[ kaveh thinks, in that moment - that midnight has always thought things in terms of things like this - of permission, of allowance, of what is allowed. of what little is allowed. kaveh begins to see it, the shape of it, the shape of the box that midnight has allowed himself to exist in. the curve of its walls, the way it cloisters his body, the way you can see the outline of his limbs taxidermied in perpetual motion. the box is so small. kaveh thinks, what has kaveh given permission for midnight to create with him? and is it all that kaveh allows him?

kaveh's eyes shut, briefly. midnight hums. he hums in the way of a cat's purr. cats purr to indicate comfort; cats purr when they are in pain. kaveh kisses him again, gently, slowly, imbuing the gesture with all the affection he can muster: ]

I'm here, Midnight. I'm here. [ kaveh says, with that effervescent promise on his tongue: that in no universe would midnight reach for kaveh and come away with the absence of him. kaveh is here. ] And I've your heart in my hands, you foolish man. I am not capable of making others happy. But if you insist that this is happiness, then what can I do, hm? I can only be here.