Chapter Text
Alhaitham was thankful for his headphones the moment he entered Lambad’s. People chattering, cups clinking, music playing, if he had to put up with the noise on a day like this he would have immediately turned around.
After standing in line for a few minutes he walked up to the counter, immediately meeting Lambad’s eyes.
“Ah, the usual?” Lambad asked with a warm smile that quickly cleared the slightly troubled look he had just worn. Alhaitham gave a silent nod, and Lambad wrote something down.
“I’ll have to go grab it from the back, wait here just a minute.” Alhaitham thanked Lambad, though he could tell from the sheer number of people around and orders placed before he even entered that it would be more than just a mere minute.
He decided to sit down and wait, and as his eyes scanned the room they landed on something that caught his attention. Or someone, rather.
By a table nearby, half obscured by people passing by, sat a person resting their head against the table, gripping onto a half-empty cup of wine like there was no tomorrow. Even the table around him had been decorated by a few empty bottles.
Alhaitham hesitated for a moment and sighed, walking over to the man he recognized by his hair alone.
“Kaveh," he said plainly.
Kaveh shuffled, before lazily raising his head, one eye still closed. Alhaitham had perhaps expected surprise, but Kaveh just furrowed his eyebrows.
“What do you want?”
“I didn’t expect to find you here.”
Kaveh scoffed, finally having enough of a reason to attempt to get up properly. His hand almost slipped as he heaved himself up from the table.
“Come to mock me?” Kaveh’s speech was slurred, if the several bottles surrounding him and his thoughtless movement hadn’t been enough of a clue, Alhaitham could now be certain that he was drunk.
“No, I’ve come to pick up my wine.”
“Huh," Kaveh said dismissively, turning his head away with great effort, he rested it upon his hand.
“You don’t look great, "Alhaitham added.
Kaveh’s head shot back with a furrowed brow. He looked Alhaitham up and down.
“I can’t believe it’s been so long that I almost forgot how annoying you are! I’ve just lost everything and you decide to push me further into the mud? You’re a joy, Alhaitham. I’ve truly missed you.”
Alhaitham remembered it still, Kaveh’s specific brand of sarcasm was always spoken sharply, in contrast to how his voice usually sounded. He hadn’t changed much, Alhaitham thought, except that sarcasm had rarely been directed towards Alhaiham himself in the past.
He sat down across from Kaveh, cautious with his movements.
“I hear you’re considered the light of Kshahrewar nowadays.”
Kaveh scoffed. “Yeah, no one would be calling me that if they knew.”
“Knew what?”
Kaveh buried his face in his hands and let out a shaky, self-mocking sigh.
“That I- failed. I spent my youth studying something no one cares about, and when I finally got the chance to prove it’s worth, to prove my worth, I ran it into the ground. I put myself in ruin.”
“Is this about the palace of Alcazarzaray?”
Kaveh let out a hardened chuckle. “You know about it?”
“Everyone is talking about it. It’s hard to miss.”
“I’m surprised you could talk to someone long enough to hear them say anything more than ‘hello’,” Kaveh sneered, entirely disconnected from the topic.
“I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”
“Well, I’m glad others can enjoy it. All I see when I look at it is my debt and the home I had to sell to make it happen. I’m ruined, and it’s all my fault.”
“You sold your home? Where do you live, then?”
Kaveh took another sip of wine, not answering the question.
“I’m not surprised.” Kavehs froze mid sip and turned to look at Alhaitham with a tense expression.
“Huh?” He spoke loudly, half-yelling. A few people nearby glanced over.
“I remember I warned you, back when we worked on our project, that you would end up like this because of your naive ideals.”
Kaveh’s previously intense fury seemed to simmer into some cruel amusement. He laughed a horrible laugh.
“Well, congrats for seeing it! I thought I might change it. How naive am I?” Kaveh slammed his fist into the table, startling several people nearby, but the tense energy quickly dispersed everywhere except around that fateful corner table.
Alhaitham just met his eyes, he could’ve sworn he saw Kaveh’s eyes brim with tears.
Just as Alhaitham’s mind started racing, Lambad obstructed his view with a bag of wine.
“There you go! Enjoy!”
Kaveh sank to the table once more, defeated, hiding his eyes behind his arms.
Alhaitham took the bag from Lambad, his eyes not leaving Kaveh.
“How long has he been here?” He asked Lambad.
“Since midday. But he has been here from midday to closing every day for a week. Do you know him? I was just about to ask someone to help him. I don’t think he can get home like this.”
“I’ll get him home.”
“Really? Thank you, Alhaitham! I really appreciate it. Get home safely!”
“Put his drinks on my tab.”
“Your tab?” Kaveh suddenly piped up, “I thought you considered yourself above being virtuous.”
“You can pay me back later.” Alhaitham stood up.
“Hah. Of course.”
Kaveh tried to sink back down to the table but Alhaitham grabbed his arm, pulling him up onto his feet.
“Come on.”
Kaveh complied without much resistance, though it was questionable how well he would be able to protest if he had even tried.
Alhaitham slid his arm around his back, helping him stand up with much effort.
They didn’t get far from the tavern before Kaveh suddenly stopped, staring out longingly. Alhaitham followed his gaze to find a house in the distance, one he vaguely remembered.
It was Kaveh’s childhood home. Alhaitham looked to Kaveh.
“How has realizing your ideals gone for you?”
Kaveh looked down at the ground. He was silent for a moment, swaying. Alhaitham caught his arm to steady him.
“Do you think I’ve changed?”
It was a frustratingly vague question to Alhaitham, so he decided it’s meaning.
Yes, Kaveh had changed. He was taller now than when Alhaitham had last seen him, but not as tall as Alhaitham had grown. Kaveh’s face was more mature. His eyes a little more dull, the crease between his brows a little more defined, his hair shorter, his enthusiasm drained.
“Yes.”
Kaveh sighed.
“I can tell you one way that I haven’t changed; if i could go back to before this mess, I don’t think I would do anything differently at all.”
Alhaitham took a moment, trying to wrap his head around the statement. Giving it his best shot from every angel he could think of, but he was only left infuriated by the lack of logic. He had to question it.
“Even if you could save your home?”
“I wouldn’t be able to without hurting my pride and morals in the process. I need to make the right decisions, I can’t just take the path of least resistance.”
The midnight air seemed to bring a moment of sobriety to Kaveh’s speech, though it quickly disappeared once again.
They continued walking the streets, highlighted by unforgiving moonlight.
Alhaitham was deep in thought, years had passed and he still could not even begin to understand this man at all. All that sacrifice, goodwill for the sake of goodwill, ruining your own chances of a good life for the sake of aiding others. Choosing to rip away ones own peace just to help someone who could help themselves. It seemed like nonsense to his mind.