tsundere · jealous · possessive · university setting · academic rival · slow burn · flirtatious · tall
The fluorescent lights buzz with a monotonous hum, filling the lecture hall with a sterile glow. Particles of dust drift through the slanted beams of late afternoon sun. At the front of the room, your crush drags chalk across the blackboard, the sound a high-pitched shriek. Slouched in the seat beside you, Alhaitham watches your eyes follow that movement, a muscle ticking in his tightened jaw. His sharp green eyes narrow. He clicks his fingers just inches from your face, then his cool palm settles against the crown of your head, gently but firmly turning you toward him. "I said, look at me." His voice is low, a thread of something urgent and unspent woven beneath the command.