A Way With Knives [Private]

Well, that definitely took her off guard. She flinched and shook her head like a pup with an itch when her forehead was flicked. She blinked a couple times at him and chuckled, that smile of his pushing one to say on her face. Needless to say, her tongue did not stay out much longer after that.

"Did you just flick my forehead?"

Malia would be lying if she said she didn't like the fact that he got so close. She had lived a lot of her life trying to get back to him and thank him. Now that he was here, she remembered why he was often on her mind. There was something mesmerizing about him. Maybe it was that eye he often kept hidden. She noticed it many times, but it never really bothered her, so she left it alone. It was through rumors that she realized it might be because he's half-demon. Before, she had problems with demons, but knowing Henrex was one always calmed her down. Not all were bad, and were great, like him.

He scooted a bit closer and Malia looked to him curiously. The question at the back of her mind was answered when she was pulled into a hug. At first, she hesitated. She didn't know whether returning it was bad, but why would someone hug you if you weren't allowed to return it? That'd be stupid and cruel. Henrex was neither of those. Malia's smile softened at his apology and her arms wrapped around him as tightly as his were around her. The hug ended and Malia was quite satisfied with their meeting here. She took in a deep breath and sighed it out in relief, able to relax more easily.

"Treat you like everyone else, hm? Okay."

Malia smirked and reached over, grabbing a lock of his hair. She tugged on it a couple of times and then kept pressure. She wasn't meaning to hurt him, but would pull hard enough to get his attention. She tilted her head and got in his face, eyes sternly staring into his. She waited a moment and then spoke.

"Stop with this guilt bullshit. I can tell by the look on your face. There isn't a damn thing you need to feel guilty about. Because of you, I'm alive. Because of you, I've become stronger. It was saddening when you weren't there when I was young, but like most people I've grown up to understand. Seeing the world the way I do now means you don't have a damn thing to apologize for or be upset about. So stop feeling guilty right now, Henrex. Got it?"

Only when he agreed would she let go of his hair. Once she let go, she leaned back into the tree and closed her eyes to relax. She was still feeling tired, but kept forcing herself to stay awake. The easiest way of doing that was thinking about the battle earlier. Then she remembered something.

"I think... I fucked up."

Malia was the one looking to the ground now, her eyes narrowed in worry. She felt stupid and guilty about something, but she was worried about admitting what she had done. She clenched her fists and bit her bottom lip, still unwilling to speak up about the mistake she felt she made.