There was only a soft golden glow coming in from under the drapes when Malik cracked his eyes open because the alarm clock was screaming that it was time to wake up. Blindly he slapped it into sleep and was able to cordinate his fingers enough to switch the damn thing off before pulling them back into the warm layers of blanket. There was an arm around his waist and he could hear breathing in his ear, soft and deep as a dream. Malik stilled, hardly daring to breath and simply enjoyed the warmth of the arm around him, the brush of hot wind in his hair.

The clock said he lay there for ten minutes till the breathing changed, a new, more awake cadence that let him knew he wasn't the only one awake. Their head shifted against his shoulder and he felt eyelashes against his skin as lips, warm and soft, pressed against his neck, kissing gently. Malik grinned into his pillow, he could get used to this. To wake up every day, like this, it was almost too perfect, too woderful to be real.

"Good morning," growled a gentle voice in his ear making him shiver despite the warmth and the wrist conneced to the arm around his waist slid down for the thumb to work circles into his pelvis.

"I have to go to work," Malik groaned not wanting to move, much less go to work.

"Stay," they whispered in his ear and gently nipped the shell of his ear playfully, Malik could feel the way his lips bowed into a smile.

"Work," he groaned.

"I could convince you," they purred and Malik groaned softly at the light but purposeful way his fingers traced down the line of his pelvic bone.

"I really- oh," he ended in a little bit of a sigh when they bit down on his shoulder, not hard, and he knew there would be a new red mark there when this was over. If it was over.

"Stay," they said again, tongue splaying over hot skin as the fingers on their wrist dipping lower below his waist. Malik pressed his face into his pillow and twisted so he was laying on his stomach. A low chuckle rolled across the room, "You're late anyway," they purred into his ear, moving to lean over him, one hand sliding between his shoulder blades and down the shallow cleft of his back.

"Am not," Malik managed to say around his pillow and looked at the clock. Just like he knew, he wasn't late.

"You will be," they nibbled on his neck, lips sliding down his cheek to awkwardly find his lips in a brief kiss. He let himself be rolled over and another, open-mouthed kiss was pressed upon him. Neither of their breath was very pleasant but he looked past it because under the smell and taste of morning he could taste them and that was what he wanted.

They came up for air, their breath a little heavy, mingling between the two, and he let his eyes focus in the semi darkness on the other. He smiled feintly at what he saw, amber eyes looking back at him.

"Altair," he liked the way the name sounded on his lips in the morning in the soft glowing darkness as he reached up to run his thumb across Altair's cheek.

"Good morning," he said again, voice lighter now, leaning into Malik's light touch. His eyes were bright and awake and alive in a way Malik had only seen a few times that sent a thrill down his spine.

"I have to go to work Altair," Malik said in a patient tone.

"No you don't," Altair smirked.

"I do."

Altair frowned at him for a moment, "You could call in sick," he suggested.

"And what would I do all day?"

"I dunno, stay here," and he leaned down so their noses touched, "Right, here," and he kissed the end of Malik's nose playfully. "With me." The idea wasn't as ludicrious as it should have been. Not by a long shot and Malik wanted to call in. He didn't really need a reason, he had plenty of sick days available, he'd just never had a reason to stay home without cause before. Altair lifted his brows at him in a questioning, but cocky sort of way.

After a few minutes during which they traded kisses and touches Malik said, "Find my phone." Altair grinned at him and with a rustling of fabric and the cool splash of cold air against Malik's skin as he got out of bed and rumaged in their clothes on the floor. It took him only about ten seconds to be back in the bed, pressed up against Malik's side, palming him the phone before Altair's index finger traced nonscense designs on his chest under the safety of the warm covers. Malik dialed his work and called in sick, feeling only a bit guilty. Though only for a few a seconds because no sooner had he done so then he was being kissed again, a lazy kiss that Malik sighed into as he dropped his phone onto the bed next to him to run fingers languily through the other man's short hair.

He didn't remember where the day went after that. All he knew was that unless it was absolutely required (like when their stomaches demanded food) he didn't get out of bed and lay tangled in warm blankets all day, the outside world forgotten. Which really was for the better seeing as how outside it had started snowing.

-fin-

Final word count is 66 thousand words and some change. Good use of 66k if I say so myself.

With the end of this story it means I can focus on some others, which is good cause I know people have been asking. Also with the end comes questions? When I finished Clipped I said all questions would be answered on my blog. This time around every review will get a ff net message from me. So if you have questions ask them, if you have concerns or praise, let 'em rip. Even if it's just to say thanks, I'll answer your review.

I hope you all enjoyed reading AFP as much as I did writing it :)