hiiii! so so late but like can you do a part 3 of the one you drift to? if not it's ok, maybe Malachi even gets kinda possessive? btw love you writing <3 xoxo
The One You Drift To â Part Three
Summary: You and Malachi have always been close, but lately, his protectiveness has started to show in ways you canât quite ignore. Heâs still your safe placeâbut maybe heâs starting to make sure no one else gets the chance to be.
Word Count: ~1,250
You told yourself it wasnât that deep.
Malachi was just... Malachi. Protective, warm, always where you were without ever needing to be asked. It wasnât weird. Not really.
It started smallâat least, smaller than usual.
You were sitting beside Josh on the tour bus, half-asleep and sharing earbuds, when Malachi slid into the seat across from you. He didnât say anything at first, just drummed his fingers against his knee, watching the two of you with that unreadable little half-smile.
Then, just as Josh handed you his phone to queue another song, Malachi leaned forward.
âHey, Y/N,â he said casually, though there was a sharpness to it. âYou promised youâd help me go over lines, remember?â
You blinked. âDid I?â
âYep.â He stood up before you could question it, plucking one of the earbuds from your ear and handing it back to Josh. âCâmon. Weâll probably both fall asleep if we wait any longer.â
You didnât miss the look Josh gave himâhalf amused, half really?âbut Malachi just ignored it, resting a hand on your shoulder as he steered you toward the back of the bus.
âYou couldâve just asked, you know,â you teased once you sat down on the couch.
âI did,â he said smoothly, sitting close enough that your knees brushed. âI just didnât want to interrupt.â
âYou mean you didnât want me sitting with Josh.â
He gave you a look that mightâve been defensive if it wasnât softened by the ghost of a grin. âI didnât say that.â
âYou didnât have to.â
Malachi tilted his head, like he was debating what to say next, then shrugged. âMaybe I just like having you around more than anyone else does.â
You rolled your eyes, trying to ignore the way your chest fluttered. âYouâre ridiculous.â
âMaybe,â he said. âBut you still followed me, didnât you?â
And you couldnât argue with that.
By the next week, everyone else had noticed too.
âPossessive much?â Dara muttered under her breath after Malachi tugged you back from sitting beside her during lunch.
He only smirked. âIâm just saving her a seat.â
You laughed it off, trying to ignore the way his hand lingered on the back of your chair.
But later, when you reached for Freyaâs arm during a crowded meet-and-greet line, Malachiâs hand instantly found yours instead. His grip was gentle but firmâlike he didnât even think about it. Like it was instinct.
You glanced up at him, and he just shrugged, eyes soft but steady. âGot you.â
It wasnât possessive in an ugly wayâhe never told you what to do, never pushed too far. But it was there, in the small things.
When someone leaned too close during a photo, his hand would slide around your waist.
When you started laughing too hard at Joshâs jokes, Malachi would quietly reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, like he needed to remind both of you where your attention should be.
And when you tripped over a cable backstage, he practically appeared out of thin air, steadying you before anyone else could blink.
You shouldâve been annoyed.
But the truth wasâyou didnât mind it.
Not even a little.
The real test came during rehearsal one afternoon.
You and Malachi were supposed to run a scene together, but the director paired you with Josh for timing instead. You barely had time to react before Malachi spoke up.
The director looked up, a little surprised. âBecause Josh and Y/N havenât run it yet. Youâve done it twice.â
Malachiâs jaw flexed. âRight. Just⊠making sure.â
He tried to play it off after that, but you saw itâthe stiffness in his shoulders, the way his gaze followed you across the stage, every line of his body a little too tight.
When the scene ended, you walked over to him with a teasing smile. âYou okay, Mr. Possesive?â
He sighed through his nose. âYeah, justâdidnât like how close he got, I guess.â
You snorted. âItâs acting, Malachi.â
âI know.â He looked down at you, voice quieter now. âStill. Doesnât mean I have to like it.â
You tilted your head, half-amused, half something else you didnât want to name. âYou realize you sound jealous, right?â
âMaybe I am,â he said, so casually it knocked the air out of you.
You blinked, caught completely off guard. âYouâwhat?â
He just smiled, not denying it, eyes flicking briefly to your lips before moving away again. âGuess Freya was right. You are my favorite person.â
Your heart skipped a beat, warmth blooming in your chest. âThatâs not fair,â you mumbled. âYou canât just say things like that.â
He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. âWhy not? Itâs true.â
You didnât know what to say after that.
But later that night, when the bus was dark and quiet, you found yourself driftingâlike you always didâto where he was sitting. He looked up from his phone, wordlessly opening his arm in invitation.
And without even thinking about it, you curled against his side, head tucked under his chin.
His hoodie smelled like home, his heartbeat steady against your ear.
And when you felt his hand tighten protectively around your waist, holding you closer, you finally stopped pretending you didnât know what that meant.
You werenât just the one who drifted to him anymore.
Heâd started drifting to you too.