[ Alhaitham might have chosen to play without a queen, but he's still somehow brought Kaveh to a place where there's maybe only one or two ways of moving his own pieces without finding himself in checkmate— and right now, he's not sure he can see that path. He feels like his arms can't get tighter over his chest, and if it weren't for the fact that he's taken a seated position here, he feels like he'd be at very real risk of backing away. There's no doubt in his own mind that he hasn't considered any part of this nearly as carefully as he should have— But it's too late for that, and he can see from that calm expression that this isn't a discussion out of which he'll easily be able to extract himself.

Besides, as far as he's concerned, Alhaitham is being unfair. Would he like to know more about his closed-off, impossible-to-read roommate? Sure. Would he like to know those things without his own attraction to said roommate becoming part of their shared knowledge? Absolutely. But that doesn't mean that it's part of his reasoning on each and every single action he takes—

Never mind that this particular set of actions does seem to indicate as such.

His frown deepens. This whole thing is so frustrating. ]

I didn't ask because it would have been rude to stop mid-discussion to ask, Alhaitham. That's all. Or would you have preferred I do exactly that?

[ It's abrupt, the way he stands up and whirls around, all flair and drama, hands flat on the desk so he can lean forward, crimson eyes narrowed in an irritated glare at the other man's expense. ]

If that's what you want, why don't we pause the debate right now? Go on, Alhaitham. If you have no problem telling me who you want to fuck, do it.