Work Text:
“You’re back.” Alhaitham hears faintly from the kitchen which also served as the dining area.
He usually gets home before 6 even if he made any detours after work. This time, however, he had been roped into a meeting that he wanted to refuse but unfortunately couldn't.
It had been a while since he was appointed as the Acting Grand Sage but he was starting to think that maybe his resignation will never be accepted as long as no one competent came along to replace him. This woeful reality plagued Alhaitham’s mind more often than he’d like, his pent-up frustration growing stronger by the day.
It was a Friday, too, which meant that the time he had for himself to relax had decreased just because someone thought it was a good idea to have an alignment meeting before the work week ended. As if that isn’t what Mondays are for, he wondered.
His presence was welcomed but not exactly required as each representative from the respective darshans gave their weekly reports one by one, with the next report seemingly even lengthier than the last. He pretended to listen, as per his usual attitude even when he was just the Scribe.
If it was any consolation, at least someone was feeling a bit generous so as to treat them to dinner afterward. He quickly realized that it was meant to be somewhat of a team-bonding sort of activity and excused himself right before the drinking part began.
Relief flooded him, knowing he dodged a night of voluntary social interaction. As soon as he entered his house he shrugged off his boots and rested his cape on the hanger by the foyer as his keys were dropped in a low clang in the bowl sitting atop a table near the doorway.
Making his way to the kitchen, he saw Kaveh sitting down at the table with a few bottles of wine that were already opened and left to dry of its contents. He may have escaped the needless conversations back at the tavern, but he surely couldn’t avoid this one right in front of him.
“Of course, this is my home after all,” he stated obviously, making his way over to a cabinet to retrieve a glass for himself. He didn’t know how many bottles Kaveh had finished, but he was going to make sure he doesn’t miss out on the current one.
“As you never fail to remind me.” the architect mused before grabbing his own glass, tipping his head back as the red wine stained his bottom lip which undoubtedly rivaled the carmine hues of his eyes.
He drinks wine like it was purified water, he thought, making a mental note of letting him drink enough water before he sleeps so he won’t get a hangover the next day.
He sits down across from Kaveh and pours himself a glass, making sure he fills it more than halfway. He isn’t much of a drinker but he can tell what’s good from what isn’t and takes a sip of what Kaveh has been drinking for how many hours now.
It’s rather sweet with just a little hint of bitterness, the liquid going down his throat easily as he tried to relax after the long day he had. Despite avoiding the glaring looks of his work colleagues along with their unnecessary queries, he knew that Kaveh would make up for all of that and engage in menial conversation anyway.
“So, how was work today? You came home pretty late.”
Hearing the word “late” seemed to stir something up in Alhaitham. He knew what it meant, and his arrival at this hour doesn’t justify its meaning, given that it does not compare to the hours of the night when he would be past asleep whilst Kaveh is hammering away on some project in the study which was located near to his room.
Still, he tried to keep his emotions on the line, so as to not provoke Kaveh— for now, at least.
“Someone had the bright idea to hold a meeting just before I timed out. Plus, we had dinner afterward.” he simply answered. Nothing more, nothing less.
“Dinner? How come I wasn’t invited? You could have brought me along!” the architect whined, even throwing his hands up in the air for some kind of dramatic flare.
Alhaitham took one long look at the empty bottles on the table before replying back to him, “If the bottles on the table are anything to go by, I’d say you were already having a feast in here.”
“Shut up,” Kaveh muttered, meaning for his roommate to hear him despite his soft tone. He sighed, no longer hiding the frustration that he thought he could hide. Getting riled up by Kaveh was so easy, almost effortless by how frequently it happens.
“Do you really want me to?” he asked, rhetorically.
“Hmph, as if you listen to anything I say.”
Although Alhaitham was sure he had a bad day, he didn’t know why Kaveh had to turn the attitude up on him too. In fact, he was so good at it that he could feel his mood worsening just by looking at him in his disheveled state.
“And what about you? Have you ever thought about paying your rent?” he asked, knowing that mora was and always is going to be Kaveh’s weak spot. Alhaitham knew how cruel it sounded but sometimes he felt the need to wake him up not just from his dreams, but also from his ideals.
“Why do you always bring that up? You act as if I have never paid you a single mora!”
Alhaitham brought his glass up to his lips as he emptied it in a few big gulps. He always prided himself in keeping his words in check. He never cared about anyone else's opinion of him, but he was always aware of the effect his words may have on other people. How they decide to react afterward is usually not his concern anyway.
“Because if you did have mora, then you wouldn’t be here arguing with me.”
Fair play, Kaveh thought. Mora is always a sensitive topic for him but he knows that he could never win that argument. His current life isn’t ideal. He knew that and unfortunately, so did Alhaitham. If their earlier days in the Akademiya taught him anything, it’s that working yourself to death over a lost cause is never going to bring you back to life.
As soon as he heard that rebuttal through one ear, he quickly let it go through his other as he put his glass aside and started drinking straight from the bottle. The warm liquid numbed his senses, wishing it did the same to the ever-so-fragile emotions that never let him rest for even a day.
Alhaitham sighed, his intellectual side telling him that his current glass may well be his only one since Kaveh decided to hog the entire bottle to himself. What’s gotten into him anyway? He thought he was already accustomed to seeing Kaveh drown his sorrows in alcohol but why is he drinking so much tonight?
Before he could ask, the answers filled the room as easily as an anemo slime being swept away like a deflated balloon in the air.
“I’ve had a bad day,” he started, mildly slurring his words. This prompted the Scribe to let his own unfiltered sarcasm enter the room.
“I can hardly tell.”
“Hush you, I didn’t ask for your opinion.” he scoffed.
“It wasn’t an opinion, but go on.”
Kaveh sighed to himself before going on in a rant that would unexpectedly take a turn later on.
“An old client of mine contacted me recently. She’s not particularly old in age but it had been a few years since she commissioned me to design something for her. I was surprised she even remembers me.”
That last line almost made Alhaitham chuckle. How can his clients ever forget him? If anything, it was almost impossible to not recognize or remember Kaveh these days. Though they did not share the same beliefs, he would be an idiot to not recognize how those ideals of his eventually made a name for himself in Sumeru.
It was admirable, to say the least, though personally, he would not have wanted that kind of success for himself. As long as he did his job well and earned enough for them to live comfortably, then that would be more than enough.
“I was just at the bazaar chatting to Nilou when she suddenly came up to me and asked if I could spare her a moment. Of course, I couldn’t decline so I said I’ll meet up with her after I finished my current conversation.”
He then looked away from him as if to avoid his gaze, preparing himself for what could be an impending emotional breakdown.
“As soon as I went back to the woman waiting for me, she saw me approaching and she flashed me a sincere smile. She told me that the house I had designed for her was now a lively home where she lives with her entire family. I, of course, was flattered by her compliments in terms of the aesthetics and practicality of the infrastructure.”
His voice threatened to crack, yet he still soldiered on with the story.
“It was all well until she hugged me, thanking me over and over again for what a good job I had done,” he said, but Alhaitham was impatient to know why he posed the interaction as the reason he had a bad day.
“So? You always do a good job. Nothing new to note there.”
“While I do appreciate a compliment from you on the rare occasion that you do give me one, I’d say it’s quite unwelcome today.” he sighed before continuing the last bit of his story,
“She said, ‘With the success of your career and your limitless talent, I bet it’s always easy for you to keep yourself afloat!’”
If you were an ordinary person with enough skills and determination to last yourself a lifetime, this would be a compliment that is easily agreeable.
But if you were someone like Kaveh, who unknowingly struggles to make ends meet while at the same time juggling the balance between the harsh reality of the world with his unchanging ideals, then that alone would paint a fake smile on his ever-so flawless complexion as he prepares to have a mental breakdown later on.
Yet despite knowing how he is and the point he’s trying to make, Alhaitham only focused on what the woman said,
“She’s right though, isn’t she?”
Upon hearing this, Kaveh’s eyes widened as he whipped his head to look at Alhaitham in disbelief. Did he really just hear him right? Or did he actually hear wrong and is only trying to paint him in a bad light?
“What do you mean she’s right?”
Alhaitham crossed his arms, trying to get his point across, “You are successful and talented. Is there anything else to take note of?”
Kaveh couldn’t believe him right now, has he been listening to him at all? He left out the most important part, the thing that has been driving him insane all afternoon. If things were all fine and dandy, he wouldn’t be here at the dining table, wasting his time drinking.
“Is that all you picked up on?” he asked, desperation clinging to his voice.
“No, but I will refrain from stating the more obvious details that you are clearly so hung up on.”
Hands slammed on the sturdy wood, prompting Alhaitham to watch the bottles on the table that lingered too close to the edge. If they end up falling to the floor now then that would create a huge mess that he has to energy to clean up.
“Why?!” Kaveh raised his voice, not surprising the Scribe in the slightest. He’s become used to Kaveh’s outbursts that he has remained unfazed by whatever situation he finds himself in.
“Why what?” he inquired.
He didn’t mean to infuriate his roommate even further but that seemed to do the exact opposite.
“Why do you have to be so mean to me?!”
If Kaveh was starting to get agitated, so was Alhaitham. His mood had already turned sour the moment someone set up that ridiculous meeting that made his work last longer, but now it seems that the architect was going to help him relive that same frustration and dig even deeper.
“I haven’t even said anything that would justify your claim against me.” he deadpanned. He said it with absolutely zero emotion in his tone that one would think it was just an automated response.
He refused to raise his voice as he was already doing his best to not offend him by stating the obvious reason that he got upset. So why is he the one at fault for failing to get the point that Kaveh was trying to get across? Are they even on the same page right now?
His fist clenched as he held onto the empty glass that he had already finished, wishing it still had something in it so he could smash it and let the liquid blend in with the blood that would seep from his skin from the broken glass.
Kaveh had some nerve trying to accuse him of something he didn’t do. It kind of reminded him of their school days when he would complain about having so much work to do since most of their group mates had quit their project. It was unavoidable to have people leave what they worked hard on, but it didn’t necessarily mean that it was fruitful enough to keep going— especially if it would lead to their eventual falling out.
It wasn’t even doomed, to begin with. It was only fated to end horribly, with both sides refusing to own up to their incapacity to recognize their mistakes. Somehow it felt like someone threw a grenade in the air, and even if Kaveh knew he should run away from it, it was easier for him to catch it. Either way, it was inevitably going to explode.
It was that kind of benevolent commitment that would make Alhaitham question his own ideals, not as a way to offend him but rather as a way to ask if he was truly okay with living his life like that.
The reminiscent memory alone made him angry. He thought that Kaveh would lash out again as he wondered how to sate him so they wouldn't disturb their poor neighbors. He thought maybe it would open his eyes, and one look at the architect made him see that his eyes were open indeed.
They sat there like that, looking straight into the other's eyes as the tension in the room simmered. No one said a word for a while but it wouldn’t be for too long. He wanted to let Kaveh have a go at him. Maybe he deserved it for being such a prick. But what he didn’t expect was the same monotone voice he would usually speak with, being used right back at him.
“Has the alcohol hindered you from keeping your vision in check, Alhaitham?” he asked.
Alhaitham was confused.
He continued to look back at him, this time with his brows furrowed, wondering what in Teyvat he was talking about. It’s not like he drank a lot just now. If anything, he made a mental checkup on himself to make sure that he was still as sober as possible.
“I’m not visually impaired, Kaveh.” His response was too literal, too haste. It made absolutely no sense yet it was all he could say even if he knew that wasn’t what he was talking about.
“Yet you seem to fail in seeing how wrong you can be.”
Alhaitham rarely drank. This is a well-known fact between him and a few other people that actually knew him; yet he felt a semblance of insecurity, wondering if the little amount he had drank tonight might have clouded his judgment a bit.
“Archons, Kaveh. Did that woman really make you that upset?” the Scribe exclaimed, trying to hold on to the voice of reason at the back of his head that was telling him to yield and calm down as fast as possible.
Normally he’s good at keeping his cool in front of anyone, especially amidst the person who is probably the only one he’d never admit to feeling comfortable around. But despite his utmost control over everything in his life, he also allows himself to truly feel the gravity of the situation he’s in without mincing his words.
“She did. But no one could annoy me to death half as much as you do!”
Kaveh was standing now, his once occupied seat now lying a distance away from the table as the architect made his way around to supposedly corner Alhaitham who was still glued to his chair.
His braid was undone and his hairpins were in disarray as his questionable choice of indoor clothing led you to question just how modest he can get. His chest was heaving in anger, clearly upset yet again over something that may or may not be Alhaitham’s fault.
The Scribe, however mad he is, still tries to keep things intact.
“You enjoy this, don’t you?” he asked, with no hint that he was internally seething. He had hoped to just come up and rest after the long day that he had. It’s too bad that his roommate’s bad day would also come to affect him just as badly, if not worse.
“What?” he trailed off, making it look like he was now the confused one.
“This, riling yourself up and blaming me for everything. You can’t live a day without finding fault in everything I say, don't you?”
His lack of a response was the only answer Alhaitham needed, though he detested the deeper meaning behind all of it. Kaveh is always like this, he’s so good at building walls but instead of it being a line of defense, it’s the one thing that caves in on himself as soon as a few harsh words reach his ears.
It was times like these that Alhaitham appreciated Kaveh’s speechlessness. Maybe for once, he can stop to think about the words coming out of his mouth before unleashing his unwarranted fury on everything he finds disagreeable.
It’s also times like these that he realizes how much he understands Kaveh’s habits and bothersome traits yet he never once thought of getting rid of him once and for all.
When the project they had once worked on fell apart, he felt a misleading sense of relief in himself. Relief that meant he didn’t have to work with someone so competent that it hindered him from finding his own self-satisfaction, as well as the misunderstanding that they would never have to cross paths again.
But just as fate is cruel, life is too.
For all the grief he had experienced when he lost his last familial connection, he thought that he had rid himself of all emotional attachments. It somewhat felt like a wound on your skin— it can heal through time but it will always leave a scar of what was once there. That scar was something he kept hidden; it was an ugly part of himself that he never wanted to dig up again.
He got over it eventually. He knew he had to, or else the past would keep him shackled to the ground that he kept dragging himself on every day and every time he woke up. It was as if the world was black and white, with no gray area that served as a safety net for all his doubts and insecurities.
“Do you really detest silence?” he asked, speaking up after a while. Kaveh’s breathing started to calm down as his breaths became even. “Must you thrive on making a fuss out of everything?”
A hand held onto the side of the table as the blonde lowered his head, locks of hair falling over his face as it concealed his unreadable expression.
“Silence…” he uttered softly, but enough for Alhaitham to hear.
If the Scribe could be a string instrument, he would be a piano. Perfectly calculated with the right amount of keys, with each press emitting a specific sound that would play depending on what you pressed.
But in this case, every single word that came out of Kaveh’s mouth seemed to break a string inside him— one by one, slowly but surely, until he became unplayable with no hope of sharing music with others ever again.
“Have you forgotten what it means to be quiet?” he asked. It was a dumb thing to inquire at this point, but he was determined to keep pressing on if it meant that Kaveh was still functioning.
“If only I could forget, then it wouldn’t be such a problem for you.”
To Kaveh, silence meant comfort. It meant home— something that he doesn’t want to admit to feeling around Alhaitham of all people.
The interesting thing about adults in Sumeru was that up until recently, no one was able to dream. No one was allowed to, moreover. Every sunrise felt like a chore, and every sunset was not the relief people longed for. But for Kaveh, that man became the personification of a dream.
He continued to dream with his eyes open. He let every lucid idea become a reality for as long as he could keep holding onto it. Kaveh was proud to be who he is despite the ridicule he received as well as the rejection he never deserved.
To be the one person in the entire region who believed in uncertainty was almost a guarantee to a life of hardship and poverty, both of which he is currently experiencing. But to soldier with the hope of being found is something that not everyone could do in the city of wisdom.
“Kaveh,” he called out, almost in a whisper.
Alhaitham’s blood was no longer boiling, yet his vision was like a tunnel that was getting narrower the further he went. He wanted to unleash all his pent-up frustrations on Kaveh, the one person he trusted the most yet was also on the receiving end of his harsh words.
As if the same pillow that he rested his head on is also the one he would throw on the ground, knowing it would never crack or break. But all he saw was the delicate face that no person in Sumeru ever has the chance to see.
Was he lucky in this regard? Probably not.
To Alhaitham, seeing Kaveh break down also felt like his downfall.
For once his lips were shut, a contrast to literally all the times he had something to say, even if no one asked for his opinion. The architect slowly lifted his head up to look back at him, his naturally red irises grew dull in color as the rest of his eyes started to become red, with tears welling up in the corners.
There was a time that Alhaitham willingly admitted to himself that he loved seeing Kaveh’s eyes. After all, first impressions mattered to him. If Kaveh introduced himself to Alhaitham out of obligation, to him it felt like the first and last time he would open his heart and eyes to anyone.
He never asked about what his first impressions were when they first met, but to the Scribe, it started even before they uttered their first words to each other.
It felt as if no person could ever encapsulate the beauty of this world all at once. Like all the dewdrops in the early morning accumulated into springs of water to quench the thirst of those around him. And like a flower, he bloomed in all his glory, a golden affair for all to see and admire. Yet he stood there unassuming, wishing for the world to hold him in its arms as his eyes looked around for something he found worthwhile.
Alhaitham may be intelligent, but moments like these make him realize what an idiot he can be. He’s a very proud man with almost no lapses in judgment, but he can find it in him to humble himself if needed. Though his roommate may not appreciate the lack of conversation, hence his habit of overthinking starts to kick in,
“Go on, do it,” he said, a matter of factly. The Scribe finally met his gaze as he hastily replied, “Do what?”
It didn’t take much time for Kaveh to get the next few words out but it stung more than it should have, especially for someone supposedly as numb as Alhaitham.
“Kick me out.”
It wasn’t the first time he heard those words, and he was pretty sure it won’t be the last time either. At first, it felt like a threat, a selfish reminder that one day Alhaitham will run out of reasons as to why he allows Kaveh to live with him. But he never wants that to happen.
“Is that what you want?” he asked with a certain roughness to his voice. If Kaveh wanted to leave then who was he to stop him? He only ever wanted what was best for him so if leaving was the best choice then so be it.
“We both know that’s what you want.”
No, it’s not. It was never his intention to make him feel like a bother even if he won’t admit the opposite either. The dread he feels at the thought of losing Kaveh felt more begrudging than the frustration of keeping him around.
Yes, he missed the silence. But after living with him for a while he realized that it was never about the lack of noise that he craved but rather the awareness of the lack of comfort that Kaveh so desperately missed in his life.
“I…” was all he could say, even if he wanted to rebut his statement.
His stubbornness knew no bounds and neither side was unrelenting to the other as the lingering question that plagued their everyday life was “Who is going to adjust?” You’d think that this kind of dynamic would make things unbearable but for them, this almost seemed like a natural part of their routine like it was the only way they knew how to function.
“I’ve always thought you were a shrewd person, Alhaitham. Even when we were still students. Not one person was brave enough to even go near you.”
But he did. And he accepted it with a straight face on the outside, but a blossoming heart and enlightened mind on the inside.
If Kaveh never approached him that day, he wouldn’t be where he is today. If back then he was so glued to his own personal beliefs and did everything by the book, he wouldn’t have known that the fragile eutopia of someone’s emotions can easily be tainted by the shattering disappointment of reality.
In short, he wouldn’t have seen someone as perceptively perfect as Kaveh break down as he did. He’d be lying if he didn’t feel his own heart shattering at the sight of his then-partner, someone he finally considered a friend, just losing his own sight of the world.
“Then why did you?” he dreaded to ask but did so anyway.
Kaveh steadied himself as he crossed his arms, looking away from the Scribe in an attempt to sound more dramatic than he was. Alhaitham always found it amusing how he needed to prove himself through unnecessary actions when sometimes, his words were enough.
“I thought I was doing my fellow scholars a favor. Saving them the time and effort to get to know such an egoist as yourself.”
“Well, you thought wrong.” He certainly saved Alhaitham the unwanted attention and needless conversation, but it was Kaveh’s time and effort that was compromised in exchange.
“I know. And as if you couldn’t get any crueler, you refuse to let me go even if your so-called silence is within your grasp.”
“My silence? But what about yours?”
Though he never said it out loud, Alhaitham knew what Kaveh wanted. He can’t claim to know him 100% well, but his accuracy when it comes to dealing with his mannerisms has gotten quite better now that they’re giving their ‘relationship’ a second try.
He never wants to assume anything, but his perception of the situation helped him analyze him on a daily basis. Having a familiar face around gives him stability— something that Kaveh should learn to appreciate and recognize when he isn’t too busy working on his projects and running his mouth on useless arguments.
“Mine?” he asked, mildly confused.
“Don’t you want silence too?”
No matter how small the light is, it could be enough to trigger a spark— and that’s what Alhaitham saw when Kaveh looked back at him. The guilt was written all over his face as the trigger of self-loathing unleashed a wave of uncertainty once again.
“I’ve already troubled you enough. You don’t deserve to keep someone like me around.”
He wanted to smile to reassure him that he isn’t as much of a hassle as he says he is. He wanted him to snap out of whatever bubble he thought he created for himself. For Alhaitham, there was no barrier between them. The only thing keeping them apart was the fact that no one took the initiative to take one step closer to each other.
“You think that was enough? Do you honestly think that I cannot take any more of your annoyance that you feel the need for me to drive you out?”
“Oh please, you detest me! Why else would you keep threatening me to move out?”
“I said no such thing.”
“But you were thinking about it!”
He might have thought about it. Once, maybe twice. But he knew he wasn’t going to do it. He is a man of his word and breaking unsaid promises is still a betrayal in his eyes.
Kaveh stood close to him, just within reach. He usually felt so far away but now he feels more reachable. Not just physically but also emotionally. It wasn’t going to be easy to break Kaveh into little pieces of himself to figure out, but at least now the Scribe is well aware that he can just pull him in and hold himself together until he can feel whole again.
He stretched out his right arm, reaching out for Kaveh’s slimmer one as he pulled the architect towards him. The latter couldn’t hide the shock on his face for suddenly being lunged forward as he landed straight towards Alhaitham’s lap. Of course, the younger man wouldn’t let his precious senior lose his balance as he caught him just in time to place him properly on top of his thighs.
Kaveh instinctively wound an arm around those broad shoulders as he shot him a look of disapproval, but neither made the move to stand. It was during times like these that Alhaitham appreciated Kaveh’s honesty, even if it was just through his actions.
“So, is there anything else you want to say while everything’s out in the open?” he asked, feeling the mood slightly becoming lighter, though the weight on top of him definitely became heavier.
“I hate it when you openly withhold the truth from me.” he huffed, probably referring to other previous events that he still found unbelievable.
“Maybe it’s because you can’t seem to accept it openly.”
No matter how hard Alhaitham tried, Kaveh seemed to only accept the truths that he found plausible to him. If it sounded too far-fetched then most likely he will never believe him unless it happened to him firsthand. Yet there are some things in this world that are better left in the dark without anyone finding out the truth behind them.
“You don’t know that!” Alhaitham sighed to himself, resigned to the fact that Kaveh will always fight to have the last word, closure be damned. “I hope you eventually realize that just because the truth is out there, doesn’t mean that you have to openly seek it.”
“Are you saying you’re protecting me?”
“From your own idiocy and for the sake of my self-satisfaction, perhaps.” he retorted back. At least Kaveh is aware of it, even if he is sometimes in denial.
“I should’ve known it was as always going to be difficult trying to make amends with you Alhaitham.”
“Is that it, then? That was your wholehearted attempt?”
“Everything I do is never going to be enough, is it?” the architect sighed as he gave up, but not admitting defeat. Even if he thought he was inadequate, Alhaitham wanted to reassure him that he is not unwanted.
“I’ll be honest,” he started off, but Kaveh was quick to cut him off.
“Aren’t you always?”
If it was anyone else, they might have been ticked off by the sudden remark. But for Alhaitham, it was merely a fact being stated as it is. He scoffed to himself which earned a pair of carmine eyes being narrowed at him.
For all of the ways Kaveh expressed himself, Alhaitham wasn’t sure which one was his favorite. He’s probably never going to get tired of them, as he is never going to get tired of him.
“You’re never going to leave me, aren't you?”
His words trailed off as he looked at Kaveh with a tender expression, their eyes meeting in a soft glance that slowly melted all the tension away. Despite their countless arguments and indifferences, it was clear to them that nothing has been irreconcilable as long as they eventually try to understand each other.
Kaveh looked like he wanted to tear up again. He was nervous to answer the question but there was no doubt in his eyes about what his decision would be. He wants to stay for as long as possible— for as long as Alhaitham will have him.
“This house, maybe. But you? Questionable.”
Alhaitham took the rare opportunity to smile at him, no longer able to hide his undeniable relief and happiness. “Don’t get my hopes up, Kaveh,” he muttered as he buried his face in the architect’s shoulder. Even after drinking for a while he still smelled like his favorite peaches and his hair felt so soft as he caressed his fingers through them.
Now it was Kaveh’s turn to laugh back at him, amused at the sudden emotional ‘outburst’ that his beloved roommate so rarely showed.
“Being such a sad sap doesn’t suit you, Haitham.”
“I know but,” he trailed off, not sure if he should continue that thought.
“But what?” Kaveh’s curiosity was piqued. Since this barely ever happens, he’s definitely going to milk the situation for all its worth.
Even if Alhaitham wanted to keep his head in place, he regrettably lifted it up to look directly into Kaveh’s eyes again to say another honest truth that he had been holding back for a while,
“Even the sun doesn’t have to keep shining all day. If you do, you might burn out and I don’t ever want that to happen.”
He’d like to think that Lesser Lord Kusanali had somewhat of an influence on him, with her love for metaphors slowly making its way into his daily life. But to him, it was a matter-of-fact that Kaveh was the personification of the sun.
It wasn’t just his beautiful blonde hair that shone brightly in the day, or the extroverted personality that he gladly puts on for show in front of others, but rather the ever-growing dream in his heart with a flame that never seems to be extinguished.
Kaveh is a very skilled and talented craftsman with a lot of ideas, but if one truly wanted to understand the importance of wisdom, you have to realize that these are not enough to make the world a better place.
Many people have given up on their dreams and settles for a life that would continue to provide necessities in order to survive. But for someone like Kaveh, he was doing everything in his willpower to find the best way he could live— even if it wasn’t ideal.
The architect bowed his head as their foreheads rested on each other in that tender moment, Alhaitham couldn’t see it properly from that angle but he was sure Kaveh was smiling to himself.
“Whoever said I was the sun?” he mused, clearly taking the flattery to heart.
“Someone you probably don’t know, but you are the Light of the Kshahrewar. And a beacon among other things.”
If he could, he would let Kaveh’s light keep shining. Not just for him but for everyone who admires him. As he said, being able to appreciate the beauty in the world is an important trait. So if he was the beauty that the world needed, then Alhaitham would make sure everyone knew about it since he was the first and only person to ever make him realize it.
“Hmph, If I didn’t know you any better, I’d like to think you actually have an ounce of respect for me.”
The Scribe finally let his eyes shut, savoring the moment even more than he already has, hoping that everything that happened tonight would someone remain in Kaveh’s alcohol-muddled brain. But even if he didn’t remember everything, at least that would give him more reasons to remind him as often as he needed to.
“I have so much more than that.”