Malachi and Celeste returned to the base when it was still late at night.
Malachi closed the door to Celeste's quarters behind them as they entered.
Something Celeste seemed to be slightly uncomfortable with.
"Shouldn't you be going back to New York now..?" She asked without looking back.
Mal was a bit caught off guard by her frigid tone.
"I.. just wanted to make sure you were alright first. You've been quiet for a while now."
"I can assure you, I'm fine. Don't let me keep you from those girls you've already got at home."
"Is that supposed to be a jab?" Mal raised a brow.
"It's just how things are." She responded coolly.
Malachi stepped in front of Celeste's path.
"Why are you acting like this?"
"I-I'm not acting like anything! Just move out of my way."
Malachi remained in front of her motionlessly.
Frustrated, Celeste tried to shove him, but of course he went nowhere.
Which only seemed to frustrate her even further.
She pushed him again and when he didn't move or flinch, she resorted to dribbling her fists off his chest.
And the damn holding back her emotions burst and came spilling out into the forefront.
"It's all your fault! If you weren't such a manwhore, then my baby wouldn't feel like she had to leave me to be happy! I hate you!"
"What? Melanie's leaving isn't my fault!"
"Yes it is! You think she didn't know about your feelings for me? Everyone knows! And now you've cost me my relationship with my daughter because you can't keep your lust in check!"
Malachi finally caught Celeste's hands and held her firmly so that she could no longer hit him.
"Didn't seem to work.." Celeste whispered under her breath.
Malachi actually seemed to find her little dig a tiny bit amusing.
"Despite the way things may look... I've never just said anything to you or anyone I loved for the sake of it.
I told you all that I love you because those are my honest feelings. And I understand the difficulty that comes with a confession from someone like me.
But I can promise you that I am not just looking at you as some thrill to chase or another notch on my belt as you put it."
Celeste found it difficult to look at Malachi in the moment.
Her gaze would never lift above his belt buckle, and her voice was as quiet as that of a church mouse.
"...Then why? How can you justify these relationships that you already have and the feelings that you say you have for me?"
Oddly enough, Mal had asked himself that question several times already.
How could he be sure he was doing the right thing by the women he wanted to marry?
After numerous conversations with himself, the answer became clear.
"Because... I know that I'm not doing this to satisfy some bottomless vain desire. I've truly fallen in love with all of you. And the only way that I can deserve to say something like that, is if I do right by you everyday for the rest of our lives."
Mal gently tilted Celeste's head up so that the two of them were eye to eye.
She was unbelievably vulnerable and fragile. Her eyes seemed to contain an immense pain and discomfort.
The next words spoken out of her lips seemed to break her heart. "I don't believe you.."
"...I don't blame you." Mal responded.
The two of them stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.
Mal pretended that he couldn't hear her heart beating out of her chest.
She pretend that she didn't notice the anxiety in his eyes as he stared at her.
With her inner voice strongly urging against it, Celeste stood still as Malachi's lips leaned in for hers.
'One night... just one night...'