Chapter 6: Celebratory Dessert

"Oh, you're here?" Kaveh asked, surprised to find Alhaitham in the Scribe's office. After all, when he'd been the scribe, he was hardly ever to be found here.

"Who were you expecting to find?" Alhaitham asked as he pulled items out of the desk drawer.

"I was looking for the Acting Scribe." Kaveh held up some papers. "My juniors want to submit some proposals. I said they should take it themselves, but they were convinced they'd run into you. I guess they were right about that, at least."

"Am I that scary?"

"You could be a little less blunt with your comments on the rejected proposals," Kaveh said. "Anyway, maybe you can advise me on where I should leave these? The place looks like a bit of a tip."

"Just leave it there." Alhaitham pointed to a stack of papers on the edge of the desk.

Kaveh looked down at the top sheet. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"What are you looking for? Maybe I can help?"

"I'm not looking for anything. I'm simply putting my office back to how it was before the Acting Scribe came in and made himself at home." Alhaitham huffed. "Did he really think I was joking about resigning? It's only been a few weeks and he's already managed to mess things up to this degree."

"Well, most people would jump at the chance to be the Grand Sage, I'm sure. Wait." Kaveh blinked. "Your resignation was finally accepted?"

"Yes, Lesser Lord Kusanali has settled on a replacement, allowing me to return to my carefree life."

"That's great news!" Kaveh moved around the desk so that he could awkwardly wrap his arms around the sitting Alhaitham. "We should celebrate."

Alhaitham didn't move.

"Are you…not happy?" Kaveh asked. "I thought you wanted this."

"Yeah, I am, but I need to get this place back to how it was. So, if you would…" He didn't want to tell Kaveh to leave, but it would really speed things up if he was left alone.

"It's a shame you don't work upstairs anymore," Kaveh said as he started towards the door. "I wanted the Acting Grand Sage to bend me over his massive desk. See you later!"

Alhaitham stared after him. Was he serious? There was no way they were doing anything of the sort on Akademiya premises! He shook his head and continued to reorganise the drawers of his desk. Kaveh had thoughts like that? And he wasn't ashamed to voice them? In the middle of the day. In his place of work. The romance novels had tried to sell him the idea that this was common, and he couldn't believe he might have to accept it.

No one had ever used his desk in such an obscene way, had they? Either this one, or the one he'd had upstairs. Any surface he'd ever worked on… He flicked the switch on his music player. It was best not to think about it at all; it would only drive him insane.

"I bought food!" Kaveh said when Alhaitham walked in, precisely on time, as he always used to when he held the position of scribe.

"You got back before me?" If Kaveh spent the day at the Akademiya, he would often lose track of time and end up coming home after Alhaitham.

"Of course! I had to make sure I was here for your celebratory dinner. Welcome home, Scribe! Have you missed hearing people call you that?"

It really hadn't been that long, but he certainly got tired of the number of syllables 'Acting Grand Sage' took up in a sentence, especially if they tacked his name on after. 'Scribe' was short and sweet, wasting less time. "Yes, thank you, Kaveh."

Kaveh beamed and started to unpack the dishes, having kept them wrapped up so they stayed warm. Alhaitham bent down to kiss his cheek, making Kaveh pause and look up. "A thank you and a kiss? I must have done something right today."

Alhaitham hummed and took a seat opposite Kaveh. It was the thoughtfulness that caught Alhaitham's attention – Kaveh had made sure he beat Alhaitham home, and with enough time to spare to pick up food on the way back instead of suggesting they go out to eat, which Alhaitham wouldn't want to do on a Tuesday (not that Kaveh could tell you why, just trust him, Alhaitham would say no and suggest Friday, Thursday at a push). As he watched Kaveh dish the food out, he noticed that it was from his favourite curry restaurant – he'd recognise their pumpkin curry anywhere (other people would not, but Alhaitham maintained they simply did not pay enough attention).

I love you. He didn't want to say it aloud, but he was feeling it so intensely right now. Who else would or could do this for him unasked? It showed how much Kaveh had paid attention to him since they'd lived together.

"Damn, it was the perfect excuse to pick up a cake and it didn't occur to me," Kaveh lamented once they'd finished.

"Are you still hungry?"

"No, no, but I know you're partial to a little sweet bite after dinner."

"I try not to, and you shouldn't lead me astray."

Kaveh laughed. "As if anyone can lead you astray."

Alhaitham leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at Kaveh. "No, only you can."

"O-oh, is that so?" Alhaitham was looking at him, as if he wanted something, but Kaveh couldn't figure it out. "Um, did you want me to lead you astray? Down any avenue in particular?"

"Mm, something like that," he said vaguely before beginning to clear away their plates.

"What does that mean?" Kaveh asked. "Alhaitham!"

The scribe disappeared into the kitchen, and, much to Kaveh's surprise, he heard the sound of water. Was he actually washing the dishes too?! Did he hit his head again?

"I'll have my dessert now."

"But I told you, I didn't get any –" Kaveh's mouth was covered by Alhaitham's.

Oh. That constituted dessert now, did it?

"I think a sweet time with you can satisfy my cravings."

Kaveh laughed. "Since when did you become such a smooth talker?"

"When haven't I been?" He tugged Kaveh's belt loose.

Kaveh could think of a number of times Alhaitham's word choices could have been better, but he wasn't going to drag them up now and ruin the mood. He could tell Alhaitham wanted him right now; there was confidence in the way he approached Kaveh and had already started undressing him that said everything. This sort of approach was the one he dreamed of most, and gods was he going to make the most of it.

The thought of them doing something here on the sofa made Kaveh excited. It carried a sense of urgency – the idea that Alhaitham wouldn't wait to take it to the bedroom. And for Kaveh, he'd quite like to watch Alhaitham squirm tomorrow when he gazed at the sofa they were on now and remembered this encounter.

Kaveh, of course, got too carried away with his thoughts. His hands roamed Alhaitham's body, somehow managing to get his shirt off in the process, but as soon as he brushed against the surprisingly hard object in the scribe's pants, things stopped.

"That wasn't the dessert you were referring to, was it?" Kaveh asked, worried that he'd completely misread the situation.

Alhaitham used a single finger to ascertain if Kaveh was as hard as he was (almost). There was an unreadable expression on Alhaitham's face, and Kaveh wished he'd think aloud right now.

"Haitham…"

"Hypothetically, if I said that I'd had my fill of dessert for tonight, what would you do?"

Kaveh laughed. "I'd call you a liar! As strange as you can be, I've never known a man to say he's 'had his fill' with a stiff cock in his pants. Or…are you…" Kaveh slowed down to make sure his thoughts were somewhat logical. "Are you into edging?"

Alhaitham shot him a look of disbelief. "I've never had the patience for something like that."

"I could help you." I could tie you up and force you to wait until I allow you to come.

Alhaitham bent down to scoop Kaveh up in his arms. "No, thanks. At least, not today."

Kaveh's eyes lit up. "But maybe in the future?"

"Err… I'll think about it."

It wasn't an outright no, and he'd take it! "Is any sort of sofa sex out of the question?" he asked when he realised Alhaitham was taking him back to his room.

"I'd rather not dirty soft furnishings that are difficult to thoroughly clean. However, the main reason for moving to the bedroom is that's where I've made my preparations."

Kaveh seemed to short-circuit at that. Preparations? What was waiting for him inside that room? A dozen wild ideas flew through his mind, none of which were even remotely plausible, he felt, but a man could dream!

There on the bedside table stood several bottles of lube, and Kaveh held back a laugh as he imagined Alhaitham stood in a shop, undecided over which to buy, and just picking them all up. Wait – was one of them flavoured? What an interesting choice. Light reflected off the foil wrappers of the condoms, catching Kaveh's attention. Oh. So – so that's what Alhaitham had in mind?

"Where did you get all of this?" Kaveh asked. He had to know who had seen the scribe buying all this.

"The pharmacy sells many items."

The one on Treasures Steet, no doubt. Kaveh would make sure they were never seen in there together.

"One of the Amurta students was working there when I dropped by. She very helpfully recommended the pineapple-flavoured lube."

There was heat rising in Kaveh's cheeks – and he hadn't even been the one purchasing all this! "Y-you – you asked someone for help? For this?!"

Alhaitham smirked, amused by Kaveh's reaction. "Of course. I've become a recognisable figure since my stint as the Acting Grand Sage, so she spotted me immediately." He had almost walked out in that moment, but he'd spent several days building up the courage to make the trip. "I told her I was buying on behalf of an acquaintance." Friend might be a bit too far-fetched. "I had her recommend me everything, citing that my imaginary acquaintance had assumed I would know what to get, but in fact I had no idea."

"…Incredible," Kaveh whispered.

Alhaitham nodded. "Yes, I think she bought it. I have actually done my research in this area, but ultimately the specific type of each item matters not, as long as I returned with something. What's so funny?"

Kaveh tried to stop his trembling shoulders. "You! I think you're the only guy I know who would rather someone think he's a virgin than getting some action."

"Yes, I would prefer that," Alhaitham said, completely serious. "And perhaps you might too, if you wish to pretend that we aren't cohabiting. Additionally, we could debate whether oral sex results in the loss of virginity, or if –"

"Haitham. You should eat your dessert before it goes cold."

He paused. Kaveh was right. "Then allow me to finish unwrapping it first."

Despite what Kaveh said, his cock still sprung out of his underwear in a satisfying way. Once they were both suitably naked, Alhaitham reached for one of the bottles, pouring a generous amount into his palm. He climbed on top of Kaveh and lined them up, the cool lube still surprising both men as Alhaitham began to pump them both with one hand.

This was better – he was in control, and he wasn't going to let Kaveh touch and make him spill too soon.

His gaze slowly raked up Kaveh's body, thoughts tumbling about in his mind as he considered whether this was a turn on for him. Maybe. But it was hard to separate and quantify each thing right now – there was a lot happening to make him want Kaveh. His eyes arrived at Kaveh's face; lips parted, eyes dark with desire, his face beautifully framed by his splayed hair. Those crimson eyes were staring right back at him, and Alhaitham got the feeling that Kaveh had watched exactly how he'd been looking.

"Haitham," Kaveh called him, and that was definitely something that turned him on. The sound of Kaveh's voice laced with pleasure, softer and more breathless than usual. He imagined that asking Kaveh to record something for him to playback on his earpieces could do a lot of damage without either of them having to lift a finger.

"Mm?"

"I… Are you…?" Why was it so embarrassing for him all of a sudden? Probably because it was Alhaitham, and the words he was attempting to say had for so long been banished to his fantasies, never to be spoken aloud. "I want you." He bit his lip. There was more, and Alhaitham was watching him patiently as his hand continued its steady rhythm.

Alhaitham was mulling over Kaveh's words and their effect on him, completely oblivious to Kaveh's problems at the moment. It was nice to be wanted, wasn't it?

"I want you to fuck me," Kaveh said quickly, as if he'd be unable to say it if he said it any slower.

"Oh." Alhaitham let his surprise fall from his mouth. He hadn't thought it would be that easy. He had hoped Kaveh would volunteer to bottom, but he had imagined it would come after a short war of words.

"O-oh?" Kaveh stuttered, seeing the surprise in Alhaitham's face. "Did you want it the other way round?"

"No."

"Then –" Kaveh's question was cut off with a kiss. Alhaitham was no longer afraid to force his way into Kaveh's mouth, but the vigour with which he did so now was new. He liked to think that his words had had a positive effect and were worth all the initial embarrassment.

Kaveh soon found himself flipped over, being positioned by Alhaitham. At first he was content, revelling in the feeling of those strong arms bending him to the scribe's will, but then –

"Don't you want to see me?" Kaveh asked. Because he very much wanted to see Alhaitham. He wanted to witness every facial expression as he experienced penetration for the first time.

"I can see you."

"I meant my face."

Alhaitham ran his hand down Kaveh's back, gently pressing him down. "My research suggests that this position makes entry easier and will allow me to go deeper, which should bring you more pleasure."

"Maybe so, but I think whatever pleasure I lose to the position will be more than made up for by seeing you."

Nothing so far had made Alhaitham's cheeks feel like they were on fire more than that. He would really rather that Kaveh not watch him fumble his way through their first time, but the fact he wanted to and believed it would bring him pleasure… Alhaitham's fist clenched. He loved Kaveh and would give him whatever he wanted.

"Okay," Alhaitham said, hyperaware of the way his voice wavered. "But it would be easier to prepare you in this position."

Kaveh hummed his agreement, and Alhaitham grabbed the bottle of lube again. Once more he was generous with the amount he poured out, gently circling Kaveh's entrance to start. He'd been reading all kinds of literature on the subject – both academic and not – but nothing had really prepared him for the reality of sticking his fingers in someone's ass. For a moment he felt like a doctor and there was nothing sexy about this at all, only the promise that it would become so shortly.

Before Kaveh could figure out that he was hesitating, he slowly pushed a digit in, and it felt just like he had imagined it might. The thought of that tight ring of muscle constricting his cock instead of his finger was quite inviting. He pushed in until the last knuckle, then pulled back about halfway before pushing in again. Seeing that Kaveh had no trouble accepting these movements, he added a second finger, ears attuned to the low grunt as it went in. He began to curl his fingers, stroking Kaveh's walls, searching for the prostate that was said to be a key feature in a man's pleasure. Just as the medical texts said, there was a small bulb of tissue to be felt as he curved his fingers towards Kaveh's front. With utmost care, he gently rubbed the pads of his fingers across the area.

"Fuck," Kaveh whispered as he clutched one of Alhaitham's pillows. "What the fuck?"

"Is this okay?"

"Okay?" Kaveh's gave a half-hearted laugh. "How have you managed to find my g-spot so fast? I thought you said you'd never done this."

"I haven't, but I'm good at distinguishing small irregularities." Probably not his best way of phrasing it, but if it got a rise out of Kaveh, then good. Another chance to hear his voice like this.

"It's so good, but… I still want to see you, Haitham."

Alhaitham pressed the spot with slightly more pressure. "Are you sure?"

Kaveh pressed his face into the pillow to muffle his moan. "Yes."

Fingers withdrew, and then those strong arms once again flipped him, taking hold of his legs and pushing them until his hips were at a better angle.

"Give me that." Alhaitham took the pillow and shoved it under Kaveh to elevate his hips.

"What happened to keeping the soft furnishings clean?"

"It can become the designated pillow for fucking you."

"You -!" That implied that Alhaitham already wanted to repeat this. What the fuck what the fuck.

Alhaitham wasn't paying attention to Kaveh's words, too busy being distracted by the wetness leaking from his cock. So, massaging the prostate really did have excellent effects. He wanted to try it again, until Kaveh came from that alone. There was no doubt Kaveh would be amenable to the idea.

More lube. His cock was quite a bit thicker than two fingers. Maybe he should have used three. Kaveh wasn't complaining, in fact, he looked quite eager for him to put something back inside.

Just as he was lining up, he pulled away.

"Haitham?" Kaveh asked, confused.

"I forgot something." He reached over to grab a condom.

"I don't mind," Kaveh said. "If you use one or not, it's up to you."

He rolled the foil packet between his fingers as he thought about it. There was no reason to believe Kaveh had some sort of STI, so if Kaveh didn't mind a bit of mess inside, then there wasn't any other reason to use one that he could think of.

"What would you prefer?" he asked, to make sure Kaveh wasn't just saying what he thought Alhaitham might want to hear.

Kaveh seemed embarrassed again, and Alhaitham knew that meant.

"You want me to come inside you, Kaveh?"

"S-shut up." He paused, shooting Alhaitham a look. "Obviously."

Alhaitham grinned. "You're cute like this."

Kaveh desperately wanted to say 'you too' but it wasn't true. Alhaitham was annoyingly cool about everything, annoyingly good at this for someone who had only read books on it, but Kaveh accepted it all, because this was the man he'd fallen in love with. He knew this is what it would be like.

Before Kaveh could come up with any sort of reply, Alhaitham was lining up again, slowly rubbing the head of his cock against Kaveh's taint, which felt fantastic. If Alhaitham would massage him there while hitting his prostate, he might just reach enlightenment.

The stretch that followed forced Kaveh to try and relax everything to make it go in easier, feeling himself sinking into the mattress. Alhaitham was slow, paying close attention to Kaveh's reactions as he pushed in little by little.

Kaveh felt a hand on his cheek, prompting him to open his eyes. "Hm?"

"Are you okay?" Alhaitham asked.

Kaveh nodded. "Yeah, it's just been a while since…something this big…" He'd never been interested in girthy toys, so the last time his ass had been stretched like this had been a one-night-stand not long after moving in with Alhaitham, almost a year ago now. Depressed as he might feel about that, it was worth the wait to now be laying there with Alhaitham between his legs instead of a random guy he'd probably never see again.

Things were slow, and Alhaitham took as much time as he thought Kaveh needed to comfortably take his whole length, mistaking the glittering eyes of his lover for pain. In fact, Kaveh was simply being a little over emotional in the moment. He had, after all, waited quite a long time for this, and it was better than anything his brain had come up with. Alhaitham was gentle, considerate, and wholly focused on Kaveh rather than himself – something Kaveh had only imagined in his wildest daydreams when he needed to feel loved. Those sorts of fantasies always left him worse off when he returned to the harsh reality that he and his housemate would never share a soft moment like that. Except he'd been wrong. Alhaitham was like his wildest fantasies, and maybe he should dare to dream some more.

"I love you," Kaveh said. He wanted to say it over and over.

"I love you, too," Alhaitham replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Kaveh knew it was true, but a little demon in his mind whispered that Alhaitham only said it because he was currently buried in Kaveh's ass. He didn't have to suffer these thoughts for long because Alhaitham was pulling back, his cock sliding over his prostate, mind focused on pleasure again.

"You can go faster." His body adapted quickly, and he knew he wanted Alhaitham to slam into him at a pace that he wanted.

"Are you sure?"

Kaveh nodded, heart melting again at the concern Alhaitham displayed.

Alhaitham slowly built up to a speed he found enjoyable. It was a different feeling to having Kaveh's mouth around him – still warm and slick, but less uncertain. He could feel Kaveh's ass clench around him, sometimes relaxing a little before tightening around him again – it was an extremely pleasant sensation, but lacked the unpredictable motions of a tongue or lips. Which was to his benefit; he'd like to outlast Kaveh this time if possible.

The thought of staring into someone's eyes while fucking them had always made Alhaitham uncomfortable. Kaveh's saucier books sometimes mentioned it, but he had always imagined it would be supremely awkward. Yet he had to give this one to the romance writers – it was everything they said it would be. When he looked into Kaveh's eyes, he was completely focused on the blond and his feelings; there was no room to think about himself and the fact that Kaveh was watching him come undone in the same way. He watched Kaveh intensely, seeing his pupils blown wide with desire, eyelids fluttering every time a wave of pleasure rippled through him. In his peripheral vision he could see parted lips letting moans escape, and further down a chest pushing up from the bed.

Alhaitham allowed his gaze to flicker for a moment, fingers finding a nipple to toy with, a deeper moan his prize. Then he trailed that hand further down Kaveh's body, remembering that Kaveh's cock had been left alone for far too long, not that Kaveh seemed to mind – he seemed quite happy to take things slow, or possibly, like Alhaitham, he was too caught up in the moment.

When his hand wrapped around Kaveh's cock, the gaze Kaveh had been fighting to maintain was truly broken. He hips jolted up as he flung his head back, eyes closed as he bathed in the pleasure that touch provided. There was no disappointment to be had; Alhaitham wanted to see Kaveh like this. No wonder Kaveh had requested this position. His hand worked Kaveh's shaft, trying to time it with his thrusts, focused on every tiny change in his expression.

"Haitham…"

Alhaitham bit his lip as he felt his climax fast approaching. He was drawing such lewd sounds out of Kaveh that assaulted his ears in the best way possible.

"Kaveh, I'm so close."

"Me too."

In his reading, he'd heard that simultaneous orgasms were not always easy to come by, but were highly rewarding. If he could hold on just a little longer, maybe he'd hit the jackpot. Gods, it was so hard though. His dick felt ready to explode, and he'd even slowed down to try and mitigate it.

Kaveh let out a particularly pleasing moan and Alhaitham's breath stuttered in response.

"Fuck…" he whispered as he felt the tension in his gut release, hips moving of their own accord as the sought the friction needed to satisfy him completely.

He found himself bent over Kaveh, forehead resting on the blond's chest as he caught his breath, completely taken aback by the intensity of his orgasm. Never in his life had the word 'spent' been more appropriate to how he felt.

When he found the strength to move again, his hand reached for Kaveh's cock once more, ready to finish him off, but when he got there he realised he was too late. He'd been too caught up in his own climax to notice Kaveh's, which was an incredible shame, but it made him realise how much Kaveh enjoyed it.

For Kaveh, the moment Alhaitham had sworn had been the moment he couldn't hold on any longer. The scribe was known to be verbose, with an extensive vocabulary spanning tens of languages; he was not known to resort to profanity very often. In fact, Kaveh could probably count on one hand the number of times he'd heard Alhaitham say 'fuck,' so to hear it in the bedroom was a special event.

Alhaitham gazed down at the mess on Kaveh's stomach as he slowly pulled out.

Oh, right, the mess, he realised as he felt his own cum spilling out of Kaveh along with his cock. He reached over to the drawer of his bedside table to fish out a cloth, quickly sliding it under Kaveh, and then going back for a second cloth to deal with the rest of the mess.

Kaveh laughed softly as he watched Alhaitham carefully mopping up the cum painting his body. Alhaitham's hand paused, looking at Kaveh with a cocked brow. "What?" Had he missed something? Was it not common courtesy to wipe down your partner like this?

"I don't know what I expected, but of course you would be like this immediately after."

"Like what?"

"Hasty."

Alhaitham's hand paused. There were still a few stray droplets on Kaveh's stomach. Did he not want them cleaned off? Seeing Alhaitham stuck like a piece of technology that was loading was even more amusing. Kaveh placed his hand over Alhaitham's and guided him to finish what he'd started.

"It's fine," Kaveh said. "But sometimes it's nice to just relax and bask in the moment."

"But we can do that more comfortably if we've removed the majority of the mess."

"Look away for a moment, then."

Alhaitham didn't know why, but he knew that right now he'd do anything Kaveh asked. He turned away, spending the moment wiping his cock clean, ears focused on every rustle of fabric behind him.

A balled-up cloth flew past him and then he felt Kaveh at his back, arms encircling him. They laid down together, wordlessly shuffling about until they found the position they wanted – Alhaitham spooning Kaveh for maximum skin-to-skin contact, legs entwined, Kaveh's hands over Alhaitham's that were resting against his chest.

"Did you enjoy that, Haitham?"

"Yes. I want to do it again."

"R-Really?" Kaveh asked, surprised obvious in his voice.

Alhaitham's hum was loud in Kaveh's ears. "Did I give off the impression I didn't enjoy it?"

"No, no. I just thought that… Well, you might decide that sex isn't worth all the effort."

"The effort I expend on activities is relative to how much I want to do them and the enjoyment I receive. Sex with you has proven to be a worthwhile investment of my time. As for effort, I'd be willing to put in some more if you thought it was lacking."

"Not at all!" Kaveh managed to reply, although his head was spinning with Alhaitham's words. He was wanted, he was worth Alhaitham's time, he was loved – Kaveh was on cloud nine. "If you are willing to do more… I'd quite like you to, um, milk me, if you understand…"

Alhaitham's hands on Kaveh's chest prodded at his nipples.

"No, not like that!" Kaveh laughed. "To milk someone's prostate – something you seem to have researched and are quite adept at. Except, I want you to milk me completely, until I come."

The memory of how Kaveh had reacted when he'd run his fingers against that sensitive spot resurfaced. "Mm, I'd like to do that to you." And maybe it would convince him to let Kaveh do it to him too. "I also have a request."

"You do?" Kaveh reined in the crazy thoughts that tried to run rampant through his mind.

"I'd like you to record something for me, so I can listen to your voice when we're apart. You're off on another project soon, aren't you?"

"Oh, yeah…" He wanted to cry – that was so cute! Alhaitham was going to miss him so much he wanted a recording? Was he always going to be this sappy after sex? "I'll do that for you, Haitham."

Kaveh turned in Alhaitham's arms so they could kiss. He'd quite like it if this moment could last forever, please.