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Pining for someone never was an easy task; especially if one wanted to keep it as subtle as possible. How simple would it be to hide something like stealing glances at someone and keeping facial expressions neutral whenever they were around, anyways?
Kaveh often wondered how people managed to do that time and time again and stay sane at the end. There wasn't a small number of his associates in architecture who had their own significant others; he wouldn't have enough fingers to count them on one hand.
To him, it was expected, yet somewhat surprising — especially considering how Kshahrewar students often weren't the most open or sociable compared to those from other Darshans in the Akademiya. Despite all that, he didn't think of this as a hindrance to himself. If anything, staying single meant more time to himself, and that meant more productivity to finish more projects.
(Or less to pay whenever he goes out to drink. Either way, it's still a win-win situation.)
Besides, Kaveh already knew best how it felt to live together with someone. And, of course, if anyone asked how it went, he would answer that "they'll have to find a roommate that they can get along with" and to "not make the same mistake he did”. (Obviously, omitting the part which regarded how said mistake ended up saving his life, in more ways than one.)
The fact that the one he shares a living space with was Alhaitham — notably, his once-best friend and junior in the Akademiya — was more or less an open secret at the moment; at least, with the people who they're close with. It's not like they'd decide to wake up one day and broadcast their status as roommates to the entirety of Sumeru. Unless one of them had gotten brainwashed or manipulated in some way, but seeing their greatly contrasting personalities, that circumstance would only be able to happen under incredibly small chances.
What Kaveh can't deny is that he's found his mind wandering more and more lately when at work. It was odd, very odd; whenever he put a pencil to paper, he'd usually have a one-track mind which aimed to focus in order to design buildings that can comply with his client's wishes and his own creative whims. Then again, it was his job as an architect, so why has he been drawing anatomical studies? Of an adult man, no less?
It started from experimenting with some shapes, trying to follow what those tutorials would say regarding drawing faces; and then facial features, and then limbs, and the body... until eventually, Kaveh — with the help of his ever-brilliant mind — ended up drawing people in dynamic yet casual poses in his sketchbook than designs for buildings. Not that he was opposed to that, since it was quite refreshing compared to his usual studies! Not that he was opposed to drawing buildings either, since they were—
All in all, it was quite a complicated situation.
Now, the question would be why he was doing all this. To that, Kaveh himself doesn't have a clear answer either. To say that it was a pastime... though it wasn't wrong, that wasn't the exact reason. Nor was it a new hobby he'd picked up; he'd been learning how to play several instruments for the very same matter.
Kaveh himself was a naturally observant person. That skill had come into use many, many times for his work; in fact, the level of meticulousness in his designs is why he was known as one of Sumeru's best architects. Because of that, it wasn't too difficult for him to translate things from his visions into his drawings, and the same truly applied for this situation, because he'd only realized that he's been sketching Alhaitham's face for the past half-hour now.
Half. Hour. 30 minutes — he's supposed to spend that much time on the draft he's revising — yet it was as if his brain went on autopilot and his hand instinctively followed its subconscious commands. Wait, didn't he initially dedicate half of this specific page of his sketchbook for his anatomy studies? Since when had it taken up the entire page?
Perplexed, Kaveh picked up the sketchbook, trying to examine the page closer. Damn, he doesn't even remember making strokes this tender. The only time's he's ever drawn this carefully was with nature or specific details on buildings, never with people.
(Though, he often finds himself absentmindedly sketching sharp, stern yet gentle eyes, and rigidly-angled faces as if a model stood in front of him. Should anyone attempt to look at them, it was more than clear that there would be only one exact reference he must've sourced his inspiration from. Not that Kaveh would want to willingly admit that either.)
The more he’d observed his drawing, the more Kaveh realized that he’d put a surprising amount of effort into it. The direction of the light shining in his eyes, the careful weaving of his short, sprightly hair…
If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought that he was enamored by Alhaitham with how elaborate he’d drawn the latter in such a mundane setting. Truly — there was nothing more than an empty, white page in the background. Save for the sketch, that is.
Unprecedentedly, Kaveh had been so focused on his sketching that he didn’t realize Alhaitham was home. Wait, home? Right, they were roommates. He’d almost forgotten that… which was odd, considering they see each other every day, and, well. Share an apartment.
“I’m back.”
Alhaitham’s deep voice reverberated through the empty room of the unit. Strange, Kaveh didn’t reply — or rather, wasn’t making any sound in the first place. That in itself was odd, considering how loud and rambunctious he often was.
For now, Alhaitham decided to shrug it off and proceed with his usual routine. He took off his coat and placed it on the hangers near the door, deciding to call for Kaveh when time for dinner had come so they could get on with meals and such.
Yet, after Alhaitham left the shower, Kaveh still wasn’t outside.
The grey-haired man sighed. This wasn’t an abnormal situation, either — Kaveh often stayed in to work on his drafts and designs with a cup of coffee (or multiple) and Mehrak by his side. Though, undeniably, dinner time was approaching, so Alhaitham thought it would be much better if he came over and got him out instead.
With half-damp hair, a thrown-on fit of a t-shirt and sweatpants, and a small towel around his neck, Alhaitham knocked on Kaveh’s door. Normally, the simple gesture would have him out in less than seconds.
Once, no answer. Twice, no answer. Thrice, still none?
“Kaveh? It’s about time for dinner. If you decide to come out late tonight, I’m leaving all of the dishes for today and tomorrow to you to deal with.” Alhaitham decided to use another method; this one often made Kaveh rush out so he didn’t have more work piled onto him.
But he still hadn't gone out yet.
Ah, whatever — Alhaitham rolled his eyes and finally decided to open the door. Which, to his surprise, wasn’t locked.
As the full room came into view, the first thing he noticed was how dark it was inside, save for the desk light that illuminated Kaveh’s front as he continued to work on… whatever he was working on. The window was also open, and the fan by the wardrobe stayed whirring; essentially his standard workspace in the day, but kept up late after sundown, which was much more unusual on its own.
“Kaveh.” Flicking the light switch on, Alhaitham watched as Kaveh nearly jumped out of his seat. He had to hold back a snicker due to how comical the situation was.
“Alhaitham?!” Kaveh said, startled — and slightly flustered — from how suddenly the latter entered his room. “When did you come home?”
“Just earlier,” Alhaitham replied nonchalantly, walking further until he was right behind Kaveh’s chair. “What were you so fixated on that you forgot about dinner?”
“Dinner?” Had time gone by that quickly? “Oh, uh– Nothing!” Kaveh sputtered, his panic instincts rising above a hundred. He immediately turned towards Alhaitham so the man in reference wouldn’t be able to see what he was working on. Archons above, please don’t let him see, pleasedon’tpleasedon’tpleasedon’t–
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Is that so?” He asked, trying to take a glance from the side. “I thought you'd be ready to talk or complain about your projects to me, as usual. For hours, at that." A subtle request for Kaveh to elaborate.
Kaveh’s mind was racing. He could swear he heard fondness in Alhaitham’s voice; why was he so curious, anyways? He never goes this far–
“W, well, that doesn’t apply to this one. There's no need for you to know what it is. It has nothing to do with you.” Please, if anything happens, make him have amnesia.
“Then, what about a project is there to hide if it doesn’t have anything to do with me?” Alhaitham crossed his arms.
“Besides, I already know that you're working on something that's not architecture.”
What in the love of the Dendro Archon. “How can you deduce that? I haven’t even done anything aside from designing!”
“For starters, you don’t have any of your grid paper out; and you often have multiple glasses of coffee when you're focused, and have Mehrak bring them to you every half-hour or so. I’m more than aware of your caffeine addiction,” Alhaitham’s teal eyes seemed to narrow in the direction of his roommate’s desk as he spoke.
“One, about the grid paper, I also make drafts for my designs in my sketchbook. And two, that only happens when I’m working late into the night.” Kaveh argued, “Plus, Mehrak is charging right now. Of course she’s not bringing me anything.”
“Still, you don’t have any cups of coffee here at all, Kaveh,”
“And so what?”
“From my observations, it usually means you're ambitious to finish this project, for one reason or another, and are not desperately trying to keep your mind awake to do so.”
“...I don’t have a dire need of caffeine to function while I’m at work.”
“Like I said, I’m more than aware of your caffeine addiction.”
“How could I have a caffeine addiction? My liver would have to work harder to sustain my body since I'm already an alcoholic.”
“Who says they can't coexist? If you don't believe me, then tell that to Mehrak.”
“There's no way I have a caffeine addiction out of everything, right, Mehrak?”
In response to the verbal prompt, Mehrak’s features lit up in a green glow and beeped in a manner akin to refutation. Kaveh couldn’t help the groan that left his lips, nor could Alhaitham help the smug expression that overcame his face.
(Knowing Alhaitham felt like constantly having to decipher an enigma. With how little emotions he shows, it was almost difficult to tell through his intentions — the only feeling that was often obvious was irritation, and even then, it takes more than just reading through his words to know if it was genuine annoyance or simply sarcasm.)
(Somehow, though, Kaveh simply understands, and there is a sort of mutual knowledge between them which allows the both of them to let their guards down whenever they’re the only ones in the room. It goes unspoken, concealed below their bickering and arguments; yet they have never been more bite than bark.)
“So,” Alhaitham restarted, “Will you ever tell me what you were up to?”
“Never.” Kaveh’s answer was short and flat, firmness embedded even stronger than his stubborn tendencies.
Alhaitham took a moment to observe the older man’s facial features. Either he was tripping, or there truly was a faint shade of coral tinting Kaveh’s cheeks. As if he wasn’t actually angry at him, perhaps more… embarrassed? Flustered, even? With how unintelligible he was being right now (at least, to Alhaitham’s eyes), amusement won over the former’s curiosity and he shrugged.
“Fine by me. You’re still doing the dishes tonight, though.” He turned on his heel and walked away from the doorframe, leaving it agape.
Kaveh groaned again. “If you take care of laundry for the week.”
“Sure."
Time is a widespread construct that is among the most fleeting; ask anyone, and they’ll definitely agree with the sentiment. Kaveh believes himself to be one of the people who do.
Thing is, how couldn’t he? It felt like yesterday that he and Alhaitham were nothing more than roommates. Now they’re engaged to each other after a few years of dating. Maybe his unspoken pining and probable charisma really did come through somehow.
(The proposal was simple — much simpler than when they agreed to finally give a “label” to their relationship. That part had only become resolute after a few-hour long talk sorting out and confessing their feelings. And cuddling by the end of it all, as the night had grown later than they’d both expected.)
(Kaveh remembers the night the whole thing went down; he and Alhaitham had just arrived home after going out for dinner in honor of the latter's (rarely-celebrated) birthday, and he was about to clean up and retreat when he told him to pause.
“Wait,” he said, “I have something for you.”
“For me?” Kaveh furrowed his eyebrows, “It’s not my birthday, though. If anything, it’s still yours.”
Alhaitham simply showed a thin smile; the giddiness within it nearly uncontainable. “I'd like to call it both yours and mine.”
And the next thing Kaveh knew was that his then-boyfriend of 3 years (and roommate of… many, many more) was on one knee, with an opened box smaller than his hand sitting atop his palm. The gem adorning the simple, silver band glistened in a median between bluish-green and red, as if solidifying Alhaitham’s argument.
Kaveh could swear that was the quickest he’d ever agreed, or said yes to something involving Alhaitham.)
Now that they were to get married soon, Alhaitham was the one to have decided that they might need a proper living space of their own — especially so they wouldn’t need to worry about too-close neighbors and their many affairs, as they’ve come to learn after living in an apartment, and so they can comfortably have more time and space to themselves.
Thankfully, the strategic landscape and vast lands of Sumeru City made them able to get a good-enough space of vacant land for a house. Kaveh, of course, already had a design prepared secretly for the building since long ago (he wouldn’t admit when exactly), and it had come into complete fruition just a few months ago; which had them currently in the process of moving in.
Pushing the door open with his side, Kaveh entered the room he’d soon call his workspace — it’d even had some shelves and a desk and chair prepped right in front of a window, just like his old room did. He placed the last few boxes he carried near a bookshelf, letting out a tired sigh as it landed on the lid of a wheeled plastic storage box beside a charging Mehrak.
Man, these things were really testing his ability to lift... but at least, now all he needs to do is decorate and tidy the place to his heart’s content.
He plumped himself down on the desk chair, swiveling it around a few times while catching his breath. Once he deemed his rest enough, he pushed himself over to one of the boxes and placed it on his desk to open. Dust blew into his face as the flaps were lifted, causing Kaveh to fan it away from his face with a few coughs.
As he was also setting his things down in the room across, Alhaitham peeked into his fiance’s room with a hint of concern in his voice. “Are you alright, Kaveh?”
“I’m fine, Haitham,” The nickname slipped out effortlessly from Kaveh’s mouth; as it had always done so these past few years, he thought.
He added a chuckle as he opened the box further, letting the sunlight illuminate its contents. “It’s just some dust. I didn't think it’d be this thick all of a sudden.”
Alhaitham nodded, silently sighing in relief. “Okay. Just let me know if you need anything.”
With that, he seemed like he was going to slip his headphones back on and walk back to his room — but apparently, not without stopping by to leave a soft kiss on Kaveh’s hair. “Dust is bound to pile up in things stored within confined spaces. I thought you were aware of that.”
Archons, the audacity of this man. Kaveh didn’t know whether to feel endeared or irritated with how his (ahem) fiance had to painfully reinstate the obvious. “Of course I'm aware, Acting Grand Sage. Such enlightenment can only be achieved by someone on your level.”
A faint yet fond smile made its way to Alhaitham’s lips at the mix of sarcasm and affection in Kaveh’s tone. Leave it to him to start their ever-present bickering. “If we’re utilizing past titles to address each other now, then it’d be fair enough for me to say that you should’ve known better, Light of Kshahrewar.”
“You’re saying that as if you don’t have multiple stacks of books in your own boxes,” Turning away with the need to hide his slightly-reddening face and intention to go back to looking through his things, Kaveh started placing the items within the box on his table in order to properly sort them later. Books on architecture, art, even the ones related to anatomy that he’d spent some of his money on just for—
Wait, is this..?
Among the many books he’d put out was a brown, coil-bound sketchbook — its textured cardboard cover making it look less worn out than it chronologically would be. There wasn’t much decoration on its front, yet a simple skim through it would show just how filled it was with Kaveh’s many sketches and drawings.
Most of the drawings were composed of precise, considerate mechanical-pencil-drawn lines, and there were also pieces tinged in hues by colored pencils; then its latter half was made up of scenic compositions and occasional portraits of those closest to him. The pages were a testament to his illustrative potential — a somewhat makeshift portfolio of what he would’ve focused on should he not dedicate himself to architecture.
“Would you look at that,” Briefly pausing in his prior movements, Kaveh breathed out as he looked at the sketches one by one, “I didn’t think all of this was still… here. Intact.”
Meanwhile, Alhaitham couldn’t help the interest growing within him as he leaned over to get a clearer view. He didn’t say it much (not that he’d say much to begin with), but Archons above, Kaveh was extremely talented when it came to art. He was more than convinced that however absurd or mundane the subject was, the blond would be able to turn it into something so mesmerizing it’d fit right into an art museum.
(Or Alhaitham was biased. Which he probably is. But no one’s judging, right?)
He stayed to watch as a few more pages went by while Kaveh intently examined each and every drawing — hm, the growth in his art became more and more visible as he progressed — until the latter reached a specific page, and decided to slam the book shut.
Instinctively, Alhaitham tilted his head in confusion. “Ending the look-back so soon?”
Kaveh shook his head. “No, it’s just… it gets embarrassing from here on out.” A blush ever-so faint began to coat his cheeks.
“I don’t care,” Alhaitham reached a hand to take the sketchbook, “I want to see more. Your art is never less than breathtaking.”
“Ah! Wait— Alhaitham!” The sheer speed at which the former picked the book away from Kaveh’s desk had panic flashing in his ruby eyes and the volume of his voice rising a few levels. “Hold on, the stuff beyond that is—! Just, give it back!”
“How terrible could it be, when you’re the artist?”
“It’s worse than you can imagine! Give me my book back!”
“Not until I find out what you dread so much.”
“Come on, Alhaitham, please, it’s… it’s really that bad!”
“What is it that those art mentors usually say... 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder', was it?”
“Doesn’t apply here!”
“Seriously, what drawings would even be so—” Pausing as he reached the section where they left off earlier, Alhaitham’s teal eyes widened. “Huh…”
Ever-wise Dendro Archon, please give Kaveh your blessings of strength. The older man let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, those were from years ago. Way before we got together. So I swear to God, if you ever—”
Kaveh didn’t need to complete his sentence for Alhaitham to comprehend what he was going to say. “Don't misunderstand. I’m not judging in the slightest,” He flipped over to the backside of the page he was on. “It’s just…"
"You were drawing me?”
Thirteen letters, four syllables, Kaveh will say it over and over again until it becomes etched permanently in his brain — em-bar-rass-ing. “It was back in the pining era, if you’re wondering. Cringe stuff in there.”
“I don’t understand why you'd find it cringe.” Alhaitham feigned innocence as he continued to see the various portraits of himself — of course, he knows how it feels to pine for someone and engage with creative art forms simultaneously.
(He could speak for himself, really. Though, he’d rather just let the many scribbles and rambles the notes app on his phone contains ease it for him to do so.)
Flipping through the pages, Alhaitham saw many variations of the sketches; full-body and bust-up studies with pointers and notes scribbled around (some being mundane things like questioning if his eye shape was sharper than his jawline, and some commenting on the supposedly "perfect" proportions of his appearance), his expressions, behavior, even in animated poses such as running or posing alike a model in a make-believe photoshoot. Not to mention the amount growing from small doodles to full-blown pages filled with him and him only.
It almost resembled a shy admittance in nature, acting as a medium for Kaveh’s growing feelings for him, and concluded at the very end by a sketch of the both of them holding onto each other and ballroom dancing with the widest smiles on their faces. Something Alhaitham was sure would stupidly pop up on his own face if left alone long enough with the sketchbook.
He was probably too immersed to notice that the aforementioned expression had actually formed on his face, but Kaveh noticed it almost immediately — if not for the red blush that’d already covered his own face. He groaned in defeat as he slumped against the desk. “You’re not gonna give it back, are you..?”
It took a few moments before Alhaitham regained his composure and came up with a reply. “...I was planning to,”
His eyes lingered on the last few sketches for a few moments with a tinge of… admiration? “When did you finish this?”
“After we got together… after the confession,” Kaveh admitted reluctantly. “It was… I dunno, I was just feeling a lot and– I suppose I needed an outlet to properly regulate my emotions. And, well… I am an artist, so…”
Okay, that was adorable. Alhaitham couldn’t stop the dumb smile on his face from widening even more. “You really haven’t changed since our Akademiya days, have you?”
Kaveh turned his head slightly to look at him and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you remember?” The grey-haired man half-teased, “We’d sit side-by-side, and you’d show me your doodles of me in your notebook or sticky notes back then. This is fundamentally the same thing, just more refined than before.”
Never mind facing him; Kaveh looked away immediately, the flush in his face intensifying. “Stop… That’s even more embarrassing…”
“I also recall when I’d make an atrocious attempt to doodle you, and then you’ll draw me back in detail out of sp–”
“Alhaitham!”
At the abashed call of his name, Alhaitham really couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped his lips. Archons, his fiance was so, SO adorable.
He leaned in to place a kiss on Kaveh’s temple to coax him to raise his head and face him properly. “Come, now. Your art is always more than just gorgeous. We both know that.”
"That's not the point," With an (obviously fake) upset huff, Kaveh stubbornly refused to face the former. “We both also know that you used to write sappy notes back then, too.”
“And?” Alhaitham retorted, “I know for a fact that you still keep them in your drawer. I’d gladly do the same for you all over again, anyways; in fact, I’ll start including those kinds of notes when I make lunchboxes for you.”
Kaveh groaned. "Ugh, you're sappy as hell these days. What happened to the cool, calm Alhaitham I know?"
"I have been dating someone for a few years now, so that Alhaitham’s disappearance is all on you."
"Shut up."
“Make me.”
And Kaveh did, goddamn right he did; because right after that single tease, Alhaitham found himself pulled downwards by the collar by the latter to meet his eye level (since he was shorter than the former by a few centimeters). He didn’t even get any time to react due to how quick and strong his fiance’s movements were — and he had to admit that it was kind of hot.
“I said,” With a hand on the back of Alhaitham’s head to pull him closer, Kaveh repeated, “Shut up.”
The next few moments were a blurred sequence bordering on passion and emotion as the gap between them was sealed by their lips pressed against each other; stubbornness exuding from Kaveh’s, trying to inaudibly convey his irritation (read: thinly-veiled affection), and defeat and acceptance from Alhaitham’s, responding yet not as invigorated so as to allow the former to advance however he’d liked in order to exact his “payback”.
Though, as Kaveh continued to kiss him with fervor — and a desire to keep his mouth from running any more of its quips — Alhaitham’s hold on his waist seemed to gradually tighten, a silent reassurance to make sure he wouldn’t fall, even if that meant risking himself stumbling backwards.
It was a while after that Alhaitham broke away from the kiss first, but Kaveh was earlier in regaining his bearings. A paralleling reflection of what would usually happen with them if not for the current situation.
(He wouldn’t say it out loud, but the fact that Alhaitham was still in bliss after Kaveh had kissed him was more than obvious; evident from the unwavering smile on his red-tinted face. Oh, and the silent elation in his eyes when they reopened after.)
(For someone who was accustomed to hiding his feelings, Alhaitham seemed to fail at that very task often with Kaveh.)
“Satisfied?” Alhaitham panted out, a slight tease in his voice, “You’d shut me up for a good amount of time back there.”
Kaveh himself was still trying to catch his breath, although the blush and triumphant smile on his face wasn't hidden in the slightest. "Very."
The two were then stuck in a limbo between wanting to continue all this, or finish tidying their respective rooms, seeing how that was their main point before Kaveh found his sketchbook. Until suddenly, a thought went through Alhaitham's mind.
"Actually," he started, "Because I now know that you've frequently drawn me in secret, why not do so properly with me as your model? If you want to, that is." The words were strung by his mind completely on impulse; and Alhaitham knew exactly what he was signing up for.
With his eyebrows raised in intrigue, Kaveh pulled back slightly. "You... you'd be okay with me doing that?"
Alhaitham nodded. "I wouldn't make an offer if I wasn't."
"Well, um... give me a moment," Kaveh turned back to the box on his table, starting to rummage through it.
He shot a quick glance at Alhaitham before pushing him out of the room, "Just go back to your room first. I'll be out in a jiffy!"
Not completely unused to these kinds of situations, Alhaitham obliged and stepped outside to go back to his own room. He didn't exactly know what Kaveh was going to look for — nor what he was going to do — but surely it wouldn't be anything too bad.
At least, he hopes so.
Turns out, nothing really came to Kaveh's mind when he tried to think of a pose for Alhaitham to model for him aside from him being immersed while reading a book.
It was considerably easier for the both of them anyway — Kaveh had already experimented sketching him doing so a few times before, and all Alhaitham needed to do was just stay still while his looks get captured on paper by a mechanical pencil. Which eventually resulted in Alhaitham reading a compilation of fairytales while leaning on the headboard of his (not yet fully tidied) bed as Kaveh continued to make a rough sketch of his physique.
(Truth be told, Kaveh didn't think he'd be able to see Alhaitham ever indulging in books that weren't philosophy or anything thought-provoking. Then again, they weren't done with moving in, nor was Alhaitham with reconstructing his home library, and Kaveh wasn't going to waste his chances after discovering that there was a higher likelihood of the latter smiling more when he read these kinds of literature.)
With his gaze aimed intently at the piece of paper clipped to a drawing pad (Kaveh decided to opt for that, since his sketchbooks were still unsorted), the sketch started to resemble Alhaitham more and more. The faintly-traced basic shapes and guide lines eventually gave way to a fine, pencil-based portrait; portraying every essence of his facial features to the best of his ability. Surprisingly, the whole thing came to Kaveh as natural as revising his blueprints with Mehrak's projection; it was as if his hands retained their muscle memory after having drawn Alhaitham in secret almost habitually all those years ago.
Despite how absorbed he was in the book, Alhaitham found himself stealing a few glances at his fiance every now and then. Kaveh's dedication to his work was evident in the way he had a firm grip on his pencil; the way his eyes seemed to narrow when trying to get small details right; the way his blond, brown-tipped hair was tied up when he'd always let it flow down his back and reach his shoulder blades...
There was more — so much more — that Alhaitham could point out and think and say about Kaveh, but his focus was broken when the latter broke the silence.
"Where did you get it? I don't remember seeing it on the shelves before we moved out," Kaveh asked, his eyes still fixed on the paper.
"Hm?" One of Alhaitham's hands reached up to flick the switch that turned off the noise-cancelling function in his headphones, "Didn't hear you."
"The book, I mean."
...Right, he was reading.
"I saw it in an antique bookstore at the Grand Bazaar a while ago." Alhaitham's answer ended up coming much later than he thought it would, Kaveh had to actually check if he was asleep or not. Thank the hard-covered book for preventing their eyes from meeting, lest he would've been caught staring.
Kaveh raised an eyebrow, "Antique? I never knew you had a penchant for those kinds."
"My grandmother used to have an exact copy of this."
"Ah."
Not in apprehension whatsoever, of course; that one sentence explained everything Kaveh needed to know. So that's why he looks more relaxed than he usually does, he thinks as he continues to shade Alhaitham's hair. That shade of grey, to him, was more than capturable using a pencil, so he was going to try his best and do exactly that.
"Yeah."
Alhaitham hums, flipping another page of the book. Surprisingly, even after more than 20 years, the stories were just as amusing to him as they had always been — he still likes the fable he liked way back then about a sparrow and an eagle.
He went through some more pages, before deciding to check back. "How far have you progressed?"
"Almost done! Just a few more details..." Sounds of pencil scratching filled the room, until Kaveh finally pulled away from the drawing pad to wipe off the sweat trickling from his forehead with his sleeve. "Done."
"Can I see?" Following in suit, Alhaitham asked as he sat up from his position and turned his body sideways. He then slipped a bookmark amidst the pages of his book and lowered his headphones, perching them around his neck.
Letting out a lighthearted scoff, Kaveh flipped over the drawing pad. "I'd be silly to not show the result to the one I'm currently drawing, now wouldn't I?"
As the finished portrait was finally out in the open, to say Alhaitham was amazed would be a complete understatement.
The drawing pad was instantly in his hands, taken by the wills of impulse. He couldn't fathom how artists did their thing. Seriously. With how exact every characteristic of his face and bust-up was replicated, he's convinced he would have mistaken the hand-drawn portrait for one taken with a filtered Kamera.
The texture of the lines were only distinguished by thickness, since Kaveh had only used a mechanical pencil as his instrument, yet somehow there was still visible depth and boundaries formed by lines that were pressed harder than the other delicate-seeming strokes. Not to mention that the art style was nearly accurate to reality; the light shining in his eyes, the shadows covering the book in his hands, the detail in his headphones, the creases in his clothing... Just glancing at it made Alhaitham feel like he was looking into a mirror.
"Well..?" Kaveh's voice took on a nervous turn as it filled the quiet once more, "What do you think? It's not exactly the most I could've done, but I tried my best."
What did he think? Kaveh must be mistaken if he assumed he'd thought of anything but praise. This "wasn't exactly the most he could've done", he said? When it had already looked like an absolute masterpiece? Alhaitham tried his best to not let the disbelief in his thoughts leak into his expression and/or words, attempting to control the both of them to the most of his ability—
Alhaitham took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. There was way too much going on in his mind. "It's... it's very..."
Shit, he can't even think of a word to properly describe his thoughts. Both figuratively, and literally, he was too stunned to even speak.
On the other hand, Kaveh gulped at his reaction, unable to hide the uneasiness in his own mind. He knew that Alhaitham wasn't the most interested in art (aside from literature-related ones), but he'd always had a sharp tongue, and he'd proven it time and time again since long ago. Therefore, with how speechless he was, how was the former supposed to even know what went through his...
"Kaveh."
One single call of his name was enough to disperse any doubt in Kaveh's thoughts. "...Alhaitham?"
"You should stop assuming I'll say the worst to you. It's written all over your face," The man in question chided, half of his face hidden behind one of his hands as he held the drawing pad out to return, "It's... incredible. It's funny, I work with words and can't even find a single one to summarize how I feel about it..."
"Wait," Kaveh paused while taking the drawing pad back. "Are you blushing?"
Another sigh left Alhaitham's lips. "That's irrelevant."
Kaveh tried his best to hold in the giggle threatening to leave his mouth. "Wait, this is so adorable. Even your ears are red,"
He covered his mouth with a hand, "I take it that you like it so much you're blushing?"
"Really, does that matter..."
"Of course it matters! To me, especially!" The laughter Kaveh tried so desperately to keep at bay finally released itself from the bounds of his vocal cords. "You're so cute, I might add the blush to the drawing."
"Don't."
"...Not even a little?"
"Please don't."
More giggles followed as Kaveh leaned closer to Alhaitham, "Fine, fine. I already get to see the real thing, anyways," His words were punctuated by a soft kiss near the corner of his eye.
That single gesture had only made the blush on Alhaitham's face explode in a fresh red hue. "Aren't you used to this already..?"
The grin of amusement widening on Kaveh's features didn't help his case at all. "Yeah, but who's to say it's enough?"
Archons have mercy. "I'll let you know that only you get to see this."
"And I fully appreciate it."
Soon enough, after their lives would be permanently tied to each other, Alhaitham would find the portrait encased within a handmade wooden frame on his birthday. One that Kaveh would craft himself; colored a teal green and adorned by silver details to match the former's eyes and hair.
Then, just five months later and two days earlier, Kaveh would find a letter addressed to him written in golden ink and decorated with red accents. Unsurprisingly, the identity of the sender was more than obvious — there wouldn't have been any other reason for Alhaitham to buy a gold-inked pen just prior.
Art had always made its way into their lives, interwoven within their ambitions and enthusiasm; an integral part of what built them into the personalities they have become.
And as they both found out, it was their most frequent manner to convey an unspoken 'I love you'.