Phoenix || Malia Tate

17

Phoenix is all smiles and flirts the next day. He's exactly as he has always been since the day she met him, and it as if the Ellie thing never happened. Malia tries to get to him to talk about his sister, but he does not want to discuss that. Instead, he wants to discuss what happened between them. When he brings it up, Malia thinks "this is it. This is where we figure out what we are." She thinks they will sit and they will find out how they went from complete strangers to...whatever they are now. Friends. Maybe more. Maybe less. She thinks this is where they will get a label and she will be able to truly understand their dynamic.

But she is just met with his tilted smile and his mischievous sparked eyes, and she knows that is not where this conversation will go. In an almost bold statement, full of confidence and assurance, Phoenix declares, "You want to kiss me again, don't you?"

Of course, she does. But she's not about to tell him that.

Malia crosses her arm and straightens her back. Her legs are crossed, feet tucked beneath while Phoenix sits with his one leg folded beneath him, and his arm rested on the other that's bent in front of him. He's leaning so he's closer to her, Malia can feel the body heat that radiates off him, can smell the earth and the cologne and all the scents that make him up. It nearly drives her insane.

She shakes her head. "Nope. Haven't even thought about it, actually."

Phoenix's smile widens. "You sure, baby?" He leans closer, puts a hand on the ground so he can be close enough to touch his shoulder with hers, and somehow she can feel that single touch throughout her entire body. It's all tingles and light sparks, and god, how has she never experienced this before?

Malia swallows. "Pretty sure."

"Cause I'm pretty sure –" his face is by her neck now, hot breath hitting her cold skin. It makes her shudder. "- that you do."

Malia closes her eyes, takes her lip between her teeth. "And I'm pretty sure –" Self-control, self-control, self-control. "- that you're delusional."

Phoenix pulls away from her neck slightly, just enough so he can see her face fully. He locks eyes with her, and doesn't let her gaze escape him while he tells her in the deepest, calmest, stillest voice she's ever heard, "Well, I want to kiss you."

A moment passes, where all either of them can do is stare at each other. It becomes too much too quickly.

Self-control can suck it. She kisses him without another thought and feeling of his lips on hers is the single greatest feeling in the world.

Phoenix smiles against her mouth. "I knew you wanted to kiss me."

She laughs as she brings him closer. "Shut up."

Labels be damned. They are Phoenix and Malia, and that is all they will ever need to be.