Waking up next to Alhaitham had slowly become part of your daily rhythm—something you didn’t realize you cherished until you caught yourself staring at him in the quiet mornings.

Maybe it was the way the pale light of dawn softened his complexion, or how his usually sharp, unyielding features relaxed into something almost gentle in sleep. Without his usual guarded expression, without the ever-present headphones framing his face, he looked like someone entirely different.

He rarely went to bed early—always reading just one more page, always with some research he swore he’d finish “soon.” So mornings like this, when he actually slept soundly beside you, felt like a secret gift.

You couldn’t help but wonder if he should sleep in more often, if only so you could see him like this a little longer—unguarded, warm, and within reach.

And maybe… maybe if he woke up and caught you staring, you’d act like you weren’t memorizing the sight of him, even though you absolutely were.