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While Alhaitham may no longer be the Acting Grand Sage, having once held that position comes with a variety of benefits, one being the ability to ask Sumeru’s archon if he could bring an artifact the Akademiya was studying home with him in an attempt to decipher the runes on it in his free time.
(Given that the general verdict was that the artifact was harmless, the request had been granted. Despite the aura of elemental energy around it, it showed no reaction to touch, light, or several other stimuli, so Lesser Lord Kusanali had seen no problem allowing him to borrow it for a bit.)
He had spent the better part of the afternoon studying the artifact, and trying to determine if a certain rune should be translated as ‘exchange’ or ‘share’. The rune directly after seems to be the one to indicate a person, or perhaps a person’s soul, and neither of the possibilities make sense to Alhaitham.
It’s at that moment that Kaveh enters the house, his voice immediately filling the once-quiet space with a summary of his day and his client, who apparently was frustrating and ‘didn’t understand the value of aesthetics’.
Kaveh stops by the table Alhaitham is working at, frowning. “Like you,” he finishes, tone somewhere between aggressive and fond. Alhaitham can’t figure out which he should interpret it as.
“Don’t tell me you’re committing workplace theft again.”
Alhaitham rolls his eyes. “It isn’t workplace theft if Lesser Lord Kusanali approved of it.”
He explains the artifact and his struggle with it to Kaveh, who listens with rapt attention before giving the artifact a curious glance. “Could I see?” he asks. “I’m not the linguistics scholar, but perhaps another perspective would be useful.”
Alhaitham has to agree with that. Kaveh’s knowledge has often come in handy on expeditions, and so there’s no reason not to let his roommate take a look at the artifact.
“The rune I’m looking at is right here,” he says, picking up the artifact and gesturing to the symbol. “It and the one following. The rune before indicates a command, to do or to make happen, which is simple enough, but–”
Kaveh reaches out, as if to take the artifact, but the moment his hands touch the surface, it flares with a sudden burst of energy.
Kaveh yelps. “You didn’t tell me it would–”
Alhaitham doesn’t hear the rest, his vision quickly replaced by darkness. He vaguely registers the sound of the artifact hitting the ground, a sudden and intense feeling of nausea, and then feeling a tightness around his chest and his body hitting the ground.
<><><>
Something is definitely wrong.
Kaveh blinks, opening his eyes to see the ceiling of Alhaitham’s house above him. His back is on the carpet, and the lack of pain seems to indicate that he mercifully hadn’t hit anything important when he passed out. He takes a breath.
He feels his chest expand, unhindered by his binder.
Taking another breath, Kaveh’s hand moves over his chest unconsciously, tracing over muscles too defined to be his own. The outline of his binder is nowhere to be found.
“Alhaitham?” he asks, still lying on his back. His voice doesn’t sound normal.
Kaveh feels a jolt of panic run through him. His voice is off. He’s not wearing his binder, but this also definitely isn’t his chest. This is–
(Okay, Kaveh would like to make it clear that he does not spend large amounts of time ogling Alhaitham’s chest, but he knows enough of what it looks like considering it’s in his face every. Fucking. Day.)
(Combined with his voice sounding wrong, it’s easy enough to piece together what happened.)
A moment later, Kaveh’s own face appears above his prone form, and Kaveh screams.
“Congratulations,” Kaveh’s body – Alhaitham – says dryly, the smooth, sarcastic tone sounding odd in Kaveh’s voice. “You’ve helped me figure out what the artifact does. Unfortunately, it now appears to be broken.”
Kaveh struggles to his feet as Alhaitham gestures to the artifact. It lies on the floor, cracked and bent, and Kaveh winces. “Great. And now we have another problem. I’d like my own body back, Alhaitham.”
Alhaitham frowns. “I would appreciate the same. It’s very hard to breathe in your body. I’m concerned your ribs might be broken.”
“I–”
Okay, Kaveh might have been wearing his binder a little bit longer than he should have been each day, but there’s no way his ribs feel like they’re broken, right? The discomfort is something he’s used to. It isn’t that bad.
He grimaces. He still hasn’t told Alhaitham that he’s trans, and while his roommate is fairly open-minded, he’d prefer not to start that conversation with one about his improper binding.
“My ribs are not broken!” Kaveh scoffs, crossing Alhaitham’s arms across his stupidly muscular chest. “There’s just– listen. The discomfort is perfectly normal for me, and that’s all you need to know. We’ll just figure out how to repair the device, touch it again, and go back to our original bodies. Don’t forget that you were the one who decided to bring home a cursed artifact. Okay?”
Alhaitham nods as he stands up, gathering the pieces of the artifact and depositing them onto the table. “It seems wise to have that be our first priority. Only one of us should touch the pieces at a time until this is repaired. I don’t want further accidents.”
“Right. That’s a good idea.” Kaveh tugs at the fabric of Alhaitham’s shirt as he rises to his feet, trying to loosen it. Kaveh has never liked tight clothing (his binder included), and he’s already feeling itchy stuck inside Alhaitham’s apparel. “Is there any particular reason why your shirt is so tight?”
He’ll have to talk to Alhaitham about switching clothes. In a way that doesn’t involve Alhaitham actually looking at Kaveh’s body and realizing he’s wearing a binder. Because Kaveh is going to pretend that by some miracle Alhaitham hasn’t already figured out he’s wearing it.
Maybe he can just… go into his closet and grab a new shirt to wear? That should be fine, right?
“I like the compression,” Alhaitham says, frowning. Kaveh grimaces. He is never going to get used to seeing Alhaitham’s microexpressions on his own face. “Your voice is loud.”
“It’s your voice,” Kaveh huffs, before realizing why. Quickly, he removes Alhaitham’s headphones and passes them to his roommate, along with the cassette player they seem to be attached to. “I could still hear you – er, my – voice fine through these, though. You might want to turn them up.”
Alhaitham shakes his head, adjusting the headphones over Kaveh’s ears. “I have them set to not filter out your voice most of the time.”
Kaveh stares at his own body wearing Alhaitham’s headphones – it’s definitely weird to see – then blinks. “Wait. You don’t filter out my voice? You constantly complain about it!”
“I have another setting that filters it out,” Alhaitham says with a shrug of Kaveh’s shoulders. “Most of the time it’s off. I tend to quiet it somewhat, but your input is usually valuable enough to make it worth hearing your voice.”
Quietly, Kaveh thanks the archons that Alhaitham’s ears are the only thing that turns pink when he blushes, otherwise Alhaitham would be seeing the embarrassment written all across his face right now. He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, then startles when his hand meets Alhaitham’s much shorter hair. “That’s– er. I didn’t know you found my input valuable.”
“I do.” Alhaitham wraps the artifact in a towel, notably avoiding touching it again. Kaveh doesn’t blame him for that. “We should figure out how to repair this. I’m keen to return to my own body sooner rather than later.”
Kaveh nods. He has to do his testosterone shot tomorrow, and doesn’t exactly feel like explaining that to Alhaitham. “At least there’s something we can agree on.”
“Put your shoes on,” Alhaitham says, and Kaveh startles. “We’re going to visit Lesser Lord Kusanali and see what she has to say.”
“No!” Kaveh hisses. “You– you are not going to be running around Sumeru making my face look like that. One of us actually has a reputation to keep up. I’ll go to the Sanctuary, since I look like you and they should let me in.”
Alhaitham rolls Kaveh’s eyes, making Kaveh wince. “Fine. Be quick, then, and don’t let anyone else touch the artifact. It’s almost evening, and it’s your turn to make dinner.”
Kaveh snorts, grabbing his keys from the bowl near the door. “Shouldn’t it be your turn to make dinner, since you’re currently the one in my body?”
“Not how it works, senior,” Alhaitham says, already reaching for a book. “And that’s your key.”
Kaveh groans. “You take it all the time. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
<><><>
After Kaveh leaves, Alhaitham can only concentrate for so long on reading before his roommate’s body forcibly pulls his attention to its aching ribs.
Alhaitham bites back a groan. Why does Kaveh’s body hurt so much? Even the simple act of standing up results in another bruise of pain to his ribs. Despite Kaveh’s claim that this was ‘normal’, Alhaitham still feels concerned – and uncomfortable – enough to check for injuries.
Carefully, he moves to his own room, removing Kaveh’s gloves and cape before taking off his roommate’s shirt.
Alhaitham sighs. Of course.
Kaveh is wearing a binder, and moreover, he has clearly been wearing the binder for far too long. Alhaitham can see what are almost certainly the start of bruises forming underneath Kaveh’s ribs, and the tightness leaves him wondering if the garment is a size too small.
He’s going to need to talk to Kaveh about this when he gets back. The way he’s binding is incredibly unsafe, and he’s probably been doing it like this for a while.
If Alhaitham had to guess, he would say that at the very latest, the unsafe binding would have had to have started when Kaveh moved in with him. He’s never seen Kaveh without a flat chest, which means his roommate was probably deliberately hiding it from Alhaitham.
Which means it might partially be Alhaitham’s fault that Kaveh is doing this.
Alhaitham has plenty of his own experience with binding given it was necessary before his top surgery, so he figures it should be alright to take the binder off for a bit. Kaveh’s body is going to need some relief from the binder, and as long as Alhaitham is stuck in it, he will too.
Closing his eyes – he has enough basic decency to avoid looking – Alhaitham shrugs the binder off Kaveh’s body, then replaces the shirt. The relief is immediate, though most of the pain remains.
He’s just about to put on the gloves when he notices another issue, this time on Kaveh’s wrists. Dozens of small scars, all unnaturally straight, litter the skin there.
Something twists in Alhaitham’s – technically Kaveh’s – gut. Even though all the scars are old and healed, it’s still worrying. With the unsafe binding, it all points to a pattern of self-inflicted pain.
The binding may not have been done with the intent to hurt – the chances of Kaveh actually enjoying being in pain all day and hardly able to breathe are low – but it still stirs an odd feeling in Alhaitham’s chest.
He… doesn’t know if he should bring up the scars with Kaveh or not. They’re old, and the binder is clearly a far more pressing issue given Alhaitham’s – Kaveh’s – ribs are still hurting. And given how little Kaveh likes to discuss his troubles with others (while sober, at least), it seems wise to only bring up one issue at a time.
At the very least, their relationship has improved somewhat. Kaveh no longer responds so harshly to Alhaitham’s comments, and Alhaitham himself is less harsh.
He picks up his book, and waits for Kaveh to return.
<><><>
Kaveh gets back to Alhaitham’s house as the sun is setting, anxiety crawling under his skin as he unlocks the door.
His audience with Lesser Lord Kusanali had gone… fine, all things considered. If one considers almost having a nervous breakdown at being face to face with an archon who recognized him instantly ‘fine’.
“Alhaitham?” he calls, trying not to wince at the way Alhaitham’s voice sounds when he talks. “Lesser Lord– er, Nahida said we just had to repair the artifact, touch it again, and we’d be back to normal.” He sets the bag containing the artifact back down on the table, then sighs. “Seems simple enough.”
At the very least, not having to wear a binder all afternoon in Alhaitham’s body has been wonderful. Kaveh feels like he can actually breathe. And it’s not like Kaveh is weak in his regular body, but Alhaitham’s muscles are pretty nice as well.
His train of thought is interrupted by the sound of his own footsteps, and Kaveh jumps before realizing it’s just Alhaitham behind him.
“We need to talk about your binder,” Alhaitham says. His arms are folded across Kaveh’s chest, but even then Kaveh can see that he clearly took the binder off.
Kaveh stiffens. This is probably the worst possible outcome of this whole situation; he had been hoping Alhaitham would have the decency to just not fucking take off Kaveh’s shirt. “Look, it’s none of your business if I wear one,” he hisses. “And put it back on, for Buer’s sake! I don’t like looking at you – myself – without it.”
Alhaitham glances down at Kaveh’s chest, then shrugs. “Fine. It’s been long enough. But we’re talking afterwards.”
“What do you mean, ‘it’s been long enough’?” Kaveh asks, throwing out his hands angrily as Alhaitham walks back into his room and closes the door. “Did you just– did you just have my binder off the entire time I was gone? What else were you doing with my body?”
Through the door, Alhaitham huffs. “I took it off because you were binding for too long and your ribs hurt. The only other thing I did while you were gone was read.”
He emerges a moment later, and Kaveh breathes a sigh of relief to see that his chest now looks flat again. “That’s… good to know, at least. I guess that since you know now – which, by the way, you weren’t supposed to, and I expect some sort of emotional compensation for the panic – I can wear something a bit looser when I’m here. But while you’re in my body, just… please wear the binder while I have to look at myself.”
To his surprise, Alhaitham nods. “I assume it’s okay for me to remove it while I sleep, given I presume you aren’t going to finish fixing the device before then.”
Kaveh grits his – Alhaitham’s – teeth. “What do you mean, me?” he asks. “We’re both fixing this device, okay?”
“Only one of us can touch it,” Alhaitham points out. “And you’re the Kshahrewar genius.”
Kaveh groans as he walks into the kitchen. “And you’re infuriating.”
Resisting the urge to flip Alhaitham off, he opens the cryo box, trying to see if they have any leftovers he can quickly heat up. “I’ll find some way to put you to work. Do you want tahchin or that mushroom dish that Tighnari brought over?”
Alhaitham shrugs. “Whatever you want sounds good. I currently have your taste buds, after all.”
Right. “Tahchin it is, then.”
As he reheats the remains of the tahchin, Kaveh glances back to Alhaitham. “I, er, have to take my testosterone shot tomorrow morning,” he says. “Well, you do. Are you okay with that?”
“I see no problem with it.” Alhaitham’s tone – in Kaveh’s voice, which is weird – is neutral, but he’s looking up curiously at him with Kaveh’s eyes. Kaveh frowns. His eyes aren’t supposed to look like… that.
“I can help you with it,” Kaveh offers. “I can administer the shot, too. It doesn’t hurt, I promise, just–”
“It’s fine,” Alhaitham says. “I have medications I need you to take for my body tomorrow morning as well. Just prepare whatever dosage you take. I can do the shot myself.”
“Fine.”
They eat their dinner in silence, Kaveh trying to ignore the subtle differences in taste with Alhaitham’s palette. He glances at the relic.
At the very least, they should both be back to normal soon.
<><><>
The next morning, Alhaitham wakes up with the sun, and then promptly falls back asleep.
The second time he opens his eyes, he forces himself out of bed – his own bed, since they had both agreed it would be best for them to sleep in their own rooms – and puts Kaveh’s binder back on. It seems like he’s now operating on a mixture of Kaveh’s circadian rhythm and chronic sleep deprivation, and Alhaitham has to say he is not entirely a fan of it.
By the time he reaches the kitchen, Kaveh has already prepared both breakfast and the testosterone shot Alhaitham will have to give Kaveh’s body. He refuses to meet Alhaitham’s gaze as he explains how to administer the shot, something Alhaitham already knows how to do.
Interesting. Alhaitham assumed that inevitably Kaveh would find his top surgery scars and make the connection, but Kaveh still seems to be in the same clothes Alhaitham was wearing yesterday.
It doesn’t matter right now. Alhaitham takes the needle and administers the shot before handing Kaveh his own medication.
“Huh,” Kaveh notes as Alhaitham deals with the needle. “You did everything correctly. I didn’t think you’d be so good at that.”
Alhaitham chuckles. “I do this every week, Kaveh. I know how to administer testosterone.”
Kaveh blinks, his face going blank for a moment before shock takes over. “You– I thought – why the fuck did you not tell me you were also trans? Do you know how nervous I have been these past few months?”
He groans, slumping over in his chair and putting Alhaitham’s head in his hands. “Fuck. Well, that explains how you immediately figured out I wasn’t binding safely.”
“I assumed you would have figured it out already,” Alhaitham says with a shrug. “If you took off my shirt you would have seen my top surgery scars. They’re rather visible. And presumably you would have also noticed when you used the bathroom.”
“I’m not a pervert!” Kaveh bites back, shooting him a glare. “And no, I didn’t notice because I kept my eyes closed the entire time and nothing felt off!!”
Alhaitham raises one of Kaveh’s eyebrows. “...and that didn’t clue you in?”
“I hate you,” Kaveh mutters, grabbing Alhaitham’s pill and chasing it down with his coffee. “Archons, if you weren’t in my body right now– wait, why again are you taking this? This isn’t going to give me like… dizzy spells, right?”
“It stops me from going bald,” Alhaitham says with a smirk, grabbing his plate and moving it to the sink. “Among other things.”
Kaveh’s glare returns. It looks strange on Alhaitham’s face, especially given Alhaitham isn’t very prone to expressing his anger in his body language. “Why would you go bald?”
“Family history of male pattern baldness,” Alhaitham explains. “Since that wasn’t exactly in my transition goals, I requested a way to avoid that. Interestingly enough, it also prevents me from growing a beard.”
“Well, that explains why I didn’t have to shave this morning,” Kaveh mutters. “I’d appreciate it if you did so, though.” He stands up, his movements slightly clumsy as if he’s still not used to Alhaitham’s limbs. “Well, I’m going to start working on the device. Once you’re done with that, get those books on mechanisms and artifacts and meet me in the living room.”
“I see you’ve appointed yourself in charge of the project,” Alhaitham teases.
Kaveh rolls his eyes. “You did that, not me. And we wouldn’t want you going on some power trip.”
Alhaitham resists the urge to point out how he was in charge of an entire nation for months without going on a power trip, then follows Kaveh to the living room.
<><><>
Kaveh tries very hard to ignore the embarrassment of the situation as he fiddles with the artifact, something made difficult by Alhaitham’s continuous verbal jabs in his direction. It isn’t long before he has another realization – that if Alhaitham found the binder, he might have also seen Kaveh’s scars.
He’s… not in as bad a place as he used to be, but it’s still a conversation he’d like to avoid having. But knowing Alhaitham, if he did see them, it’s something they’re going to have to talk about sooner rather than later.
“Er– Haitham?” he asks. “When you decided that you were going to take off my shirt – which, by the way, I’m still upset about – how much did you see?”
Alhaitham blinks from his spot on the couch, brushing a strand of Kaveh’s hair out of his face. “I kept my eyes closed when I took your binder off. But I did see your scars, if that’s what you're asking.”
Kaveh curses under his breath. Well, there goes that.
“I’ll have you know I haven’t done that in almost a year,” he huffs. “I’m not hurting myself anymore, so don’t worry about it.”
Alhaitham grimaces. “Your binder usage begs to disagree.”
“That’s different,” Kaveh scoffs, waving a piece of the artifact at Alhaitham. The action doesn’t have enough malice behind it to be threatening, but Kaveh is hoping it still gets the point across. Suddenly, his stomach seizes, and Kaveh doubles over onto the carpet in pain.
“Are you alright?” Alhaitham asks. Kaveh shakes his head.
“What did you eat before I ended up in your body?” he hisses as Alhaitham’s insides contort again. “Or do your organs just enjoy twisting themselves into knots sometimes?”
Alhaitham hums. “Maybe it’s karma from the universe for me having to suffer through your bruised ribs.”
“Not funny,” Kaveh manages to grit out through the pain. At the very least, Alhaitham has the decency to appear concerned, even if he’s doing it with Kaveh’s face. “Just tell me what’s wrong with your awful body so I know if I need to haul your ass to the Bimarstan or not.”
“Probably my period,” Alhaitham says nonchalantly, flipping the page of his book.
Kaveh feels ready to throw something. “I thought you were on testosterone! Do not tell me I’m going to have to deal with your period.”
Putting his book to the side, Alhaitham stands up, grabbing Kaveh’s arms and helping him onto the divan. Kaveh winces as the sudden motion only upsets Alhaitham’s stomach more.
“If it makes you feel any better, there tends to be very little blood and it’s much shorter.” Alhaitham adjusts a blanket over Kaveh as he speaks, then sits down on the table to face him. “The medication I take along with the testosterone can stop it from fully blocking my periods. You’ll just have to deal with the cramping.”
“I really wish I was in my own body right now,” Kaveh groans. “Please tell me you foresaw this and are already wearing a pad.”
Alhaitham nods, and Kaveh breathes a sigh of relief. He is not getting up to change into one right now. “Given you haven’t changed my clothes, there should be one there. I’ll get you painkillers and my heating pad.”
Huh. Maybe being stuck in Kaveh’s body has resulted in some of his generosity rubbing off onto Alhaitham.
Though the heating pad doesn’t relieve the pain, it does make Kaveh feel better almost instantly. He takes the painkillers Alhaitham offers as well, then sighs. “How long until the meds kick in?” he asks. “I need to fix this damn device.”
“I’ll deal with it,” Alhaitham offers. “Those painkillers make me tired. Given you have my body presently, you should probably take a nap.”
Kaveh grumbles. But as much as he wants to finish this project, he can’t deny how enticing the idea of a nap sounds. He adjusts a pillow underneath Alhaitham’s head, then settles down and closes his eyes. Even if he doesn’t fall asleep immediately, it’ll be good to have the break.
<><><>
“I was thinking,” Alhaitham says as Kaveh blinks sleepily at him with Alhaitham’s face. Alhaitham is working on the artifact now, just as he promised he would, but his task is easy enough with Kaveh having done most of the hard work. “That I should deduct the monthly cost of testosterone from your rent.”
“Why?” Kaveh asks. “Thought you were intent on bleeding me dry.”
Of course Kaveh would think that. Especially since Alhaitham hasn’t given him much of a reason not to. “The testosterone is a medical necessity. It’s only fair.”
“The Akademiya doesn’t think so,” Kaveh huffs. “At least it’s not illegal. Jus’... expensive.”
Reaching out to tuck a blanket around Kaveh, Alhaitham hums. “Which is why the cost should be deducted from your rent. You don’t need another financial situation to worry about.”
Closing his eyes, Kaveh tugs at Alhaitham’s wrist, drawing him to the edge of the divan. “You’re being way too nice,” he murmurs. “I don’t know why you’re doing that. You’re usually… not like this.”
“And you’re about to pass out,” Alhaitham retorts. “Did you get any sleep last night?”
Kaveh shakes his head, dragging Alhaitham’s hand to his shoulder like he’s trying to draw him into a hug. “Stayed awake… research…”
“Archons,” Alhaitham mutters fondly. He indulges Kaveh’s tired whims, sitting down next to the divan and attempting an awkward hug, then wraps their hands together and squeezes tightly until Kaveh’s grip falls limp and he begins to snore.
A smile tugs at the corner of Alhaitham’s face, and he returns to the artifact and begins to work.
<><><>
Several hours later, Kaveh awakens to the feeling of Alhaitham’s stomach starting to hurt again. He groans. The painkillers must be wearing off.
“Welcome back,” Alhaitham says from the opposite divan. “If you’re feeling better, I’d appreciate it if you could check the artifact. I finished the repairs a while ago but would appreciate another pair of eyes on it before we use it.”
“You should have woken me up sooner,” Kaveh groans, rubbing his eyes sleepily. Alhaitham shrugs.
“My body probably wanted the sleep.”
Kaveh huffs, forcing Alhaitham’s body into a seated position and giving the artifact a thorough inspection. “Selfish as usual, I see. Looks like you fixed the artifact, at least.”
“We should touch it now,” Alhaitham says. “I’d like to return your bruised ribs.”
Kaveh laughs weakly – okay, he should not have done that, because it is really weird to hear Alhaitham’s laughter – and reaches out. “Ready?”
Alhaitham nods. “Best to keep it on the table for this. I don’t want to damage it again.”
Their hands near the device, and Kaveh swallows. “If this goes horribly wrong,” he begins. “I want to state on the record that this was your fault.”
“And the record should also state that the Light of Kshahrewar approved that the artifact was repaired before deciding to touch it again,” Alhaitham adds with a smirk.
Kaveh rolls his eyes, and lowers his hand onto the artifact. A moment later, Alhaitham does the same, and Kaveh sees the familiar bright flash of light before the world spins and his vision goes dark.
When he opens his eyes, he’s staring at Alhaitham from across the table. He takes a breath, and feels the way his binder tightens around his ribs.
(Alhaitham had been right, unfortunately. Now that he’s back in his body and the pain is new again, his ribs definitely feel bruised. Fuck that man and his infuriating habit of being correct all the time.)
“I think it worked,” Kaveh breathes, his voice emerging as his own. “Oh. Archons. It worked!”
Alhaitham’s eyes are pressed shut as he withdraws his hand from the artifact, a pained noise escaping his mouth. Kaveh feels a chill run down his spine.
“Alhaitham?” he asks. “Are you okay?”
Did something go wrong? Kaveh feels completely fine, but could the artifact have affected Alhaitham differently? Is he–
Clutching his stomach, Alhaitham nods weakly. “Stomach cramps,” he mutters. “You didn’t tell me the painkillers were wearing off.”
“Oh.” Breathing a sigh of relief that his roommate isn’t dying because of him, Kaveh stands up to find the painkillers and reheat Alhaitham’s heating pad. “I’ll get some more. Stay there.”
Alhaitham grimaces. “You’d better.”
<><><>
The evening finds the two of them sitting on the divan together, Alhaitham’s head having somehow ended up in Kaveh’s lap and the heating pad placed over Alhaitham’s stomach. The painkillers are working again, and Alhaitham would be ready to take another nap if it weren’t so close to the time he usually falls asleep anyway.
“I’m glad to be back in my own body,” Kaveh admits. “I mean, I enjoyed having your abs and not needing a binder, but I don’t know how much more I could have taken of being forced to look at myself in third person.”
Alhaitham cracks a faint smile. “I suppose this would be awkward if I was currently looking up into my own face.”
Kaveh laughs, then brushes Alhaitham’s hair out of his eyes. His touch lingers, and Alhaitham hums contentedly at the sudden warmth, selfishly hoping Kaveh keeps his hand there. He closes his eyes, and feels Kaveh’s fingertips running against his forehead, eliciting another contented hum. Kaveh’s hand freezes.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself.” Kaveh’s voice sounds slightly strained, as if he’s not entirely sure what to make of this. Alhaitham isn’t exactly sure, either, but he’s definitely enjoying this and doesn’t want it to end.
After literally swapping bodies for a day, surely they can be a little more open with each other? Alhaitham tests the waters, giving a small nod.
“Mmm. Keep doing it.”
Kaveh, to his surprise, chuckles. “I’ll consider it. Can I hear a please?”
Alhaitham huffs. “I’m currently suffering from period cramps, and given you were just in my body you’re surely aware of how unpleasant they are. Shouldn’t you take pity on your poor junior?”
He can almost hear Kaveh rolling his eyes. But his fingers trace through Alhaitham’s hair anyway, brushing along his scalp and leaving trails of warmth behind. Alhaitham tilts his head until his forehead presses into Kaveh’s stomach, until Kaveh’s free arm circles around him to envelop his shoulders in an awkward almost-hug, until there’s nothing but warmth and comfort and each other.
Maybe this whole crazy mess wasn’t all bad, in the end.