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Soft music filled the ballroom, everyone laughing and smiling, people swinging around each other in harmony at the center of the room.
Jamil took a small sip from his glass. He watched his schoolmates with a small smile, a certain minor type of fondness clawing in his throat. Not that he would ever admit that to anyone.
This is good, he thought, for everyone.
The past couple of weeks have been crazy, to say the least. Jamil knows he overblotted himself, so he really shouldn’t be the one commenting on others, but like fuck Malleus for dragging everyone else into his tempter tantrum, right?
At least when Jamil overblotted, it stayed within the Scarabia dorm, the people and place that caused his overblot. He didn’t spell the whole school into dreams the couldn’t wake from, regardless if they were pleasant. He only mind controlled his whole dorm and sent Kalim, the Prefect and the stupid Octavinelle fish-mafia trio flying. That’s it.
Yeah, there’s no taking the high road with this one huh.
Regardless, Jamil’s just happy everyone came out of this relatively safe and sound. Well, most people anyway. Lilia did nearly die and Malleus is still missing a chunk of his horn. But honestly, he deserved that. Most people who got some sort of injury deserved it.
Besides, fist-fighting Kalim was cathartic. For both of them it seems.
“Thaumark for your thoughts?”
Jamil whipped his head to the side, just to see Azul smiling sweetly with a glass in his hand. Well, speak of the devil and he shall appear. Or in this case, octo-mofioso.
“Just thinking. Got lost in thought I guess.”
“Mm, anything you feel like sharing?” Azul kept his sweet smile while trying to push Jamil into telling him. Yeah he was not getting out of this.
“It was nothing really. Just remanicing.”
“About?”
“Winter break.” He admitted. “And the past week.”
Azul hummed , turning to face towards the center of the ball room where people were dancing and laughing merrily. He looked as if he was trying to study them, or if he was just as glad everyone was safe as Jamil is.
“That makes sense.” He eventually said.
Jamil hummed and gave no further response, launching them into a comfortable silence as they both observed the dancers.
He and Azul have gotten…closer since winter break. Especially following the events of the S.T.Y.X kidnapping, all of the overblotters made it a point to talk to each other more. They had a group chat and often got togethers.
On top of that, both he and Azul got wrapped up into another friend group consisting of second-years. It was such a stupid way they all started talking more. Kalim made a group chat to invite Riddle, Ruggie, the fish-mafia, Silver and himself to a party. Then Floyd got to talking and so did Ruggie and Kalim and now…well now the group chat just won’t shut up.
Azul was also one of the few people who wasn’t scared of Jamil, especially immediately after break. Everyone avoided Jamil, tried to placate him or made snide remarks when they thought he wasn’t looking. He was. The SDC helped with that, making him more popular with some of his peers, but before then it was rough.
Azul didn’t care much though. In fact, he seemed to like Jamil even more after the Winter Break incident. He would always request to pair with Jamil for group projects, force his way into sitting next to the Vice and follows him around constantly with business proposals and other ideas.
He’d gotten…used to the Mers company. He doesn’t fight about partnering with him anymore. He doesn’t get excited to see him per-say, but if Azul isn’t pestering him then Jamil feels slightly off-kilter that day. Riddle mentioned one day he felt very similar about Floyd, said it makes sense that Azul is like that too. But, now he and Floyd are dating…
Okay, so Jamil knows he has a crush. That isn’t like some astute observation he just made. Azul is objectively attractive and constantly around. He’s the first person to try to take Jamil seriously, to see who he actually is beneath the layers of masks he puts up. It makes sense that he would like the guy, okay?
Yeah, that still does not help Jamil in the slightest.
“You know, you’re really good at getting lost in your thoughts.” Azul said. “Or maybe that’s just a today thing. I don’t recall you doing so much before.”
“I’m feeling sentimental, sue me.” Jamil grumbled.
“Oh? You, sentimental? That is new.”
Jamil turned to glare at Azul, “I will send you flying again.”
Azul let out a hearty laugh, “I believe it.”
Azul settled down and looked at the dance for again, a complicated thought on his face. “May I say something.”
“Like I could stop you.”
“I’m…happy.”
Jamil looked back over at Azul, who had a wistful expression. This felt vulnerable, normally neither of them did vulnerable.
When did that change?
“This whole thing was an experience. One I would never wish to repeat of course. But, I think I learned a little more about myself. Things I needed too. I think everyone did.” He took a sip of his drink, assumedly trying to collect his thoughts.
“We all went through hell and back for, in Leona’s words an ‘overgrown lizard’, and came back, well maybe not stronger, but definitely different. A good different.” Azul finally fixed his gaze back at Jamil and blushed blue a little. “Sorry, that was cheesy, I know.”
“Yeah, it was. But you can’t help it, you’re a sap.” Jamil lightly laughed, Azul blushing further and turned his head away slightly. “Doesn’t make it not true though.”
Azul looked up through his bangs as Jamil thought for a second. “Well maybe only half-true. Even though it’s a sweet sentiment, this is NRC afterall: the school full of crooks, thrives and assholes.” Jamil smirked towards Azul, “We can’t expect it to change that much.”
“That’s true,” Azul huffed a half-laugh. “And it would be a shame if it did. I quite like our school and its students.” Ah, so returns the Azul conniving businessman smile.
“You mean you like to make money off them.”
“Well, two things can be true.” Azul smiled a fake-sweetly. “Either way, I’m glad the school is okay.”
Jamil hummed in affirmation, yet again turning to watch the people dancing the night away on the ballroom floor. Then suddenly, he got an idea. A very bad and very stupid idea. But this was a party, a singular time he can indulge in whatever he’d like and whomever he’d like.
Jamil downed his drink and placed the empty glass on the table. “Hey Azul, let’s dance.”
“Wh-what?”
“Comeon, let’s dance.” Jamil grabbed the drink from Azul’s hand and set it down on the party table near his own empty cup. Then he gently grabbed Azul’s arms and started walking them both on to the dance floor.
“Jamil I don’t know about this—“
“It’ll be fun, I promise.”
“It likely won’t! I can barely even dance.”
Jamil stopped and looked him in the eyes. “But you can dance a little right? Either way it doesn’t matter, you said you were happy everyone else is. And everyone else is showing how glad they are that this school is safe on the dance floor. You should allow yourself to join them.”
Azul bit his lip worryingly. Jamil decided to be brave. Or reckless, honestly this whole situation was a healthy dose of both. He placed a finger under Azul’s chin and lifted his head softly, gently. “You’ll be fine, no one's going to think you weird if you mess up. I’ll be right here.”
Yeah so where the fuck did that come from. He thought Azul was cheesy earlier, but damn. That was just pathetic. Oh well, he’s 18, he can drink his woes away later. Not that he will, but the thought that he can is enough.
Azul’s blue blushed returns as he is forced to look at Jamil’s eyes. Jamil never thought he’d have blue blush, but it makes sense being an octo-mer and all. He can’t really imagine a cuter look than it in the entire world right now anyway. Damn, now his own ears are starting to burn a little.
He needs to get control of this crush. But not tonight, that can wait.
“…Okay.” Azul says quietly and lets Jamil lead them both to the dance floor. He figured Azul might kill him if he brought them to the center-center, so he tried to keep them closer towards the edge while still having ample room to dance.
The song playing right wasn’t a fast one, but it wasn’t exactly slow. It wasn’t like it was a waltz or anything. Jamil places a hand on Azul’s shoulder and one on his waist as he leads them in a simple dance. Azul wasn’t lying about barely being able to dance, he kept almost stepping on Jamil’s feet, he looked almost embarrassed after the 6th time it happened.
“I’m sorry, I am really bad at this—“
“Don’t apologize.” Jamil smiled at him. “You told me you’d be, besides it’s nice I’ve got another thing the Azul Ashengrotto is bad at.”
At that Azul glared at him and purposefully stepped on his foot. “I’ll have you know I’m good at everything I actually try to be, and no flying doesn’t count. Do not ask.”
Jamil huffs. “What, so do you just not care about dancing?”
“I’ve not really had a previous interest in anything beyond the basics for important events.”
“So…” Jamil smiled a shit-eating too sweet smile at Azul. “You’re saying you just need proper interest?”
Is this flirting? Are these signs?
Azul hummed and brushed Jamil’s shoulder with one of his hands before resting it back in place. “Perhaps I just need an adequate teacher to become interested.” Azul looked back at Jamil, seemingly batting his eyes. Weird. Wait.
Wait, this is definitely flirting, right? Is Jamil misreading the signs?
“Azul Ashengrotto,” Jamil used the hand on Azul’s waist and wrapped it around the small of his back, pushing him in closer to Jamil, “are you asking me to be your dance teacher?”
Azul blushed a brilliant shade of blue and gripped onto Jamil’s arm, as if he wasn’t expecting that. “I…might be. Are you good enough?”
“Well, I like to think so.”
Azul hummed and pulled himself in a little closer so they were nearly flush, the two of them mostly just swaying now. Jamil leaned in closer, resting their foreheads against another and brushing their noses together. “But the real question is what would I be getting in return?”
Azul stared directly into Jamil's eyes, “…What would you like?”
Oh please don’t be misreading the signs.
Jamil’s eyes flicked down to Azul’s lips and licked his own. He moved their faces ever so slightly closer, so he could feel Azul’s warm breath.
Azul’s eyes lidded, themselves flicking towards Jamil lips. Jamil took that to lean in a little further, barely brushing their lips together, and just stayed there for a second. A very long, completely unsure second.
“Jamil.” He hummed in response, “Would you just fucking kiss me already?”
Jamil needed no further instructions, capturing Azul’s lips hard. He pushed Azul impossibly closer to him with the hand on the small of his back, using his other hand to hold onto the housewardens jaw. Azul clung onto Jamil’s collar as he kissed him back with equal intensity.
His lips were soft in a way Jamil thought was only imaginable, and he molded perfectly to Jamil’s body, fitting against him like a puzzle. He tasted of something vaguely sweet and smelled phenomenal and Jamil couldn’t get enough. Azul was either a proficient study or a serial kisser because there is no explainable reason this kiss should be this good.
They parted to breathe, resting their foreheads against each other.
“I think…that’s a pretty good payment.”
“You think?!” Azul let out a breathless laugh, a bright smile taking over his face that Jamil couldn’t help but mimic as the former tossed his arms over Jamil’s shoulders and crossed his wrists.
The music reflooded his ears as he didn’t even realize it left. Azul seemed to have the same revelation as he slowly brought his arms back, gliding his hands softly around Jamil’s neck until they reached his face. The mer cupped Jamil’s cheeks and brought their lips together for a chaste kiss before settling his hands on the man’s shoulders.
Jamil took that as a cue to replace his hands on Azul’s waist and keep them dancing to the beat, as if nothing happened.
After they both had a few moments of calming down and comfortable silence, Azul piped up. “Make sure your free Friday, 7 P.M. sharp.”
Jamil raised an eyebrow. “Odd much?” He chuckled. Sure but why?”
“Because I want to take you on a date.”
Jamil couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face. He couldn’t help the giddy butterflies that filled his stomach or the desire to kiss Azul again. He decided against the lips though, as they were still in public and he did not need to make a scene, instead pressing a featherlight kiss to the tip of Azul’s nose.
“Sure, just as long as I get to plan the next one.”