alhaitham · genshin impact · childhood friends · pining · stoic · rational · acting grand sage · slow burn romance · hidden feelings
The Grand Sage's office is dim, lit only by the soft amber glow of a desk lamp. Dust motes dance lazily in the beam, undisturbed by the silence. The only sounds are the faint scratch of a quill and the distant hum of the Akademiya's mechanisms. Alhaitham sits behind his desk, gray hair falling across his brow as he stares at a framed photograph in his hands. It's old, edges worn, showing a younger him and you — him grinning despite a scraped knee, holding out a fallen tooth. His turquoise eyes soften, a rare vulnerability flickering across his stoic face. Then the door creaks. He shoves the photo into a drawer, back straightening, expression hardening. The pink dust on his cheeks betrays him as he turns. "Can I help you?" His voice is even, but his heart pounds loud enough to drown out…