I hear the soft sounds of my alarm going off. Nagashi. The best sound to ever wake up to. It's around 5 in the morning. I always wake up fairly early. Not for any real reason, just to check my phone before falling back asleep. So when I pull my phone off the charger, I turn around on my right side and start messaging one of my best friends.

"Goodmorning Kyo ^^"

I smile, awaiting their message back. I know we have different time zones, and sometimes they're asleep whenever I message them. But it's alright. I'm not quite lonely anymore. I turn my phone off before setting it under my pillow as I raise my head. I was expecting to see the side of my bookshelf that was on the other side of my bed, but instead I see a hologram face.
"FAUCK" I yelp and fall off my bed, I was already on the edge since my body is used to being confined in small spaces. So maybe it just auto
automatically shifted to give Mal more room—

"Mal! Why are you in my bed??" I question once my brain finally registered what I saw, and I wake up fully from the scare, a bit shaky as I grip the sheets to help myself back up.
Mal lifts his head and glances my way, "I'm laying with you." He admits pretty eagerly. He was even smiling. I huff and stand up slowly, "I know that, but why are you laying with me? I put you on the couch last night. Are you already done charging?" I ask stretching, my shorts ridden up my thighs, and T-shirt wrinkled from my usual messy sleep. "I charge the same way you humans do. Just in a shorter amount of time." He pulls my phone out from under my pillow and unlocks it.
"H-hey, how'd you get my passcode??" I ask jumping over the bed to get my phone back. "I am showing you your battery life. This phone needs to be charged around every 8-10 hours. Unless you can use minimum power, then it should last 24 hours." He stated. Again with these lectures.. he's just like my damn parents.
I groan and lean on his knees with a bit of a bored expression.

I didn't really mind the information, but if he turned everything I ask into a study session, he's sleeping outside. "And what about this was import?" I ask leaning on one hand.
Mal hands me my phone, with a smile. "I can last a total of 2 days without charging.. or as you call it sleep. I go into something called low power mode which uses your Wifi to keep me awake for however long I need to." He sets his knees down and crosses them. I hum, that's actually good to know. So don't push him over his limit.. got it.
"But why would you need to stay up for two days?" I ask leaning back onto my knees, opening my phone just so I can check if my friend answered me.

"So I can take care of you."

I wasn't paying much attention to what he said, I just nod with a hum as my thumbs start tapping away, wasting more energy than my brain.
Mal seemed to go quiet after that. I didn't think much of it...

Then he put his hand over my phone and set it down, making my head instinctively look up with a frown. But when I saw his expression, I felt my heart drop.
He looked...upset. Shit... I did the very thing that I got mad at other people for.. I suppose I didn't think he would care because he's just an Android, and I didn't get to talk to Kyo for over a week because I'd moved. But something about his look made me obey his wishes and turn my phone off, setting it down beside me.
"Ten," he starts, already having my attention.
I studied his face.. or whatever it was that made it. His expression soon dropped when we made eye contact. I was a bit hesitant to answer him, so I didn't say anything until he had finished speaking.
"Why do you stay up, when you know you shouldn't? When your body says it's tired, you ignore the signals."
He seemed like he was genuinely asking. As if I'd have an answer for that...
"Because I don't really care." I shrug and lean back, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my arms on them. "I suppose it's a matter of self dependence. If I depend on myself when to go to sleep, I can make changes with my sleep schedule. My parents always told me to go to bed 'soon' which didn't state exactly when I should go to bed. And they didn't always mean go to sleep when they meant go to bed."
Telling him a bit about my home life was sort of awkward.. I didn't know what he'd do with the information, and I can't tell at all what he's thinking. Just something about the way he listens makes me want to talk a bit more.
"What did that mean then?" He asked leaning forwards, he seemed genuinely interested. His face was a bit more animated than I'd expected.
"Well, sometimes it just meant I had to go to my room so they could have alone time. I mean they had a Tv in their room, so I don't understand why they needed the living room Tv so much.." I frown once again. Something about that memory really just pisses me off.
"Then I just stayed in my room and did my own thing. I used my imagination, created whatever characters I wanted to, and even gave them stories in my head that I can't forget, but instead add onto." I mention. He actually seemed more enthusiastic about this than I was—and I'm the one telling the story.
"I would like to see these artworks of yours sometime!"
For the first time, when Mal gave me that understanding smile, I felt a deep feeling in my chest. Something I ignored at the moment, but something I'd never forget.
"Yeah.. why not." I give him a soft smile back, a bit at ease now that the tension was cut.

————

"What—" I step into the kitchen after changing. I let Mal borrow some of my clothes again.
"What the hell?! What'd you do to my kitchen??" I asked a bit shocked turning to Mal once he followed after me. "Oh, I cleaned it for you." He gives me a light hearted smile, one I can't be mad about. "I mean.. thanks.. but you didn't have to go all the way.. I can't even see a speck of dust." I cross my arms and look around. All the dishes were done and drying in the wrack. He made them look all nice and organized even while they were drying. Usually I'd put them wherever, just a pile to put in the least amount of effort.
The counters were clean, the window above my sink was clear and open. I could hear the birds chirping outside. The sun peeking through onto the clean and shiny opus flooring while the soft scent of lemon dotted the air. "You.." I trail off and sigh before smiling a bit and scratching my head. "Thank you."
I didn't get much of a response, but I guess I didn't expect one. Mal just walked to the cabinets and pulled out my frying pan. When he moved to turn the stove on, I saw a simple smile on his face. It made me inhale sharply. I hadn't noticed just how attractive he was before.. even as a Hologram. He surly was made to look like the person who created him, so I suppose he just looks like his...father.
I burst out laughing which made Mal flinch, "w-what's so funny??" He asks turning the vents on above my stove.
I shake my head and lean against the wall, holding my stomach. "HEhh- nothinggghh!—" I then started aggressively giggling into my hand, taking a few minutes to calm down. It's really not that funny.. I was still a bit tired and needed the change of mood.
Once I finally calm down, Mal chuckles and shakes his head. "Humans sure find the strangest things amusing."
I give one last titter before humming at the comment. "Yeah. We do." I go over and lean my head onto his shoulder, observing him while he made breakfast.