☆*:.｡Genshin Playlist Oneshots

To Nuture Growth | Al Haitham

(Guys like Al Haitham are usually not my type but for some reason this man isn't leaving! Thank you, Kalon, your playlist helped me study a bit and I couldn't help but write a POV for this later.)

"Focus."

Al Haitham picks up a pointer rod left in the lecture hall of the Akademiya and extends it. You don't peer up at him, already averting your gaze in pure trepidation in meeting his sneering eyes. You hear his footsteps cease. The aroma of his cologne, surprisingly light and floral, similar to your own perfume, the scent of Sumeru roses, mix and the smell is so strong it makes you shiver slightly. "If you have time to daydream, I'm sure you can memorise that entire page." He scolds you, his voice sounds authoritative but you can detect the traces of sadism. However, pointing out his enjoyment would only put you in  a worse position.

The sunlight bleeds through the skylight above you, the architecture of the Akademiya so intricately planned out so that every inch of the classroom is kissed by the glorious splendour of light. The golden haze that illuminates the ivory marble and desks still do not manage to vanquish the looming tension that builds up between you. You're starting to regret asking Al Haitham, your classmate, to tutor you in biology. He only accepted on the terms that you participate in an experiment he's conducting. Al Haitham is constantly trying to pester you, intentionally getting under your skin using harsh words and even striking your hands with a ruler (albeit gently) to see how you react and then scribbling it down on a damned notepad.

Silence permeates across the lecture hall, plants decorating the lecture hall and the flowers act as jewels that make the resplendence of the Akademiya just that more defined. The lack of noise makes you nervous, as you should expect some type of demeaning comment by now. Instead, you yelp as he trails the rod he stole from the lecturer's podium down your shirt. The contrast of the scorching sunlight and the cool metal touching your bare back and trailing up to your neck makes you jolt and sit straighter. "Your back is going to suffer if you stay hunched over like that. Don't frown at me, I'm helping you out." He chides, not concealing even a drop of the demeaning nature that floods his very manner of speaking. "Now, why don't you tell me about the difference between plant cells in elemental blossoms and natural ones?"

"The elemental blossoms are more likely to react to elemental reactions and they-" Your speech is cut off by a slightly stingy strike to your thighs with the rod. "Al Haitham! Don't you think you're abusing your power here? You can't just discipline me without reason!" You exclaim, standing up and accidentally swiping your textbook off your desk.

Al Haitham chuckles softly, "Without reason? Silly thing, the Akademiya exams are very precise with their words. Elemental blossoms are more 'susceptible' to elemental reactions compared to natural blossoms. Not only do you have to have the word 'susceptible', you also have to add the comparison to natural blossoms. You would have known that if you read the highlighted box. It's highlighted for a-"

You're about to storm out of the lecture hall until you hear a very stern, "Hey." Out of instinct, you turn back. Al Haitham's eyes catch the sunlight and the sheen makes the shades that paint his pupils much more translucent. His lean body leans against your desk and one of his fingers beckons you in a 'come hither' motion. "We're not finished here. Pick up your textbook and sit down before I make you. Obviously this method isn't working." He quickly writes down something on his notepad as you meekly pick it up, fearful of the scribe's wrath.

"Now, instead of discipline, I'm going to try rewarding you. I might get a little up close and personal, but if you're uncomfortable, you're free to up and leave. Alright?" You sit down and scoff. His rewards must consist of lighter strikes across the palm or a limit of three adjectives to describe your incompetence per insult. Nevertheless, you're enraptured by the scribe's effortless charisma and find yourself agreeing.

"Why not tell me about the effect of fertiliser containing a higher nitrate concentration on elemental plant yield?"

"W-well first they increase exponentially, but they deteriorate faster because elemental blooms are not necessarily as long lived as natural blooms and are more sensitive to elemental weathering from the wind." You wait for the strike, but instead you feel dread flip your stomach over as he approaches.

"Good girl. Just one little thing, instead of saying that they live longer, I would say longer 'lifespan', seeing as the marking scheme would penalise you for using any other terminology." His breath is right next to your ears as he leans over your desk to correct you. With tenderness in his touch, he unravels your fingers from the quill in your hands to circle 'longer lifespan' in the textbook. "You also study mathematics, right? They're not so needlessly obsessed with definition, so I can understand your confusion. But I see the flashcards you've made, all you have to do is memorise them and you'll be set." He then threads his fingers through your hair, hitting a spot on the back of your head that makes you lean into his touch subconsciously.

As you continue reading and muttering definitions to memorise them, Al Haitham praises you and smiles as you recite the pros and cons of using different types of fertilisers for various types of plants. The class, genus, and species rattle off your tongue with a newfound fluency aided by the sweet pecks to your cheeks and forehead. The Akademiya's cream hued marble glistens under the moonlight by the time you yawn from exhaustion. You're sitting on Al Haitham's lap now. After you scored a high mark on a mock test he complied, he gently lifted you onto his lap and encouraged you by rubbing circles on your waist. You stretch after yawning and throw your head back into his chest by accident whilst you do so. He giggles softly and you feel his veiny and calloused hands rub your thighs, soothing the place he hit before.

"Come on, just a few more for me, darling. I might give the rest of your body attention too if you succeed..."