Work Text:
Rain pattered gently against the window as the young boy pressed his nose against the cool glass. He watched the rain fall. Watched how each drop created little ripples in the puddles out on the street. Feet quietly approached behind him. He pulled away from the window just enough to see his mother approach behind him.
“Look, Mama! It's raining!” he said excitedly with a smile.
“Yes, I see, Kaveh,” his mother said, barely audible.
“Come watch the puddles with me?” Kaveh asked hopefully. His only reply was his mother’s vacant stare, seeing, but not, as she peered out the window. Kaveh panicked. Had he done something wrong? “Mama?” he asked gently.
After a long pause, his mother finally spoke. “Baba… tried to take me to see the stars once. There was a special one he wanted me to see that is visible for only a few nights a year. On the only day we could go to see it… it was raining.” Tears swelled in her eyes, her voice growing strained as she tried to keep her composure.
“Mama…” Kaveh reached out to touch his mother's arm in an attempt to comfort her but stopped himself, unsure how she would react.
“It’s been raining all day,” she said to no one, “and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you.” She turned quickly, as if trying to prevent anyone from seeing her tears, and went back to her room, shutting the door behind her.
Kaveh stared in the direction his mother had just gone, his heart hurting. If only he hadn't egged his father on to participate in the Interdarshan Championship and try to win the diadem. Then he'd still be here to enjoy the rain and watch it with his mother, reminiscing about the date that had been disrupted by the rain all those years ago with laughter instead of his mother crying at the memory. He took a deep breath and turned back to the window, stuffing his emotions down as he began to watch the puddles ripple again. This was, after all, what he deserved for what he had caused.
Kaveh hunched over as he hurried to the House of Daena hoping to protect his books from getting too wet. He had agreed to meet some other Kshahrewar students in his class to work on some assignments together. He walked in to find only a few groups of students, speaking in hushed tones, waiting out the rain.
Kaveh walked towards a table off to the side and sat down. He knew he wasn't late, but he wasn't early either. None of the other students had come because of the rain. He had known this would happen, but didn't want to admit it. He sighed, opening his sketchbook and picking up a pencil to begin sketching.
“Did the other students skip meeting again?” Kaveh looked up to see Alhaitham sitting down across from him.
“What? No, I-”
“You know, you're a terrible liar. This is a lot of work for one person to bring unless they were intending to be with a group.” Alhaitham said. “It’s raining, Kaveh. No one ever wants to go out in the rain.”
“You’re out in the rain,” Kaveh pointed out.
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow. “As are you. But that doesn't mean we want to.”
“Ha! Who says I don't want to? I, for one, have always liked the rain,” Kaveh challenged.
“Well, the sorrowful expression on your face when you came into the House of Daena disagreed,” Alhaitham shrugged. “But if you say so.”
Kaveh acted as if he hadn't heard Alhaitham instead asking, “Why are you here, Haitham?”
“To study. Why else would I be here?” Alhaitham selected a book from the small stack he had placed on his side of the table. “And don't think I didn't notice you changing the subject, Kaveh. You can't run from reality.”
Kaveh's grip tightened on his pencil as he snapped, “I'm not ‘running from reality’. I'm just-” he took a deep breath, calming himself before he started getting too loud and got them into trouble. “Never mind. We both have things to get done so let's just do them.”
Alhaitham only looked at Kaveh. Kaveh glared back for a moment before turning his attention to his sketch, ignoring Alhaitham who assessed his senior a moment longer before opening his book.
Several hours later, Kaveh slipped back into his dorm room. None of the other students who were supposed to have come ever showed up, so Kaveh had called it a day when Alhaitham left. It had stopped raining briefly while they were in the House of Daena, but it had resumed as Kaveh was walking back to his dorm.
In his room, he set his books down and sat down in front of the window just as he had always done as a boy. He thought about his mother in Fontaine. He thought about how she had loved the rain, too. He considered how much happier she was in Fontaine than she was here in Sumeru.
It's been raining here all day, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you, he thought as if his mother could hear his thoughts from Fontaine.
As he peered out the window watching the rain fall, his longing for his mother rose within him but he quickly shut it down. This was, after all, what he deserved for what he had caused.
As he set aside his completed drafts, Kaveh listened to the rain falling outside. He got up and checked the closet to see if Alhaitham had taken an umbrella with him to work that morning. He had, of course. Even if he hadn't, Alhaitham always kept an extra one in his office during the rainy season so there really was no reason for Kaveh to worry about him.
His work more or less done for the day, he went to the kitchen and cut himself some fruit. He could imagine Alhaitham scolding him for not eating all day. Telling him that he wouldn't be able to work efficiently if he didn't eat enough to fuel his body and remain healthy. If he at least ate some fruit, he could tell Alhaitham he had eaten something today. Alhaitham would immediately counter that a small bowl of fruit was not enough for his body, but he could say he'd eaten nonetheless.
After he finished preparing the fruit, he went to the living room and sat down sideways on the bench by one of the windows, one knee pressed against the wall. Propping the bowl of harra fruit and zaytun peach slices on his leg, he gazed out the window watching the ripples the raindrops made in the puddles.
As he sat there, he noticed a figure approaching the house and instantly shrank back away from the window to avoid being seen. He heard the sound of a key inserted into the lock followed by the door opening and Alhaitham stepping inside.
“You better not bring that wet umbrella in here!” Kaveh said without getting up from his seat. “Leave it there in the entry to dry or you get to be the one to mop the floors!” Alhaitham said nothing as he made a point of noisily dropping the umbrella in the entry. Kaveh rolled his eyes and pressed his nose to the glass again.
Alhaitham sat down on the bench beside him with his back against the window frame. He reached over and picked a slice of zaytun peach from the bowl on Kaveh's knee saying, “I take it this is all you've eaten today?”
“So what if it is?” Kaveh countered, still looking out the window. After a pause he said, “You're home early.”
“I finished my work early today so I came home early. Besides, it’s been raining all day and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you,” Alhaitham replied. Kaveh's head snapped and he stared at Alhaitham.
“What did you just say?” he asked, surprised.
“‘It's been raining all day and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you’.”
Kaveh could only stare. How many times had he heard his mother say those words? How many times had he himself said those words? Each time he or his mother had said that, there had been sorrow behind it. When Alhaitham said it, there was comfort behind it. As if the thoughts of Kaveh that the rain brought held peace and happiness. How could the same words be said with two different meanings? How could Kaveh, who so firmly believed that the sorrow and grief that pervaded his life was what he deserved, be a source of peace? Of happiness? Of comfort? And for Alhaitham of all people?
“Kaveh?” Alhaitham placed a hand on Kaveh's knee, pulling him from his thoughts. He looked at him, silently asking if he was alright. Kaveh did the only thing he could think of at that moment. He leaned forward, the bowl of fruit perched on his leg toppling into Alhaitham's lap, and kissed him. He pulled back and without hesitating, Alhaitham leaned forward and, placing a hand on the back of his head, pulled Kaveh in for another kiss. “That wasn't the answer I expected, but an acceptable one, in any case,” Alhaitham spoke against Kaveh's lips.
Kaveh smiled slightly, saying, “I couldn't think of any other answer.” He kissed Alhaitham again before asking, “Watch the rain with me?”
“Hm, I suppose I can wait a bit longer to confront you about your eating habits,” Alhaitham said.
“You-!” Kaveh exclaimed. Alhaitham chuckled and gently pushed Kaveh to turn around on the bench. Once he'd turned around, Alhaitham slid close behind him and placed one hand on Kaveh's leg. Kaveh tentatively leaned back into Alhaitham and was caught off-guard when the younger wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. As they sat there watching as the raindrops made ripples in the puddles, Kaveh considered what had happened in the time since Alhaitham had returned home. He felt a swell of joy, nervousness, excitement, and most of all, comfort. He decided to deal with the emotions later, though, and instead enjoy the moment and the rain. And for once in his life, he was glad that this was, after all, what he deserved for what he had caused.