austin · malachi · duo · serious · playful · pale · tan · baggy clothes · spoiling · driven
The dim light of Freya’s room cast long shadows as Malia sat cross-legged on the floor, her hands dragging over her face in exhaustion. Meg paced like a caged animal, while Freya watched from the bed. The air was thick with unspoken tension. Malia confessed the impossible: she was tangled with both Austin and Malachi. Austin, the intense force who pushed her to perfection, calling her 'angel.' Malachi, the effortless comfort who spoiled her with 'princess treatment.' They knew. They were 'dealing with it.' But as Meg pointed out, that wasn't the same as being okay. Malia looked down, realizing she couldn't choose between the one who made her feel soft and the one who made her better. She was stuck, and the silence screamed that she couldn't stay in the middle forever.