Diabound had awoken early that morning, impending thoughts preying on his mind and keeping him from Malik's side. Instead, he'd taken up shelter in the kitchen, tearing at sandwich ham a bit harsher than necessary. "Mmph...stupid..."

Malik had been out cold for the night, and was still sleeping, soundly, though lightly. He was curled beneath the blankets in the absence of Diabound's warmth, and made noises every now and then.

Finally growing tired of meat he couldn't tear to shreds with his teeth - presliced, tche, what genius thought THAT up? - Diabound moved back to the bedroom, sighing at the sight of Malik. He moved to sit on the edge of the bed, grumbling slightly.

Malik stretched in his sleep, making a noise that could have resembled a mewl as he felt weight shift on the bed. He didn't wake; he kept sleeping as though he was dead.

Diabound watched Malik move, a small smile creeping onto his face before he forced it back down again. He was NOT attached to Malik. Not in the slightest. Which was why this was going to be easy. Yep. Standing again, Diabound moved to open one of his drawers, popping up the false bottom to run his hands over the Sennen Ring beneath. His Ring. Sighing, he quickly put it away again before he found the urge to wear it.

Malik was finally roused from his sleep by the noises Diabound had made opening the drawers. He blinked sleepily, sitting up, hair mussed and kohl smudged.

Quickly closing the drawer again before Malik was up completely, Diabound smirked at him. "Morning, sleepyhead. You look like a wreck."

Malik blinked at Diabound again, his vision bleary as he pulled the blankets up and around his body more. "Touché, Bunny. You've got meat in-between your teeth," he pointed out, yawning.

Diabound rolled his eyes, tongue prying the morsel free quickly as he moved to sit beside Malik on the bed. "I wake you up?"

"No, my dreams full of raunchy sex did." Malik smirked faintly, leaning against Diabound a little.

Diabound snickered, draping an arm over Malik. "What, real life isn't enough for you? Maybe I have turned you into a sex kitten."

Malik purred softly, resting his head on Diabound's shoulder. "Well, I suppose it's one of those subconscious things."

"Oh?" Diabound reached up to brush the bangs from Malik's face. "So, I'm just so sexy, that you can't resist sleeping with me whether you're sleeping or awake?"

"Your dream self is much more appealing," Malik half-teased, smirking faintly as he leaned into the touch.

"Yeah, right." Diabound grinned. "Unless he's some sort of god, I doubt that." Stroking Malik's cheek lightly for a moment, Diabound sighed, settling down.

"Aha. Very funny." Malik snorted lightly, crawling into Diabound's lap.

Diabound held Malik close, gazing at him for a moment as he absently stroked his hair.

Malik blinked at Diabound, stroking his cheek. "You okay?"

"Mm? Yeah, fine," Diabound said quickly, leaning into the touch.

Malik quirked an eyebrow, kissing Diabound's nose lightly. "If you're sure..."

Diabound leaned in to kiss his lips lightly. "Quite sure."

Malik stroked Diabound's hair, gazing at him intently. "What were you doing when I woke up?" he asked inquisitively.

Diabound gazed at Malik, keeping his expression steady. "Waiting for you to wake up."

"No, you weren't." Malik's brow furrowed as he tried to make some sense of it. "I know what I heard."

"And what did you hear?" Diabound quirked an eyebrow.

"A drawer," Malik said flatly.

Diabound shrugged. "Just making sure we had enough lube."

Malik blinked, and then snorted with laughter.

Diabound stared at Malik blankly, obviously missing the joke. "...what's so funny?"

Malik couldn't keep the silly grin off his face. "You."

"Gee, thanks." Diabound rolled his eyes, though he couldn't resist a small smirk.

"Not in a bad way." Malik flopped on his back, stretching again and hearing some joints pop.

Diabound eyed Malik for a moment before he moved over him, straddling his waist. "Thanks, I think," he said with a smirk.

Malik blinked, prodding Diabound's hip. "I was stretching," he protested, pouting.

"And looking very alluring while doing so," Diabound teased, leaning down to nose at his jaw. "Mm..."

Malik nuzzled against Diabound, purring softly. "I think it's that gift you were talking about."

Diabound toyed with Malik's hair. "Guess so," he whispered. "But, you know..." Indulging in Malik's scent, he nearly lost track of what he was saying, sighing softly. "...I think we need that lube, now..."

Malik frowned a little, touching Diabound's cheek. "You're acting strange..."

"Am I?" Diabound murmured, nuzzling Malik lightly.

"Yeah. I don't know what it is, though." Malik's eyes were curious as he spoke.

Diabound sighed softly, moving to gaze at Malik. After a moment, he found himself incapable of spinning any sort of story, and he sighed again, resting his forehead against Malik's. "I'm going somewhere..."

Malik opened his mouth to speak, closing it again when he couldn't form any words. "Why?" he murmured, bringing a hand up to Diabound's cheek.

Diabound leaned into the touch. "There's something I need to do," he breathed. "I'll be back, but..."

Malik's nails dug into Diabound's skin without his knowing, an expression flitting across his features. "How long?"

Diabound sighed. "About a month. That should be enough time...and then I'll come back..."

"A month?" Malik's chest tightened a bit, though he didn't have a clue as to why. "What are you going to do?"

"I just need to look for something..." Diabound's fingers brushed over Malik's cheek. "But I promise I'll come back as soon as I find it..." He smirked weakly. "Now I have a reason..."

"Reason?" Malik's brow furrowed again as he interlaced their fingers, trying not to look too upset.

Diabound pressed a kiss to Malik's temple. "I have a reason to come back...I don't think I ever had that before..." His smirk was shaky, almost a smile.

"What? What is it? Causing trouble?" Malik was truly baffled, though curious at the same time. Diabound's expression struck him as strange.

Diabound chuckled softly, leaning in to whisper, "You, beautiful."

Malik's mouth fell open. Once again, he found himself unable to find words to express himself.

Diabound gently stroked Malik's cheek. "I'll come back to you," he whispered.

Malik snapped out of it, and suddenly threw his arms around Diabound's neck, sighing. "If you don't die, I'll kill you myself."

Diabound gave a small chuckle, holding Malik tightly. "I'll hold you to that."

Malik smirked faintly, burying his nose in Diabound's hair. "... I'll miss you," he admitted reluctantly after a few moments.

Diabound paused for a moment before he stroked Malik's hair. "Miss you, too," he mumbled into Malik's shoulder.

Malik closed his eyes with a sigh, tightening his hold a bit. "I think we're as bad as each other."

"Maybe we're made for each other, that way," Diabound breathed.

"I want to believe that," Malik murmured, a hand threading through Diabound's hair.

Diabound leaned into the touch, gazing at him. "We both have our scars...and our pasts..." He smirked faintly. "Our sexiness..."

Malik arched an eyebrow, smirking faintly as well. "What do you know about my past? Or I about yours?"

"Exactly." Diabound grinned faintly, nuzzling him. "We're both mysteries to each other."

"Being cryptic never was a good thing." A slight smile tugged at Malik's lips as he ran both hands through Diabound's hair.

Diabound paused a moment before smirking. "Then, how about this. When I get back...we'll tell each other everything."

"That could take a while." Malik smirked faintly, brushing his bangs from his eyes.

"We'll live." Diabound leaned in to kiss Malik's hand lightly.

Malik gazed at Diabound intently, fingers grazing the other's cheek. "I will definitely miss you," he murmured.

Diabound leaned into the touch, gazing at him. "And I'll miss you," he breathed. "Looks like we're getting attached, beautiful...I wonder if it's a bad thing..."

"With your reputation, and mine, it's probably a bad one," Malik murmured, though his eyes were longing for a different truth.

Diabound brushed his thumb under Malik's eye. "Then I guess we'll have to be rebels and say it's not..."

Malik closed his eyes briefly, before gazing at Diabound almost sadly. "I want to be with you," he whispered.

Diabound swallowed a lump in his throat as he gazed at Malik, unfamiliar feelings bubbling up in him. "Be with me...?"

"I just... do." Malik swallowed, growing frustrated with his inability to express himself. "You aren't like anyone else... None of them understand."

"No kidding," Diabound said, a hint of a smile in his eyes. Leaning in, he brushed his lips over Malik's cheek. "I want to be with you, too," he whispered. "I've never...wanted to stick with someone as much as I do now..."

Malik closed his eyes at the touch, revelling in the warmth of it. "Then do what you have to do so we can be together," he murmured, eyes flicking open after a moment.

Diabound's lips trailed to Malik's ear as he murmured, "I promise." Nosing his ear for a moment, Diabound held him close.

Malik's hands were fisted in Diabound's shirt as he fell silent, unsure of why or how he was feeling like this.

Diabound almost felt as though they were trapped in a haze in time, his lips travelling down Malik's neck slowly, memorizing each curve with careful precision. As he moved to ease off Malik's shirt, he continued to kiss any skin he could reach, his touches far less forceful and animalistic than usual.

Malik's breath caught in his throat as he felt Diabound's lips upon his skin, a small gasp escaping him. He swallowed, tossing the shirt aside, lacking his usual, teasing smirk.

Diabound continued at this pace and mindset, his every touch light but not teasing as usual, memorizing Malik's skin with his lips.

Malik moaned breathily, quietly as he threaded his fingers through Diabound's hair, relishing in the rare gentleness.

Diabound continued to move lower, slowly working Malik's pants down, eyes half-lidded with a haze of whatever was surrounding them, keeping them away from the outside world.

Malik closed his own eyes, drifting into a quiet dream all their own. The shivers that ran down his spine reminded him that it was indeed reality and not a vision.

Diabound continued, each motion gentle, each touch experimental as he kissed, stripped and held Malik in a passage of time outside of time.

A sense of calm that entwined with sensuality settled inside Malik's mind, his heart racing at the same time it slowed. He'd lost himself in Diabound's touches, and wanted nothing more than to be close to him.

Diabound continued each motion with almost practiced ease, somehow managing to find lube without breaking from the haze they were in. Their bubble kept them safe as he prepared Malik once more, kissing him softly, pleadingly, and, though he'd never let himself know it, lovingly.

Incoherent words were emitted with sudden pinpricks of white in Malik's vision as he relaxed completely, feeling a strange connection with the other on a higher level that beckoned him to feel at ease.

Diabound's gaze found Malik's and he lost himself to the violet of Malik's eyes. His mind nearly seemed to become distended, separate from his body, which continued to prepare Malik and himself for the most intimate connection they had. "Malik..." he whispered.

Malik heard a hushed voice calling him and slowly slipped from his reverie, eyes glazed with lust and his temporary trance-like state. "Diabound...?" he breathed.

Diabound leaned in, their lips grazing together as he slipped his fingers free of Malik once more. Against his lips, he mouthed the words his body wouldn't let him say: 'I love you.'

At that moment, Malik wasn't sure if he'd been hallucinating, or if it were just the heat of the moment that made him think he'd been told something silently. Hesitantly allowing it to drop, he returned the kiss affectionately, his throat tight.

Diabound returned the kiss slowly, letting his panic over the words he'd nearly said fall away to the warmth Malik was giving him. Strangely, it had felt almost good to half-say it...but it wouldn't happen again. Pushing such thoughts out of his mind, Diabound started to ease into Malik, kissing him deeply.

Malik's reaction to the intrusion escaped him through the kiss; back arching a little as he felt himself slipping back into the peaceful state of mind he'd been in before. His immediate response was a quiet moan, the hesitation dissipating. Diabound...

As the hazy silence returned, Diabound let his head fall to Malik's shoulder, slowly rocking in and out of him with a gentleness he hadn't shown as of yet. Malik...

Malik felt himself losing touch with reality with every sharp intake of breath and choked gasp of Diabound's name. Diabound's scent invaded his senses as he buried his face in the other's hair, feeling their connection deepening.

Diabound moaned and shook slightly as his motions started to quick, though never losing their gentle edge. Every breath carried Malik's scent, every move their skin pressed together, every moan his name...Diabound nearly lost himself.

"Diabound... Diabound..." Malik felt himself breathing the other's name over and over, as though it was some kind of sacred prayer. Between his ragged breaths, he vaguely felt warmth pooling in his stomach, and he gasped.

Diabound shivered, Malik's name joining Malik's breathy chant as he pressed soft kisses to the other's neck. A similar heat was building deep within him, and he distantly felt himself close to completion.

Malik was finally pushed off the edge and cried out quietly, in contrast to his usual, vocal scream - his fingernails scraped across Diabound's back as everything went white, and their connection seemed to plummet to a whole other level.

Diabound followed quickly, his body shaking with release as he held onto Malik tightly, as though for dear life. When, at last, he felt it subside, he slowly opened his eyes, gazing at Malik. "Malik...."

Malik's fingers were already brushing against Diabound's cheek, his eyes gentle as he gazed back at Diabound. His chest was rising and falling with his laboured breathing, but it didn't break the spell he seemed to be under.

Diabound leaned into the touch, moving to brush their lips together once more. Silent for a bit, he let the effect settle, his breath calming, before he finally shifted and eased free of him. "I should get ready..."

Malik pressed his lips together firmly to keep from protesting, or saying something else. Instead, he shifted into a sitting position, fighting not to... cry? After a moment like they'd just had, he found it extremely hard to not just succumb to the childish need to allow tears to flow freely. "Yeah," he murmured.

Diabound caught the fact that Malik's eyes were starting to water, and he swiftly kissed Malik once more. "Help me? The faster I get it done, the sooner I can leave and the sooner I can come back..."

Malik hastily wiped at his eyes with the back of a hand, scowling at himself a bit. Crying is for the weak, he growled to himself, before he sighed resignedly and slid off the bed. "Do you need to pack?"

Diabound nodded. "And shower." He moved to squeeze Malik's hand lightly with his own before he started gathering his things, silently. Things would be a bit awkward until he left, and he wouldn't feel utterly comfortable again until he could return to Malik - this fact both shocked and excited him at the same time, and left him needing to cover up such emotions in packing.

Malik watched Diabound silently for a moment, before he moved to help as well, sighing. It would be a long time before he'd feel completely at ease again, and he doubted time without Diabound would be easy - though, he figured he'd live.