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Kaveh looked out the window at the gloomy, low-hanging clouds as they threatened to rain. He wished they would go away and that the weather would warm up again as he wrapped his arms around himself in a futile attempt to hold what little warmth he had close.
“You know, if you’re cold you could just put something warmer on,” Alhaitham said from the divan behind him. Kaveh turned around and glared at him.
“I’m already wearing the warmest things I own!” he said. “And I wouldn’t need more if you’d let me turn the heaters on. Not all of us are our own heaters you know!”
Alhaitham shrugged and hummed, “Not my problem,” earning himself another glare from the blonde.
“You-!” Kaveh started to argue before deciding not to, turning sharply on his heel and storming to his own room to seek warmth from the bed covers.
A few hours later he re-emerged from his room, wrapped in the heaviest blanket he owned. He ignored Alhaitham as he headed into the kitchen and began preparing coffee. He set out his cup and Alhaitham’s adding the milk and sugar according to their preferences. With a warm cup in each hand and his blanket still wrapped around him and carefully tucked under each arm to prevent it from falling off his shoulders, he went back to the living room and handed Alhaitham his cup before sitting down practically in the younger’s lap.
“You’re going to make me spill my coffee, Kaveh,” Alhaitham half-complained, trying to nudge Kaveh away just slightly.
Kaveh rolled his eyes as he replied, “Your coffee will be fine but mine is going to spill if you push me again!”
“Hm, I doubt that would happen. Did you need to sit on top of me?” Alhaitham set the book he’d been reading down.
“Yes. You won’t let me turn the heaters on and I can’t get warm enough so now you get to be my source of heat,” Kaveh bickered. “Does your coffee have enough sugar? I can get you more if you need it.”
“It’s fine. Did you use the new blend?” Alhaitham asked. When Kaveh hummed in confirmation, he said, “I don’t like it. Its aftertaste is too acidic.”
Kaveh took a sip of his own coffee, then a sip of Alhaitham’s which had been set aside. He extended his cup towards Alhaitham saying, “Try mine. This one may be better with more milk than you normally like.” He waited as Alhaitham tried a sip. Then another, and another. “Hey! I didn’t say you could drink all of it! Hey! Alhaitham!”
“You told me to try it, but you didn’t say how much,” Alhaitham spoke into the cup as he took another sip. He grinned as gave Kaveh his cup back, now missing half its contents, and moved to recline on the divan as if Kaveh wasn’t there.
Kaveh stood to avoid being pushed off as his junior layed down. He gasped from the sudden coldness as his blanket got tugged off him, part of it trapped beneath Alhaitham’s reclining body. He quickly set his mug on the table, barely stopping to make sure it didn’t fall over as he spun around and dropped onto the divan besides Alhaitham haphazardly gathering the blanket from the floor around himself.
“If you would’ve asked, I would’ve gotten off your blanket you know,” Alhaitham groaned from underneath him.
“How many times do I have to tell you? It’s too cold!” Kaveh exclaimed sharply. He rolled so that he was pressed against Alhaitham’s side as opposed to on top of him. He pressed himself as tightly against the other’s side as he could, shivering. He heard Alhaitham sigh and felt him shift as he placed his book on the opposite side of him.
“That's hardly a valid reason to not ask. Let me see the blanket, Kaveh."
“What?! Why?!”
“Just let me see the blanket, Kaveh,” Alhaitham repeated unenthusiastically.
Grumbling, Kaveh got out from under the blanket letting Alhaitham have it. He watched the younger man lay it out over top of him and then lift one side of it in an invitation for Kaveh to join him underneath. Without hesitating, Kaveh crawled under the blanket trying his best to respect Alhaitham’s space as he did. It was only when Alhaitham slid his arm under Kaveh and placed his hand on his back to prevent him from falling, did Kaveh allow himself to cuddle close, enjoying the warmth radiating from Alhaitham’s body and savoring his touch.
Kaveh thought he could’ve lain there like that forever. After laying there for several minutes, he noticed he was almost starting to get too warm. He began shifting uncomfortably trying not to bother Alhaitham or fall off the edge of the divan.
“Is everything alright, Kaveh?” Alhaitham asked as if he already knew the answer.
“Of course not!” Kaveh snapped. “I’m feeling too warm now!”
“Well, you’re always welcome to take your blanket and lay somewhere else,” Alhaitham teased. “It’s not like I need the blanket. I’m not the one who’s practically an icicle.”
Kaveh glared at Alhaitham as best he could from the angle he was at before throwing his arm over Alhaitham’s waist and pressing even closer. “I’ll be staying right here, thank you very much.” Alhaitham said nothing, returning to his book.
Warm and comfortable, Kaveh fought the tug of sleep. He thought he should get up and face the coldness of the house, he had work to get done after all, but he was far too comfortable snuggled close by Alhaitham’s side.
After a while, Alhaitham pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head saying, "Rest, Kaveh."
At the invitation, Kaveh allowed himself to drift off into the realm of sleep. As he did, he muttered gratefully, "So warm... by your side."