Chapter Text
It has been an awful week for Kaveh. After he sold his house to pay off some of his pressing debts, he has been camping outside Sumeru City in one of the adventurer camps. He scavenged for food and was always able to be on time for appointments in the capitol. It wasn't a long-term solution, but for now, he could tell people that he was camping for inspiration.
Although he knew this wouldn't last, he thought he'd have more time than this. Alas, after those seven days, the sky seemed to split in half, spewing lightning and covering Kaveh with unyielding rain. He gathered all of the few personal belongings he still had, and rushed into the city.
Running through Sumeru City, he tried to come up with a place where he could dry off and possibly stay the night. He considered Lambad's, but he really needed a towel, and not the one used to dry off dishes. No, there was only one place where he could go and the thought of it would've sent shivers down his spine if he already wasn't shivering from the cold rain.
He made his way past Academia and towards Alhaitham's house. Kaveh raised his soaked face, expecting to be greeted by the familiar building, but was met with an unfamiliar figure instead.
"Mr. Kaveh?"
The person asked. Kaveh squinted his eyes, trying to figure out if they knew each other. If they did, he had forgotten them a long time ago.
"Can I help you? I don't want to be rude, but the weather isn't suited for good conversation."
The figure laughed and whipped out an umbrella, offering Kaveh shelter from the downpour. He accepted it awkwardly, still soaked, and was about to voice his concerns again, but the stranger produced a napkin so he could at least wipe his face. For Kaveh, it was considerable enough, so he decided to at least hear them out. He gestured to them to continue while he tried to get his hair into a better state.
"I can't believe my luck, Mr. Kaveh! I have been trying to procure your new address the whole day! As the weather got worse I decided to give up for today, only to run into you here!"
"W-well, how lucky we are"
Kaveh laughed awkwardly, hoping that he won't have to give them his "new address".
"So, can we talk about the reason behind this meeting over a glass of beer?"
The stranger laughed and shook their head.
"This will be quick, Mr. Kaveh. I'm in charge of your aunt's will. I know you drifted apart after your father's death, but she still decided to include you in her last wishes."
Kaveh was so confused. It wasn't like he voluntarily stopped hanging out with his dad's sister, his mom decided that. Nonetheless, after he got older, he should've tried getting in touch with her, but he didn't. And now she's dead. Typical.
A noise brought him back to the present. It was the jingle of a set of keys. The stranger was waving them in front of Kaveh's face. He immediately got flustered and took a step back.
"W-what? I don't understand. What am I to do?"
"Just hear me out, Kaveh"
They dropped the title and moved closer to him. It seemed malicious, but how could it be?
"She left you something very special. The house she and your father grew up in. She wanted it to stay in the family, so please, take care of it, for her sake."
They pushed the keys and a piece of parchment into his hands. He took them dumbfounded, trying to form a cohesive thought. It was too good to be real. Or maybe the gods decided to finally smile at him? It's not like it came without any strings, right?
"W-wait. Shouldn't there be something for me to sign? You know, a legal document, some sort of tax? I don't think that those things are that easy. I mean, I don't even know your name, you know?"
The stranger smiled once more.
"Oh, my bad. I should've introduced myself right off the bat. I didn't want to be rude, Mr. Kaveh. My name is Hatim. And of course, you're right. There are some legal issues for us to sort out, but for now, I just wanted to show you the house. Alas, I'm off the clock, so I wrote down the address. You can check out the house yourself today, or wait for me tomorrow. All of the documents are in the house. We can go over them during my work hours. Is that okay?"
Kaveh's heart jumped. His own house? His own bed? He was more than okay with paying a small tax for a house. Maybe he could spruce it up a bit, sell it and buy a small flat, just for himself. Although, his aunt wanted it to stay in the family. Well, he will figure it out. Maybe rent out a few rooms, the opportunities were endless after all!
"Oh, of course! I can go there tonight if you don't mind. I'd like to check the state of the place myself, before agreeing to anything, it's best to be cautious of course!"
He really hoped that Hatim couldn't hear the desperation in his voice. He really needed this.
"See you there, then. You can keep the umbrella."
Hatim winked at him, taking his damp napkin back. He then turned around and left with a pep in his step. Kaveh was too tired and too cold to argue. After he was left alone, he felt how strong and bone-chilling the wind was. He realized, that his pants were still being caught by the rain. Squeezing his few belongings to his chest, he read the address on the parchment and made his way toward the outskirts of Sumeru City.
When he finally arrived he decided to find the bathroom right away, to chuck his shoes, his new umbrella, and all of his clothes into the bath. They were best left there for the night. He will figure out a way to quickly dry them in the morning.
He unpacked his wet locked rucksack and slipped into some dryer clothes. He was still cold in them, but knew, that they will dry off in no time due to his body heat. After finding a room that looked like a bedroom, he decided to rummage through the dresser. He thanked the gods after he found some bed sheets in there. He wrapped himself in one of them and decided to look for proper pillows and some blankets in the morning. Today was just too much.
He looked at the unusually quiet Mehrak and sighed.
"Come on, buddy. There's a nice empty shelf for you to sleep on today. I'll decorate it for you tomorrow. You have to admit, that it's still better than our make-shift camp."
He laughed quietly and watched as Mehrak slowly made its way onto the shelf. His eyelids were so heavy, he almost didn't register the sound of footsteps all around the house. He groaned and got up from the naked bed.
"Is anyone here?"
Silence.
"I'll take care of you tomorrow."
He groaned and took a key from the dresser and closed the door to, now his, bedroom. He was too tired to consider why did he even know where the key would be.
The day started with annoyingly loud thunder, but in the evening all that stayed was rain. It was pouring so hard, that the streets were empty - which meant that they were quiet.
Alhaitham took off his headphones and sat with a book next to a window. It was unusual for him to sit in the lit-up living room, on display for anyone to see, while they could stay hidden in the evening shadows. Today he wanted to indulge a little, the inside of his house was a tad too warm for his liking and the window gave off pleasant cool air.
He was enjoying the book just fine until his focus was broken by two voices just outside his window. The first one he did not recognize, but the second came with some conflicting feelings.
Whenever Kaveh came into his mind, he would always feel... weird... He felt the sting of nostalgia mixed with regret. The lukewarm burn of all the memories from his time in Academia. It made him so angry. It wasn't logical to feel any kind of way towards his senior.
He reached for his headphones. He wanted to drown out their voices and have an additional excuse in case Kaveh stopped at his door. If his senior decided to stop by, he could see Alhaitham through the window, not being able to hear him through his headgear. And even he wasn't annoying enough to tap on his window, right? Who was he kidding, Kaveh would absolutely do that just to piss him off.
He sighed and put his headphones down, only to overhear the next bit of their conversation. It was so sketchy, no way Kaveh would go for it. But of course, this idiot always wanted to see good in people.
Alhaitham put down his book and decided to investigate this Hatim and their generous offer.
Kaveh woke up feeling warm and well-rested. The mattress was firm and, despite the lack of pillows, his neck didn't hurt, as opposed to sleeping in the Adventurer camps.
"Good morning Mehrak."
It was the first time he actually looked around the room. It was pretty. The shelves were stripped of any decorations, same with the walls, but the room still was charming. The sun reflected playfully off the white walls, there were some flowers painted around the room, their colors even more vivid in the morning sun. The furniture was dark brown, it looked like maple wood, but it would have to be imported from Inazuma. He shivered imagining the cost of it all. The bed was placed on a big shaggy rug. The fiber was silky and soft under his feet and shined in the warm light. He playfully kicked at it and watched the dust particles go up in the air. He had so much cleaning to do.
He did a few stretches and decided to go to the kitchen. He still had some of the eggs, mushrooms, and fruits he scavenged during the last few days. He was positively hungry.
Kaveh grabbed the doorknob but felt a wave of confusion as it didn't turn. After a few seconds, he noticed the key in the keyhole and chuckled to himself feeling silly. Talking to an empty house was something he absolutely would do while feeling anxious. Still, it would be prudent to check all the rooms just to be sure he is alone here.
He left his room and was met with a huge mirror on a wall opposite the door to the bedroom. His clothes were obscenely wrinkled and he felt his cheeks burn a bit. He was in a really bad state. And he was supposed to host Hatim today. He probably should look for those documents they mentioned yesterday.
The hallway was short. It ended with a flight of stairs. They were connected to the walls on both sides, which meant that on one side of them was the bathroom, and on the other was the living room, which probably stretched even behind them. He made a mental note to check behind the stairs later.
The kitchen was bright and spacious. All of the furniture was dark, the same as the bedroom. White walls were decorated with small frames full of dried flowers. He recognized them as the mourning flowers and smiled wistfully. He really liked them.
He fished out a pan and some bowls so he could eat something before exploring. His mind was clear enough that he considered the fact that he seemed to somehow know where everything would be, but he chucked it up to his aunt and dad having the same habits, which were passed down to him.
He found some rock salt and pepper and decided to ground them. They didn't look like they were exposed to any moisture, so he felt like he could use them. He chopped the mushrooms and beat the eggs. He really missed fresh milk. He wasn't able to buy any lately due to the lack of a refrigerator, but now maybe he could spend some Mora on a bottle. He mostly used it when making omelets anyways. He mixed all the ingredients and poured the mixture into the pan. Lately, he's become a master at cooking without oil. The best way to avoid burning your omelets was to scramble them. Kaveh thought that scrambled eggs looked a lot less appealing than a neat omelet. But he wouldn't be able to cook anything nice until he has the proper ingredients.
He ate half of the scrambled eggs and put another half in his newly acquired fridge. He chopped two Zaytun peaches into neat little cubes and decided to go outside to check if there is a well on the property.
Kaveh got back into his bedroom and looked for a shirt with the least amount of wrinkles. It was a fruitless task. He sighed and looked up at the sleeping Mehrak. He thought about waking it. His suitcase was "just" a machine, but he knew that they shared a bond, so he'd never treat it as just a tool. So he left Mehrak alone and went to fetch his shoes from the bathroom.
The room was quaint. The walls were white with huge green, red, and blue flowers painted on them. The bath was tiled with emerald green and the sink in front of it was only 1,5 m apart. The toilet was kept in a similar color and located behind the sink, so the person using it still had any amount of privacy even if barged in on. There was a small window near the ceiling. The glass was stained and cast the bathroom in yellow and blue light. There was another set of doors, probably connected to the living room. Kaveh sighed in admiration. His aunt really knew her stuff.
He scrunched up his nose at the sight of his ruined clothes and shoes. He took his still-damp footwear and headed outside.
The garden outside was full of dry, rough grass. It would've stung his calves if he wasn't wearing long trousers. There were some neglected bushes and flower patches, everything screamed of draught. He saw a small well. Next to it was a sturdy-looking bucket with a thick, scratchy rope attached. He removed the cover and saw that the water level was pretty high - considering how dry the rest of the land looked. Maybe the land was poor in nutrients and the only flowers his aunt was able to keep were those painted on the walls of her house. It made his heart ache.
He took the bucket and chucked it into the well. He took the rough rope and immediately regretted not waking Mehrak. After a few seconds, he started making his way to the house. He huffed as the water was spilling out of the bucket and into his shoes. He'll need a pair that's solely for garden work, he thought.
He took a second to look up at the house. The outside looked exactly like any other Sumerian house. No one could know, that inside it looked more like an Inazuman house mixed with a flower shop.
Kaveh found a glass pitcher in the kitchen and filled it with cut fruit, some mint, and fresh well water. He decided to pour the rest of the water into the bath, so he can start doing laundry. He grabbed a glass of cold fruit water and went back to his bedroom. With his cheeks flushed after all that exercise he woke up Mehrak with an apologetic expression.
"I'm sorry my friend, but I'll need so much more water that I can manage to carry myself."
He gave it a quick pat on the top and showed it the well. While Mehrak was filling the bath, Kaveh went exploring. The sun was quickly rising higher and higher, so he needed to get a sense of the place before Hatim shows up.
Kaveh was in the middle of braiding his hair when he heard soft knocks on his front door. He took a deep breath, put on a warm smile, and went to open the door.
"Hatim! It's so nice to see you again!"
Hatim smiled kindly and opened their arms, inviting Kaveh into a friendly embrace.
"It's so nice to see you too Kaveh, you look really good in the afternoon sun."
Kaveh chuckled and shook his head.
"As opposed to being drenched in the evening?"
Hatim winked at him.
"Every kind of weather can be charming."
"I wish I was as optimistic and romantic as you, my friend."
Kaveh invited them into the house. It was the first time he noticed that the house smelled of sage. Hatim smelled of Petrichor. Somehow both scents complimented each other in a way, that left Kaveh breathless for a second. He shook his head again and invited them to the kitchen. It was the only room he was able to clean in those short few hours. He put the pitcher on the small table and gestured for them to sit down.
"I'm very sorry that we have to meet in the kitchen, I haven't had enough time to clean that beautiful spacious living room."
Hatim shook their head and waived their gloved hand in the air.
"Oh, Mr. Kaveh, the state of this place is completely on me. I should've cleaned before I even considered inviting you to take a look, let alone suggesting that you take the keys."
Their expression was playful, they talked of guilt, but there was none in their demeanor. Kaveh really envied that. He was really thankful that Hatim showed up when they did, and somehow they knew and accepted that fact. He could never.
"There's no need to call me mister. Especially when I call you by your first name."
"I'm sorry, Kaveh, I never meant to make you uncomfortable."
There it was again. They looked fully relaxed and in their element. He only felt that way when he was designing. But all went out the window when he had to face another human. Kaveh wished that all his feelings and conversations flowed as easily out of him as his ideas and grand designs did.
"W-well... I haven't had a proper tour around the place. Maybe you could show me each room, if you don't mind the dust, of course."
"Of course I don't mind. As I said, I was supposed to clean it up anyway."
Hatim shrugged and drank the last of their fruity water.
The first floor consisted of the grand bedroom, the bathroom was connected to it via one set of doors and led to the vast living room via another. The living room was connected to the kitchen, there were no doors there. Only a half wall, so guests could still make conversation with the host taking care of their food and drinks. It was a beautiful one-person living space, if not for the second floor, he'd put up a wall dividing the living room into two rooms. One for daily activities and leisure, and another for a second bedroom/study. Alas, there was the second floor.
Upstairs the hall wrapped around the staircase. It led to four additional rooms. Two were smaller bedrooms, probably for his dad and aunt. one big bathroom, and a study. There was an attic space with a retractable ladder. It was empty andKveh shuddered at the thought of having to take down one of the three beds and hauling it up the ladder. He'll have to ask Tighnari for help for sure.
After the tour, Kaveh signed a surprisingly comprehensive document stating, that the estate was his and made for paying off the tax in rates.
He and Hatim talked until the sky turned red. He then wished them a good evening and closed the door behind them. He felt like a big weight had been taken off his shoulders. Archons really smiled at him this time.
Kaveh sat down on his master bed, hugging Mehrak tight to his chest.
"We did so much today, friend. Thank you for helping me with the laundry. Wake me up if it starts to rain, okay?"
He released Mehrak so it could float to its shelf and power down. He crawled under the sheet and fell asleep, his head on soft pillows for the first time in over a week.
He woke up to someone sitting on the bed next to him and gently petting his head.
"Mom?"
He whispered, opening his eyes. The weight next to him suddenly vanished and he was left sitting alone in the big room. There was no moonlight coming in from the window. After a few seconds, he heard a gentle patter of raindrops against the glass.
"Fuck!"
He exclaimed and run outside to fetch his drying laundry. Mehrak slept soundly during all of this.