SMALL CHAPTER
THERE IS FINALLY SOME PINING STARTING GUYS
ENEMIES PLOT HAS BEEN SET, NOW IS THE TIME FOR THE LOVERS PLOT
~~
"This better not be another one of your hook-ups." Alhaitham grumbled, making sure to speak loud so Kaveh could hear.
For some reason, at 7 in the morning, there was constant knocking at him and his roommates room. He blamed it all on Kaveh.
"They wouldn't come at 7!" Kaveh yelled, groaning as he too was tired.
"I'M COMING!" Alhaitham yelled, obvious anger in his voice as the knocking wouldn't stop.
He swung the door open, ready to yell at one of Kaveh's hookups coming to yell at him, or whoever the fuck was trying to prank them because no one would ever even dare to knock on his door this early in the morning-
"You better-" His yelling came to a stop when his eyes set on a familiar pair of eyes, and for a second, he forgot why he was mad.
"Last minute study? You were worried you wouldn't pass since you were so busy, so here we are!" He looked at the way you smiled cheekily, Cyno behind you also tired but awake enough to be carrying a whole box of donuts.
"We brought donuts so you won't get mad." He mumbled, obviously tired with how slow he talked.
Alhaitham wanted to yell- scream at you two to leave so he can get at least an extra 2 hours of sleep.
But looking at how happy you looked to be there, he didn't wanna disappoint.
Especially the fact you woke up this early just to help him pass and even brought Cyno- and everyone knows he hates being woken up- it made his heart beat a bit faster and swell.
Alhaitham closed the door behind him, carefully as to not bother anyone else in the apartment with a slam. "Not my dorm, Kaveh is trying to sleep and he's a tad bit grumpier than usual."
Of course, he'd love to bother Kaveh to the point he's furious with his face as red as a fire truck, but he was too tired for Kaveh's nonsense.
"You're not gonna change?"
He looked down at himself at your question, shaking his head. What? Sweatpants and no shirt wasn't bad- if anything it was very comfortable and since for some reason the apartment had major heat.
He didn't catch the way he saw your gaze possibly lingering on his chest.
The three of you all made your way towards your room just 3 doors down, being quick to set up the seating area so all chairs were near the table, all of your study notes laid out.
"What is the basis of the 1972 Supreme Court which declared capital punishment?" He watched the way your lips moved with the question, and he kept questioning why he was staring.
"Alhaitham?" He heard you call, snapping him out of it.
"Right, sorry- the uh, eighth amendment?"
"Yes!" The smile on your face made him automatically smile with no thought, immediately moving his hand up after you moved yours up and high-fived it.
The questions continued on for the next hour, all of you taking turns to question each other. Most of you got majority right with a bit wrong- especially Alhaitham, but he was thankful to have you explain and tell him the real answer and why.
"You guys are so louddd..." Xiao mumbled, making his way out of his room and to the seating area, stealing the donut you were about to take and sitting on a free chair.
Seeing him awake, you suddenly realized that maybe it was more than an hour, because Xiao didn't have an early morning class like you today.
Alhaitham sensed the worry coming off of you and he looked at his phone, his eyes widening- along with everyone else's as they looked at his phone too- to see the time was 9:33 AM.
The test was in 27 minutes and none of them were ready.
Everyone sprung up, Alhaitham helping you gather all your sprawled out notes and Xiao could only laugh, munching on the delicious donut that he took pride in stealing from you.
"Parking lot, my car, 10 minutes." Alhaitham said before rushing out and back to his apartment room, not caring the impact of the door swinging open and slamming definitely woke up Kaveh as he ran to his bedroom to throw on whatever he can, not even caring to look nice.
It was a test, who's gonna care?
(you certainly wouldn't since it's alhaitham 😻)
You all kept to his words, the rest of you rushing to the parking lot right at 9:37.
"You have a jeep?" He turned to look at your astonished face, eyes practically glowing (don't ask I love jeeps for some unknown reason and it's a silver jeep patriot to be exact 😻)
"I can afford a nice car but not a nice apartment somehow." He chuckled, turning on the car, seeing you adjust yourself in the passenger seat while Cyno sat in the back.
"What about Kaveh? Doesn't he have a morning class?"
Alhaitham turned to him and smirked- a devious one at that- while also currently backing up to take the car out of the parking spot. "I'm sure he'll wake up on his own."
"You're so rude." You scoffed, him glancing at you to catch the smile on your face when you laughed along with the scoff.
"And what are you and your pretty little face gonna do 'bout it?"
He waited for a response, but all that came back was silence. He assumed he won the argument that hasn't even started; a smirk growing on his face. However, when we looked up at the mirror, all he could see was a shocked face from Cyno?
"What?" He asked.
"You just called Y/N pretty."
He looked to his side to watch you laugh with a surprised face. "First compliment I've ever gotten from you, pretty boy."
He didn't notice the way your face was slowly becoming red, and he hoped that you didn't notice that his face was also becoming red.
"I meant petty!" He immediately turned his head away from the two of you so you and Cyno wouldn't see the blush rising to his face.
"But I mean it's not that you're not pretty- like you are! Okay now I just sound weird- like, I can't say you're pretty 'cuz I don't like you, but wait that's like calling you ugly- AND YOU'RE NOT UGLY! You're- you're- above average! Yeah!"
It was silent for the next few seconds until Cyno and you burst out laughing at his attempt at trying not to be rude. You thought that it was honestly...adorable.
"Whatever." He scoffed, returning his focus back to the road and trying to ignore how cute your laughs wer- what the fuck is going on with him?!
Whatever, he just needed to get you all to the Akademiya in time.
And he did, getting you all there just five minutes before the test were to start. You and Cyno ran out while he was still parking, but you the two of you were nice enough to wait for him.
The moment he got out the car, it was as if the three of you were in the biggest race of their lives- a timer of now 3 minutes going off in everyone's heads as you all ran towards the exam room.
"One minute." Dainsleif deadpanned, watching as the three of you panted in front of him at the doors. "Go take a seat. You are all lucky I'm nice."
The exam room was large, desks spread out widely and all in rows. You all rushed to your seats, Alhaitham sitting behind you and Cyno beside you.
"I think you guys already know the rules, but since some of you guys act like children." Dainsleif glanced at you and Alhaitham, the two of you giggling. "I'll repeat them. Keep your eyes on your own test, no talking, you have one hour." He handed out the last few tests to you three, you all grabbing the pencil at the side of the desk and immediately filling out the scantron.
For the next thirty minutes, Alhaitham felt good- before he was so worried that he'd fail his test, but because of you, the person he never thought he'd actually like after you punched him, helped him to be able to pass this.
He was smart, but recently, with the fact that every now and then the thought of his baby sister being dead would plague his mind.
Even if it's been 2 years since, he couldn't believe Nahida was dead. Sometimes, he wondered how you dealt with it all- having your father dead, taking care of a younger sibling more than yourself and just recently losing your own home.
It almost made him admire you.
Almost.
Just because he almost did didn't mean he was gonna forget about how much he liked to piss you off and annoy you.
"I'll be back." Dainsleif grumbled, leaving the room.
Now was his perfect time to do just what he liked.
"Y/N," He whispered, a shit-eating grin on his face.
"No." He looked at the way you didn't even seem so bothered with him calling your name, and that just wasn't good.
"Y/N..." he whispered again in a sing-song voice, now catching the attention of Cyno. "What's the answer to 45? I know you have it."
His grin grew when you pushed your chair back and turned. "We're in the middle of a test!"
The students around you two started to laugh a bit.
"Yeah, and Dainsleif is gone, so let's use this to our advantage." He leaned back on his chair, smirking. "I know you have the answer.
"Stop." You turned around and scooted your chair back closer to your desk.
"Please?" He asked, trying to sound more whiny to piss you off more.
Cyno could only sigh, but he didn't deny that this was kind of funny.
"I'll stop pestering you if you just give me the answer."
"I'm not giving it."
"Why not?" Alhaitham pouted.
"The more I talk to you, the more I lose my sanity."
"You won't lose anymore if you just give me the answer." An idea came to his head, and the reaction to it almost made it look like a lightbulb had lit up.
He scooted a bit closer to his desk, stomach right against the wood as he inched his foot up before kicking the back of your chair, pushing you right into the desk.
He could imagine the way you were processing it; Take a few seconds to comprehend what just happened while blinking rapidly, before turning to look at him with an angry and surprised face.
Which all actually happened.
"Did you just kick my chair?"
"No." He giggled, looking like a little boy lying after he was asked if he took a cookie from the cookie jar.
You let out an annoyed sigh, turning your head back, but the moment you did, Alhaitham took this as his chance to repeat the movement all over again.
Cyno had to admit this was funny as some students around started giggling.
"Alhaitham!"
"What?!" He asked, throwing his hands up as if being accused of something.
"Stop it!"
"Stop what?" He laughed out.
He almost cackled at the way you let out a literal growl with a groan and turned your head back, but of course, he just had to do it all again.
You turned your head the moment he pushed your chair, eye almost literally twitching with anger.
Before you could even say anything, he laughed. "I think this is just all in your head. Probably the sanity you're losing."
You could only blink, mouth slightly agape as you couldn't believe him at the moment and he could only smirk, watching you turn your head back.
However, before he could continue the motion, he heard you speak.
"It's option C."
He smiled, staring at you just a bit longer before shaking his head, filling in the scantron paper while smiling to himself.
If only he could see the way you smiled too, blushing just a bit.
Cyno realized, that there were 2 new oblivious people to add to the list.