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Alhaitham could feel Kaveh tensing up by how his hand grip tightened. The scribe got lost observing the unfamiliar faces of the hydro-ruled nation to notice the older woman entering the room. Blond hair and red eyes like her son’s but filled with joy in contrast with the architect’s conflicted ones. Even if Kaveh knew she would be there –he had accepted the birthday invitation, after all–, it was as clear as day that he wasn’t entirely ready to talk to her yet.
“Kaveh,” Alhaitham pulled his intertwined hands and made him spin around, ruby eyes changing focus to his husband. “May I have this dance?”
It took a moment for Kaveh to realise what Alhaitham was trying to do, his expression softening at the act and a nod of his head prompting the scribe to move his hands to the architect’s waist. A pair of arms surrounded his neck, the owner smiling bright and wide for the first time since their arrival in Fontaine.
Dancing wasn’t Alhaitham’s forte but he was willing to do his best for Kaveh. A tragic past, memories coming back the second he saw his mother and his new husband – Alhaitham wouldn’t let those thoughts invade his beloved’s mind. He had witnessed Kaveh’s mood getting worse as days passed by since he got Faranak’s letter: blueprints became harder to complete, decorations started to break from poor handling and their home was going back to the darkness of their first week back together. Even if Kaveh said time and time again that he was doing fine and that he already made peace with his mother’s new life, Alhaitham knew better – deep down, he was still grieving.
“You got better,” the blond’s words brought him back to the dance floor, his hands intertwined behind Kaveh’s back. Teal eyes showed confusion and a giggle escaped the renowned artist’s lips. “At dancing. You used to step on my feet before,” Alhaitham rolled his eyes at the statement.
“It has been years since we started practising. One would think I would’ve got at least a bit better at it,” a smirk adorned his face, ready for the next teasing. “I also have a great teacher caring for me. Wouldn’t you agree, Senior Kaveh?”
“You–” Kaveh huffed a laugh, still not used to Alhaitham’s casual flirting between his constant teasing. “I’m not the best in the subject but I’m glad that even now I can offer some guidance to you.”
“You have offered more than that to me,” if he intended for his words to say more than what was expected, it was only for Kaveh to figure out. And by his red cheeks and the fact he stopped looking at him, Alhaitham knew his hidden message reached his husband.
It was a quiet dance for a while, neither of them paying attention to their surroundings as if they were in a bubble that no one could break or trespass. Everything seemed calm and it made Alhaitham worry after a while – silence meant Kaveh was too busy with his own thoughts, which meant that he was thinking more than he should.
“Kaveh?”
“Mhm?” His face was hidden in Alhaitham’s neck where he couldn’t see it. “What is it, Haitham?”
“It’s okay to not be ready.”
Again: silence. It was unexpected for him to say such a deep and emotional thing. Such a rational man struggled with feelings and expressing them properly – had it not been for their friends, he probably wouldn’t have been able to convey his message properly. However, the lack of response made Alhaitham think that it might’ve not been the right thing to say: was it bad timing? Was it the way he said it? He usually wouldn’t care about what other people thought of his word, yet Kaveh was anything but ‘other people’ – he was everything. A sudden fear of having ruined the moment started festering from within him.
“I know.”
The scribe felt like breathing again after that. The blond head moved from his hiding spot so a pair of bright eyes could find their way to teal ones. Nothing needed to be said as they knew what the other was thinking by their soft gazes at each other.
Before they could do anything else, the sound of a spoon hitting crystal glass caught their attention. Reluctantly, Alhaitham let go of Kaveh only to hold his hand like before the dance started. It was announced that the married couple wanted to say a couple of words of gratitude toward their guests. The grip on Alhaitham’s hand tightened again, though this time he gave a soft squeeze of reassurance back.
As long as Kaveh knew he wasn’t alone anymore, Alhaitham was ready to dance with him until he felt ready to face his past.