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Kaveh sits hunched over at the bar wine glass in hand as he calls for Lambad for another refill, “boss! Another round please” he lifts his head up then groans at the sight of the whole world spinning.
“Dont think you need another round…” a man was behind the bar with a bottle of wine in his hands, at least Kaveh hoped it was wine he couldn't really tell with his spinning vision.
“Come onnn… please?” Kaveh said, fluttering his eyelashes in an attempt to win over the man.
Said man sighed and plucked the wine glass out of his hands pouring in his favourite wine and gently placing it back down in front of him. “Last drink then you're done.” Lambad said with an unimpressed look on his face.
“Thank you boss!” Kaveh smiled and took a long sip of the glass.
Kaveh then had started to dissociate, he thought about his life right now, it was sad. He was broke, basically homeless (he spent most of his nights here at the tavern) he had lost contact with his mother… Well, more like he just started to ignore her letters, it's not that he didn't want to hear from her, just he wanted her to focus on her work opportunities in Fontaine instead of him.
Kaveh was happy that his mother had moved on and became happy but in a way he was also envious of how great her life was going.
Kaveh's thoughts were cut off as a bag of mora was thrown in front of him onto the bar.
Kaveh turned to look at who was behind him and had to do a double take- no, a triple take when he realised who it was.
“Alhaitham?!”
“Kaveh.” Alhaitham glanced down at him before turning his attention to Lambad.
“Ill pay for the tab, that should cover it”
“Of course” Lambad said, taking the bag of mora and walking over to where he went to grab the receipt, Kaveh felt dread as he gasped.
“Dont close my tab! I'm not finished for the night”
When Lambad came over and handed the receipt to Alhaitham for him to sign he felt so betrayed it hurt.
“Uh yes you are? Have you seen the state of yourself?” Alhaitham said from behind, making Kaveh turn his head back around to glare at him.
Kaveh couldn't help but stare at Alhaitham's face, he looked quite different to the akademiya days, his hair was relatively the same, just a tad longer. He still wore headphones 24/7 but what really caught his eye was his build.
Oh god, he was so much more muscley than last time, he looked like he could lift up a car with one hand if he really wanted to and dare Kaveh say it was turning him on.
When they were younger he was short and skinny. He had these cute little cheeks that Kaveh liked to pinch to get a reaction out of him. But now he was tall, strong and his face was more sculpted.
Kaveh felt his face grow warmer as he bit his lip. Damn it Alhaitham when did you get hot…
His stone cold eyes were narrowed as he looked down at Kaveh, his eyelashes were long for a male it made Kaveh jealous that he had such pretty features.
When he had turned his head slightly to the side to speak to Lambad again, Kaveh got a view of his side profile. His nose was bigger and had developed a small bump on the bridge. His nose was Kaveh's favourite feature on him.
“Didnt know you flushed when you were drunk.” Alhaitham said, bringing Kaveh out of his thoughts.
“Well I do..” Kaveh said as his teeth let go of his bottom lip, he brought the back of his hands up to his cheeks and rested them there. The cold skin against his flaming hot cheeks was nice. He could never tell him that he was getting all hot and bothered over him, he would never let him live it down.
“Hm..” Alhaitham said in response, raising an eyebrow. “Come on” he said, reaching a hand out for Kaveh to take.
“What?” Kaveh's eyes flickered from his hand to his face.
“Come on, I'm taking you home.”
Oooh.. this was really embarrassing, he had to tell Alhaitham of all people that he didn't have a place to stay and was just staying his nights in the tavern.
“I…dont have a home.” Kaveh said as he felt his face heat up ten times more if that was even possible.
Alhaitham scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I know. I'm taking you to my home, you can stay with me.”
Kaveh looked shocked as he stared at Alhaitham with his mouth slightly open in surprise.
“You don't want to keep disturbing Lambad no?” Alhaitham said.
He really got him there, he felt bad taking up space in the tavern drinking away his sorrows every night.
“Kaveh, Come on.” His voice was so much deeper than before, oh it was so sexy, Kaveh really needed to control himself. This would be embarrassing if he spilled something with his loose mouth.
He hesitated for a moment just thinking over his options before taking Alhaitham's hand and standing up, wobbling a tad but if anyone noticed they didn't say anything.
That was when Kaveh had actually noticed the height difference between the two, what happened to his cute little Junior that followed him around like a little puppy?
He wasn't majorly tall, just a few inches taller but it still surprised Kaveh how fast he grew.
As the two walked out the tavern Kaveh gripped and squeezed Alhaitham's bicep, for science of course. Just to see how strong he actually was.
Alhaitham glanced down with an eyebrow raised and a slight smirk, “enjoying yourself there hm?”
Kaveh wanted to object but the drunkenness was making him tired now that he was out of the busy and loud tavern and into the quiet streets of sumeru.
Kaveh hummed and rested his head on the arm, closing his eyes as they walked.
Once they had reached the house, Alhaitham guided him inside and to the divan, where he gently laid him down to go and grab some water and pain killers for when the inevitable hangover hit in the morning.
“Drink.” Alhaitham said pushing the cup out to him, Alhaitham had no idea the things he was doing to him.
“Where did my cute little junior go…when did you get so hot?” Kaveh mumbled his tongue loose from the alcohol.
“Pardon?” Alhaitham said with a raised brow.
“Nothing.” Kaveh said as he put the cup down on the coffee table and laid down covering his face in the back of the divan.
He heard a small chuckle as well as footsteps going farther away then coming back and then he felt a light weight put on him. When he peeled his eyes open, Alhaitham was sitting next to him tucking him into the divan with a fond look.
“Sleep please” Alhaitham said with a hand combing through his neglected hair, his voice was incredibly softer than it was in the tavern.
Kaveh closed his eyes and drifted off into a sleep he didn't know how much he needed until now.
—
When Kaveh woke up, Kaveh looked around the living room, the past night coming back to him in small pieces.
He sighed in relief as he spotted the painkillers and water on the coffee table.
“How are you feeling?” Alhaitham's voice made Kaveh jump as he turned his head and saw Alhaitham with a small smile leaning against the doorway.
“Did I say anything weird…”
“Hmm… not really only that you find me attractive now.”
Kaveh winced at that answer, he was hoping that Alhaitham wouldn't have heard that.
“Forget that, I was drunk.”
“Drunk words are sober thoughts” Alhaitham said as he walked off to the kitchen.
“Ugh you are insufferable.” Kaveh shouted before huffing and laying back down.
Guess that was too much movement as he immediately felt bile coming up his throat, he slapped a hand over his face and ran out the living room not knowing where the bathroom was he weakly hummed the others name to get his attention.
Alhaitham glanced over his shoulder then realised what was about to happen. He rushed to Kaveh, guiding into the bathroom with a gentle hand on his back.
Kaveh shoved himself on his knees and threw up whatever was still in his system, Alhaitham was standing behind him pulling his hair back and rubbing a supporting hand on his back.
“All done?” Alhaitham said after a minute of Kaveh coughing and spitting into the toilet, Kaveh nodded in response and pulled away from the toilet shakily.
Alhaitham grabbed a rag and wet it with water before cleaning Kaveh's lips.
“Come on, I'll get you some water.” Alhaitham said, putting a hand out for Kaveh which he took and followed into the kitchen.
Kaveh sat down at the small table for two in the kitchen with a glass of water as he watched Alhaitham at the stove making whatever he was making for breakfast.
He was in his sleep clothes which was a small shirt and baggy pyjama bottoms, Kaveh couldn't help but stare at his figure.
“I can feel you staring.”
Damn Alhaitham what do you have superpowers or something? Kaveh thought.
Kaveh turned his head and tried to play it off, “what?” he said gazing out the window before turning back to him where he was now at the table with a plate.
“Eat.” Alhaitham said before grabbing his own plate and sitting in front of him.
They ate in silence, when Kaveh had finished eating he spoke up.
“I appreciate the place to stay for the night, I will get out of your hair.” he said standing up and turning to leave the kitchen.
“You're not leaving.”
Kaveh stopped in his tracks before turning round to meet Alhaitham's gaze, “what do you mean im not leaving.” Kaveh said furrowing his brows.
“You're staying here, I told you last night.”
“Thats not necessary. I'm going now.”
“Go where?” Alhaitham said, frustrated. “Where are you going? Back on the streets? In the tavern for the rest of your life?”
“I don't know, I'll find somewhere.” Kaveh said, his voice cracking.
“No, Kaveh, I won't let you live on the streets drinking yourself to death.”
There was a period of silence before Kaveh took a shaky inhale and started to speak.
“Why do you care so much?”
“Because I do.” Alhaitham stepped forward, taking Kaveh's head in his hands and looking into those red eyes with such fondness, Kaveh thought he was in a dream.
“Please let me help you.”
Kaveh bit his lip and turned his head away, not looking Alhaitham in the eyes.
“Kaveh, I care for you.” Alhaitham whispered into Kaveh's ear sending shivers down his spine.