Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Cam didn’t know how to feel, Arastoo had been by her side, until prayers, the Jeffersonian had a little room, and Arastoo used that, he had left Cam, she raised the pen to her lips and chewed on it, he’d return soon. She was alerted to his arrival by two hands rubbing her shoulders, she felt angry at him, why, well, she couldn’t put her finger on it, the fact, well, there was no reason, she was just mad “Arastoo, stop touching me!” He jerked back, and stopped touching her, he knelt down next to her “Are you alright aziz?” She was going to do something she’d regret “Stop calling me that, leave me- leave me alone, please!” Arastoo nods and walks away, placing one quick kiss on her head before leaving.

Cam curled up in her bed that night, crying, he had left, he was at his apartment, well, she had told him to leave, it was HER fault, she was resisting the urge to drive to his in her nightgown and ask to stay with him, her phone pinged, the people at her bank again, she needed sleep and Arastoo, she was so tired.

The next morning she drove to work, without Arastoo, he was there, in her office, holding two cups of coffee, a look on his face “we need to talk Cam.”

Chapter Text

Cam looks at him “Arastoo, I need to work, we can talk later.” Arastoo had stared at her “I want to know what was wrong yesterday Joonam.” He placed a hand on her shoulder “please.” Arastoo moves the coffee towards her, Cam turns, picks it up and smiles, one she’s practised for a while “it’s all fine, it was just bit bright yesterday.” Arastoo smiles and nods, he doesn’t believe her, but he’ll ask when she in a better mood. Cam sees the body, it was definitely not her flesh-y usual, but that was fine.

It was later, when Arastoo called, she didn’t listen much, just caught on that he didn’t think she was fine, she didn’t know how to respond, she wasn’t, but how was she to tell him that, without him asking why, and how to make it better, which he couldn’t, she just didn’t want to be alone, but how did she tell him that, she just hangs up, she can’t take it, she doesn’t want to tell him.

It’s at work she finds out he cares, she’s tired, she didn’t get sleep, and hadn’t had coffee yet, she dragged herself to her office. When she arrived her computer had a little post it stuck to the side, are you alright - A.V, she picked up her pen, I’m good, thank you, I’m sorry about yelling at you - C.S, then she saw the wrapped parcel, she opened it to a bar of chocolate, on inside of the package it said, it’s scientifically proven that chocolate makes you feel better, she smiled, just a bit, she’d eat it when she got home.

Chapter Text

Cam had curled up with the bar of chocolate and a movie, she felt ill, somebody had stolen her identity and it was still happening, Arastoo had insisted on paying when her card declined, Hodgins had given her a lawyer, and Angela was going through her finances, she didn’t deserve it, she didn’t, she felt a tear roll down her face, and picked up her phone, she’d be mad when he got to her, but Cam needed Arastoo. She hears a knock on her door, when she doesn’t answer, she hears keys twisting in the lock, hears footsteps “Cam, Cam, I’m here, you wanted me to come, right?” She nods, and he climbs into the bed, gently guiding one of Cams hands around his neck, and he wraps one around Cams waist, and she cries into his chest.

Cam wakes up to an empty bed, and a smell she can’t recognise, she walks to the kitchen “Arastoo what are you making?” He smiles at her “Haleem, it’s a meat and wheat porridge, you can have it with cinnamon and sugar, like I do, or salt” Arastoo feels some arms wrap around him, and Cams face buried into the back of his shirt. It had been thirty minutes and the haleem had been cooked “Cam can you tell me what’s happening?” Cam looked up at him “I don’t know, really, I don’t know.” He holds out an arm and she leans in, sitting next to him, or their sofa, eating a Persian porridge.

On the dive to work she released what was happening “Arastoo, about your question, everyone is trying to help, and that seems good, but it feels overwhelming, like I’m forcing people into it because I’m the boss, and I f-.“ Arastoo looked at her “Cam you’re not forcing anyone into this, the people here love you.” Cam nods, she doesn’t believe it but nodding seems appropriate.

Work felt horrible, the lights were too bright, Hodgins was yelling his discovery as he ran up the stairs, and Angela’s bright clothes were hurting her eyes. Later in the work day she had hid in her office, she put some music on her computer and hoped Arastoo would join her tonight, because she felt horrible.

Chapter Text

Cam had got Arastoo to join her in bed that night, he loved her, truly, she felt a hand in her hair “anything you want, and before you say this to be over, something that we can do now?” Cam smiled up at him “Can you just speak to me in Persian?” Cam heard Arastoo laughing, he wasn’t making fun of her though “albate man mitavānam jigar-e talāi, dooset daram.” Cam recognised some words, he told her he loved her, she makes a small contented sound, she fell asleep to his voice.

Cam woke up first, in their relationship they had an unspoken rule, whoever woke first made breakfast, she hauled herself out of bed to make breakfast. When she arrived in the kitchen she started making eggs with toast, she felt tired, and felt a kiss on the back of her head “Arastoo.” She feels his chin resting on her head “why are you so tall?” It was a rhetorical question continued with a whine, then she actually did have a question “shouldn’t you be praying at the moment, it’s urm Fajr in the morning right?” Arastoo smiles “already done when I woke up, now can I have some toast please?” Cam nods, feeling his body peel away from her, and hears a chair pull out. They sat and ate, Cam sitting next to Arastoo.

Cam locked herself into the storage room, making sure it wasn’t the Egyptology one, she felt horrible, what if everyone hated her and was only helping because she was the boss, what if nobody wanted her to be the boss here, they all reported to Brennan unofficially anyway, her head hurts, what if Arastoo was staying in the relationship because she was his boss, and he was afraid she’d fired him, which she wouldn’t, she feels the tears build up, no, not here, please, not at work, she can’t stop it, she starts crying.

She finally unlocked the door and let herself out, the tox screen would be done by now “doctor Saroyan, I found a healed spiral fracture on the femur, that indicated he was tackled, like in football.” Cam nodded, the information Brennan was giving her went through one ear and out the other right now, she walked over to her office, logging in and looking at the tox screen results, nothing, well, caffeine, but nothing illegal or enough to kill him.

Chapter Text

Cam was tired, at least she could admit it, she felt like she needed to tell Arastoo, when he arrived he first question was “are you alright?” Cam laughed a bit “yes of course I’m fine, like I always am when someone steals my identity.” Her voice is laced with sarcasm and Arastoo knows that “Drop the sarcasm, tell me how you’re feeling.” Cam looked at him “horrible, tired, and I want caffeine.” He laughs at the final one “we can do that, and when don’t you crave caffeine?” Cam stares at him “I always need coffee.” Arastoo presses a kiss to her head ”what made you tell me?” Cam didn’t entirely know “I don’t know, just a feeling.” He smiled at her “I know you don’t like this at work, but I’m going to take care of you.” He closes the window, and walks over to her, rubbing and massaging over her shoulders and arms, pressing kisses to her forehead and hair.

Cam felt good, stretching out her limbs, she had sat in that chair for a hour before she actually needed something and had to get up, she heard Arastoo’s voice, a nice voice, speaking softly in Persian, she had asked if he could, it felt easier to focus on her work over the words if she didn’t understand, and it meant Arastoo could share things that he wouldn’t in English “Miduni, bayad yek bache dashte bashim.” Arastoo’s voice was soft and the words were said differently “what does that mean?” She looks up from her work “oh, it’s nothing important, I promise you.” It didn’t feel convincing but at least he had responded, she went back to her work.

She was feeling better, it wasn’t fixed, but it was a step, albeit a tiny one, in the right direction, she shuffled on the couch, just to show Arastoo she was awake, he laughed a bit, moving her around gently enough she could get out if she needed, placing her head in his lap “sleep, please.” Cam smiled and closed her eyes, tired, and nodded, in a few minutes she was asleep and trapping Arastoo on the couch, eventually Arastoo fell asleep too.

She feels Arastoo move “Cam, I need to pray, and I don’t want to push you off.” Cam grumbled, but shuffled off, reluctantly. Arastoo made breakfast, he had made her favourite, smiled at her, and pressed a kiss to her lips, this was their morning, no one had said she needed to come into the lab yet, maybe in ten minutes or so she’d get a call, but there wasn’t a call yet. They were curled on the sofa, thinking they might have some time to just enjoy each other, but the call came through.

They were at the lab, the smell of the alcohol in the sanitizer was so strong today, overwhelming, the body smell was potent too, but she couldn’t just hide, so she looked over what used to be a young man, presumably a football player from what Brennan found, she had been past coffee by Hodgins, he had got everyone some coffee “thanks” he nodded, holding his own cup to his lips, the coffee was good, and Angela’s camera flash wasn’t annoying her, maybe today would be decent.

It was not good today, she had to fill out paperwork for Hodgins experiment and the words were blurry, but at least she knew at the end of the day she could go home, rest her eyes, and curl up with her boyfriend.

Chapter Text

Cam felt tired, she shouldn’t be tired, she had been told she and Arastoo weren’t needed at the Jeffersonian today, she and Arastoo had some time for a lay in. She saw a message coming through Arastoo’s phone, she trusted him but maybe she could check what it was, she reads who the message was sent by, on of Arastoo’s friends on the baseball team, it read, why don’t you just ask her, Cams mind was racing, who was her, and did they mean her, what was Arastoo trying to say, she’d bring it up when he got out the shower.

She glared at him when he got out the shower, he smiled “whoa, what’s that look for, period cramps, or are you just annoyed I left the bed while you were cuddling me?” Cam doesn’t laugh, she holds up his phone, Arastoo looks at the message “Cam it’s not what you think, trust me for a bit.” Cam looked at him ”Now, Arastoo.” He nods, it might spoil a surprise, but fine “my friend recently proposed to his fiancée, and i was asking how he’d recommend proposing to you.” Cam looks at him as he says it “oh wait rea-really?” He smiles and nods, and kisses her softly, Cam starts to mumble “not right now, in case you’re going to ask now.” She curls closer to him and smiles, he speaks softly “That’s alright, it’s fine.”

Cam is asleep, and has decided that Arastoo is not allowed to move, she’s curled on top of him, he smiles down at her, gently rubbing circles on her back “man nemidonam chetor in ghadr khosh shans shodam ke ashegh-e to besham, ya to ashegh-e man bashi be ezaye bargasht.” He loves her, so much, he moves his hand off her back and tucks some of her hair out of her face, she was brilliant, beautiful and smart, and one day he’d make her see that.

Chapter Text

Arastoo knows something is wrong and he wants to help, he walks into the bedroom “Cam, hey.” he shuffles onto the bed, and she looks up from her book, she has a smile, a little, truly happy and content, one “we’re needed at work, do you want to read in the car, you seem happy about the book.” He smiles at her “fine, I’ll see Brennan, and the others.” They get in the car, and anytime they approach traffic, he looks at Cam, who seems happy, the crime scene was a place Arastoo wasn’t often in, but he didn’t expect the location to be a kids playground, a body positioned on the swings, you could already see wire in the bone “Cam you need to get out, and I’ll go prep the platform, does sound good azizam?” Cam nods and gets out the car, leaving her book in the car.

At the platform, Arastoo stares over the body, twenty-something female, Caucasian, old ski injuries, Angela had walked in, a teacher, a teacher in a children’s playground, he looked at Cam, she had immediately addressed the wires, he needed to compliment her, maybe that would help “you’re a smart woman Cam, and beautiful.” Cam looked confused, why in front of her colleagues, Arastoo feels his body being pulled along by Cam to her office “why did you do that.” Cam’s voice was raised a tiny bit and Arastoo sighed “you’ve been down lately, I wanted to help.” Cam looks slightly happier, at least he’s concerned “let’s keep it professional at work’ she pauses for a second ‘Mr. Vaziri.” Cam smiles at him.

Arastoo enjoyed his baseball games, especially with Cam watching, and loved the end of the game, when he got to sit next to Cam and kiss her and finally take her home, even more than the games themselves sometimes, he gently rubbed circles over her back, technically none of his all-Muslim teammates, nor him, should be dating, but almost all of them had broken that rule, he gently pressed a kiss to her cheek “I love you Cam.” He smiled and she laughed “love you too.” He smiles so much and presses another kiss to her head, he guides her to the car, he has a feeling his teammates won’t want to see what will happen next.

Cam was curled into his side, and Arastoo stroked her hair softly, she lifts her head onto his chest “get sleep Cam, please, you need it.” Cam sleepily shook her head “no.” Arastoo laughed a bit, and smiled at her, moving to grab her book, he’d read to her, maybe that would get her to sleep, he changed his tone and read as softly as he could, after a few minutes he fell asleep.

He felt Cam move in her sleep, he gently moved so he could put the book down and looked at Cam, how often did he appreciate he loved such an amazing, smart, beautiful and brilliant woman, she was all that and more, and he loved her and she loves him in return, he was so lucky, he smiled and fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Arastoo was holding her when she woke up, “wake up, I don’t wanna cook today.” Arastoo laughed as her hears her “ok eshegham, I’ll cook today.” Cam looks confused for a second “eshegham, I haven’t heard you say that before, what does it mean?” Arastoo kisses her head “it means my love.” Cam smiled a little, she pushed herself out of bed, she left some reports on the kitchen table, and she was going to work on them as he cooked.

Arastoo looked at her “Cam, does vanilla pancakes sound good?” Cam nods absentmindedly, reading over her report, it was a great report, and she hears Arastoo humming a song softly, she recognises it as dust in the wind, one of his favourites, she smiles at that. After a few minutes she feels a kiss pressed to her head, while she was working on her second report from yesterday, and smells vanilla waft from the table, and she hears a little comment from Arastoo “I swear I’m the cook in this relationship.” Cam laughs, often he’d salvage her meals, so it was true, he was the cook.

They approached work, slowly, Cam had had her caffeine and was ready to deal with whatever death throws her way, Arastoo looked at her, she looked at him and mumbled “look at the road.” He laughed and looked back, she smiled softly, how had she thought she forced this man to do anything for her, he loved her, and he was doing all of this willingly, though her doubt about the others stayed. They were halfway there and Arastoo’s car broke down, well it was to be expected with it’s condition, so they waited for someone to get it, and when they did they called Brennan and Booth, who were most likely driving to the scene themselves, so they spent the time in the back of the car, Cam pulled a book from her bag, and Arastoo looked out the window, no doubt that he was looking for something to write about, normally he settled on writing about Cam.

They were curled up after work on their couch, Cam wasn’t aware of when Arastoo’s apartment became theirs, but it was now, she smiled.

Chapter Text

Cam sighed, she pull the case file from her bedside table as Arastoo walked in “Cam, are you alright if Michelle comes round tonight, she got the day off?” Cam nods, she loved getting to see her daughter, and last time, with Arastoo there, Michelle had accidentally called him dad. She looked at the floor, time to get dressed, she pulled on something cozy, one of Arastoo’s baseball jerseys, and some fleece lined trousers, she walks into the living room and flops onto the couch “How long till Michelle gets her?” Arastoo smiles “not long.” He picks up a cup, she looks at it “it has mint floating in it, what is this.” He looks at it “It’s doogh, it a yogurt drink, if you don’t want it I’ll drink it.” She laughs at his offer “no I’ll drink it, or at least tr-.” The door is knocked on “I’ll get it.” Cam gets up and opens the door to Michelle, all of them are in comfort wears “hey mum, hi Arastoo.” Michelle smiles and they sit down, Cam curls onto Arastoo, and Michelle smiles at at her mother and Arastoo.

Michelle had got up for the toilet and Cam looked at Arastoo “are you feeling any better?” He smiled as he looked at her “I’m not fully healed, but I’ll get better, and I want you by my side when I do, and don’t think I don’t know that you told Michelle about the fact I’m not doing my best, bad boy.” She smiles and the final comment she makes and kisses him, passionately, clearly forgetting her daughter is coming back, she hears a slightly shocked sound and sees Arastoo look at Michelle in shock “Michelle.” She smiles embarrassedly, and nods, sitting on the couch with them “mum, are you okay?” Cam nods, still feeling mortified.

Arastoo looks at Cam and Michelle, his girlfriend and her daughter, curled up, asleep, next to him, he gently moves his body from under Cam, picking up a blanket from the floor and draping it over the two women, he could definitely see this as his family, although he would never tell Cam that just yet, he presses a kiss to Cam’s head, he thinks about their relationship, if he had never broken any religious rules then he and Cam wouldn’t be together, so would it hurt to break one more, he pulls out his phone and takes a picture of the two women, his tiny family, the image didn’t do them justice, he sits next to her and knows what he should probably start wudu soon for his next prayer, and probably repent for the photo he took.

It was the morning, and when Michelle woke up she heard Cam and Arastoo talking and smelt eggs and what could be toast, she walks into the kitchen “mum?” Cam smiles “yeah?” Michelle looks at her “Are you doing ok today?” Cam nodded, she was doing brilliantly, and she had her daughter and Arastoo, she watched Michelle sit down with some college work on her computer, and unwrapped her arms for around Arastoo’s waist, she sits next to Michelle with her work case file, and looks at Michelle.A few minutes later, Arastoo walks to the table “You two take a break from work and college for a minute and eat.” He places the plate downs for them, kissing Cams forehead, he looks at Michelle, he didn’t really know how to spark up a conversation with her, but he tries “Michelle, how’s college?” She smiles, waiting to swallow then responding “great, I have a few friends, and I got some late classes instead of the early morning ones.” He nods, and Cam smiles at him.