Work Text:
Kalim burst through the doors and exclaimed: "Silver smiled!"
"What?" said Jamil, then remembered that Silver was Kalim's new classmate, then remembered that he didn't care. "Okay?"
"What should we do?" said Kalim.
'We' was another word for 'Jamil.' "I don't know, what do you expect me to do?"
Kalim paced the small space of Jamil's dorm room, not even looking at him. Jamil turned away from his homework, now troubled as well. Was 'smile' some kind of euphemism? People smiled at Kalim all the times, what could one more smile do to him?
He narrowed his eyes. "Did you eat something weird?"
Kalim whirled around. "You should have seen it!" he exclaimed. "Seen him."
"Hey, you didn't actually get yourself poisoned, right?"
Kalim clutched his shirt. "I thought my heart stopped!"
"What?"
Jamil jumped to his feet. Now that he suspected poison, Kalim's face suddenly looked a little too red.
"He was talking to me, but, I couldn't hear a thing! Just bam-bam-bam! I thought there were fireworks, but it was just my own heartbeat."
"Why did you eat without me!?" Jamil hurried to his first aid box. "Heightened heartbeat, what else? Quickly!"
"Huh? But I didn't eat anything," said Kalim.
Jamil paused. Kneeling on the ground to get to the box's hiding spot, he slowly turned around. Kalim stood there, blinking dumbly. Apart from his red face and strange speech, he looked well… Jamil sighed and put away the box.
So it was just the usual Kalim foolishness.
"What's this about Silver?" he asked as he returned to the homework on his desk.
Kalim followed him. "He smiled!"
"I got that. So what?"
Kalim inadvertently pushed away his study books to look him in the eye. "You should have seen it! He was so beautiful."
No use trying to study with Kalim in the room. Jamil gave up.
"Now that I think about it, that guy's face doesn't really change."
"Yeah, it's pretty subtle. That's why, today, I was so shocked!" Kalim fell silent, seeming to remember it. "I wish you'd been there. You would understand."
Jamil doubted that.
"He was smiling because of Lilia—ah, Lilia is the one from my club!"
"I know."
"I knew they were close, but not that close. Silver often talks about him, you know, and Malleus too… Do you think he would smile for me too?" he blurted out and immediately looked away.
"Sure. Lots of people smile for you," said Jamil, weirded out.
"It's not people I want."
In other words, he wanted Silver?
Jamil held in a sigh. "I don't know, Kalim. I've never really talked with the guy." He smiled. "But I'm sure he would. After all, he's your friend, right? Maybe he's just shy."
"Shy?" Kalim looked mystified by the idea. "I guess…"
It probably wasn't a good idea to let Kalim run wild with a close bodyguard of Malleus Draconia… then again, how could Jamil be at fault if Kalim annoyed the fifth most powerful mage into zapping him out of existence?
His smile widened. "Why don't you try to make him smile instead? Maybe he hasn't smiled for you yet because you haven't given him a reason to."
"So being friends isn't enough?" Kalim said in surprise.
Being 'friends' with Kalim would never make Jamil smile. "You said he's not very expressive, so maybe he only smiles when he's very happy," he pointed out.
"You're right! That must be it!" Kalim jolted up with his fists clenched. He ran to the door in excitement. "Jamil, you're a genius! Thank you!"
"Haha, it's nothing."
The door closed behind him. Jamil waited for five seconds, then sighed in relief. Good riddance. He turned back to his school work when the door opened.
Kalim peered in. "But how do I make him very happy though?"
A nerve pulsed on Jamil's neck. How was he supposed to know? From what he remembered of Silver, he was a taciturn guy who was always dozing off and barely paid attention to anything. Should he be recommending a gift pillow? Most people were happy just to have the heir to the Asim fortune pay attention to them… Not that Kalim would accept that as an answer. Why was it up to Jamil to figure out what Kalim's friend wanted?
He smiled tightly. "I don't know. What would make you very happy?"
Kalim hummed in thought. "I don't think he'd like a party though. I don't know his favorite dish either, and I can't really train with him… What else could I do? Should I start acting like Lilia?"
Jamil stopped listening. "I wonder," he said vaguely.
Kalim didn't notice and kept rambling: "I hope he has fun with me… I like spending time with him. You know, he's my first best friend apart from you—he's different, I don't know. It's my first time having someone I can help as much as they help me, and, I keep thinking that I'd like to take him back to Silk City with us…"
"Is that so?"
"It's so calming to be with him. I didn't know silence could feel like this… and when he sleeps with his head against my shoulder, it's like I can't think anymore! I want to be closer to him, but not like I am with you, is that weird? He doesn't mind when I hold his hand. Do you think he'd like to be closer too?"
"Yeah."
"But… I don't know how to be closer. What's above holding hands? Hugging? …Kissing? Haha…"
"Sure."
"R-really…? Well, if you say so! I'll do it then. Thanks, Jamil!"
"Yeah, yeah… Wait, what did you say?"
Jamil turned but Kalim had already gone. This time, he'd even left the door open. Kiss? Had he just said "kiss"? Surely not. Surely not even Kalim was that stupid. Surely he wouldn't try to kiss Malleus Draconia's bodyguard.
A shiver of dread ran down his spine.
Damn that Kalim. And he even left the door open.