tell it like it is
. o .
(you look so good in the clothes of a poser)
. o .
She attacked first, her roundhouse kick sending him across the room.
He landed with a snarl and evaded her next punch, jabbing past her defences and smirking as his hit sent her to the floor. "Keep your hands up, babe," he teased, his tone irreverent. Playful.
It was her turn to snarl as he took his time, raising his fist as she gasped for breath against the stone floor - wait; she thought, just wait, girl, and you can win this. And so she did - as his fist was about to connect, she intercepted it, catching his wrist and flipping him past her in a manner that even she had to swear defied gravity a little.
Unable to retaliate in time, he swore as the screen in front of them flooded with a flash of light - game over, player one wins.
Tifa put the controller down, stretching her arms above her head and cracking her knuckles. "Hmm," she mused. "I thought you said that this game was hard?"
"Fuckin' beginner's luck," he swore. "Try it again?"
"We've got the time to kill," she sighed, looking at her watch. "But you know I'll beat you anyway."
He put his controller down and matched her smile. "Still, ya better keep your hands up, babe."
"Are you missing that I won?"
"Nah." In one second, his lips grazed her cheek, and in the next, he snatched the baking Elena had left unattended on her desk. Grinning, Reno settled beside the brunette as if nothing had happened. "But if ya don't, someone might catch you by surprise and then where would you be?"
Before she could answer, a young blonde appeared through the doorway at the far side of the lounge. "The President will see you now, Miss Lockheart."
"Ain't those the breaks? See ya 'round, 'n remember what I told ya." Reno stood, and left Tifa there to ponder the thought, grinning as he saw she was still cupping the cheek that he'd kissed.
"...Miss Lockheart?"
Just a game, she told herself, standing to follow Elena. It's just a silly game. She avoided Elena's eyes even so. But what happens when even I don't believe that line? Lost in thought, Tifa floated through the doorway, unaware of the fact that she'd spoken her last words aloud.
"You move forward, Lockheart," Elena told the closed door with a smile. "'Cause with any luck, you might win."
. o .
(play again?)
. o .
(finis)
. o .
Sabe's Scribbles: Yikes. Unapologetic fluff, this. And Reno with a drawl? (…he seems to have developed one.) As things go these days, this was written from a drabble prompt given to me by Tijuana Pirate, and inspired by playing more Soul Calibur in one afternoon than is probably healthy. Thoughts?
Disclaimer: the top italics are a lyric from the Stars' song "what I'm trying to say" and the characters belong to Square.