Work Text:
The door opened abruptly before being slammed shut.
Unsurprised, Alhaitham looked up to find Kaveh dropping his bag onto the floor with an unpleased frown distorting his eyes. His golden hairdo, meticulously braided in the morning, was sticking out in messy strands from a red hairtie.
"Bad grade?"
Kaveh collapsed onto Alhaitham's bed with an unintelligible scoff, hiding his face in the pillow and hugging an aranara plushie much too forcefully. After a deep inhale, he turned his head. "My idiot of a professor took marks away from my project because it was too pretty."
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow. "In those words?"
"Useless aesthetics," Kaveh grunted, sitting up. "Nowhere in the criteria did it specify that the project had to be ugly."
"Did you speak to him?"
"He doesn't listen," Kaveh replied, sighing and letting his shoulders slump. "Please tell me your day was better than mine."
Alhaitham turned off his phone. "My day was regular. I skipped my Natlanese Literature class, so I slept in. I had one lecture after lunch, which was more interesting than expected, and now I was peacefully reading fanfiction until you came in."
Kaveh scoffed, but the curve on his lips betrayed his amusement. "Here I am, juggling a bunch of electives, clubs, and an internship, and you're reading fanfiction in bed."
"Whose fault is it that I make better decisions than you?" Alhaitham asked.
From this angle, he was looking at the wall on Kaveh's side of the room: almost every little space was filled with photographs, posters, art prints, watercolours, movie tickets, and whatever else Kaveh deemed important enough to look at every single day. Over Alhaitham's bed, there was nothing but calm blankness. He wouldn't have to spend an hour carefully taking fragile paper down when he moved out.
He still enjoyed looking at Kaveh's pictures of the two of them together, though.
They had been living together since Alhaitham started at the Akademiya the previous semester, having been best friends throughout high school.
"I'm gonna have a glowing career, and you're gonna have a boring one," Kaveh replied, poking his shoulder.
"Then we'll both get what we want."
Kaveh lay back down on the bed, as if he didn't have his own just two steps away. Alhaitham returned to his fanfic, unbothered by Kaveh's legs thrown over his lap or Kaveh's monopolising of his pillow. He enjoyed this warm proximity and the sensation of Kaveh's skin brushing against his own.
A notification disturbed his easy peace, and he opened Twitter.
Direct message request
[sethos_] hello, can i send an anonymous confession here?
Most people who knew Alhaitham would probably be surprised that he was running the Akademiya's love confession account, but that was because most people who knew Alhaitham had no idea how nosy he was under his expressionless face. In being so quiet and having such exceptionally sensitive ears, he caught onto precious bits of gossip more often than people would think. These were usually kept close to his chest, so that no one would grow wary of mentioning such things in front of him, though he occasionally told Kaveh an especially intriguing story.
That said, not even Kaveh knew he was behind @confess.akademiya, because Kaveh, though well-intentioned, wasn't good at keeping secrets.
The profile was affiliated with the Student Well-Being Club anyway — somehow — which meant the 'work' was computed onto the system as extracurricular hours counting towards Alhaitham's degree. Better than committing to the all-nighters Kaveh pulled as president of the Art and Design Club.
[You] Yes. Please include the receiver's name, course and year to avoid confusion. The guidelines are pinned in our profile
[sethos_] okay. this is for hat guy, real name scaramouche, he's in 1st year social sciences
[sethos_] i wish i could hide from the rain under ur massive hat. i wish i could make u laugh instead of making u scream in anger. i wish i could see under your clothes (and under your hat. do you have a bald patch or something?). pls give me a chance. i'll tell u my name if u say u'll give me a chance
[sethos_] signed, secret admirer
Alhaitham snorted as he copy pasted the message onto a tweet.
"What is it?" Kaveh asked, looking over. "Funny line in your fanfic?"
Alhaitham hummed. "Something like that."
Kaveh squinted at the price tags on two different cartons of oat milk, wishing he had put his contact lenses on before coming to the grocery store.
"We'll take the one without additives," Alhaitham stated, taking one of them unceremoniously from his hands. "The one-mora difference won't change your life."
Kaveh rolled his eyes as he watched Alhaitham return the milk to the top shelf, easily reaching it with his pretty forearms. Not that Kaveh was ogling the muscle on his arms or anything, or thinking about how he should start accompanying Alhaitham to the gym. (Definitely to exercise, and not to watch a sweaty Alhaitham do bicep curls.)
"It might," Kaveh retorted, throwing a large bag of coffee into the basket Alhaitham was graciously carrying. "I could've used that one mora to bet on the lottery. I could've won."
"Right," Alhaitham deadpanned, pausing to pick out two packets of Kaveh's favourite biscuits without a word.
Kaveh's heart reacted much too excitedly at the sight of such a simple little movement.
See, this was his life: he slept little and poured all of himself into his studies, aiming for the highest grades and the most complete CV and the career of his dreams; and when he got home from all of these commitments, exhausted and cranky, Alhaitham was waiting for him with his attentive eyes and silver tongue.
Kaveh was desperately, desperately in love with him.
"We should make a stew tonight," he said with a hum, looking over the vegetable section. "What are you craving?"
Alhaitham stopped by his side. "The cabbage looks good."
When they walked out of the store, side-by-side and carrying the groceries in matching tote bags, Kaveh couldn't help the soft smile that grew on his lips. To any onlookers, they might have looked like a couple: chatting and laughing as they walked home in the sunsent, preparing for a shared dinner and a shared life. Sometimes, every few steps, their fingers accidentally brushed against each other.
Moments like these almost convinced him to confess it all.
Akademiya Confession Forum @confess.akademiya
Message from Cyno to Tighnari, 2nd year Botanics student:
Like the mitochondira, my love for you is the powerhouse of my entire being. Nari, I hope we're together for trillions and trillions of Krebs Cycles.
Akademiya Confession Forum @confess.akademiya
Anonymous message to Dehya, 3rd year Physical Education:
pls pls pls pls pls can you crush my head with your thighs. explode my head with your biceps. just one chance dehya
Akademiya Confession Forum @confess.akademiya
Message from Hat Guy to his 'secret admirer' (previous confession in QRT):
literally go fuck yourself. and im NOT BALD
Pursing his lips, Kaveh looked through the posts, scrolling downwards to find heartfelt confessions that had actually been the seedlings of thriving relationships. He wished he had the courage to do something similar for Alhaitham.
Well, he could potentially… No.
He imagined the scene: his private, aching, genuine confession to his best friend, brimming with affection, intimacy, adoration, and fear, exposed on social media for everyone to see. And then, Alhaitham's immediate rejection, face blank as always.
If he knew the confession was from Kaveh, it would probably destroy this precious bond that had grown between them over all these years. Or, worse: Alhaitham would act as if nothing had changed, and the awkwardness would eat them alive.
Unless he reciprocated Kaveh's feelings, of course.
Alhaitham was still an enigma to Kaveh in many ways, despite them having been the closest people to one another for years. He could recite Alhaitham's staple orders in their usual restaurants, prepare his coffee just how he liked it, read the microexpressions on his face that no one else could, and help calm him down when he was stressed. But he could not, for the life of him, tell if Alhaitham had feelings for him.
If he did, he was a damn good actor, because he had never demonstrated any romantic intention towards Kaveh.
Still, he leaned into Kaveh's physical touch despite flinching away from anyone else's, and he adored Kaveh in his own, quiet way. They loved each other, there was no denying that — but did Alhaitham want this to grow outside of the realm of close friendship?
Did Alhaitham even want romantic love? He had never mentioned having a desire for it, and he routinely rejected any brave soul who came to ask for his number. Did that mean he wasn't interested in any relationship?
Kaveh threw his head back onto his pillow in frustration, still staring at the confession profile.
"What is it?"
Oh. Of course Alhaitham was watching him with those unnervingly intense pretty irises of his.
"Nothing," Kaveh mumbled. "Do you want to watch a movie?"
"Depends, can I choose the movie?"
Kavehr reacted with a visceral eyeroll. Seriously, this was the man he was pining over?
After opening his laptop (affectionately nicknamed Mehrak) and letting Alhaitham click play, Kaveh let his eyes flutter shut. He wouldn't be able to pay attention to the plot anyway, not in this position. Since their room consisted solely of two beds, a tiny kitchen, a closet and a small bathroom, there was no couch — they were huddled together on Kaveh's single bed, which meant his face was leaning on Alhaitham's shoulder and his arms were pressed against Alhaitham's, and Alhaitham was warm, and Kaveh could think of nothing else but how good it would feel to cuddle Alhaitham properly.
His thoughts, then, turned once again to a confession. What if he confessed anonymously? Perhaps Alhaitham would feel touched at the declaration, and mention to Kaveh that he would like to meet whoever it was that harboured such feelings for him. Alternatively, if he instantly discarded the confession, Kaveh would have his answer all the same.
It could be worth trying out.
Tuesdays were the worst days on Alhaitham's schedule. Partly because the Akademiya had decided to put him through cruel and unusual punishment in the form of an obligatory class at seven-thirty in the morning, and partly because he had — for gods know what reason — willfully enrolled in an elective ending at five-thirty. Meaning, he was up early and home late. Excellent.
As he finally hurried out of his last class, sighing quietly in relief, he opened his phone to the notifications from the last hour and a half. Cyno trying to recruit people for a TCG night, Kaveh asking if his class was over so they could walk home together, email notifications from comments on the AO3 oneshot he'd posted recently, and several Twitter DMs.
He left the confessions for last, opening Kaveh's chat first as usual, but the Akademiya's elevators were so woefully inefficient that he ended up getting through almost all the messages by the time he reached the ground floor.
Direct message request
[paradisaea.kaveh] hi! i wanted to submit an anonymous confession
Alhaitham's heart instantly froze in place.
[paradisaea.kaveh] it's for alhaitham, 1st year linguistics student
[paradisaea.kaveh] here is the message:
Alhaitham,
I'm hiding behind the phone screen because your rejection would honestly shatter my heart, but I wish I could say all of this to your face. I have a hard time being this honest, but I'm trying my best because it's difficult to leave all of this unsaid when I feel it all the time. And because, well, you deserve to know just how adored you are.
Everything reminds me of you. I fill the margins of my notes with sketches of your face. I imagine you're with me when I feel lonely. I wish I could talk to or text you every two minutes because I want to share quite literally everything that happens with you. I find you even more brilliant every time I hear you debate anything at all, regardless of how brutal your arguments are. I always want you to keep talking, to keep looking in my direction, to give away any hints that you enjoy my company as much as I enjoy yours. This is embarrassing to admit, but I feel like no amount of time with you could ever be enough.
And, I mean, I have to point out the obvious too: you're gorgeous. Your eyes are a low blow. My heart never stood a chance.
Anyway, it's not like you can reply, so I'm not sure what I'm expecting here, but I'm in love with you. Madly in love with you. This message is doing a terrible job of showing you how much you matter to me (I'm not as good at words as you are, and I'm really fucking nervous right now), but I hope you can believe me when I say it.
No one else is like you. Genuinely.
With love,
Someone who admires you more than you would think
Alhaitham blinked — once, twice, three times. He had forgotten how to breathe. His mind was just an empty echo of what, what, what, what, what, what—
[paradisaea.kaveh] just to confirm: this is an anonymous confession :) please don't put my name on it haha
[paradisaea.kaveh] anyway thank u so much
[paradisaea.kaveh] are there any other details i need to send?
[paradisaea.kaveh] more or less when will it be posted?
[paradisaea.kaveh] sorry, feel free to ignore me!! im a little nervous dkjfkjs
Kaveh was… in love with him. 'Madly in love' with him.
The blank bewilderment suddenly gave way to an ouburst of pure joy in his chest, and he laughed — laughed, of all things — at the phone screen in disbelief. Kaveh was in love with him. Kaveh had confessed on this random Tuesday, through Twitter DMs, inadvertently, that he was in love with Alhaitham, and none of the soft touches and lingering glances between them had been coincidental. Alhaitham's feelings were requited.
It was as unbelieavable as it was exhilerating that such an opportunity would fall onto his lap so easily, but then again, falling in love with Kaveh had been easy, and moving in with Kaveh had been easy, so why should this not be?
Kaveh was in love with him.
"What are you smiling at?"
Alhaitham didn't know how long he had spent just behind the Akademiya's front doors, eyes locked on the phone screen like a fool. He turned off the screen in an instant and looked up at the sound of Kaveh's voice.
He looked radiant as usual, with his glittering eyes and golden hair falling over his shoulder blades, bangs tied back with a red hair clip and flamboyant earring peeking in between soft curls. His lips were curled in a small smile, but Alhaitham knew him well enough to read the tension behind those adorable dimples.
"Kaveh," he said breathlessly, which was in no way a response.
Kaveh raised an eyebrow, fidgeting with two coffee cups in his hands as he cocked his head. "Alhaitham. Look, you've got the best senior and the kindest roommate. I got you your diabetic concoction of coffee and ice and oat milk and hazelnut syrup and whatever else."
Alhaitham looked at the cups, suddenly seeing through Kaveh's usual sweet gestures and finding the fondness behind them that was much deeper than he had originally thought.
"What, did you magically stop liking the hazlenut flavour?" Kaveh pouted slightly. "Do you finally agree that salted caramel is better?"
Alhaitham barely registered the taunt. "Are you going to class?"
"No," Kaveh replied warily. "I just saw your message saying 'okay' to the fact that I'm leaving class. Do you reply to my texts without actually reading them?"
His tone took on a hint of annoyance, and he huffed cutely while attempting to flip some of his hair back. Alhaitham's heart was melting from all the warmth seeping out of Kaveh's simple existence.
Alhaitham was then struck with a dilemma. He wanted to say I love you too. Always have, right here, right now, but he also wanted to throw himself into Kaveh's arms immediately after, and that wouldn't be possible in front of dozens of other students. He wanted to say it with every word, then memorise the shape of Kaveh's face with his fingers then with his lips, and a crowded entryway wasn't the place for such an act of genuine devotion.
Well. He'd already waited years. He could wait until they reached their shared doorstep.
…Or he could give into the enamoured desire that had been holding his heart hostage for years and that could now finally slip out through his lips.
"I read every single one of your texts," Alhaitham replied, smiling, then he casually stepped forwards and pressed a kiss to Kaveh's warm cheek. "All of them."
Kaveh's breath hitched and his lips parted. Alhaitham took in the blush colouring his face — it matched the golden frame of his curls so prettily — before tucking a lock of hair behind his ear.
"What…"
Alhaitham chuckled at the sight. "You could have confessed directly to me, you know," he murmured, so that only Kaveh could hear. "No need for anonymity and intermediates."
Kaveh's face went through disbelief, understanding, bewilderment, and joy in the space of two mere seconds. He opened his mouth to reply, but the only thing coming off his face was a blush so intense his skin matched the colour of his eyes.
"You know how I'm part of the Student Wellbeing Club, and you think I get my extracurricular hours while doing nothing?"
Kaveh stared at him as if nothing had ever made less sense than wherever Alhaitham was going with this.
"I'm in charge of the Twitter confession account," Alhaitham added, delightfully amused.
Kaveh's eyes widened, finally understanding, and then he let out a breath so heavy he might have been holding it for their entire conversation. He looked down at his feet with a pretty frown. "Oh. So. You… Wait, does this mean… I…"
Finally taking the iced latte, Alhaitham gently embraced Kaveh's waist with his free arm and stepped closer, leaning in close to the flushed skin of his ear. "I love you too."
He waited a long, unending moment, the seconds passing even more deliciously as they stretched on. At last, Kaveh returned his affection — by lightly smacking his shoulder.
"Did you have to draw it out like this?" Kaveh exclaimed, but he was smiling so brightly his dimples looked like they'd now be permanently etched onto his cheeks. "Oh, Archons. I'm such an idiot. I can't believe you were the… the…"
"Mm." Alhaitham nudged Kaveh towards the door, thinking that perhaps Tuesdays weren't the worst days after all. "Let's go home? I'll cook tonight. Whatever you're craving."
"…Okay," Kaveh replied, trying to bite down on his wide smile, but it was to no avail. "Okay."
Alhaitham's hand let go of his waist to interlock their fingers together instead, and they walked out of the Akademiya just like that. As a couple.
"Haitham," Kaveh called, and he turned to the side.
Kaveh captured his lips in a kiss, warm and still smiling and scorching Alhaitham's skin as if Kaveh held the sun inside his mouth. It didn't last long — nowhere near enough for Alhaitham to come out of his daze and kiss back — but it was so disorienting Alhaitham forgot every word in every language he knew, all except for Kaveh.
Blinking, lips parted and limbs fully frozen, Alhaitham felt fierce heat build up in his cheeks for the first time in his life. He watched dumbly as Kaveh laughed at his expression, managing the word "blackmail" amid chuckles.
"Well, let's go home," Kaveh added lightly, pulling on his hand, "sweetheart."