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Azul did not think he wanted to be attending this party, and he’d only been there a short while. The party was one Kalim had decided to throw at Scarabia earlier that day, and had invited everyone he had come across. Three of those people happened to be Azul and the twins when they were walking out of Professor Trein's class.

The bubbly 17-year-old had invited them all, despite Jamil’s protests, which the businessman thought were completely unfounded. Jamil would come to the conclusion that they were friends soon enough. Azul had thought it would be a good idea at the time to make some new connections and perhaps find some poor unfortunate souls he could help, but now that he was here… he was regretting it.

The music was blaring, his clothes stuck to him with sweat, bodies pressed against him on all sides; he was tired, and he couldn't find Jade or Floyd anywhere.

He needed a drink, non-alcoholic of course(though alcohol didn't sound so bad).

Making his way through the crowd of warm, sweaty teenagers to the tables set up with drinks and food, no doubt all made by Jamil to ensure Kalim's safety. The mer took a sharp right to the table at the end, which had held the drink he had earlier, a sweet pineapple mocktail he believed was quite good.

As he stepped up to the table, he felt his already down mood dip even further. The drink wasn't anywhere to be found; a new shimmery purple one, with a sugar rim, had taken its place. Azul let out a deep sigh and reached for the mystery concoction.

Bringing it to his nose, he took a light sniff. It smelt of grapes. He took a slight sip and was happily surprised by the taste. It wasn't as if he was expecting it to be bad, but it was better than he thought it would be. He much preferred the pineapple, but the grape would do.

Just as he went to take another sip of his new drink, he heard a voice call out his name behind him. A shiver ran down his spine as he lowered the drink and slowly turned around. The last man he expected to see here, at this party, and at NRC more importantly, was making his way over with a lovely-looking man trailing behind him.

The man was no other than Rielle Corallia, the prince of the Coral Sea.

Azul took a deep breath, his eyes twitching along with it, and brought a strained smile to his face. He really did not want to talk to Rielle; he would rather do anything else. He would rather have to talk to Leona!

“Azul, hi!” Rielle exclaimed as he finally reached the cephalopod. His arms were open like he wanted to hug the octopus, but lowered when he thought better of it.“Prince Rielle, it's a pleasant surprise to see you here”. Azul lied through his teeth as he took in the prince and his companion. Reaching a hand out to the redhead for a greeting, “What are you doing here?”

“Oh! Minhaj's cousin, Kalim, invited him, and he said I could tag along. I was hoping to see you!” Azul was slightly surprised at the explanation; he didn't know Kalim had a cousin. He knew of the plethora of siblings, but cousins had never been brought up.

He turned his attention to the man next to Rielle, Kalim’s supposed cousin. The man looked good; he had nice tan skin, deep brown eyes, and beautiful brown hair. He reminded Azul of Jamil somewhat, with dark hair and tan skin. But other than that, the similarities seemed to end. The man appeared much more open(?) than his classmate. He had a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Well, it's nice to meet you, Minhaj.” He stuck his hand out towards the man. The other, silent up until now, took the cephalopod's hand into his. They were big, bigger than Azuls at least, and they were warm. The man's grip was solid, and Azul felt a tingle run up his arm as the man pulled his hand back.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Azul.”

“What's that, Azul? It looks good,” the ever-curious redhead said, pointing to the drink in the man's hands. “It's a grape mocktail.” Azul pointed to the table behind him. "It's quite good, but I preferred the pineapple they had earlier.”

Rielle made a face of interest as he moved towards the table. Both men watched as the man as bubbly as Kalim peered at the drink selection on the table.

Ways of escape began to take shape in Azul's mind. He could try to find Jade or Floyd in the crowd, maybe say he had to leave, anything that could get him out of this predicament.

He did not want to be talking to Rielle any longer than he had to, and he didn't know anything about the other man except his name.

Azul turned his attention from Rielle, making a fool of himself at the table, to the man next to him, and was surprised to see the other was already looking at him. He felt heat take his face slightly, and took a breath to hopefully stop the blue from making itself known on his face.

“How long have you known Rielle?” The brown-haired man broke the silence between them.

“We have known each other since elementary and went to the same middle school”.

Minhaj hummed and tossed Rielle a glance. The man was still entranced by the drinks; it seemed new ones had been brought out, and he was sampling each of them.

“Were you friends?” the man questioned. Azul recoiled in his mind at the question. Of course, they weren't friends. Rielle's posse had made his life hell, and the man did nothing to stop it. ”No.” His words were sharp, perhaps too sharp. He swallowed and adjusted his tone to a lighter one, pushing a smile on his face. “No, we were not friends. We were in two very different circles”.

The other man hummed again. He opened his mouth to presumably ask another question, but was cut off by Rielle, who had returned from his impromptu drink tasting. “The drinks are so good! You have to try some, Mina. Come on!”

The redhead pulled on Minhaj's arm, guiding him to the drinks table. Azul took this moment to make his escape from this dreary situation. “Well, I hope you have fun with your drink tasting. I will be on my way”.

“Oh, what? Can't you try them with us, Azul?” Rielle pleaded, “They're so good! You’ll love them!” Azul just shook his head. “I have something I have to do. Maybe I will see you later tonight”.

Rielle pouted but stopped when Minhaj grabbed his arm and gestured to the table. He gave Azul a sad smile before speaking, “I hope I see you later then, bye Azul”. The cephalopod nodded, but he had no intention of seeing him later. One interaction was already too much for him.

Azul nodded to Minhaj, who smirked slightly before nodding back.

He quickly turned around and walked as fast as was presentable to the other side of the Scarabia common room. Pushing past sweaty teenagers once again, who were too dumb to care or notice.

As soon as he made it to the other side, he let out a sigh. He really did not want to be here, but it was far too early to leave. He didn't want Kalim to think he was being rude.

“Azul”

The man in question jumped slightly at the sound of a voice beside him. “Jade! By the Sea Witch, do not scare me like that”. Azul reprimanded his vice, "Where's your brother?”

“I hardly meant to startle you, and Floyd is somewhere on the dance floor”. Azul let out yet another sigh. “Of course he is”.

“Did I see you talking to Prince Rielle and a mystery man, or was I hallucinating?” The eel questioned as he scanned the crowd in front of them. Azul frowned, “You were not hallucinating. Apparently, Kalim invited his cousin- Minhaj, or the mystery man, as you called him- who's friends with him. He’s his plus one, I suppose.”

“Huh. Was the conversation anything interesting?”

Azul side-eyed his friend. “No, it was of no importance”. He pulled on his sleeves and wrung his hands together.

“Are you quite alright, Azul?” Jade shot Azul a slightly worried look, wondering if the conversation had gotten to him more than he was letting on.

“I'm fine, Jade. You do not need to worry,” Azul reassured his vice. “If you say so. I will take my leave now, but might I suggest some air would do you good?”

At Azul's silence, Jade walked off.

Maybe some air would do him good.

***

The stars were beautiful tonight.

Azul had taken Jade's suggestion and actually gone to get some air. He had found the nearest balcony and positioned himself on the rails. The balcony he was on overlooked the vast desert of Scarabia and the beautiful night sky.

He had always liked the stars. Sometimes, when their mothers would let them—him, Jade, and Floyd would all go up to the surface to look at the stars. Those were some of Azul’s happiest memories.

They would perch themselves on the biggest rock near the shore, and would stay up there as long as they were allowed. Those were the memories that helped perk Azul back up every time he was sad, or his thoughts ever became too much.

Azul’s reminiscing was broken by the balcony doors behind him being opened. He spun around on his toes and was greeted by none other than Minhaj. His surprise must have shown on his face, as the words that came out of Minhaj's mouth certainly said that.

“Azul. Surprised to see me again?”

The cephalopod huffed before answering, “No. What are you even doing out here?”

“I should be asking you that.” Azul raised an eyebrow at the non-answer

“I have a drink for you”

“A drink?” questioned Azul. Why would Minhaj have a drink for him? He was thoroughly surprised as the other man raised one of his hands, in which a yellow colored drink with a slice of pineapple wedged on the rim was held. How had he failed to notice that? His mouth formed an ‘o’ shape. “You mentioned you liked the pineapple better than the grape earlier,” the dark-haired man said.

“I-” Azul took the drink from the man's hand, stunned at the gesture. “Thank you. You really didn't have to do that”

A warm feeling spread through Azul. He remembered what he said as an off-handed comment. They had only spoken for a few minutes, but he had remembered anyway. Had he been searching for Azul since he found the drink? Or was he hoping that they would run into each other before the night ended? Why? Did he want something?

“It's no big deal, just saw that they put those out and remembered what you said”

Azul hid a small smile behind the hand that wasn't holding his drink. “Thank you very much, Minhaj; I appreciate it”. A thought came to the forefront of his mind after he spoke. He owed this man something now; he had brought him a drink out of the kindness of his heart, and now Azul owed him something.

“I owe you now,” he said before Minhaj spoke again. “Owe me?” the man questioned.

“Yes, you brought me a drink, so now I owe you something of equal value. What do you want?” Azul pushed the man, hoping to get even as soon as possible. He didn't know him; at least when he owed the twins, he could guess, more Jade than Floyd, what they would want.

Minhaj was quiet for a moment. Staring at him, perplexed in thought. Then he spoke a question Azul wasn't ready for: “Why do you not like Rielle?”

The mer’s face fell. ‘Why did he not like Rielle?’ That wasn't what he was expecting. How was he supposed to answer that? There was a reason, but when he said it out loud, it was pathetic. He didn't want the man in front of him to think he was pathetic. What if he didn't want to speak to him anymore after he knew the truth? What if he was just like all the kids from his past? Why was Azul even stressing about this anyway? He knew next to nothing about the man in front of him.

He was silent as he beckoned the man closer to the railing and turned to face the way he was before Minhaj had arrived. He really should just make the man ask for something else, anything else. Azul found himself speaking despite his deep protest not to; he was never going to see this man again, so what was the point?

“I don't hate him.” He spoke first, voice firm and ready to defend himself.

“Really?” Minhaj pushed back, “When we came up to you earlier, I could tell you would have rather been anywhere else”.

It looked like Azul wasn't as good at hiding his emotions towards the red-haired male as he had thought he was.

“While I didn't exactly want to be there,” Azul conceded, “I don't hate him. It is a very strong dislike.” He didn't look at the man as he spoke. “I hold a bit of a childhood grudge against him...” he tried not to let any emotion into his voice as he continued. “It is not easy for me to let go of it, and I won't be able to for a very long time”.

Minhaj had come to rest his arms on the balcony next to Azul’s. “Why do you hold a grudge against him? What did he do?” His voice was soft and imploring. Like he was trying to coax something out of him, and in the moment, he was.

“It's not about what he did, it's about what he didn't do.” Azul took a deep breath. There was no going back after this. “When I was a child, I was bullied ruthlessly by the people Rielle called his friends. He saw what they did to me, and he did nothing about it. I looked different than the other mer. I'm from the deep sea, and they had never seen anything like me, anything different from them. It went on for years. He was loved by all of them; people followed what he said, and he had sway. If he had said anything at all to them, it would have meant everything to me; it might have helped, but he said nothing. It’s hard to just let that go”

His voice cracked at the end; emotions flooded their way through him. He buried his face in his hand. Why did he tell him that? He could have just walked away. He’s never told anyone that of his own volition; only the twins knew, and they were there for it. He jumped slightly as he felt a hand brush against his back.

“Azul,” Minhaj spoke, gently taking hold of Azul's wrist and bringing it away from his face. Forcing Azul to actually look at him when he spoke. The man’s face was twisted in a light frown, like he was sorry, like he cared for whatever reason. “I’m sorry that happened to you”

“I don't want your pity,” Azul spat at him.

“It's not pity, Azul, it's sympathy. I am sorry you had to go through that. I do not know why Rielle didn’t do anything; only he does”

Azul felt a tear roll down his cheek, and Minhaj wiped it away. He flushed a light blue as he turned to look back at the sky. “I don't know why I actually told you that,” he admitted. “I don't tell anyone about what happened during my childhood. Only Jade and Floyd know, and that's because they were there when it happened”.

“Would it help if I told you something I've never told anyone?”

“It would,” Azul shot the handsome man a glance. It would make him feel better if it was a 'tit for tat’ situation. If he was to spill his guts, the other man should as well. But knowing how it felt, he didn't know if he wanted to make the man feel the same. "It's not easy to admit something of that nature.”

Azul looked back down at the drink in his hand and took a sip. It helped a bit; it was really good; he couldn't find it in himself to care for the calories in it.

“I know.” It was silent a moment “I can actually relate to you a bit. Back when I was about” Minhaj thought for a second “...twelve, we had to entertain some guests for the summer. They had two children. One was my age, and one was a year older. And anytime either of them had the chance, they would exclude me from what they were doing, or mock me when I did something wrong in lessons. They did anything to make me feel smaller than them”

Azul was silent as Minhaj spoke. He turned to look at him; Minhaj was staring up at the stars. The man looked beautiful with the moon reflecting off of him.

“No adults ever did anything about it, even though I'm sure they knew what was happening. They didn't come back after that summer, so it wasn't awful, but it still hurt when it was happening and for a while after.”

“It doesn't matter how long it happened. Being bullied is awful.” Azul reached his hand out and squeezed Minhaj’s in his for a second. “Thank you for telling me”

Minhaj tilted his head towards him and smiled. “Why don't we talk about something less heavy-hearted for a little bit?” Azul laughed as he took another sip of his drink.

“I think I'd like that”

If you asked Azul what happened on the balcony after that, he wouldn't have told you the truth. He would keep that to himself, and only himself. To think back on what happened, and remember all the fuzzy feelings. That they talked and talked. About everything and nothing at all. About Azul’s childhood Adventures with the tweels, to Minhaj’s hobby of running away from home. They laughed, and he made Minhaj get him another pineapple mocktail after he had run out. It made Azul feel good. He didn't think he’d ever talk to someone about what had happened when he was young, but he did, and it wasn't awful. It didn't feel great, but the after was one of his better memories that didn't involve the twins. When the night was over, and they both had to leave, it left a bittersweet taste in Azul's mouth. He was happy that it happened but sad that it had to end so soon. If he could just stay in this little bubble of happiness, he would- bottle it up, stop time, anything to not let this end. But all good things had to come to an end eventually.

***

Azul's walk back to the dorm was quiet. Jade and Floyd had already made their way there before Azul had left, so he was all alone with nothing but his thoughts.

He had lots of thoughts about tonight, but the one he deemed most important was ‘who was Minhaj?’ He knew he was Kalim’s cousin, but what else? Who was he really?

Azul needed to know; he had just spent the last couple of hours talking with the man after all. His legs began to feel heavy with the rest of his body, and all of a sudden Azul was very grateful that tomorrow was Saturday and he had nothing to do. All he wanted to do was crash into his bed and start his search on who Minhaj was.

As he entered the mirror chamber and went through the portal to Octavinelle, he was greeted with the familiar scent of salt water and cold that came with his dorm. A home away from home of sorts.

He made sure to be quiet. Not wanting to wake any of his dorm members or have a run-in with either of the twins. He was too tired to deal with their bugging about why he was coming back so late, and where he’d run off to during the party.

He made his way through the common room and down the hallway that led to his room. The door creaked open safely, and he was finally back in the safety of his room. No one to talk to and no one to bother him. The talk about his childhood had drained him.

He quickly changed into his sleepwear and grabbed a notepad, pen, and the laptop that he had stuffed in a corner of his nightstand. Idia had been distraught when he found out Azul didn't have one, and had given it to him as a remedy. Azul hadn't used it; he had no reason to. It was coming in handy now though, so he guessed he had Idia to thank.

He settled back into the pile of pillows that lined the top of his bed, pulling a thin blanket around his shoulders, and cracked open the laptop.

After signing in, he opened the search bar, and as he went to type in the man’s name relived he didn't know his last name. ‘Well, shit’. Deciding it couldn't be that important, Azul just typed in ‘Minhaj’.

The first thing that popped up was an article from the scalding sands about a ‘prince Minhaj Al-Rajah disappearing for a short while during a gala’.

Had Azul been talking to a prince? That was lunacy; he did not spill his whole life story to a prince!

Azul clicked on the article before opening another tab. This time typing ‘Minhaj Al-Rajah’ into the search bar. This brought up lots of different articles from the scalding sand, but Azul was more interested in Images.

He quickly moved the cursor to the images tab and clicked it. He was greeted by images of the man he had spent hours talking to.

By the sevens, Azul had spent hours talking to a prince. He must have made a fool of himself! He cried in front of him, Oh Sea Witch, kill him. Azul sank back further into the pillows behind him, burying his face in his hands to muffle the scream-more a dying animal noise- that came out of his throat.

He needed to find out everything about this man. If they even ran into each other again, he wasn't going to make a fool out of himself.

Deciding, Azul sat himself back up and pulled the laptop closer. Moving back to the first tab, he began to read the article. Writing down everything he found important.

He moved to the second tab, opening another article, and doing the same. Azul repeated this until his fingers hurt and his vision blurred. The notepad was filled with pages upon pages of writing. From basic things like date of birth to more obscure things that had been mentioned once in an article. Azul didn't care what was true and what wasn't; he was on a roll.

He wouldn't be on a roll much longer, as the next time he blinked it was morning, and someone was banging on his door.

“What!” he shouted. “Are you alright, Azul? It's near noon, and you haven't left your room”. Jade's voice made its way through his door. ‘Crap’

“I’m fine; I will be out soon,” Azul called back, nearly falling out of his bed as he ripped the covers back and wiped his face.

“Alright, I’ll leave you to that. I expect to know why you came back so late last night when I next see you”.

Azul let out a long, suffering sigh, looked like he wasn't getting out of talking to them. He glanced back to his bed, to the dead laptop and notepad still open. He must have fallen asleep in the middle of researching. He didn't have time for that at the moment, though. He needed to shower and get ready for the day; he already lost half of it.

Heading to the bathroom, he left his research for a later time.

Winter break had come and gone, and with that, Jamil’s overblot. After that whole fiasco, Azul liked to think that he was closer with the duo that resided in Scarabia. Kalim had started to invite him over to have sleepovers, and they were quite nice when he was actually able to go. Jamil protested in the beginning, but Azul's constant presence and his care after his overblot seemed to wear down his resolve. Now the man sought out his presence on occasion, and invited him over to Scarabia of his own volition. He had seemed to catch on to Azul’s not-so-stellar relationship with food, and had taken it upon himself to make sure he ate enough.

Azul was happy with this new relationship, and because of it, he found himself walking the streets of the VDC with them.

It had been nice so far; Kalim ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed’ at almost every stand that contained anything remotely interesting. Jewelry, food, clothing. He was also having a wonderful conversation, argument, with Jamil about what path continued to the nearest food stand.

Kalim had complained about being hungry, and Azul himself had begun to become peckish. The food here was rather high in calories, but all the walking helped to balance it a bit. He would have a rather light dinner, he supposed.

“Guys!” Kalim exclaimed excitedly, bringing both of their attention to the albino in front of them.

“Yes?” Startled, Azul touched the pearls around his neck for a second before closing the short distance that had grown between the two groups. Resting a hand on the shorter man's shoulder.

“Look!” The boy spoke in quick succession, pointing off to the side of the crowd in front of them, towards a set of stands containing an inordinate amount of jewelry. Both other men followed his command and tried to find what Kalim was pointing at.

Azul finally found what the other had been so excited about; a pair sporting both red and brown hair respectively made themselves known to his vision. ‘Well crap’. He didn't think he'd see either of them again for a long while. Even though a couple of months might seem like a long time, he would rather it be a few years.

He mostly did not want to see Rielle; seeing Minhaj again didn't sound so bad. Let's just hope he doesn't make a fool out of himself like last time.

The duo appeared to be looking at a stand filled with the aforementioned jewelry and a variety of trinkets.

“Is that Minhaj?” Jamil's question broke him from his daze. The man's question was posed to Kalim, who had not stopped smiling and looking between their own group and the other two a ways away.

“It has to be! We should go say hi.” Kalim pleaded with both of them, “I haven't seen him in so long.”

“I don't know. He seems to be with someone; what if he doesn't want anyone bothering him?” Jamil countered the albino’s plea.

This was Azul's chance. He really would not like to talk to Rielle again, at least not for another couple of months. “I agree with Jamil; they seem to be having a rather nice time. We wouldn't want to ruin that”

Kalim's face pulled into a pout, clearly sad he couldn't see his cousin. He took another glance back at them, and was rather surprised when the group was also looking at them. “OH, they're looking at us,” Kalim excitedly raised his hand in an exaggerated wave.

Jamil let out a sigh next to him as Rielle excitedly waved back. Maybe he could still make his way out of this.

Azul was certain both of them could see him, from Rielle's wide smile and Minhaj's piercing look. The man was staring at him. They locked eyes for a moment before Azul looked away.

The memories from the balcony came flooding back to him, not like they had left him. He remembered how the man had spoken to him and all they had shared. It surprised him how he opened up that night, but he couldn't say he regretted it. He probably should. That night had plagued him the weeks following, but the events of winter break had put those thoughts on hold. He had bigger things to focus on; a man and his actions did not take precedence when Jamil had overblotted.

But seeing him here brought those memories, and the feeling that came with them, to the forefront of his mind. He didn't appreciate it, so instead he turned his attention back to the interaction between Kalim and Rielle.

After a quickly answered question by Minhaj, who hadn't even stopped staring to answer, Rielle gestured for them to come closer, and Kalim grabbed both Jamil and his hands. Pulling them through the crowd of people. Azul spilled apologies to the people they inevitably bumped into. Shooting a glance at Jamil, who just looked resigned, clearly having experienced this many times before, Azul quickly realized there was no getting out of it.

“Hi!” Rielle yelled as soon as they were within hearing range.

“Hi Rielle, Hi Minhaj!” Kalim said, just as excited as the prince. Pulling Rielle into a hug first, then doing the same to his cousin. “It's so good to see you again”, pulling back from the hug, Kalim spoke.

“It’s good to see you too, Kalim.” Minhaj smiled down at his cousin. “It's good to see you again as well, Azul, Jamil”

Jamil nodded at the prince, seemingly indifferent to his acknowledgment of Azul, but Kalim’s face twisted in confusion, turning around to look at Azul. “You two know each other?”

“Yes, we met at one of your parties,” Azul quickly explained to the albino before turning his attention to Minhaj. “It’s nice to see you again, your highness”.

Minhaj’s face twisted for a second; Azul didn't know from what, before returning to how it was before. Azul turned his attention to Rielle for a second, pulling a tight-lipped smile; he nodded at the man. The redhead only smiled larger and offered a small wave.

“That’s great! What were you two doing?” Kalim spoke up to the duo, pointing to the stall behind them.

“Oh, I saw some interesting jewelry, and I wanted to check it out. They have little seashell earrings.” Rielle led the group to the stall, showing off a pair of golden earrings in the shape of little seashells. “They're adorable!” Kalim exclaimed as he looked at them, quickly moving to the stall and looking at the other display options.

“They are cute,” Azul spoke up. Jamil had followed Kalim, browsing the options of the stall.

“Oh!” Kalim started, “Is that a ferris wheel?” Azul felt a cold sweat start down his back at the exclamation. Dear Sevens, no, please no.

“Yeah!” Rielle’s happy agreement did nothing to help the cephalopod.

Jamil moved away from the stall, looking where Kalim had moved to and was staring at. “Do you want to ride it?” He posed the question to the albino. Kalim vigorously nodded his head, and Azul felt his heart sink. He turned to glare at Jamil, who in return gave him a teasing smile.

“Do you want to go now?” Azul jumped slightly at the voice behind him. Minhaj had moved and was now standing behind him, barely a half-foot away. Azul could feel the heat radiating off his body.

“Yes!” Both Kalim and Rielle exclaimed, not hiding their excitement. The two of them began their way to the main road and down to where the Ferris wheel was. The other three quickly moved to catch up to them, Jamil grabbing Kalim and scolding him for running off.

As they walked, Azul could feel eyes on him. Glancing to his right, he was met with the brown eyes of none other than Minhaj. He flushed a light blue and pulled a confused face. Why was he staring at him?

“What?” Azul broke their staring contest, if it could be called that. Minhaj just smiled and shook his head, turning his attention back to the road.

The mer shook it off and did the same, but not five minutes of walking later, eyes were back on him. Ignoring it was the best Azul could do.

He was saved, not really, by their arrival at the ferris wheel. Kalim and Rielle had stopped short of the fence encasing the attraction; Jamil was to Azul's left and Minhaj to his right.

Kalim bounced on the tips of his toes as he turned back to look at the group. “This is gonna be fun!”

Azul frowned. “Fun for you, I’m sitting this out.”

Kalim pouted, then remembered the man's failures in flight class and his fear of heights. “Oh yeah….” The albino chewed his bottom lip, and Jamil let out a light laugh.

“Do not laugh at my misery, Jamil”

“Oh, I'll laugh as much as I want; I'm the one that helps you in flight class.” The vice-housewarden pointed out. Jamil turned to look at Rielle after the man had let out a questioning noise, quickly explaining Azul's less-than-stellar performance in flight class.

Azul felt himself flush, not liking being put on blast in front of the two people they were with.

Both students made an affirming noise as they finally understood the situation. Minhaj then proposed something Azul didn't expect.

“I can stay down here with you if you don't want to ride.”

Azul was silent as he looked at the man next to him. Confusion and shock took over his face; why would he stay with Azul and not ride with his friend?

“You don't have to,” Azul reassured, still ever confused about why Minhaj acted how he did. “It is no fun being alone, and I don't see the appeal of these things; it's fine.”

Azul looked over to Kalim, his face a question. The albino just smiled and nodded, clearly knowing something he did not, gesturing to both Jamil and Rielle to get in line. He watched the three step into line before turning his attention back to Minhaj.

He looked at the man for a moment, still not quite certain why he had done this. Pointing towards a bench near the Ferris wheel, and at Minhaj’s nod, they both made their way over to sit down.

“You didn't have to do that,” Azul reiterated, looking at the man next to him. He was already looking at him.

“It’s fine, and I wanted to talk to you anyway.”

“Walk to me?” Azul was surprised. While he wouldn't mind talking to the man next to him, he didn't know why Minhaj would want to talk to him. “Yeah, I had fun on the balcony, and I liked talking to you”.

Azul looked down at the explanation, ‘Minhaj liked talking to him?’

“I-I liked talking to you too.” Azul wasn't lying when he said that; the night on the balcony was fun. He had a good time that night, as surprising as that was. Especially that he had met Minhaj that night, and he was an RSA student. Their schools weren't known for getting along. He didn't know what the other man wanted, though.

Glancing back at the man, “Well, what did you want to talk about?” The mer’s question was simple and to the point; he wanted to know what Minhaj wanted and fast. He didn't understand the man.

“Why did you not want to ride? You don't do well in PE, but I doubt that's the real reason.”

Azul huffed at the question. “I don't like heights,” he admitted. It was absurd he was expected to master the skies when he was only walking for two years. “I grew up in the sea; heights and gravity aren't a thing,” He pointed out.

Minhaj laughed at this explanation; at Azul's scathing look, he only laughed harder.

“No, no, I get that. It must be pretty jarring to go from being in the sea with the water all around, to being in the air with nothing.”

Azul perked up, “Exactly!” His agreement brought a smile to Minhaj’s face. The man scooted closer a bit, putting his forearms on his thighs and leaning forward. He was still looking at Azul.

“Do you like flying?” At the question, Minhaj smirked. “I do. It’s one of my pastimes; I would say I'm pretty good at it”. Azul scoffed, throwing his head back a bit. “I will never understand what people see in it; it is like they are wishing to fall off and die”

Minhaj smiled and shook his head, “You just have to be good at it, and trust the broom”

“I’ll trust the broom when it doesn't try and kill me”

The brown-haired man's eyebrows raised; he laughed once more. Azul liked that sound. Their conversation continued as they waited for the others to finish their ride. The mer found himself laughing and enjoying the conversation quite a lot. The other was never a dull one to talk to, and the conversation flowed like honey. Azul smiled at the others' joke, but his reply was cut off by a yell from the direction of the ferris wheel.

It appeared that the others were finally done. He found himself disappointed that the conversation had to end; he got up from the bench and offered a hand to his companion. Minhaj took his hand, and Azul pulled him up. His hands were bigger than Azul's and much warmer; he must run hot.

Making their way over to the ferris wheel, they were met in the middle by the other three.

“That was fun!” Kalim shrieked as he held onto Rielle's arm; those two seemed to get on well. “Oh, before we do anything else, can we go back to the stall from before? I saw some really cute earrings, but got distracted by the ferris wheel.”

At the affirmative from the rest of the group, they all began to make their way back to the stall from before.

When they arrived, Kalim ran over to what Azul assumed to be the earring he saw before. The other followed and glanced through the stand once more.

“Azul!” Jamil called to him after a few minutes of browsing. The vice housewarden was holding up a pair of dangling octopus earrings in one hand, and a pearl necklace in the other. Smirking at him, clearly finding himself funny.

“It's you, Azul!” Rielle pointed to the pair of octopus earrings. Azul sighed, not seeing the humor in a pair of earrings, and frowned before stepping up to Jamil. Shooting the man a look, and rather than take the earrings, he palmed the necklace in his hand. “I have one that is similar to this back at school, though this one I don't think is real.”

“Why?” Minhaj spoke from behind him.

Azul glanced back at the man. “The weight. Pearls can be quite hefty, and these are extremely light.” Azul took the pearls from Jamil's hand and pulled the man's hand up from his side. Flattening his palm and dropped the pearls in. “See?”

Minhaj's eyebrows raised. “They are light, but I don't really know what real pearls feel like. I don’t wear them.” Azul shook his head and reached behind his neck, unclipping the pearls hanging around his neck. “Give me your other hand”

The other man's eyes were wide as he raised his other hand. Azul placed the pearls in his other hand, “See the difference?”

The man nodded, “Yeah”. It came out soft, a whisper almost. Azul only heard it because he was so close to him. Realizing just how close he was, he quickly stepped back, grabbing his pearls with the motion.

“Well, now you can tell the difference.” Azul turned back to the table, gesturing for the others to do the same.

The other three followed his gesture and continued to browse the stand. Kalim and Rielle had gone to a corner to talk excitedly; Jamil and Minhaj had moved to both do their own things. Occasionally sharing something they found interesting with each other.

Azul began to finally browse in earnest. The selection wasn't the best. The jewelry was subpar; the fake pearls had already dimmed his opinion, but their selection of trinkets wasn't half bad. Some handheld toys, and objects that would do well to put on shelves. What really caught his attention was a selection of intricately designed glass pens.

The pens came in a set of three. The first one was a light sea green with a line of turtles swimming up the side. The second was a light blue with an inlay of gold. It had a stingray wrapped around the whole pen; the tail spun around to form the tip. The final and Azul's favorite, if he was allowed to be biased, was a deep purple with an octopus sitting on the end of the pen, its tentacles wrapped around the body and stopped short of where it was to be held comfortably.

Azul picked them up to examine them a bit closer. They looked even more beautiful than he first thought. Picking up the purple one confirmed his choice to get them. It was a nice weight and held comfortably in his hand.

“You like those?”

Azul spun to the side the voice had come from. Minhaj stood there, looking at him curiously.

“Ah, yes. I do love a good pen,” Azul spoke as he tilted the pen he was holding towards his companion. “They're beautiful,” Minhaj said, picking up the offered pen. He inspected it, rolling it between his fingers. “It’s an octopus, like you.” Seeing Azul's taken-back expression, he quickly backtracked. “Rielle said the earrings Jamil held up were you; you're an octopus mer, right?”

Azul sighed and let out a light laugh at the man's slight panic. “Yes, I am an octopus mer. You just caught me off guard.”

Minhaj had a small smile on his face. “Are you going to get them?”

“Well, let's see.” Azul turned back to the table. “Excuse me,” he called out to the man running the stand. “How much are these?” The man smiled and looked at what he was holding in his hand. “A good find; those go for about 200 Thaumarks”

Azul's eyebrows raised at the price. These pens were nice, but 200 Thaumarks- that was overpriced. He wouldn't stand for it.

“200? Well, isn't that a bit much for three pens”

“They are very nice pens; they’re handmade,” the salesman pointed out. Many would have folded, but Azul himself was a businessman, and he knew how to haggle.

“I’m not disagreeing with you; they are very nice, but these pens should not be 200. I’ll give you 150 for them.” Azul argued. He could feel Minhaj watching this whole thing. He hoped he wasn't thinking Azul was crazy for doing this; he was only trying to get a good deal and not waste his money.

“Azul, are you haggling the poor man?” Jamil called out from the other end of the stand. He started making his way over when he saw the determined look on Azul's face and the already exasperated one of the salesman.

“I am getting a fair deal for these pens.” Azul argued back.

“200 is a fair deal, and I cannot lower the price for you, sir; the price is set.”

Azul huffed and shot the man a look. “You set the prices, which means you can change them,” he pointed out. “I will pay 150 for these pens”. “Si-” The man started again, but was cut off by the cephalopod. “150.”

The man’s face deadpanned at Azul's insistence, “200, sir”

They continued their price war for the next few minutes, to both Jamil and Minhaj’s dismay. Minhaj shot Jamil a confused look; Jamil threw his hands up in an exasperated manner. What was to be done? When Azul set his mind to something, especially getting a good bargain, there wasn't a way to change it.

“Azul, you can pay what it costs originally.” Jamil cut the two’s price war off; he was tired of this, and he had to return to where NRC’s group for the VDC was. A final opportunity to practice for the performance would start soon, and Vil would have his head if he was late. “We have to go; practice starts soon and both you and I don't want to deal with an angry Vil.”

Azul’s face twisted into one of despair. He wanted those pens! “150, now,” he spoke even more determined than before. Jamil threw his head back, “Oh my seven.” He ran his hands down his face, looking at Azul in annoyance.

Azul looked back at him, “Leave without me if you must; I'm getting a better deal on these pens.”

He would be staying here arguing as long as he had to. He was getting these pens, and he was getting them for his price. Not the salesman's price; his was inane; Azul’s was a much more reasonable price.

“You're so stubborn, you know that…” Jamil trailed off at the end. He wasn't looking at Azul anymore, but beside him, his eyes wide. Azul turned around in confusion just in time to see Minhaj hand the salesman 200 thaumark.

“What are you doing?” Azul looked between the salesman and Minhaj in both surprise and confusion. Was he buying the pens for him? Why in the world of the sevens would he be doing that? “Did yo-”

“Come on.” Minhaj gestured to all of them with a wave of his hand, urging them away from the stall and to the main road once again. “You can't be late, Jamil.”

Azul faltered behind a second, still confused by Minhaj’s display of kindness? He quickly rushed to catch up with the others who had all begun their way back down the large paved road that separated the stalls, and towards the main area of the VDC.

Rielle and Kalim were in their own world, talking to each other. Jamil was walking as fast as he could through the crowd, ignoring everyone in his path. Minhaj was slightly ahead of him; Azul still found himself lagging behind after the whole ordeal. The man had paid for his pens; the one he was currently rolling between his fingers, he owed him now. Why did he even pay for Azul’s pens in the first place? What would he ask in return, the last time he had to share his childhood? What would he have to give up this time? It wasn't as if he was scared of sharing things with Minhaj; the last time they were together was one of the best nights of his life.

“Your highness,” Azul spoke up, quickening his steps and catching up with the man in question. Minhaj slowed down and shifted to look behind him; he was frowning. Why was he frowning? Did he not want to talk to Azul, and why did that hurt something in Azul’s chest?

“May I talk to you for a moment?”

Minhaj just nodded, turning to look for a place to go off to. Telling the red-haired man in front of him something quickly, he gestured with his head for Azul to follow him. The silver-headed man nodded and followed after the other.

Azul picked up his pace a bit as Minhaj led him through the crowd. The man in front of him was going faster than Azul would prefer; he could admit he wasn't the best at physical fitness, and the other knew that to some extent. He almost bumped into Minhaj's back as the man came to a sudden stop. Azul looked around to where the man had led him; they were in a sort of alley.

A space between two empty stalls where the bustle of the crowd was significantly quieter, an alcove of sorts.

The man turned around to face Azul. “Why did you buy me the pens, your highness?” Azul spoke before the other man could get a word in. “You really did not have to. Now I owe you something, and I don't like that.” He spoke the last part quieter, more to himself than anything.

“Owe Me?”

“Yes.” Azul's tone was set; his voice practiced as ever, he was getting out of this debt as soon as possible. “You bought me something for 200 Thaumark, and now I owe you something of equal value. What will it be?”

After his explanation, Azul looked at him expectantly. The man did not speak for a few moments; his face was twisted in a grimace of sorts. “Can’t I just do something nice? We were running late, and you were not backing down.” Minhaj pointed out the last bit, huffing a quiet laugh.

“You all could have left without me,” Azul rebutted.

Minhaj just sighed and looked up as if asking why Azul was asking this of him. “How about this,” he started, “You stop calling me ‘your highness,’ and we’ll call it even”

Azul's face twisted in confusion. Why would he want Azul to stop addressing him by his title? He voiced this confusion with his next question, “Why? That's your title”

Minhaj just sighed. “It is, but I don't want you calling me that. Just call me Minhaj, like when we were on that balcony, like before.”

His explanation did nothing to fix Azul’s confusion. He knew why Rielle kept telling him not to call him ‘your highness’. The man was insistent they were to be friends, and friends didn't address each other by title. Azul found it redundant as he didn't want to be the man's friend, but only so much could be done.

“Is that really equal to the pens?” Azul had his doubts. He wanted this exchange to be equal, and just not calling Minhaj by his title didn't seem that way to him. How is a title change equal to the money spent?

“It is to me.” Minhaj defended his request.

“Fine. I'll call you Minhaj, I suppose,” Azul conceded. He didn't quite understand how it was equal in Minhaj’s eyes, but if that is what the man wanted, he would give it to him.

The brown-haired man smiled down at Azul. “Good, we should get back to the others. The performance will start soon, and here”. The man stuck out his hand, holding a small slip of paper.
Azul’s eyebrows knitted together as he took the paper; looking it over, he realized it was a phone number. At Azul’s questioning expression, the other explained.

“So we can talk instead of having to hope to run into each other at school events.”

Azul quietly pocketed the slip of paper and gave a slight nod; he was still confused about why the man gave it to him, but he guessed it was fine. He was actually kind of happy Minhaj had; he liked talking to him.

Minhaj was also right; Azul didn't want to miss NRC’s performance. He knew the team Vil had picked out had worked very hard from what Jamil had complained to him about.

Azul nodded to the street, and they started making their way back to the stage where the performances would take place. As they walked, he couldn't stop thinking. Why had Minahj requested not to be called by his title? It wasn't like they were exactly friends, so it wasn't due to Rielle's excuse. Did he not enjoy being a prince?

He pondered this the whole way to the stage. He was only broken from his thoughts as Kalim yelled for them. The albino was standing and waving his arms; he and Rielle had managed to obtain seats, 4 in total, as Jamil was going to be dancing.

The seats were in a good spot, just far enough to see everything, but not too far as to have trouble seeing the performers.

Kalim and Rielle were already sitting next to each other, with 2 seats off to the right of Rielle. He took the seat farthest from Rielle. If asked, he could just say he wanted him to be able to sit next to Mianjael. Rielle's smile dipped a bit as Azul sat, but was brought back to how it was before when Minhaj sat next to him.

The performances before NRC’s were mediocre at best; they were sure to win, Azul was certain. As Vil and the others took the stage, Kalim let out a squeal of excitement. He shot the other a look for a second, before returning his attention to the stage. The choreography Vil had made was very good. It flowed perfectly, and the others clearly had put in work to learn and perform it.

He clapped as they finished, but stopped short as Vil seemed to slip slightly, almost as if he was going to faint on stage. Jamil caught his arm and made sure he was steady before they exited the stage.

“Kalim,” Azul started turning to look at the man.

The other was frowning, looking at where the group had exited. Azul’s worry only worsened; why had Vil almost collapsed and the others looked rather tired after the fact? More tired than they should have been. They looked like Azul did after PE class.

Rielle was also frowning, “Was he okay?” The man directed his question to Azul. The cephalopod's face only twisted more.

Azul stood up. “Come on,” he held out a hand to Kalim.

The albino took it and stood as well; they made their way off the seating area and towards the stage. The other two had followed after them. “What’s going on?” Minhaj spoke, coming to walk next to Azul.

“I don't know, but nothing good”

Azul picked up his pace, tightening his hand around Kalim's. Possibilities of what could have happened spun around in Azul's mind, none of them good. Maybe Vil had just pushed himself too hard, but knowing NRC and everything that had happened this year, he doubted that it was that easy of an explanation. It was more likely to be something horrible.

When they finally made it to the back of the stage area, he saw Jamil slumped back in a chair, head between his hands.

“Jamil!” Kalim exclaimed, running up to his friend. Azul followed close behind, worry clear on his face.

The other two hung back, clearly not knowing what to do.

Kalim was kneeling next to the chair Jamil was in, and Azul came to stand next to him, placing one hand on his shoulder. “Jamil, what happened?” the cephalopod questioned. “Vil almost collapsed on stage.”

The man raised his head to look at him. He looked utterly exhausted.

“Vil overbloted”

It was said as if it was a secret. Something not to be told except for in the privacy of where not another soul could possibly find out. Azul felt a rush of cold run through his body, and Kalim was sure to be feeling something similar if the gasp he let out was any indication.

Another had overblotted. It should have felt insane to say, but it had already happened to four other people. Something that was supposed to be rare and deadly had happened to five people. Azul would think of the implication of something so inane happening later. Right now he had to make sure Jamil was okay.

“Wha-” Azul started but was cut off.

“It was right before we went on stage. Something happened with Neige, and then he-” Jamil trailed off at the end. “He still wanted to compete.”

Azul couldn't believe what he was hearing: competing immediately after an overblot. And the rest of them must be exhausted from fighting it, and they still competed. He huffed; it was a very dumb thing to do, an absolutely senseless thing to do. He expected Vil to be smarter than that. But thinking back to his overblot and the aftermath, logical thoughts weren't the first thing on his mind.

Azul voiced his thoughts anyway. “That was an idiotic thing to do. Are you hurt? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Jamil reassured the both of them. Kalim had been silent throughout the conversation, a testament to how bad this was, but he hadn't let go of Jamil's hand. Azul shook his head.

Remembering that they had company, he looked back at the other two standing a few yards away.

“You two should leave,” Azul said. This whole situation was bad enough; they didn't need RSA students, more anyway- as Niege was apparently the cause of Vil’s overblot, trying to get involved as well.

“Az-” Rielle started to speak but stopped at Minhaj's hand on his arm. The man shook his head and pulled him back.

“You’re all alright?” Minhaj asked as he looked all of them over, focusing on Jamil still slumped in the seat. Jamil nodded and looked at Kalim, attempting to soothe the poor boy who had tears in his eyes and looked two seconds away from bawling his eyes out.

The tan man seemed resolved, pulling on Rielle's arm again and turning around. Azul could hear Rielle asking Minhaj questions upon questions as they walked away. At least that problem was fixed.

Turning back to Jamil, Azul focused his attention on really making sure if the stubborn vice-houswarden was really okay.

***

Minhaj sighed as he flopped backwards onto his bed. He had returned to his dorm after the long day of the VDC, and he couldn't stop thinking about all that happened.

From him arriving with Rielle and finding the other groups of boys, the ferris wheel, buying Azuls those pens, and Rielle and himself having to leave after whatever had happened with Jamil. He was stuck on that last one most prominently.

The conversation and the ferris wheel were great!

And he was fine with the pens; they were nice, and he had already wanted to get Azul something. The man hadn't left his mind ever since that fateful night on the balcony. The way he looked, smelled, moved. Minhaj had learned some about the man on that night, but he wanted to know more. He wanted to know everything.

Rielle’s insistence that they return to the stall allowed him to do something for Azul. He remembered that the man had said he owed Minhaj something after he had gotten him that drink, and with the purchase he had a way to do it again. He would have rather made something for the mer, but without knowing when or if he would see him again, this would have to do. He could recreate the way that night on the balcony had gone.

It sort of worked.

He got Azul to take his number, so that was a small win. He still didn't know if the man would text him, though. The cephalopod had somehow figured out he was a prince, not like it was exactly hard, but he digressed. With that came another small win, in the not being called ‘your highness’ department.

If everything continued to go smoothly, he could continue to talk to Azul. He had just seen the man, and he wanted to see him again. Sevens, he was being pathetic; he knew some things about the man but not enough to be this infatuated. But what they shared on the balcony hadn't left his mind: the mer’s childhood stories with his friends, Floyd and Jade, he had learned their names were, his problems with bullies, the lounge he owned at NRC, and all the other small things the man had shared when they were talking. He hoped Azul remembered what he had shared with him as well.

What happened at the end of the concert came back to him. Azul’s worry for Jamil, the weirdness of what happened on stage, and being asked to leave.

He was worried. What had happened? Why were Azul and Kalim so worried about Jamil?

He couldn't even ask the mer if he was ok; he would have to wait for the mer to text him. Sevens, he hoped the man would text him. Minhaj had thrown a gamble with that one; while Azul had taken his number, it was a toss-up if he would actually text him. If he didn't, he would have to try and catch him the next time their schools had a conjoined event.

Resigned to his fate, Manhaj moved to get changed and ready for bed. He would just have to hope the man would reach out.

Azul felt conflicted as he stared down at the piece of paper on his palm. This paper wasn't just any piece of paper; it was the one that held Minhaj’s number on it. The number that had burned a hole in his pocket, the whole rest of the VDC, and the whole week after.

“Are you just going to keep looking at it, or are you actually going to text him”

Jamil’s words broke the mer from his staring. Clutching the piece of paper to his chest, “What am I even supposed to text him?” Azul spoke with conviction; really, what was he to say!

He was currently at another sleepover with Kalim and Jamil; Jade and Floyd were able to join this time and were in the kitchen with Kalim. Azul and Jamil were in Kalim’s room, spread out on a mound of pillows and blankets that took the shape of a large nest on the floor. All of them had been insistent that Azul actually text Minhaj, but he just didn't know what to say! How was he to start a conversation?

He had told the others of the number the day after they had returned. Kalim had squealed in excitement, Jamil and the twins had made fun of him and continued to do so every day he didn't text.

“I don't know, ’hi’”

“Hi,Hi!” Azul yelled, “I can't just say ‘hi’”

Jamil let out a long sigh and rolled his eyes quite hard, “Why not let me text him if you aren't going to?” The man's teasing words only worsened the angry flush on Azul’s cheeks. Letting Jamil text Minhaj sounded about the worst idea ever; he would probably send the most embarrassing thing just to make Azul look like a fool!

Azul only glared at the man.

“Is Zuzu still being a wimp”

The cephalopod whipped his head around to face the doorway that entered into Kalim’s room. Floyd walked over and flopped down hard on Azul's stretched-out legs. The assaulted man let out a groan of pain and tried to push the eel’s large body off, but it was no use. Giving up, Azul just stuck his hand in teal hair and scratched hard at his scalp.

Floyd let out a grumble of pleasure and leaned back into the octopus’ hand. “I am not being a wimp, Floyd,” Azul argued for himself.

“You totally are. Just text him already.”

“I say just let one of us text him if you won't," Jamil reiterated, now giving the eel the same idea- how wonderful.

Floyd flipped around so his head was cushioned on Azul’s thighs, and so now he could look up at the octopus. “Oh yeah. Let me, let me. I already have a great idea!” The eel pleaded as he tried to grab at Azul's phone. The octopus pushed away the offending hands and clutched the phone closer to his chest.

“Absolutely not, I will text him myself’

“When?” Jamil's voice was full of disbelief; it wasn't like it was unwarranted. Azul had said that before and hadn't texted.

“When everyone gets here”

Floyd let out a groan of annoyance and pushed his face into the octopus’ stomach. But it was short-lived as the door opened once more, and both Jade and Kalim stepped in with a variety of snacks. Piled high in both of their hands.

Azul felt a shiver run down his spine at the amount of calories in the snacks, but was quickly distracted as Floyd leapt up and grabbed his phone.

“Floyd!”

The eel laughed as the two who had just entered situated both the snack and themselves. “Time to text, Zuzu”

“Oh, are you finally going to text Minhaj, Azul?” Jade's voice broke through the commotion of Azul nearly tackling his brother to get his phone back.

“Yep,” Jamil answered for the octopus, grabbing a handful of candied nuts from one of the snack bowls. Kalim let out a jubilant noise at that. Azul had put Floyd in a chokehold, and after a bit of choking and profanity -from both parties- the octopus had finally retrieved his phone back from the thieving eel. Dropping said eel, he sat back down in his previous spot. Floyd sank back down into the pillows and slithered back to the octopus’ thighs. Burrowing his face into them.

The octopus huffed and opened his phone. Kalim came to sit next to him, leaning into his shoulder to look at the phone. Azul opened it quickly and navigated to his contacts. Pressing the ‘add contact’ button, he put in Minhaj’s name and, after a second, the number he was given as well.

“What if it isn't actually his number?” Azul whispered, almost closing his phone, but stopped at the collective groan from the others in the room.

“It is! Now say hi.” Kalim reassured the nervous octopus.

Azul didn't even know why he was nervous. Sure, he had fun with the man, and he enjoyed it when they talked. Minhaj was intelligent and a good conversation partner. He didn't talk endlessly about himself, asking Azul questions and answering anything asked of him. He didn't find Azul’s need to be equal weird-as far as the octopus knew anyway. He held himself in a confident way Azul respected, and the fact he was a prince only added to it. The cephalopod could do things with connections like that, even though Minhaj didn't exactly resonate with the prince title.

The octopus put his worries away and typed a ‘hi’. Stopping once more, hovering over the send button. The man on his lap sighed and snatched his phone once more, sending the message before Azul could do anything, throwing the phone right after into the far corner of the pillow pile.

“Dont think about it, Zul.” Floyd sat up. “You’ll only work yourself up more, and I wanna have fun. Not watch you be a nervous wreck!”

Kalim laughed and shoved his face into Azul’s shoulder to muffle it. The octopus slapped Floyd's shoulder lightly, displeased with the handling of his phone.

“Do not throw my phone.” Azul moved to grab it, but was stopped by arms around his waist. Floyd pulled him flush against his chest. Wrapping his arms tight, not giving Azul any wiggle room to try to escape.

“Floyd!”

“Nope. Fun time, right sea otter”

Kalim’s laugh grew in volume as he agreed and moved to get what they would be doing that evening. He came back with a box of nail polish, cards, and a mancala board. Just about every time they had a sleepover, they painted their nails. Kalim had offered after the first few, and it had become a tradition of sorts.

Anyone whose nails had chipped or who wanted a new color had their nails painted. Azul needed to get his done; they had started to chip a few days before, and he wanted to try a nice light purple this time. He usually preferred darker colors.

Floyd grabbed the container containing all the nail supplies, freeing Azul, and began to rummage through it. The eel liked to have as many colors on his nails ever since he figured out what nail polish was. Grabbing about 7 different colors, Floyd moved over to Jamil.

Azul moved much nicer than Floyd had and picked out a light mauve.

Jade and Kalim had started to play one of the card games; Floyd had pestered Jamil into doing his nails as the eel tried to play mancala.

Grabbing the acetone, Azul began to start prepping his nails. He had gotten quite good at it since the first time he tried it. Clipping his cuticles and buffed everything down. He had just put the first coat down when his phone buzzed from where it was buried in pillows.

His head snapped up at the sound, and he moved as quickly as he could. Azul picked up his phone, his heart going a mile a minute. Maybe even faster since he had three.

Careful not to smudge the freshly applied nail polish, he turned his phone on and was greeted by a little message notification in the top left-hand corner.

“Did he text?” Jamil’s question broke Azul from his staring, turning half around to nod at the man. The octopus unlocked his phone. The man's message had Azul flush, panicking a bit at the joke(?)

***

Azul
Hi

Minhaj
Hey. I was starting to think you
lost my number

***

Azul felt someone settle against his back to peer over his shoulder. Jade was crouched behind him; the eel let out a chuckle at the message. “Well, looks like you should have texted sooner”

Punching the man in the shoulder and mumbling a ‘shut up,’ Azul began to type up his reply. Moving back over to where he had been doing his nails, and settling back into the position he had taken beforehand.

The others in the room went back to what they had been doing when they saw that Azul wasn't privy to telling them what was going on. Too caught up in his own world.

Looking at the response Azul had carefully conjured up, he was sure of his answer. He didn't need to be overly concerned; he just needed to sound confident and continue the conversation. The man said he liked talking to him, and texting was just like talking! Just a lot easier since you didn't have to actually talk to them face-to-face.

Wow, he needed to spend less time with Idia. He was sounding too much like him.

***

Azul
Funny, I've been very busy these past
A few days. I would have texted sooner.
How are you, though?

Minhaj
I’m doing fine. Lots to do around the dorm after
returning from the VDC. You busy with the lounge?

Azul
Yes. Business is always especially
busy after any major event. Everyone
is catching up with each other.

Minhaj
Like we are?

Azul
Yes.

Minhaj
You type very formally. Anyone ever think you're
Mad at them?

Azul
I've had a few. Kalim especially.
We have had a few incidents.

Minhaj
I can see that happening. What happened?

***

Azul couldn't keep the smile off his face as the conversation continued. He had gotten to the third coat on his nails and was just about to apply the top coat when Kalim called out to him.

Turning his head, the man was holding up the deck of cards that he and Jade had been using. “Wanna play poker?”

The octopus smiled. He was gonna destroy them. Shooting one last message to Minhaj, “What are we betting?” he spoke as he grabbed the top coat to his nails and made his way over to where everyone else had gathered. Looks like they were having a group poker match.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing,” Jamil interrupted before Kalim could say anything. Multiple instances had occurred where Azul had swindled the albino in past matches. “We are playing with chips.” The man held up a bag of plastic chips.

“Boo,” Azul rolled his eyes.

Jamil grabbed the deck from Kalim and got the game ready. As the game went on, the octopus couldn't put his full attention on the game. Which would prove unfortunate for him, as he quickly lost the chips he started with.

Fuck, he needed to get it together; he was being pathetic. He couldn't focus because of a boy; how stupid was that!

Leaning back to watch the game, he glanced down at his phone. He had been seemingly left on read, and he was a little angry at that. They had been talking for about an hour, and it was fun. Then the other man went radio silent.

Azul kept in mind that he could be doing something important; Minhaj had a life just like him. Pushing the other man out of his mind, as futile as it was, he focused back on the game happening in front of him.

Somehow, Kalim seemed to be winning. Azul snorted as he watched Kalim swindle the other three with his hand, a surprisingly good one at that, not minding that he lost as much now. Receiving some irate looks at the noise, he only laughed harder.

Losing the thought of the messages from Minhaj, Azul got lost in the moment. Enjoying the time he could spend with his friends, as unexpected as they were.

Playing poker and eating snacks, the night continued on until the wee hours of the day.
Even if he fell asleep at midnight.

***

The texting continued. Early good mornings and late good nights, photos deemed interesting, gossip about what was going on in their schools. Texts turned to calls, which turned to FaceTimes. Before Azul knew it, he was texting Minhaj basically every day.

It should have been weird. So little time had passed since it started, yet they were as close as ever. Azul didn't care; he was actually having fun. He found himself smiling and laughing when texting the other man. The tweels had picked up on his improved mood, always asking who he was texting and if he had a boyfriend.

Which was insane. He did not like Minhaj like that, and Minhaj would never even think of him like that! They were just friends, friends who texted every day and called on occasion. Maybe more than an occasion, but who was really paying attention to such insignificant things?

Looking down at the chat between Minhaj and himself, he felt a blush creep up onto his cheeks. Seven, why was he blushing? They were friends, and he didn't even like him! Pushing such thoughts out of his mind, Azul began to look back on some of their messages. Going over their interactions, and what they could mean and what they meant to him.

***

Azul
You will never believe what happened
Today!

Minhaj
What?

Azul
Remember how I was telling you about
Floyd pining over Riddle? Riddle
just brought a bouquet of roses
for Floyd!

Minhaj
Are you serious? I thought Riddle
Couldnt stand him or smth.

Azul
I don't know, but Floyd's destroying the kitchen
making tarts.

Minhaj
Thats sweet
Why tarts?

Azul
They’re Riddle's favorite. And it is
really sweet. Riddle does make
Floyd really happy.

Minhaj
Well thats good
Wanna hear about some RSA drama?

Azul
Absolutely!

***

Minhaj
Can you ft later?

Azul
Yeah

Minhaj
Thank the seven

Azul
Why?

Minhaj
People are pissing me off today
and your the only one I can stand
right now

***

Azul
Hey, I wanted to say I was sorry
for spilling my guts to you when
we met

Minhaj
Why would you need to be sorry?
You clearly needed it
I'll always be here if you ever need
to again

Azul
Really? I just thought it was a lot for
a first meeting

Minhaj
It was fine, Azul
Im really happy we met and wouldnt
change anything

Azul
I’m happy we met to

***

Minhaj
Are you free this weekend?

Azul
Yes, the lounge is closed on Sundays. Why?

Minhaj
I was thinking maybe we could
Go out to eat or something. I know a
Pretty good place in town.

Azul
That sounds lovely. What place did you
Have in mind?

Minhaj
A restaurant called Vanessa’s
We can walk around after and talk or
Shop

Azul
I would like that. How does 12 sound?

Minhaj
12 is great.

Azul
Good, and you won't believe what a
customer did today

Minhaj
What did they do?

***

Looking back, Azul felt a range of different emotions. A sense of comfort at Minhaj always texting and answering when he did, a warmth at the comfort he received. Humor at the gossip and the different pictures Minhaj would send. Things that reminded him of Azul, he always said.

One last emotion made itself known the most. Longing. Longing to see him, to talk to him in person, and feel his touch. That warm skin that sends zips of electricity anywhere he touches. Maybe he did like Minhaj. What was he going to do?

Fuck, he couldn't like him. He was an RSA student for one and a prince. The last part wasn't a downside, but how could Azul fall for someone from Royal Sword Academy? He was better than those goody two-shoes.

How could he let this happen? All just because Minhaj was nice?! The mer had better standards than that. But the man was also attentive, caring, confident, and….. Oh, oh no. Minhaj was so good, and Azul had fallen for it.

Azul really had fallen in love. What was he going to do?

Azul was not nervous, thank you very much. He was just slightly…. Ok, maybe he was, but it wasn't his fault. He was going to hang out with Minhaj for the first time, alone. It wasn't like he hadn't been alone with the man, but being with other people lessened the fear of it being awkward. Having other people to fill the silence if neither of them were to talk.

A crush shouldn't be affecting him this much. It was a silly, almost pathetic longing for a man who didn't like him back. The mer needed to get it together!

Sure, he got excited when the man texted and was really looking forward to this hangout, but that did not mean he would embarrass himself. He would be his professional self and have a great time. Azul couldn't let his emotions get the better of him.

He had grown from his childhood, but in some ways, he would always be that weak octopus that hid in his octo-pots and avoided all the other students. Minhaj was a prince and was destined for great things just like Azul.

Those great things just wouldn't involve Azul. Even if deep down he kind of wished they did. Maybe. Possibly.

He took a deep breath and turned back to his closet. The housewarden had to look perfect; he always did, he made sure of that, but he needed to look extra perfect. He was not going to embarrass himself in front of Minhaj by looking subpar.

Shaking his head, he got back on task. Clothes. Yes.

Clothing had been an adjustment coming on land. They weren't a thing under the sea; the closest were armbands and woven pieces of kelp or seagrass used to decorate oneself for mates or themselves.

Gendered clothing had been especially surprising. Females were usually bigger and stronger than males in the sea, but on land, it wasn't like that. Azul didn't care much for gender norms, however.

Why would he? It wasn't what he grew up with. The land dwellers could have their customs, and Azul would have his. He learned how to walk in skirts before switching to pants. Plus, he liked a good dress now, and he looked good in them.

The flowy fabric reminded him of jellyfish and some courting customs of octopus. He liked to spin and make the fabric swirl. Floyd found it especially amusing, always spinning as fast as he could.

He grabbed a pair of mid-rise black slacks and a violet colored sleeveless-top. The top he had gotten about a year ago. It fit loosely around his neck, pooling near his clavicle, and narrowed down, hugging his waist tightly. The fabric overlapped on his waist; it broke off to one side and flowed down at the end, into an off-center triangle that stopped about mid-thigh.

He scrutinized his choices. They had to complement his body first of all. He had gained a bit of weight since the school year started. As much as he didn't like that, he was learning to accept it; the tweels and Jamil would be on his ass if he started cutting back his meals again.

He loved his friends, but sometimes they were so annoying about his meals. Azul got that they cared, but they could leave off it a bit. He wasn't going to starve himself or restrict himself from the things he wanted(anymore).

He had gained some fat around his hips, thighs, and stomach. But the tight shirt should push it in, and his hips and thighs would be fine in the pants. They hid his love handle better than some of the other pairs he owned.

Nodding, he quickly got changed. After he moved to his vanity to pick out jewelry and do some light makeup. Most likely just mascara and concealer to hide his eye bags. He was a light sleeper, and the late nights due to being a housewarden and running the lounge only made them worse.

Picking up a pair of silver shell earrings. He only had holes in his ears at Kalim's insistence. The boy had gifted him a pair of silver earrings, much to Azul's chagrin, and was distraught when he realized the mer’s ears weren't pierced and subsequently couldn't wear them.

The albino offered to do them himself, with Jamil overseeing it, of course, and Azul didn't see a reason why not. The twins had their ears pierced, so he didn't see the big deal.

Reaching for his pearl necklaces, Azul picked one that hugged his neck and complemented the neckline of his top. Turning his head to both sides, he examined himself. Perfect. Simple but elegant.

Grabbing his concealer, he applied it so his eye bags were thoroughly covered. Then moving for his eyelash curler and mascara. Curling them first, then carefully applying the mascara.

Finally, he stood up, slipping on a pair of flats on the way, and walked to the full-length mirror he had in the corner. He looked great, if he said so himself. And he did. Smiling, he nodded and grabbed one of the black bags in his collection.

Throwing the strap over his shoulder and stealing his nerves, he made his way out of his dorm.

He walked to the bus stop right off campus grounds. Used mostly when the Spelldrive students had to go off campus to compete. He sat down under the awning and waited for the bus.

He was early. The bus was supposed to arrive at 12:20, and it was only 12. He made sure to be punctual; they had planned to meet up at 1, so he was quite early. The ride into town was only about 15 minutes, but what if he ran into trouble once he got to town, or the bus broke down?

There were too many possibilities that he couldn't control, so he planned to arrive at least 15 minutes before they planned. That he could at least control to some degree.

He tapped his foot as he waited, failing to push down the nervous feeling bubbling in his chest. Sevens, get it together, Azul! He would be fine; he would be great.

After stewing in his thoughts for far too long, the sound of the bus crept into his hearing. Turning his head, he saw the bus a few hundred feet away.

Azul stood up and walked to the sidewalk to wait for the bus to stop. Walking up the steep steps and situating himself in a window seat near the front, Azul waited to arrive at his destination.

The ride seemed to stretch for far longer than 15 minutes. But soon enough, the forest slowly disappeared, and a town took its place. They had decided to meet at Foothill. A neutral spot in between the schools, not too far away in case they were needed back.

The bus rolled to a stop, and Azul stood. Carefully making his way down the steps and onto the sidewalk. He looked around where he was.

The bustling streets and brick buildings greeted him. The town was popular with students. Lots of people liked to visit on the weekends and go to the local establishments like the diners, arcades, or clothing stores.

Azul started his way towards the diner where they were supposed to meet. He had meticulously researched the area and memorized the fastest route to the diner. He had also looked up the menu and already picked out what he was going to order.

He wasn't going to look like a pig in front of Minhaj. He would order a nice grilled chicken salad with a fruit vinaigrette, something that made eating salads at least tolerable, and get an unsweetened lemonade. Balanced and not very high in calories.

Checking his watch, he still had about 20 minutes until 1. Slowing his breathing, he slowed his steps. He didn't expect Minhaj to be there anytime soon.

The cobblestone beneath his feet was smooth and without cracks. The town was very well taken care of, and Azul couldn't help but relax. The town had a calming atmosphere despite the busyness of it all.

Maybe that's why it was so popular. It made you feel safe in a way, like it would listen to you if you were to talk to the walls. Maybe they would answer as well.

The diner came into his view, and he glanced up at the sign above the front door, ‘Vanessas’. It wasn't a small spot, but it wasn't huge either. A nice medium that saw a range of different customers.

It had a nice white and blue aesthetic, with gold accents. They specialized in lunch foods, but served at all times of day. Azul stopped short of the building as he saw something he didn't expect. Someone who wasn't supposed to be there for another, looking down at his watch, 10 minutes.

Minhaj was sitting on a bench outside the establishment, looking down at his phone. Why was he here so early? Azul liked to be punctual; did Minhaj as well?

Clearing his throat, he made his way over to the tan man. Stopping to stand in front of him. The man looked up and flashed Azul a smile as he realized who was in front of him.

“Azul.” Minhaj stood up and pocketed his phone. “I didn't expect to see you so early”

“I didn't either. When did you get here?” He would have had to leave earlier than Azul if he were there before him. He looked like he had been sitting there waiting for quite some time.

Minhaj shrugged off the question, instead proposing they start walking around to look at or for some of the shops. Azul nodded despite the obvious redirection of his question. They started walking, and the conversation seemed to flow naturally.

The lulls weren't as awkward as he feared they’d be; instead, they added a way to take in the space and enjoy the atmosphere.

The bustling streets were slightly chaotic, as other teenagers were also spending time with friends; Azul could recognize some from NRC. Azul pointed out different shops along their route and did the occasional window shopping. Some of the pieces he saw were rather good. Especially a deep blue vest he saw in one of the higher-end shops.

It was beautiful, and Azul almost stopped their walk to buy it. He decided against it; however, he liked how the afternoon was going and didn't want to disturb whatever they had going on at the moment.

Maybe he could come back another day and get it; hopefully, they would still have it.

They had been walking for about an hour when a voice called out for them, a very familiar voice.

Turning around, they were met with one albino cousin and a brown-haired servant. Kalim was waving enthusiastically, and Jamil looked ready to strangle him. Letting out a light laugh, Azul grabbed his companion's hand and pulled him along.

The distance was crossed in a few seconds, and as soon as he was close enough, Arms wrapped around him and pulled him into a tight hug. Smiling down at the albino, Azul pushed him back softly. “What are you two doing out here?” the mer glanced up at Jamil as he spoke.

“Kalim wanted to try a new cafe that just opened”

The albino nodded vigorously at Jamil's statement, starting to ramble about the cafe. It had just opened about two weeks ago, and was all over Magicam. Cater had also been raving about it, apparently.

It had both savory and sweet options available, which Azul found rather tasteful. He might love sweets, but offering both savory and sweet was always a good choice. It offered a bigger customer base.

“We should go together!” Kalim cut himself off, grabbing onto Azul's shoulder and looking up at Minhaj. The prince had migrated to stand just behind his shoulder, his body heat radiating into the mer.

Azul’s eyebrows raised, looking at Jamil. Cocking his head to the side, the vice-housewarden shrugged before nodding.

Then, looking back at Minhaj. They were supposed to go to Vanessa's. The prince nodded, and Azul felt a little better about the situation. Turning his attention to the albino in front of him, Azul spoke, “We would love to.”

Kalim’s face lit up in excitement as he started talking about how much fun it would be. Jamil started off, the albino following shortly behind. Nearly walking backwards as he continued to talk to Azul. The mer pushed down his smile at his friend's antics.

The walk there was short, and soon they were coming onto a medium-sized building with a lilac and white color scheme. It was very aesthetically pleasing to look at, the table and string lights placed outside adding a welcoming feeling.

Azul would have to do some research on the establishment when he returned to his dorm.

Opening the door, Azul entered and was hit with the smell of freshly baked goods and the sound of soft playing music. It blanketed him in a fuzzy feeling, and as he looked back at Minhaj, all he could feel was warmth.

He was finally actually looking at his companion. Date? Was it a date? Shaking his head, Azul looked the man up and down.

The man wore a pair of loose-fitting white linen pants, scarves wrapped around his hips. A teal top exposing his midriff covered his chest. Gold jewelry decorated him in about every place it could, and Azul could feel his throat go dry.

By the sea witch, Minhaj was beautiful.

The man smirked at him when he caught Azul staring, walking up to him to whisper, “Like what you see?”

The mer could feel his cheeks flush blue as he pushed the man's shoulder back, “You wish.” Azul walked over to the other two in their group, ignoring the look Jamil threw him. If he ignored it, it would go away. He wouldn't have to explain whatever had just happened.

Minhaj walked up behind him, pressing lightly on his lower back as he came to stand next to him. Shoot a quick glance at the man, then turned his attention to Kalim. “What do you think you’ll get?”

The albino’s face scrunched up at the question. “I don't know! It all looks so good.” His shoulder dropped, and a pout came onto his face.

Huffing, Azul looked at the menu. Kalim was right; a lot of it sounded delicious. From more savory items like quiches and sandwiches, to sweets like cupcakes and chocolate moose. Biting his lip, the mer glanced through their display case.

A scone caught his attention. It was blueberry with a delicious-looking brown crumble on top of it, and he could feel his mouth water. It looked so good!

Minhaj leaned down to whisper in his ear, “The scone?” Azul looked over at him and nodded. The prince nodded back, “You wanna share?”

The mer angled his body to the prince, “You want to? I wouldn't mind.” A million thoughts were running around his head as he spoke. Mers were particular about their food. It was used for courting, and sharing it with someone was special. Sharing it with Minhaj felt special.

He swallowed as he watched Minhaj converse with Kalim. Both were chatting about what they wanted to get. He could feel Jamil’s eyes on him, and sparing the man a glance gave him the calculated look he knew was there. Minhaj turned back to him, “Ready to order?”

Azul nodded, “Yeah.”

They all got into line, which moved quickly, and they were ordering before the mer knew it. Each ordered their own thing, Minhaj ordering the scone for both of them. Their food was ready in the next few minutes, and they found a seat near the back of the cafe.

Kalim looked rather excited at what he got. Sitting down, Azul looked at the man next to him expectantly. Minhaj placed the scone down and broke a piece off. Handing it to Azul, he broke his own piece off.

Happy, he bit down on the piece of scone. Sweet blueberry and vanilla invaded his taste buds. It was wonderful. A happy noise came from both him and Kalim. The albino smiled wide as he ate.

Conversation flowed between bites of food. It was nice, and Azul felt warm.

After some time, they had all finished and were on their way out. A laugh bubbled up in his chest as he watched Jamil drag Kalim away. The boy was whining softly at having to leave his friend and cousin. The sky had begun to darken, the stars starting to come out. Azul looked over at Minhaj. The prince was staring up at the stars, his face quizzical.

“What?” he asked, and the prince looked at him. “I want to show you something.”

Azul was skeptical of the statement. “Show me what?”

All Minhaj did was smile and grab his hand. “Something to do with the beach and the stars, follow me, okay?” Despite his skepticism, Azul followed after him. They walked the streets of town, passing buildings and shops. Soon they disappeared, and the outskirts of town were all he saw.

Azul followed after Minhaj, the man's hand warm in his. The prince had wanted to go to the beach, and who was he to deny him? The mer followed with a little hesitance in his steps, however. He didn't know why Minhaj was leading him to the beach.

He hoped it wasn't swimming. The food he had eaten bloated his stomach, and he didn't want to look bad in front of the prince. Swallowing, Azul steeled himself. Pulling off to walk side by side, he glanced at Minhaj.

The man's face was open as he looked in front of him. Occasionally looking up at the stars. Azul turned to look at them as well. They shimmered across the black expanse behind them, and the mer found himself smiling.

He did always love the stars.

Their walk would soon end, as the rocky cliffs that bordered both the beach and the island came into view. Minhaj turned around and offered him a light smile. “You ready?”

“Ready?” Azul started, “Ready for what?” The sinister look on Minhaj's face had him rethinking all the choices he had made until now.

Minhaj gestured behind him to the rocks, jagged and very dangerous. “We’re gonna climb them. I know a great spot to see the stars on the rocks”. The mer's mouth fell open in a silent gasp, looking at the rocks; his brow furrowed, and he frowned. “I am not doing that!” he exclaimed, pulling in his hand to bring Minhaj back towards him. “We are going to get hurt.”

“No, we’re not. I’ve done it a million times; I’ll keep you safe. Promise.” Minhaj soothed a thumb over the back of his hand, and Azul felt his resolve crumbling. Frowning at the rocks once more, he mumbled an okay.

The prince smiled at him and pulled him closer. “It’ll be fine, just stick close, okay?” Azul heard whispered into his ear, and a blue blush crept up his neck. Nodding his head, they both started forward.

The journey was done slowly and carefully. Each step Azul took, Minhaj was next to him. A hand somewhere on his body—his back, his arm, his waist. Steadying him, keeping him from falling. Azul felt safe in the prince's hands. The rocks were sturdy under his feet, and after what seemed like too long, Azul stepped out into a flat part of rocky terrain.

It wasn't that large, just enough for two people. It was flat with some rocky cropping bordering it, and looking up he could see a full expanse of stars.

No buildings, or lights, or anything blocking the stars. He gasped, and Minhaj came to stand next to him. Turning to look at the man, Azul felt his throat go dry at the moon reflecting off the prince. It bounced off his tan skin and made him look ethereal. All sharp edges and smooth lines. Azul swallowed hard and stepped forward.

Settling down on the ground, he looked back at Minhaj. The prince came to sit next to him, leaning back on his hands.

Azul kept his eyes on the stars; they were beautiful. They twinkled, and he could make out some constellations. He had Cater to thank for knowing them; the man loved Astronomy. He sighed and let his shoulders loosen. “They're beautiful,” the mer spoke barely above a whisper into the space between them. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Minhaj shifted next to him. “They are.” Azul smiled and turned to look at the prince. He stopped short as the man's eyes were already on him. They had been on him for some time now. The blue came back with a vengeance when he realized Minhaj was calling him beautiful, not the stars.

“You know, I always liked that you blushed blue.” A hand came up to caress his cheek, and Azul opened his mouth. Nothing came out.

“You-you don't mean that.” He didn't know if he was talking about the blush, or the fact Minhaj called him beautiful. The prince frowned lightly, “I do. I have no reason to lie to you.

And it was true. Minhaj had no true reason to lie to him, and the prince wouldn’t lie out of his own enjoyment. He wasn't like Azul. He didn't scheme, and trick, and scam others. He was good, too good. The mer looked away.

A hand under his chin brought his face back to Minhaj’s. “Dont look away. Don't hide from me.” His voice was honey-sweet, and Azul felt like he was melting. Like he was chocolate in the hot summer sun. “You…”

“I?”

Azul scowled, “Shut up. You don't know what you're talking about. You are having a terrible lapse in judgement.” Minhaj sighed and knocked his forehead into his. “I am not. I like you, Azul”

Those words had him freezing like a deer in headlights. They spun in his mind, over and over again. Minhaj liked him? No. That couldn't be true. Why would a perfect prince like him like the pathetic crybaby octopus Azul was? He tried to hide it, but his overblot and how he acted were the same. He was still the boy who hid in his octopus pots. He wanted an octopus pot.

The hand moved to cup his cheek. Azul, despite his best efforts, leaned into it. Minhaj smiled at him and looked down at his lips. The mer pressed his lips together, his thoughts fighting against one another.

He liked Minhaj, Seven; he might love him. And Minhaj liked him back, but did he? Was he being truthful? Was he being cruel for the sake of it(Azul knew he never would be)? “Do you like me, Azul?”

Azul nodded, his eyes cast down. He didn't know what he was doing. Minhaj breathed against his lips, “Can I kiss you?”

The mer answered in action instead of words. Connecting their lips in a kiss. He was unpractised and a bit clumsy, their teeth clacking, but it was wonderful. At least it was for him, and Minhaj's hand on his waist and the push back against his lips told him it was for the prince as well.

Leaning back, he panted into the space between them. He looked into deep brown eyes, and found himself falling further. Minhaj chuckled, and kissed him once again.

Their lips moved against one another, and Azul felt himself getting the hang of it. Tilting his hand to the side, their lips slotted together. It was wet, and tasted like cinnamon. It was magical, and sent a zip of electricity through him. A tongue lipped the seam of his lips, and he gasped.

A tongue entered his mouth, and it was strange but also good. Azul tentatively licked at Minhaj’s lips, and a deep rumble came from the prince's chest. The hand on his waist pulled him forward, and he tumbled into Minhaj’s lap.

Pulling back, he looked down at Minhaj. Azul held onto the man's neck, one hand sliding into his hair. “Good?”

“Yeah,” Azul said before diving back down. Kissing was great. And he felt warm all over, in his stomach, his legs, his arms. Everything had a nice warmth and tingle. He smiled into the kiss, and Minhaj wrapped his arms around his waist. Pulling him further against him. He slotted into the space of the man's hips; he tried not to put his full weight down.

But Minhaj just pushed him down further until he did. “It's okay. I’m stronger than I look.” was pressed against his lips. Azul sighed as Minhaj drifted lower, kissing along his neck and jaw. The prince sucked lightly, and he fisted the prince’s hair, slapping a hand over his mouth.

A little noise escaped him, and he felt a little humiliated. It was gone with Minhaj roaming his hands over his hips, and onto his thighs. Squeezing the flesh and muscle, the prince sucked a mark into his skin.

Azul tightened his grip, probably bruising the man in the process. He trailed a hand down Minhaj’s back, raking his nails across the covered skin. A noise was pressed into his neck, a half-groan, half-something animalistic. He felt himself smile; this was everything.

He could feel the way his crotch was warmer than the rest of him, a little wet. Fuck. He pulled the man back by his hair. Minhaj smiled up at him, “I-I really like this, but” he swallowed “if we continue… This is my first time doing anything. And being on land is different from water; touch is a lot more impactful on land than in water without the pressure.”

Minhaj seemed to get what he was putting down, as the smile turned soft and hands drifted to his hips, rubbing soothing circles into the bone.

“Okay. We don't have to do anything you don't want. We can go where you want, and go as slow as needed. I don't mind; I care what you want.”

The mer smiled softly, cupping his prince's cheek. “Are we a thing now? Like boyfriends?”

“If you want to be”

Azul nodded, the smile growing wider across his face. “I would like that, I would like that a lot.” Minhaj nodded and pulled him in. Azul rested his head on top of brown curls, breathing in the scent of Minhaj. Everything that had happened felt like a dream. He had a boyfriend. Minhaj was his boyfriend.

The thoughts from earlier were all but gone, as they sat there in each other's arms. Later they would return to one of their dorms, and Azul would decide how far he wanted to go. But now, he just rested in his prince’s arms.

The room began to fill with students, the excitement of school ending soon, and what would possibly happen that night filled the air. It was electric as students mingled with one another. Students of the same school, of course.

The rivalry that had long since been there still held strong between RSA and NRC. The students of the lighter academy could be seen trying to talk to their sister school, but the cold shoulder of disgruntled and disdainful students met them.

But the night had only begun; drinks had yet to be drunk, talks were yet to be had, and dances were yet to be done. A surprising amount can happen in such a short night.

Azul was hoping something would happen tonight, a very special thing. Something he would normally never do, something he hated. Dancing. Yes, that was right, Azul was hoping to dance. And not just dance, but dance with his boyfriend.

His newly found beloved.

The mer still couldn't believe it. Him with Minhaj, him with the prince of the scalding sands! It was bizarre and confusing, but it was true. And it was theirs. They had known each other for about 6 months, and dated for 3 of them. It had been a wonderful three months of getting to know each other and hanging out.

He’d spilled the news to Kalim shortly after they got together. The man had been ecstatic, and was so excited at the prospect of being cousins in the future. Which was… something. Mers mated for life, and he could see Minhaj being that one.

The one he’d spend the rest of his life with. He loved him, and he prayed Minhaj would love him back.

He could feel his nerves rising as he looked out into the pool of students crowding the dance floor. Music blared into the space, and students cheered. It was a lot, Azul had to admit. Very loud, and he kind of hated it, but he would survive.

He just wished Minhaj was next to him. The prince had disappeared to get them drinks, and Azul wondered if he had gotten caught up with another student. Rielle, perhaps. He was quickly proven wrong as a hand gently touched his lower back, and a drink was held out to him.

Shooting a grateful smile to his beloved, he grabbed the drink. It was the pineapple one from when they first met. Warmth settled into Azul’s chest as he took a sip. It was as good as it was last time.

When Minhaj had asked him to go, the mer had been hesitant. He wasn't afraid of showing their relationship, sevens no. Kalim already knew, and that meant Jamil knew. The twins as well, along with his mother.

Quite a few people knew, but he just wanted to keep it to himself a little longer. Keep Minhaj for him, not the rest of the student body.

But the thought of going with his beloved overrode that want. Being able to spend time with Minhaj without having to plan ahead and coordinate was rather nice. And with Minhaj next to him, a hand on his waist made him very happy.

Also, watching everyone's reaction had been priceless. Walking in with the prince of the Scalding Sand was quite the sight, and Cater had given him an earful when he managed to get him alone.

Quite the speech it was. ‘How could he?!’, ‘we’re supposed to be friends!’, and of course, ‘we’re gossip buddies. You didn't gossip about your relationship with your gossip buddy?!’.

Seeing Cater's face fall and flush when he mentioned him coming with Vil, and refusing to separate from him until this conversation. It shut him up real quick. They had compromised to share everything after the event, and Azul was looking forward to that. He was glad he didn't have to see Cater pine over Vil any longer. It was getting sad how long it had been going on.

“Do you want to dance?” a voice whispered into his ear; a tug on the shirt he was wearing accompanied it. Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Azul could see the smirk on Minhaj’s face. The prince knew he did not dance, but took every opportunity to ask Azul for a dance.

Azul slowly turned his head, a fake scowl on his face. “You know I don't dance.” Minhaj laughed lowly, gently cradling the mer’s hand in his. Bringing it up to his mouth, he pressed a light kiss to his knuckles. “But you do with me”

“When we are alone, not in front of so many people,” the mer shot back, moving to hold his beloved's hand in his. Minhaj pulled him forward and away from the wall. Azul allowed it. “Once? I can't bring you as my date and not dance with you.”

He rolled his eyes, allowing himself to be taken out onto the dance floor. Azul could feel eyes tracking his movements, but he ignored them. They could stare all they wanted; his beloved was with him and the mer was going to enjoy it.

They settled onto the outskirts of the dance floor; Minhaj smiled down at him. A hand settled on his waist, and he cupped the prince's neck.

The music began to play. Azul took a step back, as Minhaj took one forward. Moving with his beloved, the mer was danced across the floor. He was spun and dipped. Before long, laughter was bubbling out of his throat, and they were leaning their foreheads against one another. Minhaj’s smile was wide, and Azul placed a light kiss against his lips.

Settling his head on Minhaj’s chest, they swayed with the next song. A slower one designed for couples. Azul wrapped both arms around his beloved's neck, and his hands wrapped loosely around his waist.

He could hear Minhaj’s heartbeat, steady under his ear.

It was wonderful. To be like this with his prince. He leaned his head back to look into Minhaj’s eyes. The man leaned down and connected their lips, short and sweet. The prince leaned back, and a smile played at the corner of his lips.

“I love you,” Azul whispered into the air between them.

“I love you, too,” Minhaj spoke against his temple, placing a feather-light kiss against his skin.

The mer allowed himself to relax and completely enjoy the moment. This wonderful moment he would remember for the rest of his life.