Work Text:
“Have you ever wondered?”
Alhaitham shot a glance at Kaveh. Who was laying in his bed next to him despite all his attempts of refutation. He turned his attention back to the book he was reading.
“People always experience their lowest points before they reach their highest.” Kaveh said as he stretched out his arm nonchalantly. A smile remained on his face.
“Hey Alhaitham. When do you think I’ll reach my highest?” Kaveh’s eyes glimmered with hope, “I still have a long life ahead of me. How well do you think I’ll do?”
“Hopefully reaching that highest means you moving out of my house.” Alhaitham’s attention remained on the book he had been reading. Kaveh showed a face full of disapproval.
Despite their constant bickering and the constant exchange of “I hate you” between the two. They had grown fond of each other’s company, having lived together for years after the incident with the Palace Kaveh had designed followed by him getting scammed. They had known each other even before the incident. Back in their akademiya days. Back then Kaveh was still responsible. It felt like eons ago.
“Go to your room.” Alhaitham said as he lightly kicked at Kaveh’s shins. Signaling that it’s time for them to go to sleep.
“Can’t I just stay here?” Kaveh said. More close to a whine. “I worked so hard today that I don’t have any energy to walk back to my room.”
Alhaitham rolled his eyes. His teal eyes narrowed into a disapproving frown.
“Do what you like.”
* * * * *
Kaveh is surprisingly quiet when he sleeps. Contrary to his daytime self. There isn’t a single movement from him, Alhaitham had expected him to snore. But rather he laid rather lifeless. Alhaitham sat up to observe the blood. He looks like an angel in the moonlight. Golden locks framed his pale, clear skin. He looked as if he was god’s favorite child. Though his current situation is far from that.
A small flame lit up in Alhaitham’s heart. Yet not enough to be noticed.
He sat there observing the blonde as if trying to memorize every small detail of his face, to keep them in his memory forever, to preserve him in time. Alhaitham found himself unable to take his eyes off from that angelic face.
That was the beginning of the new blossoming, strange feeling.
* * * * *
Kaveh had always tried to reach his highest point. Though he may never act like it. But when he works he is focused, with the ability to even not respond to Alhaitham’s scoldings. Sometimes he pulls at his hair. Sometimes to bites his nail when thinking. His ideas at brilliant Alhaitham must admit. His work never falls short of expectations. He strives to reach those expectations. He strives to reach for the sky and the stars. To go beyond them. Alhaitham had always been intrigued by that fact.
Kaveh was like a flame. A never ending flame that burned brightly even in the harshest conditions. Perhaps that was how Alhaitham eventually fell for him. He came to enjoy his company. Though the amount of bickering had never decreased. It is always nice to have someone out there that you look forward to seeing. It gives life a bit more joy.
* * * * *
Nothing made sense. He couldn’t connect dots inside his head. Yet in front of him was a body. Eyes that lacked light. It couldn’t be true. His legs gave out beneath him letting him fall harshly on his knees. His hands covered his face. He wants to tear his hair out. Pull out his eyes. He wanted to pull out his internal organs.
Kaveh’s body. Surrounded by blood. He could hear his heartbeat. Kaveh’s organs spilled out from his side where the slit was. Alhaitham had tried shoving them back in. Hoping for a miracle from celestia. His rationality was way behind him now. He prayed for a miracle. Mumbling the same words over and over again. Kaveh didn’t move an inch. His eyes remained. Tears fell from his eyes. It felt as if his heart was about to burst.
Seeing how his effort was in vain. He crouched on the floor. Sobbing uncontrollably. He sobbed until the Matra was called. Alhaitham screamed for Kaveh to not be taken away. He had abandoned all rationality and common sense. The matra had no choice but to leave him alone as Alhaitham threatened to stab himself.
As Alhaitham reduced to a trembling mess. The knob on his door turned. Tighnari came in, Followed by Cyno who didn’t dare to make another move closer to Alhaitham after seeing his condition. Alhaithma lifted his head to look at the both of them.
“Please don’t take him away.” He said. In a soft, broken voice. His mind has been ripped into pieces. His heart throbbed. “Please. I’ll do anything. Please let me stay with him.”
Tighnari was concerned. He had never seen the grand scribe in such a state. He had always been a stoic man. One that is hard to read. He never showed any vulnerability.
Yet here he is unable to recollect himself. The blood had already dried on the floor. They had no idea how long it had been.
Alhaitham soon drifted off into sleep. Tired from all the crying. Tighnari takes a closer look at Kaveh’s body.
Tighnari himself could not believe it. He was such a bright man. Who had little to no doubts of his bright future. Which will never come now. He noticed a knife in one of his hands. Kaveh had committed suicide.
Quietly, Tighnari took out a needle and thread. He carefully puts Kaveh’s organs back to their place. Then carefully sowed the wound back together. Making as little sound as possible to avoid waking Alhaitham up. Who was retracting back into himself bit by bit.
He slowly but carefully sewed up the wound. Cyno stood by the door. Preventing anyone from entering. Just as he was almost done, he felt something pull at his arm.
“Please…” A sob broke out from Alhaitham once again. Looking at Tighnari as if he was begging, “Please save him.”
Tighnari shook his head. “It’s impossible now.”
“Why not?” A sense of anger could be felt from Alhaitham’s words, “Why not? I’ll do anything. ANYTHING. I’ll procure all the ingredients. I’ll even fight the Akademiya if something you need is restricted. Please. Just bring him back.” Anyone with common sense could tell that Kaveh is long gone now. It is pointless to try to bring him back.
Alhaitham seems to have suddenly taken note of that fact. It wasn’t long before the door was slammed open. Alhaitham’s figure disappearing through it.
* * * * *
There were moments where the glimmers in Kaveh’s eyes seemed to not be there. It never escaped Alhaitham’s eyes, yet he never took note of it. It was always after work so Alhaitham had naturally assumed that it was due to exhaustion.
On those days Kaveh would end up in Alhaitham’s bed. Alhaitham would often wake up to his back pressed against the blond’s chest. Kaveh’s head would be placed in the area where his shoulder and neck joins. Holding Alhaitham tight as if never letting him go. As if he was scared to be abandoned.
Sometimes they would talk about common symbolization about death, or specifically, red spider lilies. Sometimes they talk about what happens to people once they die. Kaveh seems to always bring it out of nowhere. It was quite natural for Kaveh to bring up random topics. Shallow or deep. Alhaitham had secretly always enjoyed those talks though he never looks up from his book.
* * * * *
“Ya know, Life isn’t fair.”
It was one of those small talks that Kaveh often initiated. The blonde had always initiated them. The scribe found some rather intolerable. But some peaks his interests enough for him to respond. Though they never lasted long due to how frequent the topic changes.
“Don’t you feel as if your life is suffocating?” Kaveh rolled on Alhaitham’s bed. Pulling down his book to reveal Alhaitham’s unchanging face, “Having to life the same routine? Waking up, eating, going to work, and so on?”
“No.” Alhaitham puts his book on the nightstand. Signaling how he is willing to have a proper conversation, “Something new happens everyday. Even if it’s just work. Work doesn’t stay the same.”
“Don’t you feel tired of being seen as a model figure? Someone who people always look up to?” Kaveh started to pick on his nails. He seems to have forgotten to cut them for some time.
Opening the nightstand drawer, Alhaitham pulled out a nail clipper. He took Kaveh’s hand into his and started to carefully trim his nails. “No.” All Kaveh received was a simple response. The architect simply hummed. “You're the grand scribe. So effortlessly perfect.” Kaveh mumbled something under his breath. Alhaitham couldn’t catch what he said. So he moved on to trim the other hand. The two sat in silence. The only sound was from the nail clipper.
“There.” Alhaitham tapped Kaveh’s forehead. “Don’t forget to trim your nails next time.” Alhaitham went back to his book. Leaving Kaveh sitting there. Who soon went under the blanket. Drifting off to sleep after saying good night to Alhaitham.
* * * * *
In the dark cold night. There was a man on the top of the building. Sitting by the edge looking into the horizon. As if trying to remember someone. A tear stained face full of longing. His hands were covered in blood. With brown, dried blood scattered on his cloak.
His eyes were empty. The light in his eyes had vanished. He stood up, took off a bracelet with a red jew embedded within.
* * * * *
A dead body was found the next morning.
* * * * *
There they were. In a sea of red spider lilies.