Recondite {Malia Tate}

16: PSATs and Quarintines

"Malia, come on we gotta leave for school in—" Charlie stopped himself, stumbling as he entered his room.

There Malia was. Standing in one of his old graphic shirts that just barely met her upper thigh. It took his breath away as he watched her stretch; the strong muscles in her legs tensing as she did so. She heard a small wheeze and turned to see Charlie watching her, face paled.

"Charlie?" She wondered, stopping her stretches. "What's wrong with you?"

"I-I, uh," Charlie suddenly jumped as his hand grew hot, something suddenly shooting from his palm as he stumbled over what to say.

He let out an awkward cry as he huddled close to Malia, seeing a smoking black burn mark on the carpet near his closet door.

"Oh, my..." Charlie muttered.

Sophie's gonna kill me.

"Did you just... burn the carpet with your hand?" Malia wondered, her brown eyes inquisitive as she grabbed Charlie's hand, tracing her finger over the hot skin.

She hissed softly as his quite literally burning palm seared her skin. A tinge of guilt claimed Charlie's heart as he watched her flinch away and bring the tip of her forefinger to her face. Her pretty eyes narrowed to watch the burned skin quickly heal and melt back to itself pretty, tanned skin.

Charlie grabbed Malia's hand with his cooler one, bringing the finger he had burned to his lips, kissing the tip of it shyly. He couldn't help but blush as Malia watched him intently, her lips twitching upward as she tried to control herself and her animalistic urges.

Today was not the day to be late to school.

Charlie swallowed the lump in his throat, carefully lowering her hand from his face, "I don't think I can go to school today," he excused himself, moving to pull his hand away from Malia, realizing he had yet to let go of it.

But Malia held his hand tighter, tugging him closer towards her, "What? Why?"

Charlie gave her an astounded look, "I can't control this yet, Mal. I-I just shot fire from my hand!" He exclaimed. "Fire!"

Malia nodded, "So?"

"So?" Charlie asked, incredulous.

"I didn't have control for months but you helped me," Malia said. "Now, it's my turn to help you have control."

"How're you gonna do that?" Charlie asked. "You've never experienced anything like this. I've never experienced anything like this."

Malia shrugged, "I'm just gonna wing it," she said.

Charlie pauses shortly before he released a small giggle. Malia gave him a confused glance as he tried to muffle his uncontrollable laughter.

"Why're you laughing at me?" Malia grumbled, dropping Charlie's hand in annoyance.

Charlie shook his head as he grabbed both of Malia's hands, "N-no! I'm not laughing at you, its just-" he took a deep breath, "I'm a Phoenix and a Phoenix has wings, so when you said you'd wing it..."

Malia's blank face changed to a look of realization, "Oh," she simply said.

"Oh?" Charlie wondered, taking in a breath to steady his pulse.

Malia shrugged, "It wasn't very funny," she made sure to tell him.

"Oh," Charlie commented, awkwardly nodding his head. "Right."

<>

"I'm nervous," Malia blurted as Charlie drove the two to of them to school.