You May as Well Break My Heart [Haikaveh]

Chapter two

That day had begun like any other, and Kaveh was the first to stir, his face scrunching slightly as the sunlight filtered through the curtains.

Moving gently, he slipped out of bed without a sound, careful not to disturb the man sleeping peacefully beside him. A soft smile tugged at his lips as he glanced over at Alhaitham's resting face, his usually stoic features softened by sleep.

Who would've thought that the cold, calculating scribe could be so clingy in the mornings?

It was cute, Kaveh had to admit. For someone who constantly rejected any type of romantic advances during the day, Alhaitham certainly made up for it in the quiet of the night. As soon as they fell asleep, his body would instinctively curl toward his partner's warmth, seeking him out like a man starved of touch.

The thought brought a quiet chuckle to Kaveh's lips, and he brushed a gentle kiss on Alhaitham's cheek, slipping free from his embrace.

He padded across the room, making his way to the bathroom. Thank the gods he had woken up earlier than the scribe. Now he could take his time getting ready without Alhaitham's voice in the background, reminding him every five minutes to hurry up.

As he stood before the mirror, Kaveh paused, carefully combing through his blond locks. His eyes flickered to the dark circles under his eyes—fading, but still visible. At least they were better than before, and he owed that improvement to the recent start of his "relationship".

He'd never admit it aloud, but Alhaitham's rigid schedule had actually been helping him lot.

Gone were the days of late-night projects and sleepless nights. If Kaveh stayed up too late, Alhaitham would come for him personally, dragging him to bed without a second thought.

It was nice, Kaveh thought, a feeling that settled warmly in his chest. The two of them might still bicker over every little thing, but deep down, they both knew it was part of their routine. At the end of the day, no matter how much they butted heads, there was an unspoken understanding between them.

They cared for each other, even if neither of them would ever say it in so many words.

Splashing water on his face, Kaveh quickly finished up in the bathroom and made his way to the kitchen, intent on finding something to eat. A quick scan of the pantry and fridge, however, revealed a disappointing truth. They were out of most essentials.

'Whose turn was it to do the shopping?' he muttered to himself, already knowing the answer. Both of them had forgotten.

With a resigned sigh, he settled for making two cups of tea. Returning to the bedroom, Kaveh placed one cup on Alhaitham's nightstand before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Haitham," he whispered softly, leaning in close to his partner's ear. "Do you know what time it is?" There was a teasing lilt in his voice as he added, "We don't have anything for breakfast. We'll have to go to Puspa Café, but at this rate, they'll be serving lunch by the time we get there. Come on, wake up."

Alhaitham's only response was to turn his face further into the pillow, his eyes still shut. He shifted, pulling the covers up over his shoulders. "It's my day off. I'm not hungry."

Kaveh frowned, his patience starting to wear thin. "Well, that's too bad, because I am." With a swift tug, he yanked the blankets off the bed. "Stop being an old man and get up. You also promised to meet those students today, remember? The ones I mentioned to you last week?"

The scribe cracked one eye open, staring at Kaveh with mild annoyance. "I don't recall agreeing to that. That was your idea."

"It's too late to back out now," Kaveh shot back, crossing his arms. "I've already scheduled everything. Besides, you'll probably enjoy it—who knows what kind of interesting research they'll have lined up. You love learning stuff, and they need your help. We were all students once, remember?" He softened his tone, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from Alhaitham's face. "Come on, when you get back, I'll let you pick what we have for dinner. Deal?"