[After their night out on the town and the sudden and abrupt end to it (and after taking some time to nurse the awful hangover after the fact), Kaveh will receive a message over the shellphones.]
Mr. Kaveh, if you can call me at your earliest convenience, I would appreciate it.
[It's surprisingly straightforward, coming from Lyney.]
[oh. straightforward messages after a night drinking. that's never a good sign.
Kaveh doesn't call until rather late in the afternoon, largely because that's when his headache has subsided enough he can deal with things like sound and not laying facedown either in the bathroom or on the bed.
...he's laying face up on the bed. Shush.
His voice at least only sounds halfway like raw death.]
Lyney?
I don't think Lyney has the authority to ground anyone lmao
Well, I... just wanted to apologize to you for last night. I know that things can get out of hand when alcohol is involved, but it appears that I said something that seemed to upset you greatly, and required Mr. Alhaitham to have to take you home right away. Though I admit I wasn't at my best after a night of such indulgence, I am sorry for saying anything that would have upset you.
[Lyney scratches the back of his head, taking a moment to think before speaking again.]
It was actually my fault, you see. We were talking about Mr. Alhaitham, and commenting on his looks together -- and being quite ridiculous about it, now that I think about it. [He says that part with a light chuckle.]
But then I believe I said something, and you... well, it seemed my words affected you, and made you upset. I don't fully remember what it was I said, but the fact that it made you almost begin to cry... well, it didn't sit well with me to just pretend it never happened.
Well... If you're sure, then I'm glad it wasn't me who instigated your emotions.
[Lyney hesitates on his reply, processing those few words. He ponders on if he should ask, but decides to bite the bullet.]
Mr. Kaveh, if you'd forgive me for being so bold... are things alright with you and Mr. Alhaitham? I can see how close you two are, but I can't help but notice a tension there. Normally I wouldn't be one to pry, but... well, I can't help but be concerned when a friend is troubled by something.
[Even if his own definitions of "friend" can be skewed due to his affiliations, he does mean what he says.]
[Lyney says it lightly, but it's a weighty little detail, something that Alhaitham has no doubt already picked up on. Lyney's instincts were as sharp as a cat's, honed by years of survival need and House of the Hearth training. Of course he'd notice something as simple as a strained relationship.]
[Still, hearing those words does make Lyney pause, blinking a few times on his end.]
Did something happen to change all that?
[He's probably pointing out the obvious, but he'd rather hear how Kaveh explains it than make assumptions.]
[Oh, this is actually... this actually makes a lot of pieces fall into place. Lyney falls silent for a moment, and when he speaks again, all the theatrics are gone and his voice is filled with concern.]
I'm... so sorry to hear that. It must have been a truly big fight to have affected you both so badly.
[A part of him actually feels bad for his prior open flirting now.]
And you haven't been able to come to an understanding after that?
Mmn...it's not that. In some ways, it might be easier, if we truly hated each other. Certainly, I resented him, but that's not the same...
Before that fight, I would have said I knew him better than I knew myself. Our views are opposites, but once, that created a harmony, instead of endless discord. We were...arrogant, I suppose. Young, and proud. We never spoke our feelings aloud because we always assumed the other would understand.
[He trails off into a sad little laugh.] Now, we're living with ghosts. We're not the same people we were, but...the boy I knew is still there. I just don't know how to read the man he became. I always thought he must have resented me as much as I did him, or maybe just moved on entirely, but...
[Kaveh is quiet a long while.] I don't know. I can't make much sense of all that's happened since that day.
[Hearing the loaded backstory like this, many things begin to fall into place; the obvious pining, the connection between the two, and why, despite being painfully obviously attracted to one another, neither man seemed willing to even entertain the thought of being a couple. This gaping rift was a wound long inflicted, and it looked like the two were still trying to navigate it.]
Have you tried apologizing to each other? Or even just talking to him about it?
[Lyney notices that little slip of the tongue, but for Kaveh's sake chooses to politely overlook it. Instead, he brings a hand to his chin.]
Hmm... Have you thought of perhaps writing things down? If only to get your thoughts in order, and then maybe that could be a way for you to figure out how to tell him how you truly feel?
[That at least sounds promising, hearing his idea being considered.]
I've heard somewhere that sometimes, it's easier to write down our feelings in order to understand them better. That way, you can practice seeing how they would sound before you talk to him. Then, when you have your thoughts in order, you can tell him how you truly feel.
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text; set the day after their drinking party
Mr. Kaveh, if you can call me at your earliest convenience, I would appreciate it.
[It's surprisingly straightforward, coming from Lyney.]
voice; lyney is he grounded
Kaveh doesn't call until rather late in the afternoon, largely because that's when his headache has subsided enough he can deal with things like sound and not laying facedown either in the bathroom or on the bed.
...he's laying face up on the bed. Shush.
His voice at least only sounds halfway like raw death.]
Lyney?
I don't think Lyney has the authority to ground anyone lmao
Still a part of the world of the living, Mr. Kaveh?
[Though it's a tease, he does keep his voice on the lower side, so as not to aggravate the headache the man most definitely has.]
get alhaitham to ground him
[He manages a faint chuckle.] Are you doing alright?
I don't think Lyney has that kind of power LOL
[He was able to hold his liquor better than Kaveh, but he wasn't immune to hangovers. Those last three glasses of wine were a mistake.]
[Speaking of...]
Ah... Mr. Kaveh, is it alright if I talk to you about something?
I don't think he'd have to try very hard this time
[There is a pause. He remembers more than he's told Alhaitham but that doesn't mean he remembers everything...oh dear.]
I don't see why not.
cackles
Well, I... just wanted to apologize to you for last night. I know that things can get out of hand when alcohol is involved, but it appears that I said something that seemed to upset you greatly, and required Mr. Alhaitham to have to take you home right away. Though I admit I wasn't at my best after a night of such indulgence, I am sorry for saying anything that would have upset you.
and so it begins
[Well, this is. Slightly awkward.] Lyney, you don't need to apologize. If I'm being honest, I don't...remember much after my second or third glass.
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[That's some genuine confusion coming from Lyney's end.]
You really don't remember anything? Not even when Mr. Alhaitham took you home?
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It's not that I remember nothing. It's more as though I remember pieces, but now how they string together. Did I say something strange?
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[Lyney scratches the back of his head, taking a moment to think before speaking again.]
It was actually my fault, you see. We were talking about Mr. Alhaitham, and commenting on his looks together -- and being quite ridiculous about it, now that I think about it. [He says that part with a light chuckle.]
But then I believe I said something, and you... well, it seemed my words affected you, and made you upset. I don't fully remember what it was I said, but the fact that it made you almost begin to cry... well, it didn't sit well with me to just pretend it never happened.
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It wasn't...your fault, Lyney.
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[Lyney hesitates on his reply, processing those few words. He ponders on if he should ask, but decides to bite the bullet.]
Mr. Kaveh, if you'd forgive me for being so bold... are things alright with you and Mr. Alhaitham? I can see how close you two are, but I can't help but notice a tension there. Normally I wouldn't be one to pry, but... well, I can't help but be concerned when a friend is troubled by something.
[Even if his own definitions of "friend" can be skewed due to his affiliations, he does mean what he says.]
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You're very perceptive, aren't you? [callin' you out.] We are...it's complicated. It's more accurate to say, we used to be as close as you say, but...
[He sighs.] Well, we're not exactly those people anymore.
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[Lyney says it lightly, but it's a weighty little detail, something that Alhaitham has no doubt already picked up on. Lyney's instincts were as sharp as a cat's, honed by years of survival need and House of the Hearth training. Of course he'd notice something as simple as a strained relationship.]
[Still, hearing those words does make Lyney pause, blinking a few times on his end.]
Did something happen to change all that?
[He's probably pointing out the obvious, but he'd rather hear how Kaveh explains it than make assumptions.]
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...but what's the point of hiding it now, either? So he just makes sure he won't be overheard and sighs.]
...He told me my altruism was nothing but guilt over the way my father died. And I told him I regretted ever speaking to him.
We didn't speak for years, after that.
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I'm... so sorry to hear that. It must have been a truly big fight to have affected you both so badly.
[A part of him actually feels bad for his prior open flirting now.]
And you haven't been able to come to an understanding after that?
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Before that fight, I would have said I knew him better than I knew myself. Our views are opposites, but once, that created a harmony, instead of endless discord. We were...arrogant, I suppose. Young, and proud. We never spoke our feelings aloud because we always assumed the other would understand.
[He trails off into a sad little laugh.] Now, we're living with ghosts. We're not the same people we were, but...the boy I knew is still there. I just don't know how to read the man he became. I always thought he must have resented me as much as I did him, or maybe just moved on entirely, but...
[Kaveh is quiet a long while.] I don't know. I can't make much sense of all that's happened since that day.
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Have you tried apologizing to each other? Or even just talking to him about it?
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[...]
I can never seem to talk about the things I regret sober. I'm not sure he believes me, when I'm drunk.
[what happened to not remembering, Kaveh?]
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Hmm... Have you thought of perhaps writing things down? If only to get your thoughts in order, and then maybe that could be a way for you to figure out how to tell him how you truly feel?
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[It sounds like a terrible idea, honestly, he lives with a man who reads everything, but maybe...]
I suppose I could.
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I've heard somewhere that sometimes, it's easier to write down our feelings in order to understand them better. That way, you can practice seeing how they would sound before you talk to him. Then, when you have your thoughts in order, you can tell him how you truly feel.
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[His voice sounds very small, because. Well. That's the kind of thing that hurts to say.]
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The words you want to say to him... will they come from the heart?
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