Chapter Text
When Kaveh awoke, he was laying on carpeted floors. The sunlight coming through the windows indicating that he’s been sleeping for at least five to six hours. As Kaveh braced his hands on the floors to try sitting up, he noticed the cold metal around his wrists, a chain extending from each arm and connecting to the wall behind him.
It took him a couple of tries to sit up properly, each time he tried the room would turn into a blurry spinning mess and he’d topple over. Nausea is stirring through his stomach and Kaveh has to place a hand over his mouth and breathe deeply for a ridiculous amount of time to stop it.
He braces his hands on the floor once more and drags himself backwards until he could lean on the wall, he tips his head back and shuts his eyes tightly, trying to breathe steadily to prevent the building panic in his chest.
Because Kaveh knows. In situations like these, panicking is the last thing he should do. Always be scared, never panic. Because fear keeps us alert and focused on our surroundings. While panic does directly the opposite. Well. He’s definitely scared out of his mind right now, so at least he’s doing something right.
Kaveh looks around with blurry eyes and searches his brain for any solution, but the only thing going through his head is the possibility that Alhaitham is hurt and bleeding somewhere, and he’s stuck here. He’s not only useless, but also a burden right now.
Kaveh shakes his head to dispel his thoughts, taking a deep breath and trying to think again. Maybe Alhaitham wasn’t actually hurt. Maybe Ehsan just used that as a convincing excuse to drag Kaveh here… ugh, Kaveh truly hopes thats the case.
Fortunately, since Ehsan’s plan was stupid enough to allow him to walk on his own feet. All he has to do is get out of here and he’ll get home just fine. His first issue is the metal chains. He lifts his arms to examine them closely. And he decides he should try all his options.
First thing he tries is swinging his fists as hard as he can in an effort to break them. He knew it was a long shot, but he was determined to try anyways. So, Kaveh lifts both his hands and smashes them on the floor, but that only results in a burning pain and a loud thud. He goes still for a moment. Trying to listen to any noise from outside the room. But When he hears nothing, he tries it a couple more times until he’s forced to stop due to the unbearable pain. He really cant afford to do much damage to his hands. They’re his livelihood.
Second thing he tries is just slipping out of them. They don’t fit his wrists perfectly, theres a tiny gap between metal and skin that Kaveh places his bets on. So he tries. And at first his hand does glide through, Just a little bit, But the hope in Kaveh’s heart is squashed when the shackle stops moving when it reaches just below the base of his thumb. He tries and tries till theres bruises blooming on his hands, along with stinging, burning welts that spread from his wrists upwards. Some dripping blood that rolls down his forearm and drips down onto the floor through his elbow. And by now, his prevention to harming his hands is out the window.
Third thing he tries is grabbing the chains and trying to dislodge them from where they’re anchored in the wall. He wraps his palms tight around the chains and pulls. The clanking sounds the chains make grating on his ears terribly. He pulls again, sweat forming on his forehead as he grits his teeth and pulls on the chains with as much force as he could muster in his state. But no matter how hard he pulls the chains don’t budge. The only result is just the sweat forming on his forehead, and his breaths coming out in pants of exhaustion. The nausea threatens to rise again as his breath quickens. But he swallows it down, counting backwards in his head to quell his panic.
Kaveh startles awake one more, though this time, its due to the sound of the door to the room opening. He immediately sits up straight and looks to the figure coming in. It’s Ehsan, a grim expression on his face as he stares down at Kaveh.
“What do you want? Why are you keeping me here?” Kaveh starts, his throat parched and his voice coming out hoarse. Ehsan’s expression changes to one of anger. “You know what I want.” He says determinedly.
“Are you fucking insane? How would I—“
“You’ve known that i liked you. And yet you chose Alhaitham. Even though it was supposed to be me. I’ve been spending time with you, I’ve been buying you gifts, we’ve been going on dates. You always smile at me, help me with work when i ask of you, you even accept my dinner invites sometimes. Surely, you owe me for everything.” Ehsans eyes glaze over as his voice takes a chilling tone. Kaveh’s confusion only increases the more Ehsan speaks.
“What dates?!” Kaveh shouts furiously. His anger rising the more he listens to Ehsan blabber. “Listen here you crazy bastard. I don’t owe you a thing. Just because I’ve spent time with you, doesn’t mean I’m in love with you. Just how utterly conceited do you have to be to think that anyone who treats you with basic human decency is fucking in love with you?!” Kaveh’s voice raises the more he speaks, his eyes gleaming fiercely as his fists clench by his side.
Ehsan goes silent. Hands in his pockets as stares at Kaveh flatly. The hes marching towards him, crouching down and grabbing his hair, pulling it to force Kaveh to make eye contact with him. “Listen. I dont care what you think. I want you. And If you agree to stay with me, I’ll provide you with anything you want. I’ll take care of you.”
Kaveh’s breath hitches on a mocking chuckle. “And if i dont agree?”
“It doesn’t matter. You’re coming with me anyway. My father prepared a boat. We’ll go to fontaine, im sure you’d love that. I mean, isn’t that where your mom lives? Im sure you’ll be happy to spend time with her.” Ehsan replies adamantly, his lips curling into a smirk.
They only stare at each other in silence until Ehsan relents, removing his hand from Kaveh’s hair and pulling back. But Kaveh’s arms shoot out and fist the lapels of his coat, pulling him close. “Where. Is. Alhaitham.” He snarls. His words sharp and furious.
Ehsan growls furiously, his hands grabbing kaveh’s face almost tenderly. If it weren’t for the murderous gleam in his eyes. “It doesn’t matter where he is anymore. He’s dead, darling.” He says slowly, as if delighting in the shattered expression appearing on Kaveh’s face.
Kaveh’s breath quickens, hands clenching even tighter. But he steels himself, looking at Ehsan directly. “You’re lying. You have no proof.” He speaks determinedly. But to his surprise, Ehsan’s expression doesn’t change at all. Instead, he suddenly lets go of Kaveh. Abruptly standing and leaving the room.
But before Kaveh has time to think about it the door swings open again, revealing Ehsan going in but this time with a familiar cape bundled in his arms, the huge dark red spot seeping through the fabric stands out from the greens of the cape. And Kaveh has to take a deep breath and swallow the lump forming in his throat, his eyes watering dangerously.
Ehsan throws it into his lap, and Kaveh can’t stop the silent tears that drip down his cheeks as he grabs the cape gently, eyes focused on the blood on it. It’s such a huge stain….He must’ve lost so much blood, it must’ve been so painful. And all of it was Kaveh’s fault, Alhaitham was hurt just because this insane, delusional person decided he liked kaveh.
“Awh, dear senior. Its alright, in due time you’ll forget about him.” He speaks soothingly, crouching down on one knee to make eye contact with Kaveh.
Kaveh scoffs through his tears and smiles arrogantly.
“Don’t delude yourself. You are nothing, compared to him.” He says slowly. Watching in barely concealed satisfaction as Ehsan’s expression twists up into anger, jaw clenching and eyes narrowing pointedly.
“And there’s nothing you can say or do, to make me like you. Alhaitham, is the one i love. I love him. I will always love him. Him. Not you. Never you.” He speaks resolutely, his voice strong and unwavering, his red eyes glowing with conviction.
And it seems that’s what makes him snap, lunging forward to grip Kaveh’s forearms tightly, his nails digging into Kaveh’s skin. “You little!—“ he snarls before a loud thud booms across the space. Ehsan freezing in his tracks, getting up quickly and turning to stare at the door. Loud, thundering footsteps are heard, multiple footsteps even, the clashing of swords and the shouts of stern commands echoing through the house. The door to the room finally bursts open, Alhaitham standing under the door frame with both swords in his eyes, jaw clenched and his brows furrowed in anger.
Kaveh’s heart stills in his chest, only realizing how absolutely afraid he was when he sees that Alhaitham’s alive an well. Lips quivering in relief, the fear in his heart finally receding.
Alhaitham drops both his swords, and Kaveh has no time to worry before Alhaitham’s marching through the room and straight towards Ehsan.
Ehsan pulls out his sword and tries swinging it when Alhaitham gets close. But Alhaitham catches his wrist and holds it away, his other arm fisting through Ehsan’s collar and pulling him to bend down, Alhaitham lifting his knee at the same time to collide with his face. Kaveh’s still and watching. His eyes locked on the furious expression Alhaitham’s face.
Alhaitham snatches Ehsan’s sword from his hand and throws it somewhere behind him, the clashing of the metal as it hits the floor echoing loudly through the room. He’s then fisting both his hands through Ehsan’s collar, pushing him roughly till he crashes into the wall. Ehsan struggles against Alhaitham’s grip relentlessly, his breath heaving as he lets out groans of pain. But Alhaitham doesn’t budge. Then He lifts a fist and swings it towards Ehsan’s face, blood immediately splattering from his nose. But Alhaitham doesn’t seize, He punches and punches and punches, till Ehsan is slumped in his grip unable to do anything but take it. Even then Alhaitham raises his fist again, but Kaveh doesn’t want him to continue. If he kills him, He’d get into serious trouble. So he calls out cautiously, praying that Alhaitham will listen to him for once.
“Haitham…” he calls softly, his hands braced on the floor to hold himself up. Alhaitham’s fist pauses in the air, and the only sound echoing through the room is Alhaitham’s exerted breath. “Haitham, that’s enough. Please.” He repeats pleadingly. And to Kaveh’s relief, Alhaitham actually listens, dropping Ehsan’s listless body to the ground before turning to look at Kaveh for the first time.
And Kaveh barely has anytime to react before Alhaitham’s crossing the short distance between them, dropping to his knees in front of kaveh and leaning down to gather him close to his chest. “Kaveh.” He says softly, arms tightening around him. And Kaveh can’t possibly hold his tears back anymore, he buries his head in the crook of Alhaitham’s neck. His hands raising to fist through the front of Alhaitham’s shirt, his chest heaving with sobs.
“H-Haitham, you absolute idiot…I t-thought you were….” Kaveh starts, his words breaking due to the sobs racking through his chest. But Alhaithams arms only tighten around him in response, one hand placed on the back of Kaveh’s neck delicately, while the other rubbed up and down his back, hoping to quell the shaking in his form.
“Shhh, it’s alright Now.” Alhaitham murmurs soothingly, the hand on his back never pausing. They stay like that until Kaveh’s breathing is back to normal, and only then does Alhaitham pull back to look at Kaveh’s face. His hands coming up to wipe the remaining tears gently.
Then his eyes flicker to kavehs hands and he stills, eyes roaming around to look at the welts and bruises scattered along kaveh’s wrists and arms. His lips press together as his jaw clenches, eyes narrowing in anger before he takes a deep breath to calm himself. One hand rummaging through his pocket and pulling out a small key he found outside the room.
He grabs each of Kaveh’s wrists in turn, unlocking the chains and removing them gently, then wrapping his own arms around Kaveh’s wrists. Thumb caressing the bruised flesh softly.
“Haitham. What happened on the expedition? He told me you were hurt.” Kaveh asks worriedly, his eyes puffy and red from all the crying he’d done. “There was a fight, mercenaries attacked. But I wasn’t hurt.” Alhaitham replies evenly. “But Haitham, the blood on—“
“Not mine.” Alhaitham interrupts. Kaveh sighs in relief, dislodging his wrists from Alhaitham’s grip to intertwine their fingers together, Alhaitham’s eyes flit to their hands before looking back at Kaveh’s face. Kaveh smiles, eyes wrinkling at the corners. “Im glad you weren’t hurt.” He says softly.
Alhaitham lets out a sign and drops his head to rest down on Kaveh’s shoulder, his hands squeezing Kaveh’s evenly before he breathes out softly, “You drive me crazy.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?!” Kaveh splutters irritably, but before he could start berating him for being rude and insensitive, Alhaitham continues. “When I went back home and you weren’t there, I panicked. It’s like I couldn’t think properly. My rationale is something i pride myself on. And yet, when it comes to you, i can never think logically. You drive me absolutely crazy.”
They sit in silence for a moment. Then Kaveh places his hands on Alhaitham’s cheeks and pushes him off his shoulder to look at him intently, his cheeks heating as he takes a deep breath. “Haitham. I like— no, I love you. I have for a while. And im not just saying this to keep up appearances for our fake marriage, i really mean it. I truly, truly—“ he’s rambling anxiously and Alhaitham smiles happily
“Hm. I love you too.” Alhaitham cuts him off gently, leaning forward to press his forehead against Kaveh’s.
Kaveh pauses abruptly, his eyes widen adorably, glistening with a little more tears, before a wide smile spreads on his face, one that makes Alhaitham’s own lips lift up into a smile.
Then, Kaveh’s gaze flits to Alhaitham’s lips and back up again. To which Alhaitham merely shuts his eyes and closes the distance between them, their lips press together, and Kaveh’s eyes close on their own, Alhaitham’s large palm reaching up to cup his jaw warmly, his other hand wrapping around Kaveh’s shoulders.
The kiss was slow and deep, their head tilting as their lips moved, Kaveh’s lips were soft and warm, but then they parted slightly, allowing Alhaitham’s tongue to slip inside. Alhaitham’s arm tightened around him, the kiss turning fervent and hasty, and Kaveh’s mind shuts off, all he’s able to focus on is the heat of Alhaitham’s mouth on his own.
Kaveh moves his arms to wrap around Alhaitham’s neck, his fingers running through Alhaitham’s hair, and Alhaitham groans in response, Kaveh feels like his hearts about to burst. And in his haste, he accidentally presses against a fresh cut that’s on his hand, and he winces in pain.
Alhaitham pauses, pulling back slightly, his gaze intent. Then he tilts his head to press kisses against Kaveh’s flushed cheek, the arm that was cupping Kaveh’s jaw moving to grab his wrist again, raising it to his mouth and pressing a gentle kiss against the bruised skin there.
He looks up at Kavehs face, and Kaveh’s arm shoots out and covers his eyes. He’s so flustered he needs to take a breath, and he can’t do that while Alhaitham looks at him like he wants to eat him. Alhaitham’s smile becomes amused, “what’s wrong, Sweetheart?” He says as he moves Kaveh’s palm off his eyes.
“You’re annoying.” Kaveh states grumpily, eyes glancing away from Alhaitham. And Alhaitham only chuckles delightfully in response.
Later, When it’s apparent that Kaveh’s legs wont hold him up due to the lingering effect of whatever Ehsan had used to put him to sleep. Alhaitham carries him all the way to Bimarstan, cradling him to his chest tightly, despite all of Kaveh’s protests.
They give him some salves for the bruises and bandage his arms efficiently, insisting on some blood tests to make sure the drug Ehsan used didn’t have any lasting effects. And after that they cleared them to go.
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“Alhaitham! Put. Me. Down. Now!” Kaveh struggles defiantly, hands smacking Alhaitham’s shoulders. In response, he’s just held closer to Alhaitham’s chest. The arms wrapped around him tightening.
“Seriously, you brat!! I told you i could walk just fine. Put me down.” Kaveh shouted earnestly, his hand going up to pinch Alhaithams cheek roughly.
“No.” Alhaitham replies evenly, one hand supporting Kaveh’s body, while the other dislodges Kaveh’s arm and pulles it down.
It was already late evening, and people were bustling around the streets, most of them were staring right at them, whispering and giggling as they walked past.
Kaveh sighs grumpily, accepting his fate and moving to hide his face by shoving it into Alhaitham’s shoulder, his hands, now resting on Alhaitham’s shoulder blades, pinching him as they walked, each time he does it, Alhaitham jostles him up in punishment. And Kaveh tries to smother his giggles into Alhaitham’s skin, but judging by the quirk of Alhaitham’s lips, he isn’t quite successful.
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Later, after they have dinner, they’re seated beside each other on the couch when Alhaitham turns to him, the expression on his face almost guilty. “Kaveh. During the attack, i lost the necklace. I looked for it afterwards, but I wasn’t able to find it.” He says seriously. To which Kaveh only smiles giddily, standing up abruptly and moving to grab the necklace from where he had hid it in the pockets of his shirt.
He offers it to Alhaitham, but he only turns to look at Kaveh and smiles. “Will my dear wife help me put it on once more?”
“Agh, you…seriously! You’re much too spoiled, husband.” Kaveh sighs tiredly, rolling his eyes even as he moves closer to fasten the necklace around Alhaitham’s neck.
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Of course, They still argue about mostly everything, Kaveh nags Alhaitham for leaving his books everywhere while Alhaitham forces Kaveh to take breaks and actually sleep, they disagree on the values of things, the logics surrounding life, but they also disagree on stupid things like how much pickles there should be in a shawarma.
But now, when Kaveh’s overwhelmed and anxious, he doesn’t hesitate to ask Alhaitham for help, Alhaitham will wrap his arms around him, hands rubbing comforting circles on his back as he places gentle kisses on his hair and wipes his tears. Similarly, when Alhaitham’s ears bother him, when everything becomes too loud for him to bear. Kaveh will put his hands over them gently, place his forehead on Alhaitham’s, and sit quietly until Alhaitham feels okay again, then he’ll spread so many kisses across Alhaitham’s face that he cant help but smile.
All in all, neither of them would have it any other way.
Oh, and they throw the glass flowers away.