You Love Him Ever So Deadly | ×Alhaitham x Kaveh× |

✦ 12 ✦ Compromises Based Off Vices

-ˏˋ. Their house, 08:11 PMˊˎ-

"... Kaveh, wake up."

His voice was gentle. Though the atmosphere was infested with unwanted yells and conversations of drunk patrons, he was as clear as water. No fuzzy recollection of memories could taint the image of him looking down on Kaveh. the image of the eyes he hasn't met in years.

The vivid memory faded the moment he felt a gentle nudge. His eyes, colored red from the lingering tears under his lashes, parted. The dream parted with reality, leaving nothing but the echoes of a ticking clock and the scribes breathing against his ears. Kaveh could feel the open window on his back being caressed by Alhaitham's cold hands, but he had already become accustomed to the electrifying tingles going down his skin.

Alhaitham had a book in his, leg crossed over the other, while Kaveh's head lay rested on his shoulder. Despite the awkward position making his neck ache, the soothing sound of the latter's breathing nullified any feelings of discomfort. Upon realizing his predicament, he sprung his body up, the sudden movement making his head spin.

Alhaitham tilted his head at Kaveh, but his eyes remained on the pages. "You've been mumbling in your sleep more often now." He worded, stating it as a fact, though his tone seemed to indicate a tease.

Rubbing the sleep of his eyes, Kaveh worded a stretched-out "As if you don't snore at night" through a yawn. He raised his arms up, feeling the tension in his body disintegrate until he brought them down with a sigh. "What time is it?"

"Thirteen past eight. Just about time for you to get ready for bed." He counted the minutes like it was his life. By this time, they've been used to a simple rhythm - bedtime is at nine while getting ready takes about half an hour each.

"Mm." Kaveh hummed. This pragmatic nature of Alhaithams was always an added benefit to their friendship. While he spontaneously came up with ideas for projects, Alhaitham would be the one to maintain his budget and time consumption. In a way, they fulfilled each other the same now. "You're already ready?"

The man closed the book, marking his spot with a simple plain piece of paper. "Mhm. I'll prepare the sofa while you're busy."

There's the predicament.

Ever since that fateful morning, when their wounds came to light, bleeding through their bruises, on Alhaitham's accord they've been sleeping in separate beds. Rather, a sofa and a bed.

It was brought up by Alhaitham the very same evening. Even though they exchanged silent confessions of sighs - worth more than any form of intimacy could be - the scribe squeezed Kaveh's hand and worded, like that of a proposal.

"I'm sleeping in the living room tonight."

His statement was met with a tidal wave of complaints, bickering, and questions of loyalty. How could he hold his face with such tenderness and mutter the most heartwrenching confessions before admitting to not even wanting to be in the same bed as him?

Through haggling and several hours of explanations, they've come to an agreement to switch places every four nights. Though Kaveh's mind immediately jumped to the most drastic conclusions, especially after sleeping in a cold empty bed that night, his worries would be immediately washed away the following day by Alhaitham's gentle kiss on his nape.

Two weeks had passed since the agreement, and aside from their evening goodbyes, their schedules were the same as before. Kaveh didn't have it in himself to pry Alhaitham any further, and though the night sky seemed to be void of stars each time, he didn't complain. God forbid he'd complain in a situation he'd never thought he'd see the day of.