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The Contract

Summary:

NON-EXCLUSIVE INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENT

Whereas, the Parties have agreed to engage in a casual sexual relationship, which is to be governed by the terms and conditions set forth herein:

• Interactions are to only occur in the Parties' shared house.
• Both Parties shall be sober before commencement of a sexual act.
• Neither Party shall fall asleep in the other's bed.
• No kissing until the act has fully begun.
• No missionary sex.
• No foreplay or intimate discussions.
• Parties shall clean up separately after the act.
• The acts shall remain as vanilla as possible, and either Party may discontinue the act if it deviates too much from condition.
• Both Parties shall strive to not say anything either would regret in the future.

Birthday Exception:
In recognition of the significance of each Party's birthday, it is hereby agreed that on the birthday of either Party, the celebrating Party shall be entitled to request deviations from the terms and conditions of this Agreement, provided that such deviations are mutually agreed upon by both Parties.

Or, Alhaitham is about to get the best birthday present of his life

Read author's note for more.

Notes:

Hi, I wanted to write a quick, silly idea for Alhaitham's birthday (it's still his birthday in my timezone hehe).

To clarify (because I'm bad at writing short summaries), Alhaitham and Kaveh become "friends with benefits" basically, but since they are nerds and refuse to talk about their feelings, they decide to write up a contract with the terms laid out for this type of relationship.

There will be two parts so stay tuned!

Chapter 1: The Birthday Exception

Chapter Text

“Books!” Paimon shrieked, her tiny wings fluttering as she recoiled from the towering pile on the table before her. “The stack is almost as tall as Paimon!”

“Indeed,” Alhaitham nodded, sliding one more from his satchel on top. “If you are diligent, these should last you about a year. Haven’t you gotten through the ones I provided you last year?”

“Uh, well…” Paimon scratched the back of her head, unable to meet Alhaitham’s serious, teal-orange gaze. She instead turned toward the traveler, who chuckled and scooted the pile aside, clearing the view of his two friends.

“We’ve been busy, of course, but Paimon does try to read when we have down time.”

“Yeah, what Aether said! I can’t read all day like you, Alhaitham!”

Alhaitham shot Paimon an amused glance over the rim of his steaming cup of coffee before taking a long sip. “You think I simply read all day? Hmph, perhaps I would if my roommate didn’t demand my attention all the time.”

“Demand your attention all the time? What are you on about?”

A familiar voice interrupted the serene quiet of the café, as a rather irritated-looking blond appeared out of nowhere, marching straight in front of where Alhaitham lounged, casually crossing his legs.

“About time you showed up. Sit. A cup of coffee will be out for you shortly,” Alhaitham deadpanned, poking Kaveh’s shin with the toe of his boot. Kaveh nudged him back before plopping down in the empty spot, turning his attention to the two others at the table.

“Hi, Kaveh! Look at all these books Alhaitham is giving Paimon for his birthday!” Paimon greeted in her signature shrill tone, floating over to the unmissable stack, her arms spanning wide to emphasize its girth.

“Alhaitham," Kaveh said, drawing out the syllables in the name as if to scold him like a child. "Is this your way of cleaning up the mess in your library? Just offloading the books onto someone else is your grand plan? They travel constantly—where are they even going to put them?” Kaveh huffed dramatically, dragging a finger along the spines as he read the titles, stopping at a particular one. “Ah, this is a good one, though. I think you’ll enjoy it, Paimon.”

“Hm, yes,” Alhaitham murmured, leaning over the table to clarify the one Kaveh referred to. “I had the Akademiya make a copy of that one, so it’s a version with all your annotations.”

“What!” Kaveh squawked. “I-I mean, I don’t mind, but I didn’t know you’d preserve my annotations like that. They are nothing special. Most of them are my ramblings.”

Alhaitham shrugged, his lips curving upward in response to Kaveh’s disbelief. If only Kaveh knew how much Alhaitham adored his unique mind and how eloquently he could bring those thoughts to paper, his stream of consciousness scribbled in the margins of the now treasured tomes. “I have copies of most of your annotated books. Or should I say, the House of Daena does—we have the originals in our personal library.”

Alhaitham offered a rare smile as he was quick to subtly remind Kaveh that it wasn't Alhaitham's library, but one that belonged to both.

“Oh,” Kaveh said, taking his finger off the spine and hooking it around the handle of the coffee mug the waiter placed in front of him. “You don’t need to waste your time making copies.”

“I’m not wasting my time, actually.”

Silence followed Alhaitham’s matter-of-fact statement until Aether coughed into his hand. “Don’t worry about space—I have a library in my teapot. I’ve been trying to fill it up, so these will be good additions.”

“That’s right!” Paimon said with a burst of energy, ever agreeing with the traveler. “Anyway, how did you know to order some coffee for Kaveh, Alhaitham? Were you expecting him? Are we interrupting?”

“No,” Kaveh answered quickly. “But-”

A golden key collided with Kaveh’s pinky after Alhaitham had pushed it across the table. A Kshahrewar lion key chain clinked against the mug, and Kaveh was quick to shove the thing into his pocket.

“Someone left the house without his key, as usual,” Alhaitham explained, his lips contorted into a teasing smirk. “I knew he’d come seek me out at his lunch break.”

Kaveh groaned, turning his back fully toward Alhaitham. “If it weren’t your birthday, you’d be on your own for dinner tonight. At least our two other friends seem to like you enough to celebrate.” With a perky grin, he redirected his gaze to Aether. “Of course, you two are invited as well. We reserved a section of Lambad's tavern for few hours this evening. It’ll be us, Cyno, and Tighnari, but others will likely show up at some point too. All to celebrate this insufferable man’s birthday.”

Both Aether and Paimon raised their eyebrows, exchanging a bewildered look. “Paimon thought Alhaitham hated get-togethers like that?”

Paimon wasn't entirely incorrect. Two years ago, Alhaitham's birthday would be ruined if he was forced to attend a party he neither asked for nor wanted. A birthday well-spent involved a respite from work obligations for the day, allowing him to immerse himself in a book while stretched out on the divan beneath a sunlit window. A day such as today, with its clear skies and balmy temperature, would have perfectly complemented this peaceful scene.

But now, following the bonds he had forged as a result of overthrowing the sages, and, most of all, the rekindled friendship with the very man sitting next to him, Alhaitham found himself willing to sacrifice a few hours for revelry and celebration in the tavern. Apart from Kaveh, meaningful connections for Alhaitham were far and few in between, but his friendship with Cyno and Tighnari had blossomed into something he never thought possible.

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want all the attention that comes with it being my birthday, but celebrating special occasions has become a welcome tradition between Kaveh, Cyno, Tighnari, and me,” Alhaitham explained. “As Kaveh said, however, you are welcome to join. I’m sure Nahida and Nilou would enjoy a reunion with you both.”

“Paimon would love to!” she interjected with hands thrown in the air before she suddenly balled them into fists, clutching them to her chest in anticipation. “Will there be cake? Please tell Paimon there will be cake.”

Kaveh smiled with a nod. “There will, but Alhaitham needs to tell me what kind he wants me to order.” With narrowed eyes, he looked toward his junior. “You've never informed me in the thousands of times I’ve asked.”

“Ah, right. Actually, it’s a bit of a complex order, so I hope Lambad will be able to accommodate it in time. Here, I wrote it down.”

He retrieved a swatch of paper from his pocket and slid it over to Kaveh who accepted it with a furrow in his brow. “Really?” he muttered with an eye roll before unfolding it. Upon reading it silently to himself, the furrow smoothed away, replaced by eyebrows raised high. “Really?” he repeated under his breath.

“Ooh, what kind? What kind? Tell Paimon!”

Alhaitham noted the way Kaveh’s cheeks flushed in a dust of red before he covered one with a hand, scarlet eyes piercing Alhaitham with a sharp gaze.

While observing the agitated visage of Kaveh, Alhaitham couldn't help but stifle a laugh internally. Nevertheless, he maintained an indifferent poker face as he addressed an eager Paimon. “Well, I wouldn’t want to get your hopes up, considering I relayed my order quite late. Perhaps it’ll be a surprise. If not, Kaveh knows to get a white cake with vanilla bean frosting.”

“What! That’s boring!” Paimon chided, stomping her foot in the air. “But if that’s what you want, Paimon will eat it, of course.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Kaveh mumbled as his eyes darted back and forth across the scrap of paper, stuffing it in his pocket and emitting a bitter scoff as he did so.

For the remainder of Kaveh's lunch hour, the four engaged in a pleasant discussion, despite Kaveh's insistence that Alhaitham treat everyone to lunch. Paimon and Aether had politely declined the offer, referencing the fact that Alhaitham shouldn’t be buying them lunch on his own birthday. As such, Alhaitham ended up ordering for himself and Kaveh. Kaveh had no issue with Alhaitham buying him lunch on his birthday, writing it off as “payment for not simply bringing the key to his job site that happened to be conveniently next to the Akademiya,” and claiming that it “wouldn’t have even required much extra effort on his part.”

Before bidding their goodbyes, Aether and Paimon promised to visit them at the tavern in the evening, indicating they had some commissions to finish up first.

“Your little ‘cake order’ is ridiculous, you know,” Kaveh snapped in a hushed volume as he stood, collecting his belongings.

“It’s my birthday,” Alhaitham stated as if an angel’s halo adorned his head. “Don’t tell me you forgot about our contract now, did you?”

Kaveh reread the instructions on Alhaitham’s note again, and Alhaitham’s smirk widened as his senior only grew more flustered.

“You know what would be more delicious than cake? You. You, dressed in lingerie of my choice. I’ve laid out three sets on your bed. Before you arrive at the tavern tonight, go home and put on your favorite one (you have your key now, so no excuses). Then, no one at the tavern but I will know what filthy outfit you have on underneath. And then, when we get home, you’ll let me undress you. Unwrap you like a birthday present—trust me, I’d wager it’ll be the best one I receive.

Don’t leave me disappointed on my birthday, Kaveh. Remember our contract.

“I didn’t forget,” Kaveh insisted, attempting to shake off his flustered appearance and regain the upper hand. “I just don’t know if this is truly in line with the terms and conditions of our contract. With the birthday clause, I was thinking that it would only occur during the act of sex itself.”

“Not how I interpreted it. But either way, it’s your choice whether or not to accept my request.” Alhaitham opened his book, his eyes finding the last line he had read, leaving Kaveh standing stiff beside the café chair.

“I’m looking forward to whatever you decide. Better get to it, though, huh? You still have work to do, I’m sure.”

Kaveh grumbled something incoherent, and Alhaitham was pleased to see that he had darted away in the direction of their house instead of the Akademiya.

This contract had come about unexpectedly a few months ago as a result of one of their more heated arguments. Alhaitham thought it wouldn’t last, that Kaveh would regret the signing the thing after a month or so, but the agreement stood firm today.

It all started when, one night, Kaveh stumbled through the door at two in the morning, long after Alhaitham had gone to sleep. The problem was, Alhaitham had drifted off on the divan and was jolted awake when Kaveh carelessly tossed his key into the dish in the foyer, letting the door slam shut behind him….

Three Months Ago

“Kaveh, did you forget this is my house? That I live here too? You need to be more considerate when you come back at an ungodly hour. Why are you just returning now, anyway? Why did-”

Kaveh dug his fingers harshly into his scalp, pinching his eyes shut as he scurried past his crossed-arm roommate leaning against the living room wall, interrupting the barrage of questions.

“Shut up, shut up, my god. I can’t take your millions of questions right now. I’m going to my room,” Kaveh said in a stern hiss.

Alhaitham grabbed his wrist before he could get away. “Where were you?”

Kaveh’s face was flushed and stained with spent tears, but a hard, tight line fell on his lips. He made no effort to free his wrist out of Alhaitham’s grip Instead, he turned away, dragging his roommate not to his bedroom, but to the kitchen, knowing that Alhaitham would follow.

“Don’t think that’s any of your business.”

He swung open the fridge, retrieving the jug of water that he, himself insisted on having in lieu of simply pouring a cup of room temperature water from the sink. He had instructed Alhaitham to use it as intended, not drink from it directly, a fact Alhaitham found amusing now that Kaveh brought the spout to his lips, chugging away and still completely ignoring Alhaitham’s hold. Alhaitham should’ve let go at that point, but Kaveh’s snide remark only made him clutch on tighter.

“If you’re going to wake me up, then, yes, it’s my business. I’d have to reconsider how much I want to put up with an inconsiderate roommate-”

“Then kick me out!” Kaveh said in a jarring, raised voice, gasping in a breath of air before inhaling more water.

Alhaitham slowly closed his eyes and shook his head. It was like dealing with a five-year-old when Kaveh would come back drunk like this.

“Or maybe, go to sleep in your bedroom like a normal person? Doubt you would have been bothered in there.”

“I should be able to sleep where I want in my own damn house.”

“Kick me out then, you asshole!” Kaveh slammed the jug on the countertop before shoving his free hand against Alhaitham’s bare chest, but Alhaitham merely grabbed that wrist too. Having the stronger set of arm muscles, Alhaitham crisscrossed Kaveh’s arms against his chest and pushed him backwards until his backside was flush with the kitchen cabinets.

“I have no plans to kick you out, Kaveh. You are being absolutely ridiculous right now. Calm down and tell me what’s wrong.”

“Let go of me,” Kaveh said through grit teeth, and surprisingly, Alhaitham did. Even more surprising, Kaveh stood tall, white knuckles digging into his hips as he brought his face close to Alhaitham’s, mirroring the angry grimace spread across the younger one’s lips.

“You told me you were going to work on your latest commission in Kshahrewar’s workshop-”

“I was!” Kaveh snapped.

“Yet you reek of alcohol. How professional of you.”

Kaveh extended a finger and pointed it in Alhaitham’s face. “Fuck you.” The words came out in one of the vilest tones Alhaitham had heard, and he had to convince himself to hold back the equally as venomous words he wanted to spit back at the blond.

“I’d never drink while working on my blueprints, and you know it. Or do you really think so little of me?”

“No, I don’t, actually. You’re not foolish enough to overlook the fact that you need all your brain cells to function like a normal human, let alone complete a task as grueling as your blueprint designs.”

Kaveh’s face became a darker shade of red—red with anger, of course.

“I think you thought that wasn’t an insult, but it was actually very condescending. So again, fuck you and your obnoxious, blunt personality.”

He spun out of Alhaitham’s reach, stomping down the hallway to the bathroom this time. Before he could slam the door shut, Alhaitham slipped through the door frame.

“Oh, sorry, I keep forgetting this is your house and apparently I’m not even afforded privacy in the single bathroom.”

“Stop being so argumentative. Tell me what happened.”

“Why?!”

Kaveh turned his back to Alhaitham, facing the mirror instead, his hands framing his cheeks as he frowned at his reflection.

“God, I look so horrible,” he muttered, seemingly forgetting he had just questioned the other man staring at him through the mirror. His eyes became glassy, but the tears remain unspent, clinging to his water line.

“You’ve looked worse.”

Kaveh slammed his palms down on the sink counter, gripping the edge tightly. It seemed plausible that steam could actually come blazing from his ears at any moment.

“So sick of your back-handed compliments—if I can even call them that! Why are you still here? What will you gain from knowing how awful my night was? Just want to use it as blackmail to make fun of me later, I bet. Or perhaps you need to hear another instance of me fucking up so you can remind yourself to take pity on me. That’s why I’m here, right? Because you pity me. Because you became successful while your senior dropped down to rock bottom. You have to rub it in, don’t you?”

The tears Kaveh had been obviously attempting to hold back fell free as he sniffed in harshly, rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.

“Painting me as a bad guy yet again. When have I ever said I pity you?”

“You don’t have to say it outright—you imply it. I can tell.”

“Kaveh.” Alhaitham approached him and spoke in a lower voice, one so quiet and gentle that if there had been people around, it would have only made it to Kaveh’s ears. “Please breathe. You aren’t thinking straight.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Kaveh whispered, but his chest puffed up slowly before deflating, and he repeated that process a few times. Alhaitham didn’t touch, but stood in front of him, matching the pacing of Kaveh’s breaths in case he worked himself up again and he needed a visual reminder to maintain the rhythm.

“I’m not leaving until you tell me.”

Kaveh pushed his fingers through his bangs, his palm prodding into his forehead as he shook his head.

“I know. Stubborn and insufferable are what you’re best at.” He stopped to take another slow, deep breath. His gaze avoided Alhaitham, electing to only stare at the ‘hideous’ bathroom tiles he hated so much and vowed to replace. “Fine. I don’t think I informed you, but this was a joint commission with a colleague. It’s a big job, and the client requested two architects to work on it so that it’d still get done in a timely manner. Whatever that means.”

Kaveh lowered the lid of the toilet seat and sat on top of it, beginning to pull out the red pins from his hair. Alhaitham covered Kaveh’s hands with his own, lowering them to Kaveh’s lap before he fiddled with the pins himself. He held the locks near Kaveh’s roots, easing them out one by one with as little snagging as possible.

“One of my old classmates that'd remained in the area was interested. We’ve been working on a draft for about two weeks now and finally finished it this evening. He wanted to grab a couple beers to celebrate.”

Alhaitham’s shoulders tensed, but his expression remained indifferent. After Kaveh’s hair was loose and free, Alhaitham looped his fingers through to untangle any micro-knots that’d formed, fluffing the shining golden strands until they fell softly at Kaveh's shoulders. He then sat on the edge of the tub with crossed arms, nodding for Kaveh to continue.

“Naturally, I was all for it. But at Lambad’s, a couple beers turned into a few each…”

“I knew I should have come to get you,” Alhaitham muttered under his breath, and he knew better than to say it out loud, but he just couldn’t help himself. He was able to suppress most of his emotions, but never the selfish jealousy that Kaveh managed to pull from the deepest chamber in his heart. “So, you went on a little date and got drunk. That doesn’t explain why you came home in such a piss-poor mood.”

“You—! For fuck’s sake, Haitham, you demanded I tell you, yet you won’t let me finish. Already forming stupid conclusions in your thick skull, too." He scoffed, shaking his head in annoyance. "No, it wasn’t a date.”

The tension in Alhaitham’s shoulders faded away, and his silence was a cue for Kaveh to get on with it. And if he felt bad for his presumptuous attitude, he didn’t show it on his face.

“At least, I had no reason to believe it was a date; we had both maintained a professional demeanor throughout our work. Yet, after beer number three, he offered to buy an expensive bottle of wine to split. You know how much I love wine.”

Yes, Alhaitham knew. He knew Kaveh’s favorite red blend and the type of sparkling white Kaveh would hunt down in the marketplace when an excuse for a celebration arose. He knew that his kitchen lacked a wine rack until Kaveh built one into the wall one afternoon without even attempting to seek Alhaitham’s permission to do so beforehand. But it just so happened that Alhaitham hadn’t minded, not that he had shared that information with Kaveh at the time.

Alhaitham knew Kaveh like the back of his hand, which meant he knew that wine was a terrible idea for Kaveh after drinking not one, not two, but three beers!

“There’s loving wine, and there’s knowing your limits. You’re thirty years old, and yet you still have no sense of when it’s appropriate to indulge.”

Kaveh pursed his lips, standing suddenly and flinging the door wide open so abruptly, and with so much force, that it banged against the edge of the sink basin. With fire in place of his eyes, he extended an arm, pointing to the hallway beyond.

“I didn’t ask for a condescending lecture! Get out!” Several threads of anger were wrapped in his loud voice, seemingly using his strength to not let it crack or appear weak.

Alhaitham rose to his feet immediately, but he did not go in the direction Kaveh demanded with his finger. Instead, he stood in front of him, a hand undoing the sash tied around Kaveh’s waist before taking Kaveh’s extended hand and placing it on his own chest, inhaling and exhaling slowly.

“Breathe.”

Kaveh snatched back his hand, using it to squeeze his opposite arm as he shook his head. “You demand I calm down, yet you’re the one riling me up with your unnecessary commentary. Let me finish speaking or leave. I prefer the second option, if I’m being honest.”

“Fine,” he muttered, folding the sash neatly before placing it on Kaveh’s side of the counter. “Continue.”

“For your information, I have the day off tomorrow, so I felt it wasn’t the worst time to ‘indulge’. Sure, my head wasn’t exactly in the right place, so perhaps I may have seen this coming had I been more sober, but I didn’t. I didn’t realize this outing meant more to him than a mere celebration.”

He paused, lips trembling as he turned his head to the side. “I really don’t want to talk about this, Haitham, so all you’re getting is a quick summary, okay?” Alhaitham nodded, watching Kaveh’s throat bob as he swallowed. “Next thing I knew, his hands were all over me, and I didn’t like it. So, I pushed him away and made a beeline for the exit without offering an explanation. I panicked and couldn’t think of the words to say. All I knew was I wanted to go home.”

Anger burned through Alhaitham’s veins, his mind scolding him over and over for not making the trip to the tavern. Though it was a foolish thought because, for all he knew, Kaveh had been in a workshop at the Akademiya, not with some sleeze at the tavern.

“Well, you’re home now,” was all he offered when Kaveh remained silent.

Kaveh sighed, a tear escaping down his cheek as he padded despondently to the tub, slumping down on the edge. Alhaitham followed, slotting himself next to his senior.

“We left the blueprints and models at the workshop, but you know I like to keep them with me until I present them to the client. So even though my mind was spinning and imploring me to come here, I rushed back to the Akademiya. He was already there when I arrived, and he’d destroyed all our work, claiming my rejection drove him to do so. If only I had found the words to let him down gently, instead of abandoning him completely…or, if only I had appeased him until the morning when he was sober again…”

Tear after tear streamed down Kaveh’s flushed cheeks, and he sobbed quietly into his hands. For Alhaitham, listening to Kaveh cry had always been akin to tearing his heart in two, so he gently rubbed circles on Kaveh's trembling back.

“No, Kaveh, don’t even let your mind go there—it’s ridiculous. In no universe does rejecting unwanted advances warrant someone to destroy a joint project. That’s insanity on the other man’s part. Irrational, impulsive behavior for not getting what he wanted. Don’t you see that?”

“Obviously I don’t,” Kaveh snapped, sitting up suddenly, but Alhaitham maintained a tender touch on his back.

“Well, I’m spelling it out for you: you didn’t fuck up. None of this was your fault. Besides, since you finished it once, can’t you recreate it?”

Alhaitham’s hand moved from Kaveh’s back to his damp cheek, and he used his fingers to tilt Kaveh’s head in his direction. Kaveh didn’t attempt to disconnect himself from Alhaitham’s touch, but he did shake his head.

“Maybe, but I won’t remember all the details, especially the ones he’d thought of. Even if I were to throw back together the main basis of the design, it would be lackluster compared to what we had finished. I didn’t have time to fully study all the aspects of it to come up with a presentation—that was my next task before the deadline. I don’t think I can do it all before then. I don’t want my name on some half-assed product.”

Alhaitham understood but couldn’t find the words to empathize with Kaveh’s troubles. That had always been a disconnect between the two of them; Alhaitham unable to soothe and help Kaveh in the way he likely wanted to be.

That had contributed to the reason for their fallout, Kaveh concluding that Alhaitham had no interest in caring about the feelings of his so-called best friend. That even though Alhaitham was the closest person to him, Kaveh still felt alone and on his own.

But for Alhaitham, that couldn’t be further from the truth. And that was why, instead of walking away like he usually would, unable to offer the correct words of support, he tried something else. In his logic, everything could be fixed with words, so when that failed, nothing could be done.

But, something could be done for Kaveh, he thought. Kaveh derailed much of the logic Alhaitham had known, and so, another course of action existed. He just had to figure it out through trial and error.

“H-haitham?” Kaveh whispered as he was wrapped in Alhaitham’s arms and guided toward his chest. Alhaitham, wordless, held him close like that, a thumb pressed in a soothing motion on Kaveh’s shoulder. He didn’t want to lie to Kaveh and say something like, ‘everything will be alright,’ because Alhaitham didn’t know that for a fact. But he reeled Kaveh closer in the embrace, as if to convey that, in that moment at least, everything was alright. That Kaveh was safe. That Kaveh was home.

It had been the right thing to do, yet also the wrong thing because when Kaveh looked up, cheek smushed against Alhaitham’s chest, eyes bleary with tears, and snot dripping out of his nose, Alhaitham still thought he had been graced with the most beautiful person in his arms.

It was perhaps what Kaveh wanted, emphasized by the fact that he moved upward in earnest when Alhaitham dipped his head down to connect with Kaveh’s lips.

It was very likely what Kaveh wanted, as he climbed onto his lap and allowed himself to be carried into his junior’s bedroom. Lips locked and dizzy, drowning out the anxious thoughts in his mind with Alhaitham’s dominating kiss, claiming his mouth and tongue for his own.

It was what Kaveh needed because he purred Alhaitham’s name when the latter had him pinned to the mattress, fully sheathed inside, filling him up like no other. Alhaitham swallowed every moan that rolled off Kaveh’s tongue, his own sobriety fleeing his mind as Kaveh made him feel inundated and drunk on love and his familiar, strawberry scent.  

But, it wasn’t what Kaveh wanted, in the end, because the next morning he was locked up in his room, refusing to acknowledge the persistent knocking on his door.

It was debatable that it was what Kaveh actually needed because he emerged in the evening, slapping a handwritten contract on the kitchen table where Alhaitham sat.

Alhaitham raised an eyebrow as he closed his book. “What’s this?”

“Read it and find out, genius. First, tell me, what do you want for dinner? I believe it’s my turn to cook.”

“Whatever you want. I don’t care,” Alhaitham muttered, too tired from worrying about Kaveh regretting one of the best nights of Alhaitham’s life.

He examined the paper; a one-paged document consisting of a bullet-point list with spots for each of them to sign at the bottom.

Non-Exclusive Intimate Relationship Agreement

This Agreement is entered into by and between Kaveh, Master Architect, and Alhaitham, Grand Sage or whatever, hereinafter referred to individually as "Party" or collectively as "Parties".

 

Whereas, the Parties have agreed to engage in a casual sexual relationship, which is to be governed by the terms and conditions set forth herein.

Terms & Conditions:

The Parties acknowledge and agree that their relationship shall be solely limited to a casual sexual arrangement, and no romantic or exclusive relationship is intended or implied hereby. The following is an outline of rules to use a guideline to uphold the terms and conditions of this agreement:

  • Interactions are to only occur in the Parties' shared house.
  • Both Parties shall be sober before commencement of a sexual act (simply referred to as 'the act' henceforth).
  • Neither Party shall fall asleep in the other's bed.
  • No kissing until the act has fully begun.
  • No missionary sex.
  • No foreplay or intimate discussions.
  • Parties shall clean up separately after the act.
  • The acts shall remain as vanilla as possible, and either Party may discontinue the act if it deviates too much from condition.
  • Both Parties shall strive to not say anything either would regret in the future.

Birthday Exception :

In recognition of the significance of each Party's birthday, it is hereby agreed that on the birthday of either Party, the celebrating Party shall be entitled to request deviations from the terms and conditions of this Agreement, provided that such deviations are mutually agreed upon by both Parties.

The contract went on with more formal instruction and request for signatures, and as Alhaitham finished reading it, he wrinkled his forehead. The entire thing was odd, to say the least, but the birthday ‘exception’ seemed especially bizarre for Kaveh to have included.

“These ‘rules’ are quite vague, you know? They could spur more questions than give guidance on following the agreement. For example, ‘both Parties shall strive to not say anything either would regret in the future.’ How would either of us know that until the future?”

“Trust me, I’ll let you know if you break that or any of the other rules. So how does it all sound?”

Alhaitham set the paper down, ignoring the pen Kaveh dropped on top of it. “Kaveh, wouldn’t it make more sense to discuss what happened instead of whatever,” he paused to gesture out the paper, “this is? That, or we can move on and never bring it up again. Like it never happened.”

It pained Alhaitham to make the suggestion, but the knot in his stomach loosened when Kaveh shook his head.

“No, no, that won’t work. Let me be clear: I enjoyed what happened last night. I want it to happen again, but I don’t want any strings attached. For the first time in what, five years? We have maintained some sort of harmony. Sure, we fight and bicker, but we are more mature now than we were back in school. There is undeniable sexual chemistry between the two of us—I know you feel it, too.”

Well, yes, Alhaitham had certainly noted that the pot of boiling tension inside him finally simmered down when he came undone inside Kaveh, but it was more than that…

“So, if we keep it casual, we both get what we want—satisfaction, stress relief, whatever it may be for you—and I think it will help keep our arguments at bay,” Kaveh continued, reaching over Alhaitham’s shoulder to scribble down his own signature. “So, what do you say?”

‘Whatever it may be for you.’ Unfortunately, per the contract’s rule about having no intimate discussions, Alhaitham wasn’t allowed to say what he’d get out of having sex with Kaveh.

“Sure, I guess,” he said instead. “But what’s with the birthday clause? You know I don’t find mine particularly special, and you’d forget about yours if our friends didn’t remind you.”

Kaveh snagged Alhaitham’s hand, prying his fingers open to shove the pen inside. “Well, maybe we should acknowledge that we do get a special day during the year. Plus, I never know what to get you besides books, alcohol, or food, so this gives me a chance to give you something you actually want.”

Kaveh’s explanation didn’t really clarify any confusion in Alhaitham’s brain, but there was no way Alhaitham would decline this weird, yet exciting, offer. With the pen in between his fingers, he added his confident signature.

“An obnoxious signature, as always,” Kaveh muttered, rolling the paper up and setting it aside. “Fitting for the Grand Sage.”

“Acting,” Alhaitham reminded him. “And not for much longer, I hope. By the way, between the two of us, my birthday is next.”

Kaveh had his back to Alhaitham, mixing some ingredients together in a bowl. He looked over his shoulder with a brazen grin. “Better get to thinking about what you want me to do for you, then.”

Present Day

From the second he had signed that contract, Alhaitham knew exactly what he’d have Kaveh do. He had it planned out in mere minutes.

He still couldn’t determine whether or not the contract was a good idea for either one of them in the long run—they would hook up at least once a week, and each time left him longing for more and pining for his senior all night long. After the first few occasions, he had risked the whole agreement by coaxing Kaveh back into his bed when he’d left to clean himself up. The way Kaveh had been repeating his name, begging for Alhaitham to give it to him hard and fast in between filthy, hungry kisses, it rewired something in Alhaitham’s brain. The idea of sleeping alone repulsed him as he yearned to instead bask in Kaveh’s mere presence, cuddle him close in the afterglow, and Kaveh had almost let him.

But he didn’t, and Kaveh scolded him for it the next day.

He had to admit, overall, though they still created many arguments, the words thrown at each other were less fierce. Less hurtful and cutting. Alhaitham willingly listened to Kaveh’s complaints, and instead of finding them dramatic and overly-emotional, he considered why Kaveh would feel that way. Beyond that, it became second nature to reveal shards of his own emotions to Kaveh, and both these things felt good.

It was almost like they were a couple, and they all but were in Alhaitham’s eyes. All they needed was that emotional connection during their intimate moments, and to sprinkle in affection during their daily outings and routines. And though this seemed like a no-brainer for Alhaitham, he knew that Kaveh feared that layer of a relationship. Alhaitham was determined to figure out why.

But tonight, he fully intended to take advantage of the birthday clause, smiling to himself as he licked his thumb, using it to flip the page in his book. Never in his life had he been so excited to celebrate his birthday.