.˚ * ꒰ঌ❀໒꒱ * ˚.

kalim falls in love with you so easily that it honestly scares jamil a little. because kalim loves people naturally. he is affectionate, warm, endlessly eager to shower the people around him with attention and kindness. he makes friends quickly, trusts easily, and gets attached without much hesitation. so at first, nobody thinks much of it when he starts gravitating toward you constantly. of course kalim likes having you around. everyone likes having you around. he just happens to be more enthusiastic about it than most. except eventually, even kalim realizes something feels different. because he doesn't just enjoy your company, he craves it.

it starts innocently enough. kalim begins seeking you out first thing in the morning because seeing you somehow guarantees his day will feel better afterward. meals become more enjoyable when you sit beside him. school events become exciting because he gets to experience them with you. whenever something funny or interesting happens, his immediate instinct is to turn toward you first just to see your reaction. and honestly? he barely notices how attached he's become until other people start pointing it out.

"you've been following the prefect around all day." kalim blinks before looking over at jamil in confusion. "huh?" "you heard me." jamil sighs tiredly while crossing his arms. "every time they leave the room, you magically appear five seconds later." "...oh." kalim pauses thoughtfully. "wait, really?" jamil stares at him flatly. "yes, really."

the strange thing is that once kalim notices it, he still can't bring himself to stop. because being around you feels good in a way he can't fully explain. calming. exciting. comforting all at once. your presence slips naturally into every part of his routine until he genuinely struggles to remember what his days felt like before you became part of them. if he goes too long without seeing you, he gets restless without understanding why. if you seem upset, his mood drops immediately. and if someone else captures your attention for too long, this weird unpleasant feeling twists in his chest before he can identify it properly.

which is how kalim learns he can get jealous. poorly. "you've been talking to azul foreverrrr!" kalim complains dramatically while slumping across your shoulder later that evening. you blink in confusion. "it was like ten minutes." "that's forever!!" "kalim—" "and you laughed at his joke more than mine!" "...are you pouting right now?" "n—no.." he absolutely is.

things like physical affection makes everything worse. kalim is already naturally clingy with people he likes, but around you it becomes almost ridiculous. he wants to hold your hand constantly, drape himself across your shoulders during conversations, pull you into hugs whenever possible just because he can. one time you kissed his cheek casually in gratitude and kalim spent the next three hours smiling so brightly that even jamil looked concerned.

the problem is that kalim falls hard once he truly cares about someone. and he cares about you far too much. because unlike many people in his life, your affection never feels tied to his status or wealth. you spend time with him because you genuinely enjoy him, not because you want something from him. you scold him when he's reckless. laugh with him naturally. worry about him sincerely. and every bit of it settles warm and aching inside his chest because kalim is not used to feeling this... chosen. that realization affects him more deeply than he expects. especially late at night when things become quieter.

because underneath all his brightness, kalim carries loneliness more heavily than most people realize. growing up surrounded by servants, guards, expectations, and constant caution made genuine relationships difficult. people smiled at him often, but not always honestly. many cared more about the al-asim name than kalim himself. but you? you look at him like he is simply kalim. nothing more. nothing less. and somewhere along the line, that became precious enough to terrify him a little.

the realization itself happens during one of those soft quiet evenings in scarabia after dinner. kalim is rambling happily about some idea while the two of you lounge together surrounded by pillows and warm lantern light. eventually his words begin blending together because you start smiling at him in this terribly fond way that makes his heart stutter strangely in his chest. then you laugh softly and reach over to fix a piece of jewelry that had slipped crooked against his skin. such a tiny gesture. careless. gentle. and suddenly kalim feels everything crash together at once. every instinct to stay near you, every spike of jealousy, every ridiculous amount of happiness he feels whenever you choose him first. all of it settles into place so naturally that for a moment he can only stare at you in stunned silence. because oh. he's in love with you. completely and utterly in love with you. and judging by the way his chest feels too full to contain all this warmth suddenly, he probably has been for a while now.