Archive of Our Own

Kaveh didn’t really care for eating. As a vampire, but also someone who hated harming people, it was a difficult situation. Luckily he hadn’t quite come of age, and could get by on just animal blood.

Kaveh was a student, one who worked in the night, among a multitude of other students in the Akademiya who had insomnia or other reasons to be up at such absurd hours of the morning and night. He’d attend school every night, avoiding the sun that would give him minor burns in just a few minutes, and no one thought anything of it. He was just another student who couldn’t sleep at typical hours who wanted to study at night. No one suspected he was a vampire, well, except for one student, Alhaitham.

Alhaitham was his assigned roommate and partner, since they were both night students, they had to share a dorm so that they wouldn’t bother other students who worked during the day. The two were equal geniuses, and while they studied different fields, they’d collaborated on many things, and got along quite well. They bickered and fought, but more so in a teasing a friend way. Despite their strong friendship, they didn’t know too many details about the other. Alhaitham wasn’t one to pry, and Kaveh didn’t want to take the risk of sharing.

While Kaveh had never explicitly mentioned that he was a vampire, he was a bit clumsy when it came to hiding it, and Alhaitham was a genius. Kaveh may have been forgetful and clumsy, but he was more than intelligent enough to notice that Alhaitham knew. And so, their silent agreement was born. Alhaitham didn’t fear Kaveh, and Kaveh would simply not bother Alhaitham just as they’d always done.

***

Contrary to popular belief, Alhaitham wasn’t a vampire. He didn’t like the light because it irritated his hypersensitive eyes, and he worked at night because there were less people about to cause him issues. People were loud and rowdy during the day, but at night? Most people were finishing parties as he woke up, and students were far fewer because of the unpopular hours. Most people followed the unwritten rules of being quiet at night, and that was perfect for Alhaitham’s sensory issues regarding sound.

People assumed that since he was so unsociable but also successful, he must be a vampire. How else would someone so rude be so accomplished? How did he collaborate with anyone, let alone talk to professors? The silent verdict from the students was that he was surely a vampire, despite having no confirmation to their theory. Alhaitham didn’t care what they thought. If they came to the conclusion that he was a vampire, that worked out perfectly for him as they’d now have a reason to leave him alone.

Alhaitham sat on his bed in his tiny dorm room, he had the bottom bunk and Kaveh the top. Soft fairy lights lit the room, and blackout curtains covered the window completely. It was a perfect sensory safe space for Alhaitham, and a perfect safe space for Kaveh to avoid the sun. While Kaveh couldn’t touch the sun for long, that didn’t stop him from keeping a small plant on the windowsill. Gregory, the plant, would only see the rest of the room at night when the curtain was opened. Kaveh said that Gregory added a “necessary touch of life to the otherwise dead room.” Alhaitham didn’t have an opinion on Gregory so long as it didn’t get in the way of his or Kavehs studies.

“How are you, Kaveh?” Alhaitham asked quietly from his bottom bunk, pretending he couldn’t hear that Kaveh had been drinking. He was polite though, and had waited until he heard that Kaveh had finished eating.

“Uh- good thanks. You?”

Liar, I know fully what’s going on with you. Alhaitham thought. “I’m well thank you.”

Kaveh sighed, usually his roommate didn’t talk much. He’d been feeling a bit ill the past few days, and he was certain Alhaitham had noticed. His stomach was in horrible twisting pain, and he felt starved and parched no matter how much blood he consumed. Part of him deep down knew it was getting unavoidable, but he kept telling himself it would work out fine in the end. He took a deep breath, trying to ignore the ever growing sound of his roommate’s beating heart.

Kaveh squirmed in his bed, hoping the large bottle of blood he’d drank would provide some relief, but it didn’t do much. His breathing sped up, and the pain also ramped up significantly.

Just go to sleep, I can get more blood tomorrow to drink, just hold out- Kaveh inhaled deeply, a burning pain spreading along his body from his heart outwards. He curled into a ball, tightly biting into his tongue whilst paying no mind to his fangs piercing it. The bed shook as Kaveh tossed and turned, and Alhaitham (who had had quite enough of his sleep being disturbed) took matters into his own hands.

“Kaveh, are you alright?”

“Y-yeah.” Kaveh said shakily.

Alhaitham, not buying any of his shit, climbed up the first step of the bunk bed and peered over at Kaveh.

“Look, I know what’s going on.”

“Nothings wrong, I'm fine, just… ate something that disagreed with me.” Kaveh lied unconvincingly, wriggling away from Alhaitham towards the top right corner of his bunk bed. His hands clamped tightly over his ears as he tried desperately to block out the sound of Alhaithams steady heartbeat and to hide his pointed ears.

Alhaitham climbed closer, he was half up onto the bed now.

“J-just leave me alone, okay, I’ll be fine I- AUGH!” Kaveh winced in pain, clutching his head tighter.

“Allow me to help. You’re a vampire, as we both know, and from my research you’re coming of age about now.”

“…”

“As you seem to be ignoring, you need human blood, your body demands it. But you’re a vampire, you won’t die from not having it, so you’re choosing to suffer because you appreciate the beauty of human life so much. That's about right?”

“…”

Alhaitham clambered fully into the bed, moving closer to Kaveh.

“Please- haaah- go away. I’ll be- fine.” Kaveh cowered in the corner, tears falling down his face as he tried to ignore his vision tinting red and the pain coursing through his body.

“I’m willing to solve this issue for you. Please allow me to. I think you know what I’m implying.”

“Please! I don’t want to hurt anyone!” Kaveh cried, trying to evade Alhaitham as best he could, but he’d run out of space and cornered himself. Hot wet tears rolled down his cheeks as he tried to hold himself back. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially not him. Anyone but him.

But Alhaitham moved closer.

His heartbeat was loud, like it was rattling against Kaveh, shaking him to his core. It was steady, tempting- but he hated it. He hated the idea of harming him. What if he lost control and killed him? What if he lost his only friend? Kaveh clenched his jaw shut, curling into a ball as a last ditch effort to stop himself.

“I won’t-

“You have to.” Alhaitham said, touching Kavehs shoulder. “It won’t hurt me, you know. I’m sure you’ll stop, and your saliva has a numbing effect as I hope you know.”

Kaveh opened his mouth slightly to speak, he could feel his pulse in his hand, the blood coursing through him as he touched him. It was unbearable, excruciating. He lifted his head a tiny bit to see Alhaitham, only for him to… apologize?

“I’m sorry to do this to you as it goes against your morals, but I can’t stand you suffering like this.” Alhaitham shoved his wrist into Kaveh’s mouth, and he broke.

Kaveh had no strength left to restrain himself, his vision had become blocked out, a complete sea of red. The only thing that remained were his other senses, the feeling of Alhaithams warm wrist against his fangs, the sound of his pulse, slightly faster but still steady, and finally the taste of his blood as he gave in, sinking his teeth into his flesh.

Alhaitham didn’t even so much as flinch, he simply stared at Kaveh as he cried and drank his blood. He didn’t really care. It didn’t hurt, and if that was what it took for Kaveh to go back to sleep, so be it. He had work to do, and he didn’t want Kaveh to suffer either.

His blood was delicious. Floral and metallic, but it was good.

Kaveh’s vision cleared, and he backed away in horror as he realized what he’d done. He’d bitten him. He’d hurt him. Mouth agape with a trickle of crimson running down his chin, Kaveh broke down.

His eyes looked soulless, shattered and void. He froze for a moment, contemplating everything he’d done. Tears poured out of his carmine eyes, and he tugged at his hair. His body wracked with sobs of guilt, and he rocked back and forth hyperventilating. It was hard to make sense of it all.

To Alhaitham, it was an inevitable fact. Kaveh would need to drink human blood to live, and he was the closest source of it. An agreement had been made in his mind months ago after he’d read a book (or four) on vampire anatomy and life spans. He was a bit surprised at how strong Kavehs reaction had been, but approached him with empathy. To him it was simply the way it had to be, but Kaveh on the other hand… he had illuded himself into thinking there was a choice that was never there.

“It’s okay, take a deep breath. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I’m sorry- I’m so sorry I’m sorry I didn’t mean to- I’m so- so sorry.” Kaveh sobbed, he sobbed as though he’d had any say in his nature. He sobbed like he had chosen to be the way he was. He sobbed like it hadn’t been Alhaitham himself who’d offered his blood to him.

“You’ve done nothing wrong. You haven’t harmed me in the slightest.” Alhaitham assured him, showing the wound that had already healed into two symmetrical white dots. “There’s a numbing effect from your saliva as well as a healing one. You haven’t harmed me at all, I promise. You needed to eat, Kaveh.”

Alhaitham was incredibly confused. Kaveh was so upset over something that to him was morally neutral. It was just an inevitable part of life, so Kaveh feeling so guilty befuddled him. Kaveh needed to eat, and Alhaitham was the nearest most convenient source of something edible. Unsure of how to comfort his friend, Alhaitham slowly placed a hand on Kaveh’s shoulder.

Kaveh did feel better physically, but emotionally he had never felt worse. He had betrayed Alhaitham. In Kaveh’s mind, him biting Alhaitham was completely his fault, and he had chosen to bite him.

He hadn’t. It was in no way his choice, he would’ve never harmed Alhaitham if he could’ve avoided it. Kaveh valued life greatly, and as someone who always put others first, harming another person, especially Alhaitham, was unforgivable.

Alhaitham didn’t care, he had chosen to put his arm in Kaveh’s mouth, knowing exactly what would happen. To Kaveh, Alhaitham hadn't chosen to do it fully of his own accord. Something had happened, anything, maybe he hadn’t known what he was doing or it was an impulsive decision, but he hadn’t chosen to do it. In some way, it had to have been his own fault, and he had hurt him.

Logic wouldn’t reach him as he sobbed, fearing that Alhaitham would come to hate him or fear him for what he had done.

“It’s okay.” Alhaitham mumbled, sitting closer to Kaveh against the wall.

“No, no no no, it’s not-

“You’re okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.” Alhaitham put his arm over Kaveh’s shoulders trying to soothe him. He was tired, and wanted to sleep, but Kaveh was too upset for him to sleep without feeling guilty.

“I’m so sorry. I never wanted it to be like this.” Kaveh sniffled, wiping his face on his sleeve. Noticing the smear of red on his sleeve where blood had dribbled down his chin, he recoiled further into himself.

“It’s okay Kaveh.” Alhaitham didn’t know what to do, but he was beginning to feel exhaustion weighing down on him. “Shhh.” Alhaitham cooed as he slowly and carefully moved Kaveh and himself so that they were laying down.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

“I know. And you haven’t.”

“No, I hurt you.”

“You didn’t. I put my arm in your mouth, it’s not like you chose to bite me.”

“…” Kaveh remained silent, but his tears didn’t stop.

“You’ll need to eat again in about three to five days, I’ll remind you. Don’t worry about coming to me when you need to eat.”

Kaveh shuddered at the realization that he would need to repeat the same hellish nightmare every three days for the rest of his life. His breathing hitched and he pulled the blanket up to cover his face. He felt Alhaitham’s hand gently make contact with his head, and he relaxed just slightly as he ran his fingers over his hair.

Slowly but surely, Alhaitham slowed down, and his hand fell into place on the back of Kaveh’s head.

***

Kaveh woke up to the sound of Alhaitham’s heartbeat. Rhythmic and steady, far different from the weak and sporadic beating of Kaveh’s own heart. It only pumped blood some of the time, which left him fairly pale and cold. Alhaitham was warm. Glancing at his wrist watch, Kaveh noticed he had the time to sleep in longer if he wanted. Alhaitham was fast asleep next to him-

Alhaitham was fast asleep next to him.

Alhaitham was fast asleep next to him.

His stomach churned as he recalled the events of the past night. He didn’t want to be that close to Alhaitham anymore. What if he ended up biting him again? He did really like the way his heart sounded, and the way he smelled, and how his blood tasted so sweetly-

His own mind made him nauseous. Was being a mature vampire that hard to control? He didn’t want anything to do with himself anymore. He wanted to be closer to Alhaitham, he was right there, peacefully sleeping, warm and inviting. Just a few inches closer, where he could hear his breathing and feel his warmth. He gave in, sliding just a tiny bit closer to him. His head was nearly on his shoulder when he was interrupted by his fangs slicing through his bottom lip. Apparently close proximity to his blood and beating heart didn’t agree with him, much like a human salivating over a slice of cake.

Repulsed, Kaveh slid away and got out of bed. The least he could do was at least make the other breakfast to apologize. Quietly making his way down the ladder, Kaveh pondered what he could make for Alhaitham. Usually he didn’t eat much, since he could get by on just animal blood, but he could at least fry some bacon and scramble some eggs for him in their tiny kitchen.

Kaveh moped slightly as he fried the bacon, fearing for how he would interact with humans over the next few days. He hadn’t had any problems before, but that was because he was a juvenile vampire. He’d never had a strong bloodlust to manage before, and it appeared that he wouldn’t even be able to manage physical contact with living people.

Alhaitham, who had awoken to the smell of bacon, silently appeared behind Kaveh. He placed a hand on his shoulder, but he quickly moved it after seeing how Kaveh tensed up and bit his lip in self restraint.

Understanding, he remained silent and stepped away from him. With now about as much space in between them they could manage in their tiny dorm, Alhaitham settled down at his desk and waited for Kaveh to finish cooking. It wasn’t wild of him to assume that Kaveh was cooking for him, considering that since he was now a mature vampire he couldn’t eat human food.

“Thanks.” Alhaitham said as Kaveh put the plate down in front of him.

“You’re welcome.” Kaveh smiled half heartedly, quickly pulling his hand away from Alhaitham as though his touch would burn him.

Kaveh quickly noticed how much more energy he had. He felt a lot more lively than he’d ever felt before, and he could sense that his body was physically stronger. He was still quite troubled, and gnawed at his fingernails in anxious anticipation of the day to come.

“I'm going to go get ready, let me know when you’re ready to go.” Kaveh announced as he closed the bathroom door behind himself. Getting out of his loose sleeping shirt, he immediately noticed the drastic difference in his reflection. His once scrawny figure had become toned and muscular, and he seemed to have grown a few inches taller.

“Shit…” he said out of shock as he poked at his body. “I knew that it’d be different but…” he blinked profusely, vastly shocked by the change. “Wha- aww.” Kaveh exclaimed disappointedly, noticing his scars, stretch marks and other aspects of his skin had been smoothed out, and was now free of its individuality. His skin, like any other good work of art, had individual aspects that he liked about himself. They were gone now, and he couldn’t help but feel sad.

He washed his face and changed clothes, making sure there weren’t any blood stains left on the corners of his lips. Usually he'd do something with his makeup, but that night he didn’t feel like it.

“Hey Alhaitham, could you grab my measuring tape for me please?”

Kaveh heard a slight hum before the door opened and Alhaitham came in with the measuring tape.

“Here you go. Want me to measure you?”

Kaveh hesitated for a moment and froze as he thought. After waiting about thirty seconds (which is longer than it seems when you’re standing there) Alhaitham decided to go ahead and measure him whilst avoiding touching his roommate.

“Step on this.” Alhaitham said flatly, slipping the metal under his bare foot and pulling the thin metal strip up above his head.

“Mhmm… six feet, or a hundred and eighty two centimeters.”

Kaveh’s eyes widened in shock, he’d been five nine yesterday. He tried to ignore how close Alhaitham was, slinking away just slightly.

“So, have you gotten much stronger?” Alhaitham asked curiously.

Kaveh looked away sheepishly, staring into the corner of the bathroom.

“Oh, is that something that’s not typically discussed? My apologies.” He said genuinely, shrinking slightly as he realized he’d made the situation another level of awkward.

“Ah- no, it’s fine- I have… gotten stronger.” Kaveh exhaled deeply as he said stronger, as though he were deeply ashamed of the fact.

“You seem upset?” Alhaitham cocked his head to the side with genuine curiosity.

“Haah, I don’t mind being stronger or taller, I just… don’t like the circumstances that led to it, that's all.”

“Ah, I see.” Alhaitham nodded, satisfied with his answer. “We should probably brush our teeth and get going then, yeah?”

“Ah- yeah.” Kaveh reluctantly agreed, not remembering that he could simply lie and say he’d already brushed them. He wasn’t exactly keen on seeing the details of how much his teeth had changed, nor letting Alhaitham see his fangs. Based on how much Alhaitham had researched he was sure he knew what his fangs looked like, but he still didn’t want to share it.

The two pulled out their toothbrushes, and went to work brushing. Alhaitham wasn’t shy, and watched Kaveh closely with curiosity. Kaveh awkwardly shied away, trying to close his mouth to the best of his ability. He too was curious however, and reluctantly opened his moth whilst raising his lip to see just how different his teeth were. Once again he was taken aback by the change, and he embarrassedly closed his mouth. His fangs were long, nearly double the length of normal human canine teeth. His attempt to retract them failed due to his close proximity to Alhaitham, and his face fell even further, which he was surprised was even possible.

Alhaitham had already combed through his hair and gotten changed, and that was essentially all he did to get ready other than brush his teeth. Kaveh tried to settle into his own skin, and the two walked out the door.

***

Once they arrived in the hall where they usually had classes, they were surprised to find a note left on the door informing them that their lecture was canceled and that they had a study block. The two quickly reasoned that the unexpected change of plans was due to the teachers being hungover, or so they assumed based on the smell of the blood on the corner of the page where someone had cut themself and the bit of red wine on the bottom corner of the page.

The two wandered off to the House of Daena, and having already completed all the studying they’d needed to do pulled out books of their interests. Kaveh read about arch styles, and Alhaitham, who was wondering about why Kaveh’s reaction was so odd, decided to try to find something about vampire life and social norms.

He tapped his foot as he read, quite invested in his new source of knowledge.
So, it seems that feeding from someone is considered quite intimate, perhaps he just doesn’t feel close enough to me?
Alhaitham pondered the possible reasons for why Kaveh had panicked so much. He just couldn’t make sense of his reaction. He had a new objective in mind, and decided to continue reading.

The higher the iron content of the blood the better, it tastes better it seems?
Alhaitham made a mental note to get some iron supplements. Perhaps if I make my blood taste better he won’t feel as bad? If I make it more enjoyable he should at least have that for him, right?

Alhaitham did have genuine good intentions, but for Kaveh the best thing he could’ve done would’ve been to make the experience less enjoyable for him.

***

Three days later, Kaveh was feeling rather horrible. He was fatigued and it was hard to think, his stomach was an empty void but simultaneously burned, and the edge of his vision was beginning to tint red. He had a lot of things to do, and it was increasingly hard to sit next to any of his peers, especially Alhaitham. He smelled sweet, so perfectly, deliciously sweet-

He dug his nails into his palm to snap himself out of the thought. Class ended in just a few minutes, he just had to hold out until the end of the lecture, and then he’d be away from all of the people that troubled him. He disappeared into his mind for the last minutes of class, desperately trying to keep his mind off of the heartbeats that penetrated his skull. Finally, the lecture ended. People gathered up their books and left the classroom, and it wasn’t long before Alhaitham found Kaveh in the halls outside of the class.

“Hello. It’s been about four days, you’ll need uhm- my help this evening.” He stopped himself, remembering that Kaveh didn’t like to talk about feeding.

“I don’t want it.” Kaveh said, walking a little faster than usual to their dorm room.

“Yes, but you need it.” Alhaitham told Kaveh, placing a hand on his shoulder. Kaveh spun away, his head hurt from listening to so many heartbeats, and the smell coming from Alhaitham was getting increasingly hard to resist. His internal conflict rolled on, he needed to eat, that was becoming increasingly clear- but he hated it. He didn’t want to bite Alhaitham, but part of him did. His heart didn’t want to hurt anyone, but logically he knew what would happen if he tried to starve himself any longer.

The two arrived at their dorm, and Alhaitham, after locking the door behind them, immediately switched into a dark sleeveless shirt and sleeping pants. He’d never cared for his school outfit, he found it itchy, but he also usually wasn’t so keen to change unless he had a reason.

“Do you want to bite my neck, or my wrist?” Alhaitham asked nonchalantly.

“No. Nope.” Kaveh shut down, turning on the balls of his feet to hide in the bathroom.

“Please Kaveh? I know you don’t want to, but I’ve tried to make it as comfortable as possible for you. I don’t know what to tell you.”

“I appreciate the effort, I really do, but I can’t do it. Please don’t make me.” His voice broke, and Alhaitham could hear him break into tears.

“I won’t make you, but you and I both know what’ll happen if you don’t.”

“…”

“I don’t think you want to wait that long-

“Don’t! Just- don’t… Don’t mention it.” He sniffled.

“How’s your vision?”

“Not the clearest…”

“And you know what that means, don’t you? How much longer do you think you can take it?”

“I don’t know. It hurts- it hurts so much..,”

Alhaitham could hear his sobs through the door, and he sat down against the door, awaiting Kaveh’s acceptance.

“It hurts- help…” Kaveh whispered, opening the door.

“I know.” How did he possibly manage to wait this long? It’s supposed to be excruciating- was he really this afraid of hurting me? Alhaitham could only wonder as he asked Kaveh again.

“Neck or wrist? Neck is faster, but I’ll probably pass out before you finish. Wrist takes longer, and it’s supposedly less comfortable for you, but I’ll end up falling asleep after about a minute instead of passing out as you eat.”

“I don’t- I can’t-

“Okay, come here then.” Alhaitham took Kavehs hand and pulled him to his bed since they lacked a better location. “Bite here.” He pointed at his neck. “Your venom will probably make me pass out, but it’s supposed to, so don’t worry. If I don’t pass out but I’m out of it, that’s also fine. Please don’t worry either way.”

Kaveh was visibly anxious, and slightly shaking.

“You should be strong enough to hold me no problem, but to make it easier I’ll lay on this pillow.”

“Why do you know all this?”

“I read some books.”

“But even I didn’t know everything, and you’re a human…”

“Well, did anyone teach you?”

“No… My parents are both dead, so.”

“Well there’s your answer. If you wait a second or two before you bite me then it won’t hurt, but if you can’t wait, that’s also okay since it’ll stop hurting after a second anyways.”

Alhaitham laid down on his side on Kaveh’s lap, with his head resting on a pillow.

“I should wake up in about an hour, but if I don’t, can you at least wake me up in time for me to make myself dinner?”

“I can do that.” Kaveh nodded awkwardly, fully intending to make dinner for him. If Alhaitham was so willing to volunteer to be his dinner, the least he could do would be to cook dinner for him in return.

“Whenever you’re ready you can start. Do you want me to close my eyes? Would that make it easier?”

“Please.” Alhaitham closed his eyes, as did Kaveh. Alhaitham as per the request of Kaveh, and Kaveh because he couldn’t bear to watch. As much as he should’ve known, Kaveh was shocked to find that Alhaitham’s blood was delicious. Slightly sweet, and much to Kaveh’s dismay, he liked it. Before long Alhaitham lost consciousness, but he heard Kaveh’s hum of confusion followed by acceptance before he drifted off.

Kaveh fed for a few more minutes, stomach churning with guilt. He was comfortable, and even slightly enjoyed it, which only worsened his guilt. How could he feel comfortable when he was literally drinking his friends blood? Alhaitham’s blood was good, frustratingly good. He hated it. He hated how much he enjoyed it when he wanted to despise it so badly.

Alhaitham was unconscious, and enjoying a peaceful dream. Nothing spectacular, just him and Kaveh having a conversation on his bed. They didn’t do anything, and he couldn’t quite hear what they were saying. He just saw that Kaveh was smiling, and that was enough to make him feel happy. The dream was foggy, but still made him feel relaxed and comfortable.

As Kaveh sat there feeling bad for hurting Alhaitham, Alhaitham enjoyed a carefree and peaceful sleep. After Kaveh was finished eating, he took a clean cloth and wiped Alhaitham’s neck clean. A tiny bit of blood had spilt onto the pillow, but Kaveh could clean it up later after he was finished making Alhaitham his apology dinner. Kaveh carefully moved Alhaitham to a position that wouldn’t hurt his neck to sleep in, and then after covering him in a blanket went to cook.

Alhaitham wasn’t a fan of anything soup-like, but he wasn’t picky outside of that. Kaveh eventually settled on pizza, and prepared a dough that would rise quickly. He assumed that since Alhaitham was an exhausted student, he’d take the extra sleep so long as Kaveh didn’t wake him. Kaveh could hear him snore just slightly from his bed, and it brought a slight smile of relief to his face. Part of him, despite Alhaithams warnings, worried that Alhaitham would never wake up. Kaveh found himself far more lethal and inherently dangerous than Alhaitham did. Alhaitham was definitely more logical than Kaveh was, perhaps he was worrying for nothing? He shook the thought from his head as he recalled the revolting bloodlust he felt when he didn’t eat.

Slipping into his own head, Kaveh thought about it too deeply and began to feel nauseous as he pictured how much blood he’d taken from his friend. Desperately, he covered his mouth and gagged, trying to breathe. I can’t be sick now, it’d be a waste, then I’d have to eat again… He held back his nausea, trying to keep his mind off of the feeling.

Alhaitham woke up to the smell of melting cheese and fresh bread. He was a little groggy, and the world faded to black just slightly as he sat up too fast.

His legs buckled underneath him, and he fell down onto the floor.

“Oof.- Okay, I'm okay.”

“Are you alright?!!”

“I’m fine, yes.”

“Wha-! Are you sure?? You just fainted!!”

“This isn’t unusual. I sat up too quickly, combined with your remaining venom and my height I tend to get dizzy.”

Kaveh ran over to his side, and sat down beside him. The shock had luckily absolved him of his nausea, and having just eaten he didn’t feel uncomfortable sitting so close to Alhaitham.

“I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?”

“Because it’s my fault you’re dizzy.”

“Kaveh, really, it’s fine. I promise you that I’m perfectly healthy. If you feel so bad then how about you make it up to me by making me dinner next time too?”

“I can do that!” Kaveh lit up at the idea of a way to apologize, a means to make amends was something he’d been searching for desperately.

Out of courtesy, Kaveh sat next to Alhaitham on his bed as he ate. It just wasn’t something one did, ignoring the other whilst they ate; or so Kaveh assumed was the deal with humans, as he didn’t really want to be paid attention to when he was eating, considering his diet.

“Is it any good?” Kaveh asked as he swung his feet back and forth off of the bed.

“It’s a little bit chewy, but I like it.” Alhaitham said bluntly, thinking his words a compliment.

“Oh- sorry about that.”

“I said that I liked it. It’s good.”

“I see- that’s sorta a weird way to compliment someone.”

“Oh? My apologies.” Alhaitham took another bite, not seeming overly concerned with the conversation. Though that wasn’t to say he wasn’t listening, he was merely more engrossed in the pizza than the words being spoken.

So a routine was born, Kaveh would feed from, then cook for, Alhaitham every three nights. It was a little bit difficult for Kaveh in school the last hour of class, but he found it better to stretch it as long as possible so Alhaitham would have as much time as possible to recover. His blood would regenerate incredibly quickly due to Kaveh’s venom, though that didn’t absolve Kaveh of his guilt.

***

Meanwhile, Alhaitham had hatched a plan to make Kaveh more comfortable. Armed with his new information (that being that feeding from someone was considered quite intimate) he decided to try to get closer to Kaveh in order to make him feel better. After all, asking a favor of someone close to you was far easier than asking it of someone you hardly knew. If he could become his close friend, then perhaps he would have an easier time accepting reality.

His first attempt to befriend Kaveh consisted of him spending more time with him. Generally at home, they were either studying or sleeping, and had little time for anything else. Hence, the best course of action was to study with Kaveh, though he’d never really studied with someone before… He decided to figure it out as he went, and sat beside Kaveh to study for a few hours.

Conversation… how do I start this?

“How were your classes today?”

“Fine thanks, how were yours?”

“Also fine, thank you.”

“…”

“…”

“We’re really not good at this, are we?” Kaveh chuckled.

“No, we’re not.”

Alhaitham slid slightly closer to him on their work bench, hoping that passively being near him would reduce his discomfort later on. Kaveh’s eyes drifted towards him, noticing him shifting closer, but he didn’t protest at all, nor move away.

Kaveh yawned, his eyes closing briefly.

“He’s really really close… I can hear his heartbeat, he smells really good- NO. No no no no no- no, it’s only been two days. I’m not biting him early.” Kaveh’s thoughts were rapid, and sped up even more as Alhaitham rested his hand atop his whilst he took notes.

“Oh no this is NOT good- I can feel his heart now- he’s so warm…”

“I hate being like this.” Kaveh said solemnly, eyes fixed where their hands met.

“Pardon? What’s wrong?”

“I like you. I like being near you, I like spending time with you even though we don’t really talk much.” Kaveh’s eyes drifted up as he recalled their moments of peaceful silence and coexistence. “I wish I wasn’t like this,” he paused and bared his fangs, gesturing towards his mouth. “Because it ruins this. It makes it so hard, and I feel so guilty. I never wanted to be like this, never wanted this so-called gift.” He spat, his voice getting louder with every word.

“I can’t say I fully understand, but I can reason what you’re feeling. I can only assume that you feel bad for hurting me?”

“Yes and no. I feel bad for hurting you, but I also loathe how even when I’m not, even when I just want to be with you, I can’t control my senses. I can hear your heart and smell your blood constantly, and then part of me wants to bite you. I hate it, I’m so fucking done with this- I want to be close to you so badly- but it’s so uncomfortable. I feel so damn vile, it’s nauseating: because I like you so much, why would I ever want to harm you?”

“I see. You’re not hurting me, I promise you that. I don’t feel any pain, any cut you make heals in an instant, and my blood replenishes with ease when you’re done. If anything you’ve benefited me by helping me sleep and being my friend.”

“Thank you for being my… friend. I appreciate you a lot.”

“I appreciate you too, believe it or not.”

“Mhhhm.” Kaveh hummed, trying to ignore how Alhaitham’s heart was beating slightly faster.

The two, who didn’t really care much for conversation, sat quietly and studied next to each other. Alhaitham could feel how tense Kaveh was, and wasn’t quite sure what to do about it. He could give him a hug, but that could easily make it worse. He could move away, but he had said that he liked being near him, and it was his goal to get him comfortable with closeness. Alhaitham ended up giving up, keeping his hand where it was on top of Kaveh’s.

***

“Kaveh, are you good to eat?” Alhaitham called his roommate from the bathroom. The edge of the sink was wet from where he’d spilt water in the process of washing his face and neck.

“Yea, I’m just cleaning up some dishes quickly.” It smelled of soap as Kaveh cleaned the dishes from the meal he had made for Alhaitham.

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Alhaitham wandered over, stubbing his toe on the bathroom door frame. His mind had been occupied by the book he’d been reading earlier.

“You okay?” Kaveh asked from the kitchen.

“I’m fine thanks, just stubbed my toe.”

Alhaitham had the tendency of filling his cheeks up with air after he’d hurt himself, which Kaveh found rather cute. A slight smile crossed Kavehs face as he watched the air deflate from his roommates cheeks, but it quickly faded back into a frown. He’d accepted reality, but he still wasn’t fond of it.

Kaveh sat down on Alhaithams bed as they had planned, and Alhaitham joined him, resting his head on his lap as he’d done before.

“Whenever you’re ready.” Alhaitham shifted a bit into place, pulling his black shirt down off his shoulder just a bit. “You can hold my head if you need and move my neck however you want. It doesn’t matter to me much, do whatever you need to be comfortable.”

“Okay, is this alright?” Kaveh asked, placing one arm through under Alhaitham to support him with the other cupping his head just under his ear.

“Mhm, that’s fine.”

Kaveh leaned forward, hair falling down over his shoulders. Alhaitham tensed in his arms, and Kaveh noticed he was puffing his cheeks up with air.

“Are you okay? Are you uncomfortable?”

“Pftt- your hair is tickling me-” Alhaitham shook slightly as he started to laugh.

“Oh! Thank the gods, I was afraid I’d hurt you somehow. Uh, I’m gonna- bite you now, if that’s okay.”

“Go ahead.”

Kaveh leaned forward again, feeling increasingly awkward. He just wanted to get it over with quickly.

“Haitham can you stop squirming please?”

“Sorry, sorry, I’m ticklish.” Alhaitham held back a laugh.

He continued to shake slightly as he laughed, and Kaveh, who was running out of self control, gave up.

“Gods, just-” He sighed, sweeping his hair back into his shirt. He pulled Alhaitham up with far more confidence than either of them had expected, and sank his teeth into Alhaitham’s neck. A wave of exhaustion from Kaveh’s venom struck Alhaitham like a truck, and he quickly lost consciousness, vision fading to black.

After a few sips Kaveh regained control of himself, but he didn’t finish feeding. He felt nauseous. He didn’t want to drink any more of his blood. Disgust washed over him in waves, sickening, hot, and nauseating disgust. He pulled away. However, it seemed that it wasn’t a very wise decision. He knew he’d stopped way too early, his fangs wouldn’t retract whilst dizziness and vertigo forced him to lay back with Alhaitham still unconscious in his lap.

I’m… this isn’t… not- good… Kaveh barely managed a thought before he fell unconscious.

***

Alhaitham woke up feeling colder than usual. Kaveh felt like a block of ice next to him, he barely breathed and his body was frigid.

“…Kaveh? Kavehhh… Hello? Guess I’ll let you sleep in then…” Alhaitham stood up and immediately noticed his lack of dizziness. Generally after waking up after Kaveh fed from him he’d feel a bit off, still drowsy and dizzy from the venom and loss of blood. None of which was bothering him today.

I had a feeling this’d happen. Alhaitham thought to himself, realizing what had happened. This is going to be a pain.

Taking a spare piece of paper and a pen, Alhaitham left a short note to Kaveh.

“Kaveh, if you wake up to see this (which I imagine you won’t) I’m at school today but will be staying home tomorrow with you once you wake up. I’m most certain that you’ve given yourself wasting fever, and will likely need my care. Please do not leave the dorm under any circumstances until I’ve returned. - Alhaitham”

***

After an anxiously uneventful day of lectures and studying, Alhaitham returned home to check on Kaveh to find his suspicions had been confirmed. Kaveh laid in the exact same position he’d been in that morning, loose strands of hair and all. Alhaitham went over to check on Kaveh and to see if he was feeling warm yet.

As he placed his hand on Kaveh’s forehead he felt slightly warm to the touch, with just a slight hint of pink to his cheeks. Alhaitham could recall what the books he’d read said: After eighteen to twenty four hours the affected will regain consciousness, at which point they’ll require constant supervision. Wasting fever effects the body’s ability to regulate temperature and appetite, and inflicts the state of starvation. This illness is temporary, with symptoms lasting two to three days. While the illness boasts a very short recovery time and has had no report cases of fatalities, it’s known to be incredibly dangerous due to the starvation state causing immense pain and blood lust. A small but constant flow of blood and sedatives are the recommended treatment for wasting fever. The illnesses generally follows the course of a day long state of comatose, followed by a day of wasting. In some cases the wasting stage can last two days, but such cases are incredibly rare.

Seeing that Kaveh was only slightly warm, Alhaitham presumed he had some time before he woke up. He took the opportunity to eat and shower.

The warm water poured down his back as he took a moment to relax. It was a much appreciated relief from the bothers of the outside world, and he generally enjoyed the break from stimuli that plagued him.
It was quiet.
He liked it a lot, the silencing of the outside world. Alhaitham pondered what he’d have for dinner, Kaveh had been keeping track of the ingredients in the dorm since he’d started cooking.

He sighed and savoured his last seconds in the warmth before he shut off the water. The gentle feeling of the warm towel left him feeling quite content, and again donning his pajamas he wandered out to the kitchen.

He didn’t feel like cooking, it was just too much effort that day. He pulled out some cold leftovers from the day before, not bothering to heat them up. Cooking was far too much trouble, and if he could stand the texture, cold food wasn’t half bad. He ate quickly, not bothering to savour the food considering that he merely ate for the energy.

“…Haitham?” Kaveh asked weakly, his voice lacking most of its usual character and pep.

“I’ll be right over, I’m just putting away some dishes. You’re sick as I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

“Mnnn.” Kaveh groaned. “It’s fine.”

“I’m not confident you’ll keep that sentiment for long, Kaveh.”

“Your voice is itchy. Shhh.”

“Yeah, I understand the feeling.” Alhaitham muttered as he recalled all the irritating people that had tried to converse with him before he’d started night school. He didn’t hate them, socialization just wasn’t for him, and their voices were like nails on a chalkboard, gritting and shrill. “How are you feeling.”

“Fine.”

Alhaitham gave a him a slight glare to the side, looking rather unimpressed by his answer.

“If you’re sure.”

Kaveh was in fact, not sure. His stomach hurt horribly, a pulsing churning emptiness that left him feeling more and more ill every second. His body had never been so hot before and he wasn’t fond of the feeling. He didn’t really care for heat or warmth, unless it was from Alhaitham. That was a good warmth, but this was the furthest thing from it. He wasn’t going to bother Alhaitham with it though, he’d already troubled him quite enough.

Kaveh laid there tossing and turning for a few minutes, exhaustion, fever and hunger causing pains to warp through his body.

“You still fine?” Alhaitham said snarkily as he washed his plate.

“Mhm, right as rain.” Kaveh said through his winces of pain, trying to keep his words coherent was difficult considering that his fangs wouldn’t retract. “Gahh!” He inhaled sharply, curling into himself as though he’d been punched in the gut.

“Are you still sure?”

“Gah- no…” Kaveh said, though it was barely a whisper.

Alhaitham strolled over to his bunk, sitting next to Kaveh.

“You’re going to feel like you’re starving for a bit until your body figures out what’s going on. That’ll take about a day. I picked up this from a fennec friend of mine, and it’ll help you sleep it off. It takes a while to activate though, so you should take it now.”

Alhaitham handed him a lump of dried compacted plant matter that was roughly the size of his thumbnail, which Kaveh reluctantly swallowed.

“Here.” Alhaitham said as he held his hand out to Kaveh. He returned his gesture with a confused look and a tilt of his head. Alhaitham rolled his eyes and cut his index finger open on one of Kaveh’s fangs. Kaveh seemed to get the memo after that, and started lapping up the blood from his cut. It seemed to trick his hunger slightly, and he relaxed a bit, shoulders slumping.

Alhaitham resembled a wet owl, sitting with a neutral yet tired expression with his still damp grey hair falling into his face.

“Bit better?”

“Mhmmm.” Kaveh hummed, seemingly quite content with his Alhaitham lollipop.

Alhaitham hoped that his fever would help break his remaining reluctance towards feeding from him. He really just wanted Kaveh to be comfortable and well, and perhaps a bit less hard on himself, but he knew that was awfully wishful thinking.

Since it was a bit awkward for them to sit in silence as Kaveh sucked on Alhaitham’s finger, Alhaitham started to read aloud from a book he’d left under his pillow. Kaveh decided that he was in too much pain to ask why the actual fuck he had a book under his pillow, and eagerly listened to him read. His brain fog was too much for him to grasp what was happening, but he still appreciated the distraction.

Alhaitham’s voice was quite relaxing, and eventually the two shifted so that they were laying down. Alhaitham read the book, and Kaveh would help him flip the pages since his finger was in his mouth.

“Flip.” Alhaitham said, pausing where he was in the story until Kaveh sleepily turned the page. “I’m getting a bit lightheaded, I think I need my finger back, Kaveh.”

Kaveh wearily opened his mouth so Alhaitham could take his finger back. It had wrinkled from being in his mouth so long, and looked hilariously peculiar.

“How are you feeling Kav?”

“Pain. And it’s too hot. Hard to see.” Kaveh said bluntly, his energy was far too depleted for him to be polite about it, and it was so incredibly obvious that he was feeling terrible it wasn’t worth lying about.

“Typical starvation stuff?”

“Mhm.”

“Sorry Kav. Do you feel sleepy yet?”

“Mhm.”

“Understood. Shall I stay here and share the bed with you or sleep in yours?”

Kaveh didn’t give a verbal response, but he had closed his eyes and was laying on Alhaitham’s shoulder. A slight smile crossed Alhaithams lips, and he placed his hand on Kaveh’s head. He fiddled with Kaveh’s hair for a few minutes, it was just as soft and smooth as it looked, and he was slowly falling asleep.

***

“Haitham…” Kaveh muttered weakly, trying to remain still as though it would help with the pain. Alhaitham who was still half asleep and irritated by the crack of midday sun poking out from under the curtain shoved his hand into Kaveh’s mouth.

“Don’t eat me to death please. ‘Night…” Alhaitham groaned, shutting his eyes and curling up closer to Kaveh under the blanket that wasn’t quite big enough for the two of them. Kaveh was still effected by the medication, and with the little bit of blood he’d taken from Alhaitham he felt well enough to fall back asleep.

***

Kaveh felt a bit better when he woke up. Alhaitham’s hand was still in his mouth, and now bore quite a few white lines where scars had healed. His stomach was hurting still, but his vision wasn’t clouded in red anymore, and his fangs had finally retracted. He’d gotten a bit more used to them, even though he wasn’t very good at controlling them. Alhaitham snored slightly, and Kaveh didn’t bother to check his watch to see the time. He was too sick to wake Alhaitham for class, and wanted him to stay. Had it not been for the pain, he would’ve enjoyed that moment a lot.

Kaveh laid with Alhaitham on his chest, and was fairly content with Alhaitham being there. His skin was soft and warm, and the not-fully worn off sedative helped with the omnipresent urge to bite him. Seeing that there was nothing better to do, Kaveh curled up closer to Alhaitham and closed his eyes. He wasn’t able to get back to sleep, but he was also too groggy to get up.

He couldn’t help but feel sad when Alhaitham started to stir, and inched closer to him in hopes that he wouldn’t leave. He didn’t want to be alone with himself.

“I’m staying home today.” Alhaitham said sleepily, rolling closer to Kaveh. Kaveh cringed as a sharp pain snaked its way up his throat, but managed to smile as he wished upon the news.

*_***_*

Kaveh sat twisting his gold wedding band in their shared home, anxiously waiting for the familiar tapping on his door that Alhaitham always did when he was ready for bed. Gregory the plant sat upon Kaveh’s desk, seemingly in wait for something to happen. They’d had a routine for years now, and other than the odd night neither of them had a problem with it. Tonight was one of those nights. As Alhaitham knocked then entered the room, he immediately noticed how Kaveh shied away from him slightly.

Alhaitham cocked his head to the side with a hum, a way to ask if Kaveh was okay. He knew it was probably one of the increasingly rare days that Kaveh didn’t want to eat. It had been over a year since Kaveh had last had any problems, and while he wondered what had triggered his guilt again he decided to let Kaveh be the one to tell him that.

Kaveh gave a slight frown, confirming Alhaitham’s suspicions. Kaveh bit at the skin on his lips, avoiding eye contact more than usual. “I just don’t wanna today…” his voice was merely a whisper, and he stared off into the corner of the study.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just,” he sighed, dropping his head into his hands. “I don’t like the way it feels, as you know, but it seems like you’re doing so much for me now that we’re married and… I just feel like a burden?”

“Ah, this again.” Alhaitham placed a hand on Kaveh’s shoulder, kneeling down so that he was closer to the level his husband was sitting at. “You’re not a burden Kaveh. I’ve told you this many times, and that won’t change.”

Silence filled the room as Kaveh took a moment to piece himself together. “Can I just-

“No, you cannot just skip eating, we’ve discussed this.”

Kaveh glared at him, crossing his arms whilst still gnawing at his lips.

“Would you prefer to wait another hour?”

“No, it disrupts my routine too much, I just. Hmm, I just wish I didn’t have to again. I sometimes wonder how I ever got over it.”

“A lot of me reassuring you and you getting sick when you didn’t eat.”

Kaveh blinked a few times, his red eyes gleaming back at Alhaitham.

“That was rhetorical.”

“Oh. I see.”

The two stared at each other for a moment before Alhaitham gestured for Kaveh to join him in his bed. The duvet was deceptively white, with the sheets underneath being black.

“I promise you’re not a burden.” Alhaitham said as he sat down on the bed.

“Thank you.” Kaveh muttered, pulling up a stool that they used when they were in a rush. Kaveh had bitten Alhaitham before standing up in a tiny bathroom stall, in a friend's house during a party, while Kaveh was in a meltdown, in the dark of the woods, and in plenty of other wild scenarios. Kaveh was more than strong enough to hold up Alhaitham if he passed out, but Alhaitham had grown more than enough resistant to Kaveh’s venom to avoid it. Needless to say, Kaveh and Alhaitham were no strangers to their vampiric routine.

Kaveh didn’t give much of a warning before biting Alhaitham, they both knew exactly how it worked. Kaveh simply leaned in, placing his hands on Alhaitham’s shoulders as he usually did before sinking his fangs into Alhaitham’s neck. His blood was sweet and his heart was steady, just as it had always been. There was something soothing about having never fed from another person, it was familiar to him. Alhaitham had always been there, even through their worst fights, Alhaitham would still hand his wrist to Kaveh and Kaveh would still make him dinner. No matter what happened, they were always there for each other, no matter how reluctant they were.

Kaveh started to pull away, to which Alhaitham responded by pulling him back.

“Kav.”

Alhaitham knew very well how tired Kaveh got when he didn’t eat enough, and how Kaveh would end up feeling guilty when he inevitably needed to eat early. Kaveh responded by deeply exhaling and moving back to the position he had been in. Alhaitham gently patted Kaveh on the back, trying to soothe the tension he would feel coming from Kaveh. He waited for a moment as Kaveh ate, before tapping his hand three times- his signal to remind Kaveh that he could stop if he wished.

Alhaitham knew from experience how much Kaveh needed to eat to feel full, and Kaveh liked the reminder. Four taps was their signal to pull away immediately, which they had never had to use. While Alhaitham delivered the reminder, it was ultimately up to Kaveh when he decided to stop. That night, Kaveh evidently didn’t feel full, or simply wanted to continue, as he didn’t pull away. Alhaitham didn’t really care, and slowly moved to rest his head on the soft pillows as Kaveh drank.

Since it wasn’t painful, Alhaitham fell asleep in the familiar cool sensation of his husband's embrace. Kaveh’s body was frigid, but Alhaitham didn’t mind. Unless of course, we’re talking about the winter time, when Kaveh saps all the heat from under their covers.

“Are you alright?” Alhaitham woke up to the sweet hum of Kavehs voice, it was honestly a touch frightening to him when Kaveh forgot to shut down his various vampiric charms. Alhaitham thought back to the first time Kaveh had used his voice. It was coincidentally when Kaveh discovered he had such a trait. It was something not all vampires had, and one that Kaveh, much like every other vampiric trait he had, hated it. He’d find himself mistakenly using it even when asking simple questions, like whether or not Alhaitham wanted broccoli with dinner. It wasn’t hard for Kaveh to learn what he liked and disliked with dinner, it was however hard to control his tone.

Accidental use of hypnotism was an oddly large issue in their household. Kaveh was always incredibly embarrassed when it happened. The first time was about two months after he’d first fed from Alhaitham. The two had been hanging around in their dorm, as they usually considering that they had no where else to go and nothing better to do.

“Do you need anything from the store, Haitham?”

“You.” Alhaitham said wistfully, approaching Kaveh near the door to their dorm.

“AH? I beg your pardon!?” Kaveh sputtered, mouth agape in shock.

Alhaitham stepped closer to Kaveh, stumbling slightly as he never removed his gaze from him.

“What the hell has gotten into you?!”

Alhaitham ignored him completely, only moving closer to him.

“Wha- back off! Stop it!”

His roommate stopped dead in his tracks, shaking his head a bit before dawning a frightened expression.

“What just happened?” Alhaithams voice wavered, something completely out of the ordinary for him.

“I don’t know…”

The two kept a bit of distance between them for a few moments until Kaveh realized what had happened. “I- I think I hypnotized you…”

“Oh. Could you possibly not do that again?”

“That’s my goal, yeah.”

It happened many more times after that, each time getting more awkward than the last, that was until they got into a relationship. It improved significantly once they had been together for a bit, with Alhaitham simply saying “tone” if Kaveh was doing it by accident or if he was made uncomfortable. Such a system usually worked well for them, other than the time that Alhaitham actually wasn’t hypnotized and was just in love with Kaveh without realizing. Now that was an awkward conversation.

“Tone, Kaveh.” Alhaitham said, knowing that both him and Kaveh weren’t fond of the trait. Kaveh found it to be manipulative since he could coerce Alhaitham into doing nearly anything he wanted, and Alhaitham didn’t like the lack of control.

“ACK- Sorry!!!” Kaveh waved his hands in front of his face apologetically before burying his face in his hands.

“It’s quite alright Kaveh, though I’d appreciate it if you would brush your teeth and get to bed already. You’re throwing off our routine.”

“I’ll be right back.” Kaveh nodded, licking his lips to ensure they were clean as he left the room.

Kaveh walked quietly to the bathroom, making use of his heightened strength and speed to hurry the process.
*
Alhaitham flinched as he heard Kaveh’s body slam into the hardwood floors. Presumably he’d tripped on the floorboard he’d broken a few years ago, he never really got used to the obstacle. Alhaitham chuckled slightly as he pictured Kaveh dusting himself off in the same manner as always.
*
Kaveh dusted himself off in the same manner as always, letting out an exasperated sigh as he knew that Alhaitham heard him hit the floor again. Picking himself up, Kaveh made it to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He twisted the cold metal of the tap handles and listened keenly to the falling water.

He liked the quiet of the bathroom, he felt at peace to relax there. He supposed it was because of his ability to lock the door without judgment. He hummed to himself as he poked at his teeth, staring into his reflection. Kaveh had a habit of getting distracted by anything, and his facial features were included in that. He opened his mouth to look at his fangs, retracting them and extending them off and on for a few moments. He was definitely less self conscious about them now, and didn't mind them nearly as much.

“Kaveh. Are you coming?” Alhaitham called from their room impatiently.

“Yea! Just a sec!” Kaveh responded, snapping out of his trance to quickly brush his teeth and remove his makeup. After drying off his face, Kaveh hurried back to his bed warmer, or rather husband, Alhaitham. He made sure to dodge his ultimate foe the floorboard, and joined Alhaitham in bed.

“Alhaitham?” Kaveh uttered in the darkness of their room.

“Yes Kav?”

“Thanks for being my husband.”

“Hmph,” Alhaitham exhaled fondly, “you’re more than welcome.”

“Goodnight hanasa.” Kaveh whispered as he placed a light kiss on Alhaitham’s cheek.

“Tone, Kaveh.”

“Not using it.”

“Liar…” Alhaitham rolled over, realizing he was in the wrong.

Kaveh snickered and closed his eyes, contentment warming his heart. He felt loved.