Archive of Our Own

If you told Jamil Viper he wouldn’t be single by the end of his second year, he would’ve laughed in your face. He never would’ve thought that he’d have a partner, let alone have said partner be the Housewarden of Octavinelle, Azul Ashengrotto.

He could recall the day his classmate stopped him as he was packing up the last of his equipment. Their potionology class had just concluded, and Jamil was ready to leave for basketball club practice. 

Professor Crewel had the students attempt to create a potion that could give the students the ability to temporarily shield themselves against cosmic magic. The potion itself sounded simple, and so did the procedure. But upon closer inspection, Jamil noticed the vitality of the order of ingredients. The procedure stated the potion should not be getting to any temperature that makes it almost impossible to retrieve any of the potion. The order had never been stated, but seeing as he was working with a highly acidic solution and a water-based solvent got him to realise that it was intentionally left out to see which students may or may not be as observant as him.

In the end, Jamil was able to successfully create a potion that satisfied Crewel’s expectations and not put any of the ingredients in the incorrect order. Most of his other classmates were able to catch on to how vague the instructions were. But there were always going to be a few people to screw up during any potionology class, and those students were unable to retrieve their concoctions.

Surprisingly, Azul had been one of the students to mess up in today’s potionology class. Potionology was by far one of Azul’s strongest suits, so what the hell could’ve happened that made Azul fail? Could he have just uncharacteristically slipped up? Or perhaps there was something else on his mind. Jamil caught himself thinking about the other boy, something he had noticed himself doing recently. He wouldn’t necessarily call Azul a friend, but he was comfortable calling themselves acquaintances of some sort. Unbeknownst to himself, Jamil was thinking about Azul more than the average person.

(Somewhere deep tucked inside of Jamil’s heart, he had thought about what it would be like to call Azul his own. He wondered what a future might be like if he had Azul by his side. A future where he was blessed to wake up with the warmth of another body cradling his own. Soft silver locks would lightly graze his forehead, blue eyes staring at grey. He craved the touch of the other man so bad, but he knew his fantasy would remain as what it is now— a fantasy.

After all, he was still to serve the Asim family. He knew Kalim would let Jamil live this dream out, but he wasn’t like the other family members of the Asim family. They would more likely than not disapprove of such a selfish desire. And if his parents found out about this? He couldn’t even imagine what they would say, and he’d like to keep it that way.)

As Jamil was about to leave, he could feel a strong grip on his wrist, restricting him from leaving. Jamil glanced down to see Azul had been the one to stop him from leaving. Jamil couldn’t help but notice the sunlight beaming on his classmate, highlighting his (ironically) oceanic, blue eyes; Jamil found it almost too easy to lose himself in them.

“Stay… just for a moment,” Jamil could hear Azul mutter under his breath, followed by a simple “please”. Whatever he needed to tell Jamil seemed to have been something serious. Considering how today’s lab had gone for him, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Azul had something serious he needed to discuss with Jamil.

Club could wait. Jamil wanted to hear what Azul had to say to him. Azul was clearly in distress about something. He could only pray the basketball club wouldn't descend into chaos. He shuddered at the thought of leaving Floyd and Ace unattended in particular.

By the time the class emptied itself out, Jamil had already sat down, unaware Azul had been calling out his name for the past ten seconds.

“...’amil? Jamil?? Are you there?” Azul waved a hand in front of Jamil’s face to snap him out of his trance.

“Hm?” Jamil hummed in response. Ah. He was getting distracted by his own thoughts. He looked over to Azul, who still had a hold on Jamil’s wrist, unwilling to let go until he finished what he wanted to say.

“What did you want to talk about? I noticed you were lacking in class today; you really had me wondering what’s been going on in that mind of yours—”

“Jamil.” The housewarden cut the Scarabian vice off sternly before he could continue his sentence. Sevens, what could Jamil have possibly done to get Azul to act like this? He averted eye contact with Jamil. A slight tinge of blue started to creep up on Azul’s face.

“Listen… I need to talk to you about… something that’s been on my mind.”

“Go on then, out with it,” Jamil urged. “I don’t have all day for this.”

“You know I have been… for lack of a better word, encouraging you to join my dorm for a while now. You also know that you’ve piqued my interest since freshman year.” Of course. After Jamil’s overblot, Azul had admitted to that amongst a few other things, like how he’d outright said he preferred his authentic self, and how he believed he and Jamil would get along ‘far better’ than Jamil and Kalim. 

“Get to the point, already,” Jamil interrupted, a frown forming on his face already. “It isn’t like you to beat around the bush like this. What is it you wanted to discuss?”

Azul stared at Jamil for a few seconds before huffing at him. “You know I’ve always been interested in you. From the facade you put on to your true behaviour, I’ve always admired you, Jamil. You care so much about those you protect, and I’ve always found that trait to be admirable of you.” Azul began to beat around the bush again, but Jamil decided to wait it out. No point rushing Azul at this point.

“You’ve always been the one that catches my attention whether I like it or not. Which is why…” Azul took another deep breath, before uttering a sentence under his breath that Jamil could not decipher to save his life. Why did Azul need to speak so quickly at the end? He didn’t seem like he needed to leave early. He wouldn’t have stopped Jamil, otherwise. Perhaps he was too embarrassed to say what he wanted to say in a coherent manner. But what could Azul have wanted to say to get him to act like such a shy guy?

Jamil thought to himself for a second. Azul waited for everybody to leave the classroom before addressing whatever issue he was facing. Whatever he had to say made him blush before saying it, and his uncharacteristically timid fashion made Jamil acknowledge what Azul wanted to tell him was probably something rather personal.

Oh.

There could only be one possible explanation. Jamil wasn’t that dense. And he finally took it upon himself to look towards Azul, a blue blush creeping at the top of his ears as he tried to cover the rest of his face with his arms. But even with his arms covering him, Jamil could still see Azul’s face burning a much brighter, deep blue through the gap between his arms.

Oh.

So that’s what he wants to talk about. Jamil thought to himself. Jamil had always found Azul to be an attractive person. After all, who wouldn’t? Objectively he was handsome. Azul managed to peel away Jamil’s false exterior and still treat him as he did prior to his overblot. Jamil subconsciously found that very attractive of Azul.

Jamil wanted this all to be a dream so bad. He truly did. Never in his life was he allowed to have his own victories, considering he had to let the Scarabian housewarden win at everything. He didn’t blame Kalim for that, but he still felt envy towards the other. But now? Azul could be his. He could finally play out his desires in real life. He knew he loved Azul too, but would it really be alright if he decided to be selfish just this once? 

Jamil thought about it for a second, before ultimately gathering his thoughts together to give Azul an answer he knew he couldn’t misinterpret. He couldn’t help but let out a small snicker while admiring Azul’s sheer beauty. He was really going to let Azul be his. He was going to be Azul’s. Jamil gently grabbed Azul’s arms so he could look at the man’s bashful visage.

“Hey… who would've guessed I’d render the Housewarden of Octavinelle to such a state?” Jamil playfully teased his peer, “And I haven’t even said or done anything yet. Now tell me what you said again, but slowly. I’d like to hear what you just told me.”

Azul had initially tried to pry himself away from Jamil’s touch, but he relented. There was no point trying to hide from the situation he put himself in. Azul suddenly shot up and looked Jamil dead in the eyes, with an unwavering expression donning his face.

“Jamil Viper…” Azul started, “I’m in love with you. I am so in love with you. The reason my thoughts were all over the place today was because I knew today would be the day I express my feelings to you. I don’t even think you would feel the same, let alone consider me a friend, but I just needed to—”

He was cut off by the sudden pressure of soft lips pressed against his own. Azul could feel his heart bumping out of his chest, eyes suddenly dilating as the pressure elicited a short gasp from him. To Azul, the world had just stopped. The only things that mattered were him and the Vice Housewarden of Scarabia. Jamil was everything in this moment. He was the only thing Azul could think of as his brain was trying to process the fact that the Jamil Viper was kissing him right now. It was just a small peck on the lips. It wasn’t much, but it felt like true bliss for both Azul and Jamil.

They slowly parted from each other, both maintaining eye contact with each other.

“Well, does that answer your question?” was what Jamil had tried to say, but Azul wordlessly decided that the kiss they just shared wasn’t enough for him. He got a firm hold of Jamil’s collar, before turning him so that his back was facing the bench they were sitting on. Azul slammed him against the bench, silencing anything Jamil wanted to say with a firmer, more desperate kiss. Azul moved his arms so that they were next to Jamil’s shoulders, while Jamil’s arms stood still as he tried to comprehend what was happening. He didn’t have much experience when it came to situations like these, so in an act of desperation, he started going for the first thing he could grab onto in his position. He snaked his arms around Azul’s back, bringing him down with him onto the bench.

Azul let himself be manhandled by the man beneath him, feeling his torso being pushed down so it was directly on top of the other’s. Jamil was so warm, and he was everything and nothing he had imagined at the same time. Jamil could feel Azul’s glasses pressed onto his face, but he paid no mind. After all, how could he concern himself over small things like that when he has the Azul on top of him now? 

He felt Jamil move his hands from his back to the back of his head, feeling a sudden tug from Jamil pulling at his silver locks. He gasped at the feeling, letting his mouth pry open just a bit. And it was all Jamil needed to slide his tongue into the other man’s mouth. Azul could feel Jamil’s tongue tracing his teeth, as their tongues danced in such a way that was theirs, and only theirs. Any noises Azul made were swallowed up by Jamil, like a starving man that could only satiate his hunger with the sweet melodies of the man on top of him right now.

Everything about that moment was engraved into Jamil’s mind; he didn’t think he could ever forget how Azul’s lips felt around his. When they finally pulled away, they could both feel their breaths mingling together, a single strand of saliva still connecting them. Jamil took this as a chance to see how Azul was faring after that.

And holy shit. His usual hair, the hair that was styled a particular way everyday, was now rather dishevelled. Silver strands that were not there prior to their… “makeout session” were now sticking out from the merman’s head. His glasses were also slightly askew, tilting a bit more on its side. Seeing this new side to Azul made Jamil’s heart flutter. It felt so exciting, watching the man who “had his eyes on him since freshman year” practically melt into his hands like putty.

Jamil hadn’t seemed to notice he had been staring for a while now. And now that he was aware of it and his surroundings, he froze up. Azul was better with words, anyway.

“Well…” As expected, Azul cut the silence with a whisper, “I… I assume you must feel the same about me, too?” Jamil could hear a bit of uncertainty in his voice. Seriously, how dense must Azul be to think he didn’t like him back?

“If I didn’t like you, I wouldn’t have initiated that kiss,” Jamil murmured, averting his gaze from the other. “Plus, what I tried telling you before you rudely interrupted me was if that kiss answered your question. What would make you think I didn’t feel the same?”

He could hear a laugh come out of Azul in response, but it wasn’t his usual cunning, somewhat malicious laugh. No, it was a softer, sweeter laugh. It was unlike anything Jamil had heard from the merman. It felt as if the clock of Jamil’s life ticked for the first time, with Azul’s chuckle being the alarm to awaken him. Azul’s laughter turned out to be rather infectious, and soon enough Jamil couldn’t help but laugh alongside Azul.

What a silly question it was.

Before they knew it, Azul and Jamil became third year students, with their relationship stronger than ever. Having to do long distance for eight weeks was probably the most challenging part of their relationship so far. Yet they still called each other every time Jamil wasn’t busy tending to the Asim family’s needs.

Since Jamil was back in the Scalding Sands, it meant he was given more duties to serve for other members of the Asim family, alongside serving Kalim. Azul could tell Jamil wasn’t really enjoying having to serve Kalim and his family more, especially under the cautious watch of Jamil’s parents. After Jamil’s overblot, much more supervision was placed on him. While they didn’t know the real story that led to his overblot (and it’s best it stayed that way), the idea of having to hear their son had to go through that haunted them. Despite his strained relationship with them, Jamil felt reassured they were at least still worried for him.

After a discussion about their relationship deepened, they both decided it’d be best to keep their relationship a secret from everyone, except a select few people. Two of the people who knew were Azul’s right-hand men. Both Jade and Floyd were starting to get sick of Azul’s antics about Jamil. Initially it was funny to dog on Azul for his schoolgirl crush, but now it was just getting old. It was always “just imagine Jamil in Octavinelle, Jade!” this, and “don't you think we could add different sorts of curry to appeal to other guests, Floyd?”

(Plus, it was obvious Azul's primary goal for adding different curry options was to lure Jamil closer to him. One step at a time.)

It got to the point where they both secretly started bets on things such as when they’d get together, or who would initiate the first kiss (Floyd won on both occasions). 

“Well, at least he can finally shut up about different ways on how to ‘kiss the girl’,” Floyd said while talking to Jade about Azul’s relationship with Sea Snake. The moon was radiant that night. The twins found themselves immersed in conversation, gossiping about anything and everything their brains could conjure. “I was getting sick of how sappy he’d get whenever Sea Snake was mentioned in a sentence.”

“Indeed.” Jade continued with a smirk. “However, I cannot help but feel a bit disappointed we won’t be able to tease Azul about this for just a bit longer.” That was true. For even when Azul’s infatuation was exhausting, both Jade and Floyd still found pleasure in poking fun at their housewarden.

Kalim also knew about Jamil and Azul’s secret relationship relatively early in, and would oftentimes try to assist Jamil in sneaking a few moments for Azul and Jamil to be together.

“I’m so happy for you, Jamil! I’m glad you were able to trust me with this information. Rest assured, I will not be telling a single soul about the two of you! Your secret is safe with me!” Kalim punctuated his sentence with a wink. He understood how much of a big step in their relationship it was for Jamil to be entrusting Kalim with such news.

While their progress was slower than expected, Kalim was forever grateful he had the opportunity to gain a relationship with Jamil. Not as master and servant, but as academic equals. And in the future, it may bloom into a friendship. But he knew that the future would be a long distance away. He would wait patiently for that distance to shorten. 

Other than those three, Jamil and Azul never found the idea of anyone knowing about their relationship appealing in the slightest. Outside of their bedrooms, they acted like how they did prior to their relationship. It was the same bickering from an unobservant eye, but the three who knew would notice tiny changes in their behaviour. Like Jamil’s venomous responses to Azul were said with more fondness in his voice. Azul could also hear the fondness in his boyfriend’s voice, and he would always give Jamil a smile at the cacophony of words he was spewing out. 

His boyfriend. He got to call Jamil his boyfriend! Even several months later he couldn’t believe he had the privilege to call Jamil his boyfriend.

And Jamil didn’t expect himself to be the more physically affectionate out of the two of them. He knew he had craved the touch of Azul, but he never considered the concept of Azul craving his touch. While Jamil was never one for displays of affection, he would sometimes try to steal brief moments of intimacy from Azul. If the hallway was empty, Jamil would sneak a kiss or two from the other. Or if they were asked to collect some items for their professors, they’d always end up taking a bit longer than they did before. After all, they always took the opportunity to hurriedly make out behind closed doors.

Night Raven College’s entrance ceremony went relatively smoothly this year. There were four new housewardens since only Azul, Kalim, and Riddle were the only non third years from last year’s list of housewardens. So seeing familiar faces like Savanaclaw’s Ruggie Bucchi, Pomefiore’s Epel Felmier, and Diasomnia’s Silver Vanrouge at the housewarden meeting before the ceremony gave Azul quite a shock. He wasn’t expecting to recognise so many of the new housewardens. The only unfamiliar newcomer was Ignihyde’s housewarden. He was half expecting Idia to give the role to Ortho, but he believed the student was one of the second years that assisted Idia in their battle to defeat Malleus and his dream world.

Azul found himself enjoying the entrance ceremonies, as well as the housewarming parties Octavinelle held afterwards for the freshmen. It went the same as it did last year. Azul and Jade introduced themselves as housewarden and vice housewarden, before sending the freshmen off to their assigned dorm rooms. This year, though, Azul had a new primary goal. And that was to see Jamil again. Two whole excruciating months of not being able to see his boyfriend in person. Yes, being back in the Coral Sea with his mother and stepfather provided Azul with a lot of joy, but he couldn’t help but miss Jamil so much. It’s natural for someone to miss their significant other like that, surely?

But now he was stuck in this housewarming party. Not that he wasn’t enjoying it or anything, but it was a tragedy that it was preventing Azul from seeing his lover. Alas, Jamil was also occupied with Scarabia’s own housewarming party. Sevens knows what might happen at their party. He recalled Jamil telling him how a Diasomnia freshman somehow ended up at their dorm, and how he had to escort the lost student to the Diasomnia mirror. Perhaps after their reunion, Jamil could tell Azul any of the wacky adventures that happened during the party.

There was also the club fair held for the freshmen. The stalls for the board game club and basketball club were far away from each other; their clubs were very different from one another, so it wasn’t a surprise to Azul and Jamil that they wouldn't be able to see each other, either.

But after the fair was finally over and all the stalls were cleared away, Jamil and Azul finally had the opportunity to reunite with each other. While stacking away the chairs, he noticed a familiar black haired individual approaching him. And seeing said individual made Azul smile harder than he ever had. He knew he looked a bit stupid, but he didn’t mind. He wanted Jamil to know how much his presence affected his mood.

Jamil also had a smile plastered on his face. And as he approached Azul, he allowed his lips to brush Azul’s ear, rested his hand on Azul’s bicep, and whispered a simple “I’ll be at your door at eight o’clock. I’ll knock twice,” before letting go of his bicep and leaving Azul to tend to his own stall. Azul checked his watch to check the time. The clock read half past six, so that meant Azul had to wait an hour and a half before he could seize what was his.

Azul kept pacing around his bedroom in panicked waiting. His eyes kept flicking down to his watch, praying time would go by faster. The clock read five to eight. Five more minutes… Azul thought to himself. Within those five minutes, Azul's mind was rushing with so many different thoughts at once.

He was excited to see his boyfriend, of course, but there were other emotions lingering in his head. What if Jamil suddenly hated him? Like, what if he lost his ability to be a good kisser? Or even worse, what if Jamil realised he fell out of love with him? What if he realised Azul was just too ugly for someone like him? No, he wouldn’t have even wanted to meet here if he didn’t like me in the first place. Azul still struggled with his self confidence, but Jamil helped him gain some of it back. He always treated Azul like he was a prized treasure. After all, how could something that belonged to Jamil be hideous?

Before he knew it, Azul heard the two knocks on the door. He knew that had to be Jamil. Quickly snapping out of his thoughts, Azul rushed for the door. His hands promptly flew for the handle, opening it to be greeted with Jamil in his dorm uniform. Jamil had his hair in a much more casual ponytail than how he’d usually style his hair. There were no longer any braids in his hair, nor any of the jewellry he would don on his head. It was a simple low ponytail.

Azul didn’t let Jamil get a word in before he slammed the door and pressed Jamil onto the back of it. Azul immediately got his hands on Jamil’s waist and closed the gap between the two of them with a firm kiss.

It was so obvious Azul was desperate for the other man, but he knew Jamil was, too. He felt a pair of arms rest on his shoulders and wrap around his neck. Their lips were moving with increasing ardour, as the sound of sweet nothings filled the room between kisses. Azul felt so hot in the moment, his pulse racing and chest feeling like it was on fire as he continued to kiss Jamil deeply. He savoured every second where he could feel Jamil’s tongue on his, like it was his last day of living. The kiss was sloppy, but neither of them cared. All that mattered in that moment was that they were finally together again, with no one else to bother them. It was just them.

Azul melted into Jamil’s touch, missing the way he would let him rough him up while ruthlessly tugging at his hair. Jamil knew Azul loved it when he pulled his hair since he learned that pulling it always elicited a noise from Azul. And this time was no exception, as Azul could feel sparks flowing through his veins as he felt Jamil pulling at his hair.

Every sound Azul made fuelled Jamil’s already strong desire for the other. Azul was loud when receiving affection. He was always reacting to Jamil with a sound, and all of those sounds would come together to create a symphony that only Jamil would be able to hear. A song he would selfishly keep to himself. Before parting away from Azul, Jamil bit his bottom lip and moved his hands to grab Azul and lead him to the bed. Jamil fell on the bed first, allowing Azul to lay directly on top of him. Their bodies were flushed together as Jamil dragged Azul down for another kiss.

Azul discarded his glasses onto the bedside table before allowing Jamil to pull him down, and he was glad he did so. Now his glasses weren’t in the way of him being able to press into the kiss further. Azul opened up a small gap between his lips, inviting Jamil to snake his tongue into his mouth. He let Jamil glide his tongue around the entirety of his mouth, which made Azul shiver at the sensation. Sevens, he missed that feeling.

Azul started to part away from Jamil, unable to differentiate whose breath was whose. Their breaths felt so warm mingling together, both audibly shaken from actions that proved complete obsession with one another. Azul didn’t give himself time to be away from Jamil though, as he immediately started placing featherlike kisses everywhere on Jamil. Azul was dedicated to creating an artistic masterpiece with such a beautiful canvas beneath him. It started at the side of Jamil’s already swollen lips, moving around his face. None of his face went untouched. Azul kissed his cheeks, his forehead, his eyelids, his jawline, the shell of his ears, hell even his nose wasn’t getting out of this. He knew Jamil was the one to initiate more physical touch, but Azul couldn’t help himself when he had a Scarabian paragon beneath him.

His kisses started moving away from his face, and before he could process it, Jamil felt Azul’s breath ghost over his neck. Azul watched as Jamil’s Adam’s apple moved as he swallowed, noticing Jamil tensing up at the feeling of warm breath on his skin. Azul looked up to see an equally tense look on Jamil’s face. He stopped to check up on Jamil, moving away so that his body was no longer on top of Jamil’s. Rather, he chose to roll onto his side, still continuing to maintain eye contact. Despite being away from Jamil for a few seconds, he already missed the warmth of the other’s body. Being away from Jamil let Azul see how Jamil was looking without being so close, though.

And what a stunner Jamil Viper was. His face was flushed with a deep pink, and upon closer observation, the blush had also reached his neck. Azul must have accidentally pulled out Jamil’s hair ties at one point, because his neatly done ponytail became one mass of what used to be silky smooth brown locks. It was now left a cascading mess streaming down Azul’s bed. What an honour it was to have someone as luxurious as Jamil splayed over his bedsheets. And it was for his eyes only. Azul got to have Jamil, the man who to most seemed just like nothing but a cunning and meticulous mage, in his most vulnerable state. Azul only had the benevolent Sea Witch to thank for such a gift.

“Jamil, dear. Are you alright with me continuing? Or would you like me to stop?” Azul asked Jamil. The last thing he wanted to do was push Jamil away from him. “If you want me to stop doing anything, please don’t be scared to tell me.”

Jamil, however, showed his objection by placing his lips on Azul’s own. This kiss wasn’t like any of the others they shared that night. It was a softer kiss, one that was full of so much love. Azul was being so thoughtful towards Jamil, he couldn’t help but feel that way towards his beloved.

“You can carry on, love. Fuck… please carry on, Azul.” Jamil’s plea was all that Azul needed to carry on with his painting. He immediately went for the left side of Jamil’s neck since it was the side open to him. Azul peppered kisses all over Jamil’s neck, starting off with a light touch on the skin. After what Azul thought was a sufficient amount of affection given to the left side of Jamil’s neck, he moved over so that he was able to reach the right side. He then repeated the same light pecks. He had to make sure none of Jamil was untouched, after all.

“I missed you…” Azul purred between kisses. “I missed you so much, Jamil. I didn’t know how long I could last without having you in my arms again.”

Azul was so close to Jamil’s ear now. He could hear the sultry voice of a siren on his right. Jamil turned to face the sound, and Azul’s beauty truly was mythical. Not only was Azul’s voice so alluring, but he was also the most ethereal being Jamil had laid his eyes on. Azul was like an otherworldly deity, and Jamil was his most devout worshipper. Jamil knew he had been given so much love already, but he wanted more.

Sound and sight weren’t enough for Jamil. He wanted all of his senses to be overloaded by Azul and only Azul. And he satiated his cravings by moving in to kiss Azul on the lips again.

He could feel Azul’s hands roam around his body. Jamil liked it a lot when Azul touched him. Jamil was surprised when he realised he was the touchier one in the relationship. He believed Azul would’ve been, as he thought octopi tended to be clingy creatures. 

(“It’s quite the opposite actually,” Azul informed his boyfriend when Jamil was asking about Azul’s life as a merman. “Most octopus mermen tend to stay in solitude. A lot of mermen of other species look down on us, so we tend to seclude ourselves.”

That night Jamil didn’t let go of Azul. He knew about Azul’s childhood, and he promised himself he’d make sure Azul wouldn’t experience anything that would bring out the same emotions he felt when he was being bullied by those good-for-nothing mermen.)

Jamil could taste a subtle vanilla on his lips. It likely came from the lip balm Azul put on before Jamil’s arrival. He was obsessed with the taste of it. The idea that someone as celestial as Azul would go for such a common flavour like vanilla felt somewhat paradoxical. Jamil appreciated the mundanity of such a flavour, though. It made the experience feel real.

He could smell Azul. Azul faintly smelled like the spices from the Mostro Lounge. Jamil remembered Azul asking him for recommendations of what spices he should use for certain items he was considering adding to the menu, and he smelled like some of those spices. It smelled like home. Azul smelled like home, and Jamil sought comfort in that. He knew he wouldn’t be able to bring Azul back to the Scalding Sands any time soon, but he would love to take him back to his homeland one day.

“I missed you too, Azul.” Jamil told Azul as they were parting from their kiss, before lifting his neck up, silently asking Azul to continue with his art piece. And who was Azul to say otherwise?

“Tell me if you want me to stop,” was all Azul said before he swiftly went back to working on Jamil’s neck. Except this time, he wasn’t giving the faint kisses like he did prior. This time, he could feel Azul’s freshly slick lips firmly press on the bottom of his neck. The sensation of feeling Azul’s cool lips and tongue on Jamil’s neck sent shivers down his spine. Neither of them realised carrying on with this would probably result in a mark. They were both caught up in the heat of the moment, and all Jamil could do was focus on the sensation of Azul sucking on his neck.

It felt ticklish. It felt like nothing Jamil had felt before. He could feel Azul’s teeth lightly graze his nape, which felt different compared to the way his lips were ruthlessly sucking on him. Jamil couldn’t think straight, but all of his thoughts were all pointing to one thing. Everything was hot. This was hot. Azul was hot. Jamil wanted to thank Azul in the moment, but words were not his strong suit. Instead, he chose to slide his hands towards Azul’s head. He let his nails lightly rake Azul’s scalp before grabbing a fistful of hair and pulling on it, forcefully yanking Azul off his neck. Azul was hungrily staring at Jamil’s neck again, wanting at it again. Jamil snapped Azul out of his star-struck daze with one final rough kiss. He could feel Azul’s teeth clacking against his. It should’ve hurt, but the adrenaline coursing through his veins made Jamil temporarily numb the pain. 

Jamil pulled Azul away from him, before letting his forehead rest on his own. They stayed that way in silence for a prolonged time— neither of them wanting to interrupt the moment. The only sounds that could be heard from either of them were their ragged breaths. 

Azul moved so his head was buried in the crook of Jamil’s neck. He shifted his body so that he was clinging on to Jamil. Admittedly, he was quite tired. In the past 24 hours, Azul had to help ensure the entrance ceremony went successfully, host a housewarming party without any issues, and also set up and advertise the stall for the board game club for the club fair. It exhausted him quite a bit, and the warmth radiating from Jamil was making him feel sleepy.

Jamil noticed his boyfriend started to doze off, so he started rubbing Azul’s back with one hand and returned to raking his nails in Azul’s hair with the other in an attempt to soothe him to sleep. He knew his boyfriend had so many responsibilities that had been weighing down on him. This was fine. He could always catch up with Azul once he woke up. For now, Azul’s sleepiness was contagious, and Jamil could feel himself growing more and more tired. It was a bit early to sleep, but he didn’t really care. Jamil ultimately decided that getting a bit of shut-eye wouldn’t hurt him, and he ended up drifting into a slumber shortly after Azul.

Jamil was the first to rise; he was used to getting up earlier than others so he could prepare breakfast for Kalim. His body developed what he called a makeshift alarm clock so Kalim was able to have breakfast before their lessons started. He didn’t mind waking up earlier than the others, though. He liked his quiet mornings, and he liked the routine he developed for his mornings during his enrolment at Night Raven College. The clock read six fifteen. He should have the right amount of time to get ready in Azul’s room and get back to Scarabia in time.

Jamil looked down to see Azul was still asleep. He looked so relaxed while he rested. Jamil was glad Azul was able to get some rest after such a tiring two days. He watched Azul’s chest rise and fall. Each time Azul exhaled, Jamil could feel a warm breath on his neck and hear a quiet sigh escape his mouth. Having the privilege of being able to see Azul like this made Jamil’s heart feel light.

Jamil placed a kiss on Azul’s forehead before getting out of bed to fix himself up. His intention was to fix his hair up and go back to Scarabia to finish the rest of his routine. Hopefully, nobody would’ve noticed Jamil’s absence. Kalim was the only person that knew about Jamil’s escapade, so he was hoping Kalim could make up an excuse if anyone asked about him. Plus, he no longer had to worry about another person being in his bedroom. Azul only went back to Jamil’s room two or three times, but that was only when Jamil was certain his roommate wouldn’t be in their room. The thought of having Azul come over to Scarabia more often excited him. He liked his roommate, but Jamil had a very biased preference for his boyfriend.

Jamil quietly made his way to the vanity in Azul’s room, before taking a seat so he could try looking somewhat presentable, starting with his hair. He wished he had his hair oil right now; he could see a few split ends at the tips. Eh, he could deal with that later once he returned to his own room. Jamil instinctively went to grab his magical pen, before remembering he left it back at Scarabia. He didn’t expect to stay over at Azul’s for the night, so he didn’t bring it with him. He’d have to stick with a basic ponytail for the time being, then. However, as Jamil began to gather his hair up, he realised he had a much more pressing issue. 

“Azul. Azul, wake up.” Jamil hurriedly rushed to Azul and shook him until he woke up.

“Mmmh… what is it, dear?” Azul responded groggily. He didn’t particularly enjoy being woken up so aggressively, but it wasn’t often Azul saw such a panicked face painted on Jamil. He only realised what the source of the problem was when his eyes travelled down from Jamil’s face to his neck. There it was, a dark red mark residing near Jamil’s jugular. A hickey. They were so enamoured with each other that they lost all inhibitions last night. They forgot Jamil was going to have to go back to his room without anyone noticing his love bite. Jamil already had himself be the main topic of conversation in school with his overblot. He didn’t want anyone to gain more fuel to keep him the main topic a second time, either. Knowing his classmates, they’d probably start making bets on who Jamil’s love affair could possibly be.

“Jamil… did I do that?”

“Well I’d hope you gave me this, but yes! How the hell am I going to get back to Scarabia without anyone noticing… this?!” Jamil started gesturing towards his neck, where the mark was. He didn’t have any concealer that matched his skin tone in Azul’s room, so makeup wasn’t an option. 

“Well, what if you borrowed an item of clothing from my closet that covers the mark?”

“Absolutely not. I’d stick out like a sore thumb if I went back to Scarabia with any of your clothes on.” Since Jamil was wearing his dorm uniform when he got to Azul’s room, it would be virtually impossible to cover his neck with Azul’s clothes without making himself stick out from the other students. 

“Okay…” Azul contemplated the other possible solutions for a bit. And in the end, he was only able to come up with two that Jamil may approve of. “Why not just call in sick for the day? You can go back to your dorm when everybody else is in class, and there’ll be a slim chance nobody will see you.”

“Skipping isn’t an option for me. I have the introduction to the ancient and modern magic history elective in the morning that I need to attend. If it were any other day, I’d be fine with that idea, but I really cannot miss today’s lessons.”

As third year students, Night Raven College made students choose one of two elective modules. Poison refining or the comparison of abbreviated spells between ancient and modern magic history. Azul chose to study the former, and Jamil the latter. It meant that they’d both have been placed in different classes for third year.

They were so used to having the same schedule, but now that routine had been broken. Azul was meant to have his introduction to poison refinement the next day, so he didn’t have anything in the morning. He considered going to Sam’s to buy concealer in Jamil’s shade. The only issue, however, was that Sam's shop was closed at this time. And even if Azul got to Sam’s just as it opened, it wouldn’t give Jamil the time needed to hide the mark, get to Scarabia, and get Kalim’s breakfast sorted in time.

So that option was out of the way. That means there was only one option Azul could think of off the top of his head, and he didn’t like the idea in the slightest.

“I’m afraid all I can think of now is to just go back to Scarabia like this and pray to the Great Seven nobody spots you.” Azul sighed. Jamil had a distressed look on his face. He couldn’t think of any other option. He didn’t want to go out like this, but he understood he had to reap what he sowed. 

“Love, I don’t know if I can go out like this…” Jamil mumbled. He had an uncharacteristic bashful look to his face right now. It wasn’t easy to get Jamil like this, but seeing him in this state was kind of cute despite the situation they were in. “I mean, I don’t want anyone to know about our relationship. But in a hypothetical situation where people did find out about us, I absolutely refuse to let this be the reason people catch on to us!”

It was a fair enough point. The twins would not let Azul live it down if their relationship status was questioned by a hickey. It’d be even worse if their relationship got exposed. It all felt so false. On paper, the situation Azul and Jamil found themselves in sounded like it directly came from the type of light novels Idia would ramble about in board game club.

“Dear, I understand that this might be the worst case scenario, but I’m out of ideas that might work,” Azul lamented. He was annoyed at himself for not being able to think of an idea that could ensure they don’t get caught. “All that I can suggest is if anyone notices your mark, you do have your signature spell up your sleeve, no?” 

“I can’t erase people’s memories, Azul. All I can do is make them do what I command them to do. I can’t just tell them to forget what they saw. It doesn’t work like that.” Jamil pulled his knees closer to his chest and buried his head between them. He wanted to curl up into a ball and die. He might just have to walk back to Scarabia as if nothing was wrong. How embarrassing…

Azul went to cradle Jamil in his arms in an attempt to comfort his clearly distressed boyfriend. It was the bare minimum, but he at least wanted to try to make Jamil not feel awful right now.

While he was stroking Jamil’s back, he had a revelation. It would mean he’d probably have to make a deal with a certain duo, but he’d do anything for Jamil’s comfort.

“Hey… what if I got the twins to escort you to the Hall of Mirrors? They may tease us endlessly for this, but they’re not the type to spread this type of gossip around, especially when it’s gossip that may have me involved. Most of the students are scared of the twins. If anyone says anything about you even being here in the first place, I’m sure they’ll both be fine with getting their hands a bit… dirty.” 

Jamil lifted his head and was greeted by Azul’s striking blue eyes staring at his grey pair. It reminded him of the future he never thought he’d have. “Fine. But I really wish I had Malleus and Lilia’s teleportation magic…” Jamil exasperated. He wasn’t particularly pleased he’d have to be indebted to the Leeches, but it was their best bet. He could live with Floyd teasing him in basketball practice from time to time. And he really appreciated Azul’s efforts to make the experience of walking back to his dorm less embarrassing.

“Okay, dear. I’ll ring them both now.” Azul placed a kiss on Jamil’s forehead and cheek before phoning the twins.

Jade was the first of the twins to arrive at Azul’s room. Jade was the morning person out of the two, so it wasn’t a surprise to see Jade waiting patiently behind Azul's door. He hadn’t changed out of his pajamas, although his makeup was ready for the day.

“Greetings, Azul. It’s unusual for you to call at such an early time,” Jade said while inviting himself into Azul’s room. Only when he saw the figure of a certain vice housewarden  did he have a general idea of what Azul was going to ask. “Oya? Is that you, Jamil? What are you doing in Azul’s room so early in the morning?”

“Don’t play dumb, Jade. I think you already know what I’m going to ask you to do.” Azul gritted between his teeth. He couldn’t stand to deal with either of the twins’ antics today. Especially if they try to include Jamil in any of them. “Anyway, how long do you think Floyd will take?” Suddenly, the door slammed open, startling both Azul and Jamil.

“Hey, there better be a reason for waking me up— oh. Sea Snake.” Floyd was also in his pajamas, except his hair was a scruffy mess, and unlike Jade, it was obvious he had just woken up. The morning dampened Floyd's mood. His usual eager demeanour was no longer there. Instead, a scowl painted his face upon seeing Jamil. Regardless, Jamil nodded in Floyd’s direction as a way of greeting his fellow clubmate.

“Jade. Floyd.” Azul looked towards the twins with a hint of desperation in his eyes. “I could really use your help right now.”

…

“Ahahahaha!! You can’t be serious!” Azul wasn’t even able to get to his proposition before getting rudely interrupted by the howling of a certain eel. He could see Floyd found the current state of affairs incredibly entertaining. Seeing Floyd so energetic at this time of day was an impressive feat. A small victory, even. But Azul hated the fact that it took a hickey to get him to act like this. Floyd wrapped his arm around Jamil’s shoulder and began shaking the poor man. Floyd’s laughs could probably be heard outside of Azul’s bedroom. If anyone heard, nobody dared to question it.

“Do you see why I need your help now? Stop making my suffering the source of your entertainment!” Azul’s face became such a dark shade of blue now, embarrassed by the reaction elicited by Floyd. He knew asking for the assistance of the twins would end up like this. They were trustworthy, but they could also be assholes when they wanted to. At least Floyd wasn’t trying to act like he didn’t find the case funny. Azul glared daggers at Jade, who was unsuccessfully trying to stifle his laughter. Locking his eyes on to Jade, Azul displayed full bitterness in his expression. And that was Jade’s breaking point. Jade started roaring with laughter, joining his twin. Azul averted his gaze from Jade and turned to Jamil, whose head was deeply buried between his legs. At least Azul was used to the torment of the twins. Jamil didn’t think he’d ever felt so embarrassed in his life.

After waiting for Jade and Floyd’s laughter to die down, Azul was finally able to finish his proposition.

“Listen, I really need your help. All I ask is you two help Jamil get to the Hall of Mirrors. You do not need to escort him to Scarabia, as that’d give rise to more suspicion. I’ll let you have a week off of working at the Mostro Lounge, all paid. Just… I want Jamil to make it back without people noticing him. It isn’t fair if he became the center of rumours because of my actions.” Azul looked pathetic right now. He looked more deflated than any other time he had asked the twins for a favour. Guilt was festering inside of him for putting Jamil in this position, and he swore to himself he would treat Jamil to one of the fine dining restaurants Jamil had been eyeing in Sage’s Island.

Jade and Floyd exchanged glances at each other. A silent conversation was happening right now. The twins did that sometimes. It was really weird. Azul doubted it was a twin thing. He believed it was a Leech thing. After a tense few seconds, Jade turned to Azul and Jamil and gave them a simple nod.

“Alright. I’m interested enough, and I’m sure Floyd feels the same way,” Jade closed his eyes and smiled at the poor, unfortunate souls. “Jamil, would you like to come with us?” Jade offered his hand out to Jamil to help him get up from the floor.

“Yay! Let’s go, Sea Snake!” Floyd cheered, and before Jamil could reach to grab Jade’s hand, Floyd grabbed him by the wrists and hoisted him up himself. A yelp came out of Jamil’s mouth, which caused Azul to turn another way to stifle a laugh. “Byebye, Azul! We’ll make sure your boyfriend gets to Scarabia real safe.”

That’s how Jamil found himself walking back to the Hall of Mirrors with the twins on either side of him. Jade on his left, and Floyd on his right. The walk back was awkward. Jamil attempted to avoid the twins whenever they were together at all costs. Jamil was somewhat used to Floyd at least. He taught Floyd some breakdancing and had experience with him through the basketball club. Jade, however? He was a new can of worms he’d have to attempt to get used to. Since he was dating Azul, Jamil knew he’d end up having to interact with him more than he usually did. Jade had a polite and refined exterior. It made it way more difficult to predict him. 

“Sooooo, Sea Snake. What were you doing with Azul last night?” Floyd chimed. He didn’t like silence. He twirled strands of Jamil’s ponytail around his finger.

“...Do you really want me to answer that? I feel like it’s painfully obvious what me and Azul were doing last night.” Jamil raised his hand to whack Floyd’s hand away from his hair. He didn’t want to entertain either of the twins, nor did he want to talk about their night to anybody. It’s not like they did anything more than kissing, anyway. He could use ‘teenagers just getting carried away’ as an excuse for last night, but Jamil was almost 19, dammit. He thought he was too old for that.

The three of them continued to walk in an uncomfortable silence. Jamil knew the twins didn’t like the silence, but they were just here to take him to the Hall of Mirrors. Not because they were his friends or anything. If there was any student that saw Jamil, the twins would kindly request the student to not utter a single word of it, or “someone’s gonna get squished silly otherwise”. Luckily for Jamil, they only came across five students who all seemed to be too intimidated by the twins to focus on the fact that Jamil Viper of Scarabia dorm was present in Octavinelle. When their brains processed that information, the three were already gone, so they could no longer confirm what they saw.

The walk to the Hall of Mirrors felt like it was going to go on forever. Jamil didn’t know if he preferred the silence or the twins yapping in both of his ears. 

“Jamil, we just want to know what led up to that mark on you?” Jade had his cartoonishly evil grin plastered on his face. And when Jamil turned his head to the other side, he saw Floyd had his iconic, devilish smile as well. They weren’t going to let this go, were they?

Jamil sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Listen, I went over to Azul’s at night. All we did was make out.” Jamil told the twins in a now hushed voice. “Things got a bit too far when… nevermind. I already said I wouldn’t entertain either of you.” 

“Well, I’ll change the topic to something else then. What was it that got you to fall in love with Azul?” 

Jamil turned towards Jade. It wasn’t on the same topic as the bite, at least. Jamil wouldn’t say he was surprised they were so curious about his relationship with Azul. Must be a first for one of them to be in a relationship, probably. But who was Jamil to judge? Azul was his first relationship.

“Well, there were a lot of things that attracted me to Azul, but I guess the moment I fell in love was when I realised how he had longed for me because of who I actually was, not the false me I used to put on around everyone.” Jamil secretly loved talking about Azul, as much as he hated to admit it. But what he said was true. Azul didn’t judge him or view him differently for his true self. He embraced that version of Jamil and still treated him the same after his overblot. It felt refreshing having somebody not reduce him to “overblotter” during the period where he was the talk of the school for overblotting. “Jade, Floyd. Please forgive me for stealing your time for this.”

The Leeches both lightly placed a hand on Jamil’s shoulder. Jamil was good for Azul, and they knew it. It was their sign of showing their approval.

“No worries, Jamil. All that matters to us is that you are treating our dear Azul right. And if this is what makes him happy, then so be it.” Jade started.

“However…” Floyd continued. The grips on Jamil’s shoulders tightened suddenly, bordering on being outright painful. “If we find out you’ve done anything to Azul, we will not hesitate to make the rest of your time here a nightmare. Got it, Sea Snake?” 

Jamil didn’t let their intimidation tactics get to him. He knew they were serious, but he didn't let that affect him.

“Of course. I’m not stupid enough to harm Azul. That’s asking for a death wish.”

And just like that, the twin Leeches were satisfied with Jamil’s response. They ended the conversation there and continued to walk the rest of the way in a comfortable silence, letting the splashes of the water tanks in the dorm fill in their silences. 

Once they finally arrived at the Hall of Mirrors, Jamil thanked Jade and Floyd for accepting Azul’s deal. He asked for the two of them to not tease Azul too much, but he knew that request would fall on deaf ears. At least it should be smooth sailing from here. He intended to call Kalim once he got to the Hall of Mirrors, hoping Kalim could escort him back to his room. He’d doubt anyone would try anything with Jamil if Kalim was with him.

“See you, Jade. Floyd.” Jamil waved at them, before stepping into the mirror to exit Octavinelle. He could hear a faint “Goodbye, Jamil” and a “Byebye, Sea Snake!” coming from the twins. He could only pray Jade and Floyd would stick to what they said, and that they would “squeeze” any students that even attempted to acknowledge Jamil’s presence in Octavinelle.

Jamil was transported into the Hall of Mirrors, and as expected, nobody was there. Exiting Octavinelle’s mirror, Jamil opened his phone and dialled Kalim. Surprisingly, the phone only rang three times before he heard a familiar voice on the other line.

“Hello? Jamil? Are you still at Azul’s?” Kalim answered the phone, but he lacked fatigue in his voice. Jamil checked the time. It was six thirty five, and Kalim didn’t sound like he was tired, which was really strange for him. Kalim’s routine had him waking up at seven thirty, so for him to be all energetic an hour before his routine began struck Jamil as suspicious. Moreover, it only took three rings for Kalim to pick up? That raised Jamil's suspicions the most. A freshly woken up Kalim would take longer to pick up. That is if he was lucky enough to attempt to respond at all. Kalim had to have been awake prior to Jamil calling him, surely. But why?

“Hey, Kalim. No, I’m not at Azul’s anymore. Can you please come to the Hall of Mirrors? I’ll explain once you’re here.”

“You’re in the Hall of Mirrors??” Kalim squeaked. “Ah, I mean of course I can come over! You’ll have to give me a few minutes, though. Let me freshen up real quick!” Why did Kalim sound so surprised to hear Jamil was in the Hall of Mirrors? Whatever. He had more pressing issues to concern himself over.

“Alright. I’ll be waiting outside the mirror, then. See you soon, Kalim.” Jamil hung up on Kalim and took a seat on the staircase he was currently standing on. He highly doubted anybody would be in the Hall of Mirrors at this time.

But a low probability doesn’t equal zero. The sound of the mirror warp could be heard coming from the right of Jamil. He looked up and realised the source of the sound was coming from Scarabia. Who was coming from Scarabia at this time of day? As far as he was concerned, there was no event that would have a student needing to leave so early.

He didn’t need to ask himself any questions once he actually saw the figure. He didn’t have a Scarabia armband. No, it was a yellow armband. A member of Savanaclaw. Jamil looked up to see a familiar face. The boy had his head down as he walked towards his mirror, so Jamil wasn’t able to capture his face. But the sandy blonde hair and hyena ears helped Jamil indicate the identity of the individual who left the mirror.

“Ruggie?” Jamil didn’t mean to say anything. He didn’t want to say anything as to not alert the other person about his presence, but the shock of seeing Ruggie leave Scarabia got to him before he had a chance to think. He covered his mouth with his hands, eyes flown wide open. Ruggie immediately stopped in his steps to face the mysterious individual who called out his name.

“Jamil?! What the hell are you doing out here?” Ruggie’s face mirrored Jamil’s. It looked like Ruggie wasn’t expecting anybody to be out here at this time, either. It would’ve been worse if someone spotted him over Jamil, especially with his newly appointed role of Housewarden of Savanaclaw. “What are you doing sitting outside of Octavinelle?”

“I had business with Floyd regarding joint basketball club practice with Royal Sword Academy. I’m just waiting for Kalim because he insisted I walk back to Scarabia with him.” Jamil observed Ruggie’s face scrunching up in confusion at that statement for a split second, before returning to his regular laxed face. “What business did you have at Scarabia?”

“Me? I had a meeting with your housewarden. I had a few concerns regarding housewarden duties, so I asked Kalim for some advice since I was close to him and he's got housewarden experience under his belt.”

Yeah, as if he’d schedule something like that at such an early time. Jamil knew Ruggie was lying. He knew Kalim would have been more than willing to give support to Ruggie, but not at this time of day. He shouldn’t even be awake at this time. Unless Ruggie was special to Kalim... Ruggie and Kalim's potential relationship was for Jamil to ask Kalim about later. For now, Jamil wanted to focus on the current conversation.

“Anyway, just got one more question for you, Jamil.” Ruggie lowered his gaze from Jamil’s face down to his neck. “What’s up with the bruise on your neck?” 

While his face said otherwise, Jamil was annoyed. He was expecting Ruggie to notice the bite. He just wished he didn’t have to bring it up. He simply kept his collected gaze at Ruggie.

“I was trying to straighten my hair, but I ended up burning myself on the iron. I got it a while back, but I haven't had the opportunity to put on my makeup today.” Jamil answered coolly. 

“So you didn’t apply makeup to your neck this morning to visit Floyd? I know you well enough to know you’re too meticulous to forget to do something like that. After all, people might suspect you were given that mark from somebody before leaving Octavinelle. Unless that is what happened and you just lied to me.” Ruggie snickered. 

Jamil knew what he was insinuating. And he hated how Ruggie was correct.

Alas, he wasn’t going to let that sway Jamil from doubling down on his lie.

“It’s not recommended to put makeup on a burn mark that’s in the process of healing, Ruggie. I’m not going to risk potential scarring. You can think what you want about my mark, but I’m telling you myself that this mark came from a hair straightener, not from a person.”

“Right, right. So is that why you’ve got Kalim walking you back? I was just with him before I saw you,” Ruggie paused, before continuing his sentence, “and he didn’t mention you at any point, you know. I find it hard to believe he’d be insistent on getting up to get you at this time. You sure you’re not the one that asked Kalim to escort you back to Scarabia?”

“...What are you implying, Ruggie?”

“Did Floyd give you that during your ‘basketball business’ meeting?”

Floyd? The thought of him and Floyd being in a romantic relationship made Jamil feel queasy on its own. And he couldn’t hide the disgust on his face, as he scrunched his face up for a second.

“Absolutely not. Nobody gave this mark to me, so can you please let this go and go back to your dorm? I can forget you were in Scarabia and you can forget I was here, too.” Jamil wanted this encounter to be over so bad. He knew Ruggie was close to figuring out the truth between him and Azul. And if he did find out, Jamil would rather not be there for it.

“Fine. Fine.” Ruggie conceded, raising his hands in surrender. “Just do me a quick favour and learn how to actually sneak around with Azul in school before you guys decide to neck each other off... and tell him I said hi.”

And with that, Ruggie entered the Savanaclaw mirror; a leader going back to his cackle. As Ruggie left, Kalim finally arrived at the Hall of Mirrors after what felt like an eternity of waiting. According to his phone, though, Jamil’s conversation with Ruggie lasted a mere two minutes. It felt way longer than two minutes.

That last thing Ruggie said lingered in Jamil's thoughts. He thought he and Azul were good at hiding their relationship, but apparently not. Jamil really needed to chat to Azul about that, then. So was Ruggie just trying to tease me when he was talking about me and Floyd?  Jamil momentarily forgot he went to Night Raven College. Most of the students weren't the nicest bunch.

But Jamil knew Ruggie wouldn't be the type to spread any rumours as severe as that. Given that a housewarden should set an example for his students, it would be uncouth of him to gossip with such a respected role.

"Jamil!" Kalim said, announcing his sudden entrance. "Hope I didn't keep you waiting long!"

Jamil felt relieved to see the familiar face of his childhood friend. Which wasn't something he felt often.

"Ah, Kalim. Can we talk about some things as we walk back to Scarabia? I have a few questions to ask you." If Kalim noticed Jamil's hickey, he did not comment on it.

"Oh. Of course, Jamil!" Kalim exclaimed. Like he did on the phone call, Kalim seemed more dynamic than he usually did in the morning.

The halls in Scarabia were empty as Jamil and Kalim conversed in murmurs. Even if they knew nobody was out, it was best their conversation was kept quiet.

"Anyway, I just have one more question to ask you, Kalim." Jamil turned to stare at Kalim with a clear discomfort in his eyes.

"Hm? What's up, Jamil?" Kalim laughed with a tinge of nervousness in his voice. "It's not like you to get so visibly distressed while we're talking."

"Is there something up about you and Ruggie that you're not telling me?"

"Huh."