Archive of Our Own

Alhaitham knows Kaveh. 

Now, this affirmation can be said by almost anyone, but none of them can claim to know Kaveh better than Alhaitham. 

This is not Alhaitham being preposterous, it's only a fact. And it's not really their fault, it's just that Kaveh has more layers than an onion (and that's what makes him interesting, why Alhaitham’s gaze got fixed on him in the first place). 

They first know Kaveh from Kshahrewar, the genius, the architect. Many, if not everyone, can get to know Kaveh the friend, the kind, the dreamer. And from one of those, or a very cooked mix, they would judge his personality: kind-hearted, smiley, easy-going, temperamental… 

And they wouldn't be wrong, but those are the layers Kaveh wants them to see. Since they were Akademiya students, Kaveh could do that with anyone, and let everyone think they know him well, but he couldn't fool Alhaitham. 

The principal mistake in people's reasoning about his character is that they rely too much on Kaveh's altruism, and classify it as something innate, even attaching it to an intrinsic naivety. Far from reality, Kaveh doesn't consider himself as such. Far from it, he considers himself selfish, and the desire to help is only there to ease his guilt, which makes him feel even more guilty, and in the end he is only self producing his own demise in an eternal loop (not realizing that it is precisely that guilty feeling that makes him even kinder with everyone, except with himself). 

But if you don't spend time with him, if you don't invest yourself into a deep analysis of his character, you can't just see those breaks at first glance. Those slips of tongue Kaveh gets when he believes no one is hearing. The ephemeral glint of regret that sometimes dulls the fire on his eyes. The slight change in his smile when receiving a favor instead of doing it. 

Therefore, far from naive, he puts all his efforts into being a liar, trying to be what he doesn't feel he is —hoping a lie repeated a thousand times will become true (for himself, at least, but how are you supposed to believe your fabricated lie?). 

All of it would be futile if any other person were to try to do the same, but as it comes, Kaveh is superb at pretending, as if he was raised to be a perfect actor (Alhaitham doesn't fool himself with innate talent: such easiness is practiced, trained, not something you can achieve even in one or two years. And the natural question comes, how can a teenager already have said experience? Alhaitham never asked, knowing it was a painful topic to ask directly, but based on Kaveh's fragments from his past, he has some theories).

Even those who get to know Kaveh for years could still be fooled by that radiant smile and perfect image he built for himself, like he chiseled his own reflection and made it able to live in his place so he can hide from the rest of the world. 

But not from Alhaitham. And he knows Kaveh more than once considered this a curse.

From the very first moment, he saw through his perfect smile. He felt too much understanding of loneliness coming from someone always surrounded by people. And he wondered: what could lead a popular, genius student to seek the company of an isolated, of a misfit?

He never asked, but he believes the answer was that Kaveh craved understanding… even if it was mixed with a fear of it (or maybe, some kind of relief. Isn’t it tiring to live feeling you are just pretending?). Alhaitham understood what it was to be alone because he was never someone who fitted in the crowd. His grandmother told him he was different, so he couldn't mingle into them, but it wasn't a curse: it was a gift. He could see things others would not, and there were more like him out there who could understand if they really wanted to. He only had to find them. 

Kaveh is one of those. That's why, with only an afternoon full of silence where Alhaitham probably was the first person in the world who would have ignored Kaveh’s demanded and radiant company, for everyone’s surprise, he returned again looking for him. Because he could see Alhaitham like others couldn't. And probably because he somehow felt seen by Alhaitham. Maybe that scared him, as it threatened his perfect hiding (don’t they say keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?), but maybe it also relieved him. 

Perhaps it was him because he was the first who could see him, or because it could have never been anyone else, but whatever the reason, Alhaitham fell for Kaveh like a damn fool. In that, he wasn't any different from the rest of the Akademiya students. But while the others were only there for his appearance and kind personality, Alhaitham was in for what Kaveh didn't show. For what Alhaitham can learn. And when he peeled one of the layers, as a good scholar, he was interested to discover if there was another one. Time and time again, there are infinite things to know about the same topic. An expert, but never a master of it.

But if something can define Alhaitham, it is his thirst for knowledge. If Alhaitham has one sole ambition, that would be to be able to read all the books in the House of Daena. In Sumeru. In Teyvat even.

His second one became to know everything about Kaveh.

He spent time with him and asked himself all the possible questions about Kaveh: Does he trust on the Akasha Terminal for the answers to everything, just because it was given by a God? And if not, then does he think their archon has all the answers, being the God of Wisdom? How does he see the Akademiya cardinal sins? And their rules? How does he, an artist, reconcile the practical view of the world the Akademiya (and, Alhaitham realized at the same time, himself) had? How can he dream in a land where only children have the privilege (or the misfortune) to do so?

Not much later, they evolved to be more about Kaveh’s feelings more than his ideas, questions he couldn’t directly ask him: If that radiant smile was a forced one, how would it be a real one? How would he react if Alhaitham extended his hand and played with the end of the braid on his side? Would he get as shiny as when he gets complimented for his work, or as timid as when someone tells him how handsome he is? Would he smile, or would he look at him with pity in his eyes, like every time he rejects another confession?

There's so much about Kaveh, so much to discover, that he doesn't think a lifetime is enough to peel every layer. Each time, he discovers a new side of him that doesn't fail to make him fall deeper and deeper in love with him: Kaveh, the genius. Kaveh, the dreamer. Kaveh, a friend. Kaveh, his best friend. Kaveh, the selfish altruist. Kaveh, the philosophe. Kaveh, the dutar player. Kaveh, the irregular sleeper. Kaveh, the idealist. Kaveh, the martyr. Kaveh, his former research partner. Kaveh, the still dreamer, even when he fell from the clouds. Kaveh, his roommate. Kaveh, his situationship: not friends, not strangers, something in-between. Kaveh, his once again friend. Kaveh, his roommate and best friend. 

And even when he thought he couldn’t be allowed to know anything more, for what Alhatiham desired to discover was reserved for any other but him, he got Kaveh as a kisser. Kaveh as a lover. Kaveh as his boyfriend. 

And Alhaitham found himself loving every spectrum of Kaveh. He really does, Celestia knows he does, but he has to admit that there are parts of him that didn’t match his expectations. Some exceeded them, others surprised him. Normally, Alhaitham can picture Kaveh's actions and reactions pretty accurately, all born from the deep study he did from what he learned about him. He can consider himself an expert in Kaveh's subject (he doubts there’s even a master, not even Kaveh himself would be. Can anyone get to know themselves perfectly? Alhaitham once thought yes, but then Kaveh proved him wrong). But on some topics, like the one of romance, it seems he pictured him wrong. Which wasn't a bad thing per se, really, just unexpected. 

Alhaitham, against popular opinion, prefers what doesn't match his expectations (academically and Kaveh-related speaking, of course), because it's something new to learn. And he can't get enough of learning about Kaveh, as if the architect was an eternal book Alhaitham would willingly be reading forever. 

When Kaveh and he started dating, Alhaitham had a clear vision about Kaveh as his boyfriend. He believed Kaveh to be what they call a romantic lover. Alhaitham had been there when Kaveh talked about romance, and he usually criticized Alhaitham’s lack of it, due to his close to zero sensitivity for the arts, not knowing the first thing about romance. 

But to his surprise, he found out Kaveh was more of a peculiar romantic. Maybe he misinterpreted his words all the time. Come to think about it, they only talked about the romantic sense in the arts, but never inside personal relationships.

Perhaps that is the reason why, while Alhaitham expected roses, Kaveh gave coffee beans. Where Alhaitham expected romantic dates, he found himself on expeditions to the desert. Where Alhaitham expected big gestures of love, he found stolen kisses whenever their ways crossed at home (which were not as many times as Alhaitham would like, given Kaveh’s line of work and erratic schedule in contrast with his well-established one). And while he didn’t expect, neither wished, a radical 360º turn in their dynamic, the thing is that the only difference in it are kisses and few things more.

And so, Kaveh the romantic lover fell into the category of “Kaveh’s sides which collide with Alhaitham radically” in an unexpected way, right along with Kaveh the idealist, Kaveh the hard-worker, Kaveh the “never expecting anything in return” and Kaveh the messy planner. It’s not that he doesn’t love those parts of him, he does, but he low-key always expects Kaveh to take a turn into them in favor of an easier life for him in such a cruel world for idealists like him.

For the ones like the messy planner, Alhaitham insisted on the installation of calendars in their house and a weekly tracker for the most urgent appointments. Kaveh many times forgets to note things down (things that are not related to his work, because Kaveh can be a disaster, but he’s overall a too good architect, and Alhaitham insists he doesn’t sell himself as high as he should. Well, if ever sells himself at all. He would build castles for free if he could), but it helped him a lot to be on time to their dinners with friends, for marked days such as birthdays, etc. 

Regarding his benefits from his work, he always asks how much would his clients pay for his services (they’re still working on the benefactor part). But for some, like his idealist self, it was harder. When he attempted to, younger and lacking the sense of tact, he just managed to break them down. From there, he learned Kaveh should experience and choose his paths on his own, but not necessarily alone.

Despite everything, he doesn’t want to make Kaveh feel his love isn’t enough. It is not like that at all (Kaveh, as a concept, as an idea, is more than enough for him), but Alhaitham knows Kaveh, and so, he knows how much he can overthink things without telling no one. He doesn’t want to make him feel he’s doing something wrong, and less when their new relationship is still fresh, when they're still learning how to get used to this new routine. 

He knows Kaveh cares, he knows he loves him, but he only knows. He has the concept, but not the materialization in the real world, something tangible. Or at least, not as enough empirical experience as Alhaitham would like. Kaveh has a peculiar way of showing affection, surprisingly for Alhaitham, who thought he was the one like that (in fact, he thought Kaveh would be troubled with what Alhaitham is now, following the endless accusations Alhaitham has heard all his life, labeled as cold and incapable to give affection, but here they are). Maybe it was because he has been loving Kaveh for so long in silence that now he can’t content himself without screaming it. Without letting everyone know that Kaveh reciprocates his feelings, that the Light of Kshahrewar chose the Scribe of the Akademiya. That Kaveh loves him, and Alhaitham does too.

And that’s perhaps the loveliest thing about mastering the Kaveh specialty. It makes Alhaitham realize things about himself that he alone would have never discovered. He never expected to be this kind of romantic, so opposed to his own perception of himself (and the rest of the world has as well, for that part). He was very different from others in every aspect, who could have thought he would crave the typical love gestures in every romantic novel? He indeed thought their positions would be reversed, with Kaveh criticizing his practicality in every part of his life and Alhaitham pleasing him with the things that he found ridiculous to read and to see. Now, he does want those things he always redeemed as foolish. But doesn’t love turn you into a fool?

But the problem is, he doesn’t know where this peculiar romantic Kaveh lies in his organized plan of action to deal with the different parts of Kaveh that collide with him, and it reduces to a very crucial question: should Alhaitham tell him, or should he remain quiet, letting Kaveh find on his own? It’s not like it really bothers him, and he definitely doesn’t want to upset Kaveh or worse, make him feel guilty, but to keep the current situation makes him feel… strange, for a lack of better word in Sumerian. 

After a time of reflection, he decided to establish a course of action mixing both of the current ones: let Kaveh realize on his own, but with a subtle help from his part. And so, Alhaitham decided to make a list of things he can do to make Kaveh subtly get the hint about what they can do in order to improve their romantic relationship.

1. Tell friends about the relationship (how come we have been together for two months and not even Cyno and Tighnari know?)
2. Matching things. (Rings? Earrings? Still TBD)
3. Going on dates. (No, working in the study and desert expeditions do not count as dates. Those shoes are still filled with sand.)
4. Experimenting with different love languages (can be useful to know which ones we lean more into.)
1. Alhaitham: definitely into quality time and physical touch. Seemingly into gifting too. 
2. Kaveh: should be into quality time and words of affirmations, right? To be tested.
5. Public expressions of love. (Why only kiss at home? Not even holding hands? Isn’t it normal for couples to do such things?)
6. Get Kaveh to register the house as his residence in the Akademiya. (This is the least urgent, of course. But Kaveh has been living here for years, and now we’re officially dating, he shouldn't have any problem.) 

A week. That list was made a week ago, and he still hasn't crossed any single item. 

He leaves the pen on his desk with a sigh, after a long time of playing with it. Alhaitham likes to have things organized, and lists are very helpful for that (of course, he is aware that Kaveh would feel terribly guilty if he were to see it, so Alhaitham did well to save it under lock and key in his desk), but it also makes him nervous not having crossed anything yet.

He looks at the first point once again. He thinks it’s one of the most important things, and also the easiest one: Kaveh has no reason to keep their relationship a secret, and Cyno and Tighnari are not stupid. They will know with a glance. But the thing lies on the schedules, as Alhaitham is the only one with a normal one.

Taking advantage of his position in the Akademiya as previous Acting Grand Sage, he knows Cyno’s schedules (although they can change in an instant), and Tighnari as Forest Watcher has more freedom and a more regular one. The most difficult one was Kaveh’s, but Alhaitham has a plan already for it: whatever it impedes him to go on the designated date, he will get rid of it. Easy. 

This Saturday was the perfect day. Cyno would be in town for regular check-ups on his health, and so, Tighnari will surely interest himself to visit the city as the Amurta he is, concerning himself with his loved ones’ health. The core of it all was to convince Kaveh. 

He watches his back as he works at his own desk. It’s not the first time they are together in the study, and Alhaitham definitely enjoys his presence there, now more than before they got together. Even if they're now sleeping together (and for comfort both use Alhaitham’s bedroom, as it has the bigger bed), as Kaveh’s former one is now a workshop where he can spend days into, he learned to appreciate more the time Kaveh spends with him in the study instead of closed up his former room. Alhaitham thinks he has seen more of Kaveh before being together than after, which is almost alarming. But Alhaitham is aware that he can’t compete against Kaveh’s passion for his job, and there’s nothing better than seeing him satisfied with his latest inventions or blueprints.

He saves the list and stands up. Kaveh has all his attention focused on his blueprint, and so, he doesn’t hear Alhaitham approaching. When he gets behind him, he gets down to embrace him from behind. He didn’t expect Kaveh to get so scared, his hand flying from the line he was drawing to hit the mug of coffee he had on his right. It falls on the carpeted floor, the only thing saving the porcelain, but staining the carpet with coffee.

“Haitham!” He turns his torso in his arms, pouting. “Gods, a little warning, please! How are we supposed to cle…? No, don’t try to buy me with…” Alhaitham kisses him, and he feels his smile while he stretches his body more to deepen it. “I’m still mad, just you know.”

“Maybe I should try again.” He replies, and Kaveh huffs.

“You can’t buy your way out with kisses. You’ll be the one cleaning that.” He points out the stain.

“If I do, would you do something for me?” Kaveh raises an eyebrow.

“How is it now a transaction? When this was because of your clingy self.” He laughs.

“It wasn’t my hand the one hitting the mug.”

“Well, your hands were very much the cause of it.”

“But not the direct actors, so I believe it’s only fair if you do something for me.”

“Depends on what you request.” Kaveh sighs, defeated. His body returns again to face his blueprint, with that look that indicates Alhaitham he’s blocked on something.

“Cyno, Tighnari, you and me, at Lambad’s.” He says, massaging his shoulders. “A dinner, some wine to accompany it…”

“Hmm, sounds delightful. But I’m pretty busy now, let me see when I can find the time.” He looks up to the calendar Alhaitham bought him. “...Yeah. This weekend seems pretty impossible, and we’ll have to coordinate with them as well…”

“Cyno is in town this Saturday for checking up. Probably, Tighnari will too.”

“Yeah, if he's in Sumeru City for that, Nari will definitely be.” He nods. “I would love to, but I have to end this blueprint. It's due next Monday, and I just don't know how I should manage to make a design with an open concept when the whole building was built on not one, but three central pillars. I'm not a magician! The solution is to put in rafters, but to replace three pillars will be as expensive as the Palace of Alcazarzaray itself! And it's a remodeling, not a construction. To rebuild the whole thing is completely out of the picture. If we raise walls to make them fit in is the best solution, but ah, of course, it's not so open. Well, it's either that or you don't have a damn ceiling over your head!”

Alhaitham caresses his hair while looking up at the calendar. The Monday is indeed circled in bright red, a name inside the three circles that read Louis. Probably the Fontainean client he has heard many complaints about. 

“And can't you ask for an extension?” 

“I only wish to get rid of this, the sooner, the better.” He replies. “But no, I can't. That man is more stubborn than you, and that's a lot to say, given you were the one who would swear on your life a lie only to not lose an argument.”

“I didn't.” He rolls his eyes, remembering the argument that was years ago, but Kaveh loves to bring it back. “I swore for what it was a fact, what you assumed from it was completely on you.”

“Yeah, that's a very you thing to say.” He sighs. “I'm sorry. You seemed eager to meet them, so you can go and on your way home you can bring me some wine.”

“And now why would I do that?” He smiles. 

“Because you're a nice person?” 

“Am I?”

“Okay, then because you love me, and you love me more when I actually want to kiss you for other reason than to erase that smile from your mouth.” Kaveh is too well aware now about the power he holds in Alhaitham. Good thing he would never be able to imagine what limits Alhaitham would cross if Kaveh just asked.

“How do you know I'm smiling?”

“Are you not?” Alhaitham can't deny it. In fact, he only smiles more. “Thought so.”

“There's still time. Who knows, maybe you can come and get your wine yourself.”

“I certainly doubt it, but I do hope so. How much time has passed since I saw our friends? Certainly too much!

Alhaitham has the count: one month and fifteen days. But he doesn't tell him because it will raise suspicion on why he knows. There are two reasons:

1. Sabzeruz Festival was one month and fifteen days ago. 
2. He observed Kaveh hadn't mentioned any of their acquaintances and friends about their relationship, which by that date started fifteen days ago, and he didn't know how to deal with that information. 

He blamed it on all the work he had to do for Nahida's surprise. But it was the starting point for him to notice everything else. The way Kaveh and him never held hands out of home. The fact they kissed just once in the Akademiya, in Alhaitham’s office where no one could see. 

And the ball started going on and on until it turned so big, Alhaitham couldn't ignore it anymore.

So he better start making it small. 

“Let's not precipitate. There's still time until Saturday.”

“You already made plans?” Kaveh surprises. 

“Maybe.” He kisses his forehead. “You'll see.”

And he walks out of the study. 

Kaveh is… surprised. To say the least. 

Louis came to him in Puspa Café while he was buying a Baklava to reassure him that he has all the time he may need for his design. He was followed by his wife, who looked at him with a resembling sadness in her eyes. 

“I'm so sorry for the way my husband was so tactless, dear. Please, take all the time you may need. We can wait, we know you're the best out there.” She said, shaking her head. “Please, keep helping those poor kids in the desert. They definitely need it more than us.”

Kaveh guesses they have learned about his projects for charity in Aaru Village somehow (the library wasn’t exactly a secret, but his blueprints were already handed to Miss Candace, who along with Setaria were in charge of the project). They certainly can’t know about his plans to build a new emplacement for the merchants (very similar to what Caravan Ribat is, but smaller and for the better circulation of commerce in Aaru Village, a Dori’s idea since she owes much of the land there). That project is still in negotiations… Well, Dori has been very vocal about her desire to have such a settlement, since it would increase her presence in the desert region exponentially. She wants it to be as attractive and comfortable as possible, and in her words, for it, she wants the best of the best. And who else better than the architect in charge of one of the most attractive tourist spots such as the Palace of Alcazarzaray?

Well… Kaveh has not accepted (yet, still) because he knows that Alhaitham wouldn’t be joyous to hear he again accepted a deal (overall, with her) without any remuneration worth his price, as he would call it. 

Certainly, his actual commissions are, for the greatest part, to pay off his (never growing) debt with Dori. Kaveh is aware he has stepped on a very muddy field. He very likely won’t ever pay her in his lifetime, because she is free to raise the interests of her loan at her own convenience and Kaveh doesn’t have a word, neither an option since the solution would be pay everything at once, and he would never have that great quantity of money (and so, normally, Kaveh doesn’t mind, since he indeed signed out his life to that contract where it was specified. But when she told him about the raise due to the destruction of the crown… Kaveh stood up and told her she was free to do so, but he would have done it even if giving it to her had erased all his debt. He has his limits.)

This said, not even Alhaitham knows about said project. He was very careful to not let him know, too. He knows Alhaitham cares, and he worries about him out of it, so he doesn’t want to add it up to his load. Gods, he is still assimilating he’s in a romantic relationship with Alhaitham. With the one he has loved since the fucking Akademiya. Can ANYONE believe that?! Certainly not Kaveh! When has his luck changed so suddenly? How he got so lucky to be the one chosen by Alhaitham, who surely won’t be short of pretenders… if you get over that rude surface. He’s really a softie, if you look closely. Like, very, very closely, yes, but he’s a big spoiled kid who is hungry for physical affection and Kaveh is very happy to oblige! But Alhaitham is very demanding, and while Kaveh would love to hold him and kiss him all day, work is there still, you know. Not everyone has an eight-hour shift!

Anyway. This interaction with his clients has been rare, yes, but well, it gives him more time to think how in the Abyss will he make that damn house an open concept. The problem is that houses in Sumeru (overall as ancient as the one they have bought, no doubt, for its price), have very, very thin walls. Well, Sumeru is a very hot nation, they have a desert and the rainforest is humid and very warm. It’s an ideal temperature for their vegetation and fauna, but certainly humans have some problems with it. So, many architects have this into account when building houses (Kaveh himself included). Now it is less of a problem since the Akademiya regulations a century and half ago, after the (frankly, great disaster) known as Fire Century in Sumeru nation. 

Temperatures increased terribly due to an alteration of the Ley Lines which Spantamad scientists spent the whole century trying to resolve until a Spantamad genius could (many asked, by that time, why Lesser Lord Kusanali didn’t help. Many resolved, and there are many interesting Vahumana papers about it, that it was because Archons aren’t supposed to meddle into humans’ affairs, and wisdom should be discovered by themselves. Now they know she really couldn’t, trapped and underestimated as she was, but it seemed like this genius was a believer of Lesser Lord Kusanali, and he said she helped him to realize in a dream. This was censored in many books, but Alhaitham read a lot about the case for a project in Historical Criticism).

During that time, Kshahrewars were trying their best to resolve the heavy problem of people dying in their houses because of the terrible heat. Many were remade, others went to Snezhnaya to learn about their engineering regarding temperature and be able to fabricate inventions to keep their houses as cold as possible. But the main incorporation was the structural foundations for the heavy heat exposure brought from Natlan by a Kshahrewar architect who went there to research. Said renovations included a system for holding houses with strategic central pillars to make walls as thin as possible, not making any load bearing wall. That way, the houses were as fresh as possible. It revolutionized the architectural world enough to be a whole topic on History of Sumerian Architecture II.

The point being: it was amazing, yes, and a revolution. But once the problem was resolved, the houses were still built with the same architecture since it was practical to do so (the Akademiya and their practicality, something he always battled with), forsaking possibilities like open concepts until a sage from Kshahrewar decided not every architect should build with the same damn structure when there was no reason now. It was a measure for those circumstances, why should they build all the same now? With all the architectural progress around them, overall from the neighbor nations, why should they stick to measures for circumstances older than them? (Archons bless Sage Musaví, one of the few Kshahrewar sages who worried about their architects). Thanks to him, now architects have the freedom to build their structures as they please (of course, following the Sumerian architectural regulations), but for Kaveh’s dismay, during many years after this change, the architects still built the structures like a century and half did. Because that was what they learned from their professors! Who learned before from theirs! No one had the curiosity to know why Sage Musaví insisted on the change? Really? Why keep on the old structures when you can renovate them! Isn’t that the spirit of architecture?

Kaveh sighs. These kinds of architects are the ones who give him now the current problem: if those houses were built on big, central pillars for the practicality of it, they are forsaking a great part of aesthetics only for a functionality that’s no longer useful. And a century and half old! Sumeru population has increased since then, and this kind of architecture obliges you to put on soundproof paneling, which is a high cost as well! (Least you leave your poor clients exposed to the sound of their neighbors and the streets.) 

If you want to have a way to hold the houses without using load bearing walls, you have now many improvements in the physics for rafters that are way more comfortable (and pricey, but well, to graduate from Kshahrewar as an architect, you have to pass the mandatory class of Economics I in your second year. You should know how to deal with a given budget). The quantity of Fontainean citizens in Sumeru increased in the last years due mainly because of the crescent fear for the imminent prophecy of flooding, and with them, the desire to remodel Sumerian architecture into something feeling closer to home.

This is what his clients are requesting from him now. And there lies the core of the problem: their house is one of those old houses built by some architect before Sage Musaví’s rule on Kshahrewar seventy years ago. And it comes to be Fontainean interior design has its base rooted on the open concept (well, Hydro, the freedom of water, the immense seas… Kaveh sees a correlation there, and there are some philosophical papers about Fontaineans relationship with the element and its impact on their people), so it’s very antagonistic with their current house. 

“Kaveh?” A voice makes him come back to reality, a few steps from the slope up to his home (and how delightful sound that word, now that includes Alhaitham’s kisses on the definition). He turns and sees Tighnari. Oh, right, didn’t Alhaitham say Cyno had some check-ups today?

“Nari!” He smiles, waving at him. Tighnari smiles back and approaches, a bag full of supplies in his hands. “Are you buying groceries?”

Kaveh helps him with a pair of paper bags, which Tighnari seems grateful for, judging by his expression.

“Yes, Cyno is in town for check-ups at Bimarstan, and probably all he has to eat are those insufferable protein bars.” His tails moves agitated against the floor, showing his disgust. “I prefer to handle it beforehand.”

“I see.” Kaveh laughs. “Oh. You already made plans with Alhaitham, right? Maybe I will be able to join.”

“What? I didn’t speak with him at all.” He blinks.

“How rare, he seemed eager to do plans with you two.” Kaveh remembers their conversation some days ago, in the study. “He even knew you would be in town.”

“Is that so?” Tighnari tilts his head. “Did something happen?”

“Not that I am aware of.” Kaveh says, after thinking for a second. “In fact, I thought it was a suggestion coming from both of you. He knew Cyno would be in Sumeru City.”

Tighnari narrows his eyes. “Rare.”

“Well, he had some strange attitudes lately.” Kaveh says, thinking about the sudden closeness Alhaitham manifests with him. Not that he complains, of course. He adores it, in fact, but the last week he has been closer to him than usual, even sleeping in his now workshop just to keep him company. “But I haven’t really thought too much about it.”

“Now I’m curious, maybe he has some big announcement?” Tighnari smiles, his smile growing sly as they pass Kaveh and Alhaitham’s house, heading towards the Matra dorms in the Akademiya.

“Do you think so?” Kaveh tries to think major changes in Alhaitham. Besides the closeness (which was already classified in his mind as normal in their first week of relationship), he can’t think of anything else. “Now I’m curious too. I guess we’ll have to meet then.” He laughs.

“It would be my pleasure. And I’m sure Cyno will love to.” Tighnari nods. “In fact, have you eaten yet?”

“I was about to.” Kaveh replies. “I just met you halfway.”

“Great, so you can stay for lunch.” Kaveh would have loved to continue with his project, but well. He has been given an extension, and he knows the Valuka Shuna won’t let him off the hook without a good reprimand about prioritizing his health before work, jumping to the question of how many meals had he eaten along the week… No, it’s better to accept his invitation.

Alas, Tighnari’s Mushroom Hodgepodge is one of the best ones Kaveh has ever eaten, and due to his extensive (and worrying) knowledge about mushrooms, it makes him discover new types he didn’t even know existed. Were Tighnari someone else, he absolutely would reject to eat it, since he couldn’t know what kind of mushroom was in there. But he knows that the Forest Watcher tasted at least once every single ingredient he pours on his meals, and they always make him feel like he has more defenses to go against his work, so it only reports benefits.

“Of course.” He nods. “Will Collei join us?”

“She was very insistent in stay in Gandharva Ville practicing her reading.” He sighs. “Which is rare, because she loves playing TCG with Cyno, but well, it’s good for her to read.”

“I heard something from Madam Faruzan saying she doesn’t understand nowadays books.” Kaveh remembers her complaining about the lack of proper writing in modern Sumeru. “And I think she had a whole debate with the Traveler and Collei regarding that.”

“Are you implying I have the mentality of a more-than-a-century old woman?” Tighnari raises an eyebrow.

“Well, I would say Madam Faruzan and you have some similar traits… Okay, okay, it’s a joke.” Kaveh laughs when he sees Tighnari’s ears getting down. “Wait, I will hold these so you can open up.” Kaveh extends a hand to help his friend with the rest of his bags when seeing him struggling to get the keys out of his pocket.

“Thank you.” He says, finally free to get the key and open the door. Right after, he helps Kaveh with the additional bags he barely manages to hold on his own and leads the way into Cyno’s house.

Kaveh has been once or twice in Cyno’s house. It’s more like an apartment, but definitely smaller than their house in Treasure Street. His position would grant him whatever house he chooses, of course (damn, if Alhaitham and Kaveh got one for their unfinished research, he can’t imagine what Cyno can get), but he prefers something small like this. It’s cozy thanks to Tighnari, who surely has been in charge of the decorations seeing the various motifs of Gandharva Ville, the amount of plants that do not require too much maintenance, and the Amurta books scattered around the libraries and over some tables. He sees resemblance from the owner too, the various limited edition cards hung on walls, the scarabs in a terrarium, the sand hour glasses, the various motifs from the desert in carpets and some mementos from Mondstadt he brought in his last visits. Also, Kaveh knows there’s a whole section dedicated to the confidential reports Cyno should have under lock.

It’s definitely not as warm as the Tighnari’s (and practically, Cyno’s) home in Avidya, but as the owner treats it more as an office than an actual house, he shouldn’t be surprised. It’s clean because of some cleaning service he should have hired for when he’s out in the desert or in Gandharva Ville so he doesn’t have to deal with it each time he returns, and it’s conveniently placed near the Akademiya.

“You can leave them over here.” Tighnari indicates him, leaving his own bags over a marble counter in the center of the kitchen. Kaveh has always liked the style, maybe he should think about incorporating it to theirs as well… But the space is certainly a problem, given they both enjoy being in the kitchen. 

Though, a less wide one, made of wood, for them to drink coffee together instead of bothering themselves going to the living room, or for Alhaitham to read while he accompanies Kaveh when he cooks, and not having to be uncomfortable… Kaveh can see that. Also, he can use it as well when it’s turn for Alhaitham to cook (not for blueprints, but for sketchbooks or small trinkets would be enough). It had to be tall given they both are tall men, but the lower part can serve for storage. And they can put the stools beneath it as well. Yeah, maybe he should propose it to Alhaitham. If he remembers correctly, he saw the other day near Bimarstan a vendor with brand-new wood brought from Inazuma which color would absolutely fit the kitchen cupboards.

“Kaveh?” Tighnari’s voice makes him come again to reality. “You’ve been staring the table for like two minutes, are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” He laughs. “I was thinking it would fit well, something similar in our kitchen.” 

“I see.” Tighnari smile is as wide as it is sly, for some reason he doesn’t understand. “So, your kitchen. Yours and Alhaitham’s, I presume.”

“I still pay half of said kitchen.” 

Alhaitham has insisted for Kaveh to stop paying rent the moment Kaveh remembered the pay day, some days after they got together. But Kaveh refused: even if the house was given due to their joint research (Alhaitham here insisted again, confessing he never would have made him pay rent if it weren’t because he knew how much of a burden Kaveh would feel if he were to stay for free), he still rejected the property in a pure act of stupidity, drowning in his own hurting, as he didn’t want to be related to Alhaitham in any sense (double stupid, to be honest, as if his life wasn’t too intertwined with his by that moment already). So, it wouldn’t be fair for Kaveh to live there when all the costs are charged to Alhaitham alone (he said it wouldn’t matter when (and not if, and he’s a Haravatat, mind you) they get married, and that got Kaveh’s heart rate spiking insanely.)

“I know.” Tighnari singsongs, and Kaveh can’t pinpoint why is he trying to tease him. Did Kaveh say something compromising? Does Tighnari know something about their kitchen Kaveh doesn’t? 

Anyway.

“Do you want me to help you to cook?”

“I wouldn’t make you, you’re a guest.” Tighnari replies, putting on a green and white apron.

“I won’t mind.”

“Thank you, then. I wouldn’t mind an extra hand.” Tighnari nods, and Kaveh looks for another apron around. “There’s an apron in the second drawer, you should see it easily.”

Kaveh obeys and he sees indeed two of them. He picks a green one, although in comparison with Tighnari’s, it’s a lighter shade. He puts it on, but feels like it’s a bit tight for him. He barely can make a knot at his back. Tighnari laughs at seeing him. 

“That’s Collei’s one!” He says, laughing loudly. Kaveh’s face turned red, and he tried to get the knot undone, without much success. In fact, he probably just tightened it more. “Cyno’s one is the purple… Pff…” He laughs again at seeing Kaveh struggling with the damned cloth.

“Don’t laugh and help me!” Tighnari does help him, but doesn’t stop laughing.

“Oh Archons, it’s a miracle you didn’t break this already.” He says. “You surely don’t seem the type, but you got your muscles, uh.”

“I’m an architect.” That’s all Kaveh has as a reply. Usually, architects only supervise the field, but he’s unable to stand there without doing nothing, so it’s not rare for him to help to carry construction elements around. 

“I’m sure architects don’t go carrying around rocks, wood and all those mixes you use for construction.” Tighnari says, still insisting on the knot in his back. “Gods, how did you manage to even do this? Aren’t you suffering?”

“Yes?!” Kaveh feels his stomach being more and more stretched. 

It will leave a mark worse than the one he had left when he insisted on putting himself into his old pants because those were the nicest he had, and he was going to meet Alhaitham that day in Puspa Café for a study date (and Kaveh in his Akademiya days was so, so foolish, and young, and overall stupid for Alhaitham) so he wanted to look as impressive as he could (he wanted that impassive junior to look at him, okay? He knew he was attractive, he had no shortage of compliments, but never from him). Grave mistake, because Alhaitham didn’t even make a comment about it, directly working into his homework while Kaveh was dying because of how tight those pants were he could barely sit. That same day, after returning home, he decided to let them go. 

“Gods, Kaveh, don’t move. You know what, damn it.” Tighnari stops messing around, and Kaveh sees the knife close to them. He shivers.

Tighnari can be very… impulsive, sometimes.

“Nari, Nari, I swear for my dear life I will be able to unknot this, please do not…” Kaveh sees the fox’s hand stretching towards the knife, and Kaveh immediately jumps away from him. He trusts Tighnari with his life, but he’s the same one who confronted a Harbinger face to face, so pardon him for being a little cautious with him armed and intending to approach his back with that. Also, the shirt he wears is rather special, and he would appreciate having it in one piece.

“Kaveh, stay still. I’m not going to hurt you.” Tighnari says, approaching him slowly. Well, he’s certainly not helping to his cause with such a big smile and bigger knife in hand.

Kaveh steps back and back until he hits the counter, and he has no escape left, so he closes his eyes and holds up his arms in a defenseless attempt.

“Woah, Nari! Calm down!” Cyno appears from nowhere, making the fox turn, and Kaveh open his eyes to see his savior. 

“Cyno?” Tighnari’s tail starts moving up and down as he leaves the knife over the counter, and Kaveh breathes at being replaced as his center of attention.

“I don’t know what Kaveh did, but surely can’t be that… Is that Collei’s apron?” Cyno starts laughing and making Kaveh turn red once again, “For Celestia, you do look amazing in that! Good thing you insisted coming along, Alhaitham!”

Alhaitham, did he say? Kaveh feels mortified at seeing him appearing at the door just behind Cyno. He feels that piercing gaze of his looking him from head to toe, and Kaveh feels very, very, very embarrassed. Damn, this guy has seen him in his worst moments, just having slept a damn hour and with four cups of coffee already on at 7am, his hair made a mess and only wearing some awful but comfy pajama pants because he couldn’t be bothered to even put on a shirt. The guy has even seen him naked already, and this is where Kaveh puts the limit? Really?

“Don’t worry, you look stunning.” Cyno jokes as Kaveh sends him a death glare. “Don’t you think, Alhaitham?”

Alhaitham doesn’t reply. He doesn’t seem to having ever heard him. His gaze is fixed on him, and Kaveh is suddenly reminded of that damned study date again. He remembers calling Alhaitham’s name a couple of times, as he seemed to have zoned out the second he saw him. At that time, Kaveh didn’t know better, and he thought he was just ignoring him. But now he thinks more about it, he had the same exact piercing gaze looking at him intensely, and Kaveh just realizes.

And oh.

Oh.

He was, indeed, a fool.

“I know Alhaitham is not usually one of many words.” Tighnari adds after some seconds, probably, but for Kaveh felt a whole hour passed with Alhaitham looking at him like that. “But I would say he has a penchant for seeing you like…” 

Kaveh ignores his instinct of self-preservation to rush against Tighnari and put his hands over his mouth. He has had enough of his teasing.

Alhaitham seems to finally get out of his trance once Kaveh moved, and clears his throat while deviating his eyes to the ground. He almost can see his red ears burning under those headphones, and which color starts tainting the skin near to them. 

Cyno only seems to be able to laugh even more. 

“Come, Kaveh, I’m sure that’s killing you.” Cyno’s hand crackles with electro energy. “Just a small zap, and you’ll be free in less than a lightning.”

He doesn’t know if he trusts more Cyno than Tighnari with this. Well, at least Cyno won’t have a knife against his shirt and skin. His usual wear is not as thick as Tighnari’s is, if he hasn’t realized.

He starts to approach Cyno when a flying, crystalized dendro energy flew past him and cut perfectly the cloth in two without miss. Kaveh didn’t even have the time to get scared. He looked behind to check if his shirt was still intact, and it was. This was a gift from his mother, Alhaitham knows how precious it is.

That doesn’t exempt him from a scorn from his part.

“Are you crazy?” He crosses his arms. “You could have hurt someone!”

Not him, though. Kaveh learned, across the years, after every mistake they made, that Alhaitham won’t ever hurt him intentionally. This haunted Kaveh across the time after their fight, where maybe Alhaitham didn’t have the intention to hurt him, but Kaveh, oh, Kaveh did. He wanted to pierce his impassive face and make him feel the hurt he spent all those years hiding from the world. Alhaitham could see that pain, and that infuriated Kaveh… but overall, terrified him. Because he was not supposed to be able to do so, because if he could see, he would see as well Kaveh was not worth of any love he could ever get.

So he attacked him with the worst he could think up to that moment. What would hurt Alhaitham as much as the feeling of not being worthy to be loved hurt Kaveh all his life. He realized, at that moment, that it was only him who could hurt him the most. 

He didn’t have the same lucidity to wonder why it was him, and not anything else, anyone else, that would be able to break his best friend.

“I control my powers well enough, and I think it did work.”

“You even dare to look proud.”

“Shouldn’t I be? To be honest, I thought you would be thanking me.”  The rest couldn’t know, fooled because of that stern face, but when Alhaitham tilts his head just slightly to the right and his sly smile only shrinks a bit, almost unperceivable, it’s because he was, absolutely, expecting a compliment.

Kaveh had some inkling back in the Akademiya, when Alhaitham brought a new book about architecture, or when he made a new advance on their research. But Kaveh only had praises for him back at that time, and they were so close that it wasn’t rare his hand was usually on his junior’s hair or his arm around his shoulders. After they got together, though, Alhaitham became a lot easier to read for Kaveh. Maybe he has been always like that, and Kaveh was just blind, but he swears Alhaitham is like a big, spoiled child around him.

And he absolutely loves him.

“Okay, okay, thank you. Are you happy now?” Alhaitham’s bigger smile tell him that yes, he indeed is.

And he dares to call him spoiled.

“Woah, woah, wait there, did you just…?” Tighnari seems in shock, and even Cyno’s smile faded from his face. “What. The. Fuck.”

“Something wrong?” Kaveh asks. Tighnari has been somewhat rare today, maybe he should ask him later what’s wrong with him.

“No. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.” Tighnari turns around. “We should get started if we don’t want to make a dinner. Will you stay, Alhaitham?”

“It’s my lunchtime, even though I don’t think I’ll have much time for staying after you’re done cooking.”

Kaveh pouts slightly. Their house is barely 10 minutes from the Akademiya where Alhaitham conveniently works, but he has a half an hour break for lunch, which gives him barely ten minutes to eat so Kaveh uses, whenever he can, to bring food to Alhaitham's office and eat together. But Kaveh is a very busy architect, full of meetings and skips meals more frequently than he should, so many times it's Alhaitham who makes his own lunchbox and eats there alone, unless Kaveh says otherwise (to prevent Alhaitham to make his food to waste) or when he starts forgetting his lunchbox, conveniently right next to Kaveh's coffee mug, so he knows Alhaitham has nothing to eat and so, he will have to leave the house and bring him his box and so, Alhaitham would insist on sharing the food, so he would stay. 

That's his form to say he misses eating with him. Isn't he cute? Kaveh makes sure to eat at least once a week with him but, whenever it happens, he is reminded of how busy he was, so he makes another lunchbox for himself and goes to Alhaitham’s office. 

Given that, they don't usually eat together, and less with friends. But well, it is how it is. He doesn't complain too much, because even if Alhaitham calls him spoiled as well, he loves to pamper him. And if he notices that it would make him sad, he will gladly skip his work time only to be with him (and not like Alhaitham loves to work), so better not fuel it. 

“Amazing, then I will give you your lunch in a container.”

“Actually, I have…”

“You can store it and eat it tomorrow, then.” Tighnari interrupts, and Alhaitham nods obediently. Kaveh snorts. “I will give it to Kaveh so you won't be carrying it here and there.”

Kaveh nods, although he was thinking to accompany Alhaitham back to the Akademiya to tell him that he indeed will be able to join the dinner. He doesn’t know if he already told Cyno, so he should ask him.

“I can help with cooking as well.” Cyno offers. 

“Me too.” Alhaitham adds. 

“Well, I think there will be too many people in the kitchen then.” Tighnari crosses his arms. “Cyno, you help me. You two can get comfortable.”

“But…”

“No buts, Kaveh.” Kaveh sighs, and hands the apron to his friend. 

“I'll buy another one for Collei.” He promises. 

Cyno contains a laugh. 

“Don't worry about it.” Tighnari dismisses him, but he can tell he’s not angry.

Kaveh apologizes again before following Alhaitham to the living room.

They say foxes are astute beings, and that may be true for the Valuka Shuna race as well.

Tighnari has always possessed natural good instincts thanks to his upbringing, suck like very good hearing (those big ears have to serve some purpose, he always joked), a bit too much delicate nose he usually despised to have, and overall very good sight, which was very useful for his archery mastery. Also, he is, indeed, very sharp.

So, all these good qualities are put on the roaster when it comes to see the interactions of two of his best friends. Since he met Kaveh (and, long after him, the famous Alhaitham), he knew something between them was going on from the first time Kaveh mentioned him in one of their shared conversations. At first, he thought of Alhaitham as an unfortunate roommate Kaveh had to live with, but after acquiring more knowledge from the architect, he realized easily that was hardly the case. Kaveh often wondered why someone such as Alhaitham would live with someone without needing to (in Kaveh’s own words, “he doesn’t even need the money, and the house is his. If he wants silence, he shouldn’t have rented me his room!”, giving him then the hint Alhaitham is not a roommate, but the landlord), and after meeting Alhaitham it made clear why Kaveh had such doubts. It was easy to see Alhaitham was a lone wolf, he preferred to be on himself, like a leaf in the wind, never to be caught. He was independent, with an aversion to noises and an enjoyment for peace and quiet. Someone like Kaveh, bustling with energy, who doesn’t know when to rest, and whose presence alone can fill up an entire room, is someone entirely opposite to what you can imagine Alhaitham living with.

But after seeing them together, Tighnari could understand everything. Why Kaveh would always complain, but never asked Tighnari for accommodation in Avidya. Why Alhaitham would have Kaveh under his roof when it’s completely unnecessary for him to do so, and even can be a bother.

It’s on the way Alhaitham looks at Kaveh when he speaks. On the way Kaveh would always talk without rising too much his voice if Alhaitham is without his headphones for some reason. The smiles Kaveh puts on whenever Alhaitham is around. The comfort visible on Alhaitham’s expression when he just teased Kaveh. Those and a thousand more had Tighnari understanding, after one single evening, two things:

1. Kaveh is an idiot.
2. Alhaitham is an equal, or even bigger, idiot.

As it is not Tighnari’s place to tell, he didn’t. But he tried, all those years, to make either Kaveh or Alhaitham realize that they are fools for each other. Cyno also joined him in this endeavor. Useless tactics and tons of teasing after, they have not lost hope, but that pair is certainly hopeless.

Therefore, forgive Tighnari if he feels like his aforementioned excellent vision is betraying him. He said nothing, because he couldn’t be sure, but has Alhaitham become shameless in the time Tighnari didn’t visit Sumeru City? He had some inkling at Sabzeruz Festival, where Alhaitham appeared out of nowhere with Kaveh in Port Ormos on a day when it wasn’t festive for Akademiya workers. But oh, well, he knew Kaveh was blind to Alhaitham’s out of the way gestures for him (revise evidence: Akademiya Interdarshan Competition), so he said nothing then. But now? What in heavens’ fuck? Was Alhaitham boldly eating Kaveh with the eyes when they were in the kitchen? Was Alhaitham putting his arm around Kaveh in the living room’s divan? Was Kaveh caressing Alhaitham’s hair while he told him the news about having more time to work on a particularly difficult project? Was Alhaitham nuzzling into Kaveh’s neck?

They were always close, but they are definitely closer. So, something should have happened. But as he didn’t have the time to do a deep interrogation, given Alhaitham couldn’t stay for lunch and Kaveh offered to accompany him to the Akademiya to be able to progress a bit in his work before the dinner they offered to have at Lambad’s (Alhaitham’s suggestion, he was told), he was left to only harbor questions until that time.

But he has another one to share those same questions.

“Tell me you also noticed.” Tighnari says to Cyno, who was peacefully accommodating some new cards he won in Caravan Ribat in his album.

“Notice what?” Cyno asks mindlessly, while Tighnari sits beside him with a brush to groom his tail.

“Kaveh and Alhaitham.”

Cyno raises his head to look at him.

“Of course I did.” He says. “Alhaitham has been acting strange since I met him in the Akademiya after giving the health reports, and I know it was not as casual as he tried to make it seem. When have you even seen Alhaitham wanting to accompany me home? I would have asked, but I think it was because he wanted to see you for some reason, since he insisted on coming with me after hearing you would probably be here, so I thought it was medical.”

“But he mentioned nothing when he saw Kaveh was with me.” Tighnari gives it some thought. “Do you think it is something wrong with him, and he didn’t want to say it in front of Kaveh?”

“To not worry him?” Cyno stays quiet for a while. “Well, it wouldn’t be unlike Alhaitham. Also, he is lately very affectionate with Kaveh…”

“Do you think it can be something serious?”

“If he thinks he’s going to die, then it doesn’t matter if he gets close to Kaveh in the end. But Kaveh wouldn’t ever reject a sick person, so he would never tell him, because he wouldn’t want his pity, either tie him.” Cyno adds.

It is, indeed, a very logical path for Alhaitham to take.

“I clearly didn’t examine him, but he didn’t seem chronically ill.” Tighnari tries to think about some symptoms, but Alhaitham wears a stern face that would make it impossible for him to discern if he was in any pain. “Although we can’t discard a recent diagnosis.”

The thought of a sick Alhaitham acting this way makes sense with the recent events Tighnari has witnessed. It is clear as water Kaveh loves him, and he wouldn’t reject physical affection from Alhaitham in any situation. The reason why Alhaitham hasn’t ever initiated it before was because of his fear to lose Kaveh, and Tighnari has (frustratingly) seen that big idiot yearning for Kaveh, to only get a glance in his direction, while he knows Kaveh would give him everything if he hasn’t that fear to lose what they managed to rebuild. 

Two big idiots, but Tighnari loves them anyway. In this way, Tighnari worries also about them, and if Alhaitham is really sick, he should tell Kaveh. Not only because Kaveh will notice, but because hiding something like that from someone you live with should be very difficult. Specially if he needs medication. Also, while Tighnari is not a doctor, his knowledge about medicine could be of help. And if Alhaitham went searching for him, then he should know Tighnari has something to help. So, yes, he should tell him.

“We should know what’s happening.” Tighnari states, brushing again his tail.

“Shouldn’t we wait for him to tell?”

“When? When Kaveh is not around? Kaveh, who will notice and will feel guilty for not having realized sooner and so, Alhaitham would feel worse for making him feel like that?” Tighnari sends him a glance.

“It will indeed affect Kaveh badly.” Cyno nods. “He is very insecure about himself out his work, so he would think Alhaitham doesn’t trust him.”

“That’s why we should make Alhaitham tell him while is soon.”

And their dinner is probably the best time for it.

Alhaitham is not the most social person in their small group. He has made peace with his characteristics since a young age, and his social skills will never shine, but even someone like him would notice how rare this dinner is being.

Kaveh and him met halfway to go to Lambad’s, where Cyno and Tighnari were already by the time they arrived. Alhaitham tried to cross out more points in his list and hold Kaveh’s hand, but he was gesticulating too much (he uses to do that when talking, and Alhaitham has always found it endearing. Until now), so Alhaitham stuck to his original plan: tell Tighnari and Cyno they are in a relationship.

Well, it’s not going as easy as he thought it would be. Tighnari has been looking at him like he was a prey, trying to initiate conversations with him related to medicine which… Alhaitham didn’t particularly detest, but it was certainly rare. Cyno watches him as well like he’s in a Matra investigation, and Alhaitham can’t remember when (in the near time, that is) he has broken the Akademiya rules. 

Kaveh was also as confused as he was. Given all the attention centered on Alhaitham, Kaveh has to wonder what is going on as much as Alhaitham is. In one of his attempts to avoid their apparently sudden concern about health and Tighnari’s commentaries about all the possible deathly sicknesses, Alhaitham eats his Baklava and chokes a bit into it thanks to some bad joke Cyno decided to put on that precise moment, coughing and earning very concerned glances from the couple before him.

“Are you okay, Alhaitham?” Kaveh asks sweetly, putting a hand over his back. Alhaitham nods, still coughing, but feeling worse because Kaveh didn’t call him Haitham as he uses to in their house. Why is he using his full name?

Once his coughing stops, he looks directly at Cyno and Tighnari. 

“I think it’s time for you to say what’s the matter.”

Cyno sighs and Tighnari’s tail suddenly hits the floor behind his chair furiously. “That’s our line. We wanted you to tell us willingly, but it seems it’s not working, so. Speak, Alhaitham.”

Alhaitham is confused. Why is he making it sound like an accusation? He looks at Kaveh, who looks now genuinely worried.

“Is something wrong, Alhaitham?” He purses his lips.

This is, not at all, how Alhaitham planned this night to go. He thought it would be a relaxed one, with drinks over the table, some discussion about recent events, and Alhaitham doing something out of the way to get Tighnari and Cyno to either tease them or ask the question so Kaveh would say “yes, we are officially together”. He thinks it’s not something beyond imagination for such a thing to happen. But Alhaitham had countermeasures, as in kissing Kaveh in the middle of conversation (risking himself to be told rude by him, as Kaveh is always talking, and he will be interrupting him or maybe someone else, but he was willing to take it, given the circumstances.)

Now, he didn’t expect it to be like some… strange interrogation where he is treated like a criminal. And also, he wanted Kaveh to say it (he would any time, but he would find it more satisfactory —not reassuring, Alhaitham has enough confidence in himself, mind you). 

“What am I supposed to say?” Alhaitham says, after a tense silence, choosing his not-awareness option. “You are the ones who were acting strange.”

“That is true.” Kaveh adds. “You keep asking Alhaitham rare questions about his health. Is he presenting some symptoms?”

Tighnari’s ears lower down in distress, and now it worries Alhaitham as well.

“Do you think I’m sick?” Alhaitham doesn’t feel bad at all, but if Tighnari has suspicions, maybe it’s better to check with a doctor. The fox is an honored Amurta graduate, he wouldn’t take his health advice lowly.

“You aren’t?” Cyno asks.

Does he look that sick? Kaveh seems to share the same thought, because he looks at him alarmed.

“He looks fine, right?” Kaveh holds his face into his hands, trying to see something out of the way. He will find nothing, but Alhaitham closes his eyes and rejoices in his warmth. If anything, he has a very unhealthy addiction to Kaveh’s touch.

“Okay, I think there’s a misunderstanding here.” Tighnari crosses his arms, and Kaveh leaves his face. Alhaitham chases the warmth, and he ends on Kaveh’s shoulders while he puts an arm over his shoulders. Only then he opens again his eyes to look at his friend. “You two. Something to share with the class?”

“Do I look sick now?” Kaveh alarms, but Alhaitham thinks Tighnari has finally gotten what he intended him to get since the beginning of the night.

“Yes, a lovesick fool.” Tighnari’s tail goes up and down, stomping into the floor each time with more force. “For the Seven, and here I was, worrying about your stupid ass.” He sends a glare directed to Alhaitham.

Alhaitham doesn’t know why he seems so infuriated, but well, he did nothing for him to think he was sick. He looks at Cyno, who is now holding back a laugh the best he can.

“Okay, I’m lost.” Kaveh says. “What is going on and why it seems like everyone gets it except me?”

Alhaitham nuzzles in his neck. He’s cute when he pouts.

“Kaveh, I love you too much, but I’m going to ask you directly and you better not lie to my face.” He feels Tighnari’s gaze over him, but does he care? Absolutely not. “How would you define your actual relationship with Alhaitham right now?”

He can’t see Kaveh’s face but the tilt of his head is noticeable due to his position, so he can imagine his expression.

“We are a couple, are we not?” He looks down at Alhaitham, and he just moves closer to reassure him that, yes, they are. Even if he made it sound like they were saying their actual status to a Matra (and Cyno does not count, no). But given the situation, he is content with that. 

Kaveh seems to realize something the second after he said it, so he just let out an “Oh.”

“Oh.” Tighnari mimics. “Oh. And when were you gonna tell your supposedly best friend?” His tail zaps the floor with more energy, if that was possible.

“I didn’t, right?” Kaveh laughs nervously. “Well, I certainly didn’t mean to, but the last events got me too busy, between the library, my commissions, and I saw you two the last time at Sabzeruz where we had many things to worry about and Mehrak disappeared and on and on, so… Sorry? I really forgot you didn’t know. For me, it was like crystal water.”

Kaveh may, Alhaitham didn’t. Cyno’s gaze is heavier than Tighnari’s, and Alhaitham knows he knows. Still, Alhaitham says nothing and warms his cold hand behind Kaveh’s left one, and chooses to be a bit mean and not let him grab his cup with that one even if it’s his dominant.

“I see why you were so insistent on seeing Tighnari now.” Cyno sips from his wine, attracting Kaveh’s attention for a while. But before he could ask what Cyno meant, he got swamped by questions from Tighnari. 

If Alhaitham thought he was in an interrogatory before, he was wrong. Tighnari asks and asks, and Kaveh replies very dutifully, with little corrections from Alhaitham only to tease him. He stills has his hand closed into his, and even if Kaveh attempts to move it were many, when he seems to remember that’s his forbidden hand he stops for a while after he forgets again, and Alhaitham has to make force to not let his hand go.

Seriously, he knew Kaveh loved to make gestures, but he didn’t know at what level. Or is it that he doesn’t like hand holding, for that exact reason? The doubt settles on Alhaitham as Tighnari seems to end his questionnaire. 

“I’m so happy for you both, really.” Tighnari doesn’t have a way to lie, his tail swishes here and there like crazy, showing how excited the fox was. “Finally I will be free from all your fucking yearning stupid glances without being able to say how smitten you are for the other.”

Alhaitham feels his ears getting hot under his headphones, and Kaveh blushes furiously.

“I do not…!” He starts, but before the judging glare Tighnari sends him, he recoils. “Okay, maybe, I do. But Alhaitham…”

He looks at him, and since Alhaitham was already looking at Kaveh, he blushed even more furiously and closes his eyes.

Tighnari and Cyno explode in laughter, and Kaveh recovers the lead of the conversation after some coughing.

“In any case, now you know.” He says, some of the blush still decorating his cheeks.

Alhaitham feels his arm surrounding his shoulders to accommodate him, and his lips curve into a smile as he gladly presses his cheek against Kaveh’s collarbone.

“Look at you now, like a pair of cheese balls.” Cyno jokes, and Alhaitham laughs softly before Tighnari’s grimace. “Get it? Because you are together and stuck with the other in a cheesy…”

“We get it, Cyno.” Tighnari’s tail curls around his arm, and Cyno smiles at him while brushing it delicately with his hand. A shame Kaveh is not a Valuka Shuna, he would have looks very cute with a fluffy blonde tail and big ears…

“Come on, you don’t laugh with my jokes, and you do with his?” Kaveh pouts.

“Because I find them fun.”

“Remind me why I said yes.” Kaveh sighs.

“But I didn’t propose to you yet.” Alhaitham smiles, while Kaveh’s face turns as red as his wine.

“Wh-what do you mean?! I didn’t…! And yet?!”

“Very eloquent, Light of Kshahrewar. I do hope you keep that eloquence in your classes.” Alhaitham teases.

“You’re just messing with me! See if I make you coffee tomorrow!”

Alhaitham chuckles and moves his head slightly to caress Kaveh’s cheek with his nose. Just when he was going to ask if a kiss would be enough to forgive him, Tighnari’s voice raises.

“Gods, you are truly tooth-rooting.” He says without malice, but Kaveh just leaves the hand he has been holding, taking advantage of Alhaitham’s distraction in favor of a kiss, and grabs his cup, taking away the moment.

Alhaitham returns to his place on his shoulder, feeling a bit upset. Has Kaveh not felt the clear indications for a kiss? Did he not want to kiss in public? Maybe it’s because of Tighnari’s and Cyno’s presence. Is it that socially unacceptable to kiss in front of their friends? Alhaitham has never been good at social rules, neither he cared, but Kaveh does. He will have to test in other circumstances, then.

“Well, now that the announcements were made, what about a TCG round?” Cyno proposes. “In pairs is okay.”

“Now, that’s unfair!” Kaveh points out. “You will pair with Nari, and you two are absolute monsters!”

“Good luck.” Tighnari says, smiling smugly while holding Cyno’s arm.

Kaveh’s eyes set on fire while he holds Alhaitham closer with the arm he still has on his shoulders.

“Let’s show them!”

Alhaitham nods, feeling very comfortable when Kaveh intertwines their legs in exchange for his hands, occupied with the cards.

Task number one, crossed out.

1. Tell friends about the relationship (how come we have been together for two months and not even Cyno and Tighnari know?)
2. Matching things. (Rings? Earrings? Still TBD)
3. Going on dates. (No, working in the study and desert expeditions do not count as dates. The shoes are still filled with sand.)
4. Experimenting with different love languages (can be useful to know which ones we lean more into.)
1. Alhaitham: definitely into quality time and physical touch. Seemingly into gifting too. 
2. Kaveh: should be into quality time and words of affirmations, right? To be tested.
5. Public expressions of love. (Why only kiss at home? Not even holding hands? Isn’t it normal for couples to do such things?)
6. Get Kaveh to register the house as his residence in the Akademiya. (This is the least urgent, of course. But Kaveh has been living here for years, and now we’re officially dating, he shouldn't have any problem.) 

Alhaitham smiles while he draws a perfect line over the first point. Well, technically they only told Cyno and Tighnari, but from there he knows it will divulge all around the rest. Tighnari will tell Collei, who most likely will tell Faruzan, who frequents Nilou’s shows enough and tell her, but if not via them, Cyno will most likely tell it to Candace in his stays in Aaru Village, who would tell Dehya, and she also frequents Zubayr Theater whenever she’s in town. Therefore, everyone would be informed in no time.

Then, maybe he can get number two and number five crossed down together. He knows Kaveh favors elegant jewelry, even if he saves most of his pieces in his bedroom. His earrings are a creation by his own hand, and he doesn’t redeem them as valuable as he should (but Alhaitham is not even surprised by this, Kaveh has this bad tendency to underestimate himself since the Akademiya in everything not related to architecture, see Mehrak). He has in mind a set of rings he has seen Kaveh admiring in their last grocery shoppings, but never saying a word to Alhaitham. When he confronted him about it, he said “it’s too expensive” and left no room to argue.

Arguing with Kaveh about money is useless. Kaveh would always try to return the favor in some way, and feels terrible if he doesn’t think his return is as valuable as what he received. During the last month, Alhaitham has insisted that what it means to be in a relationship is to give without expecting anything in return but the other’s companion, and even if Kaveh reluctantly agreed, old habits die hard. Sumeru wasn’t built in a day, so they give baby steps in working through it. To tell Kaveh outright he bought something expensive for him to wear would be a giant step, so Alhaitham has to somehow reduce the impact.

Unfortunately for him, his time as Acting Grand Sage is still remembered by Sumerians, so everytime he goes out, those who recognize him get an act to please him. Not good when all he wanted is to not stand out, but well, he can use it on his favor. Giving use of his renowned name given by his short position of power, he can argue that there was a great discount on a piee of jewelry on his election, and he happened to select that.

Yes. And if he happens to give them to him after his lesson in the Kshahrewar darshan, then it would absolutely give hint for Kaveh to kiss him in the middle of the Akademiya. He won’t do it in front of all his students, of course, so Alhaitham would wait for them to be in the halls of the Akademiya. There will be people, but not enough to embarrass Kaveh. And so, if he does kiss him, then Alhaitham will have the reassurance that the reason for Kaveh to not be so affectionate is just because the situation didn’t just present itself. Not because he’s uncomfortable with him.

…Which maybe it’s a bit of overthinking from Alhaitham’s side, but well, he is human after all, right? He has the right to overthink just a bit, given the proofs he has been recollecting last month and half.

“Haitham?” Kaveh’s voice alerts him, and he hides the list under one of his books. Fortunately, Kaveh is on the door, too far to see anything. “Are you busy? Can you help me with the dough? I plan to make some…”

“Of course.” He gets up, and walks towards Kaveh.

“Thank you? But you don’t even know what I’m doing.” Kaveh laughs.

“For the smell I get from here, I guess you’re trying out that Natlan’s recipe you bought the last time.” He smiles, putting an arm around his waist while they walk towards the kitchen.

“Yes! But I have to prepare the filling, and I can’t handle the dough and the fire at the same time.” He explains, and Alhaitham resists to kiss his cheek, stained with something red that looks like tomato.

“No problem, just let me wash my hands.”

Kaveh nods. “Thank you.”

And then he kisses him, so short that in a breath was gone.

Alhaitham doesn’t think there will be a day when he won’t feel his heart jumping when Kaveh kisses him.

Before Kaveh turns his back, he holds his arm and pulls him into a deeper kiss.

“Haitham!” He laughs, but doesn’t resist.

What a wonderful time to be alive.

Maybe Kaveh is a bit oblivious, but he's not a fool. To whoever thinks that way, he would prove them wrong almost immediately. He is well aware about his surrenders, and maybe he doesn't say it out of respect, but he notices people's patterns and attitudes quite quickly. 

And he has known Alhaitham for almost a quarter of his life. Of course he noticed a curious change in his attitude. Well, you can expect some of it in the beginning of a romantic relationship, so at first he hasn't given it any more relevance than a fleeting thought about how rare it is to see Alhaitham demanding more attention from him lately. 

And Kaveh wouldn't have given it more thought than that. Nevertheless, when he saw Alhaitham, mind you, Alhaitham, getting scared by his own voice and shuffling something behind a book for him to not see… Well. Let Kaveh be a little suspicious here. 

Alhaitham is a very direct person. He sees no use in secrets unless it's for the sake of something groundbreaking. Like a coup against the government. Like his feelings for him, in fear to destroy their relationship. 

So, Alhaitham-getting-nervous-and-hiding-something-from-him is quite a statement. And Kaveh, as any scholar in Sumeru, succumbs to curiosity in fear of the unknown. 

The image of Alhaitham looking at him with nervous eyes doesn't leave his mind. It makes it impossible to work into lines, and everything that comes into his mind is him, his hands sliding a paper behind a book, his left cheek forming that characteristic dimple that never fails to tell Kaveh he's trying to compose his best face. 

Don't get Kaveh wrong, Alhaitham can have secrets. But… Well, it doesn’t sit well with him to have his boyfriend not telling him something, okay? Kaveh is an overachiever, yes, but that comes with the flaw to be an excellent overthinker. And his mind has always been everything but kind with his personal relationships. Kaveh doesn’t trust easily. It’s not in his nature, he’s too afraid to be hurt that it requires time to build trust with him. He’s friendly, he’s nice with everyone, but Kaveh would call few as real friends. Probably, Alhaitham was ever the only one able to get his heart, given the deep trust he has built on him during all the years knowing each other.

Therefore, Alhaitham having secrets is not as much as a problem. The problem is his own mind, installing unfounded fears in himself. He knows perfectly that Alhaitham would never, ever, do something to hurt him. Kaveh knows, because even if his mind tries to make him think against it, he only has to see the absolute adoration Alhaitham wears on those eyes when he looks at him to know he is the center of his world. Many times, he has felt overwhelmed for this. To know he owns his heart comes with the responsibility to take care of said feelings. It took a long time for Kaveh to really believe he can be loved without hurting the one who loves him.

But even knowing this, he can’t avoid thinking in the worst scenarios. He tries to make up his mind, to tell himself that it was more likely about Alhaitham having a surprise for him he doesn’t want him to know. But this was as likely as Alhaitham having something to tell him and he doesn’t know how.

Which wouldn’t be rare, because Kaveh knows Alhaitham, and Alhaitham knows him. Kaveh has learnt to read between his lines, and Alhaitham has learnt to talk in his language, but they still can get easily misunderstood. Kaveh can flare up in an instant, and Alhaitham is his natural perfect flame. It’s almost scary the way he can rile him up and how he is the only one who knows what to do to completely render him down. Kaveh is unsure if Alhaitham knows the effect his eyes have on him, or the way his kisses would shut down the worst of his arguments or his brightest ideas.

So, it wouldn’t be rare for Alhaitham to be pondering how to tell something to Kaveh. But it can be so many things. What in the heavens would make Alhaitham ponder so much to even have it written? A new investigation? Not likely, he would have talked about it as soon as he had the idea. If nothing else, it’s in Alhaitham’s nature to brighten up when his scholastic side is on the table. So nothing related to the Akademiya, it could only be related to their house or… them.

If the former, Alhaitham’s financial freedom always allowed him to do as he wishes, enjoying his little tricks to rile Kaveh up just because he “likes his angry anemo slime face”. 

So, it can only be about them.

Does he think… it was too soon to begin a relationship? Is he trying to write down the words to tell Kaveh? The mere thought only brings him sorrow. He curls against himself, and feels Alhaitham’s arm surrounding his waist. Yes, also this. He has been closer recently, almost like he wants to shower him with affection. Is that the calm before the storm? The way you give a child sweets to lure him so stay in the kindergarten when they don’t want to go?

Which connects directly with the fact he has been asked by a jeweler in the Grand Bazaar if he liked a ring he knows nothing about. In another circumstance, he would have thought about sweeter ideas, but marriage is too soon for them and the shop didn’t sell wedding rings. So, it can only be a gift for him, as he has been told Alhaitham asked for it to be his finger size, but he hasn’t received it and this was three days ago.

So Alhaitham is pondering to tell him something, something so heavy he is trying to soften with a ring.

There’s only one thing that fills the gap if it’s not marriage.

Kaveh feels dread creeping up his heart. He shuts down his eyes, trying to not cry. He has never been happier, but that happiness couldn’t last so much, right? Maybe Alhaitham realized he’s too much, he’s a handful, he’s more than he can bear. Kaveh is not a consistent lover, he gives his heart away, but he has always been told his true love is architecture. He has always thought that it can be compatible, but maybe Alhaitham doesn’t think the same, and he would be on his right if he feels unloved. Kaveh believes himself loved by Alhaitham, but what if he couldn’t make Alhaitham feel the same way? So egoistic of him, to not return the absolute devotion Alhaitham makes him feel.

“You’re thinking so loud, I would have bet you returned to the workshop” Alhaitham mumbles, his voice deep buried in his neck. “What’s wrong, Kaveh?”

And Kaveh doesn’t know what to say, because he can’t just spit out ‘I saw you hiding something five days ago, and I can’t stop thinking maybe you will leave me’. That would be too lame. He doesn’t want to start a discussion out to being petty, because it can lead to something worse: a bad break up.

If Alhaitham wants to break up with him, and he’s trying to do it in the best way he could think to not hurt him, Kaveh should at least put it easy for him.

But it still hurts.

“If you…” Kaveh holds his breath, trying to hold as well his tears. “If you ever get tired of… Well, if you ever want to end up our…”

“Kaveh.” Alhaitham’s voice lost all the sleepiness he had seconds ago. “What are you saying?” 

He feels him move behind him, sitting up to look at him. Kaveh hides more in himself, to protect himself from those eyes that pierce his soul even in the darkness of the bedroom.

“I just… I just want to tell you that I won’t be angry… That I’ll understand if I’m not what you imagined me to be as your boyfriend, and you…”

Alhaitham sighs. “So you know.”

That was it. The confirmation. Kaveh feels his heart sinking down to his stomach. Now the tears are unavoidable.

“I… I’m sorry, I just…”

The lamp turns on, probably because Alhaitham did it, and he feels his embrace.

“Hey, don’t cry.” Alhaitham soothes. “It’s me who should’ve been apologizing. I knew it would hurt you to know, so I tried to sort it out in my own way, but there’s nothing wrong with you.”

“I know you tried, but how can it not hurt me, Haiham?” He says. “I love you, and I’m sorry to not be what you needed. I understand that you want to break up with me, and I respect…”

“Wait, I never said I wanted to break up.” 

Kaveh freezes.

“What?”

“You didn’t read the list?”

“What list?”

Alhaitham doesn’t reply. Kaveh looks at him with curiosity, and he sees Alhaitham’s ears turning red very quickly. 

“Haitham? What list are you talking about?”

“If you didn’t read it, then why did you say…? Wait, why do you think I want to break up with you?”

“Why are you replying my questions with more questions?”

“Because I think you and me are talking about different things.”

“That far I know. What list are you talking about?”

Alhaitham sighs.

“I really didn’t want to have this conversation.”

“Is it that bad?”

“I just… don’t know how to explain myself without you thinking it’s… well. Either ridiculous or hurtful.”

“I don’t think I follow you.”

Alhaitham closes his eyes for a while, and then takes a deep breath before opening them again.

“Okay, first of all, let me tell you that you aren’t perfect, Kaveh.” Kaveh blinks surprised.

“Well, thank you, I know.” He doesn’t know how to take it when Alhaitham looks at him with those bright eyes.

“You are not perfect, because you’re human and not a God. Even gods have flaws, but I love you with your flaws and everything you are. I love the mistakes you make, the ideas you give birth and the steps you print on the sands. I love every part of you, perfect or not.”

Kaveh is speechless before that. Truly, few are the fortunate to know why Alhaitham could have graduated with honors in Haravatat, but he just didn’t want to.

“You are not the problem here, but my own… concept of a romantic relationship. Maybe I can blame the vast literature about the topic I have consumed, but I craved a… kind of classical romance I didn’t know I wanted before.”

“... Classical romance?”

“You surely are acquainted with the meaning.”

“Well, I have read something about Mondstadtian and Fontainean Romanticism but I can't say…”

“Not that. Well, the word has passed by to modern literature but it's highly different.” He corrects. “I am aware you have read light novels from Inazuma.”

“Some of them, yes. They're overall cheesy romantic stories but some of them have very good plot twist that… Oh.” He realizes what Alhaitham meant just by seeing how red his ears got. “I see…”

“Don't get the wrong idea” Alhaitham says before he can even process the information of Alhaitham wanting a tooth-rooting romance, like Tighnari would call it. “I love everything in our relationship, and I don't want you to pretend to be madly in love or be glued to me all day.” Kaveh chuckles. He can't see Alhaitham comfortable with that. “It's just… we never kiss in public. Or hold hands. You always call me by my full name when we're not home, and no one knew about us before the dinner with Cyno and Tighnari, and…”

Alhaitham avoids his gaze, his hands playing with the sheets, and Kaveh suddenly realizes. Kaveh would never doubt Alhaitham, because Alhaitham has always made him feel secure. But Kaveh is very volatile, and he once broke what they had… 

“Oh, Haitham…” Kaveh cups his cheek. “You felt insecure. I'm so sorry.”

“I wouldn't say insecure.” He denies. 

But Kaveh knows, because he has felt insecure about everything in his life, while Alhaitham has always been on steady ground. To be insecure about something is not on Alhaitham's personality. If he ever does not know something, he just asks or searches in a book for answers. But romance is not about answers, and you can only predict how the other will act. 

To think he has made the most confident man in Sumeru to have doubts about something while Alhaitham gives him nothing but security. 

“I can see the face you're making” Alhaitham says. “So I will tell you in advance. It's not your fault.” 

“How can you say that…?” Kaveh shakes his head. “You feel insecure about us… That's not how it should be.”

“I wouldn't say insecure.” He says again. “I trust you. I know you love me, Kaveh. You never failed to tell me so, and I know you wouldn't lie.”

Kaveh expects him to continue, silently looking at him. Alhaitham sighs. 

“I just feel that we have… to find a common factor.”

“Like in maths?” Kaveh laughs. 

“If you want to see it in that light.” Alhaitham leans towards Kaveh's right hand that still holds his face. “I only have a question. Don't take it as a challenge, I will be okay with any answer you give.”

“Okay.” He says that, but his heart starts racing in anticipation. 

“Do you want to keep this as a secret?”

Kaveh was about to answer it sincerely. Why would he? Alhaitham is literally everything he ever dreamed, everything anyone would ever dream. Sure, he has a quite strong personality, he wouldn't concede in any of their arguments and he's able to tease Kaveh to unknown levels, but there's no one else Kaveh would have chosen. 

But then he realizes what Alhaitham meant by not being insecure. He wasn't doubting Kaveh's love for him. He was insecure about Kaveh wanting people to know about them. 

Which is a very rational doubt given Kaveh asked him not to say they are roommates.

And he noticed Kaveh forgot completely about telling anyone, for he was very busy and after all Tighnari's teasing about them he was absolutely convinced their best friends knew until that dinner. And it's true, Kaveh moves his hands a lot and Sumeru is very humid for hand holding. And they barely kissed outdoors. 

Kaveh hasn't noticed. Because loving him was something as natural as breathing for him. And he didn't need any reassurance from Alhaitham’s side, as he never cared about what others thought. 

He never thought this would be a problem. But it's a problem, because Kaveh not telling anyone could implicate him not wanting to make their relationship public. Like he was ashamed of something. 

And Kaveh is ashamed of many things. Of not being able to see the bigger picture, of rushing into things without thinking consequences, but never about loving him. 

“Haitham.” He caresses his cheeks. “If you want me to, I will stand right now in the House of Daena and make sure everyone in the Akademiya knows I'm in love with you.”

Alhaitham's ears flare up. 

“That wouldn't be necessary. With our friends knowing is enough.”

Kaveh smiles. “Then, what do you want me to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“To make you feel secure.” He explains. “I will do whatever you ask me. Except maybe letting you shop furniture alone. You don't have that much freedom.”

“I… I actually have a list.” Alhaitham being embarrassed is quite a privileged view. “I thought you had seen… Wait, if you didn't, why did you think I would break up with you?”

“I saw you hiding something the other day.” He confesses. “I wouldn't confront you about something like that, but you looked so nervous, and then the jeweler asked me about a ring I didn't know about, and then I thought you wanted to give me a big news enough to make me suffer so you were trying to counter it with affections and gifts and it only could be…”

Alhaitham laughs very hard. 

“Only because I bought you a ring in secret?” Kaveh blushes.

“Well, it certainly couldn't be a proposal or something. It's too early. And it wasn't a wedding ring. What did you want me to think when you were also so…? Oh. OH. That’s why you were so affective lately? Because you thought I wouldn’t kiss you in public?”

“You didn’t.” Alhaitham pouts.

“You never asked.”

“I thought the Light of Kshahrewar was more dexterous at reading body language. Apologies for my assumption.”

“And I thought the Scribe of the Akademiya was infamous for speaking his mind without filters.”

Alhaitham averts his eyes. “I didn’t want to force you and… I can admit I was scared you rejected me directly.”

“Oh, Haitham… I would have kissed you. I will kiss you every time you wanted.” He gives him a quick kiss just to prove his point, and feels Alhaitham’s smile. “I’m so sorry I didn’t realize… I will fulfill your whole wishlist if that’s what you need to feel comfortable.”

“It’s not a need per se.” Alhaitham corrects. “More of a… list of things that I think we could do to improve our relationship. The rings were one of those things. I planned to give it to you in the Akademiya, as a surprise, but… Well, you can say it’s ruined.”

“In my defense, the jeweler couldn’t know.” He says. “But did you say rings? As in plural?”

“Didn’t he tell you?” Kaveh shakes his head. “... They are matching rings. I was hoping you would wear it…”

“Aren’t you the romantic one.” He chuckles. “Of course I’ll wear it.”

“And will you also register the house as your personal address?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I know you receive your letters in your office in the Kshahrewar Darshan because you had to sell your house, but now there’s no need… right?”

Alhaitham looks at him with bright eyes, and Kaveh can’t help but melt under that soft gaze of his, looking at him like a lost cat in the streets, in expectation, craving his attention. 

To register this house as his personal address was a step he has thought before, but never dared because he was always on the run. He once had to erase one from a paper, replacing it for the office he shared with other professor as adjunct. He couldn’t bare to erase another.

Not if it meant that he had, once again, lost his home.

But this is Alhaitham asking him to. Asking him to make everyone know he has a home, one shared with the person he loves. Someone who loved him when he was lecturing in his Darshan or when he was wasted in the tavern after a terrible client meeting. Someone who kissed him in the mornings and in their nights. Someone who matched his genius, who is the other side of the same coin, the mirror of his world and complete his visions. Earth and sky, moon and sun, rationality and sensibility…

And in the end, his home.

“I love you.” Alhaitham smiles brightly.

“Is that a yes?”

“Of course it is.” Kaveh feels his tears trying to fight their way out. “How could you even doubt it.”

Alhaitham caresses his cheek.

“I’m sorry.”

Kaveh shakes his head. “It’s me who is trying to apologize. What else is in that list?”

“No much more.” He says. “Although, I think it would be a good idea to think about our love languages.”

“Doesn’t it include me kissing you right now?” He teases, closing the distance.

“Oh, it does.” Alhaitham nods. “The more, the better.”

“Why do I feel you’re lying?” He smiles.

“Does that mean you don’t want to kiss me?” Alhaitham smiles as well.

And Kaveh chuckles before kissing him. And when he gets out of air, he just recovers it before kissing him again. And again. And once more, before Alhaitham stops him because both have to work tomorrow, and they would regret not sleeping tomorrow.

If the next day, Kaveh mysteriously was at the House of Daena in the exact moment when the Scribe had to give some reports to the Grand Sage only to grab the Scribe and kiss him in front of the bunch of students there, leaving behind a flabbergasted Scribe with smile as a silver and teal ring was dancing in his neck (suspiciously matching the gold and red one that the former Grand Sage had on his neck), well, it was something only the fortunate witnesses knew.