Work Text:
The rays of the afternoon sun shine on Kaveh’s back as he bends down to study a plant specimen. He takes out the handbook Tighnari had given him and flips through it, searching for the photo that best resembles the plant.
“Stop fooling around,” Alhaitham says. “We have a job to do.”
“Ugh.” Kaveh groans as he slams the book shut and stands up. “What does it look like I’m doing?! Unlike a certain somebody, I’m actually double-checking to see if the plant is something Tighnari asked for!”
“He asked for mushrooms, not plants.”
“Wrong. Most of the items he requested were mushrooms, but he listed a few herbs too.”
“That’s not an herb, that’s a weed.”
“Yeah, well, I would know that if I crossed-referenced that with the handbook”—he shoots Alhaitham a glare—“How do you know that?!”
“It’s simple. Just look at the leaves. Weeds have leaves with jagged edges, like dandelions.”
Kaveh examines the leaves. He’s right. They’re jagged on the edges, with a faint yellow tint in their centers, making the plant undoubtedly a weed. With a defeated sigh, Kaveh walks away and joins Alhaitham by the riverbank.
“Alright, I concede. I was wasting my time.”
“Glad you are finally admitting it. Now, let’s focus on the task at hand.”
He jumps over the stream and holds his hand out. Kaveh takes the hand and leaps, but he accidentally slams right into Alhaitham. The two take a tumble, rolling down the hill until they come to a complete stop.
“Fuck,” Kaveh curses, spitting out the grass in his mouth before wiping off the dirt on his clothes. “You pulled too hard!”
“It’s not my fault you have terrible balance.”
“I can’t with you. This is all your fault, by the way. We wouldn’t be out here if it weren’t for your ridiculous attitude!”
“I’m the ridiculous one?” Alhaitham scoffs. “Take a look in the mirror for once. You started the fight.”
“Whatever.” Kaveh pushes himself off the ground and plucks off another patch of grass on his arm. “Can we please not fight for once? Tighnari sent us away in the hopes we’ll finally get along. I would hate to disappoint him.”
It had started out like any other fight. Kaveh had tripped over a pile of books Alhaitham had left out and took it upon himself to clean it all up. When Alhaitham found out, he was livid, explaining that he had been in the middle of researching something and Kaveh had removed all the useful books and now he had to start over. Somehow, the argument devolved into insults, and by the end of it, they were refusing to talk to each other.
That was when Tighnari had stepped in as a mediator, offering to help them clear their heads and make up. The task was simple. All they had to do was make the journey out to a cave in the forest and pick the mushrooms inside, but when it came to working together, things weren’t as clear cut as they should be. It would be easier to convince them to fight each other in a boxing match than to properly work together. Still, they were both willing to make an effort, which is why they had agreed to the task in the first place.
“I agree that we can be more amicable with each other during this,” Alhaitham concedes.
“And we should work together. None of your usual ‘moral support’ bullshit.”
“If working together makes the process more efficient, then I am willing to lend a hand.”
“Great! Glad we’re in agreement!” Kaveh holds out his hand. “Let’s start with getting you back on your feet.”
After helping Alhaitham up, the two make their way down the hill to reach the cave they’re supposed to enter. Its entrance is hidden by vines that have to be cut down, which Kaveh happily does with his claymore. Once inside, the first thing he notices is the moist air clinging to his skin, and the musky smell of fungus. The farther they venture in, the darker and tighter the passage becomes. Kaveh has to press himself against the walls using nothing but the glow emitting at the end of the passage as his guide.
When they finally reach the source of the light, Kaveh is met with the gorgeous sight of glowing mushrooms and bright flowers. Despite how deep underground they are, the place is brightly lit. He takes a moment to observe the beauty, crouching down to run his fingers across the soft petals of a flower. “Wow. It’s another world in here.”
Alhaitham’s hand firmly grasps his shoulder as he gives him a hard look. “Careful. We don’t know if they’re safe to touch or even breathe in.”
“C’mon, they’re just plants,” Kaveh laughs. “How dangerous can they possibly be?”
“Would you like to find out?”
“No…”
“Then take this.” Alhaitham hands him a scarf. “Better to be safe than sorry.”
After tying the scarves around the lower halves of their faces, they get to work, picking mushrooms off the walls and digging them up from the ground. Each mushroom they remove leaves behind a trail of bright red smoke-like spores. Before long, their bag is filled to the brim and the cavern is completely overtaken by the smoke, making it difficult to breathe.
“Okay, I think we collected enough.” Kaveh deposits the last of the mushrooms. “We should head out and get some fresh air.”
“Sure, lead the way.”
“Okay, the exit should be…” Kaveh turns to look for the exit but finds himself completely blinded by the thickness of the smoke. All he sees in his line of vision are the glowing mushrooms with no clear exit out of the cavern.
“Can’t see?”
“Yeah, the spores are completely blocking my vision. Can you use your vision to reflect the light from the mushrooms and clear some of it?”
“I can try.”
Alhaitham summons his mirrors, but it's no use. The light they reflect isn’t strong enough to pierce through the veil. Kaveh’s stomach churns.
“Stay close,” Kaveh instructs as he places his hand on the wall. “I’m going to feel around for the exit.”
He shuffles across the room, extending his arms out as far as he can as he looks for the opening they came from. Each step he takes feels heavier than the last, his mind spinning as it becomes harder to breathe. The scarf is literally suffocating him, and he can no longer bear it. In one swift motion, he rips off the scarf, taking in a sharp inhale as he breathes in fresh air. The air is coated in a sweet scent, a mix of sugar and honey and something floral. It’s an intoxicating scent, the kind Kaveh would love to wear as perfume from how nice it smells.
“You still aren’t finding the exit?” Alhaitham asks from behind.
“Give me a minute. I’m a little blind here, you know.”
“Let me take the lead. Maybe I can find it.”
Suddenly, Kaveh’s body feels hot all over, and he stops in his tracks. Alhaitham bumps into him from behind. In the midst of the commotion, Alhaitham places a hand on his back, right where the cut in his shirt stops. He can feel his fingertips graze against his bare skin.
“Kaveh, let me lead,” he demands.
His voice is so deep and husky, it makes Kaveh shiver. His face burns as he closes his eyes and thinks about Alhaitham saying it in that same whiney tone, demanding Kaveh to follow his lead. In what? Kaveh doesn’t care, as long as it means that Alhaitham is going to take him by the waist, press him against the wall and kiss him until he’s breathless.
“I got it,” Kaveh insists, his voice cracking as he takes another step forward. “The exit has to be somewhere around here.”
“We’re supposed to work together. Stop insisting you can handle it yourself and let me take over.”
“You know what?” Kaveh whips around and pokes Alhaitham’s chest. “Be my guest. Look around and find the exit yourself since you’re so—
He pauses as he realizes how close their faces are. Kaveh is well aware of the fact that Alhaitham has a handsome face, but have his eyes always looked this sparkly? Have his lips always looked this pink and plump? A lump forms in his throat as a wave of desire rushes over his body.
The temptation is all too much, and Kaveh easily gives into it, surging forward to plant his lips against Alhaitham. It feels like drinking a cold glass of water after spending the entire day in the desert, or finally getting to scratch the itch that had been bugging you all day. The satisfaction and relief that courses through his veins is overwhelming, as if everything inside of him has been begging for this moment.
And then, Alhaitham is kissing him back with as much fervor, holding onto his waist as he deepens the kiss. They happily exchange moans, hands roaming across their bodies as they explore every inch they can reach. The sweet scent grows stronger, overwhelming his senses just as much as every touch Alhaitham leaves on his body.
“Fuck, who have you kissed before to kiss like that?” Kaveh asks as he pulls away to catch his breath.
“What a ridiculous question.” Alhaitham clicks his tongue. “As if I’d ever kiss another person.”
Huh? Kaveh blinks. What does he mean by that?
Alhaitham pulls their bodies close and presses their foreheads together. “If you don’t want me, you have to say it now.”
He can feel Alhaitham’s erection against his, making his head spin as the heat in his body rises. Every part of him screams to be touched, so much so that he can’t think of anything else. His desire is so strong, it hurts, as if every second he’s not connected to Alhaitham is meant to punish him.
It’s not like Kaveh has never thought about sleeping with Alhaitham. He’s thought about it every time he steps out of the shower in nothing but a towel, whenever he catches Alhaitham staring at him from across the divan as he reads one of his stupid books half-naked, and whenever they’re in the midst of a heated argument, but he’s never been actually tempted by those desires. Now, however, it’s all he can think about, his thoughts filled with ideas he has never even considered before.
What is wrong with him? Why now of all times is he suddenly so overcome with desire? It’s as if something has possessed him, infiltrated his systems and rewritten him to be nothing more than a horny mess for the man he has secretly been wanting for years.
As Alhaitham’s thumb runs across his lips, Kaveh’s mind suddenly supplies him with the memory of him ripping his makeshift mask off in order to breathe. Wait. Kaveh’s brain short-circuits as he cups Alhaitham’s face. Where is his scarf? He could’ve sworn that he had been wearing them just a minute ago. Did he take his off too? When did that happen? They were already off by the time they kissed so that could only mean…
Oh no. Kaveh’s heart stops as he realizes what is happening. The spores, or whatever this red smoke is that they have inhaled is doing this to them. It’s like an aphrodisiac, but worse, taking over every rational sense of their bodies and minds and replacing it with… whatever this is.
As badly as Kaveh wants to say yes, he can’t bring himself to. Not when he’s not sure if this is even Alhaitham’s actual desire.
Alhaitham tilts his head, waiting for an answer. Kaveh’s hand slides down to his chest, feeling the rapid beating of his heart.
“Tell me: Do you want me?” Kaveh asks.
Instead of answering, Alhaitham’s fingers thread through his hair, taking out the hairpins. His hair falls down to his shoulders. He barely has a moment to wonder why Alhaitham would do such a thing before he’s kissing him. This time, the kiss is soft and sweet, lacking any of the desperation from before while still retaining all of the desire. It leaves Kaveh lightheaded, as if he has ascended to another plane of reality.
When Alhaitham pulls back, he smiles. “I wouldn’t want anybody else. It has to be you.”
It’s enough to erase all of the remaining hesitation inside of Kaveh. He takes Alhaitham by the collar and pulls him into a kiss, their lips crashing together as he presses against the wall. The jagged edges scrape against his skin, but he doesn’t care. All he wants is his fill of Alhaitham, and he’s not stopping until he is satisfied.
Alhaitham grabs Kaveh’s hips and hoists him up, deepening the kiss until the room fills with the sounds of their desperate moaning. Kaveh eagerly wraps his arms around Alhaitham’s neck, his erection straining against his pants.
“If you want me so bad, then you’d better do it right and fuck me,” Kaveh demands.
“Impatient as always,” Alhaitham chuckles.
“And whose fault is that?”
“Your own, I fear. I think patience has its virtues.” His lips trail down to Kaveh’s neck. “If you allow room for experimentation.”
He kisses a sensitive spot before sinking his teeth down onto his skin. Kaveh hisses, tightening his hold on Alhaitham as his back presses further against the walls of the cave. His hands fly into Alhaitham’s hair, tugging on them before a needy whine escapes his lips.
“Just admit that you like torturing me.”
“Torture?” Alhaitham’s breath fans across his skin as he laughs. “You really don’t paint a pretty picture of me, do you?”
“Please.” Kaveh grits his teeth as he tugs his hair even harder. “I can paint the greatest picture of you, if you’d just get to what we’re really after.”
He grabs Alhaitham’s cloak and pulls it off his body before diving in to kiss him. His body slides down the walls of the cave as Alhaitham's grip on him loosens. The moment his feet land on the floor, he all but pushes Alhaitham onto the ground, straddling his hips. He grinds on top of him, their clothed erections rubbing against each other as the burning desire inside of Kaveh reaches an unbearable amount. He makes quick work of Alhaitham’s pants, all but ripping them off his body as he frees his cock. It stands tall and proud, bigger than Kaveh had imagined. His mouth waters at the thought of it inside him. He bends down and kisses the tip, earning him a loud whimper from underneath. A smirk forms on his face as he darts his tongue and licks the same spot. After another whine, Kaveh hollows his cheeks and takes it into his mouth, swirling his tongue around. Hands immediately fly into his hair, tugging hard as they pull him off his cock.
“Don’t bother,” Alhaitham growls as he starts undoing Kaveh’s pants. “I think we both know that neither of us will be satisfied until we go all the way.”
“Who’s the impatient one now?” Kaveh raises an eyebrow.
Alhaitham ignores the question, pulling Kaveh’s pants down. He firmly grasps Kaveh’s ass, pulling his cheeks apart to expose his hole to the air.
“How are we going to do this?” Kaveh asks. “We don’t have lube.”
Fingers press against his mouth as Alhaitham looks at him with pleading eyes.
“Can’t you provide it for me?”
“What do you—
Alhaitham doesn’t even give him the chance to ask. He just slips his fingers inside his mouth as if Kaveh already gave him permission to. And the worst part is, Kaveh just lets him do it, sucking on his fingers without even being told to. His face heats up as Alhaitham smiles, sitting up to cup his face as he pulls his fingers out.
“Thanks for your cooperation,” Alhaitham says as he pecks Kaveh’s lips. “Now…” He flips them over, and presses his fingers against Kaveh’s hole.
The moment he feels thick fingers enter his hole, Kaveh releases a whimper. Alhaitham is methodical and precise in his thrusts, stretching him out as much as he can in the shortest time possible. He leans down to capture his lips in a ravaging kiss, the two of them consumed by their own desire.
When Alhaitham pulls his fingers out, he immediately lines his cock against his entrance, holding onto his hips as he pushes inside. Kaveh wraps his legs around Alhaitham’s waist and deepens their kissing, biting his lips every time he wants to moan. Unlike his fingers, he takes his sweet time in Kaveh, sliding himself inside at an agonizing pace. By the time he finally bottoms out, Kaveh’s head is spinning from the mixture of pain and pleasure he needs to adjust to.
The first thrust is enough to send him moaning, arching his back as his hands grasp Alhaitham’s back. The second thrust is faster and harder than the last, reaching deeper into him than before. He whimpers, desperately raking his fingers against Alhaitham’s back.
Alhaitham’s lips attach to his neck, kissing and biting wherever he pleases. Kaveh can do nothing but moan, as he feels himself get closer to the edge.
“Fuck, Alhaitham, I’m close,” he warns.
Hands cup his face as lips press against his. Something about the sweet gesture amidst all the heat between them sends him over the edge, his vision turning black as he spills all over his stomach.
His consciousness begins to fade as he rides his high. The last thing he remembers is the feeling of warmth filling his insides and the sound of Alhaitham whimpering out his name before darkness consumes him.
When he next wakes up, the first thing his senses register is the distant sound of crickets in the night. Something that’s soft and smells like padisarahs tickles his face. He opens his eyes to find himself face to face with the full moon.
Ah. So he somehow managed to escape the cave after all. Kaveh lifts his head as he takes in the rest of his surroundings. Alhaitham lies beside him, his hand on top of his as quiet snores escape his lips.
His face burns as he recalls what happened before he passed out. How embarrassing. He’s not sure if he’ll ever be able to face Alhaitham again after that. Any time between now and the next millennium would be too soon.
As if on cue, Alhaitham stirs awake, pushing himself up as he rubs his eyes and yawns.
“Are you okay?” He asks, worriedly peering at Kaveh.
“I could ask the same, you know. Do you know how we got out?”
“Yeah, I had to carry you out after you passed out,” Alhaitham answers. “The smoke cleared after we had sex—”
“Can you not phrase it like that?”
“I’m sorry, would you prefer intercourse?”
“No, that’s worse!”
“Anyway, I got us outside, but I was tired too, so I just took a nap.”
“Oh my god, you should’ve woken me up. What if somebody found us and tried to attack us?”
“You looked like you needed the rest.” Alhaitham shrugs. “Besides, we’re in a remote area. I doubt anybody would’ve found us. And I’m a light sleeper, so if anybody did find us, I would’ve woken up immediately.”
“Still.” Kaveh frowns. “That was really dangerous.”
“We’re fine, aren’t we?” Alhaitham offers him a smile. “Shouldn’t that be enough?”
“Alright, I’ll let it go. But I still have questions—”
“All of it was real,” Alhaitham answers. He reaches out and tucks a strand of his golden locks behind his ear. “Like I said in there, I don’t want anyone else.”
Kaveh snorts. “How did you know what I was going to ask you?”
“Because I know you.” He cups his face and leans into him.
“Yeah, well, what if I was going to ask something else?”
“You weren’t.”
“And the bag of mushrooms?”
“Safe and sound. We can deliver it tomorrow when we get back.”
“So… what do we do now?”
“I have an idea.” He captures Kaveh’s lips in a sweet but brief kiss. “If you’re up for it.”
Kaveh smiles. “You don’t even have to ask.”
“Here.” Kaveh tosses the bag of mushrooms, which Tighnari catches. “Don’t breathe in any of the spores it emits, not unless you want to act like an animal in heat for hours.”
Tighnari lifts an eyebrow. “What does that mean?”
Kaveh’s face reddens as he takes Alhaitham’s hand and begins to walk away. “Just take my word for it.”