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“(Name), what are your thoughts on marriage?”
The question comes out of nowhere one day. No dropped hints, no special occasion, nothing. You practically spit out your morning coffee out of shock. He merely stares at you expectantly over the rim of his mug.
You wipe away the coffee from the corners of your mouth as you hurriedly gather your thoughts. Marriage… you can’t exactly say you’d never considered getting married to him. It’d be nice. A peaceful life with the one you loved. Simple, perhaps repetitive, but after all you’ve gone through the past several years, you don’t need anything unexpected upsetting your life again.
It’d also get your parents off your back, who sporadically attempted to reach out to you, but it’s not like you cared much about their opinions anymore.
“... Is this your way of proposing to me?”
He shrugs and sips his coffee again.
“Depends on how receptive you are to it.”
His gaze feels even more piercing than usual and you bashfully avoid it as you take great interest in Thamina napping on a sunny spot atop the kitchen counter.
“... I wouldn’t mind it,” you eventually say. “I’d quite enjoy it, actually. A quiet, peaceful life with you, sipping coffee and spending time with our cat.”
Alhaitham lightly chuckles.
“I’m glad to know we feel the same.”
It’s then followed up with an affectionate sigh as he turns to look out the window. Thamina wakes up from her nap and leaps into his lap, purring contentedly.
“Doing taxes with you doesn’t sound bad at all.”
***
You’d never realized just how stifling the confines of your parents’ house was until you moved in with Alhaitham.
The walls of your childhood bedroom were littered with academic awards and accomplishments, but no personal touches. Nothing that provided an insight into who you were as a person. No decorations. No plants lining the walls of your room, no sentimental photos with friends or even family. Just a boring room with the bare minimum and a desk stacked with schoolwork.
(To be fair, you didn’t really have a personality outside of your academic achievements back then… but that’s all water under the bridge now.)
But when you first stepped foot into the rented house and took a look around, it was as if a switch had been flipped inside your brain. Maybe you just realized you were an adult now and had free will.
And for you, that means the walls and surfaces of your shared home are covered in photos. Most of them are your doing. Your job as a reporter for Sumeru’s biggest newspaper has you traveling a lot and you never leave a nation without a photo or two. Mondstad’s vast grasslands, Liyue’s rocky cliffs, Inazuma’s stormy skies, and Fontaine’s high-tech city and quaint countrysides decorate the walls and flat surfaces of your house. Silly photos of you and Alhaitham on dates and vacations can be found as well, much to his mild embarrassment since many of them are unflattering.
Sometimes, he regrets getting you that Kamera as a graduation present.
And this barely scratches the surface. Your more personal photos are stashed in the many photo books lining the bookshelves, including the one of your first kiss in Fontaine.
This house is almost a home now. It certainly has the feel of one.
The air smells of rich spices as you prepare dinner for tonight. You got off work early today and Alhaitham comes home to help not long after. After greeting you with a hug and cheek kiss and Thamina with some chin scratches, he leaves to get cleaned up and returns to help.
The both of you settle into a comfortable, familiar routine. He stands at the sink handling the prep and cleanup while you’re at the stove taking care of the actual cooking. Thamina lounges comfortably atop a chair while grooming herself before falling asleep. The air is warm and silent, save for the sound of ingredients being chopped and Thamina’s rumbling purrs in her sleep.
It’s clear that you’ve settled comfortably into this place now. But you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have any grievances.
You’re at the stove and stirring the simmering pot of curry now. Alhaitham usually dislikes soups or anything with a liquid consistency, but your curry is thick enough for him to give it a pass.
Oh, and it’s delicious too. Can’t forget the most important reason.
You’re digging through the spice cabinet now. The cabinets in the house are small and the dim lighting doesn’t help as you search for a particular bottle in the overflowing cabinet.
Not this, not that…
Eventually your fingers close around a bottle that feels about right and you grab it, shaking some of the contents into the pot. You freeze when you see and smell something that is definitely not what you were looking for.
“Fuck,” you grumble under your breath as you shove the spice jar back and keep digging for the correct one. Alhaitham keeps an eye on the stove so the pot doesn’t boil over in the meantime.
“I wish we had better lighting in the kitchen. It’s too dim in here,” you grumble when you finally find the correct jar and frustratedly shake its contents into the pot.
Alhaitham hums in response.
“Maybe larger cabinets too.”
He hums again.
He starts setting the table now. The drawer where the utensils are stored is in the corner next to the stove, making it a tight squeeze for the both of you. His arm bumps against you as he reaches for the cups stored in the overhead cabinet, making you drop the wooden spoon into the pot. The cup slips out of his grasp and almost falls on your head.
“... Just make the whole kitchen bigger at this point,” you sigh as you begin plating the food.
“Agreed.”
The kitchen window is cracked open as you sit down for dinner together. It’s still sunny outside and you can hear the sounds of dogs barking, birds chirping, and the sounds of an argument between some of your neighbors somewhere nearby. The curry tastes a little funny from the spice mishap earlier, but it’s nothing that can’t be overlooked.
“Did anything interesting happen at work today?” he asks, as per usual. You shrug,
“Well, I’m being sent out to Liyue in a few days. A traditional festival is being celebrated and they want me to go in and photograph the entire thing.”
He hums. “Have fun and be safe. Festivals can get-”
You brush him off with a wave of your hand.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Spare me the lecture. I’ll bring you back some treats as I always do too. How does some sticky rice dumplings sound? The ones with the filling you like as well.”
That seems to satisfy him because he doesn’t say anything else for the remainder of dinner until your usual bathtime after the dishes are cleaned.
The bathroom upstairs is average-sized, but the bathtub was clearly not designed to accommodate two people at once- especially someone of Alhaitham’s size. His knees awkwardly bump against the side of the tub as you sit between his legs and your own knees are hugged uncomfortably to your chest. You try to distract yourself by playing with a rubber duck bobbing along the water’s surface.
“... A larger bathroom would be nice,” he says, eventually speaking up. You quietly laugh.
“You think so too?”
He hums in acknowledgement and readjusts his grip around your waist.
After the bath, he goes back to the living room to continue reading while you stay in your shared bedroom to begin packing. Clothes, Kamera, backup film reels, notepad, spare pens, Mora…
He soon hears the sound of running water from the bathroom and he knows you’ve finished packing and you’re getting ready for bed now. When he peeks into your shared bedroom, he sees you already curled up under the covers on your side of the bed and the lights off. Thamina rests comfortably above your head, perched atop the fluffy pillows and making biscuits.
You’re on the verge of falling asleep when you feel something warm brush against your forehead and you smile, knowing exactly who it is.
“You’re still awake.”
He says it like it’s a statement rather than a question. The familiar scent of sandalwood and eucalyptus grows stronger as he crouches down beside you and you finally open your eyes. You sleepily smile up at him and he ruffles your hair.
“In my defense, I was about to fall asleep. You were the one that woke me up,” you say, words slightly slurred from sleep and interrupted midway by a yawn.
“Sorry. I thought you had fallen asleep already.”
You rub your eyes and quickly glance at him.
“You’re still fully dressed even though it’s past your bedtime,” you observe.
“I have something quick I need to take care of. I’ll be back soon.”
You hum and close your eyes again, sinking back into the pillow.
“Be back soon then. Don’t wanna sleep without you tonight. Not when I’ll have to for a week or so in just a few days…”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes affectionately as he closes the bedroom door behind him on his way out.
“Clingy,” he murmurs under his breath with no real bite to his voice. He grabs his keys and a nondescript notebook off the coffee table before he leaves.
He stops in front of another house and knocks. He can hear angry muttering from inside and internally chuckles, knowing that he must’ve woken him up.
A few minutes later, the door is slammed open, revealing a familiar face. Alhaitham looks Kaveh up and down, still in his sleepwear.
“Couldn’t even put on something presentable before greeting guests?” he taunts. The blond glares at him.
“Shut it, Alhaitham. It’s 11 pm.”
He pauses as his mind finally starts working again.
“Wait, why are you even here? You’re usually asleep by-”
“Are commissions still open?”
Kaveh goes slack-jawed at the sudden question. Alhaitham can practically hear the gears in his mind turning as he works out an answer with the sleep clouding his mind.
“I… uh, yeah they are. But why are you so interested all of a sudden?”
“Good. I’ll keep this brief then. I’d like to commission you to design a house.”
Stunned, Kaveh watches as Alhaitham tears off a slip of paper from his notebook and hands it to him.
“These are all the features we’d like to have.”
“Larger kitchen… more spacious kitchen cabinets… bigger bathtub… huh, these don’t seem like things you’d be particularly picky about,” he mutters as he squints at the writing. Kaveh blinks, and a few seconds later the realization seems to hit him.
“Wait, did (Name) request all of this? Does that mean-”
“It’s getting late now,” interrupts Alhaitham. “We can work out the details and payment later. When are you free?”
By now, Kaveh is fully awake. He shakes his head and glares at him.
“You are so lucky I consider you a friend! I wouldn’t be doing this otherwise,” he hisses under his breath. He shakes his head and sighs.
“Fine. I’ll accept this commission. I’m free tomorrow starting at noon.”
“I’ll meet you after work then.”
“Deal.”
***
“Care to go on a walk after dinner?”
You look up at Alhaitham sitting across the table from you. He tilts his head to the side when you meet his gaze, an expectant look in his eyes.
You blow on your food to cool it down.
“Sure. Weather’s nice outside. Might as well.”
Half an hour later, you’re strolling through the city. You stop by the Padisarah Pudding vendor you’d always frequent in your Akademiya days. The vendor still recognizes you, even all these years later.
“This part of the city is really nice,” you say around a mouthful of pudding. You’ve ended up on the other side of the city now.
“It’s too far from work for my liking.”
You pout and scowl at his remark.
“Oh come on, what’s there not to like? There’s more to do around here, we’re not as isolated, and it’s warmer since all the houses face south.”
“My point still stands.”
“Haithie, an extra five minutes to your daily commute isn’t going to kill you!”
He huffs and rolls his eyes, but he files that bit of information away.
Later that night, he meets with Kaveh briefly at the tavern.
“So, on the opposite side of the city?”
Alhaitham nods. Kaveh’s head dips, deep in thought.
“I know a place that you guys will for sure love,” he finally says. “Come with me to take a look at it tomorrow. If it’s to your liking, we can begin construction immediately.”
***
A few days later in the early morning, you’re getting ready to leave for your boat to Liyue. As per usual, he accompanies you down to the harbor and helps you adjust your bags.
“We’re grown adults now and you still insist on doing this for me. Not that I’m complaining, of course,” you say as you spin around. He tightens the straps on your bag.
“Force of habit.”
You look back at him with a fond smile and glint in your eyes.
“Can’t shake it from our Akademiya days?”
“Is it so wrong that I want to see you off each time?”
You laugh and shake your head, returning your gaze to the boat pulling into the harbor.
“No, not at all. I like it, actually. Having someone be there for when I leave and when I come back.”
He watches your boat leave until it’s out of sight before leaving. He has a meeting with Kaveh in a bit he’s going to be late for.
The chime above the door at Puspa Cafe jingles as he walks in. He orders a drink and goes upstairs, where he spots Kaveh instantly. He’s sitting by a window with blueprints spread out across the table.
Alhaitham takes a seat across from him.
“This future house is going to be very costly since so much of it has to be custom-made,” says Kaveh, not even sparing a glance at Alhaitham. “Makes me wonder how the hell you can afford this…”
“Wow, not even a greeting?”
The blond rolls his eyes.
“Fine. Hi. That promotion to Scribe must’ve been handy, right?”
Alhaitham takes a sip of his drink and nods in satisfaction.
“There we go. That’s more like it. And to answer your question, yes, but I’ve also been saving up for quite a while now.”
“Don’t have to rub your success in our faces,” mutters Kaveh as he reorganizes the blueprints so they’re splayed out on the table neatly. “Anyway, these are the designs I drafted based on what you guys wanted.”
He lets his gaze roam over the blueprints until it finally lands on one that catches his attention. Hm, the kitchen layout is better than the rest. The bathrooms are quite spacious too. There’s even an office on the first floor. Not that it matters to him since he leaves his work at the Akademiya the moment the clock hits five, but he knows you have a tendency to work around the clock.
(He can practically hear your voice already. “These headlines won’t write themselves, after all,” or something like that.)
“This one.”
“Had a feeling you’d choose that one,” Kaveh says without missing a beat as he gathers the other blueprints and puts them away.
The rest of the meeting goes smoothly. He signs the contracts and makes the down payment. Kaveh gets to work assembling the construction crew and materials needed.
“Since this is a custom house, it’ll take nine to twelve months to complete. Honestly, just anticipate at least a year before it’s finished.”
Alhaitham nods.
“And remember,” he says as he begins packing up. “Do not tell (Name) about this. Keep them in the dark as if your life depends on it.”
“From the tone of your voice, I’d say it does,” scoffs Kaveh. Alhaitham sends him a glare that shuts the blond up.
When you return a few weeks later from Liyue, you bring with you a backpack full of snacks and several reels worth of film, now photographs. And of course, a kiss to his cheek as you walk back home, talking his ear off the entire time about what you saw and did. He listens attentively, humming and nodding along as you speak, with an occasional remark or question thrown in there.
But despite your energy, you’re still tired after a long trip back home. As soon as you get home and your bags are unpacked, you immediately head to your room to take a nap. Alhaitham tucks you in, telling you to not worry about dinner tonight and to get some rest. Thamina immediately leaps onto the spot beside you and nestles into your side.
You sleepily mumble something about how good it feels to be back home. Alhaitham can’t help but sigh and shake his head affectionately.
This isn’t home yet. Just you wait.
***
“Wow, that’s a nice spot for a house.”
Alhaitham follows your gaze to a construction crew assembling the foundation for a large and spacious house. You’re on your daily post-dinner walk now, on the other side of the city that you like.
“They weren’t there the other day. Looks like they’re working fast.”
Kaveh is really pulling out all the stops for him, isn’t he? Alhaitham can’t say he’s surprised. Despite the rocky relationship from their Akademiya days, it’s undeniable that Kaveh would do anything to see his two best friends happy together (for the rest of their lives).
You nod in agreement.
“Yeah. This future homeowner sure is lucky though…”
He has to fight back a smile.
No, (Name). You’re the lucky one here.
***
Over the next few months, you watch as the house slowly comes together before your eyes. The foundation and frame are finished and bit by bit, the rest of the house is installed. Windows, doors, sheathing, insulation, paneling, siding, and all. Occasionally, you spot Kaveh on site working with the contractors. When that happens, you’ll stop for a bit to chat with him. You’ll ask him how the construction is going, to which he’ll say it’s going smoothly and they’re on schedule.
Strangely though, he never divulged who the client was. He keeps it vague, saying it was a wealthy client who commissioned it for his future spouse when they got married.
“What a lucky person,” you sigh.
(“Could you get any more obvious without giving everything away?” hisses Alhaitham when you’re looking the other way.
“Hey, as long as I don’t explicitly tell them it’s you commissioning it, it’s fine, right?”
(Alhaitham has never wanted to throttle Kaveh more in his life than now.)
***
Kaveh stops by one day when you’re in the garden. You’re weeding out your vegetable plot when you hear the crunch of footsteps approaching. The familiar sight of your friend greets you and you eagerly sit up and smile, wiping the sweat off your brow in an attempt to make yourself more presentable.
“Oh, Kaveh! You didn’t tell us you were stopping by! I would’ve prepared some tea and snacks otherwise…”
He waves your concerns off with a laugh.
“No need to. I’m just here to speak with Alhaitham. It’ll only be for a bit. Is he home?”
You nod.
“I’ll go get him.”
A few minutes later he emerges from the house, a little disgruntled after being woken up from his mid-afternoon nap.
“Make this quick,” he grumbles. You pointedly nudge him in the ribs.
You continue your work in the garden. Alhaitham glances at you after a bit, where you struggle with a particularly stubborn weed. His Dendro vision comes to life and the weed wilts before everyone’s eyes. You easily pull it out of the earth and flash him a thankful smile. While you’re occupied with the rest of the weeds, Alhaitham turns to Kaveh.
“So? What’s the occasion?” whispers Alhaitham.
“Good news,” Kaveh whispers back. “We’re ahead of schedule. The house should be finished within three months from now.”
Alhaitham raises an eyebrow. Kaveh scowls at him.
“Oh, wipe that surprised look off your face!” he hisses. “I know what you’re thinking of, ok? Turns out I can actually get work done- ahead of time as well.”
“I never said I doubted your ability. It’s just that seeing you ahead of schedule and not exceedingly behind is a rare sight indeed.”
“You-!”
Alhaitham cuts him off with a soft chuckle.
“Just kidding. But thank you, really.”
Kaveh stares at the man with a half-assed disgusted expression, clearly not used to seeing his friend all sentimental and genuine.
“Wipe that look off your face! It’s so uncharacteristic it’s giving me the creeps.”
With a dramatic shudder and a roll of his eyes, Kaveh looks back at you in the garden, where you’re still tending to the plants and blissfully unaware.
“(Name) really deserves a happy life after everything,” he murmurs. Alhaitham nods in agreement, his eyes still trained on your form and with a soft expression that’s reserved for you only.
“They really do.”
***
Over the next few days, his friends start acting weirdly. They have sly grins on their faces and say encouraging words to him out of nowhere, even going so far as to pat him on the back and congratulate him. For what though?
Instantly, Alhaitham knows something’s up. If he recalls correctly, Kaveh went out to the tavern last night and had a few drinks with the construction crew… And knowing him, a “few” drinks meant several glasses of wine and counting.
Oh no.
When he gets off work the next day, he goes on a manhunt for Kaveh. He spots the blond heading home, covered in dirt from spending a day at the construction site, and stalks toward him.
“Kaveh.”
The blond freezes at his voice and slowly looks up to meet his gaze. His leg twitches like he’s about to make a run for it at the sight of his longtime friend’s angry expression.
“... Yes?”
“Did you run your mouth last night while drunk and tell everyone that I was going to propose to (Name)?”
“...”
“Answer me, Kaveh.”
“... Perhaps?”
An uncharacteristically loud groan escapes his lips as he sighs. He massages his temple, already feeling the headache forming.
“Great. I was planning on having it be a private proposal too…”
Kaveh winces, feeling regretful about throwing a wrench in his friend’s plans.
“On the bright side, I don’t think (Name) has heard anything about it yet. I think everyone had the sense to keep their mouths shut about this…”
That much is true, realizes Alhaitham. You still seem oblivious to what’s been happening over the course of the past year. So it should work itself out in the end, right?
Kaveh is praying everyone keeps their lips sealed. His life is on the line if someone lets it slip.
Literally.
***
As predicted, Kaveh stops by three months later to tell him that the house has been completed. He takes off work the next day and until you return home, he bides his time, making sure everything is in order and that he still has the ring on him.
Dinner is already prepared when you return home. He needs to make this quick. He only has a limited window of time to act.
As soon as you’re done, he almost immediately asks if you’d like to go on your usual walk, then practically grabs you by the wrist and drags you out of the house with him. He’s nervous, even though he knows he has everything under control. The ring is with him, the weather is pleasant, and you’re nonetheless wiser, but his heart keeps pounding uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, you’re wondering what the hell has gotten into him.
The sun is starting to set when you arrive at the newly-completed house. Recognition flickers in your eyes.
“Want to take a look inside?”
“... Are we even allowed to?”
“Relax. I got the permission of the contractors and Kaveh to do so.”
He gently leads you inside. The place is unfurnished, but everything is clean and the wood gleams brightly in the light of the setting sun.
“It’s really spacious,” you remark as you step foot into the kitchen. The cabinets are a lot bigger than the ones at your current house. “And bright too.”
You head upstairs. The rooms are spacious as well, especially the bathroom.
A larger kitchen. Brighter lights. Bigger cabinets. A larger bathtub. At least, compared to your current house. It’s also just nicer overall. No more squeaky floorboards, no more cold drafts, and no more of the issues that come with an older house. It’s also quieter too, which you enjoy. Your current house is located near one of the busier streets in town, meaning you always hear people- even if it’s the middle of the night and it’s just a drunk person stumbling back home. Out here, however, it’s quiet, clean, and sunny. You couldn’t ask for anything else.
A thought begins to form and gnaw at the back of your mind.
You head out to the backyard, where you see a considerable portion of land is enclosed within the fence. Meaning you have plenty of space for a garden now.
…
You sigh mentally. He isn’t as slick as he thinks he is…
The sun is starting to dip beneath the horizon now. A cool breeze gently rustles the tree leaves and your hair. With his warm hand still wrapped around your wrist, he leads you out to the front again. The street is devoid of all people except for you two and the street lamp flickers to life behind him.
“We have already discussed this before, therefore I believe there is no real purpose in delaying this question. However, I know you are one for ceremony so I will abide by your wishes.”
Why the sudden formality is your question, but you let it slide. He takes a deep breath and runs his free hand through his hair. You’ve learned that it’s a tic of his when he’s nervous.
“I have always been confident in every decision I make. Every circumstance, outlier, and variable will be taken into consideration. Regardless of the consequences of the action or the weight it carries, I have almost never, if ever, felt anything other than certain that I have made the right decision with what I was given. And yet now… I find myself uncertain and self-assured at the same time.”
He turns to face you and lets go of your hands.
“Am I making the right decision? Or am I not? This time, you will be the determining factor. My heart is in your hands now, (Name).”
You watch with bated breath as he gets down on one knee and pulls out a box to reveal a glistening ring.
“Will you marry me?”
The world goes completely silent. It’s just the beating of your heart and earnest gaze of his exposed eye, patiently waiting for your response.
That is, until you hear rustling coming from the bushes a few feet away from you and some familiar voices carried along the wind.
“I can’t believe it’s happening!”
Your gaze flicks over to the bushes. So does Alhaitham’s.
“Uh oh, I think they saw us…”
“Quick, hide!”
“We’re already hiding though…”
The spell is broken. Alhaitham clicks his tongue and glares toward the direction of the noise, irritation evident in his eyes.
“He spotted us!”
“And here I was hoping we could eavesdrop without being noticed…”
Slowly, four people step out from behind the bushes, bashfully avoiding your gaze. Tighnari, Cyno, Kaveh, and even… Lisa?
Your jaw drops and your eyes practically pop out of your head at the sight of her. What’s she doing here?
The question must’ve been written all over your face because she chuckles.
“Little brother Cyno over here wrote me a letter telling me everything. When I got it, I dropped everything I was doing. I couldn’t possibly miss out on my dearest cutie’s proposal, after all.”
Lisa not being lazy for once? That’s something new, you think.
A gentle tug on your hand makes you refocus on Alhaitham again. Ignore them, says his gaze. But his gaze flicking back to them every few seconds tells you he wants them out of the picture for now. Kaveh, thankfully, gets the message and practically pushes everyone away out of view to give you two some privacy.
“They’re gone now, Haithoomi,” you say once they’re out of sight. “You can continue now.”
He exhales and rolls his eyes.
“Damn Kaveh, always finding a way to upset my plans…”
But the remark is lighthearted and he quickly refocuses.
“Will you marry me?” he repeats. His voice is softer than you’ve ever heard before, like he’s afraid to hear your response.
…
This silly man. As if you’d say no after all you’ve been through together.
“Despite all your mannerisms, there’s no one else I’d rather spend the rest of my life with. But I’m sure you already knew I’d say that, right?”
“I simply drew upon past information and conversations we had.”
You shake your head affectionately.
“Ever the pragmatist as always.”
A rare smile stretches across his face. He takes the ring out of its box and slips it onto your finger. It glides on smoothly and fits like a glove. When did he get your ring size measurement? Not like it matters anymore anyway.
You take a moment to admire it. It’s a simple and elegant ring with a standard gold band, but the massive emerald in the middle catches your eye. It gleams and sparkles in the evening setting sun. Smaller diamonds and emeralds encircle it and you can safely say you’ve never seen anything quite like it.
This, plus the house behind you, must’ve cost him a fortune. How long had he been saving up for? You’ve been seeing him come home later as well. Had he been working overtime even though he hates doing so?
“Haitham, you really shouldn’t have done all of this...” you choke out past the lump forming in your throat. He shushes you with a finger to your lips and dabs away at the tears in the corners of your eyes that you didn’t even realize were forming.
“But I did. And it’s because I wanted to. You, of all people in our friend group, deserve a happy life the most. After all we’ve been through together, I thought it was only fitting that I would be the one to make that happen.”
You let out a shaky laugh and blink the tears away. He graciously looks to the side.
“Imagine if I had said no.” That elicits a faint chuckle out of him too.
“That’d be quite the predicament I’d find myself in then. I can’t exactly return a finished house, can I?”
It turns out your friends were hiding right around the corner because as soon as you’re done, they rush over and swarm you with congratulations and well-wishes. They marvel over the ring on your finger and ask you questions about when the wedding is and your future together.
“About time,” says Kaveh as the two of them watch Lisa scoop you up into a tight hug and twirl you around from a distance away.
“Like you’re one to talk. How’s your love life going?”
Kaveh bristles and glares at him.
“I’m working on it, ok?! I can’t with you sometimes…”
The blond sighs and shakes his head before continuing.
“Not only were you the first to get a job and then become a homeowner in our friend group, but now you’re the first to get engaged as well! Stop rubbing your success in our faces, Alhaitham!”
The sun has set now. Surrounded by friends and the love of his life, there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.
A faint twinkle in the sky and the sound of something hissing overhead makes everyone pause.
It’s a shooting star.
It’s a small one compared to the one you saw during your Akademiya years, and a bit dimmer too, but it still has a tail to call its own as it speeds through the skies. Although it leaves as soon as it arrives, it leaves behind a multicolored afterglow above your new home that shines brighter than the star itself.
Alhaitham wonders where it's heading toward. Since it already entered the atmosphere, it’ll most likely disintegrate before reaching ground. That’s the logical answer, at least.
He casts a glance over at you, where you gaze up at the sky with a starry-eyed expression. You’re still as enamored with celestial events as you were years before, it seems. Some things never change.
But perhaps this shooting star has finally found a home to return to as well.