Shatter Me

Leaving, Obviously

I want to personally dedicate this chapter to @SassyYugi . You're a star <3

I'd also like to thank my computer for derping on me a while back and deLETING ALL I HAD WRITTEN FOR THIS FIC BEFORE. At least I get to rewrite everything now. That's fun.

We're shifting gears from Yuugi to Malik this chapter - but don't worry, everything's all falling into place. It goes a little quick but after a hiatus like the one I took I figured it was best.

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Silence could be just as annoying as sound when it was all one heard.

The rubber ball thwiped! through his fingers into the air, just barely reaching two feet above before cresting and falling back down to his outstretched palm. His fingers closed around the ball and he pulled his wrist back to study the way the grooves around his fingertips dipped into the rubber surface. He lightened his grip and hummed when the creases fell away.

His groan pierced the loud silence and he threw the ball at the far wall. "You can speak, you know." he bit out to the living statue standing guard at the door. "You're not required to be mute."

His bodyguard for the day - some bloke who grated on his nerves every time he looked at him - shuffled uncomfortably. "Apologies, Mr. Ishtar."

"You're just saying that because I called you out, you buttnugget." Lavender eyes lined with kohl narrowed at the guard. "And call me Malik. Mr. Ishtar is my father and your boss. Obviously."

"Y-Yes, of course Mr. Ish - Malik."

Malik huffed and reclined back into the sofa, stretching lazily on the cushions like a cat as he side-eyed his guard for the day. Obviously a new hire, obvious from the gleam of his leather shoes and the way he stood just a little too straight with nerves. That was what made it so obvious.

Obviously.

The front door of his apartment opened and Malik returned to his riveting study of the ceiling. The silence screaming in his ears was interrupted by the click-clacking of Louboutin stilletos, and from what Malik could imagine they were black, with a pointed sole and thin heel.

"Miss Ishtar." Malik could practically hear the bow as his newbie guard greeted their guest. Malik peeked at the newcomer, watching her incline her head at the guard. That didn't surprise him. Ishizu was always known to be the more courteous of the three Ishtar siblings.

"You're early." Malik remarked as the guard returned to his post.

"Obviously." came the dry reply of a woman over-worked and thriving off coffee and little sleep. Malik snorted as Ishizu placed an ice-cold mocha frappecinno drizzed in chocolate syrup on the coffee table and straightened, hands curling tight around the clipboard in her arms.

Malik spared her a glance as he reached for his treat. Ishizu's long black hair was plaited back into an intricate braided bun, pulled back tight enough to look stern enough to be intimidating - as if she needed that, Malik thought with a scoff - yet held with enough volume to not be borderline librarian. Threads of her straight hair fell just over the legs of her thin black frames, rounding out sharp features accentuated only by the simple yet statement-making makeup she wore. Add that in to the gold and white colors of her outfit and the bronzed Eye chained around her neck and you had a woman perfectly executing a combination of Stern yet Powerful Goddess in Mortal Form.

Mittens, his cat, jumped from her perch and figure eighted around Ishizu's legs, mewing softly for attention.

Malik eyed his own pjs and shrugged. Ishizu was immaculately dressed as ever, and he in pajamas. The difference in their attire made clear their priorities.