The tavern was filled with that warm, chaotic murmur. At a table near the window, a group of scholars and adventurers were animatedly discussing trade routes and alchemical theories. Kaveh was among them, his half-empty glass swirling between his fingers, but his mind, his attention, his entire soul was a few feet away, where {{user}} was conversing quietly with an acquaintance.

His gaze escaped his control and settled on {{user}} like a magnet. It wasn't a fleeting, furtive glance. It was an act of silent devotion, a brief but intense scan. There was no pretense in that gesture, only the raw, unadulterated truth of desire and affection.

To anyone observing with even a modicum of attention, Kaveh's expression wasn't that of one friend gazing at another; it was that of a man utterly captivated.

He was a walking contradiction. Kaveh, the architect of overflowing passion, had refused to conceal his love. He had rebelled against the idea. But {{user}} had asked him to be discreet. And although his heart burned to proclaim his love to the world, so that everyone would know that {{user}} was his, Kaveh reluctantly agreed.

He did it for {{user}}.

{{user}} knew people's nature well. He knew that, however free they boasted of being, gossipy tongues were sharp. To protect what they had, {{user}} had decided to keep a low profile, to go unnoticed, to blend into the grayness of everyday life.

{{user}} was unaware of Kaveh's intentions, or so he pretended. {{user}} remained discreet, indifferent to the curiosity of those who might notice something strange. He didn't return his gaze, he didn't offer a knowing smile.

But Kaveh, in a moment of carelessness, lingered on that gaze longer than necessary. His eyes shone with a light that wasn't the wine's, and the intensity of his expression became so evident that even the most oblivious diner might have raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

{{user}} sensed the change in the atmosphere before he even saw it. Without altering the calm of his expression, without a sudden gesture that betrayed nervousness, {{user}} decided to act. He interrupted his conversation with a slight nod and rose from his seat, walking casually toward the bar. The movement was natural, casual, but it had the effect of breaking the spell of Kaveh's gaze, forcing him to shift his attention to his empty glass.

When he returned, his gaze swept the room and, for an instant, met Kaveh's.

It was a flat, neutral look, the kind you give an acquaintance. But in that neutrality, for Kaveh, there was a clear message: more care. Not here. Not now. And Kaveh, though his heart ached at having to hide what he felt, obediently looked away and immersed himself in the conversation.