Work Text:
It was nearing midnight when Alhaithem set his book aside, having read it cover to cover that day. Though it had been an interesting read, most of the ideas were antiquated and hardly deserved further attention. Still, new knowledge was always useful, even if it only served as a guide for what not to do. He pulled himself from his chair, stretching a bit before heading to the kitchen for a glass of water before bed.
Stepping into the hall he could see the light seeping out from under Kaveh’s door. Despite the late hour the architect was still hard at work. He’d been focused on the project for the past three days, barely taking the time to eat, and certainly not getting enough sleep. The project wasn’t even due any time soon, nor was the client especially difficult. At this point, Alhaithem suspected Kaveh overworked himself out of habit rather than necessity.
It would be simple enough to get his water and return to his own room. Less effort on his part, less complaining from Kaveh. At one time he would have done exactly that, but he cared too much for Kaveh to let him work himself to death. His reasons weren’t entirely selfless. Since they had become a couple, they spent many of their nights together, even if one came to bed later than the other. Alhaithem found himself missing that company and the more restful sleep that came with it.
Alhaithem did grab a glass of water, taking it back to his room and setting it beside the bed. Kaveh wouldn’t let him leave to get it later. Then he made his way to Kaveh’s room, opening the door without even knocking. The architect was hunched over his desk, so focused on his work he didn’t hear him enter. Several wadded-up balls of paper were scattered across the floor. That combined with the rumbled mess that was Kaveh’s hair made it clear things were not going well.
Stopping just behind him, Alhaithem set his hands on Kaveh’s shoulders, smiling softly to himself when the other man jumped.
“You asshole!”
“Is that any way to greet your boyfriend?”
Kaveh looked up at him, frown only deepening as he took in the smirk on Alhaithem’s face. “It is when he sneaks up on me! What are you even doing up this late?”
“Reading.”
“Of course.” Kaveh turned back to his papers, pencil tapping idly on the table. It seemed he thought the conversation would end there. He should have known better. He probably did.
Alhaithem let his hands slide over Kaveh’s shoulders, then down his arms. He pulled away for a moment, then turned Kaveh’s chair enough so he could stand in front of him. Kaveh was already scooped into his arms by the time he voiced his complaint.
“What are you doing?”
“Kidnapping you.”
“I’m busy!”
“Are you though?” There was plenty of meaning behind those three words. Is this project really that important? Important enough to worsen your health over? He carried Kaveh into the kitchen, setting him down in a chair and leaving him with a firm look to stay put. “I assume you haven’t eaten recently.”
“No.” The word came out half whispered, as though Kaveh were embarrassed to admit it.
“I thought as much.” Alhaithem went over to the fridge, taking out some cheese and a bowl of fruit, both of which he’d cut up earlier in the day for a snack. If he’d made enough for Kaveh as well, he wouldn’t admit it. He set the cheese and fruit on the table along with a few crackers.
“No hot food?”
“The sooner you’re in bed the better. Don’t be picky.” He set down a glass of water as well, watching with amusement as Kaveh stuffed the food in his face, cheeks puffing out from being too full.
“Is that what this is about? Dragging me to bed?”
“Among other things.”
“Such as?” When Alhaithem only leveled him with a look, Kaveh sighed and continued eating.
“Don’t blame me when you choke from eating too fast.”
“I’m fine.” Of course that was the moment a bit of fruit decided to try and go down his windpipe, leaving him coughing and sputtering. Kaveh glared at Alhaithem, daring the other man to say anything, but the silver haired man only smiled. Alhaithem’s smiles were not like others. Only the edges of his lips curled up. Often the smile only reached his eyes, invisible to most, but Kaveh found that those were often the warmest.
Once the plates were empty, Alhaithem set them in the sink. No doubt he would expect Kaveh to wash them later.
“So what now?”
Rather than give a proper answer, Alhaithem scooped Kaveh up in his arms once more, any complaints that he could walk himself thoroughly ignored. He finally spoke just as he set foot in the bathroom. “You stink.” That wasn’t entirely true. Though Kaveh hadn’t had a full bath in a few days, he did at least wipe himself off with a damp cloth occasionally and reapply his perfume. By now that had faded and all Alhaithem could smell was Kaveh himself, which he preferred though he would never admit it.
“You’re so rude! I do not stink.”
“Are you sure your nose hasn’t just gone blind to it?”
“Will you at least let me maintain some dignity and bathe in private?”
“You mean you don’t want me to wash your hair?”
Kaveh gaped at him in surprise. It wasn’t often that Alhaithem would offer to wash Kaveh’s hair. It took longer than his own and Kaveh’s scalp was quite tender, so more often than not Alhaithem didn’t have the patience for it. His silence was answer enough.
Alhaithem set Kaveh down, before starting to pull off his own clothes, which didn’t take long given he’d changed into loose pants and shirt, his usual for lounging around the house. Kaveh though was still fully dressed from a few days earlier, except for his earrings which he’d removed to keep himself from tugging on them while in thought. “Join me in the shower when you’re done.”
“Aren’t we taking a bath?”
“After we wash up.”
Given his own way, Kaveh would have simply washed up in the bath. Sure it made sense to shower before getting in the bath at a bathhouse or when visiting a friend, but he didn’t see the need in his own house. He knew arguing would get him nowhere, so he undressed, leaving his clothes in a haphazard pile, before joining the other man in the shower.
Alhaithem had already finished washing his hair with rapid efficiency and was rinsing out the shampoo.
“Did you not want me to wash your hair?” Often Alhaithem would insist that Kaveh return the favor, insisting it was better to pay the debt now rather than later, though on the few occasions he didn’t, he’d never collected on that debt.
Another soft smile, only reaching his eyes. “Maybe next time. Wash up, then I’ll shampoo your hair.” They both washed up, Kaveh a bit slower, leaving Alhaithem to tease him with an impatient sigh. Kaveh’s only reply was to childishly stick out his tongue.
Finally, Alhaithem’s hands were in his hair. The first time his junior had offered, Kaveh had been weary. He’d seen Alhaithem wash his own hair with near brutal efficiency and given the tenderness of his scalp it hardly seemed like an ideal match. He hadn’t wanted to waste the offer, since it may never come again, so he had put aside his fears and agreed. To his surprise, Alhaithem had been incredibly gentle.
The process went the same every time. First Alhaithem would start at the ends of Kaveh’s hair and comb out the tangles with his fingers, careful not to pull or tug. Once he was satisfied, he’d move on to the shampoo, lightly washing the strands before returning to his scalp. For a while he would massage Kaveh’s scalp, working his way from his forehead to the base of his neck a few times, before finally rinsing. He applied the conditioner with much the same care. A step he skipped on himself, yet he always had infuriatingly silky hair.
“Enjoying this a bit too much are we?”
Kaveh flushed as he realized he’d been leaning into the touch. “Shut up! Just go fill the bath while I rinse.”
Alhaithem only hummed in reply, doing as told. It was always his job to fill the tub. Kaveh got too cold during the wait to let the tub fill up. Once the tub was filled he didn’t wait for the blonde before stepping inside. Kaveh joined him a few moments later. After wiggling a bit more than strictly necessary, the blonde finally settled with his back against Alhaithem’s chest.
When they had first gotten together Kaveh had been unsure of any kind of intimacy. Alhaithem was never physically affectionate with anyone and from what Kaveh could tell avoided contact with others whenever possible. So he hadn’t known what to expect. For the first couple of weeks, there was nothing, until one day, when Kaveh settled on the couch beside Alhaithem, the other man laced their fingers together without even looking up from his book.
“Any reason you decided to hold my hand?”
“Should I let go?”
“No. I’m just curious.”
Alhaithem hummed and for a moment Kaveh thought that was the only answer he would get. “I realized you had been waiting on me, while I had been doing the same.”
Kaveh was a bit surprised that Alhaithem had realized. The scribe was never particularly good at picking up on social cues or body language, not because he didn’t understand exactly, but because he didn’t find it worth the effort. It seemed he was willing to make that effort for his boyfriend. “Why were you waiting?”
“I didn’t want to rush you.” Though he didn’t say it, Kaveh could tell Alhaithem wanted to know his reasoning as well. Alhaithem had even set his book aside, giving Kaveh his full attention.
“I know you’re not one for physical affection, so I didn’t want to push you into anything that would make you uncomfortable.”
Another hum, thankfully followed by much less silence. “I actually quite enjoy physical affection, I’m just rather particular about who I share it with. Though I doubt you would initiate anything I’d dislike, you can ask, you know?”
From then on they had started to add more and more, establishing what needed prior consent and what did not. At first, Kaveh had expected it to be awkward, but it turned out that Alhaithem’s limits were not as strict as he had expected. As long as they were in the privacy of their own home anything nonsexual required no permission at all. In public they both preferred to keep PDA to a minimum, holding hands on occasion, but really only when no one could see. Though they were a bit more relaxed around friends.
Alhaithem laced one hand through Kaveh’s, while the other traced small circles on the blonde’s thigh. When the ticklish sensation finally became too much Kaveh took hold of that hand as well. They chatted a bit here and there, about work mostly, but spent much of the bath in silence. As loud as they could be at times, they also enjoyed just being in each other’s presence.
Once the water was starting to cool a bit too much, Alhaithem nudged Kaveh into scooting forward. He climbed out of the bath then set about drying himself off. Most of the time Kaveh would follow suit, but some nights, like tonight, he wanted a bit more attention. When Alhaithem was done drying and had pulled on boxers and a pair of loose fitting pants, he turned back to find Kaveh still in the water.
“Spoiled today, are we?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Kaveh puffed out his cheeks and looked away, but he couldn’t completely stop the edges of his lips from turning up.
With a light chuckle, Alhaithem grabbed a dry towel, then offered Kaveh a hand as the blonde stepped out of the tub. He dried his body rather quickly, but was much gentler when he got to his hair, careful to remove as much water as possible without pulling or tugging. It would have been best to let their hair dry fully before bed, but neither one had the patience for that very often.
Once Alhaithem set the towel aside, Kaveh slipped his arms around the taller man’s neck.
“Earlier you complained about me carrying you, now you’re asking for it?”
“Shut up.”
With a light chuckle, Alhaithem scooped Kaveh up once again. When they reached his room, Alhaithem dropped Kaveh onto the bed, only just high enough for the other man to bounce a bit. Kaveh scowled at him, but voiced no complaints this time. While he still referred to it as his room, when Kaveh wasn’t working through the night, the blonde spent his nights here as well. Though he would never admit it, Alhaithem actually slept better with Kaveh in his arms.
Next Alhaithem set about pulling the curtains closed and putting out the lamp on his desk. By the time he joined Kaveh on the bed, Kaveh had climbed under the covers and laid down, though he was making no effort to sleep yet, gaze firmly focused on the other man. Alhaithem recognized that look. Kaveh would always insist he didn’t have “looks” and that Alhaithem was only imagining things, but he knew better. Despite appearances, Alhaithem was quite adept at reading a person's expression and body language, it was just that he only put in the effort for those he cared about. This look was the one he wore when he wanted attention, not absolutely desperate for it, that had its own look, but seeking attention all the same.
Alhaithem joined him under the sheets, reaching a hand over to run through Kaveh’s hair. He took his time taking in the other man’s features as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Only when it was clear Kaveh was getting impatient did he finally move. Leaning down he pressed a quick kiss to Kaveh’s lips. The other man whined as he pulled away, but Alhaithem ignored him, eyes narrowing with amusement. He set about pressing kisses wherever he could reach. Forehead, nose, cheeks, chin, neck, collar bones, just below his ears. Each spot received at least one kiss.
Finally Alhaithem returned his attention back to where Kaveh wanted most. He pressed another kiss to Kaveh’s lips, allowing the other man to pull him in closer. For a long time Alhaithem had never seen the draw of kissing someone. Mouths were full of all sorts of germs and the wet and slimy environment was certainly not appealing. Even now, if it were anyone else he would stubbornly refuse.
Kissing Kaveh was worth the unpleasantness. Alhaithem loved the feeling of Kaveh moving against him, the little noises Kaveh would make or the sharp intake of breath when Alhaithem would nip at his lower lip. If he were having particularly bad sensory issues, even kissing Kaveh was uncomfortable, but thankfully the blonde was understanding. Even before they’d become a couple, Kaveh understood that certain stimuli could be overwhelming for Alhaithem at times.
Alhaithem couldn’t help but smile ever so slightly at the whine Kaveh gave when he denied Kaveh’s attempts to continue the kiss. “You’ve barely slept for days. Time for bed.”
“Can’t that wait a little longer? What’s another hour at this point?” Though Alhaithem couldn’t clearly see him in the dark, he could easily imagine the pout Kaveh wore.
“Don’t think so. If you’re good and get a decent amount of sleep, maybe I’ll give you a reward.” The word ‘reward’ always caught Kaveh’s attention. Depending on the circumstances it could vary from taking him out to eat, a bottle of wine, all the way to showering him with so much physical affection that he couldn’t stand it anymore. “‘Well? You’ll be good for me won’t you?” Alhaithem’s voice was a low whisper.
That phrase had very specific connotations, hinting towards the last item on the list. Pressed this close to his ear, the words sent a chill down Kaveh’s spine. “Fine. I’ll hold you to that though.”
Rather than reply, Alhaithem only hummed. He waited for Kaveh to adjust in his arms, resting his head on top of the blonde’s once he was finally settled. Kaveh slipped his arms around Alhaithem’s waist and pressed his face into the other man’s chest. Before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep, Alhaithem pressed one last kiss to Kaveh’s head. Though he couldn’t see it, he knew Kaveh was smiling.