Wrong Number

3

"Can we have sex?" Cyno asked with Tighnari next to him. The two stared at Alhaitham doing some sort of homework. 

"We're not in a formal relationship, Cyno, you don't have to ask me that," he replied, not turning around. 

"The three of us." 

"The what?" Tighnari and Alhaitham both looked at Cyno at the same time while they asked. 

"I can see you two need to talk about this," Alhaitham stood up, leaving them behind to go sit in the hallway. He didn't want to listen in on whatever they got up to. Nor was he interested in the development of their relationship from crush to sex. He sat down next to their door and turned on his headphones. 

"Alhaitham?" Kaveh had gone out to do some laundry. "Did Cyno finally get fed up with you and kick you out?" 

"Something like that," Alhaitham adjusted the volume on his headphones. 

"Do you want to come in and wait it out?" Kaveh fumbled around in his pocket for the key. Alhaitham stood up and reached into his pocket for him. He placed the key in the door, opening it so Kaveh with his bundles of laundry could enter. 

Kaveh wandered in and put his laundry down. He started folding right away which left Alhaitham in the awkward situation of still holding the door open. He didn't want to continue to sit in the hallway but he also didn't want to go back and see Cyno and Tighnari flirting. That left staring at Kaveh doing his laundry or...

Alhaitham closed the door and knelt on the ground to help fold the laundry. He sighed. This wasn't how his day was supposed to go. 

"Do you wanna tell me what happened?" Kaveh asked. The silence between the two continued for a moment until Alhaitham ultimately hung his headphones around his neck. 

"Cyno is struggling with communication, as per usual, but it seems like Tighnari is taking advantage of his feelings to avoid hurting yours. Which, in the long run, will end up hurting you more." 

"I'm not sure I really follow but..." Kaveh rubbed the back of his neck. "So, it's partially my fault you got kicked out?" Alhaitham shrugged. "And, I still need to apologize properly for crawling into your bed. Sorry about that." Alhaitham shrugged a second time. "Man, you're really infuriating," Kaveh huffed. 

"So I'm told." He shrugged a third time. 

"What's it with you and Cyno, anyway?" 

"We're childhood friends. Always been together," Alhaitham replied. "Cyno thought he should practice a bunch of things before finding a 'real relationship' so we're a bit closer than typical friends, I suppose, but not quite in a relationship." 

"That sounds complicated, and lonely, are you going to be okay if Cyno gets with someone?" 

"Are you going to be okay if that someone is Tighnari?" 

The two looked at each other. Neither one wanting to answer the question asked. Both sighed in unison. A mutual understanding of loneliness. 

"Hey, uhm..." Kaveh glanced around awkwardly, "if that does happen...do you want to, uh, help each other let off some steam?" 

"What?" 

"Well, I mean, we're both in a similar situation so like... we could.... Ah, forget it!" Kaveh flushed and went back to folding laundry. 

"Are you even attracted to me enough for that?" Alhaitham's jaw dropped slightly. 

"I find you infuriating but I'm not blind," Kaveh muttered. He scooted into Alhaitham's space, catching him off guard, and the two fell backward. Kaveh hovered over Alhaitham, staring into his eyes without his hair in the way. He was entranced and went to kiss him right as the door opened. 

"You two are... close..." Tighnari stared. "I thought you didn't get along?"

"It's not what it looks like!" Kaveh sat up and immediately started waving his hands around while attempting to explain. Alhaitham continued lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling. Waiting patiently for someone to kick him out. 

"Cyno explained, more or less, what the dynamic is like between you two," Tighnari leaned over, blocking Alhaitham's view. "Sorry for earlier..." 

"Kaveh wouldn't be interested in me if I were the last person on earth," Alhaitham sat up and put on his headphones, explaining what Kaveh was having a hard time getting out. "I'll leave you two to it."