When Malachi awoke, he realized he was on a soft surface and his nose was filled with the smell of lilies.
With one whiff of that familiar floral scent, he knew exactly where he was.
Slowly opening his eyes he saw a familiar beige ceiling.
"You're awake!"
Suddenly, a warm mature voice was heard and Malachi immediately felt his heart speed up.
The source of the voice was a gorgeous older woman with chocolate brown hair and soft pale skin.
She had a delicate yet full motherly figure with an impressive bust that was barely contained in her white blouse.
Her gentle light brown eyes made Malachi feel seen and cared for, an emotion he hadn't felt in far too long.
With one quick look around he realized he was in her nicely decorated living room as he had been so many times before.
"Ms. Aihara? How'd I get here?"
The woman pouted before placing a delicate hand on Malachi's stomach. "W-What're you- OW!"
The woman leaned back with a satisfied nod after giving his stomach a pinch from hell.
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Sei now? You're an adult already and you make me feel old!"
"I-I got it, I'm sorry. How did I get here ,Sei?"
Sei moved to get some ice for Malachi's jaw that was beginning to swell.
"I got a call from some girl asking if I could pick you up because you'd gotten into a fight, so I closed the shop and rushed right over."
Two realizations immediately hit Malachi like a ton of bricks.
One was that the girl Sei was referring to must've been Melanie.
The second was that he'd caused Sei, who was a single mother and a struggling restaurant owner, to lose customers.
"I'm.. so sorry for the trouble."
Sei looked behind her to see Malachi staring at the ground, clearly overwhelmed with guilt.
'You've grown up so well..'
She'd known Malachi ever since he would come over to tutor her daughter while they were still in high school.
He was the reason she was able to get into the same college as him.
When his parents died she was the first one to offer to take him and his sister in, yet he promptly refused.
Despite the odds, he graduated two years later and even got into a decent college.
Even though his life was incredibly hard, she'd never seen him when he didn't have a carefree smile or a sarcastic remark to make.
It was truly a miracle how one boy could still be so carefree.
Malachi flinched when he felt his body become wrapped in a warm embrace.
"Sei?"
"You're such a kind boy, Malachi. I'm sure your parents would be proud."
When she released him, they sat in silence for a minute while she iced his cheek.
"Well… since it's my fault the restaurant closed early, let me buy a meal." Malachi suddenly said as he pulled out his wallet and smiled with a swollen jaw.
"Mal, I couldn't possibly-"
"Please." he insisted. "Let me repay you."
Seeing the unwavering determination in his eyes, Sei realized she wasn't going to win this fight and hastily got up to prepare her most popular dish.
"Fine, but don't you dare complain if it's not good!"
"I wouldn't dream of it."
As Sei walked away, Malachi placed a palm over his rapidly beating heart.
'Damn… she's too beautiful to be that close.'
-
While the two shared a meal, Sei asked how such a kind boy like Malachi could possibly get into a fight and was devastated to hear the story of what happened.
She of course offered to hire him at her shop, but Malachi knew she wasn't really in a position to do such a thing without compromising her own living situation and promptly refused.
After he said his goodbyes a few minutes later, he walked home with his mind in a million different places.
'She gets more beautiful everytime I see her.'
'What am I going to do without a job?'
'Fuck, that big bastard can throw a punch..'
'Do I go back to tutoring?'
'Do I finally swallow my pride and call Aisha?..'
'I have to do something, anything!'
With a sigh, he sat down on a nearby park bench and stared into the sky.
The crisp cool night air temporarily alleviated his worries and he felt his body immediately relax.
"Well.. with a night like this it can't be all bad."
He felt a smile spread uncontrollably across his face.
"You like the night, do you?"
Suddenly, Malachi turned his head to see a strikingly beautiful blue skinned woman sitting next to him.
Her hair and eyes were as dark and empty as the blackest of shadows, and yet it did not make her any less captivating.
Her black dress tightly clung to her body and glimmered with sparkles that looked like stars in the sky.
Malachi should've been downright terrified to have this strange woman suddenly appear next to him and yet… her presence gave him the same relaxed feeling that he got underneath a full moon.
"Yea… kinda peaceful don't you think?" Malachi returned his gaze to the sky.
The woman seemed to like his answer as she showed a smile that was absolutely dazzling.
"I do."
She slowly rose up from her seat and came to a stop directly in front of the dazed young man.
"I've made my choice."
"What choi-"
Before he could finish speaking, she placed a single finger on his forehead, and his eyes rolled back as he slipped into unconsciousness once again.
-
Back at Sei's house, she was washing dishes as she thought of her conversation with Malachi.
"Hmph, hateful girl! How could she be so cruel!"
Just thinking about how the girl had treated such a sweet young man made her blood boil.
'Such a gentle boy… I hope one day you find someone to treat you the way you deserve.'
Suddenly, the front door opened and a young girl with pink hair and eyes walked in.
She wore baggy blue jeans, a lace top that revealed her black bra and a leather jacket.
"Hey mom!" The girl quickly wrapped her arms around her mother's back and planted a kiss on her cheek.
"Welcome home, sweet girl." Sei enjoyed her daughter's embrace for a little longer before an idea flashed into her mind.
"Honey.. what do you think about Malachi?"
'Those two are around the same age… let's see if I still retain my matchmaking skills from my youth!'
"Hm?" The girl immediately stiffened and stared at her mother with a slack jawed expression.
"Did.. did he actually do it?" The girls voice was so low it was almost a whisper.
"Serana? Do wha-"
"Well it's about time he did it but I'm telling you right now I won't call him dad." Serana nodded seemingly satisfied as she folded her arms.
"...Pardon?"