You Love Him Ever So Deadly | ×Alhaitham x Kaveh× |

✦ 5 ✦Oh, To Drown In Delusional Bliss

-ˏˋ. House of Deana, 3:21 PM, Kaveh ˊˎ-
Four years prior

"Just open up to her. She's sweet, I'm sure it's nothing serious." Kaveh urged the student sitting across the table to him. His head rested on his hands as he kicked the air with his feet, tumbling them around like a little kid.

Alhaitham, eyes plastered onto a yellowed paper, muttered a stern "No." and continued to write down inscriptions printed in an old book he borrowed from the library around them.

The blonde, defeated, gently dropped his head onto the tabletop, placing his hands down below it. He let out an audible whine. "Haithaaam" He forcefully cried, knowing that'll cause a reaction from the latter. But all he received were passive-aggressive coughs from nearby students, urging him to stay quiet.

Breathing in and bringing his hands up to cross them and rest his chin on them, he raised his eyes at Alhaitham. "You'll have to open your heart up to women." He drew circles on the wooden table, ignoring the stack of books beside him and a piece of paper, neither started nor finished. "I won't be around forever to keep you company."

"Mhm," The junior hummed. In anticipation, Kaveh kept his eye on Alhaitham. Though he wouldn't show it, he hoped the latter would put down his quill and with genuine emotion sparkling in his eye start murmuring sweet promises to him. Kaveh, don't ever leave me. Without you, I'm as stale as a lone Pardissarah. Never will I choose someone else over you.

But alas, he received no such affection. Grunting, he sat up straight, raising his hands up to stretch. "Man, you're insufferable." Mid yawn, he scolded his junior, even though he didn't react much. Maybe a smirk at best. Suddenly he pointed his index at Haitham, lowering his voice in a threatening manner. "Promise me you're gonna go talk to her."

That was the wake-up call. The student raised his head up, immediately locking eyes with Kaveh. His striking greys, far from the usual, would be a constant reminder of his best friend, despite his quirks, being truly one of a kind. "Just because she wanted to ask me something? No, thank you." Though his words reeked of nothing but disinterest, Kaveh could swear he sensed a feeling of social anxiety.

Maybe that's why he was so avoidant to talk.

Suddenly, a lightbulb reactivated in his head, Kaveh intertwined his fingers with each other, a mischievous smirk spreading wide across his face. "Okay, if you talk to her in the next minute, dinner is on me." He brought his hand forward.

An invite to an unbreakable promise.

Alhaitham blinked. He pressed his lips together, as though the offer tickled his deepest desires to let go of his "in control" facade. Knowing that Kaveh witnessed his cool melt before him, he asked a single question. "Will you make Sabz meat stew?"

"The way you love it." He struck back. And with a stern nod of his head, Alhaitham squeezed their hands, shaking them in unison.

Kaveh feasted his eyes on the guy standing up with the confidence of a sumpter beast, mumbling a final "I'll be right back." before turning around and promptly making his way to a female student.

The blonde could only watch in both adornment and horror, knowing he urged the guy to slip away from his grip that easily. The feeling of his warm hand still lingered on his skin, but even that started to fade away with each second.

He allowed his head to drop down, falling gently onto his forearm as his eyes closed shut. Even the echoes bumping against the walls of the spacious library started to fade out in his mind. All he could focus on is hearing Alhaitham walk further from him until a feminine voice called out his name.