Chapter Text
Kaveh stepped off the bus, the wind blowing through his golden curls. His day had been terrible. His teacher shamed him for his terrible French in front of the entire class. While ordering coffee, he'd accidentally mistranslated his order and insulted the woman behind the counter. On the bus he was short on change and had to gain the pity of an old woman for just a ride. Defeated, he walked down the street, his world black and white. Maybe studying abroad in France was a bad idea. He felt embarrassed, stupid, hungry, regretful. Wait, hungry? Right, he'd been late for class and sprinted down the hallways without eating breakfast. His stomach growled and his feet took him towards a nearby café, guided by the long line and the scent of freshly-baked pastries.
When he finally reached the front of the line, he was memorized by the pulchritudinous boy standing before him. His hair was a shiny silver, he looked strong yet gentle, he wore fancy-looking headphones over both ears. Kaveh's frozen heart started to thaw almost instantly as beautiful colors began to fade into the black and white world he'd been seeing for weeks.
"Que puis-je vous servir aujourd'hui?" [What can I get you today?]
Kaveh was broken from his lovestruck trance at the question. He hadn't even thought it over. He glanced at the menu on the counter and ordered the first thing he saw.
"Pain au chocolat"
The boy behind the counter walked into the kitchen and Kaveh sat down at an empty table. He couldn't stop the fluttering in his heart. The silver-haired boy's voice was deep, smooth, and mellifluous. He had so many questions. What was his name? Why did he wear those headphones? What school did he go to?
Once again, his thoughts were interrupted as the boy approached the table with his order and a cup of coffee. He got a look at his name tag. "Alhaitham.." He saw the coffee and raised an eyebrow. He hadn't ordered this? And being struggling financially, he certainly didn't have enough money to pay for a drink he didn't ask for.
"Je n'ai pas commandé de café, monsieur." [I didn't order coffee, sir]
His French was slow and unsure. Alhaitham chuckled mockingly.
"C'est pour moi. Tu as l'air épuisé." [It's on me. You look exhausted]
"Je ne parle pas français." [I don't speak French]
"I can tell"
Kaveh was slightly taken aback at the sudden English. His heart beat so loud at the French accent that he was scared everyone else in the café could hear it. Alhaitham's voice was addictive.
"You speak English?"
"Yes. Fluently."
He scoffed quietly. He was struggling to speak French for his convenience, but he spoke English the entire time. He was just messing with him, enjoying his struggle. He felt annoyed and disrespected, but the colors wouldn't fade away. Not as long as Alhaitham was there
"I can't pay for this coffee"
"Like I said, I'm paying. You look tired"
"Really? Okay then. Here's the money for the pastry."
He put a few bills in his hand and Alhaitham walked back to the counter. When he finished his food and left the café, he found his world fading into black and white once again. But this time, he had a different perspective on France. Maybe living here was worth it to see Alhaitham.