Recondite {Malia Tate}

12: Relationship is to Arguing as Secrets is to Answers.

Long time no see, guys! Its been a while! There's an author's note at the end of this chapter, so until then, babes!

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"So, are you not gonna tell me what the hell just happened to you?"

Charlie typed his symptoms into Google furiously, not sparing Malia a glance as he worked to figure out what in Gods name he was exactly.

"Charlie?" Malia sighed, "Charlie, if you're not gonna tell me, I'll leave," she threatened, knowing damn well she wasn't gonna go through with her threat.

Charlie's hands fell from the keyboard, "I-" Charlie rubbed his face, "Malia, I don't know. I don't know what's going on, okay? I-I'm trying to figure this out, but nothing is making sense."

"Has this been happening for a while?" She wondered.

"No, that's the thing," Charlie said. "I actually thought I was sick until I started shifting. I've felt like this ever since I got back from Lydia's lake house."

Charlie turned to face Malia, "You, uh, are you mad at me?"

Malia looked up from her hands, brown eyes swimming in ocean blue ones, "Yes," she admitted, slowly nodding.

Charlie's shoulders fell, "Oh, God." Charlie muttered, trying to hold back another panic attack. He hated people being mad at him. Especially Malia. Though, it seemed like a constant state between the two. Anger and frustration, that is.

"I'm mad at you because you didn't call to tell me sooner," Malia huffed, pushing herself up from Charlie's bed. "I'm mad you thought lying to me was better than telling me what was happening to you."

"You have better things to worry about than what's going on with me," Charlie denied, shaking his head.

Malia set her jaw, crossing her arms, "I have better things to do than worry about the one person who makes me feel at home?" She nodded, "Thank you, Charlie. Thank you so much for clearing that up. That's exactly what I was going to say."

"It was?" Charlie wondered obliviously, hurt.

Malia narrowed her eyes, "No," she told him, her face set in annoyance. "That was no where near what I was going to say, but thanks to you, you took the words right out of your mouth and put them into mine."

Charlie narrowed his eyes, "Okay, Malia, just-" Charlie stopped himself, his flared anger diminishing as he withheld what he was going to say.

He wasn't one to let his anger get the better of him, but it seemed as though his control was beginning to slip past the cracks of his fingers.

"Just what?" Malia asked.

"Please, stop trying to get a reaction from me," Charlie sighed, opening his eyes, "I hate this back and forth thing. A lot, actually."

Malia crossed her arms, going to argue with his statement, when she realized she hated it too. She slowly uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides as she watched Charlie's eyes well with tears. She studied him as he turned away from her, bringing his fists to his eyes to roughly swipe the years from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just-this is really frustrating, Lia," Charlie admitted tiredly. He tried to stop more tears from forming, not wanting to look any more weak than he already did.

Malia watched him just a little while longer before she caved, coming behind him to lay her hands on his taught shoulders. He flinched in surprise at the sudden contact, his head turning to show his red eyes to Malia. He sniffled, a small noise leaving his lip involuntarily as he let his head fall against Malia's stomach.