[ the feeling of kaveh's deft fingers through his hair is decidedly pleasant, but the words alhaitham is hearing are much less so. frowning, his expression is one of disbelief. ]

You're not seriously suggesting you're responsible for that man's conduct?

[ it irritates him to think of it, but whether or not he'd had a dalliance with someone didn't give them the right to treat the blonde with such disrespect, talk down to him like he was less than nothing - mm. the recollection of the night's earlier altercation makes the scribe bristle again, the epithets echoing in his head with such a resonance that it almost makes him want to track the matra down and knock the scholar down a second time. ]

I'm not going to comment on your choice of casual partners, [ no point, because he'd voiced his opinion already when the man had been in the house the first time, ] - but I don't follow the mental gymnastics it'd take to blame yourself for what happened tonight. Someone with the world's most fragile ego couldn't take no for an answer, and retaliated in the only way someone with such a challenged intellect would know how.

[ maybe his explanation is more logic than emotion, but the taller man simply doesn't understand how kaveh doesn't see what he does - a common issue between them, illuminated much more in this moment. ]

And - you didn't cause me problems. [ the back-and-forth in him wants to add the glib 'tonight', but he catches himself before he says it. probably not the right time. ] I did what I did because I wanted to, and I'd do it again. Whatever minor 'trouble' that comes of that was well worth it, and judging by the mood the General Mahamatra was in after a brief explanation?

[ a brief pause as he raises a hand between them to cup the blonde's cheek, his expression serious in the absolute as his eyes dip to where his thumb brushes against kaveh's cheekbone. ]

Let's just say I don't envy the matra's guest.