Archive of Our Own

“You don’t like flying?!”

Kalim’s tone was incredulous, his astonished disbelief enough to cause a stir of discomfort at the pit of Jade’s stomach. The only visible tell of his embarassment came in the subtle tightness at the corners of his amicable smile - a subtlety that was completely lost to the Scarabian housewarden.

“But flying is so fun!” His growing enthusiasm began to show in the excited movement of his hands. “It’s so much more fun on a carpet than on a broom- Oh! Maybe that’s it? Have you flown on a magic carpet? Flying on one would definitely change your mind!”

Jade’s mouth began to part with a response, intent on clarifying that his flying anxiety came moreso from an analogy that a fish plucked from water was a meal on land. Unlike Floyd, being so far above sea was much less thrilling for him, the novelty lost to the dizzying nausea of being at the whim of gravity. He much preferred the effortless control he had in navigating a water current, or the grounded sensation of having land dwelling legs steady on hard earth.

Kalim, however - seeming so impassioned by his own love of flight - cut him off before he could answer any of his barrage of questions.

“You should come flying with me.” He beamed, his golden jewelry chiming as he reached over to take a hold of his larger, gloved hands. Jade found his eyes flickering at the contact, eyeing how his long fingers fit in the entire palms of the other boy’s hands. “There’s more than enough room on my magic carpet for two.” Kalim’s eyes disappeared when he smiled up at him. “It’ll be fun!”

Jade was, by no means, a passive man; He was pleasant and amicable, but assertive about his personal boundaries. He tolerated flight classes as a part of academic curriculum, a necessary evil in his growing knowledge as a mage. Had it been anyone else asking for him to go on a joy(less) ride outside of mandated PE classes, he would’ve been far less obliged to the offer.

But when it came to the Scarabian housewarden, he found a growing difficulty in denying him anything. The feeling grew when he smiled in that particular way he was smiling at him right now - his cheeky grin wide enough for his teeth to show, bright eyes crinkled from how much his smile spread across his features. His hands, noticeably smaller than his own, cradled his in their grasp. The warmth felt enticing enough that Jade found his fingers begin to curl around them to return his grasping hold.

There was a gravity that he had. And - much like the gravity that unnerved him in flight - the pull that Kalim had left him feeling as much fascinated as he was wary of the influence it had over him.

“I would be,” he began, attempting confidence despite his lingering doubt, “… delighted. To join you.”

Kalim made a noise, something between an excited gasp and a hearty chuckle. “Great!” His jewelry chimed when he bounced a little where he stood. “Meet me in my room after classes today, okay?”

Jade blinked. “Your room-?”

“After class! Today!” Another enthused chuckle. Kalim clapped their hands together between them, the sound dulled by Jade’s gloves. His smaller hands lingered over his for a moment longer, before they slid away to clap his own together. The audible sound was accompanied by another delighted jingle of his bracelets.

“You’ll see - flying is really fun! You’ll love it!”

And so, despite the uncomfortable sensation of doubt and caution that lingered at the pit of his stomach, Jade found himself standing before the large double doors of the Scarabian housewarden’s room.

Not often one to be towered over, Jade’s mismatched eyes wandered up along the doors’ sizeable height, tracing the accents of gold and scarlet that adorned its frame. The intricate patterns resembled the airy clouds that hung above Scarabian skies, mirrored at the bottom of the doors by dust storms swirling across the expanse of the desert beneath. The gold accenting glistened under the light of the hall’s lanterns, seeming a touch too bright when he stared for too long. He likened it to the blaring sun that hung above the dormitory during daytime.

His gaze eventually fell onto the large golden scarabs placed in the middle of each door. He passively mused on the familiarity he felt from their sparkling ruby red eyes, finding himself fixated on their bright hue.

“You’re here!”

Blinking, Jade’s gaze moved sideways, catching the same scarlet eyes he’d been mulling over. Kalim, bright and cheery, hurried over from the end of the hallway to meet him in front of his room. Jade noted the magic carpet that accompanied him, keeping pace as it levitated behind its master.

“Of course,” came his response, his hand resting over his chest as a show of his honesty. “Did you not expect me to show?”

“Oh, no, that’s not it at all!” Kalim laughed, reaching past him to grab a hold of a heavy door handle. “You came a little earlier than I was expecting, is all.”

Jade hummed thoughtfully. “I try to be punctual. I’m a guest here - it would be impolite of me to keep you waiting after you’ve gone through the trouble of inviting me here.” His gaze wandered towards the inside of the room, his curiosity piqued as the door was cracked open before him. “I figure that being earlier is better than possibly being late.”

Kalim’s free hand waved dismissively, his accessories giving another familiar chime with the motion. “Oh, you don’t need to worry about that kind of stuff with me. You can show up whenever you’re ready, even if it’s a little later.” He beamed up at him, motioning for him to step into his room once the door was swung completely open for the both of them. “I’m just happy that you’re here. I’ve been excited for this all day!”

Once invited to do so, Jade wandered inside, his gaze sweeping over the interior to observe the decor. A part of him half-expected the room to be filled with the same gaudy collection of expensive golds and overly-accentuated silks that crowded the storeroom. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised to find it more toned down than what he imagined. It seemed comfortable, homey almost.

He eyed a corner that acted as a sitting area, its wooden bench overcrowded by plush, rounded pillows that spilled onto the rug cushioned beneath it. Another corner stood a wooden dresser which - although framed by the same golden motif found around the dormitory - seemed more rustic and tasteful than some of the gold-plated furnishings he’d seen scattered around the dormitory.

His eyes wandered then to the largest portion of the room - the opposite wall from the entrance, comprised entirely of an open aperture. Fading sunlight streamed between beveled marble columns dividing its frame, the glow of sunset a backdrop of soft reds and oranges alongside the gold-accented cream of the walls.

His gaze flickered when he felt Kalim brush past him, hurriedly wandering over to the sitting area to grab at a pillow that had fallen off from the bench. With another light chuckle, he tossed it atop the pile, before kicking another beneath the bench. His magic carpet - using its tasseled corner as an appendage - nudged at the pillows to keep them from toppling over completely.

“Sorry, it’s a little messy.” He laughed again, a touch embarrassed, before he wandered over to the window sill to lean back against it.

Jade shook his head, his mismatched eyes following as he moved around the room. “This is hardly messy at all,” he commented. He smiled thinly, attempting assurance, before his eyes wandered over towards the bed.

Kalim, following his gaze, looked over towards it as well. “Jamil always makes my bed,” he said, answering Jade’s question before he could ask it. “He cleans up my room most of the time. It’s probably the only reason why it isn’t a complete disaster in here.”

“I see.”

His eyes lingered on the faint print of paisleys that decorated the bedsheets, musing to himself about how much space there must have been for someone as small as Kalim. His own dorm room’s bed was just as large… But given his own stature, there was significantly less space for him to tuck himself into.

Eventually, his eyes wandered back towards the housewarden, a touch surprised when he found him already staring at him. He raised a brow, reaching up to touch his face self-consciously.

“Hm?”

“Huh?” Kalim blinked back at him, mirroring his questioning look. “Oh-? Sorry, I was spacing out a little.” His lips curved up into another one of his wide smiles, his arms reaching out to motion for him to come over to him. “If you’re ready to go, then let’s go flying!”

Right. Flying. The whole reason why he was in his bedroom in the first place.

Jade’s lips stretched into a thin smile, keeping himself from wincing at the thought of being airborne. “Of course…” he murmured, starting to make long strides from the door to join him by the aperture, “I am… of course… more than ready to fly with you.”

“Great!!” Kalim rocked forward, his hands planted on the edge of the window sill. His jewelry gave another familiar, cheery ring with the forceful motion. “Let’s go flying, then!”

And - with the same momentum that leaned him forward - his body suddenly rocked backwards.

So suddenly and so forcefully that it sent him careening over the window ledge, clearing the thick frame of the aperture completely to fall right out of the window.

Once he realized what was happening, Jade lurched forward, uttering a surprised noise when he grabbed at the space between them. A touch too slow, however, he was barely able to graze the front of the other boy’s shirt before he watched him slip past his fingertips to fall backwards. He followed after him immediately afterwards, barely catching himself against one of the marble columns when he leaned over to look past its edge.

He half-expected to meet the grizzly sight of the Scarabian housewarden sprawled over the hot sands below. And, indeed, he did find him sprawled out below the balcony beneath him.

About 6 feet below, that is; cradled comfortably - and above all else, safely - atop the plush surface of his magic carpet.

Kalim burst out into a hearty laugh as soon as he spotted the other boy’s teal hair peeking over the balcony. “Ah ha ha, did that get you? Jamil hates when I do that!” He rolled onto his side so he could sit up, fixing the way his sweater was sitting on his shoulders. “My carpet’s really reliable though! It always catches me every time-“

He stopped short, his voice seeming to trail off when he met Jade’s eye. There seemed to be something about his expression that - even with his apparent obliviousness - caught Kalim completely by surprise. Jade watched as his expression shifted from playful joy, to one of surprise, before it lowered to something closer to shame. His eyes lingered on his, seeming to read his gaze with a clarity that was unusual of the notoriously unaware housewarden. When he did finally glance away from him, his smile remained, but it was significantly less bright; It was more embarrassed and guilty rather than enthused.

“Oh,” he murmured, more so to himself than to the taller boy still looming over the window’s edge. His eyes moved downward, ashamed. “I went too far-“

Fascinating.

“Ah.”

He was so fascinating to him.

“You got me.”

Blinking, Kalim glanced back up towards him. Any trace of anxiety was completely gone from Jade’s expression, his gaze amused. He propped his elbow atop of the window sill, leaning over the balcony so his cheek rested on a gloved hand as he stared down at him.

“You really got me there, Kalim.”

His unexpected response caused the housewarden to pause for another extended moment. When Jade chuckled airily, an accompanying laugh eventually bubbled up from Kalim as well; A little awkward at first, before the tension eased enough for him to laugh along with him more genuinely.

“Haha… yeah!” He pumped a fist, visibly excited once again. “That’ll be the first and last time I pull that prank on you though - Promise!!”

He hopped onto his feet, causing Jade to flinch when the carpet rocked to accommodate the sudden shift in weight. Seeming completely in his element, Kalim effortlessly balanced himself as he stood atop of it. His bright gaze met his as the carpet floated up towards the window, enough that they were seeing eye to eye with one another.

“Okay! Jump on!”

Jade blinked. Slowly.

“… I- beg your pardon?”

“Hop right on!” Kalim motioned for him to come over with a wave of his hand, stepping aside to give him more room on the carpet. The carpet inched closer to the window’s ledge, closing enough of the remaining space to hide the massive drop below it. “You just… you step on!” He offered his hand out to him, the shine of his bracelets glimmering beneath the glow of dimming sunlight. “You can get onto the ledge and climb on. I do it all the time!”

Jade had to keep from wincing. His eyes flickered down to the carpet, seeming to size it up, before he looked back towards the other boy.

The look seemed enough for Kalim to pick up on his discomfort. His brows raised - surprised that anyone could be hesitant about stepping onto something as fun and as reliable as his magic carpet - before he waved his open hand between them.

“I’ll help you climb on. Just take my hand.” 

He smiled again, attempting calmer reassurance rather than cheery excitement. Jade’s gaze lingered on him for a longer moment, before his eyes flickered down to his hand.

He could feel the swell of anxiety that was already sitting at the pit of his stomach. Surprisingly, however, he felt the pangs of anticipation that accompanied it as well. Despite his wariness - and his very apparent dislike of flight - he felt a thrill in something as novel and unexplored as riding on a magic carpet.

At least, that was what came to him initially. He couldn’t entirely deny that there was also the lingering thought that, perhaps, that anticipation was influenced by having Kalim accompanying him during a ride on said carpet.

“Jade…”

He blinked, glancing up from his outstretched hand to meet his eye once again. The housewarden stared back at him, his lip nearly pouting when he frowned.

“Honestly! You can trust my carpet as much as you trust me.”

He paused, his expression shifting very subtly.

“… You trust me, right?”

Jade couldn’t help chuckling lightly.

Fascinating.

He held his gaze for a longer moment, meeting his pointed question with a silent challenge of his own. When the housewarden maintained his eye contact with a bit of a smirk of his own, Jade tsked under his breath.

“I’m not really a trusting person,” he answered. 

Regardless, he reached over to slide his hand into his open palm, his fingers curling around its shape to get a solid grip on it.

Kalim’s smile grew when he felt his hand in his. “Well, you can trust me and my carpet. Really!” His other hand joined the first, grasping at his larger one with both of his own so he could help support him. He gave him an encouraging look as the taller boy brought a lanky knee up to the window’s ledge, pulling himself up onto its wide surface. “It’ll be so fun - you’ll see!”

Despite his momentary confidence, Jade felt the wariness return once he was atop of the aperture. He willed himself not to look down, keeping himself as low and as stable as he could while he was hunched on the ledge.

Patiently, Kalim let him have a moment to compose himself. When that moment grew into several, he began to shift from where he was standing atop of the carpet so he could join him on the ledge instead.

“Here, I’ll come over -“

He stopped when Jade’s other hand clapped over his. It was forceful; Insistent.

“No. Don’t move.”

Kalim blinked, his brows raised as he stared down at him. He seemed much smaller when he was keeled over like that; A weird thought, considering that him and his brother were two of the biggest people he knew.

“Oh- Okay,” he answered. “I’ll stay right here then.”

His patience steadfast, he watched as a sigh escaped from under Jade’s breath. The sound seemed to encourage him; After another long moment, the boy mustered the will to get it over and done with. In one quick motion, he forcefully drove himself forward, nearly crashing into Kalim’s legs as he fell into the carpet. The carpet - noticeably more gentle in motion than it had been with Kalim - shifted smoothly to accommodate for the additional weight on its surface.

Kalim made a whooping noise, his hand moving away from his to catch the taller boy by the shoulder. “You did it!!” He clapped his hand atop of his shoulder a couple of times, delighted. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it??”

Jade didn’t immediately respond. He was gripping onto Kalim’s remaining hand tightly, his body tense as he attempted to adjust his weight on the carpet. It was more solid than he expected… though, he felt a lurch in his stomach when its surface rippled with each movement.

“Not bad,” he echoed, his polite smile tight when he let go of his hand to splay both of his own over the carpet.

“Not entirely good either,” came the thought that followed.

Kalim laughed aloud, reaching down to rest both of his hands on his shoulders. “Usually, I like when the carpet takes off really fast into the sky-“ He moved his hands away to wave them in front of him, shaking his head adamantly when Jade immediately paled. “No, no- I mean, we’ll go slow! We’ll go really slow for you - Promise!”

Still smiling, he sank down to his knees in front of him, his head tilted to the side so he could meet his eye once he was down to his level. He reached over to rest his hands atop of his, attempting to relax the forceful grip he had on the carpet beneath them.

“I’ll make sure it’s fun for you, okay?”

Jade’s expression shifted from one of forced politeness to a more tensed look, his eyes trained on his hands. He felt an overwhelming awareness for the massive drop that was beneath him, unsettled by the thought that the only thing keeping him from falling was a floating piece of fabric.

With a broom, he had its handle to grip onto. With the carpet, there was nothing for him to grasp. That thought seemed to add to his already growing anxiety over being so high in the air.

As if reading his thoughts, Kalim nudged at his hands. When he didn’t relent his grip, he slipped his smaller fingers beneath his, coaxing him to take a hold of them once again.

“Here - You can keep holding onto me, okay?”

Another heavy sigh escaped the taller boy. He felt embarrassed about the way he was reacting - in front of Kalim, no less - but it came across more as mild exasperation. He only nodded at his offer, making a conscious effort to fix his hold so they were less tense within his grasp.

Kalim smiled reassuringly - still patient - his head tilting to the other side to try to find his eyes again.

“Don’t look down, okay? You can look up at the sky, or out at the desert-“ He trailed off when mismatched eyes found bright red once again. “… or me. You can also look at me, if you want. But you’d be missing out on how pretty it is out here.” He laughed heartily, his earrings chiming when he threw his head back with the sound.

Despite what he’d said, Jade seemed to settle on the latter option. His eyes lingered as he watched the way his smile beamed towards him.

There weren’t many instances where they were at eye level like this, let alone so close in proximity. It only emphasized to him how much smaller the other boy was in comparison; Even with them both crouched atop of the carpet, he still towered over him. It caused him to give a more conscious effort to relax his grip, enough to ease the hold he had on him.

Kalim’s hands - soft and delicate, unquestionably a result of the lavish and workless lifestyle he’d grown up with - barely fit into his own larger hands, he noticed. He worried that if he gripped them too hard, the digits would break within his grasp. He found his eyes flickering down to observe them for a moment, turning them slightly to look over the bangles that hung on his thin wrists. He could feel a subtle heat move across his cheek when they caught enough sunlight to cast a sun glare towards him. He turned his wrists to cast the reflection away, settling them as they were between the both of them.

When he glanced up, he caught the other boy staring at him once again. Jade held his gaze wordlessly, observant.

His eyes were larger than his own sharper look, curtained by fluttering white lashes over rich, scarlet red. They were staring back at him warmly, almost adoringly. He couldn’t tell if that adoration was towards him specifically, or from the opportunity he had to share something he loved so deeply with someone else.

It was there that he lingered, his gaze swimming in the depth of ruby irises.

And what a depth they held, he thought.

Many of their peers often came to the easy conclusion that Kalim was simple; That he was kind, that he meant well, and that he was genuine to an oblivious fault. Especially in an environment like Night Raven College, the housewarden was notorious for having integrity that stood apart from the other students that attended the school.

Despite that deceptively simple nature, however, there was something far deeper lurking beneath the facade. He’d seen glimpses of it in passing, but he hadn’t witnessed it in its entirety until he subjected him to his signature spell. It was that moment that made him realize that the other boy was much more perceptive than other people were led to believe.

And - to add to the depth of that realization - it was followed soon after by another.

Kalim’s perception was trumped by a simple fact: That, regardless of how much harm could be done to him, how much ill will or mean-spiritedness could be directed towards him, he so adamantly believed in the goodness of people that he fought tirelessly to protect that belief. He was aware of others’ ill intentions, but he buried that awareness so deeply within himself that he chose to leave it completely unacknowledged. And - even more appallingly - when those ill intentions were directed towards him specifically, he had a tendency to turn a completely blind eye to them.

All at his own expense, he chose others over himself. At times, it seemed that he went so far as to protect someone’s image over his own well-being.

It was what made him so fascinating to him.

Almost terrifyingly fascinating.

After all, the ease that he had in maintaining his deception, in having so many people so thoroughly convinced that he was so simple as a person -

“Jade?”

He blinked out of his thoughts when a nervous laugh escaped the other boy.

“You’re staring so hard at me - It’s kinda scary,” he chuckled. His hands shifted within his, rousing him further from his meandering thoughts. “You okay?”

Instinctively, the corners of Jade’s lips curled up into a typical smile. He nodded, humming lightly as his expression relaxed.

“My apologies. I’m fine.”

“Ah, good. Okay.” Kalim smiled at him again, before he directed his gaze sideways with a tilt of his head. “Really though, you should see this view! It’s the best part of flying - especially at this time of day.”

Jade’s brows rose subtly. He hesitated, his gaze lingering on the other boy, before finally peeling away to look out around them.

He hadn’t realized that the carpet had gained significant altitude since he’d last checked. They were nearly in the clouds now, so close that he felt he could reach out and grasp them. Those same clouds - alight from the fading burn of the setting sun - glowed in brilliant hues of oranges and golds, floating on lazily across a backdrop of a pink and purple sky.

He didn’t dare look down below them, but when he looked sideways, he could see the desert stretching endlessly in every direction. Its rippled dunes seemed to shrink further outward, before converging at the thin line of horizon. It was there, at the furthest point his gaze could possibly go, that the sky lightly kissed land. Its thin edge was broken by the brilliance of sunlight, its fading light casting long shadows over the sand’s dips and mounds.

From this height, the desert - seeming so lifeless from down on land - looked very much alive as it shifted and moved with each spiraling wind that swept over its surface. As if settling for the coming night, its sands rolled and cascaded slowly, the landscape yawning as it stretched further towards the setting horizon.

Jade stared with wide eyes, completely encapsulated. In a way, it reminded him of the ocean, its expanse simply beyond what he was able to comprehend. He thought it interesting that both the sea and the desert appeared to be so contradictory; That they could be so empty and so full, so lifeless and so alive, so still and so constantly moving - all at the same time. It was a matter of perspective, it seemed. It was only from this vantage point that he could really see just how much the desert held within its vastness.

Completely enamoured with the scenery, his gaze flickered only when he felt the hands within his shifting slightly. He looked away completely, his expression curious, when he felt Kalim pull a hand away from his. He felt his heart jump into his throat - a momentary lurch of panic - as he watched him turn away to swing his legs over the edge of the carpet. They hung freely in the open air, his feet kicking lightly at the whisps of clouds that brushed at his shoes.

“This is my favourite place to be,” he said, smiling as his eyes slowly looked across the landscape below. “That’s why I like flying so much. It’s fun and fast and exhilarating, but it also gets me up here too.” He stayed quiet for a prolonged moment, his gaze seeming to grow a touch distant as he stared out at the vastness stretching before them.

“Sometimes,” he began, his tone quieter than usual, “it’s nice to be alone with just the sky and your thoughts, huh? It’s not like the clouds can gossip or tell anyone else your secrets, either.” He smiled a little to himself at that, his expression fond.

“It’s all safe up here.”

Jade, tense from the prickling heat of anxiety he felt from watching his legs swing freely over the edge of the carpet, only hummed lightly in response. He didn’t realize he was gripping Kalim’s remaining hand tightly again; Not until the other boy glanced over his shoulder to look towards their hands. His bright eyes flickered up towards him, taking a moment to gauge his expression.

“You really don’t like it up here, huh.”

It wasn’t a question. Kalim’s brow furrowed slightly, his lips curling at the corners into a frown. He glanced back out towards the desert.

“Sorry - I was just really excited to show you what I mean about flying. It’s really fun when you get used to it!” He paused, his expression turning more thoughtful. “… but… I guess, if you’re really scared of it, you can’t really get used to it -“

“It’s beautiful.”

Kalim blinked, glancing towards him once again. He found Jade staring back at him, his smile - albeit still tense - softer as he watched him.

“Stunning.” He glanced away to look back out towards the fading horizon. “I can see why this is your favourite place.”

Kalim laughed, the sound quieter compared to his usual, hearty chuckle. “Yeah… I could watch the view for hours, if I could.”

Quieting once again, his gaze also wandered back towards the skyline, slowly trailing over the shapes of the clouds as they meandered past them. Jade continued to do the same - his own eyes wordlessly canvassing the ripples of sand dunes - before he found his gaze wandering towards the housewarden once again.

From where he was sitting now, the sun shone directly against the opposite side of Kalim’s profile. The backlight made it look as though he was glowing, the edges of his form completely engulfed in the brilliance of sunlight. His pale hair - soft as it fluttered in the breeze - brushed lightly against sun-kissed cheeks. There was a subtle chime even as he sat motionless, the golden jewelry that adorned him ringing as they stirred, as if continuously announcing his lingering presence.

His very real, very striking presence.

Jade felt his heart skip a beat. His breath hitched slightly when Kalim turned to look towards him again. The sun still shone behind him, basking him in an almost ethereal glow. He found himself continuing to stare, dumbfounded.

“Jade…?”

He was completely unfamiliar with what exactly he was feeling in the moment. 

Uncomfortable?

Anxious?

Overwhelmed?

But how could he possibly feel any of that when it came to someone like Kalim?

Instead of acknowledging any of what he was feeling, he chose to look away. His gaze wandered sideways, before flickering down in his indecisiveness.

Kalim - as he always did - smiled even as he turned away from him. Jade felt him squeeze at his hand.

“We’ll head back down, okay?”

He patted the carpet’s surface with his free hand. In response, the carpet gently began to drift down from its dizzying height, taking care to move as smoothly as it could against the currents of air beneath it.

There was a silence that drifted between them as they slowly floated back down to the Scarabian dorm. Kalim’s silence seemed thoughtful, edging on apologetic. Jade’s was just as reflective, but he found his thoughts meandering closer to confusion and uncertainty over what exactly he was feeling in the moment.

Kalim kept his hand in his the entire time, even as he turned to swing his legs back onto the carpet. As they neared the balcony once more, he brought his other hand over Jade’s gloved hands once again, subtly catching his full attention.

“I’m sorry,” he began, his eyes focused on their hands. “This was supposed to be fun! But you didn’t have fun at all-“

“Pardon?” Jade shook his head, shifting so both of Kalim’s hands were cupped between his own instead. “I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. I had a wonderful time.”

Kalim glanced up at him, uncertain. “But you don’t like flying, don’t you? You’re scared of heights.”

“Yes,” Jade answered shortly. He paused, his gaze looking towards the sunset once again. “But once I’m able to look past how high up it is, the view is stunning.” The corners of his lips curled into a smile, his eyes flickering back towards him. “You can’t see anything like this anywhere. Especially not in the sea. That’s something I can certainly appreciate.”

Kalim’s expression seemed to relax at that, his lips curling up into a smile. “So you enjoyed it?”

“It was fun.” Jade smiled widely, his eyes disappearing when he patted a hand over his reassuringly. “Just as you promised.”

Kalim beamed more at that, any trace of sheepishness completely gone from his expression. “Oh, I’m so glad! I was worried that you were having a bad time with me.”

Jade’s brows rose. He answered before he could really consider his response.

“With you?” he answered, his tone appalled. “I could never have a bad time with you.”

The sheepishness returned to Kalim’s expression. This time, however, it seemed to border on embarrassment rather than shame.

“Well,” he began, reaching a hand up to tug at the sash he had tied around his head. His smile seemed to wobble slightly as he spoke. “I’m-! I’m really happy to hear that, haha.”

The carpet finished its descent as they were still speaking to each other, opting to fly between the columns of the aperture to bring them to the middle of Kalim’s room. Once he realized where they were, the housewarden - still holding onto Jade’s hand - stood up from where he was settled on the carpet. He smiled down at him, before he turned to hop back onto solid ground.

“Okay!” he exclaimed, holding their clasped hands up between them. Between his standing height, and the height that Jade remained crouched atop of the carpet, they were at eye level once again. “Your turn! You can hop right off of the carpet.”

He stayed smiling at him, patiently waiting for the other boy to move from where he was sitting.

And - much like he had earlier - he gave him a couple of long moments to do so, before he eventually interjected once again.

“Okay, okay. Right - one thing at a time.” With his free hand, he patted at the carpet, coaxing it to move once again. Catching the housewarden’s signal, the carpet drifted downward, closing the remaining space until it gently settled onto the floor.

It was only then that Jade breathed out heavily, his head dropping with the weight of his repressed anxiety. He gave himself a moment to collect his bearings, before he hesitantly began to pull himself back onto his feet. Kalim - tightening his hold on his hand - helped him steady himself enough to re-adjust to solid ground.

“See?! Wow, you did it!” he cheered. He threw both of their hands up together victoriously, pumping their fists with an enthusiastic whoop. “You did great, Jade!”

Jade laughed, the sound a touch exhausted from the experience. “Yes…” he sighed, allowing the other boy to move his limp arm excitedly. “We made it.”

He stepped off of the carpet, glancing back towards it with a thin smile when its entire body seemed to give him a congratulatory wave. “Thank you for taking care of me,” he said, running his free hand along the length of the carpet to give it a pet. “I appreciate how gentle you were with me.”

“Yeah, my carpet’s the best!” Kalim nodded firmly. With a proud grin, his own free hand joined Jade’s in giving the carpet an appreciative stroke along its length. He patted at it a couple of times, before it turned to float elsewhere into the bedroom. They watched it curl towards the sitting corner of the room, before they both looked over towards one another.

Kalim smiled brightly up at him, his head tilted back to meet his eye while he was stood at his full height. “Thanks for coming today!” He swung their hands between them, before clasping his hand between both of his own. “Even if it was scary, I really hope you come around to trying it out again. Like I said - It’s really fun once you get used to it!”

Jade chuckled, allowing him to move his hand about between them. “I’ll consider it,” he answered, his smile amicable and polite even when his brows furrowed slightly. “Alternatively, I would love to extend an invitation for you to come to Octavinelle’s dorm sometime. It may not be nearly as heart attack-inducing, but the Mostro Lounge has some edible thrills of its own.”

“Oh! Yeah, of course, I can also see you at your dorm too!” Kalim gave another hearty laugh, still holding his hand as he lead him back towards the door. “If food is what you want though, we can have a feast the next time you visit here!”

“I would appreciate that.”

Once they were stood in front of the doors together, Kalim reached past him to pull at its handle once again. He swung it ajar, holding his arm against it to keep it propped open for him. “Do you want me to walk you to the mirror?”

Jade shook his head. “Not at all. You’ve already done so much for me - I can find my own way back to the mirror chamber.” He smiled at him, his gaze flickering subtly when he noticed that he still hadn’t let go of his hand. “Thank you for having me, Kalim. I appreciate the invitation, as well as your hospitality.”

“Of course! You’re always welcomed here.” Kalim let go of his hand, his gaze trailing after him when he walked out into the hallway. He shifted to stand in front of the door, his bright smile beaming as he watched him. “Bye, Jade.”

Jade glanced back towards him as he walked out, nodding slightly at his farewell. “Goodbye, Kalim. Get some rest - I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

If it were possible, Jade could have sworn that his smile seemed to grow even more than it already had. He felt him watching his back the entire time he walked down the long stretch of hall, before he eventually turned a corner to go down another corridor. From the quick glimpse he had to look towards the housewarden’s ornate doors, he caught the other boy’s form hurriedly disappearing back into his room.

It wasn’t until he got back to his own dorm that Jade had an opportunity to consider what had happened.

More specifically, it was what his brother greeted him with that made him really consider what happened between him and Kalim.

“How’d the date go?”

Floyd’s tone was nonchalant when he asked. Jade - in comparison - turned owlish, his body freezing completely from whatever he was doing to stare at his brother.

When he didn’t get an immediate answer, Floyd glanced up from the shoe catalogue he was leafing through.

“Date…?”

“Yeah?” Floyd gave him an equally confused look. “The one you went on with Sea Otter?”

They stared at each other for another long moment. Jade blinked. Floyd blinked as well, before his expression turned to one of bewilderment.

“What? Your date?” he repeated with a rising tone, as if asking a little more loudly would get his brother to realize what he was talking about. “The date you went on with Sea Otter? The date where Sea Otter invited you to his room? The date where he was going to take you flying? Your date?”

“We weren’t on a date?” His answer came as a question. Jade suddenly found himself uncertain even as he spoke, his brows furrowing thoughtfully.

His brother’s bewilderment only grew.

“Jade.”

He knew Floyd was serious when he sat up from where he was lounging on top of the bed, setting aside his magazine to look squarely towards his brother.

“He invited you.” He paused, his brow raised to prompt a response from his twin.

“Yes?” Jade answered.

“To his room,” he continued.

“… yes.”

“Alone. With just the two of you.”

“To go flying on his magic carpet, yes.”

“His magic carpet!!” Floyd threw his hands up, nearly falling over on top of the bed. He squealed loudly before he cackled out a laugh. “Jade! That’s a date! You were on a date!”

Jade stared, his expression doubtful. That doubt lessened, however, as he began to recall the exact events that transpired. His brows furrowed when he considered how touchy the other boy was with him, the way he kept nudging and holding at his hands to hold them within his own. Even when he was leaving his room, the way his hand lingered in his when he said goodbye…

That was a date…? But Kalim hadn’t explicitly asked if they could go on a date… He just wanted to show him how fun flying was...

“Hellooooo? Jade? Starboard to port?” He blinked out of his thoughts when his brother snapped his fingers in front of his eyes. He glanced towards him, his expression still thoughtful. Floyd was completely delighted, seeming amused at his brother’s obliviousness.

“So? Did it go good or not?”

Jade paused once again. His thoughts lingered on the way his hand felt in Kalim’s; That weird mix of feelings he had when he looked at him, seeing the way he seemed to shine against the backdrop of the sun in its golden hour.

He smiled thinly, feeling the subtle burn that came over his cheeks when he recalled how he told him he’d see him again.

“Swimmingly,” he answered, his smile growing more fondly. “I’ll be seeing him again tomorrow.”