Finding Darkness

Chapter 34 Angel in the dark

"So, can I expect you at the afternoon status meeting?" He asked, turning to follow.

"Don't bet on it!" Tamar called back, a cheery smile on her face where before a perpetual frown rested.

The next morning, Malachi rose from a sound sleep. Sleep? He didn't need to sleep. With his suit on, he had stopped needing sleep over three months ago. Then he remembered the day before, how when Tamar had almost begged him to help her, something unlocked. A new mode had appeared on his HUD, stasis. When he had selected it, his suit had shrank, pealing off him until it was the size of and the shape of a wristwatch. Rolling over, his arm bumped against something, something soft, soft, warm, and very much in the bed with him.

"Don't worry, we didn't do anything last night. I wouldn't do that to you, as much as I wanted to." A mumbled voice came from under one of the large pillows.

Malachi let himself fall back into the covers and relaxed. Then he rolled over and snaked an arm under the covers and over the slim form that was under them but not under the pillow. He felt her shiver and smiled. He couldn't wait until he could do more than just hold her and he slipped his hand back. It wasn't fair to her to be building passions that he was unwilling to satisfy, so for now he would just have to keep his hands to himself, as much as he didn't want to.

"Where did you go to?" Tamar's arm wormed from under the pillow, her hand landing on Malachi's chest.

With a grunt, she pulled herself over to him. The feel of her fur against his skin was intoxicating. When she shifted, beginning to worm her way closer Malachi threw his feet off his edge of the bed and sat up.

"Hey, where are you going?" Tamar growled, pushing herself off the bed onto her elbows.

Looking back at her over his shoulder, Malachi had to chuckle.

"And what exactly are you laughing at?" She smiled, spitting a wad of hair out of her mouth.

"I've heard of bed head, but you take it to a whole new level." He flopped back down, his head resting on her stomach.

"What did you expect?" She whipped the mass of hair out of her face, grabbed two fists full and flung it into Malachi's face. "Here, have some. See how you like it."

"I could have this in my face all day and never get tired of it." He said through a mouth full of hair.

Tugging gently on the long black strands, Malachi pulled Tamar down to him. This was where he belonged, his arms wrapped around this tiny girl, her body wrapped around his. He was just glad they were both still clothed, or they might never leave this room.

With a yawn, Tamar sat up and slipped off the bed. Walking to their small dresser, she began to flip through the few pieces of clothing they had been giving. Malachi heard a lilting hum begin to come from her. He had heard her hum before but this was different, he'd heard that tune before.

"What is that?" He asked, sitting up.

"What's what?"

"That music you're humming."

"I have no idea. I was humming?" She turned in the middle of pulling a stark white t-shirt over her chest. "How in the hell am I supposed to know? Ever since you put that piece of your suit in me, I've been hearing all kinds of things in my head."

"How in the hell?" Malachi mumbled, then it clicked.

"Out of Hell, Skillet, two thousand and sixteen."

"What are you taking about?" Tamar asked, walking over to the bed and sitting next to him.

"The song you're humming. Do you want to hear it?"