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Alhaitham 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 teasing Kaveh.
He loves the way he banters back at him, he loves observing every slight change in his expression.
It's entertaining.
And 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺.
"Perhaps... Perhaps that's why my life is rife with troubles" comes the architect's voice, sighing deeply before he (forces to) smiles at Faruzan, conceding the points to her.
Alhaitham lets out a snort, crossing his arms over his chest "indeed, it's rare to see someone with such terrible luck be so willing to decide victory through lots".
Maybe...maybe Alhaitham shouldn't have phrased it like that.
He was simply once again disappointed in the way Kaveh wanted to reach his goals, always putting everyone else before him.
It's not a bad thing per se, but it is when it becomes a habit of some sort.
It's draining.
And 𝘶𝘯𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘺.
He knows how much the competition means to Kaveh. He wanted the money to buy a property (and if Alhaitham will mysteriously move out of his house, well, that's for everyone else to figure out).
But most importantly, Kaveh wanted the diadem to fulfill his late father's dream.
Alhaitham can still feel his senior's tears wet his neck the night before, when he stopped bottling up all his concerns about the competition.
He was relieved that Alhaitham wouldn't take part in it, he wouldn't have been able to contain his growing anxiety otherwise.
But he was still 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥, the images of his mom crying day and night still vivid in his eyes.
Nonetheless, he kept crying and promising that he will win. For his father, and for himself. For 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.
("I promise you I'll be safe, I'll win and build the peaceful home we always dreamt of").
Alhaitham wasn't really enthustiast at the idea of Kaveh competing, but the blond was literally 𝘫𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 in place when he saw the announcement on the billboard, his whole body tingling with excitement.
("If you win the tournament, I'll marry you".)
So when instead of an annoyed face, Alhaitham is met with a sad smile, he stops in his tracks, his arms dropping by his sides, as a 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 sound leaves his lips.
"We can save bickering for later" he starts moving his gaze from Kaveh to Nilou "record the points under Faruzan, and that'll bring the first round to a close.
I'm off the clock at this point, so it's farewell for now".
He gathers his stuff, throwing glances at Kaveh here and there but the latter is not looking at him.
('Of course he's not, Alhaitham. You crossed the line').
He can hear Nilou and Faruzan trying to calm him down in the distance, the road to his house feeling more and more suffocating.
No one is surprised whenever they bicker, the whole Sumeru used to their banters even on the city's billboards, so they pay no mind when Kaveh suddenly becomes quieter, while Alhaitham busies himself with work.
"They probably argued over something trivial, the usual".
But that is actually when a 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 argument happened.
Each time they have a big fight, Alhaitham would always find a way to apologise. He may be an Haravatat alumni, but he's 𝘣𝘢𝘥 with words when it comes to Kaveh.
Once, it's a barrel of wine.
Another time, it's their table full of Kaveh's favourite dishes, even if Alhaitham is almost 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 at cooking.
Sometimes, it's just silence. The scribe giving full space to the architect, not wanting to intrude his own bubble of comfort, until the latter is the one to break it.
Kaveh would silently sit beside Alhaitham, slowly scooting over until their shoulders touch.
And Alhaitham would keep on reading his book with one hand, the other reaching over to Kaveh's, tenderly tracing circles on the back of the older's hand with his thumb.
They don't talk much about it, preferring to just bask in the warmth that is each other's presence.
Alhaitham is no good with apologies, but he hates seeing Kaveh sad, especially because of him. So, afterwards, he'll do anything to pamper him, to make him feel like he's enough, that whatever he said, he didn't mean any of it, that, this time around, he was the dumb one.
("I love you"
"I know..I love you too")
That, is Alhaitham's own way to apologise to Kaveh, and the latter is fine with it. He 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴.
The point is, they're both scared they're gonna end up just like when they were still students.
Alhaitham, nor Kaveh, want to let go of the other, not now that they're tied together.
They're adults, they love each other and know how and 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 is the time to stop arguing.
But falling out of each other again is scary. It's 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦.
So they do nothing but grip on the other for dear life. Kaveh feels guilty for walking out of Alhaitham's life just like that, their relationship torn in pieces just like their project. Alhaitham feels guilty for not grasping onto Kaveh when he had the chance to.
But, as Rtawahist scholars might say, the universe has everyone's fate written from the starts, and they both know that they were meant to be.
They met again, Kaveh was in full debt and he looked 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. But not once did Alhaitham look down on him.
He wouldn't say that what he felt was pity towards his senior. Kaveh 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 being pitied.
But he felt a tug on his heart at seeing him so empty, dark circles painting his eyes and glimming tears staining his no longer rosy cheeks.
All he wanted to do was to pick him up and hide him and his tears, to make him a cocoon and protect him with his life.
It took Kaveh three whole months to remove his clothes from his bag and put them in the drawer.
He was doing a lot better, eating healthy, getting a decent amount of sleep, liveliness coming back into his body.
The once so quiet house became a noisy 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦.
From dark, awful furniture, to colorful and pretty one (courtesy of Kaveh).
And it was so 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 to fall back into their old habits.
They would work during daytime, come back home for dinner, and have a nice time together either in the living room, with Alhaitham's flipping pages of his book and Kaveh's brush being the only noises in the house, or taking a stroll outside, the gentle Sumeru night breeze on their faces.
It was during one of their usual strolls that they kissed for the first time.
Kaveh said he found a pretty spot he wanted to paint, and Alhaitham tagged along bringing brushes and a canvas for the architect.
It wasn't too far from their home, just above the Akademiya. Alhaitham assumed Kaveh meant Razan Garden, but his usual stoic expression dropped when he saw Kaveh climbing the huge tree.
"C'mon Haitham! It's not that hard!" Kaveh giggled quietly, his hand extended to Alhaitham.
"Tsk, of course it isn't when you're not the one carrying all this stuff".
The blond retrieved his hand, playfully grinning at his junior "oh? Are you admitting to be merely a 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘣𝘭𝘦 scholar?"
Alhaitham rolled his eyes, carefully holding Kaveh's art materials in his right arm, gripping a branch with the other, gracefully stepping closer to Kaveh.
"You were saying?".
"Pft- boring!" he sticked his tongue out to the scribe, carefully watching his steps as he proceeded further, Alhaitham following suit.
"Ah..there we are" he said as he sat down, legs swinging (dangerously) by the edge of the giant tree.
"You know..." Kaveh's voice brought Alhaitham's attention from the canvas, which he placed on a more secure ground, to Kaveh's back, watching as his golden hair was shining under the moon's light
"My dad used to take my mom here. They would sit here and talk about anything, planning their future together..my mom would occasionally draw here, while my dad would talk nonstop about the stars and constellations" Kaveh let out a shaky breath, followed by a soft laugh "I wanted to draw this beautiful scenery too..I remember one of my mom's canvas...but she threw it away in a fit of rage after dad's accident".
It was so, so 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘥 to hear Kaveh talking at such a low volume, yet Alhaitham could do nothing but listen carefully, glad, for once, that he didn't bring his earpieces with him, mesmerized by the other's face, gaze lost in the blue of Mawtiyima Forest.
"Haitham?"
The latter hummed in question, ears going red from embarrassment for being caught staring at his roommate.
Kaveh giggled, opting for staying quiet about Alhaitham's dumbfounded expression "Mind passing me my stuff?".
The gray haired boy did as he was told, forcing a cough out of him, desperately (and 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺) hiding his pointy flushed ears behind his hair.
('Curse my headset. I should have brought it with me.')
Alhaitham lost track of how much time he spent looking at Kaveh's back as he painted, no book in hand for the first time in years, his attention completely caught by smooth, rosy fingers gracefully holding a brush.
Alhaitham is sure, that Kaveh isn't just an artist.
He is art.
He's a canvas.
He's 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 itself.
Kaveh is...
"Haitham? Did you just call me?".
𝘖𝘩.
Was he talking out loud?
It was so unlikely of Alhaitham to be this distracted, yet when was Kaveh never an odd one in Alhaitham's life?
"Sorry, keep going".
He looked away, unable to look into those ruby pools any longer.
He missed the way his senior's lips curved into a sly smirk, lazily scooting over, the canvas left in the background to dry.
"Haitham? What's wrong?" he said in a playful tone, chuckling at the way his roommate's cheeks were too now slightly red tainted.
Alhaitham felt like his heart was about to leap out of his chest. Never have they had this close proximity, or they did, but they were young and Alhaitham...he still wasn't 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 for his senior.
He looked back at Kaveh, matching his playful act, right brow arched in amusement "nothing is wrong, senior. Why are you asking?".
Kaveh immediately flushed red by being called senior from Alhaitham, turning it in Kaveh hiding his face behind his hands, mumbling softly "...I could feel your eyes on me the whole time, Haitham. Please...don't make me feel like I.."
"Like 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵, Kaveh?".
The architect lowered his hands, blush painting his cheeks and ears "like...I'm pretty...like...I mean the world to you".
Alhaitham's eyes widened at his words, quickly fixing his composure, a faint laugh leaving his lips "and what if you are?".
Kaveh's head snapped up at the confession, eyes scanning him up and down with confusion and curiosity, a soft light shining into them.
"Are you...what are you saying, Alhaitham?".
"I'm saying that I want to kiss you so badly right now, Kaveh" he moved closer, his hand brushing Kaveh's so softly "that is, if you'll let me".
Kaveh just stared at Alhaitham in disbelief for a good while, before letting out a loud chuckle, filling Alhaitham's ears 𝘴𝘰 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘺.
"Please do, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for this".
And they kissed. And kissed, and 𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥.
Alhaitham hands cupping Kaveh's face so tenderly, his lips brushing his senior's so softly, gently nipping at his bottom lip to ask for permission, as he explored Kaveh's warm mouth with his tongue, earning needy noises out of him.
It was so warm, so gentle, so 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨.
They kissed under the moonlight, away from everyone's eyes, in 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, with only a canvas behind them.
That same painting that greets Alhaitham each time he enters their room now, the beauty of Mawtiyima Forest adorning two figures holding each other in a spring Sumeru night.
He sighs as he leaves his bag on the floor, silence greeting him.
He wastes no time and busies himself with his research on Sachin, waiting for Kaveh to get home as well.
He spends hours and hours rummaging through his files, the truth slowly coming up the surface, his 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 to prove Kaveh that it wasn't his fault that his dad died, the only thing making him work this hard (and out of his working hours, at last).
It's a loud knocking that interrupts his mumbling and random doodling, legs moving on their own as he goes and unlocks the door, a smiling Kaveh greeting him.
"You took my keys again" he giggles, but Alhaitham knows it's not an amused one.
Oh. 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.
He forgot he took Kaveh's keys as well when he head out in the morning. A force of habit really, but he wanted to come home together today, before they...
Kaveh interrupts his train of thoughts "I'm sorry I'm late, the traveler wanted to talk with me a bit more".
"That's fine, I was busy working, I didn't even notice it was this late already".
He points at his sheets, a signal for Kaveh to read them if he wants to, to which the latter just nods understandingly.
Kaveh slowly makes his way into their home, silently eyeing the boxes he packed up days prior, noticing how some stuff mysteriously disappeared.
('Sly, sly Haitham...')
He sighs deeply, dropping his arms by his sides, before taking a fresh zaytun peach from their fruit bowl.
"Alhaitham I..." he starts, but he gets interrupted as two strong arms circle his waist, pulling him closer, his face right over his lover's heart.
Words 𝘥𝘪𝘦 in his throat, the only noise filling his ears being Alhaitham's heartbeat, thumping faster as Kaveh starts hugging back, clinging onto his shoulders.
He feels Alhaitham's fingers softly tapping on his back: two quick taps, tap, four pressure, tap, two pressure, three quick taps, three pressure, tap, pressure, tap, tap, pressure, tap, pressure, tap, double pressure.
Oh. Alhaitham is...he's 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘨.
"Oh Hayi..." Kaveh buries his face in the crook of Alhaitham's neck, breathing his scent in "stupid, stupid Hayi...you don't have to apologize, I'm not mad at you".
Alhaitham reclutantly distances himself enough to look at Kaveh, brows knotted together "you...are not..?".
Oh how 𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 Alhaitham looks right now, puzzled face on, as he slightly pouts at Kaveh, earning a giggle out of the older.
"Nope! I will admit, it was a bit sudden and I...may have overreacted" Alhaitham gives him a 'really?' look, making Kaveh playfully pinch his side "I'm sorry. I know you just said that for my own good" he finishes, getting on his tiptoes to kiss Alhaitham's cheek softly.
"Come, I'll make us dinner. Pita pockets?" he asks as he disappears into the kitchen, leaving Alhaitham to smile fondly, his cheek tingling softly where Kaveh kissed him.
('Victory or not, I 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 marry you Kaveh'.)
"Yes, my padisarah".