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“Alhaitham! Alhaitham! Are you home? This is an emergency!”
The Akademiya’s scribe sighs out loud, closing the book he has been peacefully reading until now.
“Ah, there you are!” Kaveh exclaims once he spots his roommate seated on the divan.
“Has a building caught on fire?” Alhaitham questions, staring at the blond.
Kaveh raises his eyebrow. “What, no!”
“Is there a riot on the street?” The Scribe questions again.
“No! Wha— what are you even talking about!”
Alhaitham hums. “You used the term emergency, pardon me for thinking that there was an actual emergency happening”
Kaveh scoffs loudly. “You..!” He groans as he paces around the room. “And to believe that because of this stupid article people are actually going to believe that I could be with someone so…”
Alhaitham tilts his head at that. “Fine, I’ll listen. Tell me the big catastrophe”
The blond architect huffs, offering the newspaper he has been carrying in his hand to the other scholar. Alhaitham takes it, eyeing it with skepticism. Until he reads the headline.
And they were roommates?
Greetings, my dearests readers,
This Author finds herself compelled to share with you all the whispers that a little Sumerian bird has chirped into one’s curious ear.
Rumor has it that the Akademiya’s Scribe, and the “Light of Kshahrewar” are living under the same roof.
Roommates.
Such a peculiar appellation, and it could mean multifarious things, for the reasons to share a dwelling could be most diverse, from saving hosing costs, to shared possessions and skills, convenience, and naturally companionship.
Everyone who crosses paths with this bright pair would not precisely describe them as friends, amidst their constant bickering and arguments. Could it be that their attitude is all but a mere facade, and in truth there is more than camaraderie uniting this lovely duo? They had positively shown to be quite fiery in their quarrels on some occasions.
Shared residence, shared life, shared affection. Mayhap two of Sumeru’s most eligible bachelors are not so eligible anymore. This Author surely intents to find out.
Yours truthfully
Lady Teyvaton
“Oh”
“…oh!?” Kaveh stares in disbelief at the scribe. “Oh! It-It’s that all you have to say about this!?”
“And what would you have me say, Kaveh?” Alhaitham asks lifting his eyes to glance at the architect.
Kaveh throws his hand in the air. “I don’t know! Something! Anything! S-someone wrote about us—a-about you! And you don’t care?”
“Who is this… Lady Teyvaton?” Alhaitham questions instead.
“No one really knows. They are keeping their identity in secret” Kaveh responds.
“Just ignore it. I’m sure not many people will read this. It’ll pass.” Alhaitham offers.
“Alhaith— you.. you do realize what they are implying in their letter, have you not? About us, I mean”
The Haravatat rests his back against the divan and crosses his arms over his chest. “Yes, Kaveh. I’m aware. Contrary to what you believe, I do know how to read between the lines, but most of the times I simply choose not to”
Kaveh sighs out loud, rubbing his forehead. “Alhaitham, this… everyone reads this okay? This column has become one of the most popular ones in the Streambird lately. The Author writes about noteworthy figures all around Teyvat, they even wrote about a Fatui Harbinger having a relationship with someone working in a mortuary or something like that a few weeks ago!
“Then you should be happy, should you not?”
“E-Excuse me!” Kaveh huffs, a light shade of pink covering his cheeks.
“The Author has consider you a prominent figure in Teyvat, and that’s why they wrote about you” Alhaitham explains, his lips curling into a little teasing smirk.
Kaveh closes his mouth, he can’t deny that Alhaitham is a little bit correct in his assumption. “T-That doesn’t matter right now… we need to do something about this! Sue the paper, write a complain… force them to write a retraction!”
“That wouldn’t work” Alhaitham claims.
“And pray tell why not! It’s an invasion of our privacy!”
“The newspapers are only required to withdraw their publications when they have been proven to be false and fabricated, or if they are defamatory.” The Scribe explains. “It is a reality that we are roommates, and even though I know that you must feel very aggravated by the fact that the letter is implying on us having a relationship of the romantic, and perhaps even sexual nature, that doesn’t constitute a defamation.” Alhaitham expounds.
Kaveh groans out loud, burring his face in his hands.
“You know, some people think I’m quite a match” The gray haired declares.
“Excuse me!?!” Kaveh squeaks.
“I have overheard a few scholars and workers at the Akademiya comment about it.” Alhaitham shrugs. “After all, I have a fine and stable position, with a permanent income that is more than enough to live a comfortable life. And apparently I’m easy on the eyes, as they say.”
“I..—I’m..” Kaveh opens and closes his mouth resembling a fish, taken a back by Alhaitham’s declaration. “I never took you for a smug person.”
Alhaitham meets his roommates gaze. “I’m just saying that at least they involved you with someone that has a good reputation”
The blond architect huffs loudly, his hands resting on his hips. “And with a vexing personality”
Alhaitham lowers his head a bit, his lips curling into a little amused smirk. “Yeah, so you keep saying.”
Kaveh huffs again, diverting his eyes to the side. “And what are you implying with that? That I don’t have a good reputation? If you must know, my name holds some prominence, or do you think that they named me the “Light of Kshahrewar“ because of my blond hair?”
“Of course not. You’re a brilliant architect Kaveh, one of the best Sumeru has ever had.” Alhaitham claims.
Kaveh glances at his roommate, but instead of a mocking expression, Alhaitham seems to be serious and sincere, which makes the blond feel a little bit embarrassed all of a sudden. “I.. m-m..”
“Then again, your abilities have never been the problem, more like your naivety and self-destroying tendencies” The Scribe adds matter of factly.
“Huh!?! You…” Kaveh groans loudly. “You’re entirely incapable of making a compliment, don’t you!”
“I’m only stating the truth” Alhaitham crosses his arms over his chest. “But even so, I do not mind that they relate me to you. You are an eligible bachelor as this Author put it, and anyone who captures your eye would be immensely lucky” He sincerely adds.
Kaveh blushes at that, the tips of his ears turning bright red. “I’m.. well..—” He coughs in his hand. “T-thank you for that.. but there’s no one at this moment, except for you..— I-I mean!—You! That’s obviously what everyone is going to believe or more likely suspect after this a-article so…” The blond steals a quick glance at his roommate, but Alhaitham doesn’t seem to want to add anything to that, only staring at him watchfully. “We should just say that us living together was convenient. Yes, that’s the better solution.”
“Very well” Alhaitham nods in agreement.
“I mean the house is big enough for two people, in fact it’s meant to be used by two tenants! So we are just using the facilities accordingly to its approved urban use” Kaveh carries on.
“Indeed” Alhaitham mouths while opening his book again, prepared to ignore Kaveh’s ramblings.
“And it’s good that this Lady Teyvaton did not comment anything about my debt. Do you think they know? I sure hope not. But, in any case, this situation is just temporary, I’ll find my own place” He continues.
“You don’t need to rush” Alhaitham declares. Their gazes inseparably locked, like there’s something that draws Them together and refuses to let them go.
“… What?” The blond manages to ask.
“I do not mind staying a little bit more” Alhaitham says, before connecting his canceling noise headphones.
The remark catches Kaveh so off guard, he ends up gaping at him with no words coming out of his mouth.