Work Text:
to say kaveh was exhausted was an astronomical understatement. as he swung open the door to his shared home, he hung his cape by the door and sighed softly. what a horrible ending to what was supposed to be a fun competition. he forfeited his prize and gained pretty much nothing from the entire endeavor.
“you’re home,” al haitham glanced up from a rather thick book, “how are you feeling?”
kaveh bit back a laugh, “like you care!”
“i do,” the gray haired man put his book down on the coffee table in front of the divan, “how are you feeling?” he repeated.
“my head feels like it’s about to explode,” kaveh admitted. he was too tired to bicker, “do we have any of those pills tighnari gave us?”
“i’ll check,” al haitham promptly stood up, pacing out of the room and into the kitchen, where they kept their medicine. meanwhile, the blonde collapsed on the divan, kicking off his shoes and curling up on the soft cushions. out of the corner of his eye, he saw his roommate approach with a small orange bottle and a glass of water. he held it up and shook it a little to grab kaveh’s attention, “sit up,” kaveh obeyed, taking the glass and the bottle. he set the glass down on the table and opened the bottle, pouring two or three pills into his hands and popping them into his mouth. he took a deep sip of water to wash down the pills. he nodded slowly, handing the bottle back to al haitham, who wordlessly returned to the kitchen.
kaveh laid back against the divan again, closing his eyes and trying not to focus on the blinding pain in his head. he’d have to go to the doctor’s tomorrow, he supposed. he probably had at least a minor concussion. he heard soft footsteps approach, then felt the cushions dip beside him. he heard some rustling of paper, and then it was quiet again. he peeked an eye open, seeing al haitham calmly reading his book while seated within a fairly uncomfortable distance of kaveh.
“what are you doing?” kaveh murmured.
“reading,” the scholar replied, tone hushed, “do you need something?”
“...no,” kaveh shook his head, fumbling with the red clips in the back of his hair. he didn’t have the brain capacity to wonder why his roommate was being so.. soft. he just wanted to change into pajamas and cuddle up in his warm bed. maybe have a drink of wine first.
“i don’t particularly understand why you did what you did today,” al haitham continued to speak lowly, “but i think you did the right thing. i’m proud of you, kaveh. you did well.”
the blonde’s eyes widened, and he glanced over to see no sign of sarcasm on his roommate’s face. he wasn’t sure if it was his emotional tendencies, or the pain in his head combined with the day he had, but he felt hot tears well up in his eyes. the kind of tears that hurt when they come out. kaveh wasn’t sure of the last time someone told him they were proud of him. al haitham seemed to notice the glistening sheen of kaveh’s eyes, because he tossed his book aside carelessly (as carelessly as al haitham could, at least,) and swooped in to hug his roommate.
“don’t cry,” al haitham whispered into kaveh’s ear, “don’t cry, i’ve got you. it’s going to be okay.”
“no, it’s not--” kaveh stumbled over his words, “just.. keep holding me like this.”
the blonde felt al haitham nod into his neck, making himself comfortable beside kaveh. they stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s warmth. al haitham only pulled away when kaveh’s short, staccato breaths turned into slower, more natural ones. the blonde sighed, dropping his head in his roommate’s lap tiredly.
“you should get to bed,” al haitham spoke soothingly.
“i can’t,” kaveh shook his head, unintentionally nuzzling further into the man’s thighs, “i have a deadline tomorrow. i need to finish this project or i--”
“i’ve already called and gotten an extension for your project,” al haitham interrupted, “now, let’s go.”
“wh--what?” kaveh sat up shockingly fast, nearly hitting the top of his head on his roommate’s sharp jaw, “how did you--”
“i told them that genius takes time,” al haitham took kaveh by the wrist, practically dragging him over to the bathroom, “and the light of kshahrewar deserves only the best of accommodations.”
“but.. why would they take orders from someone other than me?” kaveh shook his head in disbelief.
“well, i did have to claim to be your husband,” al haitham shrugged, “but you have another month. strip.”
“my--my what?!” kaveh didn’t have time to question the scribe’s demand, brain preoccupied with the idea of the general public thinking he was married to al haitham, of all people.
“it doesn’t matter right now,” he shook off kaveh’s worries with a shake of his hand, “right now, you need to strip, i’m going to bathe you. i don’t need you dying in here while i’m asleep.”
“i’m perfectly capable of keeping myself alive for a bath! what am i, a child?” kaveh exclaimed.
“you might as well be with the way you act,” the scribe crossed his arms, removing his cape and folding it on the counter, “regardless, you likely have a concussion, so i’ll have to supervise you until we can get you to a doctor. i’ve scheduled an appointment for eleven tomorrow morning.”
hesitantly, the architect shrugged off his already loose shirt. the white fabric was stained to hell and back with dirt and mud.
“why are you treating me like this?” he mumbled, watching the scribe bend over and turn on the water for the bath.
“like what?” al haitham asked nonchalantly while taking in the sight of kaveh’s bare chest, “is it so unheard of for me to take care of a friend?”
right, kaveh remembered. friend. al haitham couldn’t possibly be capable of anything romantic. he was just poorly educated in social cues. kaveh kicked off his pants passive-aggressively, “nevermind, you would just insult me if i explained, like you always do.”
“i’ve never ‘insulted’ you,” al haitham rolled his eyes at his roommate’s predictable words, “i simply speak with facts and logic, which you don’t seem to like very much.”
the blonde narrowed his eyes at the scribe as if he’d just denounced the dendro archon, “i genuinely, genuinely, hope you die. and i hope it hurts.”
“well, you wouldn’t have anywhere to live again, so i’d say that’s a bold-faced lie.”
“will you shut up?!” kaveh threw his head back as he stepped into the warm bathwater, half embarrassed to be naked and half annoyed.
“fine,” al haitham shut his mouth, letting a bottle drool soap into the tub. slowly, bubbles began to appear in the rising water. the architect played with a lock of his hair quietly, in an attempt to distract himself from the scene unfolding before him. his face was burning, and he wasn’t sure if it was from the steam or from the way al haitham was looking at him. the scribe poured some unknown soap into his hands, rubbing them together and letting the soap foam before he reached for kaveh’s hair. he murmured, “kaveh, wet your hair for me.”
the blonde whipped his head in the scribe’s direction, “huh?” his eyebrows were raised and he looked rather nervous, “oh, sure,” the man dunked his head in the water, wringing out his golden locks when he came up.
“thank you,” al haitham hummed appreciatively before massaging the supposed shampoo into his hair. his long fingers kneaded the man’s scalp in a way that lulled the architect to sleep nearly immediately. he felt himself slip into a dreamless slumber surrounded by warmth and soft embraces. he knew from the gentleness in each brush of skin that it was al haitham. he leaned into the touch, taking a big breath and letting himself feel cared for. the peace lasted about thirty seconds before he heard a nagging voice call for him.
“--veh,” it rang, “kaveh. wake up. you need to get out before you dissolve into the water.”
kaveh blinked his bleary eyes open, looking at his roommate with sleep still possessing his body, “how long did i sleep for?”
“about an hour,” al haitham replied, “come on, let’s get to bed.”
“…okay,” kaveh nodded, standing up and letting al haitham envelop him in a soft towel, “mm, thank you.”
“you’re much more docile when you’re exhausted, aren’t you?” al haitham would never admit to the slightest of smiles that graced his face.
“who isn’t?” kaveh barked, his slurred words making him twenty times less intimidating.
“quiet,” the scribe warned, helping the architect step out of the tub and onto the bathmat. kaveh’s skin was warm to the touch, al haitham realized. he hesitated to pull away. he led his roommate into his own bedroom, letting him sit on the edge of the bed before walking out.
“haitham,” the architect whined, reaching a moist arm out at his disappearing figure, “noo, come back.”
when the scribe returned a moment later, he wore an unsurprised look on his face, “i was getting you clothes, kaveh.”
“oh,” was all kaveh responded with before al haitham began to dress him, “stop, i can put clothes on myself. you’re like a nagging housewife.”
“hard to be a housewife when i’m the only one with decent pay around here,” al haitham removed his own clothes, finding some clean, comfortable ones for sleeping.
“i—you are such an asshole!” kaveh finished pulling some satin sleep shorts on, seemingly more awake than before. nothing like al haitham to get him going.
“hush,” the scribe flicked the light switch and walked over to the bed, climbing in beside kaveh, “go back to sleep. you deserve it.”
“why are we sleeping in the same bed?!” kaveh jumped when he felt the scribe pull him down into his arms.
“you’re not supposed to let people with potential concussions sleep,” al haitham reminded the architect, “but i’m going to watch you while you sleep instead. you need rest.”
“well—you—“ kaveh stammered, face burning at the feeling of strong arms around his delicate waist, “you need the sleep too!”
“i’ve called out of work tomorrow,” al haitham lowered his voice so he could speak directly into kaveh’s ear, “i’ll be taking care of you until you make a full recovery.”
kaveh sighed, knowing there was no winning in this conversation, “whatever,” he muttered, “just try not to get hard with me here in front of you,” he teased, fully joking before hearing the scribe’s response.
“i’m trying,” he hummed, brushing some hair out of the way and kissing the side of kaveh’s neck, “don’t worry, i’ve got you. just go back to sleep.”
the blonde shivered at the touch. he hated to admit how at home he felt between al haitham’s arms. he leaned into the scribe’s embrace, “yeah, fine.”
there was a short pause, and then, “i love you, kaveh.”
kaveh’s eyes shot open before relaxing again. he kissed one of al haitham’s biceps in response, “i love you too.”