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The second home theater inside the Al-Asim house is the one Kalim drags him to the most. It's not as big as the first one that’s used when all the children watch movies together or as technically impressive as the third one with its vast array of 3D arrangements but with its sofa-like wide seats it's still much better than the one down the street where he goes with his parents and Najma when there's something interesting to watch. Though in reality, he actually watches more movies with Kalim than with his family on account of how much time he spends with him (also because his mother prefers series to films and the television is mostly hers in the evenings). Most of the time, they sit through animated movies because of Kalim's younger siblings, but when they're allowed to use it alone like today, they can watch whatever they want.
“This one!” Kalim pushes a heavy DVD box set toward him and Jamil only takes a glance before shaking his head. “Oh, come on, you said no last time too!”
“It's too late to watch a movie that's 4 hours long… I have to be home before night falls.”
“But it looks fun…”
It does. It really does, but Jamil still won't say yes, and it's not actually because of his curfew – which is very flexible if he just says “Kalim wanted me to stay” to his parents – but because he knows exactly what will happen if they watch it. At first, Kalim will stay focused on the screen, but after they finish eating all their boxes of popcorn (around the two-hour mark), he'll either get bored and want to leave or fall asleep. The first option is better in Jamil's eyes if only because if Kalim falls asleep on his shoulder like usual then he'll have to stay still while Kalim drools on his shirt or tries to use him as a hugging pillow… And the seats here are comfortable and big enough to use one for two but last time they both fell asleep in there, entangled and warm because Kalim wouldn't let him go and the looks the other servants’ kids gave him the following weeks were insufferable. (Not that it affected Jamil too much in the end – he was too used to jealousy because of his special position.)
While Kalim searches through the shelves for another movie he will approve of, Jamil walks to their seats to put down the popcorn and drinks he's been holding ever since they came to the room. A single seat is still enough for them, yes, but it's not like Jamil wants to share one with Kalim – the growth spurt hasn't hit any of them yet, but they're almost teenagers now, they can start acting like adults. So he puts a soda cup on one side and another one on the other side, hoping Kalim will understand the message. Predictably, Kalim doesn't understand the message and sits on Jamil's seat, with their knees and shins knocking against each other. Inwardly, Jamil sighs; he should have expected it.
His master holds up three movies, all action ones, and he looks up to Jamil with the satisfied smile of someone who's very proud of their selection. (Well, they don't look half-bad at least.) Ignoring this irritating expression, Jamil chooses a DVD case at random and that's how they find themselves watching a supposed archeologist traveling through ruins to find a magical cup. It's more interesting than Jamil would admit, and he makes a note to watch the first two movies of the series the next time they come here. By his side, Kalim is also invested, gasping every time the hero finds herself an inch from death, even though it's obvious he'll pull through.
While watching the hero fight against the bad guys (again), Jamil reaches for the popcorn, and his hand brushes against Kalim’s who has chosen that exact moment to eat too. Without his eyes leaving the screen or exchanging words, Jamil retracts his hand for a second to let Kalim take a fistful of popcorn first. There’s a barely audible crunch as Kalim eats the popcorn before Jamil hears a muffled voice – he guesses Kalim is thanking him, but with how loud the movie is, it's difficult to say for certain – and something sweet is shoved into his mouth. Jamil chokes on the popcorn and his vision grows watery as he swallows with difficulty. It takes all the restraint he has not to kick Kalim, and, instead, he presses against his master's ankle with the tip of his foot, hoping it'll serve as a warning, to which Kalim responds with a playful shove, sending popcorn all over the seat. Kalim mouths a small “sorry” in answer to Jamil's glare and they both return to the movie. (Maybe as another apology, a little more sincere this time, Kalim links their pinkies together and Jamil reluctantly accepts it – it's the best Kalim can do, he thinks.)
They're already quite far into the movie and the popcorn box placed between Kalim's thighs is already empty when the hero and a woman he saved a few minutes earlier start kissing. And continue. It's… long. Did the box say anything about it being that kind of movie? No, no, no, Kalim wouldn't have chosen something like that and Jamil would have noticed if anything about it was on the jacket… But still. The scene goes on for what seems like an eternity and Jamil looks away, cheeks burning. If he were at home with his parents, he could just go into the kitchen to fetch a drink, but he can't move when they stick that close to him.
His eyes wander in the darkness of the room for a minute before he decides he should turn the other way. Toward Kalim. Jamil can't be the only one feeling a little flustered. And while he can't mock him out loud, doing so in the privacy of his mind is usually enough to calm the stirring in his heart. He tunes out the too-loud saliva noises coming from the high-quality speakers as best as he can, thinks for a second about what kind of stupid face Kalim is making – probably hiding behind his hands, too immature to handle something like this – and huffs. Yes, that's exactly what Kalim would do. After a quick glance at the screen informs him that the scene is definitely not over and may go on for quite some time, he looks over at Kalim–
Who's absolutely not doing what he's just imagined. Jamil's breath hitches in his throat. He takes in the sight of Kalim intently watching the screen, eyes shining and lips slightly parted. Under the bright lights of the movie, Jamil can see his reddened cheeks and a few crumbs of popcorn around his mouth and on his lips (and for once, it doesn't make him want to nag Kalim about cleaning himself). At that moment, Jamil becomes acutely aware of too many things at once – of the wet sounds echoing in the room, of how they're all alone in here, of how painfully dry his mouth is despite the can of soda in his hand, of their fingers still linked together, of their tangled legs–
“Jamil? Are you okay?”
He doesn't notice Kalim calling out to him until his master leans in, tapping his shoulder with his small hand and Jamil almost flinches at the contact. Of course, Kalim doesn't notice that. Placing his other hand on Jamil's nape, he forces him to lower his head to press their foreheads together.
“Nope, no fever,” he says. Then with a relieved smile, he asks, “Is the movie not interesting?”
“It's fine,” Jamil manages to croak out. “Just…”
He trails off. His usual deflections won't come out of his mouth and Kalim looks up at him with curiosity. Time flows painfully slowly as his brain tries to get him out of this situation, especially when the only thing his eyes can focus on is Kalim's lips. Without thinking, he mechanically raises his hand and wipes the popcorn crumbs off his master's mouth with his thumb. Soft.
“Eat properly.”
There's no hidden bite in his words. The tip of his finger is burning. He looks everywhere but at Kalim's face and the white screen.
“T-thanks!”
“The movie. It's still on,” is the only answer Jamil gives him before turning toward the screen.
The movie is interesting. Probably. Kalim gasps at every trial the hero goes through, pointing to the screen every now and then to attract Jamil's attention. And Jamil well… He can't actually concentrate on anything but Kalim's soft sugar-coated lips and sweet-smelling breath.
* * *
“Everyone, we'll start the movie in five minutes so those who haven't finished what you were doing, hurry up.”
“Yes, vice dorm leader!”
“I've brought lots of different flavors for the popcorn so don't hesitate to try them all!”
“Yes, dorm leader!”
The (expensive) television Kalim bought on impulse has proved itself pretty popular among the Scarabia students, leading to the creation of weekly movie nights. It's less of a hassle to organize than feasts, so Jamil gladly welcomes them… within limits. The list of vetoed movies is filled with things he and Kalim have already seen, and every new addition has to be approved by him. It's not that he doesn't trust the students – they all follow the dorm's motto dutifully – but he has to take into account everyone's preferences and dislikes. (Well, he still places a certain someone's favorites above others, but that's his job.)
Kalim drags him to the sofa he's claimed as theirs, at the back of the lounge room so they – only Jamil actually – can make sure everybody behaves. Once everyone is seated, Jamil nods at the third-year student holding the remote, and, with his Magical Pen, he turns off the lights. All conversations die down as the studio logo appears on the screen.
Jamil allows himself to relax once the first ten minutes pass, leaning against Kalim who's captivated by the movie. From time to time, Jamil is presented with a fistful of popcorn that he accepts, thankful that Kalim's feeding methods have changed a little over the years. As the movie finally picks up, Kalim shifts on the sofa, throwing his legs over Jamil's, eyes not leaving the television screen while Jamil adjusts himself so he won't fall to the floor if he decides to fall asleep.
There's a faint feeling nagging at the back of Jamil's mind telling him that he should be wary of this movie. Why? He's not exactly sure – of course, he knows the movie, has seen almost the whole series, and remembers the story beats, but why is it bothering him so much?
Then, the scene changes to a room in which the hero and a woman enter and everything comes flooding back into his mind. (In the long list of memories he banished into a deep corner of his mind, this one is simultaneously one of the most important and one of the worst.) The childish feeling of embarrassment that plagued him that day hits him in the back of the head with enough force to make him want to overblot again. Having Kalim draped all over him doesn't help, especially when he takes Jamil's hand in his to play with, blissfully ignorant of Jamil's predicament. He's not a kid anymore. His cheeks don't feel hot like they did back then and his eyes don't shy away from watching the scene anymore. No trace of the emotional turmoil he's feeling is visible on his face, he's sure of it.
Really, it should be alright. What he felt in the past is nothing but a bad memory now, and all that's left is second-hand embarrassment at how he acted back then. Nothing else. Kalim's feet rhythmically tap against the arm of the sofa as he throws a piece of popcorn into his mouth. Involuntarily, Jamil's eyes follow the movement, trailing down to his throat bobbing up and down when he finally swallows it.
On the screen, the scene has long since ended – it was much shorter than he remembers it being – but Jamil doesn't go back to watching the movie, not just yet. For some unknown (he knows unfortunately) reason, he can't quite tear his gaze off Kalim's lips, shiny with caramel and saliva from when he licked them earlier. It looks sticky. In other circumstances, Jamil would just wipe it off and leave things here. In these circumstances though, he can't do anything but stare as Kalim's tongue peeks from behind his lips when he yawns.
He still isn't looking at the screen when Kalim turns to face him, probably to joke about something happening in the movie that he's been not following for the past few minutes. He tugs on Jamil's hand, so the servant leans in to listen better. And then he waits for Kalim's lips to brush against his ear when he'll talk as usual, but it doesn't happen. Did he decide to continue the movie instead? Jamil raises his face to go back to how he was sitting, but before he can, something soft touches his lips, something that smells like caramel and sugar and a little salty. Kalim pulls back, a mischievous smile on his lips.
Jamil's first reaction is to squeeze his cheeks, ignoring Kalim's loud – too loud for where they are – protests that sound like a “You looked like you wanted to do that!” (and as soon as he makes out these words, he squeezes a little harder and Kalim yelps). His second reaction is to (mentally) cuss out Kalim for being so inconsiderate. His third is to curse him for making things Jamil can't do seem easy. And his fourth is to lean in, lick Kalim's lips (all the popcorn flavors mix together on his tongue), and kiss him.
At the front of the room, the student using the remote turns up the volume to the maximum.