[ kaveh looks. there terror of it sinks in. alhaitham has never needed to qualify his questions. he only ever needed to ask. it was the way of things, that kaveh always understood. now, kaveh wishes he didn't. was, or are. a mere shifting of tenses. two questions in parallel, and kaveh -

he sits there in alhaitham's lap. he sits there, and looks. ]

Only one of those, [ kaveh says, after a beat, after a drawn breath as sharp as a keen knife's edge, ] is forgivable, Alhaitham. But perhaps that doesn't matter to you.

Alhaitham, do you still think about that kiss?