Of course not! As you said, there are better ways to waste my time than that.
[But now he's remembering that his stupid boyfriend doesn't give a shit about romantic holidays and he's second-guessing his own decisions because he's gonna feel like an idiot if Alhaitham actually doesn't like his gift... but he already made it...]
Ugh... it's for your office anyway, so I might as well just bring it now.
[To pick up these "probably nonexistent but if they do exist Alhaitham is exaggerating" chocolates]
If you put effort into it, I'm keeping it no matter what. I'll be outside my door.
[ he'll be propped against a wall and reading from a small book. a large paper bag is folded under his arm. beside him is the small circle of gifts for kaveh, kept perfectly in tact despite haitham's warning. ]
[YEAH. LISTEN. It's not his fault Alhaitham doesn't have enough imagination to fall into a pity of anxiety like a normal human being
He doesn't reply to this message either but this time it's because that was kind of cute and it's embarrassing... TRULY THERE'S NO WINNING. But it doesn't take long for Kaveh to show up, striding down the hall with, a bag full of ???? something slung over his arm. Alhaitham will probably hear him coming even before he sees him... but as soon as he's close enough, he points directly at Alhaitham.]
Stay there! Don't come in while I'm working.
[And then he just sails past Alhaitham into the office and slams the door, either not noticing or ignoring the gifts... WHAT IS HE DOING IN THERE.]
[Kaveh is. So loud. My god. I'm making up his Vision powers purely for the sake of this thread; there is suddenly the sound of something very heavy landing on the ground just on the other side of the door, meaning that Kaveh probably summoned a construct to block it. This is probably not the first time he has done this, though it's typically at home.
Shortly after that, though, Alhaitham will probably be able to hear the sound of a hammer; if he really wants to, he'll be able to get into the office, since Kaveh usually pours all his concentration into whatever he's doing which means the construct probably won't last if Alhaitham forces it. Or, he could be a good boy and be patient... which will he choose...]
[ LSDJWKJFDJ he has to be heard over alhaitham's headphones somehow!! right now, haitham doesn't have the voice cancelling function on. the yelling startles him a little bit, and when he hears that weight drop in front of the door, he knows exactly what's happened. blocking the door is usually the next step.
alhaitham puts his head in his hand. yes, kaveh has done this before—even on the day he moved in. at some point, haitham had decided that stopping him wasn't worth the effort. for all kaveh complained about haitham doing what he wanted, kaveh does whatever he wants just as much.
if kaveh is doing some horrible redesign of his office, haitham would just take the reconstruction costs out of his rent make him change it back. simple.
also, it's valentine's day. letting kaveh do as he pleases was a gift to him in itself. hopefully he's not opening any drawers or armoires, though...
haitham turns on his headphones, leans back against the wall, and reads while he waits. any passing students are disregarded or told to come back during office hours. if someone asks him what's happening, he'll say there's a fungi running rampant in his office and he's waiting for a forest ranger to show up. kaveh will get as much time as he needs. ]
[Yeah that's exactly what happens, Kaveh redecorates the whole place in the ugliest patterns he can find. Happy V-Day binch
No just kidding. It's surprisingly quiet in there, as far as his construction projects go; there's some hammering, some shuffling and quiet thumping, and some muttering that's inaudible through the door, but it doesn't sound like he's tearing the entire place down scrap by scrap. It also goes by more quickly than Alhaitham might've expected; when Kaveh finally opens the door again, he looks mollified and quite pleased with himself.
Whenever Alhaitham re-enters the office, he'll notice that many of the books strewn around have been cleaned up; his desk is much cleaner than it was. Instead, a few floating shelves have been installed along the walls; additionally, two small shelves sit on either side of Alhaitham's desk. They are obviously much prettier than this, designed to match the general Aesthetique of the Akademiya's decor; if Alhaitham ever clears the books off and looks closely, though, he'll notice a faint pattern engraved in the wood, one that resembles the cover of his favorite book.
...Anyway that's all well and good but Kaveh's finally noticing the pile of presents--]
...You were actually telling the truth... [HE ALWAYS TELLS THE TRUTH, KAVEH.]
[ haitham would literally move out and use kaveh's money for it
ANYWAY. when the door is finally opened, haitham pockets his book, taps one ear of his headphones, and sets his empty bag on the floor. (he brought it to help carry the gifts.) when he enters his office again, his eyes immediately slide over to the anomalies by his desk.
kaveh is speaking, but even with his noise-cancelling function of his headphones turned off, haitham only distantly hears him. he walks slowly to his desk, meticulously taking in every detail of his gifts, as he does with everything. he does carefully slide the topmost books from one shelf, and when he runs his fingertips along the panels, he recognizes the pattern laced into the wood.
that kaveh includes these subtle, precious details is part of the genius that alhaitham fell for so many years ago. now, evidence of that genius is a permanent fixture in his office, there for him to study and quietly admire to his heart's content.
after setting the books back down, haitham finally turns to look back at his boyfriend. kaveh is still standing by the door, which suddenly feels too far away from him. ]
I told you. I had no reason to lie.
[ matter-of-factly, but his gaze has softened. he opens his hand towards kaveh. ]
Unless you want to take care of that first, close the door.
[While Alhaitham goes inside to investigate, Kaveh turns his attention to the gifts. He's not... braced for insults and disdain, exactly; he knows, better than he'll ever admit, that Alhaitham sees some value in his gifts and his gestures--that for as much as he teases Alhaitham about being inhuman, he has a heart like any other man, one that harbors its own fondnesses and sentiments. But old habits die hard, and Alhaitham does so love to press his buttons. Kaveh knows he can't always help the way his hackles rise on instinct, so it's better to disengage for a minute, or else he'll be the one picking a fight over nothing.
Instead, he talks to himself as he looks over the presents, which he's still a little surprised to see actually exist, even though Alhaitham truly had no reason to lie BUT STILL.
Muttered:] Why in the world would they leave these here? My office isn't that hard to find. Aha, see, what did I tell you? This one's from Miss Najia, we had the most interesting conversation about theater props last month. Did you know that--never mind, actually, you don't care. Sasani...? Who's that? Maybe it was a mistake... are you sure this wasn't left for you? I'm sure some poor souls are fooled into thinking that dealing with your personality is a fair price for looking at your face. [Kaveh you're literally dating him] Who's this--oh, of course, Pharez. This must be for helping with the--
[Oh. Alhaitham's talking to him. He stops what he's doing, looking up; immediately, he can see the shift in Alhaitham's expression, and that, really, tells him all he needs to know.
He puts the gift back down and, astoundingly, does as he's told, stepping into the office and closing the door. He approaches with wariness clear in his gaze, but it's an old, familiar thing rather any true mistrust, and he places his hand in Alhaitham's.]
with the door closed and kaveh at arm's length, haitham reaches for his other hand and draws him closer until kaveh is square in front of him. he's quiet, looking at their arms between them. it almost looks like he wasn't listening, but after a pause— ]
I do trust you. I think any reasonable person wouldn't like to be shoved out of their office, no matter the occasion.
[ he lifts kaveh's hands, drawing them together, and now it's clear that he's studying them: all the white-pink scars, the indented fingertips, the faded burn marks, the bandages. there were more of these injuries once upon a time—kaveh's technique has been polished since then—but it's clear that he's crafted something recently, even if that something wasn't necessarily his gift. haitham still holds his hands like they're precious to him, running his thumb over one of his knuckles. ]
...Thank you.
[ he lowers his head and presses his lips to the lengths of his fingers. ]
He lets Alhaitham draw him closer, though; lets him take his other hand, too, because Alhaitham is many things, but he is also someone Kaveh can trust, utterly and completely, with his most precious parts of himself.]
And since when have you ever been reasonable? Not in this lifetime, I'm sure. [But his voice is warm, as is his own gaze; he's pleased, the way he always is when he's made another person happy. Alhaitham's hands are so much larger than his own, but his grip is gentle--gentler, perhaps, than Kaveh would've once assumed him capable of being. He keeps his hands loose in Alhaitham's, relaxed in a way that would probably cause their juniors to assume they were hallucinating.]
You're welcome, of course. [He shifts one hand to cup Alhaitham's jaw.] Someone has to take care of you, you know.
[It's something he's said often, in the time they've known each other. It's a much more affectionate thing than it used to be.]
[ haitham had seen flickers of this fond gaze before the two of them got together—mostly directed at someone else. each time, haitham was silently enamored by it. even when kaveh turns that gaze towards him, the feelings blooming in his chest feel entirely new. now, they're even stronger than before.
haitham settles his free hand at kaveh's waist. he resists the temptation to kiss him, but it's clear that he would like to. (or at least it would be clear to kaveh.) ]
I could say the same for you. I know you hardly slept. I'll have to make sure you do tonight.
[Alhaitham resists, but Kaveh doesn't. He uses the light grip he has on Alhaitham's face to draw him closer, planting a kiss at the corner of his mouth. It's nothing scandalous, even though the door is closed, but he's affectionate by nature and he certainly can't resist something small when Alhaitham's looking at him like that.]
You most certainly will not! I have a deadline. [But he squeezes Alhaitham's hand after that.] I'm almost done, though. One more night and I'll make it.
[ ok since kaveh asked for it. haitham lowers their joined hands to their sides and circles his arm around kaveh's waist, drawing him closer. he kisses the hollow of his cheek. ]
[STOP. DO NOT. IT WILL NOT WORK!! NOT THIS TIME!!!]
Absolutely not. Do you have any idea how stubborn this client is? I've already had to revise these blueprints four times. Four! The only reason he's not going to do it again is because he doesn't want to pay the revision fee.
haitham releases kaveh's hand and slides his hand over the nape of his neck, gathering slips of golden hair between his fingers. he draws his head back and kisses kaveh deeply on his perfect lips, breathing in.
when he pulls away, his eyes stay closed and he murmurs: ]
You're not working tonight.
[ yes he's being unfair, but it's for good reason. ]
[HOW COULD ALHAITHAM DO THIS says local man who gets got by "this" every fucking time it happens
That is to say--Kaveh, of course, melts into it, still unused to such blatant shows of affection from his normally-stoic paramour. Especially at work, a place where he and Alhaitham are normally at their most confrontational, standing firmly opposed just like the wings of their darshans.
If someone had asked him a few years ago what kind of a kisser he thought Alhaitham would be, the very idea alone would've had him choking on his wine in disbelief. Now, he finds himself parting his lips to let Alhaitham in, tension easing out of his body where Alhaitham's hands rest, warm and secure. The longer he stays like this, the more he can start to feel how wrung-out he truly is, which is dangerous.]
Don't think I don't know what you're doing. [It's a quiet grumble, tempered by the way his freed hand has found its way to Alhaitham's waist. He butts his head lightly against Alhaitham's.] And to think, no one believes me when I tell them how conniving you can be.
[That would be because Kaveh also undermines his own arguments, just like he's currently undermining himself by not moving away immediately.]
[ kaveh's lips are pliant and sweet, the crisp taste of a peach on his breath. it would be easy for haitham to ply his boyfriend with a slow string of kisses, guide kaveh to his chair, and draw all of the tension from his body with his hands—but not now. not just yet, anyway.
a thin smile creeps on his mouth at kaveh's retort. ]
'Someone has to take care of you.'
[ :) since kaveh won't do it himself!!! he leans back to look kaveh in the eye. ]
I'll use whatever method it takes. This one yields the most results.
I don't want to hear that from a man who would happily go a month without talking to another person.
[Which is, to Kaveh, just as vital a necessity as rest and sustenance!!! He won't argue that he doesn't always take care of himself, though; that, unfortunately, is a point he has to concede. He does, however, bristle at the rest, because of course he does. He's truly just Toulouse Aristocats sometimes. (He hasn't pulled away, though.)]
What I'm hearing is that I'd better leave now and lock you out while I'm at it.
haitham is 100% unbothered by the threat. if kaveh did as he said, he would find out that he forgot his keys yet again that morning. right now, it's tucked away in one of alhaitham's pockets.
haitham lowers his hand from kaveh's neck, briefly watching how the soft strands of kaveh's hair unfurl from his fingertips. he lets his smile fall away naturally. ]
Then I'll have to return your gift. It's here in my office.
And never mind the fact that Alhaitham just said it's here in his office and would thus have no reason to wait until he got home to hand it over, Kaveh is far more focused on the more important part here:]
You expect me to believe that you bought a gift? You? The man who was threatening to throw away other people's things not ten minutes ago? Next you'll tell me the sky has turned green.
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The reply is a very sulky silence]
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Is it something you know I'd dislike?
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Of course not! As you said, there are better ways to waste my time than that.
[But now he's remembering that his stupid boyfriend doesn't give a shit about romantic holidays and he's second-guessing his own decisions because he's gonna feel like an idiot if Alhaitham actually doesn't like his gift... but he already made it...]
Ugh... it's for your office anyway, so I might as well just bring it now.
[To pick up these "probably nonexistent but if they do exist Alhaitham is exaggerating" chocolates]
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haitham: i'm hungies ]
If you put effort into it, I'm keeping it no matter what.
I'll be outside my door.
[ he'll be propped against a wall and reading from a small book. a large paper bag is folded under his arm. beside him is the small circle of gifts for kaveh, kept perfectly in tact despite haitham's warning. ]
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He doesn't reply to this message either but this time it's because that was kind of cute and it's embarrassing... TRULY THERE'S NO WINNING. But it doesn't take long for Kaveh to show up, striding down the hall with, a bag full of ???? something slung over his arm. Alhaitham will probably hear him coming even before he sees him... but as soon as he's close enough, he points directly at Alhaitham.]
Stay there! Don't come in while I'm working.
[And then he just sails past Alhaitham into the office and slams the door, either not noticing or ignoring the gifts... WHAT IS HE DOING IN THERE.]
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alhaitham (carefully) pushes the gifts aside with his foot and sets his hand on the doorknob. he narrows his eyes at the wood. ]
You're not locking me outside of my own office. I'm coming in.
[ kaveh is likely putting together his gift, but he's not gonna be disrespected in the process!!! ]
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[Kaveh is. So loud. My god. I'm making up his Vision powers purely for the sake of this thread; there is suddenly the sound of something very heavy landing on the ground just on the other side of the door, meaning that Kaveh probably summoned a construct to block it. This is probably not the first time he has done this, though it's typically at home.
Shortly after that, though, Alhaitham will probably be able to hear the sound of a hammer; if he really wants to, he'll be able to get into the office, since Kaveh usually pours all his concentration into whatever he's doing which means the construct probably won't last if Alhaitham forces it. Or, he could be a good boy and be patient... which will he choose...]
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alhaitham puts his head in his hand. yes, kaveh has done this before—even on the day he moved in. at some point, haitham had decided that stopping him wasn't worth the effort. for all kaveh complained about haitham doing what he wanted, kaveh does whatever he wants just as much.
if kaveh is doing some horrible redesign of his office, haitham would just
take the reconstruction costs out of his rentmake him change it back. simple.also, it's valentine's day. letting kaveh do as he pleases was a gift to him in itself. hopefully he's not opening any drawers or armoires, though...
haitham turns on his headphones, leans back against the wall, and reads while he waits. any passing students are disregarded or told to come back during office hours. if someone asks him what's happening, he'll say there's a fungi running rampant in his office and he's waiting for a forest ranger to show up. kaveh will get as much time as he needs. ]
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No just kidding. It's surprisingly quiet in there, as far as his construction projects go; there's some hammering, some shuffling and quiet thumping, and some muttering that's inaudible through the door, but it doesn't sound like he's tearing the entire place down scrap by scrap. It also goes by more quickly than Alhaitham might've expected; when Kaveh finally opens the door again, he looks mollified and quite pleased with himself.
Whenever Alhaitham re-enters the office, he'll notice that many of the books strewn around have been cleaned up; his desk is much cleaner than it was. Instead, a few floating shelves have been installed along the walls; additionally, two small shelves sit on either side of Alhaitham's desk. They are obviously much prettier than this, designed to match the general Aesthetique of the Akademiya's decor; if Alhaitham ever clears the books off and looks closely, though, he'll notice a faint pattern engraved in the wood, one that resembles the cover of his favorite book.
...Anyway that's all well and good but Kaveh's finally noticing the pile of presents--]
...You were actually telling the truth... [HE ALWAYS TELLS THE TRUTH, KAVEH.]
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ANYWAY. when the door is finally opened, haitham pockets his book, taps one ear of his headphones, and sets his empty bag on the floor. (he brought it to help carry the gifts.) when he enters his office again, his eyes immediately slide over to the anomalies by his desk.
kaveh is speaking, but even with his noise-cancelling function of his headphones turned off, haitham only distantly hears him. he walks slowly to his desk, meticulously taking in every detail of his gifts, as he does with everything. he does carefully slide the topmost books from one shelf, and when he runs his fingertips along the panels, he recognizes the pattern laced into the wood.
that kaveh includes these subtle, precious details is part of the genius that alhaitham fell for so many years ago. now, evidence of that genius is a permanent fixture in his office, there for him to study and quietly admire to his heart's content.
after setting the books back down, haitham finally turns to look back at his boyfriend. kaveh is still standing by the door, which suddenly feels too far away from him. ]
I told you. I had no reason to lie.
[ matter-of-factly, but his gaze has softened. he opens his hand towards kaveh. ]
Unless you want to take care of that first, close the door.
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Instead, he talks to himself as he looks over the presents, which he's still a little surprised to see actually exist, even though Alhaitham truly had no reason to lie BUT STILL.
Muttered:] Why in the world would they leave these here? My office isn't that hard to find. Aha, see, what did I tell you? This one's from Miss Najia, we had the most interesting conversation about theater props last month. Did you know that--never mind, actually, you don't care. Sasani...? Who's that? Maybe it was a mistake... are you sure this wasn't left for you? I'm sure some poor souls are fooled into thinking that dealing with your personality is a fair price for looking at your face. [Kaveh you're literally dating him] Who's this--oh, of course, Pharez. This must be for helping with the--
[Oh. Alhaitham's talking to him. He stops what he's doing, looking up; immediately, he can see the shift in Alhaitham's expression, and that, really, tells him all he needs to know.
He puts the gift back down and, astoundingly, does as he's told, stepping into the office and closing the door. He approaches with wariness clear in his gaze, but it's an old, familiar thing rather any true mistrust, and he places his hand in Alhaitham's.]
See? You should trust your senior more.
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with the door closed and kaveh at arm's length, haitham reaches for his other hand and draws him closer until kaveh is square in front of him. he's quiet, looking at their arms between them. it almost looks like he wasn't listening, but after a pause— ]
I do trust you. I think any reasonable person wouldn't like to be shoved out of their office, no matter the occasion.
[ he lifts kaveh's hands, drawing them together, and now it's clear that he's studying them: all the white-pink scars, the indented fingertips, the faded burn marks, the bandages. there were more of these injuries once upon a time—kaveh's technique has been polished since then—but it's clear that he's crafted something recently, even if that something wasn't necessarily his gift. haitham still holds his hands like they're precious to him, running his thumb over one of his knuckles. ]
...Thank you.
[ he lowers his head and presses his lips to the lengths of his fingers. ]
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He lets Alhaitham draw him closer, though; lets him take his other hand, too, because Alhaitham is many things, but he is also someone Kaveh can trust, utterly and completely, with his most precious parts of himself.]
And since when have you ever been reasonable? Not in this lifetime, I'm sure. [But his voice is warm, as is his own gaze; he's pleased, the way he always is when he's made another person happy. Alhaitham's hands are so much larger than his own, but his grip is gentle--gentler, perhaps, than Kaveh would've once assumed him capable of being. He keeps his hands loose in Alhaitham's, relaxed in a way that would probably cause their juniors to assume they were hallucinating.]
You're welcome, of course. [He shifts one hand to cup Alhaitham's jaw.] Someone has to take care of you, you know.
[It's something he's said often, in the time they've known each other. It's a much more affectionate thing than it used to be.]
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haitham settles his free hand at kaveh's waist. he resists the temptation to kiss him, but it's clear that he would like to. (or at least it would be clear to kaveh.) ]
I could say the same for you. I know you hardly slept. I'll have to make sure you do tonight.
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You most certainly will not! I have a deadline. [But he squeezes Alhaitham's hand after that.] I'm almost done, though. One more night and I'll make it.
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Ask for an extension.
[ he's not budging. ]
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Absolutely not. Do you have any idea how stubborn this client is? I've already had to revise these blueprints four times. Four! The only reason he's not going to do it again is because he doesn't want to pay the revision fee.
[(it usually works)]
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haitham releases kaveh's hand and slides his hand over the nape of his neck, gathering slips of golden hair between his fingers. he draws his head back and kisses kaveh deeply on his perfect lips, breathing in.
when he pulls away, his eyes stay closed and he murmurs: ]
You're not working tonight.
[ yes he's being unfair, but it's for good reason. ]
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That is to say--Kaveh, of course, melts into it, still unused to such blatant shows of affection from his normally-stoic paramour. Especially at work, a place where he and Alhaitham are normally at their most confrontational, standing firmly opposed just like the wings of their darshans.
If someone had asked him a few years ago what kind of a kisser he thought Alhaitham would be, the very idea alone would've had him choking on his wine in disbelief. Now, he finds himself parting his lips to let Alhaitham in, tension easing out of his body where Alhaitham's hands rest, warm and secure. The longer he stays like this, the more he can start to feel how wrung-out he truly is, which is dangerous.]
Don't think I don't know what you're doing. [It's a quiet grumble, tempered by the way his freed hand has found its way to Alhaitham's waist. He butts his head lightly against Alhaitham's.] And to think, no one believes me when I tell them how conniving you can be.
[That would be because Kaveh also undermines his own arguments, just like he's currently undermining himself by not moving away immediately.]
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a thin smile creeps on his mouth at kaveh's retort. ]
'Someone has to take care of you.'
[ :) since kaveh won't do it himself!!! he leans back to look kaveh in the eye. ]
I'll use whatever method it takes. This one yields the most results.
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[Which is, to Kaveh, just as vital a necessity as rest and sustenance!!! He won't argue that he doesn't always take care of himself, though; that, unfortunately, is a point he has to concede. He does, however, bristle at the rest, because of course he does. He's truly just Toulouse Aristocats sometimes. (He hasn't pulled away, though.)]
What I'm hearing is that I'd better leave now and lock you out while I'm at it.
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haitham is 100% unbothered by the threat. if kaveh did as he said, he would find out that he forgot his keys yet again that morning. right now, it's tucked away in one of alhaitham's pockets.
haitham lowers his hand from kaveh's neck, briefly watching how the soft strands of kaveh's hair unfurl from his fingertips. he lets his smile fall away naturally. ]
Then I'll have to return your gift. It's here in my office.
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You're bluffing.
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[ the fact that they're arguing while holding each other ]
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And never mind the fact that Alhaitham just said it's here in his office and would thus have no reason to wait until he got home to hand it over, Kaveh is far more focused on the more important part here:]
You expect me to believe that you bought a gift? You? The man who was threatening to throw away other people's things not ten minutes ago? Next you'll tell me the sky has turned green.
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don't mind me cobbling together characterization with elmers glue and macaroni
puts it in my mouth
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