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Alhaitham is, at his core, a man of routine. Not because he isn’t capable of adapting to a change in plans, but because he finds joy in the small, daily comforts of his life.
A hot cup of coffee, brewed fresh with extra cinnamon and clove and a little cream.
The quiet of early evening, when the sun brushes the boughs of the rainforest’s distant trees and sets the sky alight.
And a kiss before he leaves for work in the morning.
The kiss is new, but not unwelcome.
Alhaitham is not the type of person who adjusts easily to a change in his routine. His routine is exactly that– routine.
And yet, the first time Kaveh presses a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth as he hands Alhaitham last night’s dinner leftovers neatly packaged, Alhaitham thinks, through the rush of affection that caught in his throat and fluttered in his chest, that he could get used to this.
And he does. Not in the way that you become desensitized to something– Alhaitham treasures every morning kiss as though it was his first. But he comes to expect that moment of peace before he has to leave his comfortable home and face the bustle and demands of the Akademiya.
It is the first thing that crosses his mind as he drags himself from his warm bed and down the hall to brush his teeth. It lingers at the forefront of his thoughts as he sips his coffee across the table from Kaveh, watching as the older man eats his breakfast with his left hand while working with his right.
It’s why he always pauses for just a moment by the door, fidgeting with his cloak or adjusting his boots or triple-checking his earpieces. Because he knows that Kaveh will meet him at the door.
Sometimes Kaveh will have food for him and sometimes he only brings his smile, but Kaveh will always meet him. And Kaveh will give him his goodbye kiss.
Today is no different.
Alhaitham comes to the kitchen table and his coffee is waiting by his seat along with some fresh fruit and a plate holding a piece of pita already spread with honey and cheese.
But Kaveh is not in his seat. There is no mug of steaming coffee, nor a second plate of breakfast.
Alhaitham tries to brush it off as he eats his food in a strange silence.
Maybe Kaveh had spilled something on himself and gone to clean up, or maybe he was getting something from his room that he needed for his day’s work.
Alhaitham frowns at the empty seat across from him as he sips his coffee. Despite smelling exactly as it should, it tastes more bitter than usual.
The sound of Kaveh’s door banging into the wall is a welcome relief, though Alhaitham does his best not to show it.
“Take care not to damage the walls,” he calls in Kaveh's direction. “You’ll be the one responsible for fixing them, after all.”
Kaveh scoffs from the entryway. “If you’d just let me install those door stops I showed you in the Bazaar last week, it wouldn’t be a problem in the first place!”
Alhaitham smiles into his cup of suddenly much sweeter coffee.
“Why should I spend my mora on something like that when I can simply not slam my doors open?”
“Ugh, you–!”
Alhaitham stands from the table. Kaveh’s face was probably twisted in frustration now as he juggled whatever tools he was bringing into the kitchen. Alhaitham would go help him carry his projects to the table and Kaveh would settle into his seat and all would be right with his morning, albeit a little delayed.
Still, it was nothing Alhaitham couldn’t handle. See? He could be perfectly flexible when necessary.
Except he rounds the corner into the main living space just in time to see Kaveh clasp his cloak over his shoulders, already fully dressed. He has a blueprint tube slung over his shoulder and Mehrak gripped firmly in his hand.
“I’ll make dinner tonight,” Kaveh promises. He barely glances in Alhaitham’s direction as he makes sure he has everything– quill, blueprints, budget calculations, keys, Mehrak.
“Mmm.”
“Right, good, I’ll see you tonight then. Can you lock the door behind me? I’m in a hurry.”
And then Kaveh is out the door in a blur of crimson and cream, leaving Alhaitham standing alone in the entryway.
Unkissed.
Today was going to be awful , wasn't it.
When Alhaitham finally drags himself home, it is ten minutes past when he was supposed to leave the Akademiya and his scowl speaks volumes about his opinions on the matter.
His whole body is one solid line of tension and annoyance as he unlocks the door. Even the smell of spiced lamb cannot fully mollify the frustration that weighs his shoulders down.
“Alhaitham?” Kaveh calls from the kitchen. Alhaitham does not even bother to remove his cloak before making his way down the hall and all-but-throwing himself into his chair at the table.
Kaveh huffs at him. His hair is tied back in a high ponytail, revealing the lines of his jaw and the long, delicate curve of his neck. Behind him, a pot of something spiced and savory bubbles.
Alhaitham crosses his arms and very adamantly does not pout, thank you very much.
“Well that’s sure a face. Rough day?” Kaveh asks. There is a subtle curl to the corner of his mouth before he turns back to the stove.
“Hmm.”
“Descriptive. The bards will surely sing praises of your unparalleled way with words.”
“Mmph.”
Kaveh laughs, low in his throat, and Alhaitham can feel the tension bleeding from him, dissipating into the warm air. Kaveh is humming as he stirs the pot, his hips rocking lazily to the tune that only half-exists in their shared space.
Unbidden, Alhaitham smiles. Just a bit.
“Go wash your hands,” Kaveh says. He turns to the cabinet beside the stove to pull two plates from within. “And hang up your cloak. Dinner should be ready soon.”
“Yes, dear,” Alhaitham replies, sarcasm lacing the term of endearment. He ignores the wordless yell Kaveh emits and ducks out of the room before Kaveh can wave that spoon at him and splatter sauce across his only remaining clean cloak.
When he returns to his seat, Kaveh is just finishing spooning lamb curry over two plates of rice. He carries them to the table and sets them down with a gentle clink.
“Smells good,” Alhaitham says. At one point, Kaveh might have complained about the lack of gratitude. Now, Kaveh can read the quiet thank you within the comment.
Kaveh bends low and presses a kiss to his forehead. It is enough to banish the last remaining dregs of his terrible day to the past where they belong, and Alhaitham can finally focus on the meal and the man in front of him.
They eat in quiet companionship for a while. The only sounds in the kitchen are the scrape of utensils and the muffled sounds of the city outside their home. When the meal is finished, they stand and bring their plates to the sink.
Since Kaveh cooked, Alhaitham starts the water running so it can heat while Kaveh collects a clean towel from the linen closet. Once the water is warmed enough, Alhaitham begins the task of washing the dishes. Kaveh returns with a dish towel and waits for Alhaitham to hand him the clean dishes to dry.
It's comfortable. Routine. Familiar.
Which reminds Alhaitham–
“You need to stop taking such early morning appointments.”
Kaveh drops the spoon he is drying with a clatter.
“Not that my decisions are any of your business, Alhaitham, but this was the only time my client was available to meet and review the blueprints.”
“It was too early. Did you even make it on time? Give me that spoon, I'll need to wash it again.”
“Ugh. I did make it on time, no thanks for asking. In fact, I beat them to the café.” Kaveh picks up his spoon and drops it into the sink with the rest of the dishes before taking a wet plate from Alhaitham's outstretched hand. “Why the sudden interest? It's not like my choice of time affected you in any way, unless even locking the door for me was too much effort for your feeble self.”
Alhaitham tries to force his face to stay even and unbothered. Judging by the sudden shift in attentiveness in Kaveh's expression, he was not particularly successful.
“I just prefer my mourning routines remain intact.”
Kaveh rolls his eyes.
“That's a load of bull if I've ever heard it. I even got up early to make sure you still got your coffee and breakfast. Your routine was perfectly fine.”
“Not entirely. You forgot a key detail, which was quite unlike you, Kaveh. Don't you usually pride yourself on how detail-oriented you are?”
Alhaitham sets the pot he had been scrubbing into the sink again. Kaveh finishes drying the plate in his hands and turns back to Alhaitham, waiting to be passed the next dish.
“What detail are you– mmph!”
Alhaitham turns to Kaveh, grabs him by the collar of his loose linen shirt, and pulls him into a kiss.
Kaveh freezes for a moment with the dish towel still firmly in his grip. Then, as though remembering abruptly that kissing is supposed to be a two-person activity, he drops it to the ground with a muffled thump in favor of wrapping his arms around Alhaitham's neck and pulling him closer.
When Alhaitham finally pulls away, Kaveh could only blink up at him, starry-eyed and kiss-drunk.
“That detail,” Alhaitham says softly. “How was I supposed to have a good day without my goodbye kiss?”
Kaveh laughs. It's a joyful sound, even when it's tinted with incredulity.
“Is that why you were in such a rotten mood earlier? Because I didn't kiss you this morning?”
Well, when Kaveh puts it like that, it does sound a little foolish. Still, Alhaitham has never been in the habit of allowing himself to be self-conscious over his wants or needs. Tonight seems like a terrible night to start.
“Yes,” he says. Kaveh cheeks darken, just a little. His fingers twist into the soft hairs at the nape of Alhaitham’s neck.
“W-well you don't have to say it like that!”
“Like what? Like the truth?”
Kaveh swats at his arm, but he is smiling as he pulls away.
“Alright, alright. Message received. I'll never forget your goodbye kiss again, lest your foul attitude scare off all of the newest Akademiya students at once. I'm sure you've already terrorized quite a few of them with that scowl of yours.”
Alhaitham turns back to the dishes, letting the promise settle the last of the strangeness he had carried in his chest throughout the day.
“I'll hold you to that,” he says.