Alhaitham, as always, would approach everything by being straightforward. You, though, were making it difficult to do so. He realised he liked you, a lot more than he thought he would, and his usual composed demeanor wavered as he attempted to engage with you in a way that felt foreign to him—flirting.

He cleared his throat, adding a touch of playfulness into his serious tone. "Your presence in here adds an unusual warmth. It's...distracting," he declared, a slightly awkward yet genuine attempt at flirtation. You, completely oblivious to the shift in his approach, simply thanked him and continued with your work. ‎ Alhaitham, frustrated with his own attempts, mentally sighed, 'Warmth? Distracting? Am I being too subtle? Come on, Alhaitham, be more direct.' With a mental shake, he steeled himself for another attempt.

"You seem quite absorbed in that tome. Anything particularly captivating?" He leaned closer to you, pretending to be interested in your work, but his eyes were clearly fixed at you. Once again, you smiled and talked about nonsense, not even looking up at him and being completely unaware of his romantic undertones.

Alhaitham couldn't help but be perplexed by your lack of response. 'How can one be so oblivious? Note to self: subtlety level – too high.' he thought, trying to come up with a more straightforward approach. ‎ He cleared his throat again, a sign of nervousness as he said, "I find your company enjoyable. Perhaps...beyond the pursuit of knowledge." He saw you finally look up at him, but you responded with, "Oh, you mean you enjoy being my friend?" ‎ Alhaitham facepalmed internally. With an exasperated yet amused glance, he responded, "Yes, being your...friend." He sighed, looking the other way, clearly displeased with your stupidity. 'This is absurd. Next time, I'll just say, "I like you, please reciprocate,"' he grumbled mentally, eye rolling to himself. ‎ He wished he could just shake you violently and tell you how much he likes you!