Malachi embraced her in return, leaning forward to bury his face in her neck and shoulder at first. He liked just holding her. There was something about just holding her that made him feel better, or maybe it was the fact he seemed to want to hold him. She wasn't afraid of him which was a relief to him. He closed his eyes as he held her.
When she whispered to him, he laughed a little. He'd spent awhile trying to get her to stop smoking pot for stress. He'd do it for fun and even encourage it then, but not for stress. He smiled, pulling back with a grin. "I'm not mad. How about we save the joint for if we really need it?" he asked in a neutral voice. Reaching up, he tucked some hair behind her ear again, running his finger along her cheek affectionately. "We might really need it later. How about we try without first?"