HaiKaveh Week 2023

Days 1 & 2: Student Days/First Kiss/Confession

 There were many things that Alhaitham knew, and what he didn't know, he often dedicated his time to finding out. One thing that he'd been yet to find out is why exactly he still hung out with Kaveh. The two bickered constantly both in and out of classes and had even gotten scolded, well Kaveh had gotten scolded, for disrupting class. Alhaitham had avoided punishment thanks to his quieter disposition.

So why in the Archons' names did he still put with Kaveh? Sure, he was a good study partner when they weren't bickering, but they were in different disciplines. Not to mention, there were other more convenient study partners like Tighnari or even Cyno. But alas, Alhaitham could not find it in himself to distance himself from the blonde with pale ruby eyes. At one point, he considered asking one of their other friends for advice, but even he knew that would reflect poorly on him and potentially hurt the other man. And for whatever reason, the idea of hurting the other man just did not sit right with him.

As they approached graduation, Alhaitham considered just talking to Kaveh about it. How his chest got tight when the other man smiled or how his laugh that he claimed irritated him so made him feel like he was walking on air. The gray-haired soon-to-be scribe did not know what all these symptoms meant, or maybe he did and he just didn't want to admit to it. That is until one day when he rounded the corner of the hallway in the Akademiya building to see Kaveh pressed against the wall, red eyes wide with fear caught in a lip lock with a former upperclassman that had tried to flirt with him in the past. Alhaitham had never liked the guy, but the other man had assured him that he was harmless.

Without thinking, the gray-haired man grabbed the offender by the collar and went to punch him, but someone else beat him to it. He looked over to see none other than Kaveh himself shaking his hand as he grimaced in pain. Before going to check on him, Alhaitham looked at the offender, who was rendered unconscious by Kaveh's mean right hook.

"Thank you, Haitham. He got me in a weird position, and I couldn't get a good shot," the architecture student complained, rubbing his knuckles, "That bastard better be glad I wasn't carrying my blueprints for my latest project or else he'd be done for."

"Are you alright?" Alhaitham interrupted Kaveh's complaining, unable to help himself, "Do you want to report him to the head of the Akademiya?" Kaveh's expression softened.

"I'm fine. Are you sure you're okay? You seem shaken up," he asked, his usually loud voice quieter and gentler, as though Alhaitham was the one who was just assaulted and not him.

"Of course I'm fine. I just..." the future scribe lost his words. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make himself speak. Instead, he just shook his head and pointed at the asshole that he wanted nothing more than to beat the shit out of at the moment.

"Everything is alright. Let's go take him to the Akademiya head and get the paperwork started. I'm fine. I'm just pissed. Bastard stole my first kiss. The nerve of some people I swear," the architect was back to his usual complaining, but this time, Alhaitham listened much more intently and almost wished he hadn't. The additional information only made the idea of beating up the man he was dragging by the collar all the more enticing.

It didn't take them long to get through the paperwork with both of them as credible witnesses; it would be much easier to get the other perpetrator in trouble, though still unlikely. Crimes like this were not as common in the Akademiya, but when they happened, especially to a male student, they were often shrugged off as inconsequential unless it disrupted an important experiment of some type. Fortunately, the paperwork did not require them to talk much, and they were able to get by with Kaveh doing the talking for Alhaitham.

Even as they made their way back to their dorms, the scribe still struggled to talk, which frustrated him even more. On a normal day, he would have turned on his noise canceling headphones to help himself calm down and stop himself from being overstimulated, but today was different. Kaveh had already gotten hurt once, and while the rational part of his brain knew that the risk from this point on was negligible, it still wasn't zero. That small percentage is what his brain decided to hyperfixate on, so he ignored the urge in favor of being able to be more alert as they made their way back to the dorms. Upon arrival, the architect followed him into his room without so much as asking. Normally, Alhaitham would have at least pretended to be irritated, but he couldn't even muster up the energy to do that as Kaveh made himself at home, sitting on his bed and patting the space beside him.

"Come on, Haitham. Talk to me. It's not like you to let your emotions get the better of you like this. What has you so upset? I told you I'm fine," he asked, his voice back to its usual tone. It relieved Alhaitham to see him acting normal, but then he saw bruising on Kaveh's arm that he didn't notice before.

"That guy... How long were you stuck like that before I showed up?" Alhaitham finally asked, his voice rough.

"I don't know. I wasn't exactly keeping track of time. I was trying to think of ways to get the bastard off of me!" he huffed in annoyance. He knew that. Of course he knew that. Why couldn't he just express what he wanted to know? Silence fell over the pair as Kaveh stared at Alhaitham. The future scribe couldn't meet the other's eyes. There was so much he wanted to say, but the words weren't coming out.

"Alhaitham," pale ruby eyes met his as Kaveh stood up and moved closer to him, "What's going on with you? I know it can be a struggle, but if you can, I need you to talk to me." Slowly, Alhaitham nodded. Kaveh understood. Of course, he did. As much as the two mixed like oil and water, they got each other. That was why the gray-haired man hadn't tried to distance himself from the blonde.

"That guy... He stole your first kiss, didn't he?" Alhaitham finally asked. Kaveh scoffed.

"That's what has you so upset? It's not that big of a deal. Sure, I was saving that for..." he paused, "Well, that's not important."

"Who says it's not important?"

"I do!"

"Why isn't it important?"

"Why do you want to know so bad?"

"Because I want to know if it's me," the words came out like a flood breaking through the dam of Alhaitham's lips. Kaveh's eyes widened.

"I care deeply for you," he continued, "And I hate that someone did something to you that you didn't want. You deserve better than that." With the weight of that confession off of his shoulders, the future scribe was able to release tension that he didn't realize he'd been holding. He immediately went about making coffee to try and help further clear his head.

"Wha- I- You-" Kaveh sputtered, before taking a deep breath and speaking again, "We are not just going to pretend you didn't say that. For fuck's sake Alhaitham, put the damn coffee pot down and come talk to me."

"I already talked."

"Yeah, but you haven't listened to my response yet."

"Why would I? I already know you're not interested."

A strong grip yanked the coffee pot from his hand, and a hand grasped his chin turning it to face the other man. He was surprised by his willingness to go along with the other man's whims, even with his newfound admittance of his romantic feelings towards him.

"Can I kiss you, Alhaitham?"

Alhaitham.exe has stopped responding. After a moment of staring dumbstruck at the object of his affections, he finally nodded.

"Push me away at any point if you decide you don't want this." And then warm lips were on his. A hand entangled itself in silky blonde hair as the kiss between them deepend, lips parting to allow each other to explore one another's mouths. Moments, seconds, minutes passed before the two separated with panting breaths as hazel eyes met pale red. Alhaitham knew at that moment that he was done for. He was in love with the most irritating and perfect man he had ever met.