Chapter Text
The rain poured heavily outside, the rhythmic pitter-patters against the tavern roof was the only sound that could be heard. Alhatiham sat quietly, absorbed in a book, his drink untouched. Across from him, Kaveh was clearly inebriated, his head drooping onto the table. He clutched his cup tightly, as if guarding it from intruders. Suddenly, Kaveh lifted his head, prompting Alhaitham to glance at him.
“Why?” Kaveh slurred.
“Why what?” Alhaitham responded, his gaze slowly shifting back to the book in front of him.
“Why hasn’t my soulmate shown themselves yet?!?!” Kaveh yelled, causing the two patrons at the bar and the barkeep to glance over at their table. “Why...? Am I really destined to die without ever meeting them?!”
“Could it be that you’re touch-starved?” Alhaitham asked casually.
“Aren’t we all?!” Kaveh hiccuped. Alhaitham remained silent. “Don’t deny it! I know you’re lonely too!” Kaveh pressed.
“I find the concept rather tiresome,” Alhaitham replied indifferently.
Kaveh gasped, his eyes widening in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those who don’t believe in soulmates...?”
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow, a faint hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. “I didn’t say that. It’s evident that soulmates exist, solely due to how we’re built with the inability to not touch anyone who isn’t our destined half. What I’m saying is that, due to that law of nature, living a normal life is just—”
“Did you know that 48% of people who don't find their soulmate by the age of 30 suffer from depression!?” Kaveh interjected, his voice rising in urgency. “My rotten luck comes back to haunt me yet again!” Kaveh’s voice echoed with frustration, his hand trembling as he gestured wildly.
“You’re not 30 yet.” Alhaitham pointed out calmly, a slight furrow in his brow as he looked over at Kaveh.
“And that’s the keyword right there! YET!”
Alhaitham let out a deep sigh, longing for the conversation to end already. “You’re overreacting. As always.”
“You don’t understand!”
“I do. However, I don’t share the same sentiments as you,”
Kaveh grumbled under his breath as he finished his drink, slamming the glass down on the table. “You haven’t a single romantic bone in your body, Alhaitham. Aren’t you even the slightest bit curious about... k-ki…”
“What?”
“Kissing…” Kaveh whispered.
“I can't hear you.”
“I said kissing!!” Kaveh’s frustration boiled over.
Alhaitham blinked, staring at him as if trying to process what he’d just heard.
“Why aren’t you saying anything??” the older man panicked, his face turning red. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the alcohol or his embarrassment from blurting out such a thing.
“What do you expect me to say?” Alhaitham asked, closing his book and setting it on the table. He then crossed his arms over his chest, giving Kaveh his full attention. He found it amusing that Kaveh was getting more flustered by the second, his skin tinted in a rosy hue.
“Aren’t you curious as well?” Kaveh mumbled, his gaze shifting from his empty cup to Alhaitham’s attentive stare.
The scribe let out a pondering hum, considering Kaveh’s question. It was true that due to their circumstances, he had never experienced something as intimate as kissing. Logically, if he just kissed a random person who wasn't his soulmate, both individuals would suffer mild pain as a result. But now, that logical side of him seemed to vanish and for a split second, a thought flashed through his mind.
“Then, would you like to try?” Alhaitham asked Kaveh with a deadpan expression.
“That’s what I’ve been saying—”
“With me.”
“HUH?!” Kaveh yelped, his disbelief echoing loudly enough to draw the attention of other patrons once more.
Alhaitham paid no mind to the onlookers. At this moment, he simply wanted to satisfy his own curiosity. “Well?”
Kaveh shook his head wildly, then stopped abruptly, feeling dizzy from his sudden movements. “Nuh-uh! It’s going to hurt!”
A small smile played on Alhaitham’s lips. Teasing Kaveh a bit more might just do the trick; after all, he was the one who started this silly conversation. “Ah. So you aren’t opposed to the idea of kissing me ?” Without waiting for Kaveh’s response, Alhaitham stood up and moved to stand next to him. The older man looked up at him, his expression dumbstruck.
“Wait… Alhaitham…” Kaveh’s voice wavered with uncertainty.
“Are you scared of a little pain?” Alhaitham jested, wondering how Kaveh would react.
Kaveh stood up suddenly, his movements jittery with nerves. “O-Of course, I am! But that’s not the point I’m trying to make!” His words came out in a rush, making it rather hard for Alhaitham to understand him.
“And what is the point here exactly?”
“W-Why would you want to k-kiss… me…? Do you… like me or something?” Kaveh stumbled over his words, cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Alhaitham locked eyes with him, a pause stretched between them as he searched for the right words to say. Yet, he often found himself at a loss in such situations, unsure of what to say. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, his words inevitably led to misunderstandings and hurt feelings for Kaveh.
“You have a wild imagination, Kaveh. This is nothing more than an experiment.” Alhaitham’s response was matter-of-fact, as always.
For a long while, all Kaveh did was stare at Alhaitham, before he finally pried his eyes away, looking down at the floor. “…Right. Experiment. Got it.” Kaveh’s shoulders slumped slightly, his embarrassment evident in his demeanour, or was it disappointment? Alhaitham couldn’t really distinguish between them when it came to Kaveh, a man who wore his heart on his sleeve.
“Kaveh?” Alhaitham called out. He wondered why Kaveh was making such an expression? Did he truly believe that Alhaitham would force him to kiss him just for this so-called experiment? He wanted to ask, to understand properly what he was thinking right now. “I’m… leaving.” With a final glance at Alhaitham, Kaveh turned on his heel and hurried out of the tavern, leaving Alhaitham alone with his thoughts.
✧˖°
When Kaveh arrived home, he was drenched to the bone and shivering. Yet, he made no effort to change out of his wet clothes or contain the puddles forming on the floor. His immediate instinct was to gather some essentials and find shelter for the night. Facing Alhaitham after what happened was out of the question; he lacked the energy to entertain any more of his teasing antics.
Kaveh couldn’t shake the memory of Alhaitham’s words. At this point, he was convinced that Alhaitham had only suggested the kiss to mock him, to divert his attention from his rambling about soulmates and kissing. The throbbing ache in his head, likely a result of the alcohol, only fueled his frustration, with Alhaitham bearing the brunt of his blame.
He knew that Alhaitham harboured no romantic feelings for him; in fact, he doubted whether Alhaitham comprehend the concept of affection at all. So why, then, would he suggest such a thing? Why toy with his emotions like this?
“Kaveh,” a voice called out, snapping him out of his spiralling thoughts.
He turned around, only to find an equally soaked Alhaitham standing by the room entrance. “What are you—” Kaveh started, his words interrupted by his surprise.
“You run pretty fast for someone who is drunk.”
“...Did you run after me?”
“No. I walked like a sane person.”
“No sane person would walk in that heavy rain,” Kaveh mumbled under his breath. “Look, I think I’ll head out for the night.”
“Why are you running away?” he pressed.
“Because you are acting weird today!” Kaveh retorted.
“Did I offend you when I suggested the kiss?”
“You did!” Kaveh exclaimed, his voice rising with emotion.
“Then...I apologise—” Alhaitham began, his voice trailing off as he awaited Kaveh’s response.
Kaveh scoffed, picking up his overnight bag before turning to walk out of the door. “Save your breath,” he muttered, frustration evident in his tone. Alhaitham held out his hand, blocking Kaveh’s path. “Alhaitham, I’m really not in the mood for your—”
As Alhaitham’s hand approached his face, Kaveh instinctively flinched back, fully aware of the consequences that awaited them if their skin made contact. “Alhaitham—” he cautioned, the tremble in his voice betraying him.
Undeterred, Alhaitham closed the distance between them, his eyes reflecting a sense of vulnerability that momentarily captivated Kaveh. “Just once,” he whispered. Leaning in, Alhaitham’s fingertips barely grazed Kaveh’s cheek, their lips mere millimetres apart.
Kaveh closed his eyes and braced himself for the inevitable surge of pain that would follow their kiss. As Alhaitham’s lips met his, there was a brief moment of softness and warmth before a sharp jolt shot through them both, forcing them to recoil. Kaveh’s lips tingled, a mixture of the shocking sensation they had just experienced and a lingering imprint of Alhaitham’s tender lips.
“Sorry…Kaveh. But please endure it,” Alhaitham’s voice interrupted Kaveh’s train of thought, catching him off guard.
“W-Wha—” Kaveh stuttered, his words cut off as Alhaitham reached out to grab his sleeve, pulling him close.
His hands slid around Kaveh’s waist, and before he could react, Alhaitham’s lips crashed against his once more, this time with more fervour than before. Kaveh’s breath caught in his throat as the pain surged through his entire body.
He struggled to push Alhaitham away, his hand pressed against the scribe’s chest, but Alhaitham was unyielding. Desperate to deepen the kiss, he dared to slip his tongue between Kaveh’s parted lips, eager to taste more of the bitterness that lingered on Kaveh’s tongue.
Kaveh turned his face, managing to break free from Alhaitham’s kiss. With a shove against his chest, he pushed him away. “You…You’re insane,” Kaveh huffed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He then pushed past Alhaitham and left.
Alhaitham stood there, alone once again, trying to make sense of his own actions. At first, it was just mild curiosity, the same kind Kaveh had when he mentioned the act in the first place. But then, once would have been enough. So why did he go back for more? Why did he want to touch Kaveh more, kiss him more, be with him…more? The questions lingered in his mind, unanswered and unsettling. Nothing made logical sense to him anymore.
Alhaitham stared down at his hands, he could still feel the fabric of Kaveh’s shirt on his fingertips. Kaveh's warmth and presence were gone, replaced by the dull throb on his lips and the lingering sensation of electricity coursing through his veins.
How would he brush off what had happened? How could he face Kaveh again after crossing a line he shouldn’t have? Closing his hand into a tight fist, he grappled with the countless questions plaguing his mind.
If given the chance, he would have been more gentle, would have touched Kaveh softly, oh so softly. Despite all that, Alhaitham couldn’t deny that fate had already dictated their paths. They were meant to be with someone else, their true soulmates waiting out there somewhere. It was a frustrating reality, one that Alhaitham couldn’t help but begrudgingly accept.
In the end, it was already predetermined, etched into the stars, that Kaveh and he could never truly be together.