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Alhaitham stared down puzzled at the book that had been left on the library floor. It was an extremely rare occurrence when someone left a book on the library floor in danger of being stepped on or kicked, everyone that worked here was extremely digilent at keeping their books safe and it was very rare that they ever got rude patrons that disrespected the place.
So when Alhaitham was making his rounds to see if any books had been misplaced by patrons who were just too lazy to take them to the counter, his confusion was immense finding a book wide open, just laying on the ground. He reached down and picked up the book, quickly checking its cover.
“The Secrets Behind Roman Architecture,” Alhaitham read out loud and squinted his eyes, there were very few people he knew in this library that would read something like this. He quickly made his way down the bookshelves and found Tetsuo.
Tetsuo was doing his normal early morning duties putting away any books that had been returned the day prior, he had his headphones on and obviously had his music cranked up. Alhaitham walked over and lightly tapped his knuckles against the boy's headphones, Tetsuo’s face scrunched up in annoyance as he looked up at the older man and took his headphones off.
“What?” Tetsuo put the stack of books he had been putting away down on his cart. “I'm in the middle of something.”
“Did you get put back in that nightmare of a history teacher's class again?” Alhaitham asked, holding up the book he had found so the boy could read it. Tetsuo tilted his head to the side after reading the cover and looked simply confused.
“Nope, been done with that prick for 2 years now. Plus he had a vendetta against anything Roman, so if it was me it would be a book on Western architecture.” Tetsuo started putting the books away again, but left his headphones off. “Where did you find it? Did someone leave it upside down somewhere?”
“No, someone left it on the floor wide open.” Alhaitham started making his way past Tetsuo as he began his search for the others.
“Really? I almost feel sorry for the poor bastard.” Tetsuo put his headphones back on as Alhaitham made his way to the back where the records were kept.
“Tighnari? Cyno? Are you here?” Alhaitham called in as he pushed the door open, immediately spotting Tighnari as he poked his head over a few record boxes he had been going through.
“Cyno is helping Collei so it's just me, what's up?” Tighnari put the papers he had been going through down and walked over to Alhaitham, he simply held the book up like he had for Tetsuo and let Tighnari read its cover.
“I found this on the floor wide open, has anyone from your study group been going through courses on Roman architecture?” Alhaitham let Tighnari take the book as he inspected it for any damage and opened it up to see who was the last person that checked it out.
“Nope, no one from the college study group. You should ask Collei if anyone from her high School group is, she apparently had to kick one or two people out because of some ruckus they made the other day.”
“Alright, thank you.” Alhaitham quickly made his way back out and started heading towards the spare conference room Cyno was in charge of cleaning for a small art class being held at the library, he knocked on the door before walking in.
“Hey-”
“Alhaitham I need a boost please come here!” Collei said in urgency, Alhaitham did as he was asked and quickly walked over. He put his two hands together and helped boost Collei up, the girl rested one of her hands on his shoulder as she pulled out her phone and shined a light into the small crack between the cabinets and the ceiling.
“Anything there?” Cyno asked as he walked over and quickly greeted Alhaitham, Collei was safely returned to the ground when she didn't find anything and shook her head sadly.
“No…just dust and more dust.” Collei quickly thanked Alhaitham for the help. “So what brings you here? I thought only Cyno and I were helping with the art class.”
“You are, I came to ask if any of the teenagers from your study group were studying anything with Roman architecture.” Alhaitham walked back over to where he had left the book and quickly showed it to Collei, Cyno also gave the book a look over.
“No I don't think so, I don't really know any history teachers teaching it either at the high school.” Collei rubbed the back of her neck.
“Where did you find it? Maybe it was one of our patrons.” Cyno pointed out.
“It was in a specific hallway I had checked before we closed the other day, we've only been open for an hour and I remember no one going down that hallway during that time.” Alhaitham explained to the two, he couldn't even explain why he had been checking that specific section.
“Well at least it's not just this room having weird phenomenons, for some reason we can't find all the brushes for the art class!” Collei tapped her foot in frustration. “I made sure to put them on a high shelf so if any of the kids we watch after school came in here they wouldn't be able to get their hands on it, I even double checked them before we closed the other day!”
“Don't let it get to you so much, Collei, they'll either turn up or I'll have to make a quick run to a store nearby. Let's just be happy it wasn't any of the paints that went missing.” Cyno pointed out as he started putting the large round paint jars out on the table.
“Yeah I guess you're right, sorry we can't help you look more into this Alhaitham.” Collei started setting everything out with Cyno waving as Alhaitham made his way out.
Before returning to the front desk Alhaitham decided to check in with the others he had talked to, to see if anything else had gone missing.
Tighnari informed him that some of the fancy bookmarks they had gotten in had gone missing, well Tetsuo talked about how some of the toys he had bought for the reader's treasure chest had disappeared last night. There was something in the library taking things that would barely be noticed if gone.
Alhaitham felt something in the back of his mind trying to resurface, some bit of information he had long forgotten and filed away as useless. Throughout the day he gathered more information and was able to confirm that whenever these things went missing it was always at night.
So maybe a late night investigation wouldn't hurt.
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Before everyone had gone home Alhaitham had informed everyone of his plan to stay the night and get to the bottom of this mystery, Tighnari and Cyno had theorized that there was possibly a very smart rat in the building that was stealing stuff to make a nest.
Tetsuo and Collei had a bit more of a fantasy approach to the situation, believing there was either a mysterious spirit running around or a gremlin had invaded the library.
Alhaitham had thought it over all day and came to the conclusion that all four of them were wrong.
After thinking it over and remembering the worst rainy day of his life, Alhaitham figured out that whatever was running around the library most likely was a borrower. Small humanoid creatures that lived in the shadow of humans for their safety, taking humanities discarded possessions and creating them into new wondrous items to help themselves survive.
It was an unspoken symbiotic relationship that very few knew the truth of and fewer would probably understand, Alhaitham knew first hand that the relationship very rarely ever affected humans negatively. Borrower's were truly just doing whatever they could to survive, the fact that they chose to live off of literal garbage just to make sure they stayed invisible spoke to that statement.
“Are you sure you want to stay the night here?” Tighnari asked, snapping Alhaitham out of his thoughts.
“I'm sure, it's only one night anyway.” Alhaitham reassured his coworkers, Cyno and Tighnari shared an uncertain look but began their walk out of the building.
Tetsuo and Collei wished him good luck before walking out with the two, making sure to lock the door behind them. Alhaitham sat at the front desk of the library for a good 10 minutes before putting the second half of his plan into action.
If the borrower living in the library had memorized everyone's schedules and when the building became empty, they would definitely notice Alhaitham still being there and wouldn't take the risk of coming out. So Alhaitham simply just needed to make himself disappear.
In the back of the library was an emergency exit that also had a small cupboard up against the wall nearby. Alhaitham had checked the cupboard earlier that day to make sure there would be space for him inside, thankfully it wouldn't be too tight of a squeeze.
So that's what Alhaitham did, he stayed in that cupboard until night had fallen and the entire library was pitch black. Carefully the taller man climbed out of the closet and started walking around the building listening for any odd sounds, because the one fatal flaw of a borrower was that when they felt confident they got a bit cocky.
It only took a few seconds for Alhaitham to hear some quiet humming through the halls of the library, he slowly started to approach the noise crouching down just in case the borrower was already up somewhere high so he'd have a better chance of sneaking up on them.
He followed the sound until he got to the kids reading corner, he slowly put his head out from behind one of the bookcases and felt some part of his heart skip a beat.
Illuminated by the small fish tank they had was the silhouette of someone that looked uncannily like-
Kaveh.
Alhaitham watched intently as the borrower moved along the side of the fish tank and seemed to be talking to the fish, or was simply using them as an excuse to not look crazy while talking to himself. The librarian listened closely to try and figure out what was going on.
“-but I can't just put them back! The humans would definitely know something was up then, and I've worked so hard to make such a comfy home here.” ‘Kaveh’ kicked at the ground beneath him, crossing his arms and leaning against the glass of the aquarium.
“I just wish those awful children hadn't tried sneaking in here to steal those brushes, I mean the reasoning behind it is just ridiculous too! You get fairly kicked out of the library for yelling and making a ruckus so you try to sabotage someone's personal project!?”
Yup, that was his Kaveh.
Well Kaveh continued ranting and raving to the fish, complaining more and more about the situation he had been put in, Alhaitham slowly army crawled across the carpet to make his way closer to the aquarium.
It had been years since the two had been separated, but Alhaitham would recognize Kaveh anywhere, wouldn’t he? Would Kaveh look up at him and see his old friend or would he just see another human that was a possible threat to his life?
Alhaitham had to be careful with his approach and make sure he used the right words, tonight would be his only chance. Borrower's never stayed cocky once caught, they were small and speedy disappearing into the shadows with great ease. If Kaveh ran and got away he most likely would move out during the day and be gone forever, he couldn't mess this up.
As Alhaitham got closer and Kaveh became easier to see he realized how torn and battered the borrower's clothes were, which honestly made sense. The few bits of fabric scraps that ever made their way into the library were not ones you would want to use for clothing unless you wish to be constantly uncomfortable. They also ran the risk of that fabric being covered in glue, glitter, scented marker scribbles, and more horrid things.
Alhaitham quickly shook his head getting rid of his distracting thoughts and took in a deep breath as he carried out his plan.
As slow and as gently as he always had when they were younger, Alhaitham reached forward and gently wrapped his hand around Kaveh. The small bit of warmth radiating off of Kaveh’s body made Alhaitham’s heart sing with joy. It had been a feeling he had thought he would never get to experience again.
But the sweet moment ended quickly when Kaveh, reasonably panicked, started kicking and thrashing about. The borrower was desperate to get free but Alhaitham wouldn't lose his chance, he tightened his grip slightly and quickly brought the borrower close to his chest.
“L-Let go of me!” Kaveh screeched, still fighting as much as he could against Alhaitham’s fingers.
“I can't.” Alhaitham said in a whisper, the movement in his hands slowing down. “I don't want to risk losing you again.”
There was a long pause of silence, waiting in bated for Kaveh to say something. Anything.
“How-” Kaveh’s voice broke as he tried speaking and he looked up at Alhaitham. “How did you know it was me!?”
Alhaitham couldn't help the smile that came onto his face as he brought Kaveh closer.
“I would always recognize you.”
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Alhaitham had moved the two to a more comfortable table in the library, Kaveh won't try running now that he knew the human that had caught him. As Alhaitham reluctantly put Kaveh down the borrower instantly started pacing around the table grumbling to himself, they're more teary reunion had long past.
“How could you grab me like that out of nowhere!?” Kaveh yelled up at Alhaitham, all the fear he had once had gone. “Do you know how scary that was!? Seriously you can't do something like that!”
“If I had given you a warning, you would have run away.” Alhaitham pointed out, which only earned him an annoyed sigh from Kaveh.
“Well yes- but that doesn't change my point that it was scary!”
“It doesn't.”
“Or that it was rude!”
“Mhm.”
“And…oh what's the point, I guess we have more important matters to talk about then this.” Kaveh crossed his arms and nervously rubbed them.
“We do, why did you take those paint brushes?” Alhaitham crossed his arms and leaned against the table to get a bit closer. “I can understand the bookmarks for wallpaper or paintings, some of the toys in the toy chest could be repurposed for either decorations or household items, but where I'm stumped is what you would need those paint brushes for.”
“...some kids broke into the library last night.” Kaveh answered, looking up at Alhaitham. “I don't know how they snuck around the place without being noticed but they did, when I realized they were going to steal the paint brushes I panicked and pulled them into a hole behind the large cabinet that holds all the art supplies. I was going to take them back! I just may have accidentally let them fall deeper into the hole and couldn't get them out in time….”
“Because you got distracted reading about Roman architecture?” Alhaitham asked, very lightly poking Kaveh in the chests.
“I WAS GOING TO SAFELY PUT THE BOOK BACK AS WELL!” Kaveh screeched, shoving Alhaitham’s finger away.
“And how were you going to do that? Last I checked it took a couple of borrowers to lift an entire book up, not one.” Alhaitham simply smiled down at his small companion, the redness of Kaveh's face almost glowing in the darkness of the library.
“I should have run once you put me down, I can't believe I'm tolerating this.” Kaveh crossed his arms and looked away from Alhaitham.
Alhaitham reached over with one of his fingers and used it to turn Kaveh's face back to him, the satisfaction he got from making Kaveh blush was all he needed.
“C-Can you not!?” Kaveh took several steps back. “Okay, we’re going back on topic. What other questions do you have?”
“Will you come home with me?”
“What?”
It was not heard of for humans to want borrowers in their homes, mainly because they couldn't think of the long-term effects it would have on the home. Logically speaking you'd have a built-in security system to keep out harmful road and some bugs, the likelihood of food going bad in your home decreased since there was someone else to eat it, and if you had a proper relationship with them you could learn ahead of time if something broke inside the walls and when it would be preparing.
In Alhaitham’s eyes it was more beneficial to have borrowers around then scare them off, but Alhaitham didn't want to have to wait for the library doors to open for him to see Kaveh again or to have to risk anyone else getting to see him.
Kaveh simply stared in disbelief at Alhaitham for the question, so Alhaitham continued speaking.
“When I lost you that day, during that horrible rainstorm that washed your home away into the sewers. I never really stopped looking for you, I would hope every day that you come back to me.” Alhaitham gently cupped his hands around Kaveh. “I will never force you to do anything you don't want to do, but I would love to share a home with you once more.”
“I…O-Okay.” Kaveh quickly rubbed his eyes and refused to look back up at Alhaitham. “I'll go home with you, l-let me pack my things a-and we can get going.”
“Where is the entrance to your home?” Alhaitham asked, standing up to his full height, still holding Kaveh in his hands.
“Um-sniff- it's on the second floor in the closet no one can open.” Kaveh answered, holding on tightly to one of Alhaitham’s fingers.
“Huh, yeah that probably should have been the first place I checked.” Alhaitham made his way upstairs and towards the despised closet, at least a borrower had gotten some use out of the wretched thing.
It surprisingly took Kaveh very little time to pack a bag of what he wanted to take with him, Alhaitham's concern must have actually shown as Kaveh started talking.
“It's custom that if a borrower is moving out of a home only because they want to and not because it was dangerous to leave necessities behind for anyone knew that may come, plus there's not much I actually care about to bring with me.” Kaveh explained, happily climbing onto Alhaitham’s hand once it was offered.
“I just hope the borrower we get after you is better at putting books back.” Alhaitham smiled as Kaveh kicked his hand and continued his walk back to the front doors of the library.
“Will- will the other humans be looking for me still though?”
“No, I'm going to be telling them about those kids that broke in and let them take the fall.” Alhaitham explained, he genuinely couldn't feel sympathy for kids who did such petty crimes.
“Oh- good, that's good….” Kaveh laid back in Alhaitham's hand, his eyes growing heavy. Alhaitham gently curled his fingers around Kaveh and held him more protectively against his chest.
“Once you wake up.” Alhaitham whispered. “Will be back home, we'll figure out more of the arrangements in the morning.”
“Mhm…morning work should be done in the morning…” Kaveh mumbled out before falling asleep, his mind completely at peace knowing that he was finally going home with Alhaitham.