[ It's when Alhaitham changes topic, leans back with those half-crossed arms that Kaveh starts to realize that he's quite possibly walked himself into a trap. But it's not until the question is asked again that he recognizes what that trap actually is— and even now, there's enough indignation in his own internal response that he's yet to entirely piece together just how dangerous of a pitfall it is. ]

I— absolutely not—

[ The protest is hot on his tongue and under his skin. The accusation is completely, entirely unfounded; he has after all already explained himself, and just because Alhaitham doesn't understand his motive doesn't mean that it's inadequate. It was nothing more than a stupid prank, a way of messing with the scribe and trying to get under his skin, to somehow make him uncomfortable or uncertain. And just because he can practically hear the other man's voice in his head already, informing him in that infuriatingly calm voice that his emotion over the issue belies a deeper truth, it does not make it true—

Ah, fuck.

At this point, there's no denying it, is there? Not even to himself.

It's all he can take not to drop his eyes from the other's challenging stare. He already knows how Alhaitham will interpret it if he looks away. Instead, he keeps his own expression as steady as possible as he replies, trying to make it sound like it's no big deal at all: ]

An interesting hypothesis, to be sure. I'm not sure I can agree with you that it was my initial purpose, but let's work under the assumption for the time being that it was. It is, after all, an interesting question. Would you, hypothetically, blame me for my curiosity?

[ (and Archons help him because Alhaitham's casual use of the term "fucking" is no longer funny to him at all, and Kaveh is regretting every move he's made in the last several hours) ]