Work Text:
I see the light
That shines bright
Light hold me close.
I don’t know how to
Function without the light’s glow
Keeping me from wandering far.
Light of my life
Bring me back home
To where you hold me close.
~
Kaveh did a double take as he read the poem. He looked at the author’s name, Kshahrewar’s Light’s Shadow. Kaveh did a double take at the name. He only knew one person that was called the Light of Kshahrewar. He didn’t know which of his many admirers took to writing poems but it was a nice change of pace from being given flowers or people begging for his attention only to realize he wasn’t who they thought he was.
Alhaitham watched him read the poem. He didn’t say a word, just enjoyed the smile that plastered on Kaveh’s face when reading the poem.
~
Your scent of flowers
Drives me insane.
Your voice can make
My heart beat from
Across the room.
I am writing out
Of sync when
I see you in the room.
The order of my life
Has been destroyed
Because you have
Taken my life over
With your beauty.
Light of my life,
I think I am in
Love.
~
Kaveh read the latest submission from his supposed shadow. He didn’t know what to think. The first poem had structure, but this poem was more free formed.
“Looks like someone has an admirer,” Alhaitham said calmly.
“Possible. I am worried that they think that I will be able to reciprocate feelings for someone I don’t know,” Kaveh said. His voice dripped with concern. Alhaitham smiled as he spoke. He loved that about Kaveh. Always caring, no matter what was going on. He also saw it as Kaveh’s fatal flaw.
“They probably just want to share what is on their mind. Hopefully they write more soon,” Alhaitham said. Kaveh looked at him annoyed.
“Are you enjoying this?” he said, fuming with anger.
“I just find it amusing,” Alhaitham said, feeling his heartbeat speed up. Kaveh started calling his behavior out as he put the newspaper on the table before walking away to get ready for his day. Alhaitham looked at the newspaper. He started to think about his next poem.
~
I sit there watching you with your golden locks,
Begging to be touched but I can’t touch,
For they are held tight by locks,
Which prevent me from laying a hand to clutch
On to those beautiful locks that hold
My whole world.
My light of my life that holds the stars
Can you let me come near you soon
So I don’t have to admire your beauty from afar,
Because the light of the sun is far from the moon,
Just like you, my light, are far from me
Even when you are close to me.
~
Kaveh groaned as Tighnari sat across from him. Tighnari was used to the dramatics. Part of being friends with Kaveh.
“What did Alhaitham do now?” Tighnari asked.
“For once, I rather be bothered by Alhaitham than my admirer from afar,” Kaveh said, handing the latest newspaper with the poem clear as day. Tighnari read with interest.
“Have you tried writing the paper to ask them to stop releasing these poems?” Tighnari asked.
“You say that as if I didn’t already think of doing that,” Kaveh said. He didn’t though. Tighnari went through a few possibilities as Kaveh planned his approach to the newspaper.
~
People say the stars in the sky are beautiful
But those people have never seen you
You who tells the skies what to feel
And shows the beauty inside each one.
Dear light of my life don’t give up so easily
For you hold the world higher than you should
But I know the real you who is hidden carefully
Behind the woes and dangers of the world.
The light you shine is not the real light in your eyes
It is the light protecting the real you who is scared
The one who has faced many woes
And wishes to be free from those troubles you faced.
~
Kaveh went to the newspaper to ask them but the man that took the request said that he couldn’t help Kaveh. Apparently the poet kept his name out and paid heavily to keep his identity a secret. Kaveh groaned as he walked home. There was Alhaitham sitting calmly at the table sorting through something. Kaveh went to see and looked shocked. His admirer had hit a new low.
“Kaveh,” Alhaitham asked, concerned.
“Did you see who dropped these off?” Kaveh asked. Alhaitham seemed to think before he spoke next.
“The mailperson dropped off a bunch of letters addressed to you. I was concerned as no one knows you live here,” Alhaitham said.
“You? concerned? Please you probably just wanted to get into my admirers mind,” Kaveh said. “You always did hate poetry.”
“I actually don’t mind poetry,” Alhaitham said, but Kaveh was not paying him any more attention. He was reading through the poems. The same poems that Alhaitham had been going through to find which one to send off to the publisher. Alhaitham watched as Kaveh complained but he seemed interested in what was written. Alaitham wished he could tell him that the person who wrote these words about Kaveh was right there, but he feared that it would only cause Kaveh to hate him or worse believe that this was a cruel trick by Alhaitham.
~
A flower blossom
In the light but
So does a shadow
As it follows
The light.
You make people
Shine their brightest
And I sit
In the shadows
Watching you burn.
You are a candle
Who wants to
Hold the whole
World up to
Save everyone.
But who is the one
Who holds you up
When the nights
Are long and your
Light shines less.
The world take
And takes from
The light but
No one sees it
Burn out.
I see the light burn
Out as others
Ignore it
It cries out in pain
And suffers.
Yet when someone
Enters the light’s
Presences again
Than it pretends
To shine bright.
~
Tighnari looked at Alhaitham as they waited for Kaveh. Cyno was focused on his cards.
“When are you just going to tell him?” Tighnari asked. Alhaitham just looked away. He knew that anyone with eyes would figure out his deception, but he wasn’t ready to tell Kaveh the truth.
“He isn’t ready to know,” Alhaitham said.
“I read the latest one,” Tighnari said. He softened his harsh tone from before. “You can pretend as if this is all you are going to get, but we all know at the end of the day, only you and Kaveh can make the final decision.”
“It is better for him to never know my feelings and to believe I am cold and heartless, than to find out I have been the one writing him poems for weeks because I am madly in love with him,” Alhaitham admitted. Tighnari looked behind Alhaitham who turned to see Kaveh, who was standing there. Kaveh turned and ran off. Alhaitham watched and turned to Tighnari to say told-you-so when Tighnari got up to leave after Kaveh.
“Should have just told him?” Cyno muttered. Alhaitham just looked down at his cards that were handed to him. He didn’t feel like playing currently, but he knew he was already causing enough trouble in their friend group.
~
Light oh Light
Where have you gone?
Light oh Light
Have I lost my way?
Light oh Light
Come back to me.
Light oh Light
Why do I write to you?
Light oh Light
Answer my calls.
Light oh Light
I am sorry.
~
Kaveh sat there at the table holding one of the poems that he read through five times already. He had tried to figure out what the admirer meant. Now that he knew his mystery poet was Alhaitham it just made sense. Tighnari was sitting across from him not saying a word. He had followed Kaveh home. Kaveh didn’t think anything of it. Just that his friend was there for him at his time of need.
“Do you think he would have told me eventually?” Kaveh asked.
“This is the same guy who has loved you since the Akademiya,” Tighnari reminded him. Kaveh nodded. He wished that Alhaitham had said something. Though if he did then Kaveh didn’t know how he would react. Especially back then when he was so young. He wouldn’t have believed that Alhaitham was telling the truth.
“I should talk to him,” Kaveh said, but he didn’t move from the table filled with poems. Tighnari got up and said he had to go. Kaveh just nodded as the door opened and shut. He sat there looking at the pile of poems.
“I was planning to tell you,” a quiet voice said. Kaveh turned to see Alhaitham. He was calm but his eyes gave away the truth. He was concerned. He always could tell when Alhaitham was upset by looking at his eyes.
“I wish you had,” Kaveh said, he got up and slowly walked over to Alhaitham who stood still as if waiting for bad news instead of what he was about to hear. “If you had, maybe I could have done this sooner.” Kaveh touched his face and looked at Alhaitham waiting for him to pull away or say something to discourage Kaveh on his next step. All he saw in Alhaitham’s eyes was love. Kaveh moved forward and their lips met each other. It wasn’t rushed, it was sweet and slow. Just as their relationship had been so far.
~
They say love is a feeling
But even I know that feelings
Hold deeper meanings
Especially since I met my darling.
Happiness was something
I didn’t pay attention to
But now it is a thing
That I hold close to.
Light of my life
Being me home
To the love
That we share.
~
“I can’t believe you posted another poem!” Kaveh said. Tighnari, Cyno, and Alhaitham watched as he complained about the poem.
“You know I am shocked you have the talent to write something like those poems,” Cyno stated.
“Inspiration is a big part of writing. It is how I wrote all my research papers,” Alhaitham told him. He was amused at Kaveh’s response to the latest poem he wrote. “I used to write poems for my grandmother when I was younger to cheer her up when she was off.”
“I can’t picture child Alhaitham doing something as sweet as writing poems for a grandparent,” Cyno muttered before he played his next card.
“Alhaitham was kinder when he was younger. He just didn’t let people he didn’t like see that part of him,” Kaveh said. Alhaitham played his next card as Cyno smirked, before taking his card out. Kaveh watched Alhaitham’s face as he calculated his next move.
“So now that Kaveh knows about the poems, have you both confessed your feelings for each other?” Tighnari asked.
“We have,” Alhaitham said, playing his next move as Cyno scoffed in annoyance.
“Are you two a couple then?” Tighnari asked, looking at Kaveh.
“We are,” Alhaitham said.
“We haven’t talked about that but we do sleep in the same bed now and we cuddle on the couch when Alhaitham reads at night,” Kaveh clarified.
“Should have predicted that one,” Cyno said before knocking out another card leaving Alhaitham to his last card.
“Why did I even bother asking?” Tighnari asked as Alhaitham got Cyno down to one care left. Cyno looked irritated but seemed to have a plan and didn’t seem so worried.
“You know. We could call these double date nights now,” Tighnari said.
“We could,” Kaveh said.
“But we won’t,” Alhaitham said. Cyno got Alhaitham’s character’s hp low before he saw that he made a mistake. He cursed as Alhaitham took out his character.
“I think you should rethink your strategy,” Alhaitham said, sitting back, putting his arm around Kaveh. Cyno looked irritated as he reanalyzed