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unpredictable-probabilities · 1 year

Text

Giveaway

Summary:

Jamil overhears that Azul likes him.

What now?

Word Count: 5,479

Author’s Note: Happy birthday, Azul! ^_^

– –

“Good morning, Jamil,” Azul said with his usual smile as he slid into the seat next to Jamil.

“Hey.” Jamil looked away and maintained his deadpan expression.

Azul greeted him everyday in Alchemy class, and as much as he hated to admit it, Jamil had grown to look forward to it.

There were days when he’d be having a bad morning because of some stressful situation at Scarabia or with Kalim, and Azul’s greeting would calm him down.

It’s like whenever Azul wished him to have a good morning, some part of him would feel compelled to do it.

It’s because of that stupid smile.

For some reason, Azul never smiled like that except on those Alchemy mornings. Brighter and more relaxed, it was different from the usual businessman smile that he usually uses when talking with other people. Maybe he’s always in a good mood in Alchemy because he excels in that class.

“What do you say, Jamil?” Azul asked him.

For a second, Jamil’s mind was blank. What was Azul talking about?

Then he realized that Professor Crewel had just assigned the class a project that they’d have to do by pairs. He really should pay more attention in class.

He furrowed his eyebrows and tried to recall the instructions that their professor just said. They were supposed to brew a type of magical ink and make a simple moving drawing from it.

“Would you like to be partners?” Azul continued. “I’m familiar with magical ink since I use some form of it for my contracts. In fact, I have a pen in my pencil case right now with that ink.”

“The ink can move?” Jamil asked in mild surprise. That was advanced magic even for him.

“Indeed it can. But I’ve never needed permanently moving ink, so the best I have is ink that moves for only a few seconds upon drawing. Watch.”

Azul took out a pen and made a quick doodle on the corner of Jamil’s notebook; it was a simple drawing of a parrot, barely bigger than Jamil’s thumb.

It spread its wings and glided around the margins before settling down at the top of the page, perched above today’s date scrawled in Jamil’s handwriting. Like it had always been there.

And it always will be. Azul had just given him a parrot.

He shut his notebook and moved it aside, willing himself to focus on their project.

“Sure, we can pair up again.” They always paired up in Alchemy, sometimes they didn’t even need to ask, they’d just instinctively work together.

“Excellent,” Azul smiled and turned his attention back to Professor Crewel.

***

“Sea Snake!” Floyd approached him as they all stood out in the field waiting for Flight class to start. “Can I borrow your textbook for Magical History? I left mine in my bedroom and I gotta run to Magical History right after this.”

Jamil raised an eyebrow, it wasn’t the first time that Floyd had asked to borrow one of his textbooks, but everyone knew how strict Professor Trein was these days because of the upcoming exams.

Especially for Floyd who has had multiple instances of forgetting things for class, Jamil would have thought that he’d be more careful. Though it wasn’t really surprising that Floyd wouldn’t be afraid of a little extra scolding.

“I need it for my homework tonight,” Jamil answered. “Why don’t you ask Jade or Azul to lend you their textbook?”

“They left theirs at Octavinelle too because they don't need it today, but I saw yours in your bag just now when you put your hoodie in there! Can I borrow it, pleeeeeeeaaase?” Floyd asked hopefully, putting his hands together in front of him. “I’ll return it to you when classes end so you can still do your homework."

It's so surreal seeing Floyd's vastly differing personalities sometimes. Jamil knew how terrifying he could be, but there were times like these when he's almost like a little kid.

"Can I borrow it, can I borrow it?" Floyd stared at him with what he could only describe as puppy eyes.

Jamil sighed. If he didn’t lend Floyd his textbook, the tall eel would probably bully another student to get theirs. Then it would be a big mess if he tried to squeeze them.

“Fine,” Jamil relented to maintain the peace in their class.

“Yay! You’re the best snakey around!” Floyd hugged him tightly with one arm and ruffled his hair with his other hand.

“Alright, alright,” Jamil cringed and pushed Floyd away with his textbook.

A shrill whistle signaled the start of class, and they all hurried to the center of the field with their brooms.

“Listen up,” Coach Vargas began. “We’ll be practicing turns today, so I want you all to fly five laps circling the field. I’ll be grading you based on your speed, altitude, balance, and how well you swerve your brooms. Those who get a grade lower than B would stay for an extra 20 minutes of practice.”

Groans and murmurs sounded among the students. It was a cloudless day and the sun was glaring down on them; no one was happy about the idea of an extra 20 minutes.

Coach Vargas waited for the chatter to die down, then he started the time and blew the whistle.

Brooms flew into the air at varying heights and speed. Jamil looked down, and sure enough, Azul was struggling to get his broom off the ground.

Jamil sighed and decided on how he would perform his flying.

After the timer ended, Coach Vargas blew the whistle again and told them all to come down.

There were a few grunts as some of them landed roughly on the ground, including Jade and Azul.

Coach Vargas looked at his list and announced the names of those who would stay for the extra 20 minutes.

“Viper, what happened to you today?” Coach Vargas asked after he read Jamil’s name on the list.

“Sorry, Coach. I wasn’t very focused.” Jamil replied.

“Don’t be complacent just because you usually do well in this class,” Coach Vargas reminded him. “You need to keep both your mind and your muscles strong!”

Coach dismissed the rest of them, and a handful of the class remained.

“Viper, help Ashengrotto with his flying again,” Coach told him, just as he expected. “Maybe teaching someone will help you remember the techniques.”

“Yes sir,” he replied and walked over to Azul who didn’t look happy about it.

“What do you want as payment?” Azul asked immediately, not wanting to be taught for free but also knowing that they couldn’t refuse an order from Coach Vargas.

“Just lend me your History notes again,” Jamil said.

Azul raised an eyebrow. “That’s also what you asked for last time. Do you even need those notes? I don’t seem to remember you struggling with History at all.”

“Does it matter?” Jamil asked impatiently.

“Of course it does,” Azul’s frown deepened. “It’s not really a favor if it’s useless to you.”

Jamil rolled his eyes. There really was no convincing Azul of letting him help without thinking of favors.

“Fine,” Jamil said. “Tell Floyd to always remember to bring his textbooks so he doesn’t keep borrowing mine.”

“Hm, I’m not sure if reminders would do much good since it’s Floyd we’re talking about," Azul furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully. "But I shall do my best."

After several minutes, Azul managed to lift himself from the ground relatively smoothly. Jamil hovered nearby to explain the correct posture, but Azul was so nervous that he didn't seem to understand him.

At his fourth turn, it was too abrupt and he slipped off his broom, hurtling to the ground headfirst from 12 feet in the air.

Jamil's eyes widened and he maneuvered his broom into a nosedive, summoning a cushion of wind with his Magic Pen just in time to catch Azul a few inches from the ground.

"Nice catch, Viper!" Coach Vargas grinned from where he was standing several feet away.

Jamil's face burned at the stares he got. He appreciated the praise but did Coach really have to announce it to the entire class?

He got rid of the wind and Azul fell to the ground with a grunt.

Jamil smoothly got down from his broom and sighed. "Can you even hear my instructions up there?"

"Hearing and executing are two very different things," Azul clumsily stood up and straightened his glasses. "And if you’re so knowledgeable, what was with your performance earlier? You were dreadful. I've never seen you fly that badly before."

"I was just tired," Jamil lied. "And being held back for this 20 minutes thing turned out to be helpful anyway."

Azul narrowed his eyes suspiciously, but the whistle sounded before he could ask any more questions, to Jamil's relief.

"Okay, that’s 20 minutes!” Coach Vargas announced. “Rest your muscles for now, and next week we’ll be doing this again until all of you can turn smoothly!”

The class was dismissed, and Jamil made his way to the Hall of Mirrors, mentally reviewing what time he’d be helping Kalim with his homework and when he’d do his own studying. Hopefully Floyd would return his textbook as soon as possible.

***

Jamil pushed open the doors of Mostro Lounge, looking around for that Leech that didn’t return his textbook. Again. It had been more than two hours since classes had ended, but there wasn’t even a text from Floyd about when he’d return it. He wasn’t answering Jamil’s calls either. Luckily he had mentioned that morning that he had a shift at Mostro Lounge after classes, so Jamil knew that he’d be here. Unless he didn’t show up to work.

Jamil asked a waiter that passed by, and he was told that Floyd was most likely in Azul’s office with Jade, since they usually had their budget meetings around this time. Jamil wondered if he should just wait for their meeting to be over; Azul might not appreciate being interrupted.

But he had told Azul in Flight class that Floyd borrowed his textbook anyway, and Floyd might be more motivated to return it immediately if he asked for it while Azul was in the room.

He made his way to Azul’s office, and he was about to knock when he heard what sounded like muffled shouting from the other side of the door. Maybe he should just wait for their meeting to be over. If those three were in the middle of arguing, he didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire.

Then he heard Floyd’s voice, raised loudly enough for him to understand the words, “Just tell ‘im you like him!”

Jamil raised an eyebrow. Was Floyd talking to Jade or Azul?

It shouldn’t matter, but if he left now without at least knowing the answer to that one, he knew he’d be wondering about it for the rest of the day.

Against his better judgment, he looked behind him to make sure that the corridor was empty, and pressed his ear against the door.

“Why are we talking about this now?” Azul’s exasperated voice said. “These are work hours, and I would like the both of you to focus.”

Jamil’s stomach dropped. So Floyd was talking to Azul. But who could he be referring to? Jamil’s mind started running through a mental list of who Azul might have feelings for.

Riddle? He and Azul were on the same wavelength when it came to talking about academics. Though Riddle seemed to be dating Trey.

Could it be Idia somehow? They were pretty close, they’re even in the same club and probably spend a lot of time together.

“You took Jade’s advice this morning!” Floyd complained, ignoring Azul’s remark about their work hours. “Why don’tcha take my advice this time?”

“Oh, he took my advice?” Jade’s voice sounded surprised.

“Yeah, I saw Azul give him that gift, like you told him to,” Floyd answered.

Jamil frowned. Azul Ashengrotto, who was always a stickler for evening out favors, just gave a gift–a free and definitely not paid thing–to that person he liked? Who the hell was that guy?

“What was it?” Jade asked curiously.

“It doesn’t matter,” Azul sounded tired, like he had given up on trying to get the twins to leave him alone on the subject. “He didn’t like it anyway.”

Azul’s gift was rejected. Jamil wondered what it could have been; surely a gift from someone like Azul would be expensive or fancy. Maybe the guy was one of their richer classmates, someone who could afford to turn their nose up at such a gift.

Of course Azul would be attracted to someone rich.

Jamil cursed himself; he shouldn’t have listened in the first place. This was none of his business, and all he achieved was make himself angry. At himself for being nosy, at the guy for not liking the gift, at Floyd for that stupid textbook. He had decided to just borrow someone else’s textbook so he could leave the Lounge, but once again Floyd’s voice caught his attention.

“It was a parrot,” Floyd said.

Jamil froze in place, unsure if he had heard correctly.

“A parrot?” Jade sounded confused.

“A drawing of one,” Azul clarified, and Jamil suddenly felt his heart beating in his chest. “I wasn’t going to give him an actual parrot, what excuse could I possibly have for that?”

Jamil was feeling lightheaded. Did Azul give a parrot drawing to someone else that day or…

“A real parrot would’ve been much cooler,” Floyd pointed out. “You came up with an excuse for the drawing.”

“Which was much easier since I had read ahead on the syllabus and knew which task Professor Crewel would assign us next,” Azul countered. “Coming up with an excuse for a feathery talking animal in the classroom would have been an entirely different thing.”

“What’s your excuse for not just telling him you like him, huh?” Floyd’s voice suddenly rose again.

“Unhand me!” With the way Azul’s voice wobbled, it seemed like Floyd was shaking him by the shoulders or something to that effect.

“It looks like this budget meeting has reached its conclusion,” Jade said in amusement. “We can continue it next week. Floyd and I will be returning to the kitchen now.”

“Yes, get out,” Azul said irritably.

Too late, Jamil realized what was about to happen. He took a step back and prepared to run, but the door swung open and he was face to face with Jade.

“Jamil,” Jade’s eyebrows were lifted in surprise.

“Sea Snake!” Floyd was grinning behind Jade. “We were just talkin’ about you!”

Jamil looked over Floyd’s shoulder and saw that Azul was staring at him in horrified realization, his face drained of all color.

Azul raised his Magic Pen and an invisible force pulled the twins back inside and the door slammed shut.

Jamil stared at it for a second, then turned back down the corridor, trying not to walk too fast so as not to attract attention as he made his way back to the Hall of Mirrors and into his dorm room, where he shut the door and leaned against it.

He took a few breaths to calm himself, and a single chuckle of disbelief escaped his throat.

Azul… Azul liked him.

Azul liked him back.

Yeah, there was no use denying his own feelings now. Not when he could barely suppress the smile forming on his face after everything he just heard.

In his mind, he could vividly see that parrot soaring gracefully around the page of his notebook.

***

Jamil kept fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie on the way to Alchemy the next day. He’d had Defensive Magic and Music with Azul already, but they didn’t normally interact in those classes, so he couldn’t tell whether Azul was avoiding him or not.

He didn’t have any other classes with Jade and Floyd today, and Alchemy would be the first class where he’d see all three of them. He had no idea how any of them felt about him overhearing their conversation yesterday, and he wasn’t sure how to act around them.

“Sea Snake!” Floyd arrived at the classroom door the same time he did. “Here ya go.”

Floyd took out the textbook from his bag and handed it to him, not even mentioning the fact that he was supposed to have returned it yesterday.

“So what do you think?” Floyd asked.

“About what?” Jamil furrowed his eyebrows, putting the textbook in his backpack.

“About Azul liking you.” Floyd spoke with a straight face, as if he was just asking what Jamil thought about the cafeteria’s menu.

“Um…” Jamil felt his face heating up. He definitely didn’t expect to be questioned like that.

“Hey, you’re blushing!” Floyd grinned. “That’s good, right?”

“Floyd,” Jade walked from down the hall and approached them, smiling politely. “Remember what Azul said about not talking to Jamil about it?”

“But that’s boring! I wanna know what Sea Snake thinks!”

“Why doesn’t Azul want you to talk about it?” Jamil frowned.

He had half-expected the twins to threaten him in some way and make sure that he didn’t tell anyone else what he had overheard; not talking about it at all didn’t seem like their usual style.

“He didn’t want you to think that we were threatening you to feel the same way about him. It’s rare to see Azul offer much consideration for the feelings of others, so I would like to oblige him this time,” Jade smiled. “Anyway, class is about to start. We best go in before we anger Professor Crewel with our tardiness.”

Jamil just stared as Jade led a pouting Floyd into the classroom. That entire conversation with the twins felt like a rollercoaster, and Jamil felt even more nervous to face Azul. Though he wasn’t exactly sure why.

He took a breath to calm himself and entered the room. Azul was already in his seat, reading from a textbook while jotting down notes.

“Puppies, settle down.” Professor Crewel arrived just as Jamil sat down next to Azul. “You will only have three days to brew the potion. There is room for mistakes today since it’s only the first day, but I strongly advise you to keep the errors to a minimum. It’s a challenging potion and three days is not as much time as you think.”

After some safety reminders on how to handle the cauldron and ingredients, Professor Crewel instructed them to begin.

“I’ve done some research on the potion,” Azul said next to him. “It is often the base for paints used in moving portraits. Fortunately, we don’t have to make anything as complicated, though the information I gathered would help significantly in figuring out how to make the ink stable and relatively waterproof.”

Pretend like nothing happened. That was Azul’s plan. Fine, he could go with that.

What was he expecting, anyway? That Azul would ask him out?

A feeling that was dangerously close to disappointment rose up in his chest, and he shoved it down and turned his attention to their project.

“Yeah,” Jamil took out his own notes. “I did some reading myself, and I think we can finish stage 1 of the brewing today. I just haven’t figured out yet how to make sure that the final product wouldn’t be flammable, since a lot of the ingredients we’d be using can spark a fire.”

“Perhaps we can research more about that in the library later after class, and hopefully we find the information we need to stabilize the potion by stage 2,” Azul said.

So Azul wasn’t avoiding him; he had no problem researching in the library with him like they often did for their Alchemy projects. But something still seemed a bit off with Azul, like he wasn’t comfortable.

Jamil tried to figure out what it was as they poured and stirred their potion in the cauldron, and it wasn’t until they successfully finished stage 1 that he realized what was different.

Azul never smiled.

Azul didn’t greet him, he didn’t even give any remarks about how well they work together, or how clever he was. There was no relaxed smile, no buttering up Jamil about how they should always be a team, no smug self-compliments. Not even the polite businessman smile he often wore. It was bothering Jamil, but he didn’t think there was anything he could do about it.

They had settled into a quiet corner of the library and were in the middle of their research when Azul asked a question about yesterday’s lesson. Jamil couldn’t remember the answer, so he flipped the pages of his notebook to see his notes from yesterday.

They saw the parrot at the same time. Still perched on top of the page.

Azul averted his eyes, and he seemed to instinctively lean away from Jamil.

“Hey,” Jamil began. He wanted to say that he didn’t mind at all what he overheard, and that they could just keep pretending that he never heard it. “About yesterday…”

He couldn’t get the words out, hesitation blocking his throat.

Was that really what he wanted? For them to pretend like nothing happened?

Azul tensed up and his face darkened. When he spoke, his tone was evenly measured. “If you’re considering that information as blackmail material, I regret to inform you that most everyone in our class already knows about it, as well as a few upperclassmen, if Floyd is to be believed.”

“Blackmail?” Jamil was surprised at the accusation. “Wait, what do you mean everyone knows?”

“We’re here because I almost got beheaded by our Prefect today, okay?” Ace’s voice interrupted them as he walked past with the other Heartslabyul freshmen. “He wasn’t happy that I failed a quiz, so now we all gotta study if we don’t want to put him in an even worse mood.”

They took seats at the table on the other side of the bookshelf nearby, obscuring them from Jamil’s view.

“He was in a bad mood because of that Octavinelle. Floyd." One of the freshmen said. “No matter how good our grades are, if Floyd always shows up to annoy our Prefect, he’d still be in a bad mood.”

“Do you think Floyd has a crush on him?” a different voice asked. “He’s always looking for Prefect Riddle’s attention. Maybe it’s just an Octavinelle curse, to fall for someone who absolutely can’t stand them,” he said with a mean laugh. “Like their Prefect Azul with Scarabia’s Vice Prefect, right? What’s his name? Viper something?”

A chorus of laughter erupted from the group, with Ace’s voice trying to quiet them down.

“Ah, it seems like the freshmen are aware of it as well.” A flash of hurt flickered across Azul’s face, but he quickly covered it up with a stoic mask.

Jamil tried to say something–anything–but his mouth felt like it was filled with sand.

“We’ll continue the research tomorrow,” Azul’s voice was colder than Jamil had ever heard from him. “We have enough to finish stage 2.”

Azul quickly gathered his things and walked away to the exit.

“I said stop that!” Ace’s voice said sharply, followed by what sounded like a book hitting something hard.

“Ow!” cried the freshman who asked if Floyd had a crush on Riddle. “That’s my head, man!”

“You don’t know them at all,” Ace continued. “And your pea-sized brain doesn’t hold a candle to the minds of those people you’re laughing at. So shut your mouth before I smack it with the book next.”

“Oh yeah?” The freshman’s chair scraped against the floor as he stood up. “You wanna go, tough guy? Deuce isn’t here to protect you!”

Another chair scraped the floor. “You don’t scare me, ass-face!”

“That’s enough,” Jamil had walked up to their table and raised his voice to be heard above the yelling.

They all fell quiet, and some were staring at him in surprised recognition. Ace’s gaze flickered between Jamil and the other freshman, like he was wondering how much Jamil had heard.

“This is a library, take your noisy fistfights outside.” Jamil glowered.

He looked at the freshman and walked closer, taking satisfaction in how he backed away in fear.

“The name’s Jamil Viper,” he stopped right in front of him. “And just so your pea-sized brain knows, I actually like Azul.”

Ace’s jaw dropped, but Jamil ignored it and went back to his table, hurriedly packing up his things and leaving.

***

“Jamil,” Jade said in surprise when Jamil almost bumped into him on his way to the Hall of Mirrors.

“Sorry,” Jamil said distractedly. He had just told a random group of freshmen that he liked Azul, something that he had never even said out loud before. And now he had just tossed it out there.

“Is everything alright? You look almost as bad as Azul did earlier when he informed me that he was going to take the day off from the Lounge.”

That snapped Jamil to his senses. With the way Jade was smiling at him knowingly, he had deliberately brought up that Azul was upset, probably to see how he would react.

Jamil just hoped that Jade wasn’t expecting him to make Azul feel better, because he definitely had no idea how to do that.

Regardless, he heard himself asking, “Where is he?”

“He usually goes to the Music room whenever he wants to be alone, perhaps you can find him there,” Jade suggested.

“Thanks,” Jamil nodded and turned back to go to the classrooms.

***

He found Azul exactly where Jade said he would be, playing a soft melody on the piano.

It was beautiful. Jamil had never heard him play before, and he was disappointed when Azul stopped to look at him.

“What are you doing here?” Azul asked.

“I was looking for you.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Someone told me,” Jamil said vaguely.

“Jade.” Azul narrowed his eyes, and Jamil could already see him scolding Jade about it later. “What do you want?”

“Ace defended you,” Jamil replied, saying the only thing he could think of that might make Azul feel better. “And Floyd and Riddle. He hit that other guy in the head with a book. They almost had a fistfight right there in the library.”

Azul frowned and closed the lid of the piano. “Why are you telling me this?”

Jamil shifted on his feet. “I dunno, you looked pretty upset earlier and I thought… you should at least know that.”

Azul returned his gaze cautiously. “Did Ace get hurt?”

Jamil was surprised to hear the concern in Azul’s voice. “No, I stopped them before they could really fight.”

Azul nodded. “It’s a good thing that you were there, then. Ace has spirit but it does get him in trouble sometimes.”

“I didn’t just do it for him,” Jamil heard himself say. “I… I didn’t like what that guy said.”

Azul raised an eyebrow. “About what? Me? Since when did you care?”

Jamil bristled at that, and he blurted out the first example that came to mind. “I stayed behind in Flight class on purpose.”

Azul frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“Yesterday. You looked like you needed help, and none of our classmates are good at teaching. I performed badly on purpose, I knew Coach Vargas would tell me to help you if I was one of the those who had to stay behind.”

“Why on earth would you do that?” Azul looked angry for some reason. “Just last week you had denied that we’re even friends.”

Jamil pursed his lips. He remembered that. Azul had been praising his knowledge about how to brew potions efficiently without wasting any ingredients.

“With our minds combined, we could really be a great team, you know? Perhaps in time we could even be the best of friends.”

“We’re not even regular friends right now, shut up.”

Azul had been leaning towards him then, with that smile that curved his lips in such a way that Jamil couldn’t help staring at them. He had panicked and lashed out with that remark defensively.

He sighed in frustration and ran a hand on his face. “Yeah, well, if I had known that– That you…”

What? If he had known that Azul liked him back, would he have acted any differently?

Hurt appeared in Azul’s eyes, and Jamil hated himself for having caused it.

“If you had known that I like you, what then?” Azul demanded. “Would you have accepted the friendship with the knowledge that you could ask me for favors and I wouldn’t mind? Or would you have pushed me away even more?” he shook his head. “There’s no point in discussing this. Leave me alone with what little remains of my pride. We’ll work on our Alchemy project tomorrow.”

Azul’s insistence on not talking about it made Jamil snap.

He reached the piano with quick strides and slammed his hands down on it, leaning forward to get in Azul’s face.

“Listen to me, you stubborn octopus! I like you, okay?”

Azul’s mouth dropped open in surprise and a hint of red colored his face, but he suddenly stood up and took a step back.

“What game is this?” he asked suspiciously.

“It’s not a game! What–” Jamil sputtered and huffed. “What do you want me to say?”

“The truth!” Azul yelled back at him. “If you’re gonna take advantage of my feelings–”

Jamil stepped forward and grabbed Azul’s collar. “I like you! As in I wanna make out with your face! But I never said because I thought you only saw me as someone you can use for your own benefit or business or whatever. I never knew you liked me too!”

Azul stared at him wide-eyed, and his face had turned a brighter shade of red. “You… You like me?” he said quietly.

Jamil felt the adrenaline leaving him; he let go of Azul and sighed. “Yes, Azul. I do. I’d just been such an idiot about it.”

A few seconds of silence passed, and then Azul spoke gently.

“You’re not an idiot, Jamil. Do you really think I’d like someone who’s anything less than stunningly clever?”

“Shut up,” he muttered, feeling his face warm.

Azul’s gaze went lower, and Jamil’s heart fluttered wildly in his chest when he realized that Azul was looking at his lips.

Azul met his eyes again and smiled playfully. “Do you still want to make out with my face?”

Jamil glared at him, then grabbed his collar again and pulled him in, pressing their lips together.

Jamil had his eyes closed, but he felt Azul tense up in surprise. For half a second he was terrified that he made the wrong move, but then Azul’s arms wrapped around his waist, and Jamil felt him kissing back.

They were awkward at first, shy and nervous and utterly overwhelmed. Then they found their rhythm, and Jamil’s arms went around Azul’s neck, pulling him closer.

Azul’s lips were impossibly soft, and his kisses were even sweeter than his smiles.

When Jamil felt Azul’s tongue brush against his, a sigh escaped him and he leaned even more into Azul’s warmth.

His hands found Azul’s hair, and he knew he would never forget how it felt threaded between his fingers.

Time ceased to exist as they kissed and sighed and relished the feeling of being in each other’s embrace.

When they finally pulled away, they were both panting, their breaths mixing together from their lips that were only mere inches apart.

“Jamil…?” Azul whispered softly.

“Yeah?” Jamil responded, still a little lightheaded in the best way possible.

“Would you… like to go out with me? Date exclusively, I mean…” Azul looked at him with hope and hesitation.

Jamil chuckled, feeling all warm inside. “Of course I wanna go out with you. I practically announced it already to those freshmen earlier.”

Azul’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What?”

“Yeah, that guy got on my nerves because of what he said so I told him that I like you. He deserved to be proven wrong like that.”

Azul looked surprised, then he laughed softly and touched his forehead to Jamil’s for a moment. “You do realize they’re going to be telling people?”

Jamil wrapped his arms around Azul’s neck even tighter. “Let people know, it might prevent anyone else from hitting on you.”

“Oh? Already declaring your claim to me, are you?” The corner of Azul’s lips turned up. “I never realized you’re territorial, Viper.”

“How about this, I’ll call you my boyfriend and you can call me yours. How does that sound?” Jamil smiled.

Azul returned the smile and his eyes lit up in the way that Jamil always loved to see. “It’s a deal.”

Then Azul leaned forward, sealing the deal with a kiss.

– –

Author’s Note:

I wrote this in 5 days so it might not be very well-polished, but I wanted to write a short fun thing for Azul’s birthday and I’m happy with how it turned out~

Thank you for reading!

(Masterlist)

(Ko-fi)

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blackbutlerfandomnerddomain · 7 months

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Day 2 (September 24) - Hedgehogs/Tarts

The stone path of Night Raven College's Main Street gets covered in fall’s many colored leafs from the trees around them as many students walk alongside each other in a fun little swarm of waves of bodies like groups of fish or animals going in one direction.

In the near front of the flow of people are the Heartslabyul’s Dorm Leader, Riddle Rosehearts, and Octavinelle’s Dorm Leader, Azul Ashengrotto, walking along side heads held high as they stride confidently while the glasses wearing fellow talking the shorter one’s ear off.

The two pause some as they glance back over their shoulders and stare at the two main goofballs of the basketball team, Ace Trappola and Floyd Leech, goof around and joking loudly or at least for the Eel’s case chasing him and other students about in crazy laughter of amusement.

Riddle sighs and turns away, deciding to walk a bit faster to avoid the scene and the possibilities Floyd would do when seeing him this early in the morning and he’s obviously manic glee of laughter that hints what he may do.

Ace witnessed his dorm head walk farther away from him and kind of pout, pouting for the fact of watching the red head wander off. Though, he can’t quite figure out why that upsets him—

“Hey hey Crabby~ Come by the Mostro Lounge this weekend~” Cheered Floyd, his long arms gripping him harshly around his shoulders as his long legs cause the two to be forced to stare at the awkward stance between them.

Ace blinks and stares at him, “Eh?” He sputtered out, confused, “Why? You rarely try to promote the Lounge unless Azul gets on your tail.”

The taller male laughs out, “We have a special discount for this weekend since Azul has special plans for the place. Lots of extra yummy yummy foods, cool drinks, all you can eat and drink and good music if you come visit with a party more than one~” His voice sounded more like a cheer of sorts than bragging, his smile dopey and toothy as usual as he giggles softly at the end of his conversation. “Huh, so you’re just trying to promote the place. So, what? I just need to go?” Floyd nods a lot. “Mhm mhm!” He hummed, “Sea snake even agreed to come this weekend with Sea Otter~”

Huh, so Jamil-Senpai and Kalim-Senpai are going too… Thought Ace as he pondered some of the ideas.

He grinned and turned up to the older, “Yeah, I promise I’ll come over!”

Floyd threw his hands up and cheered, “YAAYYY~!” He then jogged off in a sprint to catch his lookalike twin ahead of him while giggling up a storm.

Ace chuckled some as he watched that and started to pick up pace as well to hurry to class.

A discount of the Mostro Lounge, all you can eat and drink for a party of more than two? Sounds like a deal! I bet Deuce is willing to go if I ask nice enough!

—

“I’m sorry Ace, but I can’t go hang out with you this weekend, I have plans.”

Ace stared at his friend shocked and followed him down the hall after Potions Class. “You have plans? Come on, what’s more important than food I’ll pay for??” He asked, frustrated his original plan failed.

The dark haired card soldier sighs, “Since his mum’s birthday is coming up, we're going to do some shopping in town and then hang out.”

Red eyes stare at him curiously, a smirk slowly stretching across his lips, “Eeh~? You and Epel going out alone~?”

Deuce’s face turned bright pink in an instant and he eagerly began to wave his arms about in protest. “No no no!” He shouts, “Nothing like that! We’re just hanging out as friends!” Ace laughs aloud in response and follows him around the corner as they get to the stairway up, “How about I treat you and Epel for dinner? I’m fine being a third wheel with you two.” “I-It’s not like that! Plus, we kind of wanted to just be ourselves.”

Deuce’s face flush more with Ace’s knowing smirk and hurried in front of him to get to their dorm mirror faster, leaving the ginger in the dust to look for another person to convince to go with for a night.

—

“Sorry, can’t. I promised Sebek, Silver-Senpai to repair the Equestrian Club’s stables.” Said Jack as he walked to the field, Ace not far behind him trying to catch up and pitch the idea more, “Oh come on man, it’s free food! You can help the stables at a different time.”

The wolf-man sighs and rubs his thick neck some, his voice soft yet apologetic, “I’m sorry but I really can’t. Sebek would have my ear if I go back on a promise.” Ace pouts and watches as his friend waves him goodbye and goes to the field for some training, not like he would need it thanks to his whole athletic history, once again leaving him alone to think of a new buddy to hang out with.

—

Ortho shakes his head, “No can do. I have a date this weekend.”

Ace sputtered and nearly shouted in the library they are currently in talking as fellow freshmen, “Huh?? You have a date Ortho? Since when!?”

The robot boy giggles and begins to float away, causing Ace to follow in a hurry, his golden technology based eyes look ahead yet they show he may be smiling under his lower face mask, “I think the answer to that question is for me to know and you to find out. I apologize, really I do, but I can’t think of anything you can say that can make me cancel my date.”

After that was said, Ortho went right to his big brother’s, Idia’s, side and once more Ace was left behind dumbfounded and utterly desperate at this point.

—

“And no one has free time simply for a weekend where we have a discount of arguably great food and drinks which I’m still paying for, so please I beg of you two to PLEASE go with me!”

In all of Ace’s thoughts of trial and errors he always swore up and down and in a loopty loop around that he will never beg in any form of ways, no matter how desperate he became his pride would never dare flatten thanks to that.

Yet here he was at the Heartslabyul kitchen pleading for his third years of seniors to spend the weekend with him at the Mostro Lounge.

Trey stops kneading the dough he has spreading and stretching in his hand and looks at his trouble making and trouble loving underclassman and gives way an apologetic smile as his soft voice speaks, “As much as I would love to help you usually, sadly though I can’t this weekend. I’m helping out at the Lounge.” The words shocked Ace even more and he shot his head up, eyes staring deep into his frame, “EH?! You’ve got to be kidding me!”

While his mouth flaps like a fish in a tank, Cater raised a hand and spoke with a small giggle, “Before you ask me, I too am helping this weekend. Azul-Chan wanted me to post pictures and videos of the day. Sorry Ace-Chan~”

Ace puts his head on the cold white tile counter tops of the kitchen with a harsh and long drawn sigh, ready to accept defeat unless some miracle happens—

“How about you ask Riddle? His club is closed until the stables are fixed up so I think he would appreciate the gesture.”

Okay he may be desperate but he isn’t THAT desperate to go out for a weekend not alone right?

The card soldier lifts his head up and stares at Trey confused and slightly frustrated. “Me? Ask Dorm head Riddle? To hang out? No way in Hell!” He proclaims, sitting up and crossing his arms behind his head in a harsh eyebrow knit as he tries to go down the list of people he can freely invite mentally.

Alas it was in vain as he recalls every single person’s plans for the evening in question and sighed out again, “He won’t agree to a unprompted hang-out at the Mostro Lounge…” He pouted more at Cater’s small giggle of “Who knows? Maybe he will~” as if he already knows so confidently.

He mentally weighs his two options; Don’t go and never see this deal again and risk the possibility of Floyd Leech taking offense on it or go get the discounted all you can eat and drink for a night with Riddle Rosehearts.

He thought long and hard until his feet his the tile floor in a stomp as he let out a frustrating sigh/groan as he went out of the kitchen.

Behind in his wake Trey and Cater giggle to themselves, Cater being the one to speak up first, “You’re mean Trey-kun, Riddle will have your head regardless of your friendship with him if he finds out you’re trying to convince poor Ace-chan to take him out for a night~” Trey laughs some in return, “Come on, you saw the connection right? It would’ve taken a lot longer for them to talk about anything, forget the possibility they met before when they were kids and before who we care for today. This would be good for both of them.”

Cater pouts his lip out, fingers locked together as his chin rests above them like a weird as he rests his elbows on the counter top, “Poor poor Ace-chan and Riddle-San, being tricked and led astray by their dear protector Trey-kun~ Boo~ Hoo~” Trey chuckles at the look and leans forward, giving the orange haired cutie a peck on the lips, in which Cater happily and eagerly accepted right away.

—

After much thought the night prior, and the mental clock ticking down on the decision, Ace made up his mind and decided to be a man about his choices the moment he woke up.

He was going to ask Riddle to hang out and if he rejects the offer then he’ll sadly give up.

Now led to the surprisingly harder part, thinking of how to convince Riddle Rosehearts - Heartslabyul’s well respected and strong and wise dorm prefect with one of the best test scores in the entire school and was previously dubbed “The Red Tyrant” - to do a simple hang-out with him of all people to a place he isn’t that fond over.

As he brushes his teeth, ate breakfast, did classes, and wandered the school and dorm he thought hard on his words of how to sway his dorm leader in such an odd out of left field request.

And so when he finally decided on it right when school ended and everyone began to move forth to their club activities or after school plans Ace Trappola went right for the main hall of the school and approached Riddle.

“Dorm head!” He called out as he jogs over, mentally calling a sigh of relief when seeing the red head stop walking for a second and turn to the familiar voice. Tossing him a questioning look he opened his plush lips, “Yes?”

Ace finished walking until he’s in front of the shorter of the two and took a breath in before he turned into a sigh out, then he opened his mouth and started with the quarry how he planned it from the beginning, “Do you have plans this weekend?”

Riddle blinks some and stares at him, still very confused but now also curious. “Uh, not really plans, why?” He answered back, eyebrow raised ever so slightly. Ace nodded and continued, “Well Floyd-senpai was telling me the Mostro Lounge was doing a fun discount this weekend and I figured it’d be fun if we can go and enjoy this chance together.” “Huh?” “I mean, we really haven’t been on the right side of things for a while now, right? So I thought this would be great for us to hang out and get to know each other better and enjoy whatever the Mostro Lounge has to offer.” Riddle’s eyebrows knitted down some, mouth twisting in a firm strong thin line as he looked off slowly as if in deep thought.

Sweat began to pool and tickle off Ace’s brow as he kept his charming smile on his face, pushing the temping urge to drop it and chew the inside of his cheek as his eyes pleaded internally to control Riddle’s mind to say yes.

Come on, Thought he, Say yes say yes!

“Hmm… alright.”

“Eh?”

The two look at each other, both equally confused for the other judging by the faces they have.

“I said yes. I think it will be fine.” Said Riddle, his red locks bouncing some as he nods softly.

Ace smiles and holds a sigh of relief. “Awesome!” He couldn’t help but cheer ever slightly in his voice, Riddle for a moment jumping back small steps from the outburst, “I’ll swing by your dorm and pick you up tomorrow at 7, yeah?” Riddle sputtered some, eyes darting around and blink rapidly, “Uh-Um-Y-Yeah-” “Cool, see you then Dorm head!”

And with that Ace jogged off with a wave and smile on his face, leaving Riddle confused but in a strange unknown way…happy.

—

Ace runs his fingers through his thick mess of Autumn red hair as he looks at his bedroom mirror’s reflection. Once that hand was done he used the other to fix his tie and rub his face with some scented oil of vanilla pumpkin spice just behind the ears and some on his neck.

“Did you find a date or something?” Deuce asked from behind him, sitting on his bed putting shoes on his feet as he’s wearing a casual look rather than his school uniform as Ace is wearing.

Ace rolls his eyes and answers back while squirting lotion on his hands, “I’m not going on a date. I found someone who’s willing to hang out with me today. I just rather look nice regardless of who this person is, even if it’s Kalim’s ol’ man.” Deuce stands and stretches his neck left to right as he slips on his deep blue track and field club jacket over his white tee shirt while Ace straightens any wrinkles on his clothes.

Meanwhile all the way down the halls of decor and beautiful wallpaper, just behind the grand large golden door in the West Wing, Riddle grooms his hair and sprays light perfume on his small neck.

Behind him sitting on his large plush bed is Cater who’s texting on his phone and giggling a hum at the display, “I’m guessing you’re excited for your date?”

Blush burst into thin cheeks as Riddle whipped his head around and stared at his friend with widened eyes and a crack of his voice, “No-!” He clears his throat fast before going further with a somewhat softer tone, “I mean, it isn’t a date. Just a hang-out between dorm members. I am the Housewarden of Heartslabyul as well as the only son of the Rosehearts family name, it is my duty and best interest to be well groomed for any occasion.”

“Mmmhm sure~ And the fact it’s Ace-chan doesn’t make it different~?”

“And why would it-”

“Oh Cater, my dearest friend, I don’t know what to do~” Cater flops back on the bed in a dramatic way, hand clutching his chest as he faux a tearful face, “Trappola is just too… too… too crazy to be in Heartslabyul! Always coming back with a messy shirt and that charming rebellion smile… Him and his…handsome rugged face- OW!” The ginger sits up fast after Riddle chucked a chair pillow at him rather harshly right in the face, causing him to drop his phone into the crimson covers.

Just then the door knocks.

Riddle shoots Cater a glare before he goes and answers the door, taking a quick breath to calm down the heat on his face before he opens the door fully to show Ace standing there calm and oblivious of what happened a few seconds ago.

“Hey, you ready dorm leader?”

“Yes, I am.”

The two stepped further into the hall, the shorter shutting the door behind him, and walked out of the wing side by side doing some small talk.

So, my first time alone with him…

—

The Mostro Lounge was buzzing as it normally is on a typical night, maybe imply more due to openly voicing a discount and all you can eat and drink entertainment for a part of plus, the lights were perfectly dimmed just enough for people to see and the tanks of water and beautiful things within have this amazing glow, the music was a nice calming jazz to get you in a relaxing yet entertained mood even for those not fancying jazz, and the scents of food and other scents was just a nice touch of craving what is to come.

The two Heartslabyul students stare around the place, taking in on the vibe just enough to remember the place and still get impressed by the scene before them.

As they stood there in slight awe and awkward silence, a figure loomed behind them.

“Good evening gentlemen. May I take you to your seats?”

The both nearly jump out of their skin as they turn around and see Jade standing there with a large amusing grin on his face, mismatching eyes having this rather odd gleeful gleam of pleasure upon seeing such surprised faces. Clearing his throat and finding his voice, Ace stood up straight as if that’ll ease the obvious height difference of the Leech and him, “Y..Yeah. A table for two please.” Jade eyes the pair for a meter second before his smile grows bigger as he nods. “Yes,” He said, his voice almost sounding knowing despite shouldn’t have known– “We have a perfect table for two, if you shall follow me.”

It’s funny, with how he said it, it sounded like it was a choice.

Despite the slight tinge of hesitation of the idea of following him, the pair followed after the tallest of the three across the restaurant’s large space of tables and guests, earring accidentally catching conversations they most likely wouldn’t have heard prior of tonight, until they were reached to a table booth besides the biggest tank and farthest from the rest of the guests.

Ace glanced around some, nodding as Jade left them be with the thick menus on the white cloth of the table. Okay, be good Ace He warned his mind, acting fast to pull out a chair for Riddle.

The prefect blink at the gesture before slowly sinking his small frame on the chair, still making a slight noise as he gets pushed in gently and watching Ace run around the table before sitting on the other slide of the booth, giving just enough space to call it a distance or if they somehow desire to move seats.

Suddenly, Cater’s teasing came to the poor second year’s head. Riddle silently shook his head to get the very thought out of it and not dare amuse it further, a hand grabbing hold of a menu to distract. Ace copied forth and took the second.

“Whoa! There’s so many drinks!” He cried out, eyes widened at all the names and pictures he scanned through as if somehow it would be in his History test on Monday. Riddle blinked as he scanned the glossy surface as his lips mumbled out the words of same astonishment, “Indeed, this really must be a big occasion than.” Ace glanced up from the menu to his dorm leader, ready to open his mouth to speak up when he froze instead. Call him crazy but, did Riddle’s eyes make his chest tighten just now? Shaking his head he spoke while eyes glued to the menu again, “I say we order everything and try them out since we might not try a lot of them again any time soon.” Come on brain shut up, you’re crazy! Riddle hummed in response, “I suppose we can do that.”

As if sensing the conversation, Jade appeared again with a digitable tablet in hand and an unwavered smile on his face. “Have you two decided on something to drink?” He asked all while filling some rather nicely crafted and done glasses with a refreshing looking water of simple thin ice cubes. Ace looked up and said, “We would like one of every drink if that’s okay.” This, however, caused Riddle to look back at him surprised.

The eel waiter nods and types on the tablet before taking the menus and exiting the area, only then did Riddle look at Ace again and ask, “Wouldn’t it be easier to order two of every drink?” Ace, for some reason despite being the one who said it, answered back as if Riddle grew three heads over a few seconds, “No, we can just share and swap together.”

Riddle’s cheeks heated up and he immediately looked down, thanking The Great Seven in his mind that the tank near him seemed to not shine the blush too much. Calm down Riddle, sharing drinks is normal. Cater doesn’t know what he’s talking about! Almost in an odd flash, the table soon gets coated with two new menus and three different colored drinks, one deep magenta reddish in color, one tall and bubbling in vibrant blue, and one large circle oval one designed in a pretty orange to yellow gradient type. “Here are the starting drinks for you gentlemen; The red one is called a Sea Breeze, the blue one is a Blue Lagoon, and the orange one is a Dark & Stormy. Please enjoy the other drinks to come and due look at the newest menus for meals and desserts.” Said Jade before, and like how he showed up, disappeared without so much of a word.

The two look at the drinks in hand before Ace, ever so boldly, takes hold of the Sea Breeze and takes a careful sip from the straw. His eyes shine bright like winter cranberries as his lips detach from the black small straw. “Whoa! This is pretty good!”

Hesitant yet curiouser and curiouser, Riddle reached forward and took a small sip from the straw of the Dark & Stormy. Like Ace, his blue-gray eyes shine like lights.

Ace snorts silently as he sees this reaction. Cute- He pauses. Cute? Did he just think Riddle Rosehearty was cute?! His game must’ve been off today! Still, I should say something or else it’s just us sittin’ here in silence He decided, tapping his index finger on his knee cap as he tried to ponder on what he could possibly say to engage in a conversation with Riddle of all people. Then it hits him like a truck of ideas! “What’s your favorite color?”

Riddle, taken aback by the obviously random question, blinks at Ace again while he finishes his sip of the Sea Breeze. Carefully, he placed the glass down, and tilted his head to the side some he went, “Why?” Ace shrugged, “Well I’m actually pretty curious. I would guess red but that sounds too obvious and it would be awkward to say it if you weren’t in Heartslabyul, now would it?” I guess he has a point. Thought Riddle. With an inquisitive hum, he thought for a second, before perking his lips apart as a word slips out, “Orange.” This time, Ace blinked at him. “Huh?” “Well, while you are right on red being a favorite color of mine and that would be an obvious answer, but orange just tickles my fancy in a way. It’s a nice color in many shades and the primary color of one of my favorite seasons.”

The trickster smiles and chuckles a bit, “Well good to know.” Red well groomed eyebrows knitted together as Riddle leaned forward to the table and asked, “What about you?” which caused Ace to grin. “Red of course. And I like the Fall as well.” Ace snorts at Riddle’s astonished face and soft deliberation of “that isn’t fair” which made him chuckle more.

Not far from the table, by the music stage of the Lounge is Azul who’s talking to someone who’s on the floor messing with the bottom. “Thank you so much again Idia-san for helping me with the new speakers and mics. This will help the lounge greatly.” He said with a smile, resting his face firmly on his gloved palm as he watched the man of fiery hair and passion (no pun intended) for tech finishes with the cables of the sound equipment.

“It’s not a problem Azul-shi, I’m always happy to help a buddy out.” Idia said with a small meek smile, his golden orbs looking up to the octopus to see the warmth on his usual cold vindictive eyes. “Y-Yes?” Azul blinks and looks away, “Oh nothing-” He paused at his sentence as he notices the table nearest them of two redheads sitting in a booth with some drinks being given to them, and it seems they have scooted closer talking and sharing said drinks in their booth. “Hmm…” Seeing a rare sight of opportunity, the business man quickly grabbed hold of Floyd who was going to the table he was waiting on and gestured to the table of his eye. “Look there Floyd, did you invite them?” He asked. The eel glanced over to the table in question and smiled, and with a cackling childish giggle he said, “I invited Crabby to drop by for a bite and to bring someone. Looks like he brought Goldfishie~”

Azul hummed as he smiled, blue eyes looking back at the two, his grin merely growing at the sight of Riddle laughing at something Ace must’ve said as a halfway empty glass of a dark purple color sits in front of them both. “Floyd, be a dear and get the band here. We should test the mics and stage.” Said the one with the grin, smirking at Floyd’s eagerness to find the ones in charge of the music. Finally standing back on his wobbly feet, Idia looked over and asked, “It’s just too boys hanging out, not much for this kind of reaction Azul-shi…” “Where you see friends I see romance. Look closer, look how eager their words are clinging to the other.” “They’re so different. There’s no way in the Underworld that they could fall in love no matter what you do in this place.”

Seeking challenge, Azul nodded to Jade who went over faster than he may of planned earlier and placed the final drinks on the Heartslabyul’s table as well as a plate of a freshly sweet smell, a voice sweeter than kind honey iced tea, “The rainbow beauty is one of our limited edition called Drowned Temptation and the red and pink lovely is another limited edition called Make A Wish. Alongside them here is your wonderfully fresh order of strawberry and lemon orange tarts. Please enjoy~” And with that, Jade shiftly left the table, leaving the two alone in their next conversation.

“Okay okay, I will be honest, I can’t remember all of the hedgehogs names.” Ace gasped and leaned back, “My goodness, how scandalous. My housewarden doesn’t remember all the hedgehogs names!” He snorts as Riddle playfully shoves his arm. “Whatever shall the public think~”

Riddle giggled softly, a hand reaching out and taking a tart carefully in a hold to make sure not to drop or crumble the delicious treat.

Azul hummed as he got the music sheets ready as each live band came and got to their spots, Idia taking a free one and taking at the title, “Lagoon Love Ballad? How cheesy can you get Azul-shi…?” He grumbled some. Yet that didn’t stop Azul from fixing the mic nearest him off the stage with a confident smirk and a held up chin, “Good evening everyone. I would love you all to enjoy the live music of the Mostro Lounge’s very own band. Due hope you enjoy~” He smirked more with narrow eyes darted at Idia, who only rolled his eyes in return as he stood more in the shadows, and watched as the music soon began to start. First the percussions, Next the strings, Then the winds…

“There you see him, sitting there across the way. He don’t got a lot to say but there’s something about him~” Idia rolled his eyes again at Azul’s little twist of changing the words of the ballad to obviously fit the scene he made in his mind. “And you don’t know why but you’re dying to try, you wanna Kiss the Boy~” Sighing, shoulders slumped just slightly, but with a small smirk at a small thought. A very, very bold thought of slight petty if that mic works as good as he assumes.

“No chance, no way, he won’t say it, no no~”

Azul whipped his head to Idia and, without skipping a beat of picking up on the song, smirked and played along, “He swoons, he sighs, why deny it? Uh-oh~” Idia rolls his eyes, hands digging in his pockets roughly, his voice sweet hypnotic to the octopus’ ears and the rest of the restaurant’s without truly knowing the face of the voice, “It’s too cliche, he won’t say he’s in love…”

Ace and Riddle look at each other as the lyrics play, both giggling slightly at the sudden shift of the air and mood. “Seriously, what are these lyrics?” Joked Ace as he sips the rainbow colorful drink before them. Riddle merely giggled back, “I know. One side is saying “kiss the one you love” while the other is all “love isn’t worth it.”” The two giggle again, both swapping the last two drinks and eating the plate of tarts before them, the music honestly growing on them as Riddle glanced at Ace's face that enjoyed a good bite he got.

“I thought my heart has learned it’s lesson, it feels so good when you start out…”

It’s weird, the lyrics kind of made him think of his mother. What kind of face would she have if she found out what I’m doing tonight? He couldn’t help but think of the image of his mother somehow finding out he was out past normal time drinking many lairs of surgery drinks and eating tarts with a boy who’s only love is breaking the rules, picturing all kinds of ways her face would twist and distort in rage. Cold guilt build up in his chest like an over freezing fridge as his stormy blues look down at the tart on the plate in front of him, his mind betraying him and pushing him back to when he was 8 years old when his mother spent hours chewing out Trey and his parents for “twisted her dear babe away from his studies”, and how immediately after she took away all the trousers he begged for and scrubbed his head so hard as she got rid of every inch of the red color he pleaded for. He knows full well what she did was wrong now as he got older and understood what his feelings were growing up but he can never quite forget that feeling of shame for just being a kid.

“My head is screaming, get a grip boy-” “Kiss the boy~”

Riddle glanced back up at Ace who’s now eating a tart with a happy hum, chest tight and heart beating fast.

“Unless you’re dying to cry your heart out.”

“Hey, are you okay dorm head?” Ace’s concerned voice drifted Riddle back to the real world, kind of like a siren call bringing back to sea, and Riddle blinked as he looked back up at him. Guilt filled his throat, but why? He has no reason to feel guilty around Ace. Looking away, he mumbled barely audible enough to be heard, “I’m fine. Just letting everything settle.”

Meanwhile, Azul glanced/glared back at Idia who’s smirking softly to himself as he made perfectly sure his voice won’t sound of his frustrations as he sings along to the music, “Sha-la-la-la-la-la~ My oh my, looks like the boy’s too shy, ain’t gonna kiss the boy~ She-la-la-la-la-la~ Ain’t that sad? Ain’t it a shame? Too bad, he’s gonna miss the boy~”

Idia looked back at the table of underclassmen, now finally noticing how close they seemed to have gotten.

Ace looked at his dorm leader with a slight worry in his face, rubbing the glass in hand before he offered the straw. “Want the rest? I bet if we get the heart a wish will come true~” He cheered with a grin of childish wonder. Riddle smiles softly and happily takes hold of the drink, Ace watching with a softer smile…

“No chance, no way, he won’t say it, no no~”

He is actually pretty cute… Ace thought as he watched Riddle sip up the sweet colorful juices and the little red heart jingle and jangle away in the bottom of the glass thanks to the straw’s suction.

“Give up, give in, check the grin he’s in love~”

“This scene won’t play, he won’t say he’s in love~”

Azul’s eyelashes flutter some as he watches Idia bouncing so well off the shadows and his tanks’ beautiful colorful display, warmth filling his chest and neck as he smiles softly, mind already forgetting the table he was spying on for a while now. “You’re way off base, he won’t say it, no no~” “Sha-la-la-la-la-la~ Don’t be scared, we have the mood prepared, go on and kiss the boy~” “Get off this case, he won’t say it.” Azul quickly plucked a white lily from a nearby tray and sniffed it as he looked back to the table for a second.

Ace carefully scooted back from his seating position, causing a slight confused look from Riddle. “I’ll be right back, gonna pay the bill and get boxes for the leftover tarts.” He explained, shooting the rose prince a wink and grin as he walked off. Just as he was farthest from view, Riddle let out a slight taken aback noise and carefully spit out something that came from the drink into his mouth. A red marble-like thing shaped as a heart.

His eyes soften as he holds the small heart in his palms as if he’d never seen something like it before in a market shop, leaning back into the cushions.

“Now don’t be proud, it’s okay you’re okay love~”

Idia blinks yet accepts Azul’s random gesture of the white lily after he tossed it to him, his eyes glancing at Riddle’s expression and soon smiles, “Oooh~ At least out loud I won’t say I’m in love~”

HUGE INPERATION OF IDIA'S AND AZUL'S PART OF THIS AMAZING DUET!!

youtube

This is for @ridoaceweek

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adrianasunderworld · 1 year

Note

Random random question of randomness for funsies:

What would a love triangle — actual or misunderstood (as in the guy who is actually crushing thinks there are vibes going on with his crush and the other guy, or at least he thinks the other guy is romantically interested, but there are neither vibes nor romantic interest) — between the following look like? And would the other guys actually be interested after all?

Floyd > Ariel < Kalim: Kalim has a lot of energy, like Ariel, and he too is fascinated by interesting things as well as excited to share elements of his culture to her. She is excited to take him on his offer to join him on a magic carpet ride. No one is sure how/when/why Floyd is there and squeezed himself between Ariel and Kalim, but the latter two don’t mind; the more the merrier!!

Vil > Snow White < Jade : Even as he continues to wear a polite smile while sparingly interacting with Snow White, the elder Leech brother is initially unsure if this girl is as genuinely naive and trusting as she acts or if she’s just plain stupid. After a few carefully executed accidental/coincidental encounters, he finds himself trying to figure out Snow White less and casually acting more as her bodyguard gentlemanly acquaintance who just so happened to suddenly appear behind any stalkers/passive-aggressive bullies she is unwittingly accumulating. While Vil does buy some products from Ashengrotto on occasion, he sees Jade as trustworthy as a sea snake. Why was this eel suddenly paying close attention to Snow White? Did Azul want something from her?? No??? Their summarized conversation: V: Why are you interested in Snow? J: May I ask why you care? V: You may not and I do NOT. J: Then it is of no concern to you. ^_^

Azul > Tiana < Trey: Baking Buddies!! Cue Azul trying not to sulk on the side as Trey and Tiana bond over exchanging recipes and learning each other’s baking/cooking tips.

Rook > Merida < Sebek: Sebek basically challenges Merida to random challenges, and cannot fathom why she is able to keep up with him despite being a human. Rook probably just is having fun watching and is cheering them both on (esp Merida) if not energetically participating.

Silver > Mulan < Epel : Epel and Mulan maybe both bond over others judging them for their appearance more-so than their abilities. Silver doesn’t care regardless if he can see or not; it’s Lilia’s hands poor Epel may catch if anything he does seems to “threaten” Lilia’s ship)

Jamil > Jasmine < Ruggie : idk maybe Ruggie made a snide comment about Jasmine’s cushy life as a princess who didn’t know about “real world” challenges but then gets cowed by her stern rebuttal while proceeding to educate him on exactly what a “cushy” life as a princess is actually like as well as what she understands about —and what she is currently doing about —real world challenges others face. And idk maybe Jamil is watching this exchange with heart eyes at Jasmine for being an absolute QUEEN and forgets to be jealous?

Leona > Belle < Malleus

AND

Malleus > Aurora < Leona

In both Leo’s and Mal’s case, it is obviously a misunderstanding to everyone but them for a little bit 😅 Basically they both happen to meet each other’s crushes, happened to have an engaging interaction, had some more, caught the other during these interactions with their crush (Malleus and Belle have a lot of conversations regarding books/maybe gargoyles; Leona and Aurora both quietly hang out taking peace in the silence and each of them taking turns watching over the other as they nap or they both nap), and both feel a bit threatened (Leona thinks Malleus is showing off his knowledge to Belle and is demonstrating how he’s her intellectual level, therefore implying that Leona isn’t and thus isn’t good enough for her; Malleus wonders if he is frightening to Aurora after all if she is comfortable enough with Leona to watch over and take occasional naps alongside him).

Kalim and Ariel are too oblivious to realize Floyd is jealous. Jamil is nervous and tries to explain this to Kalim, because it's obvious to literally everyone else but them. But Kalim is all, "Aw, no, we're all friends! We're having fun!" All the while Floyd is deliberately sitting between them or when he can't, has his arm over the back of Ariels seat or something in a protective manner. I think Floyd knows Kalim isn't interested and that i's all platonic with him, but it's more an instinctual thing and less to do with logic.

Meanwhile Jade kinda likes getting a rise out of Vil a bit. Jade got got close to Snow White purely out of curiosity. But Snow is sweet, she likes walking in the woods with him, even trying mushroom recipes with him. I feel like Snow would think mushroom decorated stuff was very cute and gift Jade stuff decorated like that. So after some time, Snow becomes part of Jades circle, and Jade looks after her, because she is that naïve and trusting and someone has to keep her out of too much trouble. Cue Vil who is not all that happy with this turn of events. Snow is hanging out with Jade more and more and likes talking about their hikes and cooking. Vil knows the Tweels, especially Jade, is shady, and doesn't want her hanging around him. and like you said, Jade just goes "It's none of your concern". Half because it's not his business, but also getting a rise out of the normally put together housewarden is entertaining.

Trey loved the beignets Tiana brought to the unbirthday party and offered one of his recipes as trade if he taught her how to make them. Tiana agrees and they keep having this back and forth recipe exchange where they show each other different recipes. All of their dormates and friends are very pleased at this delicious turn of events. Well everyone but Azul. Tiana and Trey get along extremely well and have gotten very close and are often seen together and Azul is pissed. He keeps trying to get to come hang out at Mostro Lounge or to check out their new kitchen equipment and even then Trey comes up, "Oh that would perfect for the pastry Trey wanted to try and make!" "I have to study with Trey, but i'll come by later." It is infuriating to Azul.

The thing about Rook and Silver is that I don't think either of them are really the jealous types. But everyone else will do it for them.

Vil: Doesn't bother you that Merida is spending awful lot of time with Sebek?

Rook: Not at all! I find their competitive comradery a wonderful thing!

Lilia: Mulan seems to have gotten awfully close to Epel recently. She hasn't come by for sparring as much as she used to.

Silver: Yeah, they took up boxing together, they're really enjoying it.

There is not a jealous bone in either of their bodies.

Jasmine, while she does not take shit from people and will defend herself as needed, also acknowledges the benefits and also downsides of her upbringing. Like she brings up at the start of the movie her frustration at the fact she has never done anything for herself or of her own choice. I think Ruggie would have similar appeal to her as Aladdin, someone who has had the opposite background but won't quite condemn her for it. I think he initially expected her to be like Leona or Kalim, someone spoiled that needs someone to do everything for them. Only to be pleasantly surprised that Jasmine is willing and wants to learn to do things herself. Like maybe she asks Ruggie to teach her how to mend clothes or something because Jamil and the other princesses are busy lately and she's getting frustrated with herself, and she just wants to fix her favorite pair of pants, dang it! So Ruggie helps her and explains it in a way she can understand she picks up quickly afterwards. Then they keep hanging out after that, and it turns into Jasmine asking Ruggie for help or excitedly showing him something she did that he taught her to, more and more than Jamil, and now Jamil is feeling her absence in the dorm. He even walked through the Scarabia mirror to see Jasmine scurrying over to the Savanclaw mirror with what looked to be a plate of home made doughnuts. He stopped her to say Hello and ask what she was up to, and she explained she made her first batch of doughnuts without any help and wanted Ruggie to be the first to taste them since he showed her how to make them, before saying bye and hurrying off through the mirror.

The whole Malleus-Belle-Aroura-Leona thing I like to think is going on at the exact same time. Belle and Aroura are great friends, they hang out all the time, so of course they interact with Leona and Malleus all the time. But never all four of them together. Aroura, compared to a lot of the other princesses, is very calm and has a pleasant voice, she's been singing as she walks through the botanical garden tending and collecting plants, and instead of finding the noise annoying, Leona finds it very soothing. Belle will sit and read to them and they will both pass tf out. Meanwhile Malleus enjoys Belles company as another friend. Aroura is his Child of Man, but Belle is definitely someone else he considers a dear friend. (Something Lilia is very happy about. His boy has friends!) I feel like they would info dump on each other about their specific interest. Like Belle will talk at length about whatever series she's reading and Malleus will go on about gargoyles and architecture, and then they go try ice cream flavors with Aroura later. But again, it's never all four of them together, they aren't some big happy group, their with Malleus or Leona, on their own or as a trio. So it never clicked to either guy that the girl they like is hanging out with the other, even though it makes perfect sense. Only for Leona to find Malleus and Belle looking over piles of boos on the history of gargoyles and and Malleus to go into the botanical garden to find Aroura happily chatting with Leona after they both woke up from a nap. Neither of the mare happy about it, but have no way of telling Belle and Aroura about it without sounding like an asshole.

#twisted wonderland #twisted princess au #malleus draconia #leona kingscholar #kalim al asim #floyd leech #jade leech #vil schoenheit #trey clover #azul ashengrotto #ruggie bucchi #jamil viper #epel felmier #twst silver #rook hunt #sebek zigvolt #lilia vanrouge

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britishassistant · 2 years

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I will go back to our regular AU for a bit : Yuu is told from the First Year squad+ Kamil , Ortho and the Twins it's soon the birthday of their respective boss (at their respective date) and they all plan to kidnap them for the party they hold (minus Jamil- it's Kamil who organize it in secret. And Ortho for obvious reason) . Yuu get a present for each villain . What kind of present would it be ???

Thank you for the ask, dear anon!

And hmm, that’s a toughie! After all, most of our supervillains are quite well-off and Yuu’s salary is…

Not the best. To put it nicely.

The reporter could always “give” them the gift of their company, but that feels a bit like a cop-out to Yuu.

So after wracking their brains long and hard, they’d probably give the following items to each of the supervillains on their birthdays:

Royal Flush: A felt hedgehog, the kind normally used to store pins and sewing needles (Riddle does not use it for its intended purpose. He mainly keeps it on his bedside table and smiles when he sees it, or occasionally tries to let the real hedgehogs make friends with it)

King: A chess set themed after the King of the Beasts (King makes fun of it for being plastic when Yuu first gives it to him, but he refuses to surrender it when they get irritated. The next time he kidnaps them, the set is waiting on the chessboard for a game)

Leviathan: A tell-all biography from one of the minions of the Witch of the Seas. (Azul loves it. He doesn’t tell Yuu he already bought a copy the day it came out and has to physically shut up Floyd when he tries to spill the beans)

Snake Charmer: Spirit gum and spirit gum remover, alongside other materials for fake beards (Jamil pretends to be annoyed at them, but he and Kalim spend a lot of time trying it out later. At least with this kind of a fake beard he doesn’t have to worry about it smudging even if it does take a little longer to come off)

Poison Queen: A portable case for his skin creams and emergency makeup. (It’s one of the gifts that costs Yuu quite a bit. Vil takes it everywhere with him as Poison Queen, and has a narrow escape one time he brought it onto set with him out of habit)

Charon: A figurine of a character from that one anime he and Yuu are watching together (Of course it’s the cheapest one of the normie background character everyone loves to dunk on. But Idia accepts it with minimal grumbling and places the figurine with his collection, at the very, very end. He finds himself beginning to defend this character in forums and message boards, weirdly enough)

Tsunotaro: A build-it-yourself mini gargoyle (Malleus is, of course, delighted. While he and Yuu spend a fun afternoon building it together, he debates with them over whether it’s actually a grotesque or not given that it can’t funnel rainwater anywhere)

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anevilbunnyinthehat · 1 year

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The divine beast au... I think it will be my next favorite one * -*

Do you have others ideas for it? Like what other animals the other dorms would be... Hehe hedgehog riddle.

OHHHHHH!! THANK YOU DEAR!!!💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

I still have not fully decided in some cases and maybe I will change it in the future.

BUT here is the list:

Riddle: hedgehog

Ace: hare

Deuce: bunny

Trey: n/a

Cater: n/a

Octavinelle's trio would obviously be two eels and an octopus.

Kalim: I am between parrot for his cheerful attitude, an otter or a fennec.

Jamil: a snake, specifically a cobra, obviously.

Vil: a peacock.

Rook: a fox.

Epel: a fearsome chinchilla.

Idia and Ortho would be hellhounds.

Malleus: a dragon, of course.

Lilia: some type of creature that has similarities to a bat.

Sebek: n/a

Silver: n/a

Some notes I have of this AU:

Here something similar to an overblot state happens, and it is when a divine beast is abandoned by its followers and added to the pain and resentment that this carries, it can end up corrupting and becoming a monster.

This happened to Leona 100 years ago, since seeing that his followers abandoned him for his older brother, he ended up becoming a monster. And it was Farena who defeated him, returning Leona to normal.

Because of Leona's corruption, what were once prosperous and fertile lands became arid and desert. In addition, the Savanaclaw temple was left in a deteriorated state.

Even with the passing of the years, few priests accepted to be in this temple only to decide shortly after to go to another temple.

It is for this reason that Leona's arms are stained, proof that he was once corrupted. Faced with this situation, the other savanaclaw members wear sleeves on their arms to support their leader.

Divine beasts can take human form.

Here the magic in this AU is different from the world of twst, in this world in addition to the divine beasts that obviously possess magic, there are few humans who possess it.

These humans are usually the ones who become priests in the temples.

And usually magical abilities are related to things like healing, alchemy, seer, summoning of nature spirits...In other words, fantasy-style magic.

In this AU Cece's main ability is healing magic, although it's not too different from her twst version.

The temples are located in different parts of the world for example octavinelle under the sea, heartslabyul surrounded by gigantic roses, ignihyde is very similar to the Greek temples and is on an island. Diasomnia is in a forest surrounded by a whole wall of thorns.

Each temple has its rules, its own outfits and traditions.

Divine beasts are not immortal but they live much longer than a human.

Rank 1 divine beasts (first year boys) need help in their training, so it is the priests who help them in this.

There are other temples besides the 7 presented here, an example is the temple of the Kingscholar family, led by Farena.

This world is more focused on a fantasy world, so there is no modern technology like that in the game.

Not all kingdoms or empires accept magic or the divine beasts, so this has led to wars in the past.

For this reason, Cecilia was exiled from Camelot, since here they discovered that she had magic and for that reason the Court considered that she should be exiled even if her magical abilities could help the kingdom. Luckily for Cece, Allen intervened so that she was taken to one of the 7 temples so that she could be safe. That being the case, she ended up as a savanaclaw priestess.

#divine beasts au #twst

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the-trinket-witch · 2 years

Text

Part 2 of the writing @squidwen inspired me to make

It started with a favor. Kalim had asked if Albert could help a fellow Scarabian in a study session, as Jamil had been busy by the same token with another student. Al was always willing to help a friend, but the student in question, Basil, was not a face he could recall. So it came as a bit of a shock to see the naga lounging in wait at the appointed time.

“Are you…Basil?”

“Yesssiree~” the beastman replied. “And you’re Albert, I assssume?”

His query was met with a nod and foxlike smile. He offered a beckoning pat of a cushion next to him before laying out the study material. Before he could answer the offer, Al took to shucking his coat. No matter how often he visited, he could never get used to the oppressive heat of his friend’s dorm.

“So, what do you feel you’re having trouble with in this class?”

—------‐----------------------------‐--------------‐------------‐

The two had gone over the material as thoroughly as one could. Al puffed his chest a little in pride watching the pieces click into place for his classmate. He hadn’t paid mind, but Basil sure noticed the slow recline his tutor had made into the coil stretched behind him. And, was the flush on the human’s cheeks a bit of exploitable bashfulness? Albert would contest it as the beginnings of heat exhaustion, if asked. In either case, he could feel the tension in the man’s lower back, clear as day. The two had drifted from the homework at hand to more peripheral conversation; a nice distraction as Basil entwined a coil around Al’s waist. The pressure had finally become noticeable, but unlike some, he only seemed fascinated. This was made all the more evident as he ran a hand gingerly across the scaly pattern.

“Oh, is this just reflex or are you really needing the extra heat?” Al chuckled. “If that’s not rude of me to ask.”

“Not at all~ And let’sss sssay a little Column A, a little Column B,” Basil purred. Could snakes purr? “I couldn’t help noticing your posssture, though. You carry a lot of stresss in your shouldersss. And don’t think I didn’t notice when you ssstretch. If you were looking for a chiropractor, all you had to do was asssk.”

One swift motion was all it took for Basil to loop a couple more coils around the man and thrust him into his lap. If the heat on Albert’s face wasn't from embarrassment before, it certainly was now. He barely released a gasp in surprise before he was staring back at the python who now cradled his head in his hands. Even though his hands were free, the smirk playing on the face above him told that hiding his blush would have been a wasted effort.

"Relaxxx, Little Hare. Your heart'sss going to give out before you get to be my age," he hummed, letting his hands knead and grind against his 'client's' shoulders.

The scaly band enveloping Albert's torso cinched and relaxed, rolling over the tension like waves on the shore. It was Basil's turn to let his chest swell with pride at the slack growing in his captive's muscles. Even that cunicular heartbeat thumping under his tail began to slow. Of course he was relaxing, he was in the hands-and coils-of a professional. But he knew massage only got clients so far, but a little magic could do leaps and bounds for this 'Hare'. His tail gently guided the man's chin up to better catch his gaze.

"You know, masssage only relieves physical sssymptoms of stresss, and I underssstand working on that Ramshackle little hutch of yoursss has been taking up quite a bit of headssspace. You wouldn't mind if I sssiphoned off a bit of that stresss, would you?"

Albert only had a moment, cocking his brow, before taking notice of an odd glint in the beastman's eyes. By acknowledging it, he'd already been snared. Everything but his classmate's eyes seemed to melt away-his periphery, his thoughts, even limbs seemed to puddle around him. There was that feeling again; the one before being buried in the biting, sandy snake pit of Jamil's gaze, the one before being tossed in the truth-compelling sea of Jade's magic, the one as he watched from the front seat the headlights slam into his family's car. Even if that gut-sinking feeling had his consciousness wrapped in silk, it wouldn't matter against the added descent through his mind at terminal velocity. His body knew it was secure and still, but that nauseating, vertigo-inducing, oddly glittery effect the python's stare induced still made drawing breath a laborious act.

Jackpot. With such a well of stress, Basil's next class was going to be a cakewalk with a supercharged spell in his back pocket. Just another easy game of 'Peek-a-boo'. He had a moment to beam at the typical laxing of the man's pulse and evening of his breath. It was very short-lived, though, as Al's breathing skied back into hyperventilating. This was definitely concerning, but Basil figured that once he'd plucked the last of the reserve, he would chill once more. He dug deeper, deeper into that auburn-eyed reservoir. A memory tugged at his brain as he began to wonder if there even was a bottom. A memory only a few months fresh. That first one just had an overwhelming amount to offer. This, though, felt more like a positive feedback loop; the more he drew, the more stress would build. A familiar, rotten sourness also began to build on the back of his tongue. Blot. He screwed his eyes shut, cutting off their connection before he let that inky memory repeat itself.

The two of them gasped, having breached their conscious surface. Al scrambled out of his confines, utterly tired and dizzy. Basil didn't offer any resistance, himself feeling overbloated and close to retching.

"That wasss…unexpected," the beastman panted. Something pooled in the corner of his lips; wiping it away confirmed it as what he'd feared. The miniscule build-up was of little comfort, compared to what could have been, if he'd kept going.

Al remained silent, electing to collect his things instead of letting the thought of what just happened have a chance to flood back in. His goodbye only consisted of the off-kilter patter of his shoes until he rounded a corner out of sight. Basil's attention lingered on that corner, maybe in some hope an answer to what happened might appear. Someone close by sighed. It drew the python's focus over to its source: Jamil.

"Tried your little 'Peek-a-boo' trick on him? If you have told me before I'd have advised not to bother. He's…weird about that kinda stuff-people getting in his head and whatever. Good grief. Need something for that headache?"

#Basil Balanaga #twisted wonderland #twst oc #twisted wonderland oc #albert eastwind #trinket's rattling bones #my writing

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writing-for-me-at-this-point · 4 years

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I know you requested aus, but my head is empty 😔 but I did get inspired by one of your more recent blurbs. How do you think the yandere dorm leaders would react if their darling were to overblot?

You can't remember how you got here.

But you remember how you felt.

Betrayed. Hatred. Pure, unparalleled anger. Hopelessness. Sorrow. A yearning for freedom.

Maybe that's how the ink started to seep into your bones, strengthening them with magic from this world, after all- for you to live in a world with magic you needed to have some, and your body did what it needed to do to survive, it adapted.

Every drop of ink that fell into your skin, after overblot and overblot, it started to soak in the magics of nobles, royalty, and more. The ebony magic bubbled under your skin, growing around your broken heart, fueling you with unimaginable power.

Your skin paled from its usual color, ink markings coated your skin- or the parts that still covered it. Your teeth were exposed and lacked the protective organ, your eyes hollowed out, and your nose melted into the markings that decorated the exposed bone.

The fear they held in their eyes made you feel powerful, from the large horns that grew from the back of your crown to the hanging teeth and lace that decorated your chest. Corals and fire erupted into little, ripped, clothing, together helping to create the amalgamation that was your overblot.

Riddle stares up at your hovering form, eyes wide as tears freely fell, mouth hanging open in shock. How could he let his happen? He followed every rule, every advice, he tired his best and yet here you were- deteriorating and overblotting into a monster no one has seen before.

Leona lowers his gaze, lips pulled back exposing his teeth as he let our a snarl, but he knew it wouldn't be enough for you to back down. He isn't going to lose this fight, if you could bring him back, he would do the same for you. He wasn't willing to become seconds to his darlings temper.

Azul seems composed, face stone cold and analytical, but the tear that manages to slip out matches the color of the ink you now expose freely. He would be willing to sell his soul to the sea witch herself if it meant bringing you back, safe, with him.

Kalim looks to Jamils worried face, eyes wide with panic as he realized that Snake Whisper won't work on you, so this wasn't going to be an easy fight. He put his hand to Kalims chest, pushing him back lightly as he closes his eyes, accepting his current fate. He's going to bring your sanity back, magic or no magic, you were his to care for.

Vil clutches his grimoire close to his chest, huffing as he shook his head, turning his head to gage the others reactions before opening the book. He's going to be the one to save you, he's determined, and won't let this little incident break everything he's worked for with you. After all, every Queen needs a King, and you were his.

Idia handles the situation amazingly, much right everyone's surprise, the worried look that soaked his eyes didn't match with the feral smile that adorned his features. He couldnt help it- and his brought his skull to him, lighting it up with his familiar blue magic. You so are gonna owe him a couple of new games after this.

Malleus is worried for your health, after all, you are quite the exceptional case. His staff that stands taller than him creaks under his weight, leaning on it for support, his sorrow managing to overtake him for the moment. With a deep sigh, he stands tall, ready to care for you once again, this time without the insufferable "help" of his fellow prefects. You would be happy, safe, and never need to overblot due to stress when you were with him. And so, he lifts his staff, and taps it again to the tile of NRC, emerald fire and thorns appearing to claim you at his side once again.

*this is the overblot darling AU

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scarabbai · 4 years

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Regarding reversed au, since jamil is the dorm leader how hectic are the dorm leader meetings now? Heck imagine the vice dorm leaders meeting with kalim. So many possibilities!

WAIT HOLY SHIT ANON I NEVER THOUGHT OF THAT UNTIL YOU MENTIONED IT OMG LET ME COME UP WITH SOME STUFF RN

Okay honestly you would think that bc Jamil’s in charge him going to dorm leader meetings would make things go a lot smoother, but in reality he actually ends up making them WAY worse bc uh. He and Azul?? Do NOT get along. Or rather, Azul noticed just how smug and confident Jamil is all the time and took it upon himself to give him the good old Irritating Azul Treatment in order to pick on him and piss him off all the time. Bc of that, class 2-C is a fucking NIGHTMARE. Everyone save those poor unfortunate souls... They have to endure Azul and Jamil bickering all the damn time. Jamil has a pretty short temper too bc he’s used to things always going his way, so I think you can imagine how chaotic it gets when Azul finds it fun to metaphorically take a stick and poke the snake all the time.

Take this into account while factoring in Azul’s rivalry with (and tendency to annoy) Riddle and you’ve already got 3/7 dorm leaders constantly messing around (Azul, who finds Jamil and Riddle’s anger hilarious and wants to watch the world burn) or getting pissed (Jamil and Riddle) at each other. Considering Leona’s...not really any help in dorm meetings, Idia’s not even physically present and likely hates all the commotion, and Malleus probably not receiving an invitation at all, that just leaves Vil as the only competent or semi-competent dorm leader at each meeting.

Poor Vil. He probably just gives up at that point too and just watches the shit with Azul, Riddle, and Jamil go down. Probably gossips with Idia over the drama while Leona takes a nap in the background and Malleus back at Diasomnia wonders why he hasn’t been called to a dorm leader meeting this week.

For the vice dorm leader meetings, I imagine things go a LOT more smoothly. Though compared to the dorm leader meetings, that’s not really a big accomplishment...

Compared to canon Kalim, rr au Kalim is a lot more aware of his surroundings and responsible bc of his duties and training (more on rr au Kalim’s upbringing in a later post), so he fits in pretty well with the vice dorm leaders, actually! Assuming vice dorm leader meetings are actually all business, he’d be able to work with the other vices and actually get stuff accomplished. He’s a reliable and dependable guy even if he’s a bit clumsy and disorganized sometimes, so you can trust him to get the job done! Once the meetings are over, he’ll probably rush back to Scarabia to get things sorted there and to be ready in case Jamil calls on him, but if there’s ever free time to just relax and chat, he’ll be right in his element. He’s really good with people and is a social butterfly at heart, so I don’t think he’ll have any issues getting along with the other vice dorm leaders.

In regards to how Kalim befriends each of his fellow vice dorm leaders...

He’d probably ask Trey for his recipes and/or for him to teach him how to make some of the baked goods or other sweets he knows how to make, and he’d bond with Ruggie by packing him leftovers from his meal preparations and chatting with him about what it’s like being responsible for someone. I’m not sure how close he’d be with Jade, but he’d probably ask him many things about what it’s like under the sea in order to learn as much as possible about mers and his life in particular. Lowkey fishing for information, bc the more you know about the people around you the better, right? I think Rook might be a bit of a mystery to Kalim though so he doesn’t really know how to approach him, but he’d definitely try to befriend him as well. Also, Kalim and Lilia are probably already friends prior to Kalim becoming a vice dorm leader bc they’re both in the same club! Bc Kalim was trained to be an entertainer/performer, he has a good voice and vocal technique and so I imagine they bonded over their shared love of music and knowledge of instruments.

Generally, Kalim tries his best to stay on everyone’s good side and befriend everyone he meets. That’s bc in addition to just being able to chat with other people and have fun, having lots of friends means having lots of allies, and...well, in a way, it’s his job to make lots of allies, to find out many things about his surroundings and the people around him. After all, knowledge is power, and power brings with it the ability to protect.

And for Jamil? He’ll do anything.

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usaginotwst · 3 years

Text

The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing | Jamil Viper

Pairing: Jamil x OC

Words: 1976

Rating: G - General

you can also read it on AO3!

Boisterous music filled the air in the gymnasium and reverberated off the walls. A distinct beat and record scratch caught Adele’s ear as she entered through the large, heavy doors. The familiar plastic smell of sports equipment and sweat welcomed her like an awkward acquaintance.

“Hip hop?” Grim seemed to scrunch up his little nose in question from his perch on her shoulder as they neared the court.

“Maybe a warmup?” Adele shared thoughtfully as she spotted the basketball club towards the middle of the floor. Though…they didn’t look like they were playing their sport.

Jamil’s body popped on beat in a hypnotic, almost robotic fashion before he stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow and motioned for Ace and Floyd. “So, if you just trust yourself and plant your feet, you won’t fall.”

All 6 feet and 2 inches of Floyd attempted to follow Jamil’s instructions, his body missing the timing just so. He landed, popping and locking his body the way Jamil showed him, but only laughed as he started to stumble. Ace stood by and continued to watch as he chugged from a water bottle. His eyes drifted across the empty gymnasium until he spotted Adele.

“Oi, space case!” Ace called her over. She waved and began her approach. “What’re you doing here?”

Adele blinked once and then twice before she remembered the book she clutched to her chest. Extending her arm, she offered it. “You left your textbook at Ramshackle.”

“Oh shit,” Ace took it from her and sighed with relief. “I actually need this for next period, thanks. Trein would’ve totally chewed me out.”

“Rainbowfish!” Floyd called, running full speed towards the two and shoving Ace to the side in his pursuit. Grim got out of dodge as fast as he could, the flames of his ears rising as he all but hissed at the sudden intrusion. Grim quickly climbed to the top of a stack of workout mats and curled up, muttered in annoyance.

Slick with sweat, Floyd wrapped both arms around Adele and brought her to his chest. She grimaced at the feeling of sweat through the fabric of her blouse and the twang of the stink of teenage boy engulfing her.

“Please, Floyd,” a light laugh left her lips, “you’re drenched!”

“Aww, c’mon~!” Floyd whined. He started to sway them both back and forth. Ace simply laughed at her, showing no signs of helping.

“Gross,” Jamil sighed. At least he was bothering her instead of him for the moment.

Waving him off, Floyd rested his chin atop her dark hair. “Sea Snake is teaching us how to dance like him today!”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Adele beamed at the Scarabia vice dorm head from under Floyd’s chin. “I had no idea you were such a great dancer, Jamil!”

“Yes well.” Heat tinted Jamil’s cheeks and ears. “We can’t break dance or play basketball if you’re holding onto Adele, Floyd. I guess we’re done for today.”

“You’re no fun.” Floyd huffed and spun Adele out of his arms. Dizzily, she stumbled into Ace, who righted her with a light slap on her back.

“Say, Rainbowfish,” Floyd turned his intense gaze on her once more. “You’re a good dancer too, why don’t you show us that dance that you were trying to teach me the other day at the lounge?”

Adele’s eyebrows knitted together in remembrance before the thought came back. “Oh, well, I don’t exactly have any tap shoes, Floyd, I can’t-,”

“No, no, the other one!” Floyd waved her on, bordering irritation that she was being so dense.

“Well, I’d need a partner.”

“Okay so take Sea Snake,” Floyd pushed the shorter teen towards her. He stumbled forward with a harsh look in his eyes.

“What?” Jamil looked back at him and shook his head. “I don’t know what dance she’s talking about and -,”

“C’mon, Sea Snake, it’ll be fun!” Floyd whined.

Adele offered Jamil a smile and her hand. “Come to think of it, I haven’t had a good partner in ages.”

“Besides, it’s something Kalim can’t do.” Ace’s knowing smirk kicked Jamil’s pride.

Kalim could dance, sure, but the merchant’s prodigal son’s knowledge didn’t extend far. This would be another addition to the myriad skills Jamil possessed that surpass Kalim’s. So, with a smirk of his own Jamil agreed. In one swift movement, he gently took Adele’s outstretched hand and his spot on the gym-turned-dancefloor.

“You’ll need to stay on the balls of your feet,” Adele explained, gently counting as she began to move. She counted her tah-ri-ple steps in time as the balls of her feet squeaked against the polished grain of the gym floor.

Step by slow step Jamil followed Adele’s directions, noting the way she twisted and turned. Her skirt flounced and lifted as she spun, drawing his eye to the slope of her long legs as she showed him a particular move.

“Jamil?” Her soft voice brought him out of his reverie to lock eyes with her. The slight chill of embarrassment twinged his gut as he waved her away. She nodded with a gentle smile and began to move again, counting her steps lightly. Mentally checking himself, Jamil’s eyes darted back to the movement of her feet.

After a quick water break and a refresher, Ace found a song with similar enough cadence and rhythm to the ones from Adele’s world. Adele’s heart constricted in her chest at the memory of all the songs she would possibly never hear again.

“Alright, you’ve got the moves and the music, let’s go!” Floyd called from the sidelines, shaking her from her trance. Jamil stood in front of her, his face unreadable as he went over the steps in his head.

“Don’t think too much about it, just feel the music,” She offers as they joined hands and the music started. Using her weight as leverage, he leaned back and they both began to move their feet this way and that in time to the upbeat tune playing from Ace’s speakers.

It was awkward and slow at first, Jamil being so used to the heavy weight in his heels required to move his body the way he normally did, but soon he could see how Adele had been right. The music spurred his movements on, suddenly feeling light on his feet as they came up to tempo.

Once he was comfortable enough to trust his feet not to get away from him, Jamil spared a glance at his dance partner. A smile graced her features as she lolled her head back and relished in the music. Her usual headband had fallen from its perch, forgotten somewhere on the ground around them. Jamil watched as she kicked her legs on time and twisted to the beat. A carefree laugh ripped from Adele’s throat, a raucous, extremely teenaged sound that was foreign to Jamil and their audience. It was as if she had been born to dance like this.

Suddenly her head snapped back up, her violet eyes glittering with mirth, “Do you want to try a spin now?” She asked.

Jamil nodded as if compelled by the eager flush on her face. However ready Jamil thought he was, it took him by surprise as she gently pulled him in closer by their conjoined hands and spun him around. A deep red flush dusted his cheeks, and a shiver ran up his spin as her hands ghosted the ridges of his shoulder blades.

Carmine eyes met lavender as she twirled around him. Weaving in and out of his arms, leaving him hot and cold with her touch, Adele conducted magic in time with the downbeat. His skin tingled where her featherlight fingertips grazed him and he very quickly decided that partner dancing was something he could get used to.

Lost in their own little world, the dance continued until the song ended. Both panting from exertion, Adele and Jamil never broke eye contact. They both began at the same time, speaking over one another.

“That was-,”

“That was incredible!” Adele gushed, grabbing the sides of her skirt and pulling it up as she recreated a movement. “When you did this with your feet, that was amazing, Jamil! I didn’t teach you that!”

“Well, I just…felt the music.” He shrugged, trying to avoid her adoring gaze.

“I’ve never had a dance partner like you before!” Adele beamed at him and Jamil stood up a bit straighter at the compliment.

“Thank you. It was fun.” He offered and risked meeting her eyes. Once again, he was captivated by the life inside that was never apparent until now. Curiosity and tenderness, though he’d never admit it, lead his gaze to linger longer than was appropriate.

“Gross, break it up.” Ace came up, throwing towels at each of them to wipe the sweat quickly cooling from their brows. He offered Adele her headband with an incredulous expression. She had never looked at Deuce or him like that, and they were her best friends!

What gives? Ace thinks in annoyance.

“So, it goes like this?” Floyd caught Adele’s attention from Ace and tried to mimic her previous movements. She nodded along in time to his feet with a smile.

“You’re doing great,” She encouraged him while clapping along. “Would you care to be my partner next time, Floyd?”

“Why wait?” Floyd moved to scoop her off of her feet, but Ace had the tail of his shirt in a vice grip, stopping the older teen just short of reaching her.

“C’mon, we gotta cleanup so we can get to class on time.” Ace spoke with a sour tone.

“There’s always next time, Floyd!” Adele assured him. Ace tsked and tossed another towel her way, covering her head.

“Go take a shower before you stink up your potions class!” He stuck his tongue out at her and she laughed as she removed the towel, and the world came back into view.

“Alright, alright, I’m going.” She shook her head good-naturedly. Ace headed towards the locker room with Floyd bounding after him after shooting her a toothy smile and a wave, leaving her alone with Jamil.

Before she could leave, Jamil spoke up.

“Thank you for teaching me today.” His voice was even as he spoke. If she hadn’t just been dancing with him, Adele wouldn’t have believed he had just exerted any effort at all. A small smile graced his lips, lighting up his face. “It was nice learning something new.”

“You really like to dance, don’t you?” She asked fondly.

Jamil hadn’t thought too much of the reason, but somewhere along his childhood, dancing had become his release. Frustration at his position, anger at Kalim, and everything in between could be solved by moving his body in time to the beat of some song on the radio. The feeling of his muscles straining under him as he pushed himself to the limit every time kept him coming back like an addict.

As his eyes drifted over her face, he took in her dark bangs matted to her face with sweat, her lips parted just so with the rise and fall of her chest as she worked on regulating her breathing. The image burned itself onto his eyes and he blinked a couple of times to shake himself free.

“Yeah.” He replied lamely.

“I do too,” She beamed at him. “You know, a famous author from my world once wrote, ‘To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.’”

Jamil’s heart thudded so loudly in his chest that he worried she’d be able to hear it as she scooped up the sleeping Grim and said her goodbyes. He groaned and brought the heels of his palms to his eyes. He rubbed profusely and sighed. This was just another feeling he would have to sort out through his usual, rhythmic coping mechanism.

#jamil viper #twst oc #My writing #story: weird girl energy #oc: Adelaide Dodgson #jamil x oc #twst fic #twisted wonderland #twst jamil

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girl-in-the-tower · 4 years

Text

SR Card: Lab Coat Part II

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV |

Kore: Huff... Huff... Ace... I’m at my limit...

Did we really have to keep running even when it was clear that Deuce wasn’t planning on following us?

Ace: Well, it couldn’t be helped since we were about to run late...

Grim: You were about to run late!! We have nothing to do with this, yanno!

Ace: Ah, you’re right about that. You can leave if you want Grim. You’ll probably cause trouble anyway, so it’s better if just Kore-chan joins.

Grim: Huh?! What did you say?! Do you want to fight, you-

Jamil: Ace. You’re late.

...Hm? Prefect Hightower is here too?

Ace: Haha, sorry, sorry! But I’m only late, ‘cause I had to make sure that our newest member arrived at the gym safely!

Jamil: ‘Newest member’? Do you perhaps mean-?

Kore: Viper-senpai! Are you part of the basketball club too?

Jamil: Yeah, I am. Is it true that you want to join the team?

Kore: I do, I guess. Though I’ve never played basketball before...

Jamil:... ‘I guess’? And you say you’ve never playing basketball before... Are you sure you understand what you’re getting into by asking to be part of this team?

Kore: Eh? You suddenly look very unimpressed...

Jamil: Isn’t that normal after hearing what you just said?

Kore:... Is it really that weird?

Grim: Of course it is! I don’t even understand why we’re even here in the first place! Let’s just go home already!

Kore: Eh? But we just got here and I want to see what basketball looks like it.

Grim: I’m sure you don’t even know what that is!

Kore:... um, well, it’s a sport played in a gym... and... uh...

Grim: See?! I was right after all!

Kore: Hmph! Well, it’s not like it matters since I can just learn it as I go! Right, Viper-senpai?

Jamil:... Ha... I wonder about that...

Kore: Huh?! Wh-what do you mean?!

Jamil: Prefect, I think it would be bette-

Ace: Ah! Sorry, I think there’s been a misunderstanding!

You see, I didn’t invite Kore-chan to be a player, but rather the manager.

Jamil:... Things are finally starting to make sense.

Ace: She may not look like it, but Kore-chan is actually really hard-working and responsible, so it will make things a little bit easier around here. What do you say? It’s a good idea, right?

Jamil: I suppose...

Grim: Oi!!

Jamil: Hm?

Ace: Ah, that loudmouth again...

Grim: Don’t just go ahead and decide on things by yourself!! Don’t forget that me and Kore are a team! We’re inseparable, yanno?!

Ace: Yeah, yeah. Where are you trying to get with this?

Grim: Grr! I’m saying that if you want one, you have to take the other as well! And when it comes to joining this club - I refuse!

Ace: Ok. Then I guess Kore-chan just has to leave you behind.

Grim: Yeah, that’s ri- Huh?!

Ace: What do you say, Kore-chan? Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? At least you’ll have a few hours of peace and quiet every week.

Grim: O-oi! What are you saying?!

Ace: It’s all set then! Right, Jamil-senpai?

Jamil: I’d rather you didn’t involve me in this...

Grim: Ooooooi! Listen to me!

Ace: Great! Looks like it’s all set!

Kore: Wait, Ace.

Ace: Yeah? Is something wrong?

Kore: I’m sorry, but I can’t just join like this.

Grim: That’s right, Kore!! You’re finally getting it, aren’t you?

Ace: Eh, seriously? Come on...

Kore: Leaving Grim behind... I can’t stand for it!

Grim: Yeah! Do you hear that?!

Kore: If possible I want both of us to join the club!

Grim: Well sai- What are you talking about?!

Kore: So, please, Viper-senpai! Won’t you allow Grim to join as well?

Grim: Noooo- Kore!!

Jamil: Ha... it’s fine with me, I guess. Though I’m not sure why you think I should be the one consulted about this...

Kore: Really?! Woah! Thank you!

Grim: Don’t thank him!!

Ace: Hm... As long as Kore joins, I guess it’s fine to let Grim in too. He could be like the mascot or something...

Grim: Ma-mascot?!!

Ace: Anyway, congratulations on making the team!

Kore: Wah~ Thank you! Isn’t that great news, Grim?

Grim: No, it’s not! How many times do I have to say this?! I don’t want to be part of-

Jamil: Are you sure you’ll be able to handle him? If he starts making trouble, the coach might decide to kick you both out.

Kore: Of course! Grim is actually very well-behaved! I’m sure he won’t be difficult at all!

Jamil: If you say so... Anyway, we should start practice soon, Ace.

Ace: Ah, you’re right. People have already started warming up. Kore-chan, you should go ahead and introduce yourself to the coach. He’ll tell you what your duties are for today.

Kore: Alright! Got it! Grim, let’s do our best today!

... Hm? What’s with that angry expression?

Grim: Grrrr!

Kore: Are you unhappy about something or-

Floyd: Hm~ It’s you, isn’t it, Little Shrimp?

Kore: Gah!! Floyd!

Floyd: Hehe, you looked like a puffer fish just now~ Did I startle you?

Kore: Of course, you did! You just came out of nowhere like that...

Floyd: How cute~

Kore: Ow, ow, ow! Don’f squeese mai cheeffs lif fhat!!

Floyd: Hm~ What did you say? I couldn’t understand you. Why don’t you try again~

Kore: Stoff fhat!!

Floyd: Little Shrimp is always so funny~

Grim:... Now’s my chance to run.

Floyd: Hm, the Earless Seal is here too?

Grim: Gah! I’ve been found!

Oi!! Don’t pick me up by the collar like that!

Floyd: Ah, you almost scratched me. Do you want me to squeeze you until your bones break~?

Grim: Gulp... I’ll behave now.

Floyd: Ah, he suddenly stopped resisting... How boring~

Kore: Ugh... my cheeks hurt so much...

Floyd: It can’t be helped since Little Shrimp is so fun to play with~

Kore: There you go again saying weird stuff!

And please let Grim go!

Floyd: Hm~

Grim: Gah!!

Kore: He-Hey! Don’t hold him up higher! Ugh, I can’t reach that high!

He’s not a toy! Drop him or I’ll kick you!

Floyd: Oh, does Little Shrimp want to play too? I can hold you up high if that’s what you want.

Kore: Huh? No! Just let- Argh!

Grim: Woah! I’m free!

Eh?! Now’s raising Kore up high!

Kore: Stop this! Stop this right now!!

Floyd: Don’t wanna~

Kore: You seriously want a fight, don’t you?! Fine, bring-

Jamil:... Just what are you three doing?

Grim: Help’s arrived! ... And Ace too.

Ace: Floyd-senpai?! Why are you holding Kore-chan up like a kid?!

Floyd: Hm~ It’s the Sea Snake and Crabby. What do you want?

Ace: Huh?! Isn’t that the question we should be asking you?!

Kore: Viper-senpai! Help!!

Jamil: Seriously, why is this... Floyd, let the Prefect down.

You should warm up since club’s already started.

Floyd: Ah~ Don’t wanna. I’ll play with Little Shrimp today instead.

Jamil:... I see. Alright, sorry to bother you. Let’s go, Ace.

Kore: Vi-Viper-senpai!

Grim: You traitor! How can you turn your back on us like that?!

Jamil: How? I just don’t feel like dealing with that guy’s mood swings today.

But I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Ace: Wait! Jamil-senpai! If we let Floyd-senpai just do what he wants, then Kore-chan won’t join the club and the seniors’ goodwill towards me-

I mean! It would be wrong to leave Kore-chan like this.

Jamil: You were about to let something slip just then, weren’t you?

But alright then, what do you propose we do? You know that just asking Floyd to do something won’t work.

Ace: Ah... Well, I’m not sure either... I was hoping you would come up with something. Since, you’re, y’know, a senior.

Jamil: Making your senior do all the hard job... what a shrewd freshman you are.

But I think I got something.

Kore: Argh!! You’ll pay for this I swear!!

Floyd: Hehe~ Little Shrimp is funny when she’s angry~

Jamil: Floyd.

Floyd: Hm? What do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?

Jamil: You should let the Prefect go and join the group for practice.

Floyd: Ha? Didn’t you hear me? I said I don’t wanna.

Jamil: I see. Well, in this case I guess the Prefect won’t join the club after all.

Floyd: Hm? Join the club?

Jamil: Yeah, Ace took her here today so she could check it out, but since you’re keeping her busy it seems she won’t be able to do that.

Floyd:...

Jamil: Looks like we won’t get a manager. What a pity...

Floyd:... I understand.

Kore: Woah!

Grim: He just dropped her like that?! Did he finally get bored?

Kore: Finally, my feet are back on earth...

Hm? Fl-Floyd? What’s with that happy expression?!

Floyd: Little Shrimp... Let’s be good club mates from now on~

Kore: Club... mates... ?

Grim: Do-does he mean that...

Kore: He’s part... of the club... ?

Floyd: Let’s have lots of fun~

Kore/Grim: Nooooooo-

#twisted wonderland #kore hightower #grim #ace trappola #jamil viper #floyd leech #sr card #lab coat card

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unpredictable-probabilities · 7 months

Text

"I Do": The Long-Term Deal || Chapter 3: An Abrupt Engagement

Summary:

After a photo of Jamil and Azul's kiss started circulating online, Jade proposes the absurd solution of forming a fake relationship for the public eye.

Azul vehemently rejects the idea and it seems to fall to the wayside... but when the dinner launch party presents unprecedented challenges, Jamil steps in and takes his boldest leap yet.

Word Count: 16,753

Author's Note:

Finally updated this fic after 9 months!!

Thank you so much to @patchyegg87 for helping me write this chapter~

This fic is gonna be a collab between us from now on <3

We hope you enjoy this chapter! ^_^

——

Jamil's jaw dropped open in shock. At the very least he had expected Jade to suggest that he and Azul pretend to date, but marrying him?

"Jade," Azul's voice had a dangerous edge to it as he glared at Jade. "We are not forcing Jamil into such an arrangement."

"I am not forcing either of you, Azul," Jade maintained his calm demeanor. "I am merely pointing out that an engagement announcement would keep both your suitors and the board of directors at bay for a long while."

"Could just be a fake engagement," Floyd added. "You don't actually have to marry each other for real."

"Indeed," Jade nodded. "And Jamil could maintain his life of travel without worrying whether people would recognize him as the person in the picture and pester him with questions. A clear association with you--and by extension Floyd and I--would prevent anyone from harassing him."

"You two could live here together," Floyd said. "And you're already doing that anyway. Just make a few public appearances every month and it'll be fine."

"The board would never contradict you," Jade pointed out.

It was all going too fast for Jamil's mind to keep up. He turned to Azul, hoping that at least he would say something that made sense, but Azul had gone quiet, his chest rising and falling as he seemed to be trying to control his breathing.

Azul strode toward the couch to retrieve the remote where Floyd had dropped it, then turned off the TV before facing the twins.

"It's not the only option," he said firmly. "We are not trapping Jamil in this, is that clear?"

There was a crunching sound, and Jamil couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from until the two halves of the remote fell from Azul's grip and clattered onto the floor.

"Azul," Floyd said carefully in a placating tone that Jamil had never heard him use before. "Your eyes."

Jamil turned to Azul; his eyes had become a startling bright blue, the pupils elongated into horizontal slits.

Octopus eyes, Jamil realized.

Azul's face went slack with surprise for a second, then he blinked rapidly and backed away.

He turned away from them and placed his hands on his hips, head bowed while he took deep breaths.

Jamil looked at the twins in concern; he had never seen Azul’s eyes turn into what he assumed were their original form, and it seemed to happen out of Azul’s control. What did that mean?

Jade gave him a reassuring nod, and Floyd kept his eyes on Azul.

"Let's not decide on anything for now," Azul said quietly, and when he faced them again his eyes were back to normal. "The event will be starting soon. Let's discuss this again after that. I'll contact Idia and have him get a handle on that MagiCam post."

Jade nodded. "You and Jamil should arrive at the party separately just in case anyone there had seen the photo and would be keeping an eye out for you two. You and I can take your car, and Floyd and Jamil can take Floyd's."

"Yeah. I live nearby, anyway," Floyd said. "We'll get my car. And Sea Snake, change your hairstyle for tonight, okay? You can keep the ponytail but get rid of the braids, they're too recognizable."

"You don't have to go to the event at all," Azul looked at him for the first time since they got in the house. "We've dragged you enough into this."

"No," Jamil shook his head. "I started this. If I hadn't done that when we ran into each other, we wouldn't even have this problem. I'm not just hiding here."

Azul looked like he wanted to protest, but he nodded. "I'll get you a suit you can wear. Jade, Floyd, how about you two?”

“My suit is still at the cleaner’s,” Jade said. “We can stop by there first, and they have a changing room that I can use.”

“I’ll get my suit at my house when Sea Snake and I get the car,” Floyd replied.

Twenty minutes later, Jamil was in the passenger seat of Floyd’s ride, dressed in a borrowed suit with his hair in a simple ponytail and no braids.

“What’s the matter, Sea Snake?” Floyd asked as he drove steadily down the highway. “You’ve been quiet as a clam ever since we left Azul’s place.”

“Is he okay?” Jamil asked. “Why did his eyes become like that? And that thing with the TV remote…”

Azul was never one to show violence; he prided himself in his intellectual capacities rather than the physical. Even when he intimidated schoolmates at NRC, he was never known to break anything as a show of strength.

Floyd took a while to answer, and Jamil had the sense that he was choosing his words carefully, which was something he never would have expected of Floyd.

“About two years ago,” He began. “The three of us ran into some trouble. And Azul was the one who stepped up and got us out of it by the scales of our fins. It messed us all up pretty good, and what you saw earlier was the effect that that experience had left on Azul. Sometimes when he gets super stressed or overwhelmed, his eyes revert to their merform, and his octo-strength comes out.”

Jamil furrowed his eyebrows. Floyd obviously didn’t want to share specific details, but he was still curious. “What kind of trouble?”

“Hmmmm… Well it wasn’t like an Overblot or anything,” Floyd laughed. “Had enough of those back at school, eh? It was just a… scuffle. Of some kind. Don’t worry about it.”

A ‘scuffle’ that traumatized all three of them–some of the most feared people back at NRC during their time–definitely sounded like something to be worried about, but Floyd didn’t seem inclined on sharing any more information on it.

“What if he gets stressed at work?” Jamil asked instead. “Do his eyes turn like that?”

Floyd shook his head. “As far as I know, he’s never been like that at work. No one else even knows that he has those moments except for you and me and Jade. And that’s why Azul just leaves the office whenever he gets super stressed. Can’t risk anyone else seeing him lose control like that.”

“But he lost control of his eyes and strength just minutes ago, is he really in shape to attend that event?” Jamil asked in concern.

“He won’t let us stop him, you know that,” Floyd said in resignation. “Best we can do is watch over him and make sure nobody irritating is around him for a long time. It’s a lot more challenging than you’d think, considering his colleagues and those suitors.”

“Suitors?” Jamil frowned. “There’s gonna be suitors there?”

“Those idiots are everywhere, man,” Floyd said with irritation. “At every work event, in the office… if the board of directors has anything to do with a place, there’s bound to be at least one suitor there. And a party like later? I’m betting at least five.”

Jamil pursed his lips and stared out the window. He reminded himself that he had no intention of being in a romantic relationship with Azul, so he shouldn’t be affected even if the man would be surrounded by flirty celebrities tonight.

He was there to observe the members of the board and find out their weaknesses. That was it. At most, he’d help Jade and Floyd make sure that Azul would stay as calm as possible the entire night, and even then he couldn’t get too close and risk being recognized.

Azul himself said that he could fix that whole MagiCam fiasco without Jamil getting involved. So after tonight, Jamil’s work would be done and he’d never have to get involved with Azul ever again.

——

“How dare you suggest such a thing?” Azul immediately rounded on Jade as soon as his phone call with Idia ended. “You know the history of my feelings for Jamil and yet you propose that he be my accomplice for such a stupid charade?”

“I was just suggesting one possible solution, a convenient and accessible one,” Jade calmly explained from behind the steering wheel, not taking his eyes off the road. “Besides, you had taken Jamil into your home for an indefinite amount of time. I assumed that whatever romantic feelings you had for him are now non-existent and therefore it would not be a problem to make such a deal with him.”

“They are non-existent,” Azul hoped that his infuriated tone would convince Jade of the lie. “But that doesn’t mean that I appreciate you taking inspiration from the board members when it comes to your ideas.”

“I apologize,” Jade said sincerely. “I did not realize how such an idea would come across. What did Idia say?”

“He was able to trace the path of the post, and it’s unlikely that any of the guests tonight would have seen that picture already. He said he could stop it from circulating any further for another week, but after that, the only way to prevent it spreading would be to take down the post itself, which could be seen as suspicious by people who have already seen it.” Azul pinched the bridge of his nose and reminded himself to stay calm. He couldn’t afford for his eyes to change again in the middle of the event.

After Jade had suggested that he marry Jamil—regardless of whether it would be a fake marriage—it was like he was back at NRC, being mocked and laughed at by fellow students for chasing after the man. Business strategy or not, his days of shamelessly convincing Jamil to work with him were over.

“For tonight, just worry about getting through the entire event while remaining calm,” Jade told him. “We’ll worry about the MagiCam post tomorrow; Idia has bought us enough time.”

“Right,” Azul nodded, taking a breath. “Just get through tonight.”

——

A while later, Floyd and Jamil walked into the venue, the latter immediately taking a moment to look around the area and its high-end arrangements. The colors of the floor were a glossy black, blue and white, as if they were walking along a path of stars. Floating baubles of soft golden light illuminated the space, with dark blue draperies and roses completing the set-up. People from high society—politicians, businessmen, celebrities—are flitting around, talking to each other over wine and dinner.

And speaking of dinner, a wide array of gourmet dishes were being passed around and served. It was to be expected for the launching of a restaurant, Jamil thought. He hadn't seen any other restaurant launch that was this fancy, though.

He found Azul among the crowd, but he kept his distance, instead looking out to see if anyone would recognize and approach him.

"Hey," He whispered to Floyd, who'd been eyeing the bar to the side with ominous interest. "Who here are the board members?"

The eel quickly responded. "That there's Janara," he pointed to a woman with a hood obscuring most of her features standing in the corner. "Very private. Keeps to herself a lot. When she does speak, she whispers all creepy-like."

He then nodded to two individuals: a stocky fellow with braided dark-brown hair as well as the edge of a glowing tattoo peeking through his collar, and a beautiful individual with long silver hair, a fancy gown of royal yellows and blues and stark-white pupils.

"Tattoo-man is Root and the one with the freaky eyes is Aali. They're both super into these kinds of fancy shindigs. Root's level-headed but he's got a temper, and Aali's got a tongue as silver and sharp as their hair. The two of them are the ones who pester Azul the most, so they're pretty annoying…” Floyd wrinkled his nose.

Then he pointed to a short but striking beastwoman surrounded by colleagues and sipping disinterestedly at her drink. She had cropped hair, dark make-up, raven wings and dark-violet clothes. "Hammery. She's cold and stubborn, but if you manage to get on her good side, you get on the whole board's good side. She's pretty scary. She reminds me of Ma sometimes… Ah, and then there's Ol' Gura."

A wizened-looking man with a solid shell on his back was sampling some of the food with a pleasant smile on his face, donning white cream-colored robes and a dark brown hat.

"He's a turtle beastman. He kinda comes off as sweet and old, but he's got powerful connections to all kinds'a companies and organizations for a reason—do not piss him off… Those are all the members who're attending today. The others are too busy doin' somethin' somewhere else. You gonna talk to any of them?" Floyd asked.

"I'm not sure. Probably not a good idea considering the precarious scandal hovering over my head…" Jamil muttered. "Thanks for giving me a heads-up, though. For a second, I thought you were gonna give me their sea-based nicknames."

"Oh, I have ‘em. You wanna hear 'em?" Floyd grinned.

"No," Jamil frowned. "What about suitors? See any you recognize?"

There was a moment's pause before Floyd shook his head, his mood souring at the very prospect. "None... so far."

"Ah, Mister Ashengrotto, you've finally arrived!" Gura greeted the young businessman from behind, voice thin and frail as he merrily held up a plate of confectionaries. "Such a lovely little party we have here. I reckon it takes you back to your first official launching—Oh! Here, have some pudding. It's raspberry!" He held out a spoonful of food to him.

"Mister Gura," Azul smiled amiably. "Thank you, but I just arrived and I don't want to skip right to dessert.”

"Ah, regardless, it is good to see you here! You have been away from the office for quite some time!" Gura said in a playfully scolding tone.

"You don't need me there much these days, Mister Gura," Azul replied just as playfully. "I heard that the company is doing quite well under the board's management."

While Azul and Gura were talking, Jamil's attention turned to the person who just walked through the door.

A lady with silky brown hair and an elegant red dress that complimented her frame.

Scarlet Coldfire had arrived.

Jamil tensed up, recalling all the rumors he learned about her and Azul.

"Psst, Floyd. Is that..?" He was about to ask, but then he turned and saw that the merman had gone over to sit by the bar, talking to a dark-skinned female bartender with yellow-and-black-colored hair (similar to a bumblebee), who was staring at him with suspicion.

Seeing that he was alone, Jamil looked back to see that Scarlet had spotted Azul, eyes lighting up in delight.

"Well, well! I didn't expect to run into you here!" the lady said in greeting. "I had figured you'd be too busy for these sorts of social stunts."

"Oh, he's hardly busy nowadays, unless you count him running away from us as part of his work," Gura teased. He extended out a hand to kiss Scarlet's knuckles in respect. "Miss Coldfire. A pleasure to see you in this lovely evening–Oh! Pudding?"

"My, don't mind if I do, Mister Gura." Scarlet hummed, taking a bite as she daintily tucked locks of her hair behind her ear. Jamil couldn’t help but dislike how alluring it made her look. "Mm! Raspberry chia! Lovely. Azul, have you eaten yet?"

They were on a first-name basis? Even more concerning!

Azul shook his head. "No, I had a late lunch so I'm not hungry yet."

Scarlet clicked her tongue. "I see you're back to your usual excuses. Mister Gura, you don't mind if I steal Azul for a while, do you?"

Gura chuckled. "Go ahead, dear. I don't think he would mind either.”

Scarlet laughed brightly and touched Azul's arm. "Well then, shall we? There are plenty of vacant tables. You got us dinner last time, right? Let me get this one."

"You do know the food is free here tonight? It doesn't count," Azul raised an eyebrow.

"Then I can treat you to dinner again tomorrow night," Scarlet said smoothly.

There was a second of them just staring at each other, then they both laughed.

Azul turned to Gura. "If you'll excuse us, Mister Gura. The lady wants dinner."

"Of course," Gura stepped aside and gracefully gestured to the tables.

Azul and Scarlet walked away still chuckling like they were sharing an inside joke.

Jamil felt a pang of jealousy shoot into his veins. He wondered what was so funny that it had them laughing so much. What did she do that was able to brighten his mood at the drop of a hat?

Unsure what else to do, he moved to the side so no one would notice that he'd just been standing listlessly for the past several minutes. He got handed a beverage by a passing waiter, and he took it but didn't drink. He knew he should be focusing on what he came here to do, but he couldn’t help but keep looking at Azul and Scarlet's way…

"You're new." Someone whispered.

He jumped and glanced over to see the quiet one, Janara, staring at him from the darkness of her hood. It really looked like there's nothing in there but the void.

"Er... Excuse me?" He asked.

"I know everyone who walks through these halls. You are a stranger amidst allies and adversaries. Why are you here?" she hissed.

"...I'm new to the business world," Jamil attempted, trying to look pretentious enough to belong. "I was given a personal invite by Mister Ashengrotto and the Leech brothers to attend and familiarize myself with a crowd of potential connections. Could you be one of them?"

The woman didn't respond for a while. Then she croaked, "What do you dabble in?"

"Nothing of the culinary sort, mind you. It's sort of why I feel out of place right now." Jamil said.

"...I don't like parties, either."

"Hm?"

"Conducting business in a gathering meant for pleasure... It's a gross combination. I wish to return to the cold perches of my office..."

"Oh. I'm... sorry to hear that. I'm Jamil Viper, by the way. I hope I'm not making this event any more uncomfortable for you."

"You and I… the same first two letters."

"What?"

"J and A… I am Janara. We both share the same first two letters in our name." She rasped, holding her own drink, which seemed completely untouched. "Very interesting."

"I… Right." Jamil decided to take a swig of his drink, feeling that this was going to be a long night. At least he's interacting with a board member now.

Meanwhile, Scarlet was sitting across Azul at a table, her gaze fond. "How have you been, darling? I've barely heard from you lately. A text or two surely wouldn't have killed you, would it?"

“I don’t seem to remember you sending any texts either,” Azul playfully replied.

“Touché,” Scarlet laughed, an pleasant sound that Jamil was beginning to dislike. “So have you been inviting anyone else to dinners while I was away?”

For a moment, Azul’s easygoing expression broke, showing hesitance. Then he blinked and his playful smile was back.

"Maybe," he answered vaguely. "You've been away a long time."

Scarlet rolled her eyes and shook her head in amusement. Then she leaned closer to Azul and said something too quietly for Jamil to hear, but it looked like she had asked a question.

Surprise flickered in Azul's face for a moment, then his smile became a little more relaxed, more genuine.

He leaned closer to Scarlet as well.

"... I'll let you know," was all Jamil could hear.

Jamil bristled at the entire interaction, and he excused himself from Janara's presence. "Sorry, I gotta go to the bathroom."

Janara simply nodded, sending him off with a "I’ll be watching you. I do that with everyone… Always…"

Upon entering the restroom, which was just as fancy as the rest of the building, Jamil lingered by the sinks to sort out his priorities. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

What do you think you're doing, Jamil? Stop getting distracted.

Knowing that he'd just end up staring at Azul and Scarlet the whole night if he was in the same room, he decided to head for the outdoor patio, where he found Jade talking with Hammery.

"Golden Silk's not a cheap resource, but they make a hell of a boost for abjuration concoctions. It prolly won't do much remedy-ing in the middle of an emergency, but when you're about to enter into a situation you can't trust? It'll do you right," Hammery muttered, her voice low for her short stature.

"Is it even more potent than Spider Dewdrops?" Jade asked pleasantly.

Jamil seemed to understand that they're talking less about business and more about alchemical ingredients like a couple of potionology students.

Jade noticed him then, and smiled. "Ah, it looks like we have company. Miss Talonfoot, this young man is Jamil Viper, a... special associate of Azul's."

"A special associate?" Hammery raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Then why have I never seen you before, Mister Viper, if you're so special to Azul?"

"I hadn't been around the area for some time." Jamil answered semi-honestly, looking at Jade and wondering what sort of narrative he wants to spin here.

"He had been traveling around, getting some worldly experience in—you know how it goes,” the eel-man explained, as calm as ever. "And Azul likes to keep associates as special as Jamil close to his chest, but since he's here, we figured it would be good for him to familiarize himself with the corporate world. And you have my word–he is legitimate."

"Introducing him into the business, hm? Up-and-coming entrepreneur?"

"It is up to him." Jade responded. "He is no entrepreneur yet. If he wants to be, he can. We just wish to familiarize him with these things because, well…" He gave Hammery a smile. "We figured it would be nice for him to know this side of Azul's life."

Hammery squinted and directed her gaze to Jamil, studying him much more closely. "I see..."

Jamil tensed up, beginning to realize that Jade's putting him closer to the position that he had suggested before they went to the party.

"Where is Mister Azul?" Hammery asked, looking around. "We haven't seen him in a long while. Did you come here together?"

"He's inside," Jamil lamely gestured, at a loss for words. "He's…er… talking with the other guests."

"Do you have any concerns, Miss Talonfoot? If so, you know you can always discuss it with me." Jade asked.

"My business is not so urgent that I would want to interrupt his 'peaceful' night, but I want to get to know this chap," Hammery gestured at Jamil, taking another sip of her drink. "Anyone who Azul gets directly involved with gets directly involved with us as a result, so you're either an additional new asset or a stain on our foundation. Let's find out which one you are."

She passed her empty glass to Jade and clasped her hands together. "Fetch me another drink, Mister Leech. Thank you."

"Very well." Jade bowed and made his way back inside, giving Jamil a quiet look of reassurance. "Enjoy yourselves, you two."

When the door closed, things were quiet for a moment before Hammery began to take a walk, gesturing for Jamil to follow. Wordlessly, he complied, worried about what grave he could be digging himself into.

Hammery led him to one of the vacant outdoor tables, gesturing for him to sit.

"So, Mister Viper, which side of Azul's life do you know?" she asked. "You see, most of us here are only familiar with the President Azul Ashengrotto; we know very little about the other aspects of his life. So forgive me if I'm intrigued to meet someone outside of his business."

"Well… I first met him when we were both students in Night Raven College," Jamil began. He couldn’t help but feel that this is an interrogation somehow. "We often got paired up for school assignments and event-planning, and... we just became close that way."

Close in what way? he asked himself. As friends? As something more? He still wasn’t sure what angle to go for, so he attempted to be as vague as possible.

"Oh, a former classmate of his?" Hammery said in interest. "Judging by Azul's age, you two would have graduated about… five, six years ago? Did you remain close throughout that time? Or did you simply reappear in his life recently?" she asked with more than a little suspicion in her tone.

Jamil did his best to navigate the situation. If she found out that anything fishy's afoot, then his presence in the party was gonna be called into question.

"We... didn't keep in touch right away," he slowly stated. "But I happened to run into him during one of my travels a few years back and we've been spending more and more time since then."

"I see," she nodded slowly. "Then are you the one who's been keeping him away from us these past weeks?" she said in amusement. "We'd been wondering where he spends his time in if not at work."

"Ah," Jamil pretends to look shy, which wasn't hard because he felt embarrassed knowing that that's more or less true. "It wasn't my intention, but Azul insisted and we both know that the man can get pretty stubborn and persuasive once he gets his mind set on something."

Hammery chuckled. "That's quite true. You must be rather close, then, if he would take so much time away to spend it with you."

Jamil heard the unspoken question in her tone. Before he could think much of it, he saw Azul and Scarlet walking in the distance somewhere behind Hammery. They had gone to the patio as well and it looked like they were about to start a conversation, but Aali appeared and greeted them.

The silver-haired newcomer smiled with half-lidded eyes at Azul, and Jamil noticed Scarlet subtly put a possessive hand on Azul's arm as she exchanged pleasantries with the board member.

Just like her, Aali placed their own hand along Azul's shoulder, smiling and chatting with the couple about something before momentarily moving to pull the merman away.

Scarlet held on fast, her demeanor pleasant, but firm. Aali arched an eyebrow at her.

Tensions would have risen then, when from the interior, another fellow walked out of the building to meet the group, flanked by a crowd of socialites and journalists. Based on the way he was the center of attention, dressed in a fancy suit that shimmered in a luminous blue and jewelries made from bone, he was clearly the center of the party—the man celebrating the launching of his restaurant.

He greeted Azul, oblivious to the growing tension between the other two. He seemed excited to see the merman, like he was meeting a celebrity he idolized and admired. As a result, the crowd that followed him turned their attention to Azul, filled with bright curious smiles and loud chatter.

"What's happening?" Jamil asked, growing alert.

"Hm?" Hammery glanced at the ruckus and shrugged. "Annoying party people being annoying party people. Why?"

Jamil stood up and started to head over since he couldn't help but feel concerned. "Excuse me."

Hammery didn’t stop him, watching how it would all go down with quiet intrigue.

"Mister Ashengrotto!" one enthusiastic journalist stepped forward. "Is Miss Coldfire your date tonight?"

"Ah, not exactly," Azul smiled pleasantly, but Jamil could see from his tense shoulders that he felt caught off-guard by the group. "She and I are just catching up."

"Do you have a date tonight, then?" another journalist piped up, and a camera flash came from somewhere, lighting up Azul's surprised face for a moment.

"Is Aali your date?" the crowd began to press around them.

Aali laughed pretentiously and waved a hand in false modesty. "Oh, stop it, you. If I were Azul's date, it would be very obvious and would leave no room for questions."

"There are rumors that Nikolai Pennington is vying for your hand. Is it true you'll be making an appearance in his next movie?"

Multiple camera flashes went off.

"Um, no," Azul spoke evenly despite looking momentarily blinded. "I have not heard of any movie—"

"But is he courting you?"

"Is he here tonight?"

Camera flash.

"Ah, he's not here," the owner of the restaurant said. "But he certainly is welcome anytime!" he laughed heartily and clapped Azul on the back.

"What are your thoughts on all of these, Miss Coldfire?"

"I think we should all go back to the party," Scarlet said sweetly.

"Mister Ashengrotto, would you be having a date at your birthday gala?"

"Is Miss Coldfire invited?"

Before Azul could answer, there was yet another camera flash that reflected off his glasses, and then a dramatic gasp from one of the journalists in the back of the group.

"Is this you, Mister Ashengrotto?" one reporter asked wide-eyed, holding up his phone and projecting a hologram in the air to show his MagiCam news feed.

It was the picture of Azul and Jamil kissing.

The group erupted in surprised gasps and overlapping chatter.

Surprise was unmistakable on Azul's face as the questions bombarded him while Aali demanded an explanation.

Scarlet gave him a concerned look and held his arm comfortingly.

Camera flashes came from everywhere.

"Who is this person?"

"Are you two dating?"

"Are they here?"

"How long has this been going on?"

They were cornering Azul against the wall, and the merman's face was becoming paler.

"Miss Coldfire, did you know about this?"

"Aren't you afraid of being seen as his mistress?"

"I beg your pardon?" Scarlet was evidently trying hard to remain polite.

"You're overstepping, sir," Azul said in a dangerously calm voice.

"How many people are you dating right now, Mister Ashengrotto?"

The camera flashes weren't stopping, and Azul held up a hand to shield his face, turning to the side. He seemed to be controlling his breathing, his shoulders noticeably rising and falling.

From where he stood, Jamil could just glimpse Azul's eyes from behind his glasses.

Horizontal pupils on piercing blue irises.

Jamil stepped in before he could second-guess himself.

"That's enough," he announced, voice ringing out into the still courtyard. The people stopped and stared for a moment, surprised, as he stepped in front to shield Azul. "He's under no obligations to answer any of your questions tonight."

"Ah, you're the guy in the photo... I think!" One of them piped up, looking over at their device.

This caused another surge of murmurs of shock and curiosity.

"And what if I am?" he said out loud, his face getting warm. "Isn't it normal to greet one's lover in an embrace?"

"What?!" Aali exclaimed.

"What?!" the crowd gasped.

Scarlet stared in wide-eyed surprise.

He's really in for it now.

"Now if you'll excuse us, Azul needs a bit of space to himself," he hurriedly stated, tugging onto the merman's arm to lead him away. This time, neither Scarlet nor Aali did anything to stop him.

But as they were walking, the crowd burst into an uproar and were about to surround them with a slew of new questions when two tall men blocked their path.

"I'm sorry, did you not hear what the gentleman said?" Jade grinned, a hand placed on his chest.

"Buzz off, lil' guppies, or we're gonna have to do this the fun way!" Floyd smiled, baring his sharp teeth.

The crowd effectively clammed up and backed away. Jamil heaved a sigh of relief and continued to tug Azul into the nearest empty area, which were the hedge gardens near the patio. He spotted Hammery as they left, but the woman merely stared back, sipped from her newly-delivered drink, and said nothing.

Once he was sure they weren't getting followed, he turned to Azul and held him securely by his shoulders. "Hey. Are... Are you okay?"

Azul was staring at him in bewilderment, his eyes back to their human form. "W-What— am I…" he stammered. "Jamil! Why would you do that?! You've made yourself a target!"

"I didn't know what to do, it was the first thing I could think of!" he hissed. "They found the photo—it was the only way to get you out of that mob of predators!"

"But now they'll be coming for you, too!" Azul hissed back, glancing around to make sure no one had followed them. He started to pace around. "Perhaps we can still take it back, you can say that you just said that to help me, and Jade can accompany you back to my house. Floyd and I will deal with them here. We can deny that you're the one in the photo."

"The damage has already been done." Jamil reasoned, watching him walk back and forth. "If we retract it now, they're only going to question it and get even wilder with their rumors. Plus, I've already talked with two of your board members and I think they're suspecting the same thing. Choosing to back out will only make them more suspicious…" He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I said things without confiding in you beforehand, and now you're stuck with me and this problem. I can just leave, say I'm some kinda fling that got presumptuous and brash, and I can take responsibility for the whole claim."

"What?" Azul stopped walking in front of Jamil and looked at him. "No, don't— No," he shook his head, walking closer. "Don't say those things about yourself. I'm just…" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "This is a messy, ridiculous world, Jamil. I don't want you to be trapped in it, especially not for my sake."

"You're not trapping anyone," Jamil replied. "I was the one who started this when I kissed you in that parking lot. This is just the consequences of my actions coming full circle and I'm…"

He searched inside himself, trying to detect any notion of despair or fear, but he felt strangely calm.

"... honestly okay with facing it. Besides, it's like Jade said, this might be your best excuse to finally put that stressful bachelor thing behind you… Unless this arrangement is just stressing you out even more."

Azul looked surprised. "Jamil… Are you sure?" his eyebrows were furrowed in concern. "If we do this, it would be very difficult for you to back out. Even your travels might be affected if people recognize you in public. And I know how much you love to travel. I don't… I don't want to hold you back from that."

"You're right that it's a big decision to make on the fly," he admitted, thinking about the good and bad possibilities. "Traveling around might get… different, but I don't believe it'd be anything I can't handle. Even if they manage to wrangle me for an interview, it's not like I've got anything valuable to give them. Besides…"

He gave Azul a small smile. "I was already in pretty big trouble with the whole pin theft even before you came along. If I ever run into anything I can't face on my own… I now know I got someone I can lean on, right? The point is, at least for tonight, we'd benefit more by keeping up with the charade. We're gonna get pestered, but certainly not like how you were hounded mere moments ago."

Azul just stared at Jamil for a few seconds, then his gaze softened. "Thank you, Jamil. That couldn't have been easy for you to do in front of all those people and cameras. If there's anything I can do to make it up to you, just let me know."

It seemed like Azul still had the same mindset when it came to favors.

Jamil huffed but stayed silent. He knew that if he tried to argue on that front, they'd be standing here all night.

"Sure… By the way, before the paparazzi came in, were those two bothering you? They seemed like they were going to start an argument earlier."

"Hm? Oh, Scarlet and Aali? It did get a little tense between them, but I don't think they would have caused a scene. Scarlet especially wouldn't start a fight; she's always been composed and level-headed."

Jamil noticed that Azul seemed to smile at that remark.

"... It looks like you and Miss Scarlet are pretty close." Could that be why Azul didn't want this pretend arrangement to begin with? But he shot down having a fake relationship with her, too, when Jade first brought her up. "Do you think… she'd have a problem about us being 'together'?"

Azul shook his head. "No, Scarlet doesn't like me in that way, and her own businesses are successful enough that she doesn't need to marry into another company. I would still have to talk to her, but she won't get in the way." He looked at Jamil with worry. "Are you sure you don't have a problem with this? There will be interviews. We'd have to face cameras and talk about… us."

"Then... we might as well get our answers prepared so I won't just look like I'm making things up on the spot."

Azul opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of footsteps approached, and they saw two people with notebooks and a camera looking around.

Azul grabbed Jamil's arm and pulled him behind the tall hedge, pressing him against it.

"Shh," Azul whispered, his face mere inches from Jamil's. He was looking to the side to peek at where the reporters were heading, his hand still holding Jamil's arm.

Jamil stayed still, staring at the other and taking this moment to really think about how he feels regarding their current situation.

To be perfectly honest, a part of him felt smug at having asserted his connection to Azul in front of Scarlet and Aali, even if he's still not wholly sure how they both feel about him.

But more importantly, he's nervous about getting this right and following through. He could admit that these were messy circumstances... yet he really didn't regret it as much as he thought he should.

He knew within himself that Azul... definitely wasn't the worst person to get stuck in a fake relationship with.

"Are they gone?" he mouthed to the other, noting their close proximity.

Azul took a moment to double check, then he nodded.

"Yes, they—" he turned to face Jamil and seemed to realize for the first time how close they were, their noses almost touching.

Azul flushed and quickly stepped back, letting go of Jamil's arm.

He cleared his throat and looked away. "Yes, they're gone now."

"Cool..." Jamil mumbled, straightening up and brushing off any of the leaves and branches on him. "About the cover story, Hammery knows we met as NRC students and that we saw each other again after graduation when I ran into you by coincidence. All true things, save for the fact that I made it sound like the run-in happened a few years ago and that we've been keeping touch since then, hence why they've only known about my existence tonight."

Azul nodded. "They would certainly ask how long we had been together already. Fortunately neither of us had been in any relationships, so we can choose how far back or how recently we supposedly started dating. What time-frame would be comfortable for you?"

"Will we only be posing as boyfriends or as something with more commitment?" Jamil asked. "The time-frame can shift depending on that answer. Will they bother us more if we're just dating or if we're engaged?"

"There would be plenty of questions either way," Azul said, clearly displeased with the thought. "The board and any suitors would most likely stop pestering me about dating, though, if we say we're engaged. But would you really be okay with that?" he frowned in concern.

"I'm still here, aren't I?" Jamil replied. He placed a hand on his chin. "So it's been six years since we've graduated... Should we say we've reunited four years ago, got together around the following year then got engaged within the past few weeks?"

"So we've been together for three years and got engaged… let's say… two weeks ago?" Azul asked. "And you'd been traveling around and just got back on the day that photo was taken. How does that sound?"

Jamil nodded. "We can make that work... Anything else I should know about before we inevitably get back in there? For the time being, they're not expecting me to be business-savvy. Jade and I established with Hammery and Janara that I'm new to the whole thing."

"I think that's it for now." Azul took a breath and ran a hand through his hair, evidently still a little rattled. "If you want to leave at any point for whatever reason, just say you have a headache and I'll have Floyd drive you to my house. Here's a spare," Azul took a keychain from his pocket and removed one key, handing it to Jamil.

As he received it, the raven-haired man made an awkward grin. "A key to your house? Now it really does look like we're engaged... Do you not have the same luxury? It doesn't look like you were enjoying yourself at the party even before this happened."

Unless you count the time when he started hanging out with Scarlet…

"I'm sure Floyd and Jade would be happy to make sure you leave safe and unbothered," Jamil added.

"I just got here, I should stay for about an hour more, at least," Azul said. "It's important that the investors see my presence, especially since I didn't exactly gracefully handle the situation earlier," he sighed. "You don't need to wait for me."

"Nah. I'll stick around. I still have to meet the other board members, anyway. And people would think something's fishy if I were to leave on my own. Would you prefer it if we both kept our distance throughout our stay? It's alright if being together's just gonna bring us more unwanted attention."

"I think we will be met with questions as soon as we return. And while Jade and Floyd will be there to prevent us from being swarmed, they can't stop the reporters entirely without causing trouble for the company. It might be better if we answer the questions together to make sure that we tell the same story, in case they ask anything that we didn't anticipate. Is that alright?"

Azul's usually composed appearance still seemed uncertain. He hid it well, but Jamil knew him enough to see how nervous he was.

Jamil took a moment to think before nodding. "Okay. That sounds fine to me. Maybe this might not mean much from the guy who landed you here in the first place, but... We'll get through it somehow, even if it's just for this party."

He walked over, wondering if it was possible to comfort someone knowing that he was pretty much responsible for their worry. Should he hold out a hand..?

He did. "For the ruse," he said as an excuse. "We'll head back when you're ready."

Azul looked at Jamil’s hand for a moment, then took it. He managed a smile. "I think I'm ready now. And Jamil? Just so you know, I don't blame you at all for any of this. And I don't regret helping you that day."

"Oh," Jamil blinked, feeling a part of him exhale in relief. "I'm glad. I'm not mad or blaming you for any of this, either. So…" He gestured to the party. "Let's go show those fellows what a great couple we make."

Azul chuckled and led Jamil back inside.

There was a noticeable hush when they returned, though Azul was right and they didn’t get swarmed this time. Jamil couldn't see the twins, but he's sure that they're just watching.

Reporters and guests alike followed them with gazes as they approached the tables.

"They'll ask us questions as soon as we sit down," Azul whispered to him. "Get ready."

Jamil took in a breath, glancing at each and every one of the people eyeing them with great anticipation. Then he nodded, squeezing Azul’s hand. "Let's do this."

They took their seats at a table, and a moment later a reporter approached them. Jamil recognized him as the one who saw the photo on MagiCam.

"Mister Ashengrotto," he tried for a smile, standing behind one of the chairs. "May I ask for an interview with um… the both of you?" he glanced around nervously. Whatever the twins told them earlier, it seemed effective.

"Of course, have a seat," Azul gestured to a chair.

The reporter looked quite bright—literally. His hair, styled upwards, glowed warmly, bathing his dark skin like he's some sort of fire spirit. He cleared his throat and turned to Jamil. "Edwar Marks of the Whispers Tribune. I, and many others here, wish to know about why you chose to reveal such shocking information midway through the party."

"Well, we hadn't been planning on announcing it just yet, but I'm afraid that candid photo you found sort of left us with no choice." Jamil replied, stoic and composed, just like how he was when he got Azul out of the throng of guests earlier.

"So you were hiding it?" the fiery fellow remarked, eyes of molten gold blinking in surprise. "Is that why you both arrived in separate vehicles earlier? And why you chose to stay separate until this very moment? Whatever for?"

"You and I know how stressful it is to be in this industry," Azul said evenly. "I didn't want Jamil to deal with all of that by being associated with me in the public's eye."

"Oh how sweet!" Edwar's hair flickered excitedly. "That explains why none of your suitors ever swayed you, Mister A! Your heart was already taken by Mister Jamiiiil…?"

Edwar looked at him questioningly, pen poised on paper as he waited for Jamil's last name.

Would it be foolish to give them his real last name?

No, even if he gave a fake pseudonym, news of their engagement would spread, and their friends and families would catch wind of it and question its legitimacy.

"Viper," he smiled.

Edwar promptly nodded and jotted it down before perking back up again. "Right, then! So what sort of relationship are we looking at here?"

"Ah. We're engaged."

"ENGAGED!?" The rest of the room followed suit in gasping. "Such a passionate bond has been taking place underneath our noses this whole time!? But then..." he gestured at their hands. "No rings? Not even stealthy ones?"

"Er-- Of course not. We'd be found out right away," Jamil hastily replied. Then he gestured at his hair tie, which was adorned with a scarlet gem. "We gave each other a different sort of engagement token. Something more subtle. Azul gifted me with this one." He glanced at the other, falling silent to signal him to continue.

"And Jamil gave me this," Azul pointed to a purple gemstone pinned to his collar. "As he said, rings would be too obvious, but we still wanted to give each other something.”

"Aww," Edwar cooed. "And how long have you two been this way? Quite clever of you to hide it from all of us!"

"We just got engaged two weeks ago, when we went on a trip outside the city," Azul calmly said.

Edwar gasped. “Oh, is that why you said you were on vacation at the time? We were surprised when it was Mister Jade Leech who was running Mostro Lounge.”

"Ah, you still remember that?" Azul smiled amiably, and Jamil knew that he had deliberately been counting on the reporter remembering that detail to give more credibility to the story.

"Why, of course!" Edwar said proudly. "I interviewed you the day you returned, didn't I? And you know I never forget our talks," he touched a hand to his chest dramatically. "So," he leaned forward conspiratorially. "Who popped the question?"

Jamil felt Azul tense up beside him. They hadn't prepared for this.

"Er... I did," Jamil offered, looking awkward. "It wasn't anything fancy, though. I could never compete with Azul's grand lifestyle. I'm not all that rich or acclaimed for much, so... I try to make up for it however I can."

"It was more than what I could have asked for," Azul said fondly, smiling at Edwar like he's telling a friend a story. "I had been planning on proposing myself, so you could imagine my surprise when Jamil did it first."

"I think we were all surprised, Mister Ashengrotto!" Edwar let out a merry laugh. Then he turned to Jamil, readying his notebook again. "So, how did this proposal go, Mister Viper? Tell us everything!”

"Actually, Edwar," Azul cut in. "If you don't mind, I had actually been planning to take Jamil on a date tonight. We just stopped by here for the launch, but it's almost time for our dinner reservation," He looked at his watch. "I do apologize for cutting this short. If the Tribune would like, you can contact Jade and set up a proper interview," he smiled apologetically and stood up, then turned to Jamil. "Shall we, darling?"

Jamil internally huffed in relief, his head calming down from trying to scramble up a story. He nodded, keeping his eyes on Azul and following him out. The press expressed cries of disappointment, having formed into a line after Edwar, but they couldn't do much else.

"Dinner reservation?" Jamil inquired.

"We're going back to my house," Azul said, pulling out his phone and making a call. "Meet back home. Now."

He put his device back in his pocket and glanced around, noticing that the guests outside were eyeing them.

He turned to Jamil and smiled, then took his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Let's go."

Jamil blushed as if they hadn't just held hands moments earlier. Something about Azul initiating it had his heart start to race.

"Did I mess up or something?" he asked as they made their way to the parking lot, pretty certain that they hadn't been at the party for a whole hour yet.

"What?" Azul turned to him in surprise. "No, no," he squeezed Jamil's hand reassuringly. "I just…" he sighed. "I realized how unprepared we were. That was just one reporter, and already we were scrambling with the questions. It would especially be a problem if we forgot the details and gave a different answer to another reporter. We need to build a solid story first."

There was no one else around anymore... and yet their hands were still linked.

…

Jamil didn't let go until they got in Azul’s car.

"So you're not gonna get in trouble for having to leave early?" He asked. "Although I suppose that that means that we stopped taking the attention away from the launch celebrant. He might sport a grudge on you and me for making his special day about us instead.”

"Yes, it's fine," Azul said as he started the car, a subtle crease on his forehead. The frown remained as he drove, looking into the distance and not saying anything.

Meanwhile, Jamil's phone was buzzing with notifications.

Jamil, unsure what to do with the ensuing silence, picked up his phone and took a look at what all the fuss was about.

The most recent text was from Ruggie.

ure engaged to azul?!? we'd been working together for 2 months and u never told me?!! is this fr???

Ruggie had sent another text after that, a link to an article by the Whispers Tribune with the headline, "The Viper Who Caught The Bachelor's Heart".

Another text was from Najma.

YOU AND AZUL!!!! I KNEW IT! WHY DIDNT U TELL MEEE 😭😭

She had sent an article, too, this one accompanied with the MagiCam photo. The headline was "The Viper's Kiss".

Kalim had sent a text as well.

JAMIL!! CONGNATLATIONS!!! WHENS THE WEDDING? : D

All the other texts had come from the old NRC groupchat that Cater had brought back to life by sending the MagiCam photo and the link to the article.

Cater: OMG!!!!!! CONGRATS U GUYS! 😍😍😍 Epel: 😲😲😲 Ace: WTF Vil: Well, it's about time. Leona: yea, whyre u all surprised Riddle: Oh, they're engaged! How wonderful. My congratulations to you both, @Azul Ashengrotto and @Jamil Viper.

"Oh, Sevens... The others back at home and NRC are beginning to find out," Jamil frowned, eyes flitting through each of their posts. Why were there so many apparently expecting this? "Are we gonna have to act in front of all of them, too? I think at least a few of them, like Ruggie, can be trusted with the truth."

Azul nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "Yes, I believe we can tell Ruggie, especially since he would be able to help us with the ruse. What about your sister? Do you think we can tell her?"

"I can't say for sure yet," Jamil ruminated. "She's normally trustworthy, but there's a chance she could blab by accident and be overheard by my folks back home…"

Oh man, his parents. Well, they're in for quite a shock. "Is there a chance your family's gonna hear about this?"

"Perhaps not right away," Azul's thoughtful frown became a little more noticeable. "Though my mother would surely want the full story once she finds out…"

The car slowed down to a stop at a traffic light.

"… Are you holding up alright? You seem worried about something."

Azul blinked the frown away and nodded, releasing a slow breath. He closed his eyes for a moment and rubbed his forehead.

"I'm fine. It's just… a lot. There would be many questions from the board, and we'd have to be careful every time either of us goes outside." Azul paused, then looked at Jamil. "You saw my eyes change, didn't you? That's why you intervened."

"... Yeah, I did. That's never happened before back when we were classmates. Floyd told me it started a few years ago. Do you feel… anything dangerous when it happens?" Jamil leaned back in his seat. "Also you don't have to tell me what happened. From what I could tell, it's a pretty distressing time for all three of you, and that's saying something."

Azul stared at him, searching his expression. "You're not scared? Even when you saw me like that twice today already?"

"No..." he shook his head. "Should I be?"

If he was being perfectly honest, he's more worried about Azul and how it affected him.

"No," Azul reassured him. "But… I get scared, sometimes," his voice faded out. He looked down momentarily before speaking again. "I'm still in control of my thoughts whenever it happens, but you saw how I broke the TV remote earlier without even realizing it. Sometimes I worry that I might hurt someone…"

Azul had a distant look in his eyes that Jamil was all too familiar with. He saw it whenever he had the courage to face the mirror in the days following his Overblot.

"You won't." Jamil stated. Though he has no basis for this statement, he was confident and clear in saying it. "You've got better control than most mages, even those who are way older than you. And whether the people around you can get hurt is not what matters—you're the one who's feeling hurt and scared in the first place."

Azul seemed surprised at his remark. He looked like he was about to say something, but the traffic light changed to green and he faced the road again to continue driving.

“Thank you… for what you did back there,” Azul said quietly. “My eyes had never changed in public before. They could have noticed it if you hadn’t stepped in. I know it wasn’t an easy decision to make, and I want you to know that you can back out of this at any point. The twins and I will handle things.” His expression was guarded and his voice remained level.

Jamil stared at Azul's tense posture. "... When do you think I'll back out?"

Azul frowned in confusion and glanced at him for a second. “I’m… not sure. I don’t mean to say that I don’t trust you to keep up the ruse, I’m just letting you know that you don’t have to work with me if it ever feels too troublesome. This isn’t like Flight Class where Coach forced you to help me—” he cut himself off and took a breath. “You’re not stuck in this, that’s all,” he continued quietly.

"... I know." Jamil muttered, keeping his eyes on the road.

He's not sure what he's going to do for his future travels now that he has this to keep up. Would it be more suspicious if he stopped all his trips entirely? It's not as if they're an urgent need.

He would still want to have that option available, though. He doesn't mind traveling around with the mantle of an engaged man—it most likely wouldn't change much of anything on his end. But what about Azul?

He's certain Azul would let him.

... But he wishes he could have Azul travel with him. Alas, the man's got many responsibilities he couldn't afford to ignore.

"I wasn't ‘stuck’ during Flight Classes, either… Just wanted to let you know. Point is . . . I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."

Azul was silent for a few moments. Then he spoke softly. “Alright.”

They reached the merman’s house shortly, and before Azul could close the gate behind them, Floyd’s car pulled up.

“Heyyy~!” he greeted cheerfully, rolling down his window and parking next to Azul’s vehicle. Jade was sitting beside him in the passenger seat. “Congratulations to the new couple!”

Azul closed the gate using a remote control and went into the living room, entirely ignoring Floyd.

"Guess he's not in the best of moods now that he's 'engaged' to me," Jamil joked to the twins, watching Azul disappear into the house. "So how was the situation at the party after we left? Any violent reactions?"

“The reporters complained and wanted to set up interviews, but Jade told them to just email their requests. Scarlet asked us how Azul’s doing. That’s about it,” Floyd said as he and Jade got out of the car. “There was a scheduled presscon about the restaurant’s launch, anyway, so we slipped out when that happened.”

“And I wouldn’t worry too much about Azul’s bad mood,” Jade added with his usual pleasant smile. “I’m certain you aren’t the cause of it. Shall we head inside?”

Jamil nodded and followed them through the front door, falling quiet for a moment before asking, "Do you two... think I made a bad decision? Leaping into the fray without thinking like that?"

“Hell no!” Floyd said immediately, grinning. “Did’ja see everyone’s faces when you called yourself Azul’s lover?” he laughed heartily then sighed in content. “That was the best.”

Jade chuckled. “I also don’t think it was a bad decision. It’s admirable that you took quick action when you saw the situation. Besides, I had already suggested the strategy of your engagement with Azul earlier today, so what you did wasn’t entirely unplanned.”

“What Jade is trying to say…” Floyd draped an arm around Jamil. “... Is we’re real happy to have you as a brother-in-law, Sea Snake!”

Jamil spluttered in surprise. "Brother-in-law?! Wait, what does that... Were you guys related to Azul this whole time?"

“No, but he’s still our brother!” Floyd said, then leaned down to get his face close to Jamil’s, dropping his voice dangerously low. “So don’tcha dare break his heart, ‘kay?” He stared at Jamil with the same heterochromatic eyes that terrified their schoolmates back at NRC.

The raven-haired man tensed up at the threat. Floyd makes it sound like they're together for real... "I'll take care not to... Honestly, I'm glad that he's got you guys looking out for him. I suppose let's all do what we can to make sure this engagement farce goes off without a hitch."

“Yeah!” Floyd said cheerfully and straightened up, no trace of the ominous air that he displayed mere moments ago.

Jade just chuckled at their exchange and led the way to the living room.

They found Azul sitting in one of the couches, scrolling through his phone.

"I've gotten multiple emails from each of the board members," he told them without looking up. "Some congratulatory, others upset, all of them immensely curious. They're demanding a meeting sometime this week."

"That's hardly a problem, we can finish building your story tonight," Jade said confidently as he sat down on the couch across Azul. Floyd plopped down beside him, putting his feet up on the coffee table; at least he had the decency to take off his shoes first.

Jamil slowly made his way over to sit beside Azul, wondering whether or not to be close. Tentatively, he filled the twins in on what the public, including the board members, knew about them so far. "What sort of details are we still missing?"

"We need to figure out how the proposal went, since that's certainly a question they would be asking, as evidenced by Edwar earlier," Jade said, turning on his tablet. "Specific details aren't highly necessary, you can always say that you prefer to keep it private."

"What kinda questions did they ask you about Scarlet back then, Azul?" Floyd tilted his head.

"It was mostly just how we met and whether we were dating, which Jamil had already answered about us earlier," Azul said. "So their next questions wouldn't be about those things anymore."

"Who courted whom?" Jade asked, ready to type on his tablet. "Who initiated the romance?"

"It might be more believable if we say I did," Azul said slowly, frowning thoughtfully. "If they interview some of our old schoolmates—like Vil, for example—they can attest that I was the one who often sought out Jamil back then."

"Right, but it's not like anyone would say it was romantic or anything," Jamil commented, trying to think back on it. It certainly didn't feel like Azul was flirting... or had he been viewing it wrong somehow? "Still, that sounds like a good balance, you initiating the dating phase and me proposing. It really paints a picture of a lovey-dovey couple. How would you say the initial confession was like—the very moment we would have started dating?"

Azul thought about it. "Where were you three years ago? If we say that we were together on a particular day, we have to be sure that no one could disprove it. We should pick a time where I wasn't at the office, and you weren't with anyone else. We could say that I confessed to you three years ago in whichever country you were in."

"But did y'all get together immediately after you confessed?" Floyd asked. Then he turned to Jamil. "Didja give yer heart to Azul right away or did the courting last for a while?" he smirked, clearly enjoying building the story.

"Three years ago..? I was at the City of Flowers in the Shaftlands." Jamil replied.

"Ah, of course. The city of romance!" Jade beamed.

"I bumped into a familiar face there, but . . . I don't think he pried close enough to know that I had been traveling by myself at the time," the raven-haired man admitted, recalling his brief and accidental reunion with one Rollo Flamme, who's a teacher now at Noble Bell College.

As far as he could tell, he's still about as stern as ever—capable of giving even Trein a run for his money despite his younger age.

But more importantly…

"I probably would've said yes right away," he quietly replied, fiddling with his coat. "I would assume we've already been spending some time together at this point, right? I see no reason for me to let him court me any further."

He's already lost his chance once. At least this imaginary Jamil achieved something he wished he’d done.

"Alright, let's see…" Azul fidgeted with his cuff. "I was on leave from work for the first two weeks of February three years ago. They wanted me to host a birthday gala, and I wanted some time to myself before it. We can say that I went to you in the City of Flowers." He cleared his throat. "I confessed my feelings to you in the square by the bakeshop. We all spent some time there way back when we attended the masquerade and our old schoolmates can confirm that in case they're interviewed. I confessed there because it's special to us; we ate there with our friends after we danced. How's that?" he adjusted his glasses.

Jamil perked up at the memory. "Oh yeah... Sounds good. Although I recall that you didn't eat that much compared to our other schoolmates... Do you remember or liked any of the pastries they served there?"

"I liked the croissants," Azul recalled. "And the chocolate éclairs."

"That reminds me," Floyd sat up straighter. "Did you have dinner yet?"

"... No," Azul replied. "There wasn't time earlier."

"I'll see if there's anything to microwave." Floyd got up and walked to the kitchen.

"How about you, Jamil?" Jade asked him. "Did you manage to eat at the party?"

"Not at all. I can help cook… even if it means having to work with Floyd in the kitchen." he offered, beginning to get up from the couch.

"No please, you're our guest," Jade held up a hand to stop him. "I can help Floyd."

But before Jade could stand up, there was a ding in the kitchen, and Floyd returned carrying a tray with a plate of what looked like some type of bread.

"Pizza rolls!" he happily announced, placing the tray down on the table.

"I didn't have pizza rolls," Azul narrowed his eyes.

"But you had pizza. I rolled them." Floyd twirled his Magic Pen in his fingers and sat back down next to Jade.

"Ah, dinner is served," Jade chuckled then turned back to Jamil. "Now, what made you propose to Azul? How did you decide it?"

Jamil hummed in thought as he took a pizza roll. "What made me propose... Perhaps, after traveling around and coming back here, I decided that as much as I enjoyed it, nothing makes me happier than being by his side... Or is that too cheesy?"

"It's perfect," Jade smiled pleasantly and took note of it on the tablet. "And what made you say yes?" he asked Azul.

Azul took a moment to think about it. "I realized that through all the years of meeting people and making connections, I feel most comfortable with Jamil. And I liked the idea of coming home to him every night."

"How touching," Jade typed in Azul's answer.

"Ya better phrase it better than that in the actual interview, Azul," Floyd said. "That didn't sound romantic enough."

Azul just rolled his eyes.

Meanwhile, Jamil's picturing the image of welcoming Azul home, or maybe even vice versa. The thought of coming to a warm meal, a hug, maybe even a...

He blinked himself out of his stupor, clearing his throat as he looked at Floyd. "How would you know what did or didn't sound romantic? Have you dated anybody before?"

Floyd made a face. "No, but I know Azul can do better than that! What happened to yer fancy words?" he demanded Azul. "Ya always talk fancy in interviews, right?"

"We're just practicing the questions," Azul reminded him. "The flowery sentiments can come later."

"Here's a question for ya, Sea Snake," Floyd said. "How do you deal with your fiancé when he's too stubborn to eat?"

"Floyd," Azul said in annoyance.

"Don't gimme that face!" Floyd said, pointing at Azul with a pizza roll. "You fainted that one time because you weren't eatin'!"

"You will not say that in any interview," Azul glared at him.

"You fainted?" Jamil whipped around towards Azul. "Why weren't you eating?"

He glanced at their meal and offered one for him to take. "Surely you don't have to worry about keeping up appearances so much that you'd turn down a warm pizza roll now, would you?"

Azul hesitantly looked at the rolls, then looked at Jamil. He sighed and took one.

"I had a photoshoot for a magazine coming up in a week, and I got too stressed about not gaining weight," he said quietly, nibbling on the roll.

"But you had started eating normally again three days before the photoshoot, right?" Jade gently reminded him. "And it turned out fine."

"I suppose it did," Azul mumbled.

"Super fine, according to Nikolai Pennington," Floyd snickered. "He asked you out when that magazine issue was released, right?"

"He just wanted arm candy for the red carpet of his new TV series," Azul waved a hand dismissively.

"Who's Nikolai Pennington?" Jamil asked, feeling the familiar wave of jealousy prickling his skin. He has half a mind to bring his phone out to search him up. "Is he some kind of actor?"

"Yep, and model," Floyd said through a mouthful of pizza roll. "Kinda like Vil."

"He's actually worked with Vil in a movie once," Jade said. "The action-romance story gained quite the acclaim at the box office."

"He's a hot villain, not gonna lie," Floyd added.

"He certainly is quite talented," Jade said, amused at his brother's remark. "And he has shown up in every one of Azul's birthday galas."

"Because the board keeps inviting him," Azul scowled.

"He's an influential person," Jade shrugged.

"He's an insufferable prick," Azul countered.

Jade chuckled, taking a pizza roll for himself. "Regardless, he's busy filming his new movie nowadays. Perhaps he won't even be at your birthday gala this year."

"And even if he is, ya got Sea Snake now," Floyd pointed out. "So he can't keep flirtin' with ya anymore."

"Hopefully the engagement's a strong enough buffer to keep him at bay, then..." Jamil muttered. "Yanno, with all these people pawing for your attention, I'm surprised that you are still single, Azul. Only ever married to your business for the rest of your life or something?"

"I simply don't like any of them," Azul gave a half shrug.

Floyd snickered but said nothing.

"How about you, Jamil?" Jade asked in interest. "Any former paramours that might have objections with your engagement announcement?"

He shook his head. "My travels were pretty much focused on some badly-needed 'me time', so there wasn't much leeway to include anyone else. I made friends, but I'd hardly call them 'paramour material'. And you? Found someone to share your love for mushrooms with?"

"Ah, no," Jade smiled. "I still manage my greenhouse all by myself."

"And a good thing, too. I don't need a second person to cook me mushrooms all the time," Floyd made a face.

"I think I'm heading to bed now," Azul sighed as he rubbed his eyes under his glasses. "Set the interview for this coming Saturday," he told Jade.

"You haven't finished your food, Azul," Jade gently pointed out.

Azul looked down at the pizza roll in his hand like he had forgotten about it. He had eaten less than half.

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled, putting the roll back on the plate.

"Why not?" Jamil asked, looking at Azul in concern. "A good rest involves adequate sleep and food. Is it the fact that it's a pizza roll? I can go and cook something else for you if it can help. Or maybe it's indigestion... I can brew you tea. Do you want tea?"

Azul pursed his lips, hesitating as he was about to stand up.

"We'll be taking our leave now so you two can rest," Jade said. "Just message us if you need anything."

"And get some food in that guy," Floyd told Jamil as he and Jade stood up.

"Thank you for tonight, you two," Azul said quietly.

"Anytime," Floyd made finger guns and clicked his tongue.

Jade put a hand to his chest and tipped his head kindly. "We'll show ourselves out."

And then it was just Azul and Jamil.

"You don't have to cook anything for me," Azul said, taking his pizza roll. "I'll just finish this. But… some tea would be nice," he managed a smile.

Okay, that's something, at least. He nodded and made his way to the kitchen counter, putting up the kettle and boiling the water. "Do you have a preference?" he called out to Azul.

"Not really," Azul said, following him into the kitchen and bringing the plate of rolls over to the counter. "And feel free to cook anything you like if you're still hungry."

"Nah. Wouldn't feel right to use a guy's cooking equipment and just feed myself. The rolls are enough," Jamil replied, turning to the shelves to see what sort of teabags they've got. As his eyes roamed the interior, a thought crossed his mind. "... What was it like? Buying and sleeping in this fancy house for the first time? Were the Leech twins still rooming with you then?"

"Yes, we all lived together," Azul said. "It wasn't that much different from rooming with them in Octavinelle, except I didn't have a responsibility over them as Prefect so I felt more relaxed. I correctly anticipated Floyd's chaotic bathroom habits, so I had chosen the bedroom with its own bathroom. Jade didn't mind sharing a bathroom with Floyd as long as he got to have the garden for himself.

We had chosen a house with a pool for whenever we had to shift back into our merforms, though of course Floyd used it and swam whenever he liked. We used to have fights over who had to clean the pool. I said he should since he used it the most, and his counterargument was simply that he didn't want to," he said in amusement.

Jamil smiled at the very thought. "Classic Floyd... What made them move out, then? Did it get… a little lonely when you first woke up to an empty house?"

"Jade wanted to live closer to a university for his alchemy research as he still has a fondness for foraging for ingredients and making potions. Meanwhile, Floyd said he wanted to see what it's like to live by himself," Azul replied. "It was a little lonely at first, since I've spent the previous years seeing them every day since NRC. But I still saw them at work, with Jade being head of the PR department, and Floyd being head of security. Plus we made time to hang out."

Azul looked at him curiously. "How about you? Did it ever feel lonely, traveling by yourself?"

Jamil hummed in thought, recalling the mornings and the evenings where he'd be somewhere new, sometimes with strangers sharing the same living accommodations, sometimes on his own.

"It was strange for a while, not hearing the bustle of the Asims' staff or waking up to someone telling me to attend to something, but don't get me wrong, I saw that as a good thing. I don't miss my old life, but traveling alone definitely gave me room to appreciate the times where I do get to hang out with friends. How did your mom feel when she learned that you weren't coming back to the sea after you graduated?"

"I went home for several months after graduation to spend time with her, and she was alright with me pursuing my business plans here as long as I visit her every month for a few days…" Azul looked down and idly twirled the pizza roll in his hand. He had a worried frown on his forehead.

Jamil caught the minute change of his expression. "... And when was the last time you visited her?"

Azul blinked and looked at him, as if coming out of his thoughts. "About a month ago. Which means… I have to visit her again soon. And I want to. I love her and I do enjoy spending time with her. It's just… She would want to know about… our arrangement." He took a breath before speaking again. "News from land travels even under the sea, and my mother actively keeps up with any news about me. If she hears of my engagement from someone else, she might think I didn't care enough to tell her myself."

He idly tore the roll into smaller pieces and finished eating it, though he didn't look like he was tasting the flavors at all.

"Then let's go and visit her when it's time," Jamil offered. "We can tell her that we hadn't told her because… erm … we wanted wedding preparations organized before we told our family and friends. We were trying to keep it on the downlow as a private event but, well, the paparazzi just got to us."

Azul looked surprised by his response, then he recovered and nodded. "What about your parents? Do we tell them the same thing?"

Jamil sucked air through his teeth. "Now that... is an interesting thought. Things between us aren't the absolute best since Kalim's dismissed me and my family from a lineage of servitude, but... I suppose they'd still like to know if I ever have someone special in my life, so yeah."

Azul nodded and stood up, gesturing at the pizza rolls. "Do you still want these or should I put them in the fridge?"

"... Wait," Jamil takes one more roll. "Okay, now you can take them away."

As he finished his food, he got Azul's tea ready—a peppermint brew—and placed the teacup on a saucer. "I don't think I can make it as good as Jade does, but... I hope this suffices."

Azul transferred the rolls in a covered container and put them in the fridge.

Then he returned to take the cup that Jamil had prepared. He blew on it to cool it down and gingerly took a sip.

"It's good," Azul gave him a small smile, but now that they were facing each other with only the counter between them, Jamil could see the hint of sadness in his eyes.

Azul put down the cup on the saucer. "Since the actual thieves at the restaurant have been caught, it's safe for you to go back to your apartment whenever you wish."

"... Oh," Jamil realized. "Right…"

Silence hung in the air for a solid moment. Jamil had completely forgotten about that initial arrangement.

He supposed he should go; he didn't want to impose on Azul any further.

And yet…

"Would it be wise for us to sleep in separate buildings? On the off-chance that I get caught again by more paparazzi, people might get suspicious that I'm sleeping somewhere else given my background. However, if you need some time to yourself right now, then I understand. Just give me a text when you need me."

With that, he started to clean up, preparing to leave.

Azul was silent for a moment, tapping his fingers on his teacup.

"I'd been thinking the same thing, actually," he said as Jamil washed the kettle and put it away. "You travel a lot and we're supposedly newly engaged. They would expect us to want to spend as much time with each other as possible. Would you be alright with staying here for longer, though? I know how much your solitude means to you."

Jamil gave Azul a reassuring smile. "You don't have to worry. I kickstarted this plan, so it's only right that I follow through. Besides, it would be hard for me to fulfill Jade and Floyd's wishes of making you eat if I'm somewhere else. I'll certainly have to inform my landlord that I might be moving out, though... Thankfully, I don't have much to pack. Will we be busy tomorrow? I can take that time to transfer all of my belongings here."

"We're not busy tomorrow, no," Azul said. "And don't mind what Jade and Floyd said, you don't have to worry over my meals," he returned Jamil's smile and took another sip of tea.

Jamil shook his head. "But the thing is, I'm worried with them. Even if they hadn't said anything, I'd still want you to eat, too."

Azul hummed thoughtfully. "How about we take turns cooking dinner? I'd be more comfortable if I can make sure you eat, too."

"Sounds more than fine to me… However, I thought you're a busy man, busy enough that you don't have much time or energy to cook on your own." Jamil leaned against the counter, amused. "And yet you're offering it for lil' ol' me? How touching."

Azul raised an eyebrow and leaned forward as well, a playful smile curving his lips. "Of course, you're my fiancé, aren't you?" he said, mere inches from Jamil's face.

Jamil’s heart began to flutter, a portion wishing that what Azul said was actually true. He hastily brushed that aside in favor of him raising an eyebrow as well. "Oh? Be careful, Mister Ashengrotto. If you keep saying stuff like that, I might actually start to believe you."

"Maybe I want you to, Mister Viper," Azul said, dropping his voice to a low purr.

His borderline flirtatious smirk reminded Jamil of Alchemy classes and late-night library studies, where he and Azul bickered and flustered each other much to the annoyance of their classmates.

Jamil found himself chuckling fondly.

"Same old Azul," he muttered, shaking his head to recompose himself and clear away whatever feelings the other’s voice stirred within him. He straightened up again. "If that's how you talk to people privately, no wonder you've got all of them vying for your hand… Anyway, I'll be moving my stuff tomorrow. When I come back, we can start making… 'wedding' plans in case interviews and our families want to touch up on that."

Azul nodded and finished his tea. "Right. Also, I don't talk to anyone else like that," He made a face at the very idea. "Like I said, those who were 'vying for my hand' are really after the company, not me." He took his cup and saucer and went to the sink to wash them.

"... Do you ever want to actually find that special someone someday?" Jamil wondered aloud.

Azul's hands froze for a moment while washing the cup. "I don't know. I'm often busy with work, and I don't want to ask anyone to put up with that." He kept his back turned to Jamil, putting the cup on the drying rack and proceeding to wash the saucer. "How about you? Any future plans to actually get married?"

Jamil just shrugged. "It'd be nice if it were to happen, but it's not really a priority of mine. Plus I don't think I'm gonna get any prospective dates now that people think I'm engaged… but I'm not complaining. You make for good company, pretend or otherwise."

He then gestured to the stairs. "Anyway, guess it's time we call it a night, huh? I'll see you tomorrow, Azul."

Azul nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow."

——

Now that he was alone, Jamil found himself staring at the ceiling from his bed, letting the last few days play out in his head.

From their chance reunion with his reckless stunt to living with Azul, rekindling some long-forgotten feelings... to being "engaged", thanks to another reckless ploy.

It felt right in the moment, but now he wondered if he's dabbling in something dangerous here.

A selfish part of him was undeniably pleased with these turn of events. However… Azul seemed upset throughout the entire night. Something had been on his mind and Jamil hadn't been successful in discerning it.

Could he have been trying to meet and court with someone at that party? It's hard to tell what's a lie and what's true from Azul's lips, but there was no denying that he had been acting off ever since Jade proposed the engagement con.

But then the things he said back in the kitchen when their faces were so close to each other... Did he actually mean those or..?

With all the questions roiling in his head, he sighed and sat up. He couldn't sleep at this rate, so he decided to go down and get himself a drink.

When he got back from the kitchen, he thought that he could perhaps lounge for a bit until he felt tired, so he sat on a couch and turned the TV on, making sure that it's as quiet as possible.

——

Azul laid on his bed with his pillow pressed over his face.

How could he so shamelessly flirt with Jamil after everything that had happened?

As if it wasn't bad enough that his feelings for him had resurfaced after all these years, now they had to act like an engaged couple in public.

It was a good thing that Jamil had no plans to get into a real relationship anytime soon; at least he hadn't ruined that part of his life.

He didn't even want to imagine how their conversation with his mother would go.

He removed the pillow from his face and put it under his head, slowly calming down. He would just have to distance himself from Jamil outside of their arrangement. That would be best for both of them.

His bedroom suddenly felt claustrophobic, a strange and alien concept to the version of him that wanted to hide in small pots when he was younger. He sighed and sat up, getting the book from his nightstand. Perhaps reading a few chapters in the spacious living room would help him relax enough to sleep.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he noticed light coming from the TV, softly illuminating Jamil on the couch, who must have heard his footsteps because he turned to look at him.

“Ah, I didn't realize you were here," Azul said, suddenly feeling conscious in his dark gray sweatpants and deep purple hoodie. He’s pretty sure that Jamil’s never seen him dressed this casually before. He glanced back up the stairs before looking at Jamil again with a polite smile. "I shall leave you to your privacy."

He turned to leave.

Jamil sat up straighter. "Whoa, whoa, this is your house. I should be the one to go and leave you to it. I just... couldn't really sleep."

Azul shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous, Jamil. This is your house now, too." He paused, considering whether or not to go back to his room. Then he faced Jamil again. "Why couldn't you sleep? Are you alright?"

"Ah. Yeah, yeah, I'm okay... It's just a lot of thoughts. You know how it is." He gestured to the spot next to him. "If you want, you can... um…. sit here, too. I think we can both be in the same room for a little longer without either of us losing it."

Azul tightened his grip on his book.

More than half a decade later and it seemed like he still couldn't resist an invitation from Jamil.

Fine. I'll distance myself from him…

… Starting tomorrow.

"Alright," he relented, walking over. “I see you’ve found the spare remote,” he said lightly.

Jamil chuckled. “Yeah, seems to be working perfectly.”

"What are you watching?" Azul asked as he sat down beside Jamil.

"Not sure yet. I'm channel-surfing. Are there any shows here that you'd recommend?"

Azul hummed thoughtfully. "What are you in the mood for? Music, movies, animated shows?"

"Hm... Maybe a lifestyle channel or a documentary would suffice for now. Nothing too investing, but something a tad more fun than just the news."

He eventually landed upon a show detailing the history of different landmarks throughout the world. He placed the remote down, glancing at the book in Azul's hands. "What's that you got there, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Ah, it's just a collection of different myths and fairytales," Azul held up the book to show the illustrated cover. "Jade gave me this as a birthday gift last year, but I never found much time to read it; I'm only halfway through. Are you familiar with any of these?" He showed Jamil the titles.

Jamil peered over and scanned the table of contents. "Some, not all. A lot of these came from their respective region of origin... Do you see any stories here that originated from the Coral Sea?"

"Yes, including the one I just finished reading," Azul began turning the pages. "The one where a mermaid princess made a deal with the Sea Witch to have legs so she can be with the human prince she fell in love with. But according to that deal, she would turn into sea foam within a month if the prince didn't love her back, which is precisely what happened." He turned a page and showed Jamil an illustration of foam dissolving into the sea.

"Not exactly an uplifting tale," Azul said lightly. "And if the purpose of the author was to discourage merfolk from coming to the surface, it certainly didn't work."

"Well, that wasn't what got her, right? It was the unrequited love." Jamil pointed out before quirking an amused smile. "So as long as you guys don't go around falling for people here and there, then you're all good with the sea foam aspect."

"Or we could charm the people we fall for so they'd fall for us in return," Azul said playfully. "By the way, it doesn't make the news as much, but there's also a line for Jade and Floyd's hands, did you know? There have been events where it was me who had to get them out of suitor situations."

"Really..!? Huh... Then it sounds to me like they all should be learning those charm spells, 'cause it seems like they haven't been making any dents at the bubble you three made between yourselves," Jamil joked, then he had a realization. "Oh, but you said you actually used to like someone, right? Have you made any serious effort to pursue him when that was still a thing?"

Azul felt caught off-guard, and he carefully crafted a neutral expression on his face. "Oh, um… I didn't see the point, I suppose. He never liked me, even as a friend. I'd just be humiliating myself if I proclaimed any romantic feelings.”

"Huh. Sounds like a jerk. What made you like him, then, if he wasn't even giving you the time of the day?"

Azul smiled in amusement. "Not liking me doesn't make a person a ‘jerk’, Jamil. He was just… determined. He had goals and dreams, and all his focus was on working towards them. There was simply no room for me or anyone else. Still, I was drawn to him because I admired his tenacity and his ability to know what to do and when to do it. We were similar in our intelligence and cunning; everyone else thought so, too, but he would never admit it," he chuckled, remembering all the times Jamil rolled his eyes at the very idea of them being alike in any way. "I offered on multiple occasions to help him achieve his goals, but… he didn't trust me. I don't really blame him, though. I didn't exactly have a trustworthy reputation even back at NRC, right?"

"Oh... That is a shame. I guess that was true… but it's too bad he never saw past that side of you.”

Azul glanced down at the sea foam illustration and said nothing.

Jamil turned to look at the TV again, fidgeting with the strings of his hoodie. "If he ever were to show up again... and expressed feelings towards you after all this time, how do you think that'd go?"

"I don't want to think about it at all," Azul said in an even tone. He had made considerable efforts to try to forget the feeling of having Jamil’s hand in his. "Besides, that's highly unlikely to happen. How about you, then?" he redirected the conversation. "What about that chap you liked? Do you have any plans of pursuing him someday?"

Jamil sighed. "Like I said, it's not a priority, but..." his voice turned wistful, an expression flickering on his face that disappeared too quickly for Azul to decipher. "I think it'd be nice to have another shot someday, but I'll already consider myself lucky if we can at least stay on good terms."

"Lucky? Why? Weren't you always on good terms?" Azul asked.

"Hard to say, honestly. I can never tell how well I can read that guy. I hope we're on good terms, but who knows what he's thinking?" He leaned back against the couch's headrest. "Anyway, we prolly shouldn't linger on topics of lost love considering our current situation, huh? Sorry if I made things awkward throughout that."

Azul chuckled, leaning back against the headrest himself. "You didn't, don't worry. And… lost love, huh? So you loved him? What did he do that caught the heart of our resident viper?" he said playfully, wistful yet genuinely curious.

"Okay, maybe 'lost love' is a little extreme," Jamil blurted out, his face reddening. "And even then, it's not exactly as romantic as how the movies do it. I just... got used to him being around, and then I realized later on when it was already too late that I wanted him to stick around. It's a selfish and unfair thing to ask, though, especially when I've never shown much reciprocation to many of his approaches, so..." He shrugged. "I can only hope and wish him all the best."

Azul fell silent for a few moments. He wondered who this mystery man was that had Jamil so enamored, but he decided that it didn’t matter. Whoever he was, he had a better chance at a future with Jamil than Azul could ever hope for himself.

"You can always go to him after our arrangement is done,” he told Jamil sincerely. “The whole engagement facade would most likely only have to last for a few months. You can even tell him that our relationship was just a ruse, if that would help your chances."

A smile appeared on Jamil’s lips. "Noted... So is that your favorite story in that collection so far?" he gestured at Azul’s book.

"Hm? This seafoam disaster? Not at all," Azul wrinkled his nose. "I don't know if I have a favorite, but it's certainly not this one. The princess should never have agreed to such a deal. And that's coming from me. Even my most questionable deals never ended in death.”

He closed the book and placed it on the table, then leaned back against the couch.

"So. You like documentaries, then?" Azul asked.

"They're informative," Jamil nodded at the screen. "Before I traveled around, I'd watch trip-oriented ones, just to picture what it would be like to visit that place. Now that I can just do that—to an extent—shows about history have grown pretty interesting, too. But I also enjoy the occasional wildlife feature… and admittedly, Reality TV. It’s entirely unproductive, but a definite guilty pleasure."

Azul smiled. "What's your favorite place so far, among all those you've visited?"

Jamil's eyes twinkled. "At the Shaftlands, I happened to run into Jack, and he and his family took me to a nearby ski resort. From there, we viewed the aurora borealis at night. Even though I was practically freezing to death, it was breathtaking. I'd love for you to see it— Ah. I mean..! N-Not that you need me to take you there! Just… whenever you three plan on taking a vacation someday, you should try going. You'd be right at home with the colder weather."

Azul nodded. "I've seen pictures of the aurora borealis there, and it does look lovely. I can only imagine how much better it would look in person." He stifled a yawn and leaned back a little more on the couch. "I don't know when I'll be able to take a vacation abroad, though. I mainly just consider my visits to my mother as my vacation."

"Ah. Well... You don't know. Sometimes a perfect opportunity might unexpectedly come from just around the corner," Jamil shrugged.

"Perhaps," Azul said, though he didn't really believe it. "Where did you plan on going next, after here?"

"The Kingdom of Heroes, particularly around the bay area. Ortho told me to inform him when that happens, since I guess he's got something over there that he wants to show me," Jamil replied. "Can you believe that kid actually looks older now? I think he's been upgrading himself through every passing year."

"I actually haven't seen him in a while," Azul mused. "I should visit Idia soon, and Ortho is always there for board game nights. Let me know whenever you wanna go to the Kingdom of Heroes. We can plan it so that no paparazzi would bother you on your way there."

Jamil turned to him, curiosity in his eyes. "... Will you be going with me if I do?"

Azul returned Jamil’s gaze, unsure about what he meant. "... I mean… We don't have to go together. The public will know that you travel alone a lot even when we're supposedly in a relationship. They won't find it suspicious even if I don't go with you. Our arrangement will not be imposing on your travels."

"Oh, I know that, don't worry…” Jamil shifted in his seat. “But can you go if I say I want you to come with me?"

"You… want me to go with you?" Azul blinked.

"I think it'd help you, to get away from it all for a little bit,” Jamil replied. “And... yeah, since I've gotten us engaged, getting you to relax somewhere is the least I can do. Plus, you said it yourself: you want to visit the Shrouds again, so let's do it."

Azul thought about it for a moment. It certainly didn’t sound like a bad idea to travel with Jamil. He nodded and gave a small smile. "Sure. Do you have any particular date in mind?"

"Perhaps around early March? How does that sound?" Jamil asked, an excited twinkle in his eye. "Any date is fine, really, as long as it's not gonna interfere with your work."

"Alright, I'll make the necessary arrangements," Azul smiled back. "How did you manage to convince me to take a vacation in less than five minutes? You're dangerous, Viper," he said playfully.

"I think it's all those years of being Kalim's negotiator," Jamil sincerely answered. "Glad to see that I haven't lost my touch just yet."

Azul chuckled and turned to watch the TV. They fell into a comfortable silence, watching different historical places be described and explained by a narrator's voice.

——

During the Elephant Legacy segment, Jamil felt something gently bump against him.

He looked over to see that Azul had fallen asleep on his shoulder. The merman's hand had dropped to the couch in his sleep, the back of his hand touching the back of Jamil's.

Even with the documentary prattling on, Jamil's eyes lingered on Azul's open palm, something devious within him whispering that he can take advantage of this moment while the other is none the wiser.

He shook his head. Even if it's something as light as hand-holding, such thoughts could snowball into more dangerous territory, so it's best to curb the desire as soon as possible. Besides, he would not know how to defend himself should Azul end up waking in the middle of it.

More importantly, though, it seemed the universe still wished to toy with him, having Azul be so close like this yet feel so far all at once.

He took in a deep breath and sighed, hesitantly leaning his cheek on top of Azul's head.

They really must look like a couple right now, don't they..?

Jamil’s heart fluttered once more, and he closed his eyes, reaping the moment for what it's worth.

Though things could only get as far as this, he couldn't help but be happy that—even if it's all a ruse—they have each other now, dozing together on a sleek couch in the middle of a quiet night.

——

<- Chapter 2

(Masterlist)

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