𝙊𝙝 𝙈𝙮 𝙈𝙮 𝙈𝙮 | 𝘈𝘭𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘮

12: Cafe Time

"What?" Kaveh asks. "I could take him!"

"Of course you could," Ayato responds sarcastically.

"Hey! I'll have you know Diluc and I have been boxing buddies since the semester started. I've learned a thing or two from him." The frost-haired man smiles, choosing not to say anything else.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

After you and Alhaitham leave his dorm, the two of you walk in a comfortable silence.

"Haitham, can I hold your hand?" you ask. The taller man looks down at you with a gentle smile. You feel his long fingers intertwine themselves with yours.

"You don't have to ask," he replies.

You lean your head on his bicep. "I know, but I still felt like I needed to."

"This might be short notice," Alhaitham starts. "But are you free tomorrow?"

"I just have to do a bit of homework, but I'll be free the rest of the day."

"I have to finish homework too," he says. "Do you want to meet up somewhere and do it together?"

"Yeah!" you beam. "What place do you have in mind?"

"There's a cafe that opened near campus last month," Alhaitham suggests. "Would you like to go there?"

"Sure."

You two arrived at your dorm sooner than you liked.

"I'll come by at about 11 tomorrow. Is that okay?" Alhaitham asks.

"Sure," you reply. He gives you a quick hug before you enter your dorm.

Immediately, you went to your bedroom as a smile appeared on your face. Quickly, you changed into more comfortable clothes, then flopped onto your bed, letting sleep come to you.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

True to his word, Alhaitham knocked on your door at 11 the next morning to bring you to the cafe. When the door swung open, you greeted the man with a smile. Your eyes drifted to his attire – a black turtleneck, light gray jeans, a tan coat, and his black bag slung on his shoulder. A red hue painted your cheeks as you suddenly felt underdressed in your jeans, sweater, and random jacket. Before you could think much of it, Alhaitham's voice reached your ears.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked while holding out his hand.

"Yeah," you smile, placing your hand in his.

"Let's go," the silver-haired male says. "It's not too far of a walk."

Hand in hand, you two walked towards the cafe, which was a block away from your dorm building. The cafe was nestled into a busy corner of the university district. Its beige exterior, white detailings and large windows gave the cafe a cozy feeling. The interior had warm lighting and was decorated with tables and chairs. When you and Alhaitham walked through the door, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries filled the air.

"What would you like?" Alhaitham asks you once both of you are in line.

"Surprise me," you smile. "Have you been here before?"

"Yeah. Sometimes I study here with Diluc, Ayato, Tighnari, and Cyno," he responds. "But that's only if the library is too crowded."

After getting your drinks and snacks, you sat at a table, Alhaitham sitting across from you. The soft tapping of laptop keys blended with the murmur of people at the cafe, becoming music to your ears as you worked on your homework assignments.