Forgive me for each halting line

Ⅵ

Kaveh has wondered about the young Lord's parents before, but the topic seemed even more taboo than the illness claiming his grandmother. He gives a reassuring nod, and Alhaitham continues.

"She made sure I'd still have a connection to my parents. My father liked to read, and she ensured I'd read everything he did and more." He chuckles at the apparent memory, "She always says she doesn't know if we've been given too much share of wisdom or not, but would always remind me that being different is a gift."

Kaveh hums. Alhaitham's grandmother was kind and wise, he's gathered by now.

"She has always told me, 'You are such a smart child. Many such people have large egos and a propensity to act on their own. You are outstanding and possess a broader horizon than ordinary people. This is not a bad thing, but you must take care to have a clearer mind than others. You must understand that vain pursuits are but dust, and that you must discern your path with the greatest of wisdom.'"

At first the words seem arrogant to Kaveh, but then he remembers it was the Lady who spoke them, and he re-evaluates them. He thinks about Alhaitham and how he's acted around him, and he feels like he understands him a little better.

Where society indulges in frivolities and worse, where society would put an Omega in chains, Alhaitham does not. He turns his head away from vain pursuits and instead cherishes knowledge and wisdom.

A small smile spreads across Kaveh's lips. His appreciation for Alhaitham and his grandmother has grown, learning the wise woman's words as she raised the young man.

"She is wonderful..." Kaveh sighs.

"She loves you," Alhaitham smiles at Kaveh, "which I never doubted."

"Really? How so?" Kaveh looks in confusion.

"By now you know she's steadfast, but what you may not know is that she too, is an artist. The paintings within the mansion were all made by her."

Kaveh gapes. The countless images adorning the mansion walls were all made by the same person? And said person is none other than Alhaitham's grandmother?

"She is magnificent!" Kaveh excitedly exclaims.

"So she is," Alhaitham pauses, "The two of you are very alike."

Kaveh's face flushes red at what felt like unintentional praise. To call her magnificent, only to be compared to her after being in agreement, Kaveh felt undeserving.

They stand there in a comfortable silence, until Kaveh decides it's been enough and pushes him towards the canvas he's been working on so diligently. "You should learn how to paint."

"Is that not what I hired you for?" Alhaitham replies sarcastically.

"Shush, I'm just going to teach you some basics. I think having a painted picture of near anything from her loving grandson would make your grandmother happy."

Alhaitham nods, his eyes twinkle with the excitement of a young boy. Kaveh giggles to himself at the endearing change in demeanor. The tall and handsome Alpha, reduced to the mindset of a young pup wanting to prove itself to its parents.

Kaveh hands Alhaitham the brush, their fingers touching briefly causing Kaveh to retract abruptly. The action earns him a light chuckle from the Alpha, a sound he chooses to ignore in favor of finding some scrap paper for the man to ruin with his lack of artistic prowess.

"N—normally I'd start with a sketch," Kaveh curses himself for stuttering. He doesn't understand why all of a sudden, he is acting like a schoolgirl in love. He's been perfectly normal in both his behavior and thoughts towards Alhaitham so far, right?

He steals a glance to his side, and eyes the Alpha up and down. He has always known the man was good looking, but every time he gets a chance to witness it up close, this very fact is emphasized by all the details he's able to perceive at close distance.

The appeal behind Alhaitham was the subtleties to his demeanor, Kaveh decides then and there. The Alpha doesn't outwardly smile, making the small lift at the corner of his lips ever so precious when given. His movements are always minimal, yet graceful. Kaveh's mind wanders to how Alhaitham would be in a fight, cool and calculated, he imagines.

"But...?" Alhaitham's deep voice snaps Kaveh from his thoughts. How long has he been standing there just staring at the Alpha?

"But what?" Kaveh asks sheepishly, unsure where he left off when he last spoke.

Alhaitham's expression is impossible to read, Kaveh believes he sees some amusement in it, but that doesn't feel quite right. "You normally start with a sketch." Alhaitham states, as if he were a teacher reminding a student where they left off in a book they were expected to pay attention to in class.

"Right! I normally start with a sketch," Kaveh regains his composure quickly, "but I doubt your drawing skills are anything to call home for, so we'll do some basic shapes for now."

Kaveh puts the scraps of paper he'd found on the small table holding his supplies, gesturing to Alhaitham to give it a try.

Awkwardly Alhaitham holds the brush and moves it toward the blank scrap, only for Kaveh to tut and stop him. "Hold on, you're holding the brush all wrong."

Kaveh reaches over Alhaitham's hand and moves the Alpha's fingers around the brush to ensure he's holding the tool properly. When his eyes move up to meet Alhaitham's gaze, he stills.

Silently Alhaitham stares at Kaveh, and the air between them feels thick with words left unspoken. The Alpha's sharp gaze pulls Kaveh in and locks him in place, making him feel like he's drowning in the storm raging within the fascinating teal eyes.

"There's specks of orange." Kaveh states, unintentionally speaking aloud his thoughts.

"What?" Alhaitham responds.

"In your eyes, I hadn't noticed before, there's flecks of orange there."

"Is that so?" Alhaitham's lids lower and he closes the space between them ever so slightly.

Kaveh becomes acutely aware of how close they are, and how embarrassing it truly was for him to comment on the Alpha's eyes, no matter how fascinating they were.

"Yes! Well! Either way, you were holding the brush all wrong." Kaveh stammers, stepping back from Alhaitham and creating space between them once more.

"Indeed, you said that."

"Did I?" Kaveh chuckles awkwardly.

Alhaitham watches Kaveh's every move like a predator watches his prey. It sends a shiver down Kaveh's spine, and he isn't sure if he can claim to dislike it. He feels exposed under Alhaitham's gaze, and does everything in his power to hide the arousal he knows is lacing his scent this very moment.

Surely he is successful, as Alhaitham gives no indication of noticing anything being amiss.