Archive of Our Own

The Seven seemed to have a peculiar sense of humor when it came to him of all people. His fortune was either incredibly good or extremely rotten—it had never felt evenly stacked in any circumstance where he wished for a particular outcome. So, when the list for the required history trip he had been looking forward to finally got posted in the hall outside of Trein’s class, he had wondered which side of luck his coin fell to.

His gaze skimmed the paper that had been haphazardly taped to the announcement board until he found Asim. A sigh of relief escaped him when he saw Jade Leech posted next to Kalim’s name. Luck it was then. He wouldn’t have to spend his first taste of exploration with someone he’d have to worry about, at least. Not that he and Kalim were at odds as much anymore… but his sense of obligation would definitely override any freedom he would have felt during the trip.

On the other hand, the fact that Jade was being partnered up with Kalim left him feeling a little antsy. Even after knowing him for almost three full years, he still had the hardest time deciphering what made merman tick. However, when he stole a glance at the two of them, he saw them share a coy knuckle-bump which caused Kalim’s smile to widen so much, he almost felt like he was intruding on something private by looking at them. They would be fine. He just needed to trust them to figure out what to do to make their trip a success. It didn’t have anything to do with him. 

He shook his head, the corners of his lips tugged into a small smile as his gaze returned to look for his own name on the list. However, before he could find Jamil Viper on the assignment sheet he felt a familiar presence appear beside him… and he knew that he didn’t have to look a moment longer to figure out exactly who he got paired with. 

It turned out the Seven had nothing to do with his luck in this case…

Because Azul Ashengrotto had absolutely rigged the pairing ladder. Of course he had.

“Ah, Jamil-san, it seems not only are we paired together, but also getting assigned to go to the Kingdom of Light in the Sunshine Lands! How fortunate don’t you agree?” That familiar singsong voice that had always managed to grate on his nerves in the past rang in his ear. And yet, somehow, it did not make his skin crawl anymore. In fact, it had wormed its way into his life with something akin to a sort of fondness. He would never admit it out loud nor would he think too much about how little it annoyed him nowadays. 

“Yeah, funny how that worked out.” The accusation in his voice fell a little flatter than he intended but Azul didn’t seem phased by the bluntness of his tone. He laughed it off and gave the merest of shrugs.

“Fate does have a peculiar way of operating.”

“Especially when you’re around,” Jamil huffed. “Though I wonder how much blackmail fate had on Trein to make this match happen.”

“Blackmail? I digress, that is a bit gauche, don’t you think? Bribery on the other hand,” Azul trailed off and pushed his glasses up with a gloved hand. Behind it he could see a gleam of that grin he always wore when yet another scheme worked out in his favor. It had actually become a common sight in his life and one, much like that irritating arrogance that clung to Azul’s every word, did not bother him as much as it had once. It did still make his eyes roll, however.

He had seen a lot of the merman’s expressions since they became closer in the last year. Many of his general apprehensions had eased, albeit not completely vanished, as his relationships with all of his classmates improved… but most of all with Kalim and Azul.

Some part of him, deep inside, had shifted during that second year at Night Raven College. He finally found himself reaching out for opportunities that he would have shied away from before his overblot… but he had still found it difficult to rely on anyone but himself in the months after. He had realized how much of a disservice he had done to himself by allowing the circumstances of his birth to dictate every single decision he had ever made. So, he began to make conscious steps to reach for what he truly wanted in life. It took a lot of time and he still felt the urge to slip away into the background of the vibrant people that surrounded him—but he was improving, little by little. 

But that progress still didn’t help the other issue that seemed to plague him. His own pride in his abilities and his own bitter resentment that he could not express those abilities held him back from making any meaningful connections with anyone. In his life, he had several hard pills he needed to swallow, and none stung his throat quite like setting his pride aside and accepting the people around them for who they were. It had been the most difficult lesson he had to examine and let go of.

He was trying, though, time and time again…

With Kalim, they worked on it—a lot. Jamil had found his controlling grip on Kalim’s life had slackened with conscious effort from both of them. Kalim had done more than enough to rise to several occasions to prove himself trustworthy and Jamil forced himself to recognize his efforts. Old habits were hard to kill but he found it easier to attempt to smother his apprehensions by letting Kalim make his mistakes and learn from them without his interference.

And when it came to Azul, a person he would have liked to go the rest of his life without ever talking to again, well… that was perhaps the most surprising thing to come out of all of this. He would have turned him down at any point during their second year but during their third, he found it harder and harder to reject any invitation that Azul offered him. There was just something about the earnest persistence of his company coupled with Azul’s simple acceptance of however Jamil answered… It intrigued him. 

He enjoyed his boundaries being respected, even when there may have been a glint of disappointment in Azul’s piercing blue eyes… he still never pushed his agenda on Jamil and it struck a chord with him.

The feeling of being wanted but also valued enough for a greedy, self-centered bastard like Azul to politely accept his refusals to any number of things made Jamil want to seek him out. It was exhilarating to have the choice to turn someone down…

Yet after a while, those rejections turned into reluctant acceptances over their third year. They had even gone as far as agreeing to form a private study group together. Truthfully, it was advantageous for the both of them, but Jamil vowed he’d never admit it out loud or at least, not too often. But the most surprising thing about the entire arrangement was the realization that he enjoyed his time with Azul discussing, or even debating, any number of things during their study sessions. 

He had figured out exactly what buttons he could press to make the Octavinelle dorm leader’s face go beet red as he lost his composure. Any sort of hole in Azul’s knowledge of land made the merman flustered. And seeing Azul flustered had become a fun pastime for him, even if he was playing devil’s advocate about a subject he did not care about—anything from land based idioms to antiquated law was enough to tickle him if it made Azul’s eyebrows knit together in confusion or even frustration. It made their discussions something he actually looked forward to, no matter how heated they got.

He was sure it had been a great source of entertainment for Azul, also. As someone who always seemed to be five steps ahead, to blow off steam with someone who could take the heat was probably just as refreshing for Azul as it was for Jamil. 

It was enjoyable to have someone match him wit for wit, blow for blow.

More than enjoyable, it was wonderful to not worry about the consequences of saying something stupid, or making his classmate irrate over trivial nonsense. Not to discount the progress he and Kalim had made in their relationship since the incident in their second year... but with Azul, it was different. Freeing—liberating. At first, he told himself it was simply because he did not give a single fuck about Azul's feelings but that sentiment eroded away as that infuriating person continued to provide him with something other people around him simply couldn't...

Understanding.

And as their study sessions continued through the year, in even their quietest moments of scribbling notes from each other on subjects they were struggling with, Jamil found his tongue loose with compliments about how his grades had improved with Azul's thorough observations. 

Comments that, truthfully, did nothing to further any kind of fruitful discussion or grand discovery.

Comments that, more often than not, caused that knowing— arrogant smile softened to something... perhaps genuine.

Smiles that, unfortunately, made his chest ache when he caught a glimpse of them, like he had just uncovered something incredibly rare.

Like they were only for him.

Because Jamil Viper was also a greedy, self-centered bastard.

In those moments, he craved more. He wanted to see just how many of Azul’s expressions he could witness himself. How hard could he laugh? Did he find Jamil’s company enjoyable? Did he think fondly of him when they were away from each other? Did he smile genuinely when he did so?

How long had it been since he started thinking about Azul this way? Truthfully, he couldn’t really remember the exact moment it struck him that he was thinking about his classmate far more than was probably normal.

When did his feelings for Azul grow past the point of tentative friendship?

It may have been their growing closeness in their study group; their discussions of idioms was always something that made Jamil snicker with a level of light-heartedness that he had never been allowed to feel before—rather allow himself to feel before. He found himself jotting notes down in the margins of his notes when he thought of some stupid saying he was sure Azul had never heard of since he was from the Coral Sea.

Or it could have been the first time he noticed that Azul attended one of his basketball games. The merman, surprisingly, hadn’t made a big spectacle of going to see him… he hadn’t even realized he was there until he was lining up to pass the ball in the final seconds. Their eyes caught each other and Jamil had felt something unexpected wash over him like ice had been dumped down the back of his jersey. He looked back at the basket. He could make it. He knew he could. He didn’t have to pass the ball to anyone. He leapt, aimed the ball at the basket and shot—just as the other team’s defensive player tried to block him. But the other player obviously hadn’t accounted for Jamil taking the shot… it was a risky move and Jamil was a consistently safe player.

The buzzer rang as the ball swished into the basket. Immediately, his attention fell back to that familiar spectator and he felt pride swell in his chest when he saw that boastful smile. Like Azul knew he would make that shot if he tried.

He had been carried out of that court on the shoulders of his teammates, all screaming his name. All that praise for something he would have normally never done felt amazing but… it was that smile left him feeling proud. So proud, in fact, that the corners of his mouth ached from how hard he was grinning.

But in the quiet of the night, after the adrenaline wore off, he forced himself to stop thinking about how those blue eyes seemed to always cut straight through him. It was stupid thing to keep dwelling on and yet he couldn’t get his brain to shut up about it then, or any other time Jamil played a game because Azul was always there.

Or perhaps it was that one time during flight class that Azul still somehow managed to struggle with. Vargas didn’t even have to tell him to go help Azul anymore, Jamil had made it a habit to pair up with him in almost every class. Azul had gotten more comfortable on his broom in their third year, no doubt his own spite in the damn thing fueling his minuscule improvement but Jamil had decided one day to try a different tactic which was to argue with him. It took a lot of concentration to keep his banter with Azul intense enough for his classmate not to notice that he was drifting upwards to keep eye contact with Jamil and also keep climbing in elevation.

But when Azul finally noticed that Jamil was pointing repeatedly at the ground while berating him, it was to Jamil’s detriment. He had never dove that fast on a broom before and the sharp turn he had to make before they both collided with the ground scraped his shins up and also broke his broom. But he caught Azul before they both hit the grass beneath them. He could still feel Azul’s finger tips digging into his chest sometimes when he thought about the incident.

Looking back on it, it was kind of funny how both of them were so panicked that they couldn’t even bring themselves to remark on what had happened for several minutes. They sat there with Jamil’s broken broom beneath them and covered in grass stains until Vargas came around to yell at both of them. 

Azul made him swear to never do it again as his trembling fingers gripped his pen and started to help Jamil’s skin heal over from the scratches beneath his uniform. Jamil hardly even flinched when his classmate wrapped the sensitive skin with clean bandages. He was too busy trying to get his heart rate to calm down from them being so close… and Azul being so attentive to him and his needs…

Whatever it was, he had found that he had grown incredibly comfortable having someone like Azul around… despite the odds, despite what his brain kept telling him. It would have been easier to not feel this way, but he couldn’t stop the way his heart raced when their hands brushed against each other in potions. He couldn’t help but seek Azul out during their electives together. He couldn’t help how much he thought about him in moments where Azul did not belong. 

And if anyone had told him that a year ago, he would find himself growing fond of Azul Ashengrotto, he would have laughed in their face.

Perhaps fate did have a funny way of working… because there was no way Azul felt the same way he did. Why would he? He was just Jamil Viper—a person still struggling to come to terms with what he really wanted. And Azul Ashengrotto was someone who always knew exactly what he wanted. He couldn’t see any reason past the initial allure of Jamil’s intentional downplaying of his skills that would interest Azul in anything remotely…

Well, he was still trying to figure that out, too. 

The next few days, the two of them decided to table their usual debates to devise a travel plan that would be favorable to both of them. Despite their continued lessons in flight, Azul was still none too fond of flying. Jamil decided requesting a mirror transport would save them the most time. They decided the next weekend would be the most ideal time. That’s when The Kingdom of Light had their annual lantern festival. Jamil had always wanted to see it.

But discussing their arrangements made him feel like there was something incredibly off about this whole situation. Of all the places, all the dates, all the people he could have ended up with in this situation, it was this…

Azul had seen his history notes, had borrowed books from him... so it was feasible that he had seen the indents in the pages where he had dog-eared the pages on the Sunshine Lands. Maybe even the impressions of his pen marks when he was copying information for his fourth year travel plans over that textbook chapter.

If true, it was probably also obvious that Jamil had to cut his plans for the Sunshine Lands from his schedule all together once he had actually finalized it. There just wasn’t enough time, and though it pained him to do it, he had to leave it off of his list. 

Of course, he and Azul had talked about Jamil’s travel plans in passing, but Jamil never once brought up the Sunshine Lands nor The Kingdom of Light specifically.

His suspicions grew tenfold, something else was nagging at him… he could feel that with every jot of Jamil’s suggestions in Azul’s daily planner as he went over a list of inns and hotels in the area surrounding the festival map. Every wistful sigh and deliberate nod felt… off to him. But he couldn’t put his finger on the exact reason why. 

“I think that’s a great list, Jamil-san. Why don’t we call it a day? I’ll do my best to arrange our accommodations.”

“Don’t you think it’d be better if we split up the list and called for availability?”

“Nonsense, I’ll take care of this.” He gave him a simple smile and alarms went off in Jamil’s mind as he left the VIP room.

So when the merman came to him the next day proudly boasting that he was able to book a place for them, it took him by surprise. How had Azul gotten them a hotel so fast? Considering the festival was the very next week and they didn’t have that much time to plan… the relaxed look on his classmate’s face made his mind reel with unlikely implications.

Especially considering the hotel Azul had secured for them was not one he was even considering due to the hasty nature of their trip. It didn’t cross his mind to even try for it… it was a lake facing hotel that boasted crystal clear views of the Royal Castle and the Lake of Stars, the best view of the lantern festival.

There was no way this was miraculously available, right? He thought back to the previous day, as Azul coaxed him with hums of thought and affirmation… Was that all a farce? Had Azul even written any of Jamil’s suggestions down while they were discussing things? 

Did he have this entire thing planned before the assignment was even announced?

No, that was stupid. Azul had already proven that he was incredibly persuasive when he wanted something from someone. Did he really have that much power to secure a prime hotel room on such short notice?

Or…

As idiotic as he felt thinking about it as Azul chatted on and on about the views they were going to be able to experience, Jamil couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about the entire thing. The thought of Azul having planned this arrangement for several months haunted him as they wrapped up their packing list for the weekend. Surely, there was nothing more to this than a simple assignment…right?

All those contradictions tumbled around, his thoughts twisting with uncertainty and yet, his mind drew a blank. And he hated that feeling more than anything else. He needed to understand. 

"So," Jamil started, his frustrations had finally eaten away at his will power to keep pondering in silence. "Since you seem to have all this sorted out, can I ask how?"

Blue eyes peered into his own for a moment before that annoying grin stretched on his lips. Ah, he was up to something, was he? Or perhaps he was amused that this was seeming to bother Jamil so much. He wasn’t actually sure.

And that was precisely the problem.

“How what? You’ll have to be more specific.”

“How did you get one of the best hotel rooms on one of the busiest weekends of the year? What, is it a trade secret you’re not allowed to tell me or something?”

"I'm appalled by your suspicion, Jamil-san, I spent all afternoon yesterday on the phone trying to make arrangements and luck won out with a cancellation, is all.”

The assertion sent off alarms in Jamil’s mind. Luck? Chance? With Azul of all people?

“I see,” he said, making sure to keep his tone level. “That must have been a huge hassle.”

“Think nothing of it. I want to make this trip as memorable as possible.” Azul folded his gloved fingers under his chin and watched Jamil from across the table, as if sizing up his reaction to such a statement… as if it was something surprising.

But Jamil knew how to play his cards close to his chest.

“Is that so? Why?”

“Well, of all the places offered to us doesn’t it seem the Sunshine Lands was the most auspicious venture for us to be randomly selected for? There’s a lot of lodging to accommodate us in the Kingdom of Light and the timeframe allowed us to plan to go to a cultural festival… There will be a lot of events that we can document to fill the page requirement and the city is prepared to host a lot of people from out of town. This should be a… what’s the phrase?”

“Breeze?” 

The smile on Azul’s face widened. “That’s precisely it. An easy grade is something we should both be aiming for! My obligations to the Lounge are becoming far more demanding before our fourth year. I believe doing a report on The Kingdom of Light will be a much needed breeze , don't you agree?”

Jamil let the words wash over him and he soaked in the explanation. And yet, he still felt something deeply unsatisfying in Azul’s answer… like he had just said a lot of things yet revealed nothing. So he decided to be more direct.

“So you didn’t plan this from the start?”

Azul gave the thinnest of shrugs and chuckled. “Believe it or not, I can’t control everything. It is flattering that you think I can, however.”

Jamil took in a deep breath and refrained from clicking his tongue. So, it was just luck, then? Which meant Azul didn’t notice his notes...  It wasn’t anything more than a class assignment—He should have known. Why did that revelation sting at his heart so much?

“But you did make us pair up…why?”

“Oh Jamil-san, think of the alternative! The possibility of getting stuck with some idiot? I’m not going to rest my grade in the hands of fate. What if I was paired with some insignificant fool?”

Jamil could have sworn he saw Azul shudder at the suggestion.

“Okay I get it. The devil you know is better than the one you don’t.” He waved off Azul’s dramatic outrage with a sigh.

“Ever so quick on the uptake and with another one of your terrestrial idioms, nonetheless. It seems my choice was the best one I could make.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Regardless of how the situation looked, it wasn’t meant to mean anything more than an assignment they were paired up for. At least his mind could stop revving on the unknown implications of their situation.

He couldn’t shake the bitter disappointment that ebbed out the smidge of optimism that maybe Azul had honed in on his interests and maybe… possibly… he didn’t know… 

Maybe he wanted Azul to want more out of this?

No. It was idiotic to feel this way. It wasn’t like he was expecting something else, but the disappointment still weighed him down.

Jamil leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes as Azul basked in his own cleverness for plotting out their itinerary with certain ease. He crossed his arms over his chest, hoping that maybe changing the subject would stop the pit in his stomach from twisting tighter. 

"Have you ever been? To The Kingdom of Light, that is."

He watched Azul’s face carefully and saw the faint arch of his brow disappear behind his bangs.

“There are many places I haven’t been.”

“I haven’t been either…” 

He pushed a collective list of supplies towards Jamil and sat on the table, placing his hand down on the paper before Jamil could reach across and grab it.

The look in his eye was enough to send a shiver down his spine. His eyes were calm, his attention directly at Jamil and Jamil alone behind his glasses. When he spoke, Jamil felt the calmness rush over him like a soothing wind on a hot summer's day—a breeze. 

“Answer me this, then… was The Kingdom of Light somewhere you wanted to go?”

It took everything in him not to suck in a deep breath.

“Not… particularly.” He lied yet held Azul’s gaze.

That stupid knowing smile graced Azul’s lips again and Jamil wanted nothing more than to knock it off of his face.

“Oh well, at least it will be a simple assignment. I trust I can leave the resource list to you, correct?”

Jamil did not say anything, merely swallowed down his answer in hopes it would calm his heart rate down. His gaze held steady with Azul's before the latter finally released his fingers from the list in favor of pushing up his glasses, dissolving the tension that bubbled between them.

"Fine." He got up and grabbed his list off the table and left their study area in a huff, hoping the flush that stained his face wasn't noticeable to anyone who looked at him… and that he had left before Azul’s watchful eye caught on to the real reason for his quick departure.

He forced himself to breathe slowly, an attempt to steady his racing heartbeat that ached in his chest. Why did he have to look at him like that? Why was he still so insufferably infuriating and yet so…

Attractive? Was that the word?

Again his heart drummed against his rib cage as he thought of that annoying smirk, the glint of those crystal blue eyes that sized him up and saw right through him and his lies. The way that those lips confidently curled into a smirk that aided to make the hair on the back of Jamil’s neck stand on end. In the light of the Mostro Lounge’s VIP room, Jamil felt himself more prey than classmate but he found he didn’t mind it so much…

He really didn’t mind when all of Azul’s focus was on him , even if it left him this—flustered.

His normal way of protecting his heart against fast acting poisons by forcing himself to breathe slowly was not helping against this… whatever this sensation was.

Maybe the Seven were laughing at him, after all. This feeling of restlessness taunted him the whole week until they were at their Mirror transport the very next weekend. Jamil had done his best to distract himself from the growing excitement of actually traveling somewhere and his lingering apprehensions about Azul. It had been easier said than done to focus on their trip… there was only so much packing, unpacking and rearranging he could do to keep his mind off things. Especially when he got odd requests from Azul such as ‘bring something nice to wear’ and ‘don’t forget insect spray’. Like he would ever forget something like that. But bringing something nice to wear definitely threw him off. But he decided it was easier to stop questioning things. 

At least, easier for him to actually get to sleep at night instead of staring at his ceiling wondering what the hell Azul Ashengrotto’s deal was. He really should have been more excited about the actual trip itself. It had been somewhere he always wanted to go… his curiosity of other cultures’ celebrations were always something that piqued his interest…

So as they stood there in front of the mirror, Jamil was almost embarrassed to realize just how excited he was to actually be able to witness this. Another place, another city, another culture entirely?

Azul snapped his trusted planner closed and Jamil noted the scrolling handwriting that blurred through the pages as he did so. He really kept that thing on him at all times, huh? His thoughts didn’t linger for long, however. Jamil gave his travel companion a once over. He hadn’t ever recalled a time he had seen Azul in such casual clothes. The soft blue color of his cotton button up and the light wash of his pants complimented his complexion and gave him an air of softness that his normal harsh tones of gray, black and white could not hope to compete with. He looked comfortable, almost like a normal teenager instead of the insufferable asshole Jamil knew him to be.

It wasn’t a bad look on him.

“Have everything?” Azul asked him suddenly, pushing his glasses onto the bridge of his nose. Jamil cleared his throat, only then realizing he had been staring—and his thoughts far away from their trip. Maybe it would have been better if he had gone with Kalim.

He shifted the expanding backpack he had bought in preparation for his fourth year excursion on his shoulders, which jostled the contents he was bringing with him. “It’s only two days.”

Azul had his own overnight bag that he kept firmly under his arm. “Excellent, I look forward to us working together then.” They both looked to each other and then to the mirror and stepped through.

Their feet found cobblestone on the other side. Mirror transport was always a bit rough, Jamil could feel his body pulling on both sides of the gateway as the magic pushed them through. It was an odd sensation that he couldn’t seem to get used to, like he was being split apart but by pressure rather than pain. But once both of his feet were on the solid ground, the feeling dissipated and he almost instantly forgot about it.

This was… the most remarkable place he had ever been to, no Magicam hashtags or guides had done this town justice. Gentle music calmed him as streamers of all colors fluttered in the breeze that carried smells of roasted sugar waffed towards them. The scent warmed him as much as the mild weather, and he was grateful he had opted for lighter clothes even with the close proximity to water. He shielded his eyes from the rays of the sun and took in the sights of the mismatched structures that lined the main street they found themselves on. Every building was a different color, in differing styles of architecture that sold him instantly that this place was every bit a cultural hub as he had imagined. The store fronts were already filled with people going about their business and Jamil found it hard to contain his urge to start pointing out all the sun emblems that decorated everything from textiles to street signs.

He was in awe as he spun around to take in the greenery around him. Behind them he could see the castle, shining like a pillar of light under the sun. It glittered on the surface of the lake as boats lazily floated by on the calm waters. 

“This is amazing,” he said, barely able to keep his voice from quivering in unbridled excitement. He hardly had enough presence of mind to catch his companion’s expression and once he had, he realized he missed something. It was the sharp way the smile fell from Azul’s lips.

All of the sudden, he felt very aware of himself.

“It is amazing,” the merman stepped beside him and pointed at something to the left. “I heard that the confectionery was temporarily closed but look!” Jamil turned to the direction he was pointing. There was a short line of customers outside the establishment. “That may be a good place to get some souvenirs.” 

So that’s where the smell of sugar was coming from.

Okay, maybe… he was being a little too self-conscious… because Azul seemed to be just as pleased as he was. The walls he had been putting up around himself fell, if even for a moment and—just this once, even he felt like he could be a normal teenager.

“Yeah, we should stop there before we leave.”

They both spent some time taking in the sights of the odd architecture with its hodgepodge of building styles that ranged in both colors and sizes. This was similar to what he imagined Port o Bliss to look like, with its hanging topiary decorating ornate rod iron balconies and store fronts sprinkled in with residential spaces. Though, it was a bit difficult to get close to anything once they actually set off towards their hotel. The crowds were thick and the noise of chatter drowned out the music that he had heard once they first arrived.

And now that his eyes were drawn away from the excitement of discovering new places, Jamil had once again felt suspicions that had lurked in his mind creeping into his foremost thoughts. As they dodged people in the crowds while making their way to who knew where, Azul seemed almost… comfortable here. It wasn’t something obvious, like pointing out landmarks and restaurants to Jamil as they walked together. There was an easy explanation for that—they had both done research on this place. No, this was a little more difficult to reason what bothered him so much about all of this but what had set alarms off in his head was simply how at ease Azul was in this foreign town.

It was the air that Azul usually had about himself—insufferable but confident. How could he feel like that in a place only known to them in textbooks and travel brochures? Jamil felt so overwhelmed by it all, and he was used to crowded marketplaces back home…And yet, Azul walked down the cobblestone paths with a sense of unbelievable familiarity.

Like he had been here… many times before. And so as he kept himself a half a pace behind Azul. he couldn’t help that sinking feeling that seemed to haunt him ever since he saw that Azul’s name was beside his in the line up.

Did he… actually plan all this out? From the very beginning?

Azul did tell him otherwise…

But that was the problem with Azul, the problem with himself as well—they were both liars.

Only, Azul suffered from that boisterous pride of his. A pitfall that helped Jamil sniff out one rotten lie after another and as they both approached the hotel that faced the giant lake, the Lake of Stars, where the lanterns were released, Jamil couldn’t help but crinkle his nose at the sight. He fell a little further behind Azul as they entered the hotel and he watched his classmate walk up to the counter to check in. He decided he was going to get to the bottom of this. 

If not for any other reason but to figure out why . Why did this bother him so much? Why did it feel like Azul was lying to him? And for what purpose?

He had a sinking suspicion that Azul’s easy grade was going to fall on his shoulders to complete.

“Ah, Ashengrotto, Ashengrotto. Yes, here you are. Oh, a VIP room. I’ll get a bellhop to bring your things up to your suite.” The kind woman at the lobby counter said pleasantly, her voice rang as clearly as a bell.

“How kind, we have our bags though,” Azul’s merry singsong voice dropped low to the point where he couldn’t hear much else. 

A VIP room? Uh huh…

Azul came back to him moments later and held up their key that was adorned with pink and yellow lanterns. “Shall we? We’re on the fifth.”

Jamil adjusted his bag and nodded, deciding to pretend he heard nothing. “Sounds good.”

To call the hotel quaint would be selling it too simply. It was modest yet refined with delicate touches of hand carved door frames set against shimmery patterned wallpaper that shifted in the light of the crystal chandeliers that hung from the vaulted ceilings. Intermixed with the fixtures were spiraling vines that gracefully drooped down towards them. Their presence mixed with the crystal accents and subtle hues of cream and green added a sense of wonder without treading on ostentatious. It was classic and charming and made Jamil feel like he was a welcomed guest rather than a tourist.

So when Azul opened the door to their room, he couldn’t help the small gasp that exited his mouth. He couldn’t see anything past the view that shone through even the sheer drapes that framed the bay-doors. The castle stood proud and tall and felt like it was directly in front of them, yet incredibly far at the same time, beyond the Lake of Stars. Jamil set his bag down on one of the double beds and walked towards the balcony.

“It’s… incredible,” he murmured as he opened the doors to the balcony that was sprinkled with plants similar to the lobby. The rod-iron barricade was as ornate as it was weathered and tied with soft colored streamers. Down below, he could see the crowds gathering, groups mingling to go to the town to start the festivities. His heart was skipping with contained excitement.

“One of the best views, we were very fortunate.” 

He looked over at the merman and caught his eyes lingering on Jamil before turning swiftly to the city. Jamil only then realized that they were almost shoulder to shoulder. He became acutely aware of just how warm Azul felt beside him, and how the fabric of their sleeves brushed against each other. He hadn’t even felt his presence, probably because of the thrill of actually being here, breathing in the fresh air of a brand new place.

Or because he felt very comfortable with Azul being around.

But he settled on the former thought as the most logical explanation. 

Silence passed between them but Jamil paid it no mind. He was more than ready to get out and explore. His phone was charged, he had back up batteries… he was ready to just experience everything the city had to offer with no real plans other than to absorb the atmosphere. All his life he had wanted an adventure like this, it just made him more excited about his fourth year trip that he had been saving up for. But…

During that year, he wouldn’t have the ability to share it with anyone, not like this…

Not with Azul. The revelation bothered him… and the fact that it did bothered him… bothered him even more. Immensely so.

The silence between them broke when he felt Azul’s phone buzz in his pocket and his classmate left his side to go back to the room and answer. Jamil turned his back to the view, watching Azul talk on the phone for a moment and wondering once again why none of this felt like a coincidence. 

“How luck has smiled upon us today. Jamil-san!” He turned to face him, his smile wide and his eyes bright. Jamil felt his stomach jolt from witnessing it. Pleasant, warm and entirely—

Planned.

“I just managed to get us taken off of a waiting list for The Moonstone Spire in an hour and a half for lunch.”

“Is that so…?” Jamil’s eyes narrowed on Azul, trying hard to keep the suspicion out of his voice. Well… that confirmed things for him. This was a set up. He just didn’t understand what Azul wanted out of him. But he wasn’t just going to let this continue. Not when it felt like Azul was trying to get him to owe him a favor… and if he knew his classmate like he thought he did, it was to make Jamil write the entire essay by buttering him up.

Two could play in that game. This was now war and he intended to win.

“Isn’t that place a five-star restaurant?” Jamil asked, feigning ignorance, he knew exactly what the rating was… he followed their Magicam account for plating inspiration.

“Is it? I just happened upon their website and put our names on a list just in case something opened up.”

Jamil was sure he didn’t. He was certain the moment reservations opened, Azul was making that reservation. Plotting to impress him… so that he could push all the work of the report off on Jamil and he could get off easy on one of their final assignments before going their separate ways.

Okay. Fine. He got it now. So Jamil would just have to ruin every single thing his classmate had planned for them. Like hell he was going to be indebted to his benevolence to the point of taking the heat for an entire project.

“That’s incredible!” He remarked, his voice light and jovial. He could put on a pretty good performance, too. This bastard… if he wasn’t so attractive, Jamil may have— he tabled the thought instantly.

“It’s a good thing I packed something nice, like you suggested.”

Azul’s laugh sent a shiver down his spine. He liked that sound. A lot. Shit. “Perhaps I would have done well in Scarabia, after all.”

He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “Your foresight is impeccable.” 

It didn’t take them long to get changed, but Jamil did his best not to let his attention linger on the rustling of clothes behind him. He closed his eyes and concentrated on making himself look more presentable, which in his mind, meant wearing his actual uniform without his usual modifications. He forwent the jacket and cursed himself for packing it. How amusing would it have been if he had forgotten to bring something more formal? Azul would have squirmed, he was sure. Or he would have brought something for Jamil to wear.

Azul seemed to have a similar idea to him. At least it wasn’t that stuffy dorm uniform. But it definitely felt like a school trip now. 

“There’s a sight I never thought I’d see in our time together at school.” Azul motioned to Jamil’s uniform. He offered a shrug. 

“It was the easiest thing to grab…” That wouldn’t cause too many unwanted gazes in his direction, anyhow. 

“Well then, we should be off.”

As they walked down the bustling street and further away from the main roads, less familiar names of shops and eateries caught his attention. Homes became more densely packed, a sprinkle of commerce showed up here and there.

He all but stopped though when a familiar logo of faintly painted duck caught his attention in the distance, off the main street they were walking down. A plan quickly formulated in his mind. “Wait,” he reached out and grabbed ahold of Azul’s wrist. “Can we stop here, first?” 

Azul tensed and looked back at him, and moreover, the sign that was more splinters than wood. “What is that?” He asked, confusion evident in his voice.

“You haven’t heard of Cuddly Hatchling? You’re kidding me. The locals around here rave about this place and everything they serve is in a skillet. Come on! Just for a bit.” The look in Azul’s eyes told him that if he pressed a little harder, he would win this battle. Good.

“I mean… we do have some time, I suppose.” Jamil did everything in his power not to smirk at the admission. “I’ve really never heard of this place.”

“Probably because you’re looking at five star ratings all day. You should try looking through the two stars every now and again, live a little, Azul.”

“Two? Two stars? Jamil Viper I am not—“

But Jamil was already dragging him towards the run down log-facade of a restaurant. “It’s two stars but probably because the interior is cheesy and outdated…” 

“Outdated?”

“And,” Jamil added hastily as they approached the paint-peeled door. “There’s a rumor that all the staff are ex-criminals, but the food is exceptional and has a cheap gimmick to draw in customers. You’ll fit right in.”

“ Cheap gimmicks? That’s offensive, I would never—” Whatever Azul’s protest, Jamil would never hear it because both of them grew incredibly quiet as soon as they crossed the threshold of the Cuddly Hatchling. All eyes stared at them as soon as they entered the dining room. Jamil felt his skin crawl from the attention and the fact that it was eerily quiet as soon as they entered the establishment. It was all too clear to Jamil now that the tags for this place on Magicam were filled with filtered images from the restaurant trying to lure people in for profits and profits only. The wallpaper pasted to the walls was mismatched and buckled from water stains. The tile under their feet desperately needed to be regrouted and all the furniture was bulky for such a small space. In the dim lights, Jamil could make out a piano in the far corner of the room but it looked to be untouched by the gray color it sported that he was certain was dust.

But it was the people that really set off his fight or flight response. There weren’t many people there, but everyone that was was decorated with scars, tattoos and battered clothing that reminded Jamil of some of the less savory parts of Silk City. But he also knew how to deal with these people. He put his hand on Azul’s back as a man with the largest beard he had ever seen approached them. Jamil could have sworn his chest was the size of the vases he used to hide in as a child, short and stocky. Beneath the gray streaked beard, Jamil saw a smile filled with gold and silver teeth.

“Welcome ta da Cuddly Hatchling! Come, haf a seat.” His accent was thick but his intonation was pleasant. Beneath Jamil’s hand, he could feel how tense Azul was. But it was too late to back out now. Though he couldn’t see any weapons, Jamil was certain that upsetting these people wouldn’t result in a wonderful time for them. 

“Come on Azul,”

If Azul had any protests, he did not voice them. They both complied and the man who greeted them started talking about the menu, which Jamil only half listened to. Around them, the other few customers began talking and eating once again. His gray eyes gazed over to the other patrons and well… at least the food did actually look appetizing. Far more than the establishment. Jamil ordered two of their most popular appetizers and their server looked absolutely delighted under the sweaty sheen that glazed his beet red face.

As soon as the man’s back was turned, Jamil felt Azul kick his ankle under the table. He was met with that steely blue gaze glaring at him and he let out a nervous laugh.

“It’s not funny , Jamil.” He dropped his usual formality, which made Jamil clear his throat to try to keep from laughing harder.

“It is a little,”

“We can still leave.”

“And insult these guys? Your funeral. Listen, let’s just stay for appetizers and we can leave. Promise.”

Azul let out a belligerent sigh as the man returned with their drinks and, surprisingly, their orders. This wouldn’t do. They had only been there for ten minutes and there was still plenty of time to waste.

“So, do you get a lot of people here for the Festival of Lights?” He asked the man and he felt his classmate kick at him again. “It’s so crowded on the main street but not really back here.”

“Ah, no. Most our customers ‘re regulars here or local folks who like our menu.” The man beamed at them. “‘Sides you’ll find right quality dishes ‘ere in honor o’ da princess all year round, not just on one day, sees.” The man motioned to the mini skillets in front of them. Jamil suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. A cheap novelty was a cheap novelty, no matter what anyone tried to convince him of.

The man continued.

“She used dat dere skillet to wallop many a foe. Even ‘er own husband, ya know, before deys were married.”

“Is that so? Why would she do something like that?” Azul’s contribution lacked any kind of enthusiasm or real interest. He could tell he was just asking questions so he could avoid eating what was in front of him. Given how dusty the whole place was, Jamil found himself wanting to sport a similar tactic.

Their server pulled up a stool that was littered with missing notches of wood. “‘Ell he was a thief!”

Azul and Jamil’s eyes met before they turned their attention to the man. They were obviously both puzzled.

“Oh dey not gonna ta tell ya dat  in any o’ yer fancy history books,” the man laughed, taking their apparent confusion as a clue to continue talking. “I could tell ya da real story, sees.” 

Jamil nodded, part of him genuinely curious to what this sweaty man was going to talk to them about and the other part of him gleefully aware that they were wasting a lot of time here… They weren’t going to make their five star lunch reservation. Good. This was more interesting, anyway.

He could see Azul fidgeting with his watch as their server told them the legend of the Princess who was stolen away and was kept hidden from the world. Jamil didn’t know when in the story though, that both him and Azul actually got drawn in. Their food was long forgotten as the man told them about her return to her parents and the man who brought her back. A criminal, a liar, an orphan… who only was escorting her to the Festival of Lights because she had taken a crown from him that he had stolen from the Palace, the very Palace that still stood hundreds of years after this story took place. Jamil had heard this tale several times, both in history books and also with Kalim when they were much younger. But he had never heard that the man who brought her back was someone with a shady background. He exchanged looks with Azul, who also seemed to be just as baffled, but spoke up.

“A real criminal you say? That is one version that has escaped my knowledge.”

The server laughed a bit too loudly. Jamil could have sworn he saw dust fall from the beams overhead. 

“Why would dey admit da king of da country was a low life, hm?”

Azul folded his fingers over each other and hummed in understanding. “So he was using her to gain power. Makes sense.”

Jamil nodded as well, making sure to remember the details so that they could write about it later. The bearded man shook his head. “Nah, you misunderstood me. He didn’t return her ta marry her. He had a change o’ heart ya see. He fell in love with her. That much is true.”

Both boys exchanged baffled looks and the servers hand slammed down on the table, sudden enough to make them both jump. “Love does that ta ya. Ya think yer above all dat mushy stuff and can use people how ya want but love has a nasty way of catchin’ ya off guard, ya see. Soon all ya can think about is makin’ dat person happy, even if it messes up yer own plans. Sometimes just spendin’ time together makes ya realize how much ya care about someone and none of the other stuff matters all dat much anymore.”

Jamil’s eyes caught on Azul’s before looking away and down at his food which had long since grown cold. “That’s a nice story, we have one similar in The Scalding Sands…” He offered. “I don’t understand the sentiment, but it is interesting to hear considering none of our books go into as much detail.” He said softly. Except he… did understand. He understood it all. The last year that he and Azul had spent together, growing closer… the erratic beating of his heart when their gaze met during class—the times he wished he could have walked a little slower in the halls between their classes just so he could hear Azul happily explaining his strategies for exams.

Everything just felt… different when he saw him now.

But more than ever, he wished he could just get up and leave. He didn’t like thinking about this anymore. He didn’t want to give it a name. Because doing so meant admission, doing so meant that maybe he didn’t mind the fact that Azul was using him to better his grade. Because at least he was here… sharing a now cold meal with him and listening to this stranger prattle on and on about how love changes people.

It would have been a better idea to just go along with the stupid plan Azul had made for them. He wouldn’t be feeling so restless right now if he had. He desperately wanted to change the subject.

“What about you?” He asked his classmate, who sat up a little straighter in response to Jamil’s question.

“What about me?”

“Any stories like that? A villain having a change of heart because of ‘love’ or whatever nonsense?” Jamil rested his chin in his hand, rolling his eyes at the suggestion.

Azul shook his head and sighed. “No, nothing of the sort. The Coral Sea has more stories of gaining legs in order to run away from it, which is the wisest choice, if you ask me.” He poked around at his food with his fork.

“No kiddin’” The older man chimed in and Jamil had almost forgotten he was still there. “Says, just ‘round da corner dere’s a merperson boot camp—”

Azul coughed very loudly all of the sudden and waved his hand in the air as if clearing something away from him. “Ah, my apologies, Jamil-san, I believe I just saw a bug.” 

Jamil backed into his seat on instinct, eyes wide and jaw clenched as looked for the thing. He could feel his skin crawling already. “Ah, check please.” 

Once they had both stumbled out of the Cuddly Hatchling, Jamil decided it was incredibly accurate to label the place a two star. But he didn’t mind the information… they could definitely use that to fill up a page or so. 

“Remind me never to listen to your recommendations again, Jamil-san.” Azul said curtly and checked his watch. He let out a groan and pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses. “We missed our reservation.”

“Did we?” Jamil pretended to sound shocked and disappointed at the news. “Oh, Sevens, I’m sorry Azul. I didn’t realize we got that caught up in the—”

“It’s fine. It’s fine. Let me see if anything else I waitlisted us for opened up.” Azul’s voice teetered on annoyed as he pulled out his phone and flicked through it. A sense of smug satisfaction washed over Jamil. What other plans had he charted out for them that he could derail? 

“Ah-ha.” Azul looked over at him, the wide, optimistic smile on his face made Jamil’s teeth ache. “I have an idea, let’s go back to the town square.”

His breath shouldn’t have caught in his chest when Azul grabbed his wrist to lead him back down that cobble pathway.

The music was what queued him in first. The roasted sugar smell was back and his stomach groaned as he realized he hadn’t actually eaten anything at the Cuddly Hatchling, but the eagerness of the festivities was enough to placate the hunger he was feeling. The town square was littered with people shopping, eating and dancing. 

Dancing. The rhythm of the drums in time with the melody of the woodwinds made him want to go ahead and join the group that was dancing together in the center of the square. But it seemed like Azul had other things on his mind. He was peering over the crowd while trying not to be the way. 

“Let me know if you see a tour guide around here. They said they would be wearing a pastel striped shirt and holding a sign.” 

A guided tour? How lame. It would have just been better to live in the moment and experience it first hand, right? They were there, they should be living it, not just listening to someone talk about it.

Jamil nodded anyway. “We can split up. I’ll go see if I can find them.”

His classmate nodded. “That seems to be an agreeable arrangement. We don’t have too much time to find them. Meet me back here in ten minutes.”

Jamil nodded and then proceeded to do everything but look for the guide. It would be an easy sell… the town center was overwhelming with delicious smells and merchant wares. He legitimately found himself caught up in looking at a stall selling flowers. He was told that the beautiful yellow blooms were a descendant from the princess whose magic hair could heal any ailment, the florist explained how the flower was supposed to sun down fortune on those who wore it. As part of her sale’s pitch, she gave him a woven basket and placed a number of different sprigs and flowers in it. He didn’t know how he got swindled so easily but he handed over the Madol and made a note that he would investigate more into the meanings later. He checked his watch, realizing it had already been twenty minutes since he split ways with Azul. 

He quickly made his way back through the crowds to see his crestfallen classmate. He stuck out like a sore thumb in his dark clothes and uptight composure. “Hey, sorry. You couldn’t find them, either?” 

Azul perked up almost instantly, the knit of his brows lightening upon Jamil’s return and he almost felt guilty for doing this to him. Almost. 

“Ah, no worries, I think we were far too late as it was.” 

The merman was great at saving face, but not that good at acting. It was hard to miss the disappointment in his voice. “We will just have to make our own tour then.” Jamil offered. 

“Perhaps.”

Maybe the satisfaction of ruining Azul’s plans was wearing off… every time just seemed like a blow to his pride at this point. It wasn’t as fun if he wasn’t getting huffy about it. Now he just seemed like a kicked puppy.

Azul glanced down at his basket of fresh flowers. “I see you were busy.”

“Research you know…” Jamil huffed and brushed his bangs from his face as he looked back at the crowd. He realized then that everyone who had any length of hair had flowers braided into their hairstyles. That’s when an idea struck him. 

“I need you to close your eyes.” 

Azul looked baffled as he blinked at him. “Why is that?” 

Jamil answered by closing the distance between them and muttering, “just trust me…” Azul’s eyes slowly closed as he let out a beleaguered sigh. He pulled out his pen and with a steadied, practiced hand, Jamil braided Azul’s hair back behind his ears, his bangs still loose to dance on the afternoon breeze. Small buds of pink daphne had been delicately placed throughout his silvery strands. 

He looked nice like that. The flowers were a great touch. “There,” He smiled at his handiwork and pulled a compact out and handed it to Azul. He could have sworn he saw his classmate blush a little but he snapped the mirror closed and handed it back to Jamil quickly. 

“You didn’t have to do that.”

Jamil shrugged. “Why not? It suits you.”  With a quick flick of his wrist, his own braids fell from their usual place and moments later a thick braid graced his shoulder, adorned with the rest of the fresh batch he had purchased. “And now we match. Better?” He looked at Azul and was taken aback that he was simply staring at him. His heart was slamming against his ribcage and he fought to keep himself composed. “Ah, pollen on my face?”

Azul cleared his throat and tore his attention away from Jamil. “Y-yes, you got it though. Shall we… venture?” It seemed Azul wanted to break whatever had settled between them as well. Good. But he couldn’t deny that the look his classmate had given him was… addicting. The way his eyes lingered on his face, the faintest touch of red that stained the tips of his ears, it made Jamil want to see that expression more—-another expression for his collection.

The rest of the afternoon went by like a blur. They had both sampled street food, talked with vendors… Jamil even convinced Azul to draw them both in chalk on the visitor section of the venue. He scoffed down at their likeness, he could at least make out that Azul drew in their floral arrangements and a few lanterns around them. It didn’t settle well with him to know that Azul was much better at art than he was… but he’d never admit it. 

As the sun began to wane in the sky, an announcer from the stage where the musicians sat declared that the last round of music that would play would be the very last dance before the whole town would go towards the castle to light their lanterns. Jamil looked over at Azul and held out his hand.

“Come dance with me?” Azul immediately tensed and shook his head. 

“No, I don’t dance, I have two right feet.” He murmured, the suggestion obviously flustering him. 

Jamil chuckled in spite of himself. “It’s two left feet.” He made a show of looking down at Azul’s feet. “What do you know, you have one of each.” The joke earned Jamil a dramatic eye roll but he ignored it. “Who cares? No one here knows you, anyway.”

“ You know me.” Azul hissed in horror but Jamil reached out and snatched his hands anyway. “Jamil Viper, you already dragged me into an abysmal dining experience, you are not about to make me make a fool out of myself by trying out a dance I don’t know the steps to.”

The grin that stretched his lips made the corners of Jamil’s mouth ache. “I don’t know the steps either, Azul. Come on, it’ll be fun.” He pulled him towards the crowd. “Just follow their steps and don’t think too much,”

“Don’t think too much. You ask the impossible of me.”

To Azul, it was mortifying. And he knew it. But he did manage to make him participate, as uncoordinated as he was. It took a bit to get into the swing of things himself. The moves were very strict and timed but not a single stranger gave him grief as he learned the steps. Each partner he danced with had such an infectious energy, it left him beaming. He glanced over at Azul a few times and was surprised to see he wasn’t as hopeless as he had believed him to be.

By the time they worked around dancing with the entire group, they ended up being partnered together. In almost complete synchronicity they danced together. It seemed it wasn’t just Jamil in good spirits, Azul’s smile was as dazzling as he himself was. It was hard not to let the music carry him through to what he actually wanted. It would have been so easy to close the small gap between them. Their hands were clasped, their breathing in time with each other. They were so close that Jamil could smell the fragrant flowers dusted in Azul’s hair. So far away from obligations and formalities, he felt his reservations slipping with every beat of the drum, every strum of strings. He wanted to lean in and—

The music died down. Their eyes locked on each other, adrenaline still coursing through both of them. Jamil realized just how close he had been to the other boy and he quickly put space between them. But he noticed that they were both smiling. Applause erupted around them and forced them both to tear their eyes away from each other to join in as the festival was wrapped up.

“You’re full of surprises today,” Azul remarked as he caught his breath, their shoulders pressed against one another while he clapped. Whether he wanted to remark on their proximity or not was beyond Jamil.

He swallowed down his apprehensions and joined Azul in his applause of the musicians. “You are, too.”

The pleasant fuzzy feeling he had been experiencing the entire afternoon disappeared the moment Azul motioned to the giant boat that was docked. It was so pristine that it glowed against the calm surface of the Lake of Stars. All of the sudden, Jamil remembered exactly who he was dealing with as guests around them began to board the ship. All of them dressed to the nines and chatting like so many high and mighty people he had seen at the Asim residence for dining parties. Stuffy, self-important, boring. He wasn’t interested. 

“I’m not getting on that thing.” He said stubbornly, crossing his arms over his chest.

Azul raised an eyebrow, his eyes narrowing before he gave a sigh in obvious exasperation. “And why in the Sevens’ names aren’t you?”

“Because I don’t want to.” He offered a half-hearted shrug. “If I wanted to spend the evening with these kinds of people, I could have just gone home.” He could tell his companion was beyond frustrated, but for once during this trip it had nothing to do with undermining Azul’s schemes.

“Jamil-san, there must be some way I can change your mind.”

He shook his head. “There isn’t. We can always split up if you really want to go on that thing.” He motioned to the boat. “I’m going to go rent a regular one. We can just meet up after.” He could have sworn he saw a flash of anger cross Azul’s normally composed face. A new reaction for his collection… a sight he knew very few had actually seen.

“You are a very wearisome man, has anyone ever told you that?” The merman rested his hands on his hips, his shoulders slumping as he once again saved face.

“Well, blame whoever paired us up, then. Enjoy your evening. I’ll meet you back at the hotel.” With that Jamil turned on his heel and started walking down the shoreline path to a rowboat rental. He could hear jostling behind him and he bit back the urge to chastise his travel companion for accompanying him. When Azul caught up, he hardly made any sound at all. He saw him out of the corner of his eye, arms crossed and staring down at the dark road ahead of them.

Jamil made quick work of renting a boat. The kind old lady told him that though there’d be a lot of people on the lake, the likelihood of them having problems with others would be close to zero. She informed him that he did need to be careful of bigger party boats like the one Azul tried to drag him onto. They had a habit of focusing more on their social events rather than keeping an eye out for the lights affixed to the back of every smaller boat. She provided them with an emergency floatation device to keep by their feet and two lanterns. 

“If any lanterns hit your boat, please count them before returning them to the sky.” She cracked a big, toothy smile. “Word around here says that the number of lanterns that touch your boat is how many children you’ll have.”

Jamil raised an eyebrow and made a note to look into more local superstitions like that the next day of their trip. Azul had been remarkably quiet as the old woman set them up in the boat. Their lanterns and lighter were secured, their safety light was in working order… and it dawned on Jamil that he was actually going to be able to see this with his own eyes. Their host bid them farewell and thanked them for using her services to experience this event in the most authentic way The Kingdom of Light had to offer.

Jamil and Azul both rowed out further into the Lake of Stars. His hands began to ache from the effort, it turned out the lake was much bigger than it looked, because there weren’t a lot of boat lamps around them.

Water lapped at the boat but other than that, it was calm and incredibly relaxing, except for whatever energy was radiating off of Azul right now. True, he had barely spoken a word since they rented the boat and Jamil felt it was probably his fault. His classmate hadn’t even looked his way once since they started rowing. It was actually weird to see him go so silent. Jamil didn’t think he was actually capable.

“What are you going to wish for?” He asked, motioning towards the lanterns that sat between them in effort to break the silence.

Azul finally looked at him, almost startled like he forgot Jamil was there. “Oh, I hadn’t thought about it. I’m not the wishing type.”

Jamil leaned back and looked around. “Me neither.” 

It was almost eerie, that the only sound he could hear was the waves of water knocking against the wooden planks of their tiny boat. He couldn’t see much out here, only dim lights of other boats in the area. There were no lanterns yet but he was certain it would be soon. He skimmed the surroundings for any sign that the lantern lighting ceremony was beginning and instantly noticed a single floating light in the far distance toward the castle. He move himself around to get a better look upon realizing it.

“Look! Look.” He reached and grabbed Azul’s shoulder before motioning towards the singular floating light that turned into a multitude of them. All around them, other spectators began offering their lanterns up. The boat rocked from him getting up to move closer. He stared at the lights as they drifted lazily through the sky; soaring, tumbling and freewheeling. But some were so close he could almost reach out and touch them. Soon it was going to be him, free to go where he wanted and do whatever he wanted. His spirits rose with the lanterns as they danced in the sky. He turned back to Azul, sure that the smile that lit his face was as ridiculous as it was uncharacteristic of him.

“This has been the most wonderful day.” Two lanterns caught his attention as they drifted towards them. As they hit the boat, Jamil pushed them back up towards the sky.

“Has it?” Azul asked, his voice dripping in skepticism. “Well I suppose it hasn’t been a… what’s the phrase, complete wash?”

Jamil raised an eyebrow and sat back down in the boat to face his partner. “I wouldn’t say it was.”

It was the manner in which Azul cradled his head in his hand that immediately set Jamil on edge as lights danced around them. “Right,” Azul’s fingers tapped on his forehead like he was debating bringing something up.

Fine. 

“Is it because of lunch? I said I was sorry-” He began but Azul held up his hand to cut him off. 

“Please, Jamil-san. I told you it was fine, it’s just disappointing is all. I’m glad we were able to make the most of it.” He sat up a bit straighter and reached for the lantern that sat between them. “As long as you’re having a good time, I suppose that’s all I could ask for.”

His eye twitched from the statement as he felt his blood pressure rise. “And why is that? Are you not enjoying yourself? You could have gone on that stupid boat by yourself, you know.”

“That’s not the point.”

  “Then what is the point? I’m really getting fed up with you lying to me.” He admitted.

Azul visibly recoiled from the accusation, his hand on his chest as if wounded. “Lying? What are you talk–”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice?” Jamil sat back and crossed his arms. “You said that we were put here by chance but these things should have been booked out months ago. Look at how many people are here and yet you managed to get your hands on VIP experiences? Because of cancellations? Please, spare me your bullshit. Is this part of your scheme? To bribe me and push the work off on me by impressing me and making me indebted to your kindness ?”

“Jamil-san,” Azul started but Jamil leaned forward and put his hand over his mouth, clamping his palm to his lips to silence him.

“I’m not stupid, Azul. You rigged this whole thing from the start and then decided to pretend like you hadn’t? Why? So I can do all the work of this stupid assignment? You’ve been wanting to use me for years and finally found your opportunity, huh?”

Pale fingers wrapped around his wrist and with a certain yank, Jamil’s hand was pulled from Azul’s mouth. 

“I don’t think you’re stupid, first of all. I have never thought that about you. And while I’ve wanted to utilize your skills in the past, this trip has nothing to do with that.”

Jamil scoffed with a huff of irritation. “Forgive me if I don’t believe you. What other reason would you have to plan all these stupid grand gestures then lie to me about it? What, were you just trying to impress me to make me do what you want? Trying to make a silly dream of mine come true and get a good grade out of it with a little planning and acting like by some grace of the Seven that you managed all these things for my sake?”

A look of horror swept over Azul’s expression the way his eyes widened and his jaw clenched. He looked like Jamil had just burned him. But the look gave way to one of… 

“It wasn’t a lie to slight you! I was trying to settle a debt, that's all .”

“A debt? What the hell are you talking about?”

Anger.

“Oh, now it’s your turn to lie? Please, Jamil-san, it’s you that must think I’m an idiot.”

Jamil recoiled as those blue eyes shone in the glowing light of the lanterns around them. Another one hit their boat but Jamil was too awestruck by how dangerously narrow Azul’s glare was set beneath his closely knit brows to push it away.

“Azul, I have no idea what you—“

“This,” he motioned between the two of them. “Us! You think you’re so sly that it would completely slip my notice that you seek me out now? That you went out of your way in flight class without Vargas telling you anything? You don’t think I realized that you write extra notes in class about mundane terrestrial customs you must think I’m too stupid to understand? Your silly little land dweller sayings that some thick-skulled fish is dense to get? You must  think I’m so pathetic. I’ve noticed how you keep a watchful eye on me in class. I guess now that Kalim is unavailable for your scrutiny- ”

Azul’s words sank into him. He felt his face grow hot and his palms clammy as anger rose up in him as well. “That’s not why-” he started, his tone clipped and just as angry as the merman’s.

“I’m not done talking , Jamil. You see, that’s the problem with you, you seem to think you’re the smartest person in the room when you can’t see past the end of your own nose. And now when I want to end this year knowing that I’ve repaid you for your unwelcome, unasked for attention, you throw it back in my face!” 

Jamil’s teeth clenched tightly, his fingers curled into a fist. 

“Is that what this is then, repayment for spending time with you? All of it? Flight class, our walks… even our study group?” He hardly believed the hollow tone of his own voice. How could he have been so blind to all of this? He thought they were both on the same page… that they understood each other.

“Of course it is. Well, it would have been if all my plans hadn’t gone up in smoke. I suppose I have you to thank for that.” Azul scoffed and looked away from Jamil and bit his lower lip. “We can just leave tonight. We don’t have to stay until the morning. I should have known that with you things would be unpredictable. Or that you would have figured me out sooner. We can just forget it ever happened and leave things here.”

That wasn’t it. That wasn’t why he spent so much time with Azul. How could he honestly believe that Jamil would waste his time unless he actually…

Unless he actually…?

“So you did… plan all this.” He said softly and watched Azul’s expression turn to one of annoyance. He sighed and rolled his wrist as if presenting something in the air. 

“Yes, of course I did! For months I planned this, from our partnering, to the location, to our plans. All of it for you. You’re welcome.”

“Azul…” he started, his nerves frayed and his heart racing as those implications he had left behind stirred to life, like a fog had lifted The scattered light from the lanterns that floated above them reflected in Azul’s glasses as he once again turned to him. The words he wanted desperately to say stuck to his tongue as something deep inside of him shifted once again. He settled for moving closer in the boat, their knees knocking together as Jamil reached out and wrapped his trembling fingers around Azul’s tie. “You are so fucking stupid.”

The sound that Azul made when Jamil yanked him forward into the ill prepared kiss was one that cemented itself into Jamil’s brain. The yelp of surprise melted into a contented hum as their lips pressed together. Awkward, tense, with far too many teeth before the kiss evened out until something incredible. He could feel a pit form in his stomach, coiling tightly as Azul’s mouth opened, granting his tongue entrance as their kiss became heated, passionate—unforgettable.

He wanted to scream, every ounce of his being telling him this was dumb, all of this was so stupid. They were both so stupid . But through it all, Jamil realized he had spent his whole life chasing down a daydream but the real freedom in his life he had right here, right now, choosing to act on his feelings by kissing the person he had grown to really care about over the last year… all under the glow of flickering lanterns. 

Those seconds, moments, minutes passed before they parted ways. They were equally flushed, far more so than when they had danced hours beforehand. The silence between them was anything but comforting, but Jamil moved closer still and rested his forehead against Azul’s… locking his fingers behind the braids he had given him.

“That wasn’t me looking down on you, Azul.” He admitted softly. “I did all that shit because I wanted to. Because I like you.” He hardly recognized his own voice as it ghosted against Azul’s lips and fogged up his glasses. “I like you, you insufferable asshole.” 

He heard Azul clear his throat and took the queue to back off. He felt a blush crawl up his neck as Azul shifted his glasses back into place. Around them, lanterns dipped down around them, revealing to them both just how flustered they both were.

“That…” Azul began at long last. “Doesn’t seem possible.” The laugh he heard was one that held no amusement. “But I feel… the exact same way.”

Now it was Jamil’s turn to laugh. Unremarkable, plain, boring Jamil Viper, a source of affection in someone as cunning and clever as Azul Ashengrotto? 

The Seven really did enjoy playing games with him, didn’t they?

“The truth is I… I’ve grown very fond of you, as well. I was sure you didn’t feel the same. So, I wanted to see if maybe being away from school would reveal anything, or if you were just using me to pull yourself up from your average grades. Regardless, I wanted to leave our third year behind us on an even playing field so… All this.” He motioned to the lanterns. “I couldn’t help but notice your notes about this place but when we talked about your travel plans this place was strangely absent. So when this assignment came up, my first thought was to sort this whole thing out. I wanted to settle things before we ended up going our separate ways.” 

Jamil swallowed hard and leaned forward as he listened quietly. “There was nothing to settle, you know.”

“There was everything to settle, Jamil-san.” He let out a pathetic sigh that drowned out the distant sound of a horn rolling through the night. “Really, we could have had the best view of the lanterns on that yacht you uncharitably walked away from.” To Jamil, he already had the best view.

“Sorry I thought all your ideas were super lame.” He wasn’t that sorry and the sentiment wasn’t lost on Azul in the least. “Besides… we wouldn’t have been able to yell at each other or… you know.”

“Oh, yes, being emotionally vulnerable with someone who I was certain was going to reject me is exactly how I would have loved to spend my trip.” He sighed with his normal air for the dramatics and caused Jamil to laugh a little. “Of all my ideas I was most looking forward to that boat. It would have been delightful. A wonderful way to end an evening of misadventures.” He crossed his arms.

Another horn blew, this time much louder but Jamil disregarded it. “It sounded like a stuffy dinner party, I wouldn’t attend it if you paid me.”

The blaring sound actually demanded both of their attention. All of the sudden a giant, familiar white hull was upon them, the horn of the party boat blaring at them to get out of the way. Jamil and Azul immediately shot up straight in their seats, frantically looking around for their oars. There wasn’t enough time though. This was it, Jamil finally had the courage to express his feelings and then he swiftly die under the crushing pressure of a stupid party boat he refused to get on. They both exchanged a look with each other before they grabbed their pens. 

And it seemed like they both had the same idea, but drastically different methods. Azul favored the defensive while Jamil was on the offensive without a single word being uttered between them. In moments, the giant yacht veered away from them, waves crashing up against the side of their boat as Azul shoved their vessel away from the certain collision. The force of the water smacked against the boat which had no hope of standing up against the powerful waves and sent both boys overboard as the boat tipped over completely. The cold water stung as he was submerged in its depths but strong arms grabbed him and pulled him up to the surface before he even had the time to process the severity of what had happened. 

He gasped for air and coughed, his hand still clutched onto his pen. Azul had him though, and fared far better than Jamil had, but the flowers that Jamil had braided into his hair were gone and his hair was limp and soaked around his face. Jamil ventured a glance down and noticed he too had no flowers left from the afternoon. He kicked his legs and offered a soft thank you to Azul for grabbing him from the undertow. He was keenly aware that Azul’s arm was wrapped around him and felt the pen against his back, no doubt keeping them both afloat with magic.

“So this was your idea of a good time, hm?”

Jamil laughed and shrugged. “I’ll never tell you but… I wouldn’t do anything differently.”

The rebuttal earned another hardened sigh from Azul but in the end they were laughing together at just how wonderful and miserable their luck really was. The night was quiet now, lanterns still floating by on the gentle breeze and as cold and miserable as they both were, they found warmth in each other as they shared another kiss.

He was not the wishing type but a part of him realized that if he had a wish, it had been granted.

And he wondered if Azul’s had been too. He felt the other’s hand on his chest, fingers clenching at the soaked fabric of his shirt as he kissed him back. Jamil felt his heart soar.

It didn’t take long for them to get their boat upright and ‘row’ to shore without a single oar in their possession by way of wind magic. Their lanterns were missing and he was a bit disappointed that he didn’t get to light one with Azul but… this was fine too. Maybe they could do that next time.They both apologized to the woman that they rented the boats from and made their way back to the hotel, all the while Azul explaining how he was going to report the driver to the city the very next day for negligence. Jamil nodded along but he hardly cared at that point.

He didn’t end up telling Azul the real reason he cut the Kingdom of Light out of his itinerary was to make room to stop by the Coral Sea. He did, however, tell him that he wanted to see him, even during his fourth year trip. The smile that lit up Azul’s face was brighter than any lantern he had seen that night, and even before they took showers, they were planning around Jamil’s schedule to make time for each other. So when Azul discovered the dates that Jamil had set aside for ocean exploration, Azul’s face was riddled with clarity… but he said nothing to indicate that he understood why The Kingdom of Light had been cut from Jamil’s trip.

The next day, they both decided on several things they would write about in their report. But there were a number of things they would leave out. There was no mention of them sharing a bed that night, no hint that they woke up the next morning tangled in each other’s arms, nor just how many heated kisses they exchanged that night while the lanterns of light still hung in the skies overhead. There was no clue that Jamil Viper had found freedom that night, from both his obligations but also from his own anxiety, especially when it came to Azul Ashengrotto.

And that was something he was going to continue to work on; understanding one another.