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A ray of sunlight hit Malos square in the eyes, breaking him out of his deep slumber with a groan. Scrunching his eyes, he tries to swat away the light as he turns onto his side, arm extending out ahead of him. However, Malos only feels soft, rumpled sheets.
Drearily, Malos opens his eyes to a bed containing only him. He rubbed his eyes as he sits up, taking in his location.
The rays of what Malos tiredly guessed was a late morning shone through the window. He can hear the faint rumble of an engine below the room, and it helps Malos’ disorientated brain figure out where he is. In the corner of the room lay a neat pile of black armor, sitting next to a pile of silver armor.
Tiredly, Malos stares at the piles of armour, the silver pile in particular.
Suddenly, it hits for Malos and his eyes widen.
“...Oh, shit”.
Memories of the previous night rush at him suddenly in all of its stormy chaos, and Malos has to shake his head to push them all away. He glances back at the silver armor, observing the small gashes and scratches in the pristine armor that had accumulated over the years.
The man rubs at his temples in an attempt to alleviate his headache, before he shifts himself towards the edge of the bed. Normally, he’d change into something not worn by sleep before exiting his room, but right now he doesn’t really care.
He’s about to get up, but before he could, the door opened and he watches as Jin quietly creeps inside. Jin quietly closes the door behind him and turns around to notice Malos watching him.
He let out a soft gasp, but quickly recovered, “Ah, Malos…” He began, then cleared his throat, “Good morning”.
“...Mornin’ Jin”
Jin walks over to the bedside and sits down besides Malos. He looks down at the plate in Jin’s hands, then looks back up at him.
“Breakfast,” Jin states, but when Malos only gives him a questioning glance, he sighs, “For you, Malos”.
“Ahh...thanks, Jin.” Malos reaches over to take the plate from Jin. As he does so, his hand barely brushes over Jin’s, but the slight touch brings a sudden ache in his heart and he has to look away as he takes the plate.
It’s silent as Malos starts eating, neither of them bothering to strike up a conversation. Almost hesitantly, Malos glances over to Jin. The man is looking down at his knees, and Malos can barely see his expression through his curtain of silver hair. Malos freezes in place as he observes Jin. From what he can see, Jin’s eyes are narrowed slightly and his lips are pursed in concentration, bearing a look in what Malos recognizes as concentration. As Malos stares on, he hears a small voice in the back of his mind pointing out how elegant he looks, and Malos finds his gaze drifting back to Jin’s face-
“Malos? Is something wrong?”
Malos is startled out of his daydream by Jin looking at him, confused. Jin’s icy blue eyes are staring at his own gray ones, and he can’t stop himself from staring into them…
A hand squeezes his shoulder and Malos curses at himself for losing himself in Jin once again. Jin’s expression has changed from confused to concerned, and it hurts Malos to acknowledge the man’s concern for him.
“Malos…” Jin begins, “Are you alright?”
He turns away from Jin, looking down at his discarded plate of food he’d set aside on the small table besides his bed. “I’m fine” he answers, blunty.
“I see…” Jin pulls his hand away (Malos finds himself missing Jin’s touch) and looks away. It’s silent again until Jin quietly speaks up.
“...You haven’t been acting like yourself recently. If something has happened, you can tell me.”
Malos doesn’t respond to this, but he does have the courtesy to hum a response. In all honesty, Malos doesn’t usually feel uncomfortable sharing his thoughts to Jin, given the mutual trust they’d built up in one another over the long years. This time however…
Malos feels a soft hand on his cheek, and he finds his face being pushed towards Jin. He stares at Jin, and feels a sense of longing that Malos now realizes may be the source of his troubles.
Jin studies his face for a moment, before he sighs.
“Malos...how’re you feeling? You seemed a little out of it...”.
Malos blinks before he rubs his forehead, trying to force the headache, “Ah, it’s fine. Have a slight headache but nothing else”
Jin nods. “That’s good. I’m glad...it could’ve been so much worse…”
Malos hummed as he got lost in his thoughts. The previous night, the two were out of the Monoceros on a small mission. They recently learned of a transaction taking place between the Indoline forces and an unknown entity within Tantal. The two co-leaders of Torna took it upon themselves to investigate the matter, seeing that the other three members were around various parts of Alrest gathering information or performing tasks that’ll aid them in the long run.
Although there was a slight snowstorm, neither of them were deterred by the weather and had made the trek. Or at least, they attempted to. They had started to climb onto the upper levels via the ruins scattered around when the storm had suddenly picked up.
Malos distinctly remembered the harsh winds that bit at his skin as he struggled to keep his balance. He had managed to look over and saw Jin struggling to keep himself upright, looking disorientated and unaware. Being an ice blade, Jin had a natural weakness to wind that bit at him despite the snow flowing around them both. Malos remembered fighting the wind to get to him, but said winds had pushed himself into Jin and knocked them both onto the ground.
Malos looked back at him, eyes failing to hide his concern, “And you?”
Jin blinked, “Me?”
“Yes, you”, Malos sighed.
Jin stayed silent for a moment. When he spoke, it was quiet: “...I’m fine, Malos”.
Malos wasn’t buying it, “Are you sure, Jin?”
“Yes, I am”.
Malos gave him a doubtful glance, but said nothing otherwise. When Malos pushed himself off of the ground in his memory, he found himself face-to-face with Jin, whose face was contorted in a pained expression.
At least it was, until he opened his eyes and stared wide-eyed at Malos.
Malos had found himself unable to move away from him as feelings Malos refused to surface appeared from the back of his mind, simply from the sheer closeness of the two. For longer than Malos was exactly sure of, he felt something for the man whenever he saw him, watched him act in that fierce grace that defined him, and that Malos found simply admirable.
When Jin’s crystal started glowing and Malos felt the both of them wrapped in a protective shield of ether, he realized at that moment that Jin was the most amazing sight he had ever seen in his life.
The trek back was a long and hard one. Once they got up, they attempted to fight the wind as they hiked back from where they came. Even with Jin’s protective shield, the wind bit at them harshly and weakened them both. Jin’s ether was powerful but its impact on his body was just as strong, and before long Jin had faltered, the shield fading away and exposing both to the icy wind once more. As Malos frantically pulled them both back to shelter, he held Jin close to him, whispering things to him and feeling things he can’t remember clearly now at the moment.
Back in the present, Malos grew flustered as he recalled what he could. Their closeness felt intimate in a way they never were before, and while a part of Malos deep inside wanted to be so close to Jin, he realized with a start that their proximity that night was something typically reserved for those in a sort of relationship that they didn’t have.
“...Jin, what happened last night?”
Jin turned to him, surprised.
“You don’t remember…?”
“I do, it’s just…” Malos pauses, “Everything after we got back is a bit hazy”.
Jin stays quiet for a brief moment, before he speaks: “The first thing you did was help me to the rejuvenation pod. I’m not sure how long I was in there, but when I awoke you were there”.
“Makes sense”, Malos states. “I’m always waiting for you”.
“Yes, but…” Jin pauses, “Malos, you were exhausted. Had you even healed yourself?”
Malos pauses for a moment and tried to remember. Did he?
“I, uh…” he got out before Jin scoots a little closer.
“And that’s exactly why I asked if you were alright”.
Malos slowly gives him a gentle smile, as he hesitantly brushes his hand over Jin’s. “Well, I’m alright now, Jin”. When he gave him an unconvinced look, he sighed. “Mostly. Have a headache but I’ll be fine. I couldn’t just leave you alone, Jin”.
He pauses, then laughs, “Guess that’s why it was hazy! Damn blizzard made me tired as hell”.
“Seems so”, Jin replies, amused. He tries to stifle a chuckle and gives him a small smile, which Malos finds all too endearing.
He glances over to the armor piles on the table, and Malos suddenly realizes something important that he didn’t consider until now.
“Jin?” Malos begins, “Why is your armor here?”
Jin freezes and looks away before Malos could see his cheeks heat up slightly.
“Jin?”
He keeps his eyes down and Malos has to strain himself to hear Jin’s voice, “...You wanted me to spend the night with you”.
Malos stares at him, blinking, until he realizes what Jin just said. When he does, Malos’ eyes widen. Oh. So that’s why both of them were acting so odd towards each other before.
Malos stammers, almost unlike himself, “Jin, w-what-?”
“After I woke up and saw how exhausted you were, I offered to take you to your room. Once we got there though…” Jin pauses, his mouth opening and closing as if debating whether to continue.
Noticing his hesitance, Malos tries to edge him on: “Jin? You...you can tell me. It’s okay, right?” But a voice told him no this isn’t “okay”, how uncomfortable did I make him? What did I do? Is he upset at me now? Oh shit does he hate me? Does he-
Jin breaks Malos out of his thoughts as he begins speaking again, “...You said that you didn’t want me to leave. You had asked me to...stay with you. Spend the night in your room”.
Malos’ throat went dry as he slowly remembered everything. He had asked Jin to stay the night, he did say he didn’t want Jin to leave.
He told his only friend in the damned world how much he loved and cared for him.
They a close relationship built up over the long years they’d shared together, but this was nearly crossing a line that Malos didn’t want to cross, under the assumption that Jin wouldn’t want this, that’d he’d be upset, that he’d leave him because his heart still belonged to his Driver’s and always will be.
“So I...did. Malos, truly…” He turns to look at Malos, his soft smile making Malos’ heart ache . “I’m glad I was able to help you feel comfortable. I just hope you felt the same way”.
...That did it for Malos. The dam he’d been holding up finally breaks, and Malos can’t stop himself from speaking his mind any longer.
“Jin, do you even understand how I feel?”
Jin seems surprised, his blue eyes widened and stared at him, gaping. “W-wha…?”
“For so long now, I’ve felt this... feeling that I’m not even sure I can properly convey to you. But hell, what I said last night was true. I don’t want you to leave me Jin, I want to stay by your side, always”.
“M-malos, what-?”
“I admire you Jin. You’re strong and brave, but you’re so damn reckless and you know how it made me feel? To see you trying to help me, but at the cost of your own health? How, in that Father-damned storm, I had to watch you weaken yourself until we could get back? Jin, I stay with you because I need to know you’re safe, that when you wake up, you know someone’s here for you too.”
He pauses and lets out a shaky breath. Jin is staring at him, his expression shocked. Malos grimaces; he can’t stop now. Might as well finish this.
“Jin, I care about you. I don’t want you to leave me; I need you, especially after everything that’s happened to us”.
Finished, Malos turns away, looking at his hands in shame. He couldn’t look at Jin, not wanting to see the contempt Jin must be harboring for him now that he-
He feels himself being tugged, and Malos finds himself enveloped in toned arms, silver hair brushing up against his cheek and neck. Jin’s hands lay on his shoulder blades, two of his fingers rubbing comforting circles into his back. Malos is stiff, unable to comprehend what Jin’s doing, especially after what he just told him.
“Malos”, Jin whispers, “How long have you…?” His voice is laced with sadness and concern, and Malos finds himself wrapping Jin in his arms.
“...For a long time”.
They stay in their embrace for an unknown amount of time for both of them, feeling the warm comfort and affection wrapped in each other’s arms. Soon, Jin gently pulls away from Malos and looks him directly in his eyes, “Oh, Malos…” He takes a deep breath and continues, “Know that I...feel the same, Malos. Truly, I do”.
Malos gapes at him and Jin can’t help but smile softly at his reaction. “I may not show it, but you mean so much to me and I’m sorry I’ve never shown it to you… It may have eased your concerns if I had been more transparent. Though it doesn’t matter now, does it?” Jin takes a deep breath of his own, “I care for you too Malos. After everything we’ve been through, how could I not?”
They’re both silent as they process the other’s words, trying to calm their hearts in the process. After a moment, Malos gently reaches up to gently brush a strand of hair that was covering Jin’s face, “You really mean it?”
Jin gives Malos’ shoulder a squeeze, “I do”.
Malos blinks, then slowly he begins to laugh. Jin blinks at him, confused, but then Malos pulls him close and Jin is rewarded with a stress-free, gleeful Malos laughing delightfully. Jin can’t help but let out a chuckle of his own in response. Malos takes his hand and after a brief moment of consideration, brings it to his lips in a gentle kiss. As Malos does this, he can feel Jin’s lips turn into a smile.
Malos threads a hand through Jin’s hair as he gently tugs his head forward, letting his forehead rest against the other’s. Malos’ eyes are half-lidded and his is sporting as gentle and loving a smile as he could.
“Jin…” Malos whispers, and his eyes glance downwards slightly. He glances back at Jin’s eyes, and he sees no discomfort, but longing instead.
Malos takes a chance to lean in, and he can feel Jin’s breath on his lips. “May I…?” Malos trails off.
“You may”, Jin answers simply, and it’s all that Malos needs.
Jin’s lips feels soft and delicate, though they also feel dry, but Malos can only love the feeling. He feels Jin shiver and he holds Jin’s waist, loving this feeling and loving Jin even more.
Both separate after a moment, and they take the opportunity to catch their breaths and calm their racing hearts. They lean into each other’s heads as they take each other’s hand, enjoying their company together.
“...Y’know Jin…” Malos quietly states and Jin blinks up at him, “I didn’t think I’d be here right now with you this morning, but Father damn it I’m not complaining one bit”.
Jin actually snorts and Malos finds it absolutely adorable, “And I didn’t think my bringing you food would’ve...well…” He trails off. Malos lets out a hearty laugh and pulls Jin into another kiss, warm and as loving as the first.
Malos pulls away from Jin and says, “By the way, the food was great. Did you make it?”
Jin nods, “I did”.
Malos smiles and reaches up to kiss his Core Crystal, “It tasted amazing, Jin”.
Jin returns his smile and as he gently races a finger along his broken Core Crystal, Malos feels at peace and truly for the first time in his life.
Sharing it with Jin felt absolutely wonderful, and Malos couldn’t get enough of the man he loves. And as he learns, Jin, despite all his turmoils and anguish over his beloved Driver and everything he’s been through, feels exactly the same.