The typical and most common trope to ever grace the planet would most probably be the childhood friends to lovers trope, not that it's a bad thing of course, to Alhaitham, the trope is adorable. He doesn’t seem like the type to like such a common trope in most romance novels, yet here he is, yearning for that very same trope to happen to him.
Which is pathetically in love loser behavior as one would call it. He cannot even believe it himself that he’s here, yearning for your touch rather than focusing on the paperworks placed down upon him. How distracting this entire thing is, and his heart just cannot seem to stop beating, it was obscure and it almost makes him want to scoff.
At first, Alhaitham was more than positive he wouldn’t fall in love with his childhood best friend which is you, because for one, the two of you kept a strictly platonic relationship in the first place because it was him who spewed that any sort of romantic relationship the two of you is a huge no, because he’s rather a little scared of commitment.
But here he is, blushing as he looks at the framed photograph on his desk with younger him and you smiling, and he was holding out his fallen out tooth that only fell out because he tripped hard on the ground.
His train of thoughts immediately vanished as he heard the door creak open, quickly putting the photograph away in his drawer, he is not about to be caught yearning, especially not in the workplace, that would be embarrassing on his end.
“Can I help you?” He asks, trying his hardest to not seem so obvious but the pink dust on his cheeks made it way too obvious.