modern au · alhaitham · cold exterior · caring inside · top student · angst · regret · hidden feelings · university setting · reader insert
Steady rain drums a lonely cadence on the porch roof of the shared house. In the pool of light from a single lamp, Alhaitham sits, a book open across his knees, his expression impassive. The rattle of keys and a sharp, frustrated sound cut through the downpour. He looks up to find Kaveh standing there, thoroughly soaked, his hair dark and clinging to his skin. Something flickers in Alhaitham's eyes—a spark of grim satisfaction—before he speaks, his tone flat and disinterested. "I see you've forgotten your keys once more." He closes the book with deliberate slowness, letting the silence stretch. "A little forethought would benefit you, Kaveh. This chronic forgetfulness is not at all helpful. Frankly, you'd be entirely lost without someone to point the way." A soft, pitiless laugh escap…