Work Text:
It was supposed to be a relatively straightforward day. The typical morning routine, work at the Akademiya, and then meeting at Lambad's Tavern with Cyno and Tighnari to celebrate Kaveh’s birthday, who explicitly told them every year not to do anything for him but they always got together as a group anyhow. And if other friends of his happened to be there at the same time, then what a happy coincidence. He’d tell them not to get him anything, yet he’d always end up walking home with gifts. It was like clockwork, every year ending the same. Or so Alhaitham thought. He should really have stopped pretending he could predict Kaveh’s life, the man was as perplexing as the Mausoleum of King Deshret.
Birthdays brought about an odd sense of melancholy and self reflection as the years passed. How one has aged and everything that was done to get to this point. Who it was spent with. Alhaitham thought that birthdays, although overrated, highlighted an awareness to those in one’s life and their importance. Hence his theory that Kaveh, after all he had experienced, tended to hide from his own, straight out refusing to engage in these feelings. He never liked the attention, despite his famed career, or awareness that more time had passed through his fingers. Alhaitham was initially surprised that they could share this mutual disinterest in birthdays. He always assumed Kaveh would be the type to be too enthusiastic about celebrating the day he was born, free to spend the day with family and friends with little care for anything else. Maybe he did at one point, but not since Alhaitham had known him.
The morning, at the very least, started off on track for them. Kaveh rose early—his body refused to sleep in late—and started on making coffee. Alhaitham would rise a bit later, and the coffee would always be freshly finished regardless when he got up. It was a bit suspicious to say the very least, how Kaveh always knew, like a sixth sense. That would be foolish though, so he passed it off as the byproduct of living together for so long. Alhaitham would make breakfast as Kaveh put away dishes from the previous night. That time was spent in silence, a blanket of tranquility that covered their space.
Kaveh never appeared tired in the mornings, contradicting every sleeping and late night habit Alhaitham knew of the man. He was writing on the wall, ancient runes Alhaitham couldn’t help but try and decipher. They ate in peace, Alhaitham watching the sun reflect off the gentle waves of Kaveh’s hair, illuminating him in gold. Kaveh hated the nickname he gained in the Akademiya, as the “light of Kshahrewar,” but it was rightfully earned. He was as bright as the sun in appearance as well as intelligence. For as much as Kaveh complained that he lacked an understanding of art and aesthetics, he thought he could appreciate this if anything.
This morning, statistically, followed the same schedule and was the same as all others, except for one tiny detail. It didn’t matter in the long run, and wouldn't impact Alhaitham’s day, but after spending so much of his life with someone, he subconsciously started to store these details of their encounters. His curiosity got the best of him, something he was told so often by a very vexed roommate, but the facts remained: Kaveh was hiding something.
Though he didn’t enjoy interrupting this peaceful routine of theirs, Alhaitham’s curiosity was piqued, and he couldn’t help but be drawn in. Kaveh was twitchier than usual, nearly jumping if they so happened to brush by each other in the tight space of their kitchen. Every so often when Alhaitham would catch his eyes, the blond would quickly advert his gaze. Alhaitham knew something was up, and Kaveh knew that Alhaitham knew. They were at a stalemate, Alhaitham studying Kaveh as he ate, while Kaveh pretended not to notice, quietly nursing nothing but his coffee because breakfast always made him nauseous. He was fiddling with the handle and doing his best to keep staring out the window, refusing to look at his roommate.
Alhaitham had learned to ignore Kaveh’s strange behaviors until the blond brought it up himself, but in a rare feeling only Kaveh could bring out in him, his mouth moved faster than his brain. “What did you do?” His voice broke the silence as he watched Kaveh try everything in his power to still face away.
He sputtered. “Why do you always think I’ve done something? I resent your constant baseless accusations of my character.” His tone was light, clearly trying to direct the conversation into banter rather than an interrogation. Alhaitham was tempted to fall into the familiar lull that made up most of their conversations, but he resisted; he had a goal. “You’re hiding something. So I repeat, what did you do?”
“Why should I have to tell you?” He responded defensively, but Alhaitham immediately perked up. There was something that happened, then. He changed tactics. “You don’t have to.” The silence of the morning returned. Alhaitham continued to eat and waited while Kaveh stared into his coffee, increasingly getting more antsy. Once a topic was brought up, Alhaitham noticed that Kaveh was never able to stop himself from relenting and spilling his thoughts. He only had to have patience, something he became bountiful with over the last few years.
He knew he won when he heard Kaveh take a deep breath.
“Fine. There was an accident at my work site yesterday.”
Alhaitham’s eyebrows pinched in concern. He studied Kaveh once more, unable to pick out any injuries. He supposed it could’ve happened to someone else instead and Kaveh was beside himself with guilt, or perhaps there had been no physical injuries at all and something with the building had gone wrong. Alhaitham’s mind flooded with potential theories as to what could've happened. Kaveh finally turned to make eye contact with him. “I’m fine, Haitham.” He put his cup down, twisting his hands in front of him as he spoke. “It was a rather inconsequential accident if I do say so myself, more embarrassing than anything.”
His attention was captured; he had to know what happened. Alhaitham didn’t even realize how focused he was, leaning in, food forgotten, until Kaveh had a soft smile on his face. He let out a sigh. “I tripped on some mislain equipment and materials and I may have chipped a small piece of my tooth off.”
Alhaitham sat back, stupefied. Kaveh was still talking, explaining how he got checked out at Bimarstan and nothing else was awry. But Alhaitham couldn’t help but think that was it? Rather trivial compared to the theories he had proposed. But the more he thought about it…
Kaveh, regardless of his true feelings, smiled often and easily. Thinking about what it would look like now…That cheeky smile, probably a bit flustered from embarrassment.
Alhaitham was a simple man. A very simple man. He had to see it.
He put his hands on the table, leaning closer. “Show me.” Kaveh pushed himself back simultaneously as if predicting this, shaking his head immediately.
“Kaveh,” he implored.
The blond stood up, rising from his seat, preparing to make a break for it. Alhaitham matched his movements. They were in a standoff on two opposite ends of the table. The door was to their sides. They openly glared at each other, their once peaceful morning taking a competitive turn.
In a flash Kaveh started for the exit. Those damn long legs gave him the advantage for a quick burst. But Alhaitham wasn’t going down without a fight. He made it to the living room before Alhaitham tackled him around the middle, the two barely staying upright. He could hear Kaveh laugh, the crease between his eyebrows increasing as he wished more intensely he could see it. Next, there was a sharp pain to his shin.
That bastard kicked him. It was just after sunrise, and Kaveh, who was pushing his thirties, just kicked him like a child. His grip loosened, allowing Kaveh to bring his hands up to where Alhaitham had his arms around his middle, flipping him over his shoulder. Alhaitham hit the ground with a grunt, the impact forcing the air from his lungs.
This shouldn’t have come as a surprise; they had sparred since they were young. He knew Kaveh was strong. But perhaps his memory had failed him when he had only one thought on his mind.
He looked up to Kaveh, who stood over him with a smirk on his face before he quickly danced off to his room. A loud click of the lock echoed through the house. Alhaitham laid there rethinking his choices and why he cared so much. But it didn’t matter. He had lost the battle, but he would not lose the war.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Work was rather painful to get through. The work was simple as usual; he spent most of his time documenting recent finds of Akademiya research of the desert and its mysteries. Life was back on track after the fall of Azar and his followers. He no longer had to work overtime as the acting Grand sage, a position he despised. The scribe’s work was boring and mindless, but made for an easy paycheck to continue his own studies and research in his freetime.
However, those mindless tasks now worked against him. He tried to block it out, but found himself victim to thinking about Kaveh. Kaveh who was at his construction site, probably smiling openly to those around him. Kaveh who was being a brat on purpose, knowing how much Alhaitham wanted to see it, but choosing to keep it a secret.
They both knew Alhaitham would see it at some point—they lived together. But they both also knew Kaveh would try to keep it from him as long as possible out of spite. Archons give me strength. His roommate drove him insane like no other. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.
So as the hours ticked by, the words blending together, Alhaitham’s mind fumbled with thoughts of what that damn smile could look like. He thanked the gods his imagination wasn’t overly detailed. He didn’t think he could survive with those images haunting him. It was a dramatic feeling, but one which he had no control over. There was, after all, only one solution.
Eventually work did come to an end. He left at the same time every day. Not a minute over. He did not rush home; he did get there earlier than usual, but correlation doesn’t imply causation. Alhaitham thought if he repeated this to himself enough it would make the situation less pathetic.
There was some time before the gathering—Kaveh refused to let it be called a party—so Alhaitham had plenty of time to get what he wanted. He slid his key into the door lock and opened it to see Kaveh lounging on one of the divans. His head popped up as soon as he heard Alhaitham come in.
“How much time do we have before seeing Tighnari and Cyno?” He called, his blond hair slightly ruffled from laying.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kaveh stared at him unimpressed; he had come to terms with the fact that something would be done on his birthday every year whether he wanted it or not. Alhaitham conceded, telling him an hour.
“Let’s go on a walk.” His roommate rose, making his way to put shoes on. Alhaitham stood there watching him; he wasn’t particularly a fan of these walks his roommate forced him on. It was always too hot since the sun had not set. The humidity was unpleasant, and since Kaveh almost always wanted to go down to the piers to watch the serene waters, bugs would swarm them.
“You can’t say no, it is my birthday,” he responded before Alhaitham could voice his complaints, grabbing his arm and immediately dragging him back out of the house. Alhaitham reluctantly allowed him to; Kaveh didn’t pull the birthday card often, so he wasn’t going to deny him now. The water was close to the tavern as well, so in the end they were killing two birds with one stone.
People bustled around everywhere they passed. The city was always full of life. Children chased each other down the streets, stray dogs curled up in the lush grasses, shop owners
closed up.
Much to Alhaitham’s annoyance, it was too hot, and the bugs did swarm them, but Kaveh seemed pleased, so he couldn’t be too upset. Making their way down the winding streets, they reached the small port. The clear waters glistened under the setting sun that coated everything in an orange light.
There was a small family of ducks gently bobbing in the waters. Alhaitham could hear Kaveh start to snicker beside him. He turned in confusion to meet Kaveh’s gaze. There was a gentle smile on his face, still no teeth shown. He had seen this expression before, when their words held less weight. It was full of fondness.
Sensing he had something to say, Alhaitham waited. “Do you remember back in your first year,” Alhaitham straightened his shoulders; he knew where this was going, “when you tried to feed that duck?”
He did remember this story, much to his embarrassment, but chose to ignore Kaveh, refusing to humor him. He stared at the ground beneath him as they made their way closer to the docks. Kaveh loved to study the designs of the boats, each one being unique, while Alhaitham found the location ideal for information.
Kaveh continued on, “And when you tried to pick it up because you wanted to keep it as a pet,” he started chuckling to himself again. “It bit you and you pouted for days.” As much as Alhaitham wanted to appreciate the sound, he would not take this slander.
“I do not pout.”
“You do.”
“I do not.”
“You’re doing it right now.”
Alhaitham whipped his head back up to glare at him before realizing his mouth was in fact twisted into a pout. At whatever expression Kaveh now saw on his face, Kaveh bursted out laughing. Alhaitham could only stare in shock as he finally got sight of the chipped tooth. His face heated as he noticed once more how beautiful Kaveh was. Words, despite being his forte, fled from his mind as he watched in awe. None of the images he proposed before at work could beat the real thing. Others might think this awkward defect might ruin one's looks, but Alhaitham was left speechless in how perfectly it fit Kaveh.
He was so caught up in taking in this blessing from Celestia that he didn’t realize the light pole in front of him, smacking straight into it as he couldn’t take his eyes off the blond.
The pain immediately snapped him back to reality, as did the wet dripping sensation from his nose. Kaveh only started to laugh harder at the situation, missing his step on the docks and beginning to fall backwards. On instinct Alhaitham reached out to grab him before realizing his mistake.
The two fell with a splash into the cold water, which, if ignoring everything else, felt nice. It was shallow water, so it didn’t take long for the two to get their feet back under them. Kaveh latched onto Alhaitham’s shoulder, soaking wet, hair flattened, and kohl smudged, but still shaking with laughter. Alhaitham couldn’t help but join him, ignoring the confused stares of strangers. What else could he do but find the situation amusing?
When Kaveh finally pulled back, Alhaitham took in his messy state and swore he could feel his heart stop. He should ask a doctor about that, it couldn’t be good. Kaveh held his gaze, his eyes softening. He was still smiling when he said, “This is the best birthday ever.”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
They were very late to Kaveh’s own birthday celebration after a quick visit to Bimarstan and home to change to drier clothes. But after Kaveh explained, no one could fault them.
The night ended successfully in Alhaitham’s opinion. Food and wine flowed as well as easy conversation and shared laughter with friends. The celebration was never too big of a deal or overwhelming for Kaveh, and always left a pleased look on his face that remained for days.
When they made the journey home under the moonlight, Kaveh pressed close. “Thank you,” he whispered into the night, where words could mean everything or nothing at all. Alhaitham remained silent, but held him closer.
If all birthdays could be like this, then maybe he could understand the excitement.