A/N: Again, since this is in 1st person POV, this is from Malik's POV. And, someday, I will start updating regularly. I think. I hope. U.u

Tainted – Part Four

I rolled over in bed and grabbed my lighter and pack of cigarettes off of the nightstand. Drawing one cylindrical stick out, I stuck it between my lips and flipped the lighter on, a small flame illuminating my hand in the near darkness. I brought it up to the tip of the cigarette and watched as it caught fire, snapping the lighter shut as I took a long drag. I let the toxins circle around in my lungs and soothe my nerves before I released them in a slow breath.

He made a face next to me and waved his hand in front of his face as if to banish the smoke and odor. "You smoke too much."

"And you drink like a fish," I replied before taking another drag. "We each have our bad habits."

"I suppose."

The night was warm, seeing as it was nearing summer. The sheets clung to our bodies uncomfortably and his skin was sticky with sweat and heat, as was mine. I turned my head to watch him and he let out a sigh as he brushed damp bangs away from his forehead.

"What time is it?" he asked.

I glanced over at the clock sitting next to my cigarettes and squinted to read the hands in the dim lighting. I wasn't fortunate enough to have a digital one with luminous numbers. "Two fifty-something."

"I should be going." But rather than leaving, he pushed his nude body closer to mine, his long legs sliding over my own.

I wrapped my free arm around him and played with the long hair that brushed against his back. My fingers threaded through the fine strands and twirled them absently. Soon they caught on a knot and I worked gently to untangle it. "Why?"

"I have class later this morning." His face had wedged its way into the crook of my neck and his lips ghosted across my skin as he spoke.

"Don't go."

He shifted and pushed himself onto his upper arms, climbing fully over me. His smaller body settled down over mine, but he kept his weight on his forearms and gazed down at me. His eyes appeared obsidian in contrast to his pale skin and I lost myself in their depths. "I'll risk losing my current grade if I don't do well on the next test."

"And will that really matter so much?"

"I might flunk out of med school 'cause of it."

I arched an eyebrow at that piece of information. "You're a medical student?"

"What of it?" He had lowered his head and was tracing his tongue down my neck, the touch teasing and distracting.

"It just doesn't seem like you, 'Kura."

He stopped in his ministrations as I spoke. "Don't call me that."

"Why not?"

"Just don't want you to."

To silence any further inquiries, he pressed his lips against mine, tongue forcing entry into my mouth. I let him kiss me and ran my fingers along his spine gently, listening to the soft purr in his throat. I wouldn't have pressed for more information, but I certainly wasn't against his method of silencing me. Although I was curious now as to why the name irked him so much.

When he pulled away, he licked at the saliva left on his lips and made another face. "You taste gross."

I brought what was left of my cigarette to my mouth and took a long drag before letting the smoke billow out into his face. He coughed and smacked my shoulder while I laughed. "Malik!"

"Your fault for kissing me while I was in the middle of a stick."

"Whatever."

We just lay together in silence afterwards, me finishing up my cig and him entertaining himself by tracing invisible patterns on my skin. I listened to the sound of his breathing and focused on the way his breath warmed my neck as I put out the cigarette in the ashtray.

"You know," he mused softly, "I don't really want to be a doctor."

"Then why are you in medical school?" It didn't make much sense why he would go through all that tedious work if he wasn't even interested in the profession.

He shrugged lightly. "My parents want me to be one. And since I still don't know what I want to do with my life, I might as well make them happy."

I frowned slightly at that and tilted his head up to look at his face. He lifted a thin eyebrow as our eyes met. "You should try to please yourself before you please others."

"I'm sure you know all about that."

I grinned lightly. "But of course. I'm all about self-love."

"In more ways than one."

"Precisely."

He rolled his eyes, though a small smile curved his lips.

"But seriously," I continued with my prior thought train, "try to find what you want in life, what you like. Doing things to please others will never make you happy." There was silence subsequently and I wondered if I had said something wrong.

"I know," he murmured after a moment as he looked away.

There was an odd mixture of emotions in his voice that gave it a melancholic brilliance. I longed to see the expression of his eyes but I feared that I'd probed too deeply into his life already.

"I really should go now." He turned his face back towards me and smiled a bit, leaning forward to give me a soft kiss. I made no protest this time when he pulled away and started getting out of bed.

"Alright."

I watched as he dressed in the dark, his movements slow and sinuous. His hair fell down to cover his face as he pulled his clothes on, hiding the expanse of pale skin I was so intently admiring. He fumbled around in my room a bit to find the rest of his belongings. He'd been in here enough times to know where everything was in the dark, so he found his things easily.

When he was halfway out of the door, he turned back and gave me a relaxed smile. "I'll see you later."

"Mm, bye."

With that he stepped into the brightly lit hallway, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. I stared at the slab of wood for a moment longer before shutting my eyes and rolling over.

I had noted that the smile hadn't quite reached his eyes.

-TBC-