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It was raining. Rain, such a beautiful, yet ruined thing. Originally a blessing, now, a curse. Alhaitham hated the rain, more specifically going out in it. He didn’t mind it as long as he could stay inside the comfort of his own home. Alas, he had decided to go shopping one day, and of all days it had to have an unexpected downpour. Alhaitham decided to stop by Lambads Tavern on his way home to purchase some alcohol. A cozy place, where one could forget all their woes and simply enjoy fine wine. Admist the sounds of clinking glasses and joyful conversations, there was another noise. Was it the sound of sobbing? He wasn’t sure. It wasn’t his business, anyways… He shouldn’t care, but something inside him told him to investigate. He looked around, eventually finding a person hunched over a table in the corner of the tavern. The person had golden hair. Could it be..? No, and yet… It was. This was Kaveh, the Light of Kshahrewar, architect extraordinaire, and Alhaithams first friend, his best friend... Well, if you could even call him that. In truth, the two had simply done a research project together. It ended in disrepair after a huge fight, and the two never met again, until now.
“Fancy seeing you here…” Alhaitham said, taking notice of the many bottles lying next to him on the tabletop. He must’ve been drunk, Kaveh could never hold down a drink... He looked worse than ever.
“Oh no… Why did it have to be you..?” Kaveh looked up, looking at Alhaitham in disdain after seeing his face.
“Nevermind that, what are you doing? I doubt you normally drink yourself half to death, unless you really are that pitiful…” Kaveh glared at him. Who did he think he was, acting all high and mighty?!
“I’ll have you know I have very good reasons!”
“Really? What are they?”
“None of your business! Now get out of here…”
“I don’t think I will.” Alhaitham just stared at Kaveh, staying still. What had happened to him in the time they had been apart..?
“What do you want from me? Do you just want to laugh at me? Do you find pleasure in seeing me like this?!” It was reasonable for Kaveh to think this- The last time they spoke had been a less than desirable conversation, leaving them on bad terms. Alhaitham said nothing. He suddenly crouched down and picked up the bottle Kaveh was currently drinking from.
“What the fuck?! I was drinking that-” Kaveh got up, ready to get the bottle back, but he was weak in his drunken state and immediately stumbled. Alhaitham caught him, making Kaveh more angry. “I don’t need your help, just give it back!-”
“No.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said no.”
“You-” Kaveh reached up to grab it. Despite him being two years Alhaitham’s senior, Alhaitham had grown taller than him in their time apart. All Alhaitham had to do was raise his arm and Kaveh couldn’t do anything.
“You’re such an asshole!- You haven’t changed! Not after all these years!” Kaveh looked ready to cry again, clutching Alhaitham’s shirt.
“Do you just hate me?! Is that it?!” Alhaitham said nothing. Kaveh kept glaring at him with tears in his eyes.
“F- Fuck…” Kaveh kept crying, putting his face in Alhaithams chest to hide it and telling stories of his woes between sobs. Now Alhaitham knew he was drunk. A sober Kaveh would never do something like this… More likely to smack him. Alhaitham knew he should just push Kaveh away. He knew he had no obligation to help him, so why, why did he listen as Kaveh vented about his past? Why did he stay silent and hold a crying Kaveh as he lamented his many misfortunes? Why did he comfort him? When Kaveh paused in his ranting, Alhaitham spoke.
“How has realizing your ideals gone for you?”
Kaveh was at a loss for words. Researchers only admit they are wrong when faced with reality, but for Kaveh, he didn’t even know what reality was anymore. All he wanted was a world where everyone could be happy, so perfect and blessed no one would never want to leave. He sought this dream even at the price of losing himself. His own altruism was his downfall. To him, it was not his ideals at fault, but himself. Why should anyone give up a dream so pure?
When Kaveh didn’t reply to his initial question, he asked a different one.
“Do you have anywhere to stay?”
“No…”
“I see.”
After some time, Kaveh regained some dignity, realizing what he was doing.
“Let go of me, asshole…” Kaveh tried to push Alhaitham away, only to be met with a firm grip. Alhaitham seemed to be contemplating something. Kaveh’s face was red, from blush or the wine or both Alhaitham wasn’t sure.
“I said let go- Hey!” Kaveh found himself suddenly lifted off the ground and in Alhaitham’s arms, being carried as if he were a bride!
“Put me down! What do you think you’re doing-?!”
“I’m taking you to my house. You’re drunk and frankly you’re very easy to manipulate. If you stay like this any longer you’ll be taken advantage of and lose more money than you already have...” Kaveh flushed at this, realizing what Alhaitham meant. He had told him too much in his drunken spiel.
“Th- This is kidnapping! Put me down! Put me down right now!” After some fighting, Kaveh gave up. He couldn’t fight back, not like this… Alhaitham seemed content and carried him back to his house. When they got back, Alhaitham set him down on one of the couches and left the room, leaving Kaveh alone. He looked around. He hadn’t noticed it before, but this was the same house the Akademiya had allocated to the two of them in their school years for research. He had sold his share of it when he was desperate for money, leaving Alhaitham the sole owner. Alhaitham had apparently turned it into a house. It was a nice house, but the furniture… How revolting! Kaveh looked in shock at the way it looked together, and you couldn’t get him started on the mess… Did Alhaitham never clean?! Books and papers were everwhere, you could barely walk without tripping over some document Alhaitham had lying around… Kaveh tried to get up to leave, but he was hit with a pain in his head and doubled over, falling to the ground.
“F- Fuck…” Alhaitham heard the noise and checked on Kaveh.
“What are you doing on the ground?”
“Trying to escape, you jerk…”
“Is that so? How do you plan to ‘escape’ on the ground?”
“I’ll find a way! Look, if you want money, I don’t have any, so you’re making a fool of yourself!”
“I’m making a fool of myself? Says the one on the floor… And I already know you don’t have money- You told me so.”
“Shut up! Don’t touch me-” Alhaitham picked Kaveh up and set him on the couch again. He handed him a cup of water. Kaveh smacked it away.
“How do I know you haven’t done anything to the drink?”
“Just what exactly do you take me for? A criminal?”
“...”
Kaveh knew Alhaitham would never drug him, nor would he ever do anything illegal. Well, that was a lie, he probably would, but never anything like kidnapping... Right? Actually, he might if it meant getting information, like how the Matra brought people in for questioning in a criminal case.
“Just drink the damn water.” Alhaitham brought the water to Kaveh’s lips, holding the back of his head, making his already dishevled hair even more messy. He forced the water down Kaveh’s throat.
“You’re such an asshole…” Kaveh had given up trying to fight back. He knew deep down Alhaitham was trying to help him, he simply refused to accept it. Alhaitham had no reason to, and Alhaitham was a realist. Alhaitham wiped the sides of Kavehs mouth with a towel, lifting excess water from his delicate face. Alhaitham took note of the dirty condition Kaveh was in. He must have not taken a proper bath in a while…
“I’ll draw a bath.” He left the room. Kaveh heard water running. It was a while before he came back, picking Kaveh up.
“I can walk by myself…” Alhaitham raised an eyebrow at this. Kaveh could barely stand, let alone walk. He brought him to the bathroom, setting him on the counter and checking the water temperature. Kaveh got down, holding himself up by the counter. His legs were shaking.
“Okay, now get out…” Alhaitham nodded and left. Kaveh took his blouse off and looked at himself in the mirror. He was a mess. He finished getting nude and set himself down carefully in the bath. It was warm. How long had it been since he was warm? He didn’t know. He felt weak. He felt like nothing. He submerged himself completely in the bath. He didn’t raise his head out of the water, even when he felt he needed air. He began to feel like he was drowning, bubbles rising from his mouth in zealous fashion. Just as he felt he was about to pass out, a hand grabbed his hair and pulled his head out. He coughed, his eyes watering. He opened them to see Alhaitham, looking at him. His expression looked… Worried. No, impossible. He never worried.
“What are you doing?! Get out!” Kaveh covered himself up, turning away from Alhaitham. He hated being vulnerable, especially in front of someone he despised so much.
“What were you doing?”
“Didn’t you hear me?! Get out!” Kaveh tried to strike him, but Alhaitham grabbed his arm.
“Answer me.”
“...” Kaveh started to cry again. Alhaitham sighed at this. Kaveh was always switching between emotions like a lightbulb turning on and off. Time passed and Kaveh, his tears finally dry, shooed him away.
A little while later, Kaveh exited the bathroom in a towel. Alhaitham looked up at him from a book he was reading.
“There’s spare clothes in the bedroom. Pick out any you want.” Kaveh nodded, leaving the room. Alhaitham noticed in the way he walked that he stumbled a lot, and his eyes were unfocused. He must still be drunk… Kaveh returned, sitting next to Alhaitham on the couch. He was crying again. Just how much was he going to cry? Alhaitham was getting a little sick of it. Kaveh put his hands on his face, covering it.
“I’m so sorry, father… I’m so sorry…” Alhaitham looked at him, puzzled. Perhaps he had been thinking of his father, who passed away in a tragic accident while in the desert. Did he seriously blame himself? After all these years, he still thought it was his fault… It seemed neither of them had changed much since their student years.
He sighed, wrapping an arm around Kaveh. Kaveh leaned against his chest, sniffling, before going limp. Kaveh had passed out, probably from exhaustion. Alhaitham picked him up and brought him to a spare bedroom, laying him in bed and tucking him in. Kaveh was mumbling in his sleep, a beautiful face stained with tears. As he turned to leave, he heard Kaveh whisper in a soft voice.
“Can you ever forgive me, father..?”
“... Goodnight, Kaveh.”
Fin