indigently | { 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒢𝑜𝓁𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝒫𝑒𝒶𝒸𝑜𝒸𝓀 } 𝐼𝒞 𝒾𝓃𝒷𝑜𝓍 🏛️

[ When it comes down to it, Kaveh knows that he's made mistakes before. For one, there were much, much better ways to approach this whole thing between the two of them. And when Alhaitham pushed them both into his room and took control of things in a way too far from who Alhaitham is as a person, he could have said something then too, and he didn't.

But Kaveh remembers the shattered look on the younger man's face, hears the quiet sounds of his guilt in the moments after, and he knows he can't do that again— when he promises, he means it, and he'll hold the both of them to it.

Not that he has to, right now, because he wants this. There's a sigh on his lips at the press against his hipbones, at the feeling of that curious hand tracing under his chin to nudge him into a kiss that makes his toes curl and his lips part in pleasure as he returns it with a soft sigh. His arms wind around the younger's shoulders, doing his part to draw him in nearer. This approach is newer to him than before, something that hasn't come between them before.

He doesn't mind it. ]

[It's been abrupt before. Even the first time, arguably the only time it has been fully consensual and free of any outside influence, they had simply got straight to the point of it. That isn't what Alhaitham wants out of this now and not why he came here, and even if he isn't entirely certain of how this is going to go he definitely wants to take his time.

Kaveh's arms wrap around him and their lips part against each other, and Alhaitham settles into the rush of pleasant goosebumps over his skin and the slow curl of warmth in the pit of his stomach. No need to rush at all.

It's nice.

A few minutes later, when the heat gathering in him has made its way up to his head and lightly fuzzed the edges of his thoughts, he pulls back to take a quick breath. He looks up at Kaveh with an unreadable emotion in his eyes as he finally slips both hands up beneath his top, sliding fabric against skin to push it off.]

[ Kaveh makes a soft, humming noise against Alhaitham's mouth as he settles more comfortably on his lap, presses closer, enjoys the slow build of pleasure between the two of them. It's unlike anything they've done together, and he likes it, enjoys the way that he can slowly withdraw his thoughts from the world around him, can pour them into Alhaitham and Alhaitham alone, slowly but surely letting himself sink into it.

It's nice, it's perfect, and when the younger man draws back for a breath, Kaveh's eyes flutter open, a slow smile forming on his lips at the look on the scribe's face—

and then hands slip under his top and in that very same moment, everything comes crashing down: Kaveh remembers what he's wearing under this, the change he should have made but did not, the feeling of lace and satin against his skin even as he recoils from those gentle hands. ]

W-wait! I. I, uh. I got dressed in a hurry, and there's...

[ Archons, this is embarrassing. The lingerie wasn't meant for Alhaitham, and deep down Kaveh knows the younger man probably won't form any sort of opinion on it, good or bad, but... ]

I'm wearing something kind of unusual under this, and I didn't have time to change out of it so.. do you want me to just.. I can go change now...?

[Though a little startled by Kaveh's sudden withdrawal he notices quickly that it isn't due to something that he did. His hands lower back to the other man's hips as he fumbles to explain himself and given the kinds of things available to buy here it doesn't take much for Alhaitham to figure out what 'wearing something kind of unusual under this' could mean.

And Kaveh is right - he doesn't really have an opinion on it either way.]

You can do whatever makes you comfortable.

[The meaning is clear enough. It wouldn't be for Alhaitham's comfort that Kaveh gets up and changes, but the younger man is quite willing to let him up without protest if he wants to go and do it anyway. He isn't trying to keep him from getting up despite his hands still resting on him.]

It's fine if you want to change. I can wait.

[ It's fine if you want to change, Alhaitham says, making his own opinion clear— and Kaveh, to his credit, listens for once. The other man is putting his comfort first, clearly doesn't mind whatever strange thing the elder is wearing, and so...

He takes a deep breath, leans forward to press a soft kiss into the younger man's mouth, then something slower and deeper as he breathes into it, allows himself to relax. ]

I'm okay, [ he whispers. ] If you don't mind, then I don't mind either.

[ He's surprised to find that he means it. ]

Mm. All right.

[Alhaitham just-barely smiles as he lifts his hands again, catching the fabric of Kaveh's top and pushing it up and off his head. His fingertips briefly trail against the soft skin of the inside of the older man's upper arms... and then lightly against the lace all but clinging to his ribs.

He told Kaveh that he does not experience physical attraction like most people and that remains true in spite of his apparent interest in sex itself. His judgement of attractiveness is a matter of aesthetics, as ever, and his attention lingers on the lingerie for a few moments.]

Colour theory? [The scribe murmurs, glancing up to meet Kaveh's eyes.] Complementary. [Then, after another quiet pause.] You would suit red, too.

[ Mean it though he may, Kaveh is still a little anxious as Alhaitham moves to push his shirt up and over his head, caught somewhere between expecting no reaction, not wanting one anyway, and also somehow wanting one. The brush of those fingers, at the very least, is proof that the younger man isn't repulsed by the concept, and so he's able to stay quiet as Alhaitham looks at the lingerie, turning his attention back to Kaveh to mention color theory, and— ]

I... I actually have a similar pair in red, too. [ The admission comes somewhat bashfully, paired with the barest beginnings of a heated flush across his cheeks in response to the younger's complimentary words. ] I chose the red ones first, and then got these too.

[ That latter point isn't entirely true. The teal ones were chosen for him, but he's not about to express as much in the middle of this moment between them. Kaveh may be honest, but he's learned his lesson there.

(And it's not like he owes Alhiatham an explanation anyway, so he's not sure why he feels like he does.) ]

[Alhaitham manages to look unsurprised. He studies Kaveh's face for a moment, his fingertips trailing along the bottom of the lace as if he is somehow appreciating it, then rather than take it off him... he leaves it.

Kaveh gets another kiss before he's tipped onto the bed, Alhaitham still fully dressed as he crawls over him and lowers his head to brush his lips to the centre of the older man's chest. Though he keeps his eyes lowered the fact that this particular shade of teal is very close to the colour of his irises has not escaped him in the least. Did Kaveh pick these too, he wonders idly, then just as quickly pushes that thought aside.

He sits up, gaze raking down the length of Kaveh's torso, warm fingertips brushing the soft skin of his stomach. The touch trails down the centre of the blond's abdomen to the dip of his navel then tracks along the waist of his pants. Alhaitham glances up, not verbally checking in on Kaveh but clearly doing it visually, but he seems satisfied by whatever he sees.]

Are you going to behave for me? [The young man says softly, his free hand working the buttons of his waistcoat open.] You can do that, can't you, Kaveh.

[ Most of Kaveh just assumes that the lace, now with a comment made about it, will be slipped off his body and pushed to the side. He's not expecting Alhaitham to leave it on him, but he does, tipping him to the bed instead after another kiss, eyes and mouth paying brief homage before hands track over his skin to explore, leaving the blonde breathing a heavy sigh over his lips.

And then he's asked is he going to behave, and the architect's blood runs dangerously south, and every last part of him wants to nod, wants to agree with the scribe's assertion, to bend to him, to be good so he can hear the other praise him the way he's come to realize he quite likes...

But he's also Alhaitham, gentle and tender or not, and there's that one part of Kaveh that won't allow this to pass without a challenge, a tilt of his head as he openly admires the younger undoing his own waistcoat. ]

Mm...

[ His voice is too dry. He clears his throat, licks his lips, tries again. ]

Maybe. What happens if I don't?

[He could go a while like this, he thinks, just exploring Kaveh's body with his fingertips and hearing the sounds he makes as he grows more frustrated with the lack of action. Alhaitham briefly wonders how much the older man would allow him to get away with, and it's partly that thought which prompts him to ask the man if he's going to behave... a kind of pointed flirtation that feels foreign on his lips.

The result is undeniable however.

He leaves the waistcoat on but unbuttoned and meets Kaveh's gaze at his response. The small muscles around his eyes pinch. Alhaitham leans down, bracing one elbow beside Kaveh's head and lightly taking hold of his chin with the other hand.

The scribe leans in like he's going to kiss him again but stops short.]

Are you going to try to find out?

[ Oh, fuck.

The barest hint of defiance finds him, a question on his lips, and suddenly Alhaitham is close, breath gusting over his lips like a promise Kaveh knows he won't allow himself to meet just yet, the blonde's chin captive in his hand as those emerald eyes meet his with something serious, some kind of...

Archons, he can't even tell. The only thing he knows for sure is that he should cave for now, agree to play a more obedient role.

And yet.

He licks his lips, considering, and a hint of a smile curves at the corners of his lips. ]

Mm, perhaps... I'm a scholar, after all. What kind of scholar doesn't take the chance to test the outcomes of behaving versus not? [ A hand lifts, skates along the side of Alhaitham's face as Kaveh chuckles softly. ] If anything, you should be admiring my dedication to academia.

What I find most astounding right now is that you still have enough breath to talk so much.

[Ah, and he should fix that, no?

Alhaitham does not give further time to trying to extract a spoken promise from Kaveh. It seems that the man has decided to be difficult... and Alhaitham can work with that. It's hardly different to how he behaves on a normal day, after all.

Rather than kiss his lips he pushes his head to one side and nips at his neck. The bite isn't hard, but certainly enough to leave a mark.

He works his way down after that. Kaveh's collar bones, the curve of his ribs. He teases the stiff nub of one nipple through lace with the pad of his thumb. Lower still to the soft, warm skin of his stomach and then he's sliding Kaveh's pants off, scraping his fingernails deliberately down the outsides of his thighs as he draws the fabric down.

What he finds under them is not a surprise. What does surprise him is that he's interested enough to take a moment to look.

Though only a moment. He shifts back up to take Kaveh's wrist and push them up over his head.]

Will you keep them here or do I need to restrain you?

[Are you going to behave, Kaveh?]

[ The nip to Kaveh's neck makes the older man hiss out through his lips, and at least until his hands are captured and pushed over his head, his fingers thread through Alhaitham's hair, touching and exploring what he can easily reach as the other kisses his way down his neck, collar bones, ribs. Under the attention, he's quickly growing hard, and the single moment the younger takes to look at the rest of his underwear has him biting back a soft moan, a twitch of pleasure running through him, fingers tightening in his hair. ]

If you don't want me to have breath to talk, take it away.

[ Is it a challenge? Maybe, but one he very quickly reconsiders as his wrist is taken, both of them caught and pushed above his head.

Will you keep them here—?

And it would be so, so easy to say yes, to give in to him. But he remembers already: Alhaitham likes to take his time exploring, and Kaveh— Kaveh likes wants craves the praise but doesn't want to make it too easy for him either, and—

(And there are other considerations too, things he's wanted to try out...)

He lifts his chin, a glint of a challenge in his eyes, and Kaveh immediately tugs a hand free of him so he can thread it around Alhaitham's neck in the attempt to pull him down into a kiss. ]

If you wanna be certain, [ he breathes, ] there are handcuffs in the top drawer.

[Alhaitham stiffens slightly, resisting the pull, though there's nothing in his expression to suggest that any kind of distress was the reason. This is how it's going to be then, is it? Well, he can't say he's not surprised.

He hums softly, shooing Kaveh's hands away from him before he moves to lean over and open the drawer, quickly locating and pulling the cuffs out. There wasn't so much as a moment of hesitation in making that decision, it seems, and this time when he pushes the older man's arms up it is with a little more determined force.

One side of the cuffs is gently slipped over a wrist, clicking closed around it. He loops the chain around the headrail of the bed and then meets the architect's eyes as he fully restrains him.]

As you wish.

[You chose this, Kaveh. He won't have any whining about sore wrists.

Once satisfied that the man is now held in place he sits back, raking his gaze down the length of Kaveh's body. He's...

Hm.

Alhaitham shrugs off his waistcoat, though only partly shifts his eyes away. Something about this is still faintly unsettling, though he can't put his finger on what it is that's bothering him.]

... If I do something you don't like, say so. [He says then, sliding a hand around the curve of Kaveh's waist.] Agreed?

[ For a moment, Kaveh regrets his choice. Not because he doesn't trust Alhaitham or want to do this with him, but because of the strange something in the air around the other man for a moment or two as he shrugs himself out of his waistcoat—

(and Archons, the visible movement of muscle under the soft material of that shirt...)

—as he reminds the blonde to say something if he's not okay.

Mm... it's about that other time, isn't it?

If he could, he'd reach to reassure him, but he's just ensured that he absolutely cannot do that. Therein lies the regret, even as the thrill of being captive to him runs down his spine, and Kaveh offers Alhaitham a small, reassuring smile, a little jingle of his wrists against the headrail. ]

Do you know what a safeword is? [ he asks, and then without any hesitation continues to explain: ] It's a word we can choose that if either of us says, everything stops. It's designed for moments like these, because... [ He's brought momentarily to another encounter, one he won't detail— he's learning— but that taught him a few things nonetheless. ] Sometimes in the moment you say things like "wait" or "stop" or "no" but don't actually mean it. So...

[ He takes a breath, thinking. ] "Alcazarzaray." [ It's long, complicated, and there's no way he's gonna be calling it out in the middle of sex for any other reason. ] If I say "Alcazarzaray", it means I want you to stop. Okay?

[For the most part, Alhaitham is fine... but he would be lying if he said that he wasn't still at least a little shaken by that experience. It had lodged something in him that bothers him right down to his core and comes to the forefront of his mind when he's with Kaveh more than anyone else.

Because of course it would.

He listens, his eyes never leaving the other man's as he explains, and while he had not been aware of that concept in this context he catches on quickly and nods.]

All right. [And, satisfied with that, he leans in to give Kaveh another of those soft, lingering kisses. He can trust that Kaveh will speak up if he feels like he needs to, he thinks... they do have that understanding.

The contrast between them right now isn't lost on him. Kaveh in his flatteringly coloured lingerie and Alhaitham almost still entirely dressed. Alhaitham shifts down and tugs one of Kaveh's knees over his shoulder, pushing his knee up as he brushes a line of teasing kisses down the inside of the opposite thigh.]

You look good like this. [He murmurs then, almost thoughtfully.

Pretty.]

[ Kaveh hums in soft content into Alhaitham's mouth, and if the scribe hears the gentle clink of the cuff metal against the headrail, it's only because the blonde's first instinct is the wrap his arms around the younger's shoulders and hold him as they kiss. For as much as the other man has a tendency to annoy him, there's something about the gentleness of his mouth that has Kaveh melting, craving more. More that he knows he's going to get, even if the presence of the handcuffs promises a slow burn, and plenty of frustration.

Frustration brought almost immediately by the way Alhaitham lifts his knee and starts to pepper kisses down the inside of his thigh, the blonde's hips trembling and trying to lift slightly under the sudden sensation. He whimpers,

and then comes the kicker, soft words that make his eyes widen, his breath catch in his throat. He— ]

...Really? I do?

[ His voice is soft, but edged with a surprising heaviness, eyes averted in a way that will tell Alhaitham (as if he doesn't already know) that Kaveh asks from a genuine place, not from one of greed or desire. He's not sure what he was expecting, but it wasn't that, and he hates the way his stomach does a stupid little flip-flop at the words, leaving his mouth dry. ]

[Alhaitham couldn't anticipate what that whimper does to him. He feels a spark shoot straight to the curling warmth between his hips and his breath catches, his eyes darting up and catching the other man's eyes. For a moment he forgets what he said - what Kaveh is questioning - then makes a soft sound of confirmation.]

Mm. You can wear the red one next time.

[There are several implications there, all of them bluntly obvious to someone who knows Alhaitham as well as Kaveh does, but delivered as ever with the quiet, casual tone of someone with barely any idea of the kind of impact that those particular words can have.

He likes how Kaveh looks like this, he realises. Like appreciating a piece of art wound together with the anticipation of what's to come.

Alhaitham sits back and unbuttons his shirt, taking his time, maintaining eye contact all the while. The mark of his suit is calm and pale now, barely visible, and once he sets the shirt aside he moves to his belt, lingering on the buckle.]

And don't bother to hide it.

[ If Kaveh is going to regret his choice to accept the handcuffs, it's going to be now that he most keenly feels it, when Alhaitham says something that makes him want to throw his arms around the other to pull him into a kiss.

Regardless of how calmly the scribe speaks, so many things sit just under the surface of those words: not just the reaffirmation that he thinks Kaveh looks good, but the statement that he wants to see him in the other outfits he purchased; the implication of another next time; the instruction not to hide himself away.

All this, paired with the way he leans back, unbuttoning his shirt in the slowest, most torturous of ways, revealing the pale, toned skin underneath in a way that has Kaveh wetting his too-dry lips.

And Kaveh, who often has his words stolen in the face of the other man, finds himself in the same situation as always, but a much more pleasant version, a shy smile on his lips and a flush on his cheeks as he nods. ]

...Okay. I'll, uh.. keep that in mind. For next time.

[ And then, his smile turning more playful, he adds: ]

You should just dress like this. Shirt off, I mean.

For you, I might. In private.

[Alhaitham is not an exhibitionist and has no intentions of becoming one for the sake of Kaveh's whims, but if the man wants to see him shirtless while it's just the two of them..? He doesn't see the harm. Kaveh has already seen far more of him than his bare chest.

With his belt discarded and his trousers quickly following Alhaitham finally shifts closer to the other man and kisses him again, bare skin on bare skin as they press together. He slides one firm thigh up between Kaveh's legs, biting gently against the man's lower lip and then smiling a little.]

Tell me what you like.

[ The pleasant heat in Kaveh's cheeks only intensifies at the promise of Alhaitham doing something just for him, just the two of them, in private like this. It's not something he really should take pleasure in, not with how contentious their friendship can sometimes be, and yet..

Mm. Who cares? The blonde's brain is quick to banish the thought when the younger man shifts out of his trousers and brings himself in close again to kiss him, eagerly returning the pressure of his lips— and gasping an answer when his lip is bitten at the same time as a knee slides up between his thighs.

That smile—

And those words, asking a question Kaveh's not entirely sure he can answer, because...

On one side, perhaps, he's still learning these things for himself in some ways, and too hesitant to say what it is he's wanting to try. The reverse of that is that his body seems to like everything Alhaitham does anyway, so.

Though... there is that one thing, which...

Kaveh's nose wrinkles. ]

Promise me you won't laugh.

[Promise he won't laugh?

Alhaitham's eyebrows lift slightly. He does wonder on which occasion Kaveh has ever actually heard him outright laugh at anything he said, though he does realise that the other man may not actually mean it literally. He makes a soft sound, shifting away and straightening up a little.]

I promise I won't laugh.

[And maybe those words, that phrasing, would sound a bit strange coming from him... but it seems to be important, and even more strangely, he finds that it is important for him to know the answer.]

[ 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. ]

[There isn't so much as a single glimmer of surprise on Alhaitham's face as Kaveh speaks. What he knows of the man makes it all to obvious that praise would be something he would enjoy, though it would seem he has less issue with accepting it when it happens in the bedroom.

... Figures.]

You know well enough that I'm not someone who gives false praise.

[Or much praise at all, usually. He doesn't think he could do it under these circumstances without it feeling far too awkward, but as luck would have it when it comes to Kaveh, he doesn't really find a need to pretend.

He pauses a moment, letting his attention travel over Kaveh's body.]

So when I tell you that I like how you look, you know I mean it.

I know.

[ The answer is quick on Kaveh's lips, and as soft as his expression as his eyes settle on Alhaitham's face again. It's true that he has less issue accepting praise when it's in the bedroom, and yet even with that being true, and even knowing what he does, was he not still hesitant over the other's statement that he looks good as he is now?

And he wonders if the younger man thinks Kaveh doesn't trust him. Which isn't true— ]

If I sound like I'm doubting you, I'm.. I'm not. Not you. I just... You know how I am, it's—

[ He falls silent for a moment, and the look he offers the other man is soft and pleading and frustrated, not at the situation but at himself. ]

Please come here.

[ Just make his brain shut up— ]

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