No, no. I -"
"You never wanted me here anyway. Why are you changing your mind? If I were you, I'd want someone like myself gone too."
"NO!"
Al Haitham throws his figure onto Kaveh, the two of them falling onto his bed. All he needed was for Kaveh to stay with him, and the biggest problem is that he didn't know why. If they were to talk logically, every word that Kaveh said was undoubtedly correct: the Sage was absolutely furious when the noisy architect was obligated to move in, so why was he denying the thing he'd wished for for so long?
Why?
"What - Why are you even doing this?" Kaveh pants from under the broad man's figure, "Let go of me, you maniac! I'll kill you!
"Please, please don't leave. You can't leave." Al Haitham desperately denies, wrapping his arms tighter around Kaveh's body.
"It's for the best, Al Haitham. Please, let me go."
The Sage's eyes widen, and he takes a look at the man beneath him.
Shattered, identical to his tone.
"P-Please, just let me be." Kaveh's voice comes out as a whisper.
"No, no." Al Haitham wipes a brimming tear off of Kaveh's ruby eyes, "I can't let you be. I- I can't let you go."
Kaveh closes his eyes, tears falling down his cheeks. Burning tears rain from Al Haitham's eyes, dropping onto Kaveh's face. The pair of them cry and sob, each one of their tears yielding more sorrow than the last.
"Please, please don't go." Al Haitham buries his head in Kaveh's neck, "I'll do anything."
"I've -" Kaveh stutters in between cries, "I've already called for Cyno to help me with the matter."
Al Haitham flinches, "You - You got the General Mahamatra involved?"
Kaveh bites his lip, nodding slowly.
Al Haitham stands straight, placing his hands in his hair in distress, "I can't believe you."
Kaveh stands up, wiping his tears as he takes one look at Al Haitham, his voice weak and cracked, yet the fiery wit showing through every word.
"I truly resent you, Al Haitham."
"I'm sorry."