[LOOK... HIM BEING SPOILED DOESN'T NEGATE ALHAITHAM ALSO BEING SPOILED OKAY!! Both can be true, in Kaveh's opinion, though he would argue that he deserves to be pampered for putting up with Alhaitham picking on him every day.
He doesn't, of course, as Alhaitham is distracted, which, in turn, means Kaveh is too. It's so sorely tempting to let Alhaitham coax him down, to stay just like this and trade soft, slow kisses until he dozes off in Alhaitham's arms. But he's already set his mind to a bath, so, with a sigh, he shifts a hand over and presses two fingers lightly to Alhaitham's lips.]
Intelligence is ineffective against gate changes and overbookings. [Tragic... really, if anything, Alhaitham should be glad he didn't have to wait an extra day after a text from Kaveh saying he agreed to change his flight for someone else's benefit. It wouldn't be the first time.] You can correct whatever you want later. I want that bath.
[Getting up is still a huge effort, but now that Alhaitham's put it in his head, getting clean and changing into comfortable clothes sounds extremely appealing.]
[ Kaveh keeps making it so painfully easy for Alhaitham to kiss or bite or lick his fingers when he can't actually do it... Cruel... and on the day of his birth
Ultimately Alhaitham lets him go with a quiet sigh, hands sliding over Kaveh's back as he gets to his feet. It's a small slog for Alhaitham to peel himself from the couch too; not only is he chronically lazy, but he's been waiting for Kaveh for some time.
He sets his hand loosely around Kaveh's waist, holding him still as he brushes past. ]
Go get your things from the entryway. I'll start running the water.
[Maybe Alhaitham should've thought of that before he reminded Kaveh to get up!! It's too late now, though, he's determined to swathe himself in the textures and scents of home. He's also reluctant to pull away and get back to his feet, but he isn't going to feel like he's truly settled back at home until he rids himself of the remnants of traveling, so it's a necessary evil.]
Huh? Oh, you can go back to your book. I can get it.
You-- [will?? Kaveh almost says, before he catches on, and. Oh. Well. That's what he wants, is it? That makes a little more sense.] You're ridiculous.
[YOU COULD'VE JUST SAID YOU WANTED TO BATHE TOGETHER gosh.
Shaking his head, Kaveh goes to deposit his things in the bedroom; unpacking and laundry and all of that can come later. While he's in there, he takes off his jewelry and his accessories, and, after a little thought, strips down to his undershirt and underwear. Leaving the rest of his clothes with his other laundry, he digs through the drawers, picking out a set of comfortable pajamas for each of them--Alhaitham can complain as much as he wants, but Kaveh is not going to eat dinner naked. NO THANK YOU.
With their change of clothes tucked over his arm, he pads back out of the bedroom, making his way towards the sound of running water.]
[ You haven't seen your gorgeous boyfriend in SO LONG and when he's finally home he refuses to be naked all the time... CRUEL... AN ATTACK ON ALHAITHAM SPECIFICALLY :(
Whenever Kaveh arrives at the bathroom, he'll find Alhaitham already stripped down, testing the bathwater with his fingertips. (His clothes have also been kicked off to the side of the floor.) The bathtub itself is mostly full, and a pair of fresh towels sits on the lid of the toilet. When he finally sees Kaveh in the doorway—still wearing clothes, for whatever reason, though Alhaitham will take care of that soon—he pushes back up to his feet. ]
Check the temperature.
[ Alhaitham can be picky about it himself, but this is Kaveh's bath more than his. He reaches out to take the pajamas and set them on the toilet tank. ]
[Imagine if he came in here and grabbed Alhaitham's ass like Alhaitham does to him... he won't, because he is not Yuul, but it would be funny.
That doesn't mean he doesn't look, though; no matter how many years they spend together, Alhaitham is just as beautiful as he's always been, and Kaveh would be a failure of an artist if he didn't appreciate that. He does as he's told, though, bending down to ensure the water isn't too hot; that done, he reaches over for the bath salts and a bath bomb. GET GLITTER'D.]
The temperature is fine, but you forgot these. [Did he forget or did he know Kaveh likes to pick them out himself... a true mystery.]
[ HE COULD but Alhaitham's reaction wouldn't be as funny as Kaveh's... He would just do it back.
He's tempted to do it now even, while Kaveh's bending over. That impulse poofs away when Kaveh decides to glitterfy their bathtub AGAIN.
Alhaitham stands directly behind Kaveh and crosses his arms. Menacingly. ]
It's interesting that you would create more work for yourself right after you returned from a business trip. I won't be cleaning the tub on your behalf.
[IT'S TOO LATE, MR. MENACING!!! Alhaitham can either change his mind and put his clothes back on, or he can resign himself to his fate of being a sparkly pretty princess.
Kaveh sniffs, dismissive, not even bothering to look over his shoulder.]
I can feel you looming back there, you know. And what does that matter? You never do that anyway! Half the time I have to nag you to put your own things away.
[ Kaveh is lucky Alhaitham loves his sweet ass and was looking forward to bathing together.... He'll be a sparkly princess but only tonight. He graciously doesn't bring up the fact that the glitter will get on the floor eventually too. ]
Again, you create more problems for yourself than need be. You didn't have to use that particular bath bomb. That was your choice.
[ But he lets it go after that. He unfolds his arms and walks up behind Kaveh, short of meeting his chest to Kaveh's back. If Kaveh lets him, he gathers the hem of Kaveh's undershirt to peel it up and off of his shoulders. ]
[LOOK Kaveh has to do his laundry anyway, okay, he can just wash the glitter off the bedsheets while he's at it. IT'S FINE.]
A little glitter is hardly going to make a difference in a chore I'll have to do anyway. And I expect a heartfelt thank you when you realize your skin is nice and soft later.
[But he's happy with these additions, the water warm, foamy, and gently scented--a little too mild for Kaveh's preferences, but he is nothing if not the king of unprompted compromise. He dusts his hands off and straightens up, and he's satisfied enough to let Alhaitham undress him the rest of the way. He lifts his arms, helping Alhaitham with his shirt and muttering to himself as he does.]
I'm going to have to wash these a hundred times to get all the sand out of them... maybe I should just take them to get cleaned...
[With a sigh, Kaveh gives in to the urge to lean back against him, just for a moment.]
I suppose I'll have to. There's no way I could get it all taken care of tonight anyway.
[Rather--he could, if he really wanted to, but it sounds incredibly unappealing. All he wants to do is lounge around with his lover and enjoy being home, so much so that if Alhaitham hadn't invited himself, Kaveh might very well have asked him to join him.
He pulls away as he steps out of his underwear and reaches over to turn the water off. That done, he sees no need to wait--using Alhaitham's arm for balance, he steps carefully into the tub, then nods in approval.]
[ Kaveh could try, but if he did, Alhaitham would eventually wrench the clothes out of Kaveh's hands and trap him on the bed until Kaveh gives up. So! ]
Good.
[ Alhaitham has a moment to watch Kaveh's figure as he enters the tub. Kaveh's skin is a little more tan in certain places, as expected. The muscles in Kaveh's back seem the slightest bit stiffer—a sign of soreness, nothing that a few hard grinds of Alhaitham's thumb can't unwind. More than anything, Alhaitham missed seeing him, his shape, the tapered waist and golden hair and red eyes. There was no way that Alhaitham wouldn't have followed him for the rest of the evening.
Alhaitham slowly steps in after Kaveh is settled, fitting himself between Kaveh's back and the lip of the tub—unless Kaveh decides to position himself otherwise. Alhaitham is clearly fine where he is, loosely winding his arms around Kaveh's waist and pulling him up against his chest. ]
Dehya said you tried to bring another animal home with you. Care to explain?
[Fortunately, that's a battle Alhaitham won't have to fight. He won't have to fight hardly any this evening, in fact--Kaveh leans back against him without complaint, sinking down until he's comfortably nestled against Alhaitham and warmed by the water.]
I did no such thing! [GOSSIPING ABOUT HIM, ARE YOU... NOSY... Kaveh would tease him, but he's honestly still kind of impressed Alhaitham has friends that he likes talking to, so he keeps it to himself.] We didn't realize there was a feral cat colony near the site until one of the construction workers discovered one of them had crawled inside the wall and had kittens. Naturally, we had to stop and get them out safely, and we couldn't very well abandon them to the elements once we knew they were there. I didn't have the materials to build them a better shelter, so I just offered to keep them inside until someone else could pick them up.
[ Dehya is as close to a gym buddy as he'll ever have when she's not home in the desert with Candace. She never expects him to answer when she texts him either, which is always a plus. ]
And the idea of bringing them home with you never crossed your mind?
[ He reaches to bring the shampoo a little closer, but otherwise he's just letting them soak. He ducks his head to kiss Kaveh's neck. ]
[This is how Alhaitham learns Kaveh is tired of his pillow princess-ing]
Well, one of them is much cuter than the other. He couldn't sass me, for starters. [Says a man who has clearly never owned a cat.] I thought it might be interesting to see if you two got along wonderfully, or if you'd be like oil and water. But if I took one, I would've had to take another, and... it just would've gotten a bit complicated.
[read: He would've felt guilty about whoever he ended up leaving behind, so it was safer not to go down that road at all. This way, he still feels a little bad about it, but he can trust the rescuers to know what they're doing.]
[ Um excuse? It's not Alhaitham's fault that Kaveh likes being a service top? :/ ]
It's better for cats developmentally if they're raised in pairs.
[ Finally, Alhaitham reaches for a bowl on a tiled counter beside them and uses it scoops up some water. He smooths back Kaveh's hair from his forehead, tips his head back, and pours the water over his head. ]
And how well I'd interact with an animal in our home depends on how well you would raise it.
Mm. In the end, I couldn't decide whether or not you counted as a cat yourself.
[Truthfully, Kaveh probably wouldn't bring strays home anyway, not unless there was truly no alternative--but he doubts he needs to clarify that, so teasing it is.
He sighs softly, tilting his head back with a rare display of quiet acquiescence. He isn't often in the mood to allow this, but Alhaitham's hands feel nice, and the warmth of the water is pleasantly relaxing.
Of course, that doesn't stop him from bickering, but even his tone is relaxed and content, so he clearly isn't truly offended.]
No, but I have no basis on which to assume you'd be a good one either. [ Kaveh hasn't brought an animal home before. But... ] You do seem to attract them for one reason or another, considering the desert foxes that have appeared on our doorstep.
[ It's only happened once or twice, and Kaveh insisted that there was no food in his pockets at the time.
Anyway, Alhaitham keeps wetting his hair before setting the bowl away. Since this is Sumeru and there's no shampoo or conditioner, there are instead some bars of soap lying on dishes, each made of lye and oils and different scented herbs—all handmade and sold by a couple in the bazaar. Kaveh picked them out, of course. ]
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He doesn't, of course, as Alhaitham is distracted, which, in turn, means Kaveh is too. It's so sorely tempting to let Alhaitham coax him down, to stay just like this and trade soft, slow kisses until he dozes off in Alhaitham's arms. But he's already set his mind to a bath, so, with a sigh, he shifts a hand over and presses two fingers lightly to Alhaitham's lips.]
Intelligence is ineffective against gate changes and overbookings. [Tragic... really, if anything, Alhaitham should be glad he didn't have to wait an extra day after a text from Kaveh saying he agreed to change his flight for someone else's benefit. It wouldn't be the first time.] You can correct whatever you want later. I want that bath.
[Getting up is still a huge effort, but now that Alhaitham's put it in his head, getting clean and changing into comfortable clothes sounds extremely appealing.]
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Ultimately Alhaitham lets him go with a quiet sigh, hands sliding over Kaveh's back as he gets to his feet. It's a small slog for Alhaitham to peel himself from the couch too; not only is he chronically lazy, but he's been waiting for Kaveh for some time.
He sets his hand loosely around Kaveh's waist, holding him still as he brushes past. ]
Go get your things from the entryway. I'll start running the water.
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Huh? Oh, you can go back to your book. I can get it.
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You're clearly exhausted, and this takes hardly any effort on my part. I'll be taking a bath as well, after all.
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[YOU COULD'VE JUST SAID YOU WANTED TO BATHE TOGETHER gosh.
Shaking his head, Kaveh goes to deposit his things in the bedroom; unpacking and laundry and all of that can come later. While he's in there, he takes off his jewelry and his accessories, and, after a little thought, strips down to his undershirt and underwear. Leaving the rest of his clothes with his other laundry, he digs through the drawers, picking out a set of comfortable pajamas for each of them--Alhaitham can complain as much as he wants, but Kaveh is not going to eat dinner naked. NO THANK YOU.
With their change of clothes tucked over his arm, he pads back out of the bedroom, making his way towards the sound of running water.]
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Whenever Kaveh arrives at the bathroom, he'll find Alhaitham already stripped down, testing the bathwater with his fingertips. (His clothes have also been kicked off to the side of the floor.) The bathtub itself is mostly full, and a pair of fresh towels sits on the lid of the toilet. When he finally sees Kaveh in the doorway—still wearing clothes, for whatever reason, though Alhaitham will take care of that soon—he pushes back up to his feet. ]
Check the temperature.
[ Alhaitham can be picky about it himself, but this is Kaveh's bath more than his. He reaches out to take the pajamas and set them on the toilet tank. ]
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That doesn't mean he doesn't look, though; no matter how many years they spend together, Alhaitham is just as beautiful as he's always been, and Kaveh would be a failure of an artist if he didn't appreciate that. He does as he's told, though, bending down to ensure the water isn't too hot; that done, he reaches over for the bath salts and a bath bomb. GET GLITTER'D.]
The temperature is fine, but you forgot these. [Did he forget or did he know Kaveh likes to pick them out himself... a true mystery.]
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He's tempted to do it now even, while Kaveh's bending over. That impulse poofs away when Kaveh decides to glitterfy their bathtub AGAIN.
Alhaitham stands directly behind Kaveh and crosses his arms. Menacingly. ]
It's interesting that you would create more work for yourself right after you returned from a business trip. I won't be cleaning the tub on your behalf.
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Kaveh sniffs, dismissive, not even bothering to look over his shoulder.]
I can feel you looming back there, you know. And what does that matter? You never do that anyway! Half the time I have to nag you to put your own things away.
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Again, you create more problems for yourself than need be. You didn't have to use that particular bath bomb. That was your choice.
[ But he lets it go after that. He unfolds his arms and walks up behind Kaveh, short of meeting his chest to Kaveh's back. If Kaveh lets him, he gathers the hem of Kaveh's undershirt to peel it up and off of his shoulders. ]
What's done is done.
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A little glitter is hardly going to make a difference in a chore I'll have to do anyway. And I expect a heartfelt thank you when you realize your skin is nice and soft later.
[But he's happy with these additions, the water warm, foamy, and gently scented--a little too mild for Kaveh's preferences, but he is nothing if not the king of unprompted compromise. He dusts his hands off and straightens up, and he's satisfied enough to let Alhaitham undress him the rest of the way. He lifts his arms, helping Alhaitham with his shirt and muttering to himself as he does.]
I'm going to have to wash these a hundred times to get all the sand out of them... maybe I should just take them to get cleaned...
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You can worry about that tomorrow.
[ Always fussing. Alhaitham hooks his fingers in the band of Kaveh's underwear and pushes them down until they pool at his ankles. ]
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I suppose I'll have to. There's no way I could get it all taken care of tonight anyway.
[Rather--he could, if he really wanted to, but it sounds incredibly unappealing. All he wants to do is lounge around with his lover and enjoy being home, so much so that if Alhaitham hadn't invited himself, Kaveh might very well have asked him to join him.
He pulls away as he steps out of his underwear and reaches over to turn the water off. That done, he sees no need to wait--using Alhaitham's arm for balance, he steps carefully into the tub, then nods in approval.]
It's good. [Bath!!!]
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Good.
[ Alhaitham has a moment to watch Kaveh's figure as he enters the tub. Kaveh's skin is a little more tan in certain places, as expected. The muscles in Kaveh's back seem the slightest bit stiffer—a sign of soreness, nothing that a few hard grinds of Alhaitham's thumb can't unwind. More than anything, Alhaitham missed seeing him, his shape, the tapered waist and golden hair and red eyes. There was no way that Alhaitham wouldn't have followed him for the rest of the evening.
Alhaitham slowly steps in after Kaveh is settled, fitting himself between Kaveh's back and the lip of the tub—unless Kaveh decides to position himself otherwise. Alhaitham is clearly fine where he is, loosely winding his arms around Kaveh's waist and pulling him up against his chest. ]
Dehya said you tried to bring another animal home with you. Care to explain?
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I did no such thing! [GOSSIPING ABOUT HIM, ARE YOU... NOSY... Kaveh would tease him, but he's honestly still kind of impressed Alhaitham has friends that he likes talking to, so he keeps it to himself.] We didn't realize there was a feral cat colony near the site until one of the construction workers discovered one of them had crawled inside the wall and had kittens. Naturally, we had to stop and get them out safely, and we couldn't very well abandon them to the elements once we knew they were there. I didn't have the materials to build them a better shelter, so I just offered to keep them inside until someone else could pick them up.
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And the idea of bringing them home with you never crossed your mind?
[ He reaches to bring the shampoo a little closer, but otherwise he's just letting them soak. He ducks his head to kiss Kaveh's neck. ]
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[Fluffy hair, needy, constantly in his lap...]
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[ Maybe Kaveh has Red Alhaitham wet dreams he hasn't told him about..... ]
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Well, one of them is much cuter than the other. He couldn't sass me, for starters. [Says a man who has clearly never owned a cat.] I thought it might be interesting to see if you two got along wonderfully, or if you'd be like oil and water. But if I took one, I would've had to take another, and... it just would've gotten a bit complicated.
[read: He would've felt guilty about whoever he ended up leaving behind, so it was safer not to go down that road at all. This way, he still feels a little bad about it, but he can trust the rescuers to know what they're doing.]
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It's better for cats developmentally if they're raised in pairs.
[ Finally, Alhaitham reaches for a bowl on a tiled counter beside them and uses it scoops up some water. He smooths back Kaveh's hair from his forehead, tips his head back, and pours the water over his head. ]
And how well I'd interact with an animal in our home depends on how well you would raise it.
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Mm. In the end, I couldn't decide whether or not you counted as a cat yourself.
[Truthfully, Kaveh probably wouldn't bring strays home anyway, not unless there was truly no alternative--but he doubts he needs to clarify that, so teasing it is.
He sighs softly, tilting his head back with a rare display of quiet acquiescence. He isn't often in the mood to allow this, but Alhaitham's hands feel nice, and the warmth of the water is pleasantly relaxing.
Of course, that doesn't stop him from bickering, but even his tone is relaxed and content, so he clearly isn't truly offended.]
Are you implying I'd be a poor animal parent?
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[ It's only happened once or twice, and Kaveh insisted that there was no food in his pockets at the time.
Anyway, Alhaitham keeps wetting his hair before setting the bowl away. Since this is Sumeru and there's no shampoo or conditioner, there are instead some bars of soap lying on dishes, each made of lye and oils and different scented herbs—all handmade and sold by a couple in the bazaar. Kaveh picked them out, of course. ]
Too tired to wash your hair on your own?
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Thanks Kaveh]
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He wraps an arm around Kaveh, grabs the soap, and presses his lips to his temple. ]
Ask me properly.
[ Say pwease ]
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No.
[He's 5 now apparently]
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