Chapter Text
The light of Kshahrewar has had endless possibilities for romance.
Or that is what is presumed of Kaveh, given the fact that a few tattoos lay across his arms and over his neck. A few speculated glances here and there, and it would be quite clear to anybody that Kaveh has dealt a few hands in romance, regardless of whether or not he has any partners now.
The wondrous brown leather book on his forearm signified a passing love for a librarian he had held close for a while, even if fleeting, and the beautifully puffed feather on his shoulder indicated affection for an Amurtha scholar he had met when clearing the withering to build the Palace of Alcazarzaray. Such small tattoos indicated the few flings Kaveh had in his life as an Architect, and the love he had (albeit briefly) possessed for the people he came across.
The beautiful tattoos were present on almost everybody. It signified the love and romance that one had gone through, even if in brief passing. A tale for every person that had crossed the heart of another, always implying a story for people everywhere. Lone travellers could be seen sporting a wide variety of tattoos, possibly from the many people they met in their journey, and even Akademia scholars who seldom had time for such things, had a few tattoos strewn across their figure. As such, it was quite common to see the marks on everybody.
Well, everybody except for a single, mind-boggling, infuriating individual, none other than the Acting Grand Sage, Al-Haitham.
Not that it wasn't shocking that people without tattoos existed, Kaveh would never nurse that form of prejudice for those who yearned for platonic love rather than romantic, or those who simply had no attraction at all. It just infuriated Kaveh to see his long time roommate have no tattoo at all. He had already expected that it would be hard to impress the Haravatat Scholar, however he didn't presume it to be impossible.
While the Kshahrewar scholar would agree that Al-Haitham was easy on the eyes, he would rather spend all his little mora to rebuild the Palace, than ever admit that outloud.
Its not like Kaveh never tried to sneak glances at Al-Haitham's figure, of course only to check whether he had tattoos and not any other reason, certainly not to see his toned muscles and slender waist, and his gleaming hair and piercing viridescent eyes. Of course not! That would simply not be true!
But a tiny part of him screamed a small bit, everytime his hopes would be crushed when he saw no formation of a new tattoo anywhere on the scholar. It hurt a bit, considering his lack of tattoos.
Considering the fact Kaveh himself had a small, green leaf between his collarbones, developed early on in his Akademia days, and the first ever tattoo that adorned his body.
The simple, yet striking pattern stood out on Kaveh's pale skin, and had formed after a few passing remarks thrown at Al-Haitham, when they had first come to aquaint one another into each other's lives. He had first met the brutally honest scholar in the House of Daena, after his junior had so selfishly stolen his seat the day Kaveh was late to hurry over to the library due to being reprimanded by his professor for falling asleep in class.
"Hey uh, you seem to have taken my regular seat here, you see, this is the place I sit everyday "
"Oh? I didn't know we had assigned places here at the House of Daena?" The grey haired junior asked.
"Yeah but this is my seat, I need the whole table for my blueprints and planning. Can't you find another seat? There are many empty tables here."
This pesky junior was starting to get on his nerves. Kaveh was asking so nicely too! How come he refused to cooperate with such a simple request?
"Its as you said senior, why don't you find another seat? I'm sure there are many other tables for you to sit at." Mocked Al-Haitham in return.
Okay, Kaveh was getting quite angry now. It seemed like this newcomer had absolutely no intention of shifting tables, going as far as to argue back with a simple request.
"Look, I'm not sure why you're so adamant on keeping your place, but fine. If you don't want to move, you'll have to deal with my company." And so, Kaveh set down all his blueprints on the desk and sat down with a huff, and a downturn of his lips.
From day one Al-Haitham had been this aggravating, know it all, that always had a snarky remark prepared for every quip and remark Kaveh threw at him. It was exasperating (and a little bit endearing).
A few months into this push and pull friendship, Kaveh woke up one morning and began his daily routine. He went to the washroom and began brushing his teeth, as per usual, and thats when he saw it. A four point viridescent leaf tattoo perched in between his collarbones, with multiple lines running across it, geometrically perfect. As an architect, he was well acquainted with shapes, but as a designer, he appreciated the wildness of nature, so seeing this too-perfect shape on his body meant only one thing.
Kaveh screamed in frustration and embarrassment.