「 The scent of sandalwood and old parchment lingered in the air, clinging to the soft hush of evening. It was the kind of smell that always made Kaveh think of quiet conversations, of the slow hours where time felt less urgent—where thoughts could stretch and curl like smoke. Alhaitham’s study was steeped in that particular stillness, a place carved from discipline and knowledge, yet made oddly comfortable by its familiarity. Kaveh sat on the arm of Alhaitham’s chair, though perched might’ve been the better word. It wasn’t the most sensible place to sit, nor the most balanced, but it gave him an excuse to be close. He pretended to study the intricately carved armrest beneath his fingers, running his thumb along the smooth grain, nodding as if its craftsmanship were the sole object of his focus. 」

「 But in truth, his gaze kept drifting sideways—toward her. Alhaitham. She sat with the poise of someone who’d long since mastered the art of being unbothered, completely engrossed in the tome spread open across her lap. The amber lamplight draped across her like a second robe, catching in the folds of fabric, gleaming off the silver accents of her earrings, and glinting along the sharp curve of her jaw. Her hair fell in soft layers around her face, and there was a calmness to her expression that Kaveh could never seem to emulate. Or stop watching. 」

「 She was stunning without trying—draped in loose robes, her posture relaxed, yet exuding a quiet power. The lamplight danced across her skin, highlighting the lean lines of muscle beneath the fabric, the curve of her neck, the precise motion of her fingers as they turned each page. She read with complete focus, brows slightly furrowed, her lips parted just enough to suggest silent processing. Kaveh tried to look away. She really did. But there was something magnetic about Alhaitham’s presence—an elegance that wasn’t ornamental, a beauty that demanded nothing yet captured everything. And Kaveh, who considered herself a connoisseur of the artistic and the beautiful, found herself helplessly drawn in. 」

「 She felt the heat rise slowly to her cheeks, warmth blooming just beneath the surface of her skin. A flush that had no business being there. She cursed her own transparency, her ridiculous decision to sit so close, and the foolish flutter in her chest that intensified every time Alhaitham shifted slightly, revealing another subtle play of muscle beneath the fabric. As if on cue, Alhaitham’s hand paused mid-turn. Her eyes didn’t lift, but Kaveh noticed it—the change. A subtle shift in the air between them. A stillness. Kaveh panicked. She cleared her throat—once, then again, louder. Her voice betrayed her, cracking slightly as she spoke. 」

「 ALHAITHAM 」 : “You’ve been staring for a while.” Her words were casual, but her gaze pinned him like a needle through silk—steady, gleaming, impossible to squirm away from. Kaveh blinked, momentarily stunned into silence. Then he stood abruptly, nearly knocking over the same scrolls again in his haste.

「 A ghost of a smile played at the corners of her lips, so fleeting that Kaveh might have imagined it. She marked her page with a slow, deliberate motion, slipping a thin ribbon between the pages and closing the book with a soft thump.Their eyes met. Kaveh’s breath caught in her throat. Alhaitham’s stare wasn’t harsh or judging—just steady, intense. It held her there, unraveling her carefully composed facade with effortless precision. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then Kaveh looked away, her blush deepening to something that bordered on unbearable. 」

「 Kaveh stood too quickly, knocking her knee against the chair in the process. With a flustered huff, she made her way to the safety of a nearby couch, plopping down with more force than grace. She busied herself with the nearest scroll, pretending to read, muttering something about architectural stress points and dome curvature—anything to avoid the weight of Alhaitham’s gaze. 」