Chapter Text
Jamil doesn’t remember the moment he met his soulmate. Or at least, that’s what he tells people. It happened when he was nine years old. Kalim and his family had been vacationing in a seaside town off the coast of the coral sea. Naturally, being Kalim’s servant Jamil had been there too.
“Jamil, come and play!” Kalim shouted from where he was cheerily splashing in the ocean.
Jamil sighed, as much as he would like to play around right now, he was still technically on the job and he really didn’t feel like going back to work soaking wet. He gave Kalim an exasperated head shake. “No, Kalim. I’m working.”
“Aww.” Kalim made a pouty face and gave his best impression of puppy dog eyes, which were way too effective in Jamil’s opinion. “Please?”
Jamil felt a bit of amusement bubble up, but before he could call out another refusal, he felt a firm hand grip his shoulder. He looked up into the face of his father. “Just do as he says, son. Remember he’s your master not your friend.”
Jamil’s amusement soured into bitterness. Why did only Kalim’s feelings matter, even to his own parents? It wasn’t fair. He took a deep breath and shoved the bitterness down, trying to smooth out his expression. No use getting another lecture about being too emotional. “Yes, Father.”
Luckily he was wearing light clothing, so it wouldn’t be terribly difficult to swim in. He kicked off his sandals and ran out in the water towards Kalim.
Jamil and Kalim played in the water for a long time, slashing each other and racing in the water. Jamil soon found himself having a bit of fun despite his earlier sour mood. It was hard to hold on to anger in the face of Kalim’s bright smile and joyful giggles. Sometimes, Jamil wished they could be actual friends.
“Ahh” Kalim suddenly slipped and fell under the water. Startled, Jamil swam forward to help, but before he could get there Kalim was resurfacing. He coughed and sputtered, spitting sea water out of his mouth.
“Are you alright?” Jamil asked.
“Yeah, yeah! I just slipped on a rock or something.” Kalim wiped the water out of his face. “Ow!”
He pulled back his hand and looked at it.
“What’s wrong?” Jamil asked, “Are you hurt?”
“Ah, it’s just a little cut. No big deal.” Kalim held out his hand and showed Jamil a jagged cut that was bleeding slightly. “I’ll go and get it bandaged. Be right back.”
Kalim turned and headed back for the shore. Jamil started to follow. “I’ll come with you.”
“No, no!” Kalim waved him off, “You can stay, I’ll be right back.”
Jamil stopped and debated with himself if he should ignore Kalim. His parents were always on about doing whatever Kalim said, but surely they’d also be pissed if he just let Kalim wander off with an injury that he could help him with. In his indecisiveness, Kalim had already made it mostly back to the shore and Jamil decided that following him was no longer worth it. His parents would probably be pissed no matter what he did.
He sighed and lay on his back to float. He stared at the sky and let himself drift along wherever the current wanted to take him. Suddenly, he felt the current pick up and start dragging him further out to sea. He panicked and flailed, his head dipping under the water as he lost his bearings.
The next few moments were a blur of rushing water and struggling limbs and burning lungs as he tried to right himself and resurface. The pain in his lungs became too great to bear and he gasped, taking in a breathful of water. His movement slowed and the darkness crept in, his mind was overwhelmed with fear and the last thing he thought was that he didn’t want to die. He’d never even gotten to experience his own life.
°‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡
Jamil came to violently coughing up large amounts of water. He felt someone turn him on his side and pat his back. A voice he didn’t recognize was telling him that he was okay and everything was going to be alright. After a bit, Jamil finished coughing out the water and started taking in desperate breaths of oxygen. Strong, gentle hands turned him on his back again and carefully pushed strands of his hair out of his face.
“There you go. You’re alright.” The unknown voice said with relief. Jamil blinked his eyes open and squinted at the harsh light. There was someone leaning over him, but Jamil could hardly make them out through the blurriness. He tried to blink away the water from his eyes to clear out his vision. But the only thing he could make out was blue skin and a smile full of sharp teeth.
“Who..” He managed to get out, his voice rough after coughing so much.
The person giggled and closed his hand around Jamil’s wrist and said in a playful tone, “Your soulmate, I guess.”
What?! Jamil was so startled he started coughing again.
“Jamil!” There were suddenly voices calling out his name not too far away.
“Oh, they got closer. I have to go, I'm not supposed to be here.”
Jamil felt the hand around his wrist tighten. “Come back to this spot tomorrow. I’ll wait for you.”
The pressure left his wrist and Jamil felt the presence by his side leave.
“Wait!” He called and tried to reach out for his apparent soulmate, but he was too slow in sitting up and only caught a glimpse of a tail splashing the surface of the water as his mysterious merman savior dived under the water.
His mind was still reeling from almost drowning and then apparently meeting his soulmate, who turned out to be a merman. He finally looked down at his wrist to find that his soulmate tattoo had actually manifested. It was a small eel that circled gracefully around his wrist, in the exact spot that the other boy had held onto. That merman really was his soulmate. He gazed at it in awe.
It was just then that he was found by a frantic Kailm.
“Jamil! You’re okay!” Kalim ran forward and wrapped his arms around Jamil, hugging him tightly and crying in relief.
Jamil was too distracted staring at his soulmate tattoo. Kalim noticed his distraction and also looked at his wrist before gasping and grabbing his hand to pull it closer.
“You found your soulmate!” Kalim exclaimed, running his fingers over the tattoo. He looked up and turned his head around. “Was it them who saved you? Where are they?”
At Kalim’s questioning a cold dread settled over Jamil. To be honest, he’d never really considered what meeting his soulmate would mean. Would his soulmate also be forced into servitude to the Asim family once they found out who he was. But, he was a merman. No way would he happily agree to serve a bunch of strangers for the rest of his life. Especially since they normally lived so far away from the ocean. Jamil couldn’t– no wouldn’t ask that of his soulmate. It wasn't fair, but then again such few things in his life were, so why would having a soulmate be any different.
Jamil firmly decided then that he and his soulmate could never meet again. His soulmate had gifted him with another chance at life and by not pursuing him Jamil felt he was returning the favor the only way he knew how, by giving his soulmate the freedom Jamil so desperately desired for himself.
“I don’t know. I don’t remember anything.” Jamil answered Kalim. It would always be his answer when anyone asked about his soulmate.
He didn’t go to the beach the next day and for any of the rest of the days that they were on vacation. It was a relief when they finally went back to Silk City. The farther away he got from the ocean the easier it was to let his resolve harden,until he was burying the memories of soft touches and playful voices deep in his heart. From then on he did his best to make what he told everyone else true. He didn’t remember his soulmate.