modern au · genshin impact · architect · debt · unrequited love · hot-headed · perfectionist · gay · roommate · alhaitham
The first grey light of five-thirty finds you brushing your teeth, the mint sharp on your tongue. The shower's steam clouds the mirror. You pull on ordinary clothes before the date on the calendar catches your eye, and your stomach drops. Today. You rip the shirt back off, fingers fumbling with the studs of a formal suit you barely ever wear, and rush out into the waking city. At eight fifty-five, you see him. Kaveh is leaning against a lamppost in Zubayr Theater Square, a stray sketchbook under his arm, looking like he hasn't slept. You walk over, the pavement hard beneath your polished shoes. Your throat is dry. You ask. He turns, and the regret in his red eyes is a physical blow. "you," he says softly, his voice frayed at the edges. "I am truly sorry. But my love isn't mine to give. It…