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@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
in honour of my recent trip to liyue, we’re trying the classic almond tofu in a special collab with @xiao! i really enjoyed… Read more
Comments
me_sasani kaveh u are literally an icon and i love u SO MUCH and i wish i could eat EVERYTHING u make like this looks so goodddddd… will i ever become this good a cook??
kaveh.cooks.plants replying to me_sasani: thank you so much!!!! and i’m sure you might one day be much better if you put in the effort :)))
hello_it’s_xiangling wow i’m saving this recipe for later!!
alhaitham1102 Tried it. Overrated.
@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
hi lovelies! one more for the series “there’s always room for mushroom,” this time it’s oyster mushroom carpaccio with… Read more
Comments
ni_lou_ this looks DELICIOUS!!!!! i’ll def try it out!! <3
barbara.fc67 I want him so bad.
gardeningbytighnari that barbara fanclub needs to touch grass
barbara.fc67 replying to gardeningbytighnari: he cooks, he’s respectful, he’s hot, he’s upbeat. like i’d gen marry him. can you blame me?
alhaitham1102 replying to barbara.fc67: Yes
Kaveh hummed as he turned over thin slices of zucchini, drizzling them in more olive oil.
“Alhaitham, take the potatoes out of the oven.”
He looked up from a thick book, sitting on the kitchen island just two steps away. “You forgot the ‘please,’ senior.”
A scoff. “Alhaitham, take the potatoes that you are going to eat and that I prepared all by myself out of the oven, please.”
Alhaitham raised a brow, turning a page. “Much like earnest thanks, such requests should be made thrice, no? I’ll wait.”
Scowling, Kaveh marched to the oven, scrunching up his lips as he quite literally dropped the potato platter onto the kitchen island. “Set the fucking table. Please, your majesty.”
Alhaitham closed the book lazily, blinking innocently as he took his sweet time stretching before picking out an intricate, textured ceramic plate for Kaveh and a plain white one for himself. He folded one cloth handkerchief into a rose (it was “necessary” for videos) and set up the extra lighting on top of the dining table.
Kaveh spent eight minutes and twenty-six seconds simply taking pictures and recordings of the untouched food.
“Kaveh,” Alhaitham groaned, although he would rather use the term ‘muttered,’ or ‘called.’ “I’m hungry. It’s gonna get cold.”
Kaveh swatted his hand away from the potatoes. “You can eat the salad. I’m not recording it.”
Figures, Alhaitham thought, grumpily, as he took a bite of pure lettuce without a drop of olive oil or even salt. The benefit of living with a food influencer was eating his cooking, but the downside was that Kaveh was left too exhausted to prepare anything unless it would be posted online.
“Get that scowl off your face,” Kaveh grunted, turning the potato platter by forty-three degrees. “If you want a more creative salad, either wait for my salad video series during summer or make your own.”
“We agreed that cooking is your responsibility in this household.”
“And yours is? Looking pretty and getting on my nerves?”
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow. “So you think I’m pretty, senior?”
“You’re pretty damn annoying.”
“That’s not the comeback you think it is. Perhaps you should try thinking before you speak, sometimes.”
Kaveh stabbed a potato with his fork. “I’m not having a good day. You better stop talking to me.”
“Tell me more about your day. Did you have fun spending two hours on potatoes?”
Kaveh’s left eye twitched, and he inhaled deeply before serving himself a plate and clicking through notifications as he munched down forkfuls.
“Using your phone at the table is rude. Was it not you who bugged me for months about reading while eating? I see, now, that you uphold double standards.”
Kaveh threw the phone across the table, not bothering to reply with words. “Is it National Pissing-Kaveh-Off Day? Because you’re the third person to achieve that goal today.”
“Perhaps you’re just too easy to piss off.”
Alhaitham was attacked with a slice of zucchini, drenching his chin in olive oil.
“Don’t play with your food, Kaveh,” he murmured casually, popping the slice into his mouth.
“Don’t play with me!” Kaveh retorted, waving a fork around the air menacingly. “I’m gonna kick you out of my house.”
“It’s my house. You can’t kick me out.”
“I’m gonna kick you out anyway! I live here too. I have the right to.”
“You really don’t. The apartment is under my name.”
Kaveh seethed, although his rage, as always, was short-lived, and completely disappeared after a few mouthfuls of dinner. He blabbed on about his most recent videos and the collab contacts he’d gotten that week, until Alhaitham made a jab at his never-ending rambles (as if they weren’t Alhaitham’s favourite moments of the day).
Kaveh stood up with a huff and vowed to find a new place to live.
Alhaitham was unbothered, replying with nothing other than a shadow of an amused smirk as he did the dishes. Kaveh had been saying he would move out for literal years, since all the way back in university when they first became roommates out of convenience. And yet, even after leaving for a year and a half to take an haute-cuisine course in Fontaine, he’d shown up on Alhaitham’s doorstep on a random Wednesday afternoon, with two large suitcases and a head of golden hair mussed up by the wind, asking to come in.
“I don’t like living alone,” he had explained, shrugging.
“Me neither,” Alhaitham had replied, although it would more accurately have been phrased as I don’t like living without you.
And now, a year later, Kaveh had managed to amass a large enough follower count and sponsorship deals to kind-of pay rent (sometimes) when he didn’t feel like the money would be better spent on a new Le Creuset skillet.
“Aesthetics are really important to get views,” he had clarified, defending himself with a hand poised at the waist. Meanwhile, Alhaitham was struggling to fit all the kitchenware into the cupboards. “So, no, I can’t get rid of anything. Just install new cupboards, or something.”
Alhaitham had no intention of dirtying his hands or his wallet on such things, so he had started simply keeping a few pans on the kitchen table, and Kaveh had freaked the fuck out. He sat down one evening from sunset to sunrise and crafted a new blueprint for their kitchen, putting his previously-forgotten architecture degree to good use.
And Alhaitham had paid for the renovation. It cost an exorbitant amount, but he managed to convince Kaveh that it was fully in his interest to fund such useless whims, insisting that he really wanted the change.
“Perhaps a prettier kitchen will increase your views to the point of allowing you to finally move out of my house,” he had mused. “And I do want new cupboards.”
The second part wasn’t a total lie. He had derived great enjoyment from watching Kaveh sit on the floor, blonde curls tied back with haphazardly placed red clips, sticking his tongue out in effort while installing the wooden cabinets. He flexed his muscles while working an abnormally-sized screwdriver, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead as he pushed wood against marble and asked for a tool whose name Alhaitham had never heard in his life.
Fine, he was turned on. He was so, so turned on.
“Are you just gonna sit there and not help at all?” Kaveh had snapped. “Pass me some electrical tape, it’s in the toolbox. I’m gonna switch the voltage of these sockets so I can use the kettle on the counter.”
Whatever the fuck that meant. Alhaitham didn’t know what electrical tape looked like, nor how it was related to switching sockets or the kettle.
“I’m busy,” he replied, holding up a book.
“You’re useless.”
Alhaitham had raised a brow, feigning offence as he flipped a page of the book that he was not reading. Really, he hoped Kaveh would never move out. Ever. He could redesign the entire house if he so wished, as long as Alhaitham could spend his Sunday afternoons lounging near him like a cat who’s always in the same room as its owner.
@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
we’re making something closer to home today! fatteh is probably my all-time favourite dish, so i’m adding a little twist to it and… Read more
Comments
barbara.fc67 FUCK YEAH NEW KAVEH VID!!!!!! he looks so good with his hair like that 😭
alhaitham1102 The original recipe tastes better.
azar.official I would never eat this
“Can you stop commenting on my videos?”
Alhaitham raised a brow. “I’m helping you. Comments bring engagement.”
@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
who doesn’t like soup?? i was kinda craving a nice, warm, hearty broth, so for today’s video i’m giving you guys a recipe for… Read more
Comments
alhaitham1102 I don’t like soup
me_sasani replying to alhaitham1102: dude literally nobody cares. like seriously, nobody asked you. creators are out here pouring their blood sweat and tears into HOURS of making videos for FREE and you have to be a fucking asshole about it. like WTF is wrong with you???? don’t like, don’t watch. it rlly pisses me off to see this kind of comment, esp on kaveh’s videos, bc he’s always so nice and so kind, sharing his recipes for ABSOLUTE FREE and all the ones i’ve tried are SO good, and you keep bringing him down for NO reason. i think people forget that the creators behind the screen are real people too, even tho i bet you’d never be this rude to him irl
alhaitham1102 replying to me_sasani: I’m actually just as rude to him irl
“See? Engagement.”
“You’re insufferable,” Kaveh groaned, setting up his tripod. “Get out of the kitchen. I’m gonna start filming.”
“Kicking me out of my own kitchen? What if I want to stay?”
“None of my followers want to see your ugly face. Get out, or your precious privacy and anonymity will fall apart.”
@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
pls excuse the occasional ugly faces you can see me making at my roommate, who was trying to EAT the cookie batter while i… Read more
Comments
chef.escoffier omg i really wanna try this recipe actually
alhaitham1102 Your roommate is so handsome.
barbara.fc67 replying to alhaitham1102: RIGHT??????? I WANNA MOVE IN W THESE 2
me_sasani OMG NEW CHARACTER!!! also HI KAVEH!!!!!! I LOVE YOUR VIDEOSSSS
“I guess a ‘thank you’ is in order,” Kaveh murmured, scrolling through his notifications. “I was kind of in a bad moment, but the video with you got over one million views. That’s kinda scary, actually.”
“I suppose I just have a talent.”
“No, you just have nice biceps.”
“Thank you, Kaveh. Didn’t know you were partial to my muscles. If you ask nicely, I might let you—”
“Don’t finish that sentence.”
Alhaitham did not, mostly due to the fact that Kaveh was holding a knife larger than his hand, and instead opted to open the video again, liking any comments referencing the “hot roommate.”
“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Kaveh muttered, peeking over his shoulder. He was hiding an amused smile.
“I’m just supporting your channel.”
“Great. Support my channel in a better way by appearing in my next video.”
“Why would I do that?”
Kaveh smiled coyly. “Because you love me?”
“Am I getting paid?”
“Obviously not. Think of it as you paying me for the nuisance of having you hang around me all the time.”
“I don’t see how—”
“Shush. The idea is the following…”
“Hi everyone! You all seemed to love my roommate in the last video for some reason, so I brought him in again. Say hi!”
Alhaitham waved unenthusiastically. “Hello.”
“Today, he’s gonna pick what I’ll be cooking.”
“I want that lemon pepper vegetable stew.”
Kaveh stopped the recording, sighing. “It can’t be something I’ve made before.”
“Why not?”
“Because I need money. And I won’t get money remaking the same recipes all the time.”
“It’s not all the time, it’s once. And I’m sure your audience would like an honest review of your recipes, coming from someone who has tried them all,” Alhaitham argued, raising his chin. “This video would shed light on how good your lemon pepper stew is.”
Kaveh crossed his arms. “The review idea isn’t bad, but there’s no need for me to actually remake the recipes. Listen, I’ll make the stew for you at some point this week, okay? Just pick something else for the video.”
Alhaitham didn’t reply. Kaveh restarted the recording.
@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
my roommate picked today’s dish! i think he just wanted to make my life harder, choosing ingredients i had to go to the inazuman store to… Read more
Comments
barbara.fc67 guys does anyone have the roommate’s username… i need it for… reasons…
azar.official I’m ngl this looks gross
alhaitham1102 replying to azar.official: kys
gardeningbytighnari kaveh when are u gonna cook this for me? why do u only ever cook for ur “roommate”…
alhaitham1102 replying to gardeningbytighnari: Cause he has “nice biceps” (Kaveh’s words)
barbara.fc67 replying to alhaitham1102: WAIT WHEN DID HE SAY THAT?? are they like… more than… yk…
me_sasani replying to barbara.fc67: honestly i think we should all just mind our own business. this alhaitham guy isn’t exactly trustworthy, he’s always leaving hate comments on kaveh’s videos, and i wouldn’t want to start a harmful rumour just bc this jerk made smth up. also even if they are more than roommates, it’s rlly none of our business. if kaveh wants us to know, he’ll tell us! if not, we should just respect their privacy :)
alhaitham1102 replying to me_sasani: I’m very trustworthy
kaveh.cooks.plants replying to alhaitham1102: no ur not
Kaveh woke up with a runny nose, sniffling miserably as he dragged his leaded feet through the corridors of the house clad in a cloak-like fluffy blanket.
“Good morning,” Alhaitham greeted.
Kaveh replied with an achoo.
“Bless you.”
Another sneeze.
“Bless you.”
Another sneeze.
“Bless you.”
Another—
“If you bless me again, I’m sneezing on your face.”
“I would say your considerate and loving roommate deserves more appreciation than that, Kaveh.”
He sat gloomily by the kitchen table, eyebags jutting out like accessories.
“I was gonna record a breakfast video today.”
“Don’t. You have to rest.”
Kaveh hid his face in the blanket, reaching for a napkin. He looked like a wounded puppy, shoulders slouched and pouty lips staring longingly at Alhaitham’s unblocked nose, radiating envy.
“I’ll make you breakfast,” Alhaitham said, standing up.
Kaveh brightened up immediately, amber eyes glittering. “Did I ever tell you I love you? Because I do. You’re the best person ever.”
Something warm pooled up in Alhaitham’s chest as his roommate sneezed again, and he reached for Kaveh’s favourite bowl to start slicing some fruit.
@kaveh.cooks.plants uploaded a story.
[Image description: a plate of toast, a bowl of sliced peaches, and a mug of coffee. The caption reads, “i’m sick :( so no video today. luckily, my roommate’s taking care of me… he still has a lot to learn about plating, but i’ll gloss over it for the time being.”]
“Won’t you be late for work?” Kaveh asked, popping some medicine into his mouth while Alhaitham prepared fresh orange juice on the kitchen counter.
“Doesn’t matter.”
Kaveh narrowed his eyes. Alhaitham was a “Scribe,” whatever in the actual fuck that meant. Kaveh didn’t know, Alhaitham didn’t really know, and Kaveh guessed that Alhaitham’s boss probably didn’t know either. Despite the cool and enticing medieval name, the role consisted mostly of dealing with boring paperwork, and Alhaitham was never particularly enthusiastic about leaving the house. Technically, his working hours were from nine to five, with a lunch break between midday and one, but he usually arrived at ten and left at four. He also often extended his lunch break, coming all the way home to eat Kaveh’s cooking.
Kaveh supposed that it was because Alhaitham wanted to make the best of having a professional chef as his roommate. Alhaitham had never commented on the matter.
“At this rate, you’re gonna get fired,” he grumbled, half-heartedly.
“It’s not like I have much to do. I sit around reading a book for most of the day.”
Kaveh rolled his eyes, but smiled as he was presented with a glass of juice. “Thanks, Haitham.”
”Vitamin C is important for immunity. So is sleep. You probably wouldn’t be sick if you didn’t stay up late editing videos.”
“Most people have to actually work to earn a living, you know? Reading a book in an oversized office doesn’t count.”
Alhaitham shrugged. “Gets me more money than you.”
“You—!” Kaveh threw a sock at him. “Why can’t you be my sweet little junior for more than two minutes?”
@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
tier list of my recipes, made by my roommate! can’t exactly say i agree but oh well… taste is taste ig. you can find all the recipes… Read more
Comments
barbara.fc67 do they know it’s legal now
me_sasani wow i’ve never tried the lemon pepper stew, guess it’s worth it!!
alhaitham1102 replying to me_sasani: It is
tart_aglia why are they both so fine
barbara.fc67 replying to tart_aglia that’s what i’m sayingggggg. also i rlly think they’re a couple
“I’m somehow a source of internet gossip now,” Kaveh murmured, scrolling through his page.
“I noticed. It does make sense. With such a handsome and desirable man living in your house, anyone would assume you’d fall in love.”
“If only they knew how much of a pain in the ass you are.”
“They probably assume I’m another kind of pain in the—”
“Don’t. Gods, you’re spending too much time with Cyno.”
“That’s your fault for dragging me to social events.”
“Because you gotta have fun, and get out of the house!” Kaveh exclaimed, making grand gestures with his hands to highlight his point. Alhaitham followed his ringed fingers with a focused gaze, taking in the worn-out nail polish he still hadn’t removed. Every detail about Kaveh was addictive.
“Having fun and getting out of the house usually don’t work together.”
Kaveh sighed dramatically, placing a hand on Alhaitham’s shoulder. “You still have so much to learn, my naïve little junior.”
Even after all these years, the warmth of his touch left Alhaitham dizzy.
“Anyway,” Kaveh continued. “There’s this trend I wanted to hop onto, I wanna know what you think. I was thinking of making a video saying, like, If I reach one million followers, I’ll do whatever the most-liked comment says!”
Alhaiham raised an eyebrow. “What if the first comment says to paint all our walls beige?”
“Thankfully, no one would be cruel enough to comment such an atrocity.” Kaveh shivered at the thought. “But yeah, I’m a little worried about what they’re gonna ask me to do.”
“I’d say it’s dangerous to make a promise you can’t necessarily keep.”
“I mean, if it’s absurd, my followers will understand that I can’t do it. And my viewer base is mostly really sweet.”
“I’m not sure why you’re asking for my advice when you won’t listen to me,” Alhaitham replied.
He was already thinking of commenting ‘do your roommate’s laundry for a month.’
“It’s a test,” Kaveh shrugged. “Usually, if you don’t like an idea, it means it’s a good one.”
@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
please be nice w the comments y’all! i am not flying to inazuma or selling my kidney lol. hopefully this helps us have some… Read more
Comments
alhaitham1102 Make lemon pepper stew this week
barbara.fc67 kiss ur roommate
me_sasani replying to barbara.fc67: ur creepy
azar.official Go to a steakhouse
alhaitham1102 replying to azar.official: kys
me_sasani replying to azar.official: kys
gardeningbytighnari replying to azar.official: kys
cyNOTme come to TCG night on friday plsssssssss
kaveh.cooks.plants replying to cyNOTme: not if at’s a stand-up comedy club again
“I have bad news,” Kaveh announced, walking into the kitchen while rubbing his temples. “About the comment video thing.”
Alhaitham hummed, hopefully seeming unfazed. He didn’t want Kaveh to know he’d spent all night refreshing the page.
“The most-liked comment asks me to kiss you,” Kaveh mumbled, looking away sheepishly. “But don’t worry! I obviously would never do anything to make you uncomfortable, regardless of engagement stuff. Like you always say, we need to set boundaries at work, and you’re not in any—”
“I’m not uncomfortable.”
Kaveh blinked.
Alhaitham kept his eyes locked onto his phone screen. He was sweating.
“I mean that,” he cleared his throat, “if you want to do it, I don’t mind. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable. Of course, you have to consider your own boundaries as well.”
“I see.” Kaveh’s cheeks were coloured by a slight red, and he stuttered to get the rest out. He evidently hadn’t expected this reply. “I, uh. Well. I mean, that’s really—”
“Don’t do it if you’re unsure.”
“I’m not unsure!”
Alhaitham’s eyes widened. Kaveh scratched the nape of his neck. “Like, I’m fine with doing it, I mean. It’s probably gonna help me with views and all. Although… I do feel bad for queerbaiting everyone.”
“You can’t queerbait them when you’re literally queer.” Alhaitham crossed his arms. “They’re also aware I’m just your roommate, and they’re the ones pushing for this.”
If I didn’t have a special interest in the situation, I’d advise you against such a ridiculous trespassing of boundaries, he didn’t add. Alhaitham was too weak to protest a loophole which was getting him the kiss he’d been craving for years.
He should send that Barbara fanclub a flower bouquet or something.
“Alright, then,” Kaveh sighed. “Wanna record it later today? Gods, this will be so awkward.”
Alhaitham nodded. His stomach was fluttering with excited butterflies, and he was strongly resisting a grin from erupting on his face.
When Kaveh left to shower, he let the toothy beam take hold of his lips, giggling silently as he felt his cheeks warm up against his hands.
“Okay.” Kaveh was pacing around the kitchen with his hands behind his back, going through what he needed to say. His neck was lined with sweat and his hands were fidgeting with one another.
“If you’re uncomfortable, we can cancel the video.”
The words had to be scratched out of Alhaitham’s throat like swollen lumps, but he forced them out anyway. Kaveh didn’t have to know that he’d been kicking his feet like a teenager in his room just five minutes before.
“No! No, no, no. We are doing this. I have a… commitment to my followers.”
“Which doesn’t mean you can’t set boundaries.”
“My boundaries are fine. I’m comfortable. You know what, I’m so comfortable that I’ll start recording now!”
“Maybe we should—”
“Hi everyone!” Kaveh exclaimed, smiling delightedly. It was a livestream on Instagram, as they’d decided beforehand, so Alhaitham had to bite down his words. “I’ll just wait until more of you come in. How are you?”
He replied enthusiastically to the flood of comments pouring into the chat, chuckling and answering every doubt.
“As you can see, my roommate is here with me already. I know some of you thought I was going to just kiss him and record his live reaction, but I don’t think that’d be fair. I asked him if he’s alright with this and he said yes, so, I guess you get your free gossip entertainment for the week.”
barbara.fc67: WDYM HES ALRIGHT W IT???? DUDEEEEE HES SO IN LOVE
barbara.fc67: OR R U A COUPLE ALREADY AND JUST HIDING IT??????!!!!!!
“No, we are not a couple. I believe that’s been made quite clear,” Alhaitham snapped.
Kaveh narrowed his eyes at him, practically screaming be nice.
gardeningbytighnari: i even made popcorn to watch this stream
“Fuck you, Nari,” Kaveh muttered.
me_sasani: kaveh, gentle reminder that u don’t have to do this if u don’t want to!!! don’t feel pressured, we’re here for ur amazing recipes and not to intrude upon your privacy
“Correct,” Alhaitham stated. “Are you sure you’re comfortable with this?”
barbara.fc67: awww such a gentleman. yall should get married
Kaveh snorted. “Gentleman isn’t the word I’d use.”
“I can still remove my consent, so I’d advise against such comments, Kaveh.”
barbara.fc67: OMG AND THEY BICKER LIKE A MARRIED COUPLE TOO
me_sasani: omg barbara fc im sorry but i have to say it, ur genuinely weird. these r real people, stop making them uncomfortable
“Anyway.” Kaveh clapped his hands, nervously eyeing the chat. “Let’s get on to it? This won’t be a very long stream, as you can imagine. We’ll just— well, do it. Yeah.”
“Right.”
Kaveh bit his lip, and the blush around his cheekbones was brazing furiously now. Alhaitham took a step forward, eyeing his lips.
“Okay,” Kaveh chuckled. “So how are we— gonna um… do this?”
“I guess we’ll just…” Alhaitham cleared his throat. “Lean in?”
“Okay. Sure.”
“Alright. Can I just—”
“Yeah, yeah, uh— Go on.”
Alhaitham swallowed thickly as their lips approached each other, Kaveh’s gorgeous crimson eyes fluttering shut. He was breathtaking from this angle too: freckles dotting the bridge of his nose and breath faltering slightly.
Gently, Alhaitham pressed their mouths together. Kaveh was warm and soft to the touch, lips parting immediately. He cupped Alhaitham’s jaw with both hands, bringing him closer with a small sound in the back of his throat. Alhaitham took the opportunity to carefully cradle a head of blonde hair with trembling hands, lips moving awkwardly under the strain of hundreds of emotions beating through his veins at the same time.
He’d expected Kaveh to taste like the strawberry pie they’d had as an afternoon snack, but instead he just felt addictively warm, like there was no place more inviting than that mouth taking him in with swollen lips and gentle hands. And Kaveh’s curls felt desperately soft under his fingers, and he could smell Kaveh’s—
The warmth was gone in an instant. Kaveh stepped backwards, looking away with a nervous chuckle. And then he turned towards the chat, fixing his hair with help from the phone screen.
“Well, that was that. Satisfied?”
He bit his bottom lip while skimming through the chat, laughing unnaturally at a joke or two someone had made. Alhaitham lost any and all desire he might have had to read the messages, or stick around enough to hear whatever Kaveh had to say.
He didn’t know what he had expected, really. It was just a prank for the internet, and it was never meant to last more than a fleeting moment. He let his shoulders slump and walked out of the kitchen, mumbling something about a shower.
Kaveh felt guilty.
That much was obvious to Alhaitham, having known him for so long. Guilt was a recurring feeling in Kaveh’s life, and so the symptoms were notably easy to identify.
He sighed watching Kaveh knock on his door the second time that day, bringing another sweet placed elaborately on a fine ceramic plate.
“An éclair,” he explained, eyes glued on the floor. “I’m testing out the recipe. I made this one coffee-flavoured.”
“You don’t have to keep bringing me peace offerings. There’s nothing to apologise for.”
“It’s not— I just— I’m just testing it out for a video.”
Alhaitham raised an eyebrow. “And you made it my favourite flavour.”
The plate was dropped onto the desk with a clang. Kaveh sighed, sitting on the floor and hugging his knees to his chest.
“I feel bad. I shouldn’t have pressured you into the kiss.”
“You didn’t pressure me. I gave you my consent. Let’s move past the topic.”
“You were obviously uncomfortable afterwards,” Kaveh added, quietly. “I feel awful. I’m sorry.”
“Like I said, there’s nothing to be sorry for.”
“I took advantage of you.”
Alhaitham inhaled deeply. If anything, I was the one who took advantage of you.
“If I say I’m unbothered, I’m unbothered. Move past it like I did.”
Kaveh was silent for a long while after that. Alhaitham looked down discreetly, and sighed upon noticing him wipe a tear off the corner of his eye.
“Kaveh. You’re overthinking. I’m not mad at you.”
“Then why are you avoiding me?” he asked, sniffling. “You’ve not even been teasing me like usual.”
“I didn’t think I’d live to see the day in which you’d complain that I’m not teasing you.”
Kaveh poked his leg with a frown. “Come on. Be serious.”
Alhaitham inhaled deeply. How was he supposed to explain that he was sulking because of unrequited love for his best friend? He hated lying, but watching Kaveh sniffle and tiptoe around the house with concern written all over his face made something in Alhaitham hurt.
“I’m not mad at you,” he started, measuring his words. “It’s something else entirely. Something… personal.”
“Personal,” Kaveh repeated. “You can talk to me about it.”
“I’d rather not.” Alhaitham took a nervous bite of the éclair. “This is delicious.”
Kaveh looked up at him with a pout, cocking his head. “Come on,” he prodded, gently. “I wish you could trust me enough to talk about your problems. I’ll listen. I can help. I mean, it’s pretty clear that this personal thing is related to me, and I wanna solve it.”
Kiss me, then, and mean it. Don’t pull away.
“It’s not about trust.”
“You can tell me if the kiss made you uncomfortable, Haitham. There’s no need to protect me.”
“I just—” Fuck, what was he supposed to say to that? Maybe a half-truth. “It was my first kiss.”
Kaveh’s jaw dropped to the floor, and then, after a moment, his cheeks turned a burning red. “Oh— I— I’m so sorry. I didn’t realise. I assumed you just didn’t talk about that stuff, I didn’t— I shouldn’t have even asked you.”
“For the millionth time, there’s nothing to be sorry for, because I agreed.”
A pause. Then, quietly, “Why?” Kaveh fidgeted with his hands. “I mean, like. You’ve never kissed anyone in your life, and you’re fine with doing it for anyone to see just for my views?”
It’s because it’s you, he wanted to scream. Can’t you see that it’s always been you?
Alhaitham didn’t know how to reply. “I just don’t see what I would lose from kissing you.”
“Right.” Kaveh’s shoulders slumped a little. It almost looked like… disappointment.
“I…” The confession was itching to climb out of Alhaitham’s throat, and his pulse was racing at the dilemma of whether to reveal a secret of years. “There’s something else.”
Kaveh perked up.
Fuck.
“I agreed because I wanted to kiss you,” he stated, and every muscle in his body felt tense. He was looking straight at the éclair, refusing to meet Kaveh’s eyes. “I was… curious.”
“I see,” Kaveh breathed. “As in… you were curious about what kisses feel like?”
“…Yes,” Alhaitham replied, resisting the urge to bite his lip. “But with you, specifically.”
Kaveh didn’t react. One, two, three, four, five seconds he counted in his head, six, fuck, why isn’t he saying anything? Seven. This was a bad sign. Eight. He shouldn’t have opened his mouth.
“What was your conclusion?” Kaveh asked, voice wobbly.
“…What do you mean?”
“You said you were curious about kissing me.” He gulped. “What did you think of it, then?”
No use hiding now. “Let’s just say I was greatly disappointed when you pulled away.”
He heard Kaveh stand up slowly, and then a cocked golden head was taking up his view. Kaveh’s pupils were blown wide.
“I was… disappointed too. That it ended.”
Alhaitham’s lips parted in an instant, and the statement buzzed around his head for a solid few seconds before they were properly processed.
“I’m in love with you,” he blurted. “I’ve been for a long time.”
And Kaveh, addictively beautiful under the soft afternoon light coming in from the windows, melted into a soft smile, red eyes twinkling with warmth. He sighed in what looked like relief, then brought a hand to gently cradle Alhaitham’s cheek.
“Me too.”
And that was all Alhaitham had been dreaming of hearing for years, presented in front of him with hands that smelled like coffee and blonde curls messy from a poor night’s sleep. He looked dazzling with that sheepish smile painted on his lips, and Alhaitham felt his own mouth curl with joy as he leaned forward in a split second, pulling Kaveh onto him and melting into a kiss.
He could hear laughter, maybe from himself, maybe from Kaveh, maybe from both, but all that mattered was that Kaveh loved him. Kaveh loved him and everything was perfect.
@kaveh.cooks.plants
[video]
it’s my boyfriend’s birthday, so watch me cook a 4-course meal for him. the recipe link is… Read more
Comments
alhaitham1102 The lemon pepper stew should become a weekly staple
barbara.fc67 BOYFRIEND????????? I FCKNG KNEW IT
sethos123 replying to barbara.fc67: everybody knew it… they’re not slick
gardeningbytighnari THIS is how i find out????? i’m gonna fucking kill you both
cyNOTme i hope you two are “stew” in love many years from now
alhaitham1102 replying to cyNOTme: I know we will be.