Diva slips out of bed just as the first rays of the sun start to peek over the horizon.
He takes care with his movements so that he doesn't wake Sera up for a second time, making his way downstairs to the kitchen of the tiny home that they've been living in. It's been two months since their return to Cairo, two months since the Plana have disappeared from this world and two months since he's had much purpose in life. It could be worse, he supposes. Images of the Ring, cold and sharp in his hands flit briefly across his mind and he shudders. It could be so much worse. Body on autopilot, he sets about making a pot of coffee, his mind a thousand miles away, drifting listlessly from subject to subject.
He's brought back to reality when he finds his right index finger tracing over the brand on his arm.
Disgusted with himself, he flings his arm away. His sleep shirt's sleeves aren't long enough to cover the brand and right now he can't bare to look at it.
"Get it together," he mumbles to himself, busying himself with pouring a cup of coffee. "You're too old to be falling apart like this." Master Shin would scold him for acting in such a childish manner, for letting the past get to him so badly.
Master Shin isn't here though, a nasty voice in his brain reminds him. You're all alone again.
Diva snarls wordlessly, shaking his head to dislodge the traitorous thought. I'm not alone! He thinks fiercely. I still have Sera and Mani.
As it always does, the thought of his little sister and his best friend send a wave of calm over Diva. He takes a deep breath and a small sip of his coffee and thinks instead of Sera's cheerful giggles and of Mani cooking dinner for the three of them, taking all of his teasing in that good-natured stride he's so prone to have. He moves to sit down at the kitchen table, coffee cup clenched in his hands.
"You look terrible," a voice tells him. He looks up to see Mani standing at the foot of the staircase, concern written clearly on his face. "Do you feel alright Diva?"
"People seem to be fond of asking me that lately," he says dryly, setting his mug down. "I maintain that I'm fine; just had trouble sleeping last night."
Mani is quiet for a moment, turning that over in his mind. "Yes," he says slowly, "But a good conversation can be better than a good bed."
Diva huffs, amused despite the tiredness in his bones and the lingering unease in his heart. "And what on Earth does that mean?"
"It translates better in my language," Mani admits sheepishly, helping himself to a cup of coffee. "In essence, it means that talking out a problem with someone is more helpful than trying to ignore it."
Diva hums as he processes that. "I see," he says. "Allow me to respond with a proverb from my own language then: a friend advises in his interest, not yours."
Mani snorts into his coffee cup. "Diva!" He sputters, reaching for a napkin. Diva laughs as Mani wipes off his face, coughing a bit as he does so. "I was only trying to help!"
"I know," he says warmly. "You've always looked out for me Mani." Even back when-
Diva cuts that thought off before it strays down a dangerous past. He has no desire to reminisce about his life before this moment. Mani is still staring at him and Diva realizes he's waiting for a little bit more reassurance. "I'm fine," he says, holding his hand out to the other. After a moment of brief hesitation, Mani takes it in his own larger one and Diva squeezes it reassuringly. "I swear I'm just tired."
"Do you promise?" Mani asks him quietly. His gaze is intense, pinning Diva where he's sitting; Mani has always seemed to have a sixth sense when it comes to knowing when Diva is lying to him. It's both endearing and endlessly frustrating.
Diva says nothing, staring down at the table. His hand slides from Mani's own and he balls it up in his lap. "I..." he says, forcing the words out of his mouth. He'd sworn after everything that had happened with Kaiba that never again would he lie to Mani but he can't seem to force himself to tell the full truth. He keeps his head down, unable to meet the older boy's eyes. If he looks Mani in the eyes, his already frail resolve will shatter and he'll spill his guts out, and he's not willing to do that. Not yet, anyhow, not without sorting his thoughts out first.
"You don't have to tell me right now," Mani says. Diva risks glancing up; the other is still staring at him, though his face has softened somewhat. "But know that I'm here if you need someone to listen."
Diva has to swallow hard past the lump in his throat. He searches for the proper words to expresses his emotions and comes up short. "Dhanyavaad ." He finally settles on, slipping back into his native language. Thank you.
Mani smiles at him, reaching out to brush a strand of hair out of Diva's eyes. " Minimi ayidelemi ." You're welcome. Even after all these years, Diva remembers the few Amharic phrases Mani had taught him while both of them huddled together at night and pretended they weren't hungry.
They fall silent after that, Diva lost to his own tumultuous thoughts and Mani having learned from experience that pushing the other is an exercise in futility. Sera comes bounding down the stairs about a half an hour later, declaring loudly how hungry she is; Mani laughs and gets up too cook breakfast and Diva pushes the issue out of his mind for the time being.