it must be the alcohol that emboldens him.
that's what he tells himself, despite having drank scarcely a flute of champagne. it's a bit too dry for his tastes, and reaching for juice to pour into it to soothe the taste doesn't seem like an acceptable solution. so he has found refuge in a mango cake with a topping of wild berries, the sweetness still in his mouth.
still, midnight approaches. and he's feeling bold, ready to plunge into an occasion.
it happens near midnight, to his good luck.
him and kaveh are celebrating on the balcony, looking at the fireworks about to go off. al-haitham can hear excited hushed voices from downstairs, and rolls the golden bubbles of his drink as he attempts to take another sip. it'll be mitigated by the cake, he can take it.
a minute before midnight.
he sees kaveh smiling, moonlight glittering on his features, and does a thing he should do more often: he gives in on the impulse.
a finger tips kaveh's chin up, and their lips touch just as the first firework explodes in the sky.
it's a featherlight thing, that kiss.
' happy new year, ' is all that al-haitham says on the matter when they part, a soft expression on his face.
Let the moonlight catch his eyes, its shine painting the night a special color Kaveh doesn't remember ever seeing. It's the hours preceding a new milestone, the roads below bustle with youthful excitement — in the few times he remembers indulging, it's never quite been like this. It's differente, lighter; the weight pushing his shoulders to slump seem to have been lifted, temporarily granting him a moment of reprieve. If it's deserved or not, it's a worry alcohol has stolen away from the mind of an architect, allowed for tranquility to seep through and swirl over his tongue like the sweetest of nectars.
This time, when his head lowers, it's not in defeat but in gleeful curiosity: kids rush way ahead of their parents, carrying little sticks from which sparkles jump haphazardly. They play and draw in the air, loudly announce their plans for the future, and the way they speak so freely about it makes Kaveh believe them to be certain, that there's no bigger concern to be had.
It's a minute before midnight, Kaveh's glass has gone empty and he remediates it with a pour of liquid gold, its bubbles quick to rise to freedom. If he's to be honest, a fresh new start has come for him a bit before the end of another calendar. And it's a silly thing, isn't it? The wonder of a colorful sky starting to be outlined with the shapes of collective joy.
His smile is almost as wide as his eyes when it's time for a toast. His body turns, pauses at the lightest of touches before any word dares to spill past parted lips, and how perfectly sweet it is that he accepted to receive it this way — his breath stills, the phantom feeling of a touch lingers and Kaveh has forgotten to stop staring.
When he thinks of his future, there isn't anything set or thought out, but as he peers into the sunset guarded by that sea of teal, for once, he is convinced that whatever it holds for him, it will be gentle. For that, he doesn't fear, he accepts. ❛ Happy New Year, nafasam. ❜