Chapter Text
Every Friday night, Alhaitham would have a walk around Sumaru City, not going anywhere in particular but instead just to breathe some fresh air and collect his thoughts on what's gone on in the past week.
Whether it was paper work he had to go though or a book he found a large intrest in, walking around and being zoned out on subjects was a good way gor him to stay grounded, have the energy to have a some what relaxing weekend and get ready for ghe next week ahead.
But on this particular night, the air was damp and thick clouds covered the star filled sky's, it was midwinter and while Sumaru never got snow, Alhaitham knew there would be heavy rain in the next hour or so from the salty smell that filled the air. Even as he was warmly clothed, the breeze still hit him, leaving his bones uncomfortable.
It was this particularly cold night. Alhaitham would walk past one of the few pubs in sumaru, labbad, and he would hear a loud sneeze and an 'oi' calling for him.
When walking around at night, the scribe never had his sound cancellation on for two reasons. One, he wasn't stupid enough to do so when most crimes happened at night, and two, the streets were significantly quieter at night so as not to stress him out with said noise.
"You there," a graved, sand paper like voice called out to him again. Alhaitham was going to ignore him. The way the man's words slured showed clear indications of being drunk. However, something in his heart said 'turn around'.
So he did.
It took him a second to find the source of the voice calling out to him, but the streets only dimly lit. But he saw a curled up, skinny figure of a messy man slouching on the wall of the pub.
He sat with his legs in his chest, hugging a box and an empty bottle of wine tightly in his arms.
"May I help you?" Alhaitham asked, talking small steps towards the man, only to recognise the crimson eyes that looked up at him.
But he didn't recognise the sitting man all that much, for the eyes he knew shone brightly, these eyes were dull.
The man he knew always dressed to impress, even for simple errans to the store, this man wore against clothes of mud, sick and blood, torn and terrible patched up.
The man he knew took great pride in caring for his hair , this man had messed up, unevenly chopped hair that clearly hadn't seen a brush in a good long time, so greasy all the hair looked like one strand.
The man he knew -
"Kaveh..." Alhaitham whispered out without thinking before the man he once knew could even answer his question.
Alhaithams' heart was pounding, bile lodged at the back of his throat from the sight of the man below him.
The man... kaveh flinched at the name.
He shifted forward slightly, squinting his dead-looking eyes before they would widen and he would hug the box even tighter in his arms. "Oh..." was all he was able to say.
The two hadn't seen each other since Kaveh left the Akademia nearly four years ago now. Alhaitham sometimes wondered what he was doing but would never admit that.
They fought a big fight, Alhaitham would never admit that even after that petty fight, he still cared for his senior.
"You can go, actually," Kaveh muttered, pressing his back into the wall as if trying to become one with it.
While he would never admit his care for the man, that wasn't the same for wanting to help him.
Alhaitham shifted uncomfortably for a moment , "I don't think I should," he said and squatted in front of him, this movement making the blonde flinch again. He stunk of everything stuck to his clothes. The smell made Alhaitham want to throw up, but he didn't.
He looked at Kavehs weak body, small bruises and cuts along his body, a black eye and dots on his neck that suggested strangulation, his knuckles were deep purple, cuts along his arms , some lined in such a way you didn't need to guess what they were. His nose was busted, and even dry blood stained there.
The homeless getting jumped and hurt wasn't uncommon amongst nations , Alhaitham had read all about it time and time again but it wasn't until he saw Kaveh behind on the end of it didn't he really care about those articles.
There was no fat to kaveh. The man was only skin and bones , Alhaitham could wrap his hand around haves wrist and his hands would hug them all too well.
'How did the light of Kshahrewar become... this?"
"You..." Kaveh let out a deep breath, also looking Alhaitham up and down, "you look very good. " There was no hint of jealousy or hate behind them words.
He ment well with them, but that made Alhaithamfeel worse about it all.
'You look like a corpse,' Alhaitham thought, unsure what to do or how to help Kaveh. "Thank you," he said, "how about we go back to mine and catch up?" He offered, Alhaitham wasn't one to smile, but he gave the most genuine smile he could muster, but with the shit show in front of him, it was hard.
He thought he might actually cry at this.
But he didn't.
Kaveh scolded his, "Don't give me pity, I put myself here..." he huffed , looking away from the scribe.
"Why did you call me over then?"
Kaveh puffed out a cheek. He stayed quiet for a few moments before Alhaitham realised he was trying to ignore the question.
"Yeah... okay, let's go to mine, " the younger decided for the other. Standing up, he held out a hand, "Would you like help getting up?"
Kaveh pulled another face, and he dropped the empty bottle as he held the box with such tightness his hands violently shook , "I'm not going with you."
"You don't seem to understand, you lost the option to decide when you gave the wrong answer, so get up and off we go" Alhaitham huffed, he didn't like it when people didn't listen, expecially when it's for their own well being.
Kaveh finally looked at Alhaitham again with an unamused look, then slowly he raised up his fist, flipping Alhaitham the brid.
"Fuck you, I don't need you" he grumbled, the bitterness was so out of Kavehs Charcter.
Alhaitham grinded his jaw before bending over and in one simple swoop he flung Kaveh over his shoulder, "make sure not to let go of the box" was all he said.
He had no idea what was in said box, but if Kaveh was holding it that tightly, it had to be something of importance. Unless he was just that drunk and found an empty box.
As the words fell from Alhaithams mouth, the box would be slammed into his back multiple times , but it was weak, there was no strength behind it.
"Fuck sake! Let me go!" Kavah screamed, hitting him over and kver again, "put me down you ass!"
This is when Alhaitham would but his sound cancellation on.
When home, he gentally throws kaveh onto the sofa and locks the door. "Now, would you like some tea?" He offered, taking off his Cape, "or a bath?"
Kaveh looked at Alhaitham, seemingly sobered up from the new situation he finds himself in. "I know I stink, but you don't need to be so forward about it," he whispered weakly. Alhaithams' movements froze. He definitely should have been more careful with asking that.
"Sorry," he said with his hands tapping his sides in an awkward manner, unsure what else to say.
But thankfully for him, Kaveh decided to accept the apology. After all, it was the first time he's heard the scribe say that word...ever. kaveh nodded his head, "is it okay for a bath?" He then asked meekly.
Alhaitham hummed, "Of course, I'll go put one on for you now," he said and did just that.
Alhaitham really was unsure how to handle this situation. He needed to be patient and kind, but those were things Alhaitham wasn't well trained in.
He knew it was best for Kaveh to see a doctor, Kaveh needed a lot of help from someone, kaveh needed to get back on his feet from whatever this slump was.
'Why did I find him? Why couldn't Tighnari have found him?' He thought, these weren't thoughts from their bitter fight , but thoughts of Tighnari could do a better job of looking after the man.
While the bath was running, he had Kaveh a cup of tea.
He cut some fruits up and plated them for him also.
When he put them on the coffee table, Kaveh seemed taken back by the food and drink and only began eating the fruits when Alhaitham shoved his nose in a book.
"Thank you" Kaveh said ever so quietly as he showed Kaveh were the bathroom was once the bath was ready.
Alhaitham let out a small hum, "towels are in that cabinet with a spare change of clothes" he explained, "just hand me these ones once your out and I'll... try to clean them"
"Thank you" Kaveh repeated again before Alhaitham closed the bathroom door behind him.
He knew there was no saving them clothes. They would be better off in a fire.
About an hour and a bit later, Kaveh slowly made his way out of the bathroom, looking as scared as a deer.
His hair was still soaked, and Alhaithams clothed, looking too baggy on his boney structure.
Alhaitham put his book on the coffee table, offering Kaveh his place to sit , "Let me just get you the hair dryer." Alhaitham said.
Once he did, he brushed through Kavehs hair
( which was a challenge) and then dried it with the most care he could muster. His hands had never been so gental when doing... Well, when doing anything.
When he was done , the blonde locks still looked choppy, but that was a skill issue. But they looked a bit more like the golden mane he had been used to.
Alhaitham brushed his hand through the hair before asking, "How are you feeling?"
Kaveh stayed quiet for a moment, looking off at the short distance to the wall, then ever so meekly said , "embarrassed."
Alhaitham stood up from behind kaveh and nodded his head, "understandable" he hummed, "but there's nothing to be embarrassed of, would you rather I find you like this or someone you actually respect?" He sounded bitter as he said it, but it was true. He knew, or was 99.99% sure, after their argument Kaveh had lost all respect for him. The scribe didn't mean to sound bitter , but he was.
Kaveh then stood up, touching his own hair with an almost amazed face before he looked over at Alhaitham, "Uh, I should be off now.." he trailed off.
Alhaitham pulled a clear face of disagreement, well maybe not a clear expression as this was Alhaitham, "you can stay here" he said, "sleep in there and we can talk more in the morning" he instructed.
"No.. I should go. You've done so much for me already, " Kaveh insisted , edging towards the door.
Alhaitham blocked the path, "all I did was give you some fruit and a bath, take the bed and let me help you," he frowned , pointing back to his bedroom.
Kaveh picked at the bed of his nails oh sk unsure of this, "No..."
"Yes," Alhaitham sighed. He was tired now. He knew this could very well turn into an argument.
"Don't force me to stay" Kaveh hissed , "That's kidnapping"
"I'm trying to help you" Alhaitham rolled his eyes, he took Kaveh by the shoulders and spun his around to direct him to the room, "I get if you don't want my help, so just stay here the night and we can find someone else to help you tomorrow" he suggested.
Kaveh stayed silent once more, allowing to be pushed into the bedroom..
He sat awkwardly on the bed, watching Alhaitham take out his own pajamas and a book, "if you need anything I'll be on the sofa , but please sleep and we'llspeak more in the morning" he told Kaveh with a nearly caring tone and switched the light off as he left room, leaving the door slightly agape.
Kaveh didn't sleep much that night. Having an actual bed for the night was amazing, but has he slowly begun to sober up, his heart hammed with anxiety.
Alhaitham found him, the last person he wanted to see in this state found him.
Much like the blonde , Alhaitham didn't sleep much that night. His own head racing with similar anxiety.
How was such a "Bring" student now... homeless? What happened in those years apart? He didn't get much sleep either that night , nor was he able to concentrate on his book - that's how you know it's bad.
In the morning, Alhaitham made to be up early as to make sure Kaveh didn't try to sneak out the house. When he checked on Kaveh, he saw the blonde just staring up at the ceiling in thought.
"Good morning" Alhaitham awkwardly said , the scene of Kaveh in his bed blowing his mind with how weird this was. His voice made kaveh jump and sit up quickly, doing nothing more then waving weakly. "Would you like some coffee?" The younger offered, he watched ad Kaveh looked him up and down, giving a very slow and very cautious nod.
Alhaitham led him out of the room, only taking them a few steps to the kitchen. He made the two of them coffee, handing the cream and sugar to Kaveh, "make it how you like it" he said , watching as Kaveh moved slowly as if unfamiliar with how to make coffee. Well, depending on how long he's been on the streets he may so be.
He watched as he put in a teaspoon of sugar and a large dose of cream before hugging the cup in his palms.
"Any breakfast suggestions?" Alhaitham asked, taking a sip of his black coffee. Kaveh just shook his head , looking around ghe kitchen almost amazed.
"I'll just make us some toast then, take a seat wherever" Alhaitham instructed as if there was more then two options on where to sit. At the bar table or in the living room.
Kaveh opted for the living room, maybe trying to create a distance between them.
Now, Alhaitham had to confess, making any sort of food wasn't his strong suit. He had been a pampered child by his grandma and even Kaveh before they fell out. In his adult years, he's just replied in precooked meals. Cooking was something that he just didn't learn nor was good at.
But , he was tasked with making Kaveh toast, so he was going to make the best damn toast he had in his life.
Or something like that.
He gave Kaveh the over buttered and nearly charcoal toast, wishing he didn't give up so easy and tried again. Though never in a million years Alhaitham would eat the mess, Kavehs were shown he was nothing less than content.
The scribe sat on the sofa opposite , "I think we should go see Tighnari, you would benefit from a check up," he stated matter-a-fact, but really, he was worried for Kavehs health.
Kaveh didn't like the idea, though, pulling a face and shaking his head, but didn't say a word.
"Can't you talk today?" Alhaitham asked, worried being carved into his bloodstream.
He said nothing.
So that was a yes to Alhaithams question.
"Unless you give me a valid reason, we'll go this afternoon," Alhaitham said, "he's very trusted with helping people."
Nothing.
Alhaitham held back a huff, knowing it won't at all help and stood up. He grabbed a notepad and pen, placing it on the coffee table for Kaveh to grab. "Write an answer."
Kaveh out down his half eaten plate of toast and pick up the pad and pen.
It didn't go past Alhaithams bearing eyes as he watched Kaveh struggle to hold the pen, as if he forgot how to.
How the fuck would a talented artist like him forgot such a thing?
The note was so messy. It read:
'I don't want to. I'll be leaving soon'
Alhaithams' foot bounced, "Let me help you find somewhere to stay first.." he insisted.
Kaveh shook his head.
What was he? A child? Apparently!
"Please." Alhaitham was ready to get on his hands and knees to beg him, he needs to see Kaveh become a light again, he needs Kaveh to smile like he used to.
Nothing.
Alhaitham leaned back in the sofa , rubbing a hand through his hair. "Okay... Well I'm going to the market today, would you like to come or stay here?" He asked.
Kaveh didn't answer, he just stared at Alhaitham with a blank expression. Nothing.
He didn't want to leave his senior alone , but he was so unsure what to do.
"Okay, I'm going to go to the market, you can stay here or come" he said , "you can decide as I get changed, okay?"
Kaveh didn't say anything , just watched as Alhaitham let the room, then his eyes went to the front door.
He didn't want to be in his house , he didn't really want to be near Alhaitham but the warmth of the house , the feeling of being clean and knowing there's a room of food right next to him... that made him want to stay.
When Alhaitham came back, Kaveh hadn't moved a muscle, he was just staring straight ahead.
"Take it you're gonna stay here?" He asked. Kaveh just shrugged his shoulders "Okay, is there anything you need?"
Kaveh shook his head.
"I shouldn't be too long, help yourself to anything here," he said , "see you later"