[ It is perhaps a silly request. Kaveh knows, deep down, that Alhaitham will never laugh at him. It's just not who he is as a person, not whom he has ever been. But the anxiety runs high in his veins regardless— and that's the person Kaveh has always been— and so he still stumbles over it, still hesitates over the words even as he's given the promise. ]

I... like it when— um. I guess I like praise. Nice things being said to me.

[ His eyes shift to the side, cheeks heating with fresh embarrassment. ]

I also like it when I don't have to think. [ A pause as, not for the first time, he amends that to be more honest: ] When I'm not able to think.

[ He knows that saying all of this is giving Alhaitham a lot of power, but... he asked. ]