A very special thank you to everyone who favorited and followed! Wasn't expecting 5 favorites within a day; you guys are awesome and I hope you enjoy! ^_^
In which the Builder keeps saying, "Fight me!" and Malroth eventually concedes.
In The Arena
"Hmm... Maybe if I carve into that mountain, there'd be space for a changing room," the Builder muttered to herself, looking over the blueprint she'd doodled. The people of Scarlet Sands had requested a pool, but the blonde always liked to go above and beyond. It wouldn't do for them to make the long trek to the pool in their bathing suits, so why not have a changing room to the side to make things easier? The blueprint called for silver bricks, two fountains, some pool floats, a parasol, cocktails, and some beach chairs. It was going to be gorgeous once it was finished... She already had the necessary materials made and couldn't wait to get started.
And she would've if it weren't for her name being shrieked by a familiar pink-haired girl. The blonde barely had time to look up before Lulu was right next to her, steam practically coming out of her ears. Irritation and contempt rolled off the girl in waves and the Builder resisted the urge to sigh. The pinkette only got like this when a certain spiky-haired young man had gotten under her skin.
"Hey, Lulu, what's wrong?"
"Malroth is what's wrong!" Lulu huffed, stomping her foot. "He just destroyed that beautiful relaxation room you built last week!"
The Builder tilted her head to the side curiously. "What do you mean he destroyed it?"
"He was being an idiot with a few of those miners and they started roughhousing. They got carried away and he accidentally pushed one of them through the glass wall."
Realization crossed the Builder's face. Instead of getting annoyed, she simply laughed.
Typical.
Lulu stomped her foot again. "I'm glad you find it funny! That heathen we call our friend interrupted my massage!"
The blonde coughed in an attempt to stifle her giggles. "Sorry. You know Malroth; he can be a little impulsive at times. I'll go fix the wall."
"Thank you." Lulu smoothed out her skirt with a huff. "I still have tension in my back and I'd quite like to get it straightened out without some neanderthal wrecking the place."
They made their way inside the pyramid, where Malroth and the miners were. The destructive young man was rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly while one miner (who was probably the one he'd pushed into the wall) assured him that he was fine.
"No 'ard feelings, mate. 'Sides, that was a good match!"
"If you say so." Malroth turned at the sound of the Builder and Lulu approaching, and his face grew slightly red when the blonde gave him a knowing smile.
"I didn't mean to, uh..." He motioned towards the glass shards littering the tile flooring. At the mess, he rubbed his neck again. "I'm sorry."
The Builder chuckled, shaking her head. "Just be more careful next time." Then, nodding, towards the miner, "Are you alright? I have some medicinal herbs if you need one."
"No worries, lass, I'm fit as a fiddle!" He flexed his muscles. "Sorry 'bout yer room, though..."
"It's alright. I'll have it fixed up in a few minutes, but do you guys think you could clean all this up? We don't want anyone accidentally hurting themselves on broken glass."
"Oh, sure." Malroth and the miner immediately set off to find brooms. While they did so, it took the Builder maybe five minutes to put up a brand new wall, securing it to the rest of the room. When both men returned to help clean up, it didn't even look like anything had been broken save for the glass shards littering the sand.
"Cor blimey!" The miner clapped his hands. "That looks great!"
"Thanks." The Builder flashed him a kind smile. Even Malroth was nodding in approval, though he did bow his head sheepishly when his friend gave him a knowing grin. The boys set to work on cleaning up the remains of the previous windows. It didn't take them too long and they did their best, but as they worked, the blonde began to think: Malroth sparred with the soldiers and miners often, meaning that many times, accidents like this happened. What if he had his own space to spar? Perhaps then that would cut down on the amount of times the Builder would have to rebuild stuff that had accidentally been sacrificed to horseplay.
She tapped her chin thoughtfully. A specific space for sparring. Now there's an idea...
The Builder grinned at her latest project. It had taken many moons and lots of hard work, but it was finally done; she just hoped Malroth liked it. He always appreciated the things she made for him no matter how small, but this... Skilled as she was, this was one of her finest works. It was up there with the bars she'd built on Khrumbul-Dun, the Kazapple Cannon, and the Deitree. She was really proud of this and if he didn't like it for some reason, it would definitely be a kick to the teeth. But considering what this place was... She had a feeling he'd love it.
The people of Scarlet Sands were gathered around the massive structure, everyone admiring it with awe and wonder.
"'Ow the 'eck did you fink of buildin' sumfin' like this?" Digby asked.
The Builder shrugged. "I kept thinking about all the sparring you and the other guys did while in Khrumbul-Dun and you always looked like you were having fun," she explained, leaning forward on her mallet. "So, I figured you guys could use a proper place to keep your fighting skills in tip-top shape."
The huge structure in front of them was, in fact, a spacious arena made entirely of golden bricks. It sparkled in the hot morning sun and there were seats all around the upper levels for crowds to watch prospective fighters duel it out.
"Finally! I finally 'ave a place where I can challenge Malroff to a rematch!" The miner from last week threw a few punches at the air and a few people chuckled.
"I hope he likes it," the Builder admitted. "I had him in mind when I decided to scribble it out as a blueprint."
"Somethin' tells me 'e's definitely gonna love it," Babs giggled.
"Thank you!" The Builder beamed. "Fingers crossed he does!"
"Fingers crossed he does what?"
Speak of the handsome devil, the Builder turned to see Malroth approaching them. He glanced at her before the golden structure behind her caught his attention, and his jaw dropped.
"Whoa... Are you working on another gold bar?"
"It's an arena!" the miner chimed in enthusiastically, running in place. "So we can 'ave that rematch!"
"An arena?" Malroth cocked his head to the side curiously at his blonde friend. "A place for fighting? I didn't think you were into that kind of thing."
"I'm not, but you are," she chirped, grinning. "I figured you and the boys could use a space of your own to spar. What better place to do that than a fighting arena? You could even hold tournaments, make it a tourist attraction."
"Wait a second, is that a stage?" Babs pointed to a fixture slightly above the seating area, pushed back against the mountain.
The Builder looked pretty pleased with herself. "Yeah! It's not just an arena; if you and the other dancers wanna put on a show, you can do that as well!"
Babs clapped her hands together excitedly. "I can't wait! We'll do the Khrumbul-Dun Rhumba jus' like old times!"
Magrog, Digby, and Dougie practically began drooling at the thought of their favorite lady dancing the night away onstage.
"First fing's first, we oughta 'ave a tourney!" Digby piped up. Magrog, Dougie, and a few other miners nodded in agreement.
Malroth grinned. "You're that eager to have your butts kicked by me, huh?"
"Yer goin' down for that, mate!" Dougie lunged after him and threw a few punches, each of which Malroth batted away with ease. As Digby joined into the fray, both miners trying to tackle Malroth to the ground as he playfully held them off, Babs giggled.
"I think this is the finest thing you've built next to that gold bar. We'll 'ave a right good time!"
"Oh, and I almost forgot to mention," the Builder said, pointing to the very top of her latest creation. "There are two firework cannons somewhere at the top, so if you guys wanna have a party or something, you can totally do that, too."
"Is there anythin' this don't 'ave?" Den asked, shaking his head in amazement. She smiled.
"To be fair, there's no bar attached, but if anyone wants a drink, they'll come rushing to you. It'll be great for business."
Babs chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "You always think o' everythin'. Amazin'."
As the Builder brushed out her long hair at the vanity, a knock sounded at the door. She didn't even look up from the mirror; she knew that knock.
"Door's open!"
Malroth walked in and immediately paused at the sight of her with her hair down. Usually, her taking down her pigtails signaled she was getting ready for bed.
"This a bad time?"
She smiled at him through her reflection. "Not at all. What's up?"
"I was wondering, what made you wanna build that arena?"
"Last week's incident had Lulu's feathers ruffled," she explained, wincing as her brush hit a tangle. "So, to avoid ruffling feathers in the future, I figured we could have a place set aside specifically for fighting. That way, you can spar all you want and there won't be any more walls taken down. It'll be good for the Cerulean Steppe soldiers, too; they finally have a place where they can train and have something to do."
"Ah, I see... Sorry again about last week." Malroth sighed. "Sometimes I don't know my own strength."
The Builder grinned at him. "Hey, I said Lulu's feathers were ruffled, not mine. You could destroy a hundred walls and I wouldn't care, just as long as you're not hurt."
The spiky-haired man laughed. "Well, this new arena is brilliant. I was thinking of holding a tournament like you said, sounds like it could be fun. Griswold and Arisplotle already told me they'd be honored to face off against me."
The Builder smiled. Arisplotle was always trying to catch him off-guard, much to Lulu's displeasure and his own amusement, and now they could really go toe-to-slime. She was sure that in Malroth's eyes, the idea of getting to see just how tough his supposed followers were was exciting.
When the Builder finished brushing out her hair, she ran her fingers through the soft locks. Suddenly, a mischievous look crossed over her face and she grinned. "You know... We should have a match. You versus me, one on one."
The master of destruction laughed in disbelief. "Are you kidding? I'd slaughter you within five seconds. I don't wanna see you in a fight with anyone, least of all me."
"It wouldn't be an actual fight, I'm not that stupid. Think of it more as sparring. I know you're way stronger than I am, but hey, why not?"
Malroth shook his head. "Absolutely not."
"C'mon, I'll give you a free shot!"
"I don't need a free shot and I'm not fighting you."
"Why? Do you think I'm weak?" The Builder narrowed her eyes when Malroth nodded without hesitation. "Oh really? After I took on Atlas and I fought off your alter ego, you seriously think I'm weak?"
"You needed my help in both battles," he pointed out, his lips twitching into an amused smirk.
She huffed. "Okay, but still! Just one fight?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pleeeeease?"
"Builder. No."
The blonde pouted. "You're no fun."
"When it comes to your safety, I'll gladly be a killjoy." Malroth was just about to leave when he heard her mumble something under her breath. "What was that?"
"Oh, nothing." She shrugged innocently. "Just that, y'know, you're chicken."
He chuckled. "You really just called me chicken because I won't fight you."
She imitated chicken noises and he shook his head.
"Nice try, but my answer is still no. I'll see you tomorrow."
"I didn't realize you were so scared to fight me," she taunted, and he couldn't help but grin. She was cute when she was trying to be tough, he'd give her that much. He let himself out and headed up the ladder to his room, leaving a fuming Builder to her own devices.
The next week consisted of announcing that there would, in fact, be a fighting tournament held in the beautiful new arena, then sending out invites to Moonbrooke, Khrumbul-Dun, Furrowfield, and the Buildertopias for any and all who would like to enter said tournament. It wasn't just about fighting, though; it was going to be a proper event, a full-on festival with lots of good food, fireworks, dancing, and music. Saffron, Lillian, Haydin, and Molly, planned on covering the catering, Den ensured his bar was fully stocked with extra stores of wine and digger's jigger in his stockroom at the ready, and Babs trained her dancers in the Khrumbul-Dun Rhumba. Everyone was busy and for once, the Builder wasn't needed. She actually had some time to herself, which meant she also had a lot of time to plan and think.
And what she was planning was getting Malroth to agree to one match. Even if he only agreed to ten minutes, she'd take it.
The man in question was sitting by the river in Green Gardens with Arisplotle, the metal slime keeping him company as they enjoyed the greenery around them. The air was fresh and crisp, autumn just around the corner, and the master of destruction's eyes were closed as he relaxed.
Until, of course, a pair of arms flung around him and he was tackled to the ground.
A fiery aura surrounded him and he growled, instantly breaking free from the person's grip and launching them off him. Whoever it was, they landed on their back with a sharp exhale and a pained grunt. He pulled back his fist and was about to let them have it when he realized who had tackled him.
"What the hell? You?"
The Builder grinned weakly at him through her pain, coughing as she held up her hands to shield herself from the punch that never came. The fist that had been poised and ready to make contact simply loosened and fell back to Malroth's side.
"What the hell were you thinking, jumping me like that?! Are you trying to get yourself hurt?" he demanded, eyes narrowed in annoyance.
She pouted. "No."
"Then what the heck were you doing?!"
He helped her sit up and she heaved a sigh, grateful that air had come back into her lungs. When Malroth had launched her off of him, she'd landed harshly and the impact knocked the wind from her. It wasn't an experience she'd like to repeat, but at least now he knew she could catch him off-guard.
Mission accomplished.
When she realized he was still waiting for an answer, she meekly offered, "Testing my abilities?" and he raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"You couldn't 'test your abilities' on a training dummy?"
"Don't you think training is better suited against another fighter? You know, like... in an arena?"
Malroth blinked at her before groaning. "You're still on about that?"
"Yes! I want to face off against you," she huffed. "We don't have to kill each other, I just wanna see what it's like to fight you. What's the harm in it?"
"Do you realize that that wall got knocked down last week because I literally threw that miner into it?" Malroth looked proud, but a hint of worry swam in his eyes. "I didn't mean to, but I really don't know my own strength sometimes. He was fine because he's tough, but you... I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Malroth, nothing's gonna happen—"
"My answer still stands. No."
He stood up and brushed his pants off before heading towards his house. The Builder groaned in frustration.
Arisplotle, who had witnessed the entire thing, bounced up next to her. "He's just trying to be a goo friend, you know."
"I know, but he needs to realize I'm not this defenseless little thing that can't handle herself in a fight. I'm just asking to spar with him, it's not a big deal."
The metal slime wasn't sure how to reply to that, so he instead kept her company as she laid back against the ground and watched the clouds pass by overhead.
The day of the tournament, Malroth came to see her briefly. He'd avoided her during the days leading up to the big event and she had to admit, she felt a little hurt by his aloofness. Why wouldn't he spar with her? Surely he remembered she wasn't, by any means, a horrible fighter; she'd taken down his alter ego, after all, and although he did provide some help, she was the one taking the brunt of the dragon's blows. The Builder might not have been as strong as Malroth, but she could still lift a sword. Didn't that count for anything?
She did, however, take some comfort in knowing Lulu had chewed him out a little for ignoring her; the pinkette had informed her of this herself. At least Lulu was on her side.
The Builder had just finished putting up her hair into its signature pigtails when a familiar knock sounded at the door.
"It's open!" she called, and Malroth stepped in. She swiveled around on her stool to face him, and he didn't fail to notice her usual sunny smile was absent.
"Oh. Hey."
"Hey," he replied. "Look, I just wanna know... Are we okay?"
"Of course we are, why wouldn't we be?" You've only been ignoring me for yonks, but y'know, it's fine.
Malroth sighed impatiently. "You're pouting again."
She narrowed her eyes at him accusingly. "You've been ignoring me."
"Because you're just gonna keep trying to convince me to spar with you."
"Why is it such a big deal?" she asked. "Is it because I'm a girl? Is that why you won't fight me?"
"What? No." Malroth scoffed. "You being a girl has nothing to do with it. You know I occasionally spar with Zara and Anessa."
"Do you think I'm bad at fighting?"
He shook his head. "I've told you before, you've become a fine fighter. You're almost heroic."
"Then why not me?" She frowned. "Why everyone else except me?"
Sometimes Malroth wondered if she truly was an idiot. "Because you're my best friend. I don't wanna see you hurt and I don't wanna accidentally be the one to hurt you. You're not the worst fighter in the world, but someone like me could do serious damage to you, sparring or actually fighting. I didn't mean to knock that miner into the wall, but the fact is that I did. I don't want that to happen to you."
"You do realize that wall was made of glass, right? If anyone stumbled into it, it would get destroyed. Glass is fragile."
"Doesn't matter. I shoved him hard enough that he went flying into it and if I do recall correctly, there were some bricks around the windows. You can't tell me bricks are fragile."
The Builder huffed. All she wanted was one small match with him. He wasn't going to hurt her; she was made of tougher stuff than he seemed to think.
...And just like that, she had an idea.
"Alright, if you think I'm not able to handle an opponent like you, then why not train me to be a better fighter?" she asked, and her words gave the destructive young man pause. "Spar with me and show me how I can become stronger, strong enough to better defend myself and strong enough to take you on."
He sighed. "Builder—"
"Just think about it. You don't have to say yes or no right now, I'm just asking you to think about it."
"Fine. I'll... I'll think about it." He watched her tidy up the mess of hair accessories on her vanity. "So... Are we cool?"
"We're fine," the Builder assured. To show him she meant her words, she lifted a hand up and he high-fived her, just like they always did.
The crowds were roaring with cheers, excited shouts, and clapping. People were packed into the stadium to the point where everyone was shoulder to shoulder. The Builder was squished between Babs and Rosie, which wasn't terrible; Rosie punched the air and cheered for Malroth while Babs lost her mind cheering for whoever was gaining the upper hand.
...Which, of course, always ended up being Malroth.
"DECK 'IM!"
"COME ON, MATE!"
"MAL-ROTH! MAL-ROTH!"
"GIVE IT SOME WELLY!" Babs screamed next to the Builder, making the petite blonde jump. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the tournament Malroth had organized, the seats filled with almost everyone from Cerulean Steppe, Green Gardens, and Scarlet Sands combined. Lots of folks from the nearby Buildertopia islands had traveled to watch the tournament as well.
Throughout each and every match, the Builder couldn't take her eyes off her destructive best friend. The sight of him grinning and laughing,(sometimes even looking downright serious if they were putting up a decent fight) as he traded blows with the other fighters, sweat glistening on his bare chest and shoulders, that determined fire in his eyes as he watched countless contestants step forward to meet him in a match... It did funny things to her stomach. She wondered if it was a little too hot for a tournament.
Down in the arena, Dougie threw a punch that Malroth easily blocked, instead grabbing the man and flipping him over. The miner groaned at the harsh landing on the ground, staying there as the others counted him out, and Malroth chuckled, offering a hand to help him up once the bell rang. Dougie accepted it and clapped him on the back once he was on his feet again.
"That was a great match-up, mate."
"Agreed." Red eyes flickered towards the crowd. "So. Who's next?"
Murmurs rose up as his fiery gaze scanned over potential opponents, but no one volunteered. The Builder was seriously considering raising her own hand when someone else beat her to it.
"I am." Anessa stood up and made her way down to the fighting area, unsheathing her sword from its scabbard once she was in front of Malroth. A devilish smirk lifted his lips and he chuckled darkly.
"You really think you can take me in a fight?"
The warrior narrowed her eyes at him. "Arrogance never did anyone any favors, Malroth."
"Neither did talking."
With that, he rushed her and Anessa barely had time to block his attack, the general grunting at his brutish strength. The Builder watched intently as they met again and again in a stalemate, the soldier holding off Malroth's attacks as best as she could while taking advantage of any openings she could find to strike back (it was hard, though; Anessa was immensely skilled, yet Malroth left practically no openings). She lasted in the ring much longer than Dougie, Digby, and the other fighters who had lined up to face off against him, but in the end, the destructive man was able to pin her to the ground with ease. As with everyone else, once the bell had been rung, he offered Anessa a hand to help her up and she accepted it graciously.
"Still as strong as ever, I see." She grinned. "Not bad at all."
"Not bad?" Malroth pretended to look disappointed. "I've got the strength of a god, you know."
The soldier ruffled his hair playfully, earning a few laughs from the crowd. A cry of protest escaped him and he swatted her hand away, much to everyone's amusement. A few more contestants stepped up to face off against the master of destruction, but none prevailed against him. The tournament lasted well into the night, with more prospective fighters stepping forward to challenge her best friend than the Builder could count. Malroth bested each of them with ease, and even the monsters who went up against him were amazed at his seemingly infinite, inhuman strength.
That evening, Malroth had just finished taking a much-needed shower and had just gotten dressed when someone knocked on his door.
He knew that knock. "Door's open!"
As he pulled on one of his boots, the Builder eased herself into the room and pointed at him with determination blazing in her bright blue eyes.
"Meet me at the arena in ten minutes!"
Malroth raised an eyebrow at her. "What happened to 'thinking about it'?"
"Forget that! I wanna face off against you!"
"You're right, forget thinking about it. We've been through this; I'm not fighting you."
"Yes you are! Meet me there and I'll show you I'm not weak!"
He placed his hands on his hips, looking very much unimpressed. "And if I don't?"
She frowned, looking around his room. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and he was just about to ask what was going on with her when she snatched up his beloved mallet.
What are you doing with that?" he asked.
"Until you agree to fight me, I guess you won't be able to mash monsters with this in the meantime." She shrugged, pretending to admire her craftsmanship.
"Put that back," he warned, and she grinned.
"Ten minutes, you and me. Be there or be square."
He growled her name menacingly and her grin only widened. She waved his mallet up teasingly.
She clearly wasn't going to stop until he gave in. Fire lit his eyes. Maybe it was time to teach her a lesson. "Okay, but you asked for it. Don't get mad when I have you pinned to the ground within a few seconds."
"Bold of you to assume you can even pin me down," she challenged, and before he could respond, she was out the door and racing towards the arena.
To Malroth's surprise, the arena was empty save for the Builder. Apparently, the after-party was being held within the pyramid, confirmed by the faint traces of music he could hear over the hum of chatter. His best friend was sitting on the railing, legs swinging to and fro as she watched the clouds above. Once she heard him approaching, she hopped down and greeted him with a grin.
"Guess you're not square after all," she teased. Malroth noticed his weapon resting against one of the archways, no doubt acting as the prize for humoring the Builder's request for a fight.
He also noticed she was dressed differently than usual. Tonight, she wore villager clothing: baggy white pants, a cropped white tank top with a sleeveless blue vest, and orange ribbons around her wrists and waist. Sandals adorned her feet. He briefly wondered if she'd worn that outfit this morning and he simply hadn't noticed, but it would make sense: Scarlet Sands was known for its scorching weather. The tournament had taken place all day long and well into the night; if she wanted to sit through the entire thing without getting heat exhaustion, the practical outfit to wear would be loose and allow her to breathe... Like what she was wearing now.
He had to admit, she looked nice. She definitely looked comfortable and her exposed midriff showed off a little bit of muscle from their adventures on Furrowfield, Khrumbul-Dun, and Moonbrooke. Maybe she wasn't as weak as she appeared, but the sandals... How was she expecting to fight him and win in sandals? From a warrior's perspective, open toes were a weakness. Any exposed skin was an exploitable weakness, and with how her arms, feet, and midsection were exposed, he could easily use all of that to his advantage. Was she trying to sabotage her chances?
No... That couldn't be right. The Builder might've had a simpleton's smile, but she was far from stupid, and she'd at least had the sense to leave her hoop earrings at home.
"You got a weapon?" he asked, and she withdrew a copper sword from its scabbard. He eyed it for a moment and fought back a chuckle.
"You do realize that's not enough to hurt me, right?"
"That's the point," she laughed. "I don't want to hurt you, I just want to spar and see what it's like to fight you. Call it morbid curiosity."
Then, she glanced towards his mallet. "Um... Do you have a weapon?"
"Don't need one. Let's just get this over with."
With that, the Builder slashed her sword at him and he easily jumped out of the way. He was impossibly agile, so immensely strong that many times, she was glad he was on her side instead of against her. He'd make mincemeat of her within seconds if they were opponents on a battlefield; she shuddered to think what would have happened if Malroth had been evil.
He didn't tell her, but he was actually holding back each time they traded blows. He was afraid of accidentally hurting her (he still had nightmares of when Hargon tricked him, of when he thought he'd murdered everyone and the Builder; the last thing he wanted to do was make that a reality). He wasn't sure he could forgive himself if he caused her any sort of pain, whether it was unintentional or not.
The Builder continued swinging at him and Malroth dodged each blow with ease. However, at one point he saw an opening and used it to his advantage, making her stumble over her own feet. When she fell on her butt, he tackled her and pinned her to the ground, holding both of her hands above her head. His knees rested on either side of her body and he was careful to keep his full weight off of her, but it was clear he'd won this little sparring session. The Builder blinked in shock, then tried to wrestle him off as best she could. He didn't budge at all, even held her down with little effort, and simply smirked down at her.
"Having fun?"
"Oh, come on!" she cried. "This isn't fair at all! You made me trip!"
He laughed, some of his hair falling in front of his face. "Hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but fighting ain't always fair."
Something in the Builder's eyes changed then, and before Malroth could ask what she was thinking, she leaned up and kissed him. His eyes grew wide with shock and in his surprise, he froze. She took the opportunity to flip their positions so that she was on top, her hands holding his above his head as she continued kissing him. Her eyes were closed in gentle concentration and he melted against her, his own eyes fluttering closed as her lips moved sweetly against his. He began to kiss back when she pulled back.
"All's fair in love and war," she muttered against his lips. He stared up at her, red eyes blazing with an unreadable look. They remained in that position for a few heartbeats, Malroth simply staring at her as if she'd just told him to do the Khrumbul-Dun Rhumba naked. The Builder was about to ask if he was okay when his hands gripped her shoulders and she was pulled back down to him, his mouth closing over hers in a searing kiss.
Malroth was generally a rough-and-tough person, but his lips were warm and soft. His grip on her was gentle, as if he were afraid he would break her if he held too tightly. The Builder let her fingers to tangle into his smooth, fine hair, and she tilted her head to the side to deepen the kiss. It didn't occur to her that she was making out with her best friend until his arms snaked around her waist to hold her that much closer.
When she needed to come back up for air, he let her, and they both fought to catch their breath.
"You kissed me," he said, as if in shock that she would do such a thing. "Why?"
"Well, I mean, you are pretty handsome," she teased, a grin lifting her lips. Malroth grinned as well, moving his arms to rest behind his head. "But you can also be infuriating when you're all smug."
"Infuriating, huh?"
She traced shapes along his bare chest with the tip of her finger, and it didn't escape her that her touch made him shiver. "Mm-hmm."
"And what, you decided to shut me up by kissing me?"
The Builder pretended to shrug. "That depends. Did it work?"
"Yes," he growled softly. "Do it again."
The blonde giggled and was about to oblige him, but she stepped up her game by placing kisses on his nose, cheeks, and forehead, then trailing her lips down to his jawline. All the while, Malroth struggled to keep his breathing steady. She was making him feel all sorts of things he'd never felt before, but they weren't bad feelings at all.
When he got tired of her teasing little kisses—she was purposely kissing everywhere but his lips—he reached up and gently cupped her face. In the dim lighting of the golden braziers, he still saw mischief twinkling in her gorgeous blue eyes. Normally he'd make a teasing comment about that since he was usually the one making mischief and the Builder was always the ever-responsible one, but no words came to mind. Something had changed between them and... he liked it. He didn't want it to stop. The Builder must have seen the tenderness in his eyes because she was merciful and leaned down, her hand coming to rest on his cheek as their lips met again at a slower, sweeter pace than before.
Popping and booming noises startled them and drew their attention to the top of the pyramid, where the first few fireworks exploded into the air, beautiful lights of varying colors igniting the night sky. Even from where they were, Malroth and the Builder could hear clapping and cheering from the spectators on the other side of the pyramid. The Builder gave a sheepish giggle when she realized she was still straddling her best friend's lap, and he offered an awkward chuckle as well. Once she moved off of him and he was able to sit up, he reached over and took her hand, and they watched the fireworks hand-in-hand while butterflies raged through their bellies.
Eventually, after the fireworks ended and almost everyone had gone to the hotel to sleep off one too many digger's jiggers, Malroth helped the Builder up and they brushed the sand from their clothes. The silence between them wasn't quite awkward, but they also weren't sure what to say.
"So... We kissed." The Builder was the one who spoke up, acknowledging the fact that they were best friends who'd just smooched. A line had been crossed tonight, but it wasn't something either of them minded.
Malroth had a twinkle in his eyes that she wasn't sure how to read. "We did."
"Did you like it?"
His mind kept replaying the moment her lips had first touched his. He'd never been kissed before, but now he couldn't get enough of it. He wanted to kiss her again and again until they were both breathless.
Instead of doing that, he settled for a quiet, "Yes. I liked it."
More silence passed before he asked, "Did you like it?"
"Yes." Then, as she looked up at him shyly, "Is it okay that I kissed you?"
He didn't say anything. He merely cupped her chin and pressed his lips to hers. She melted against him immediately. His hands moved to rest on her hips, pulling her closer, and she wound her arms around his neck. They were as close as close could be and it felt all kinds of wonderful.
When the Builder pulled away for air again, Malroth rested his forehead against hers, eyes remaining closed as he enjoyed holding her. The Builder's small frame felt perfect against his own body. He wasn't sure what these feelings were, but he was happy she seemed to be feeling the same way.
"You know, I'm curious," she began, and his eyes opened to give her his full attention. "Why did you decide to fight me, anyway? What changed your mind?"
"Well for one thing, you stole my mallet."
The Builder chuckled. "That's a good reason."
"And you did have a point. Maybe I can teach you a thing or two so that if I'm not around, you can better defend yourself."
"But you're always around." The Builder had lost count of how many times she'd been working in various parts of the Isle, only to turn around and find Malroth hovering close by. He'd pretend to be doing his own thing, but she knew better. He liked watching her build stuff and he was used to protecting her while she worked. He stuck by her out of habit and he got grumpy whenever she left the island without him.
"Still." He slid his hand into hers, admiring how smooth and delicate her hand was compared to his own rough, calloused one. "There may be times when I'm not around, and I'd feel better knowing I was able to teach you how to defend yourself better than you already do."
"You do realize I was just saying that to get you to spar with me, right? I can defend myself just fine."
"Yeah, but there's always room for improvement. Especially when it comes to a lightweight like you."
"Hey!" The Builder smacked his arm playfully, earning a grin from him. "I'm not a lightweight! I won that match!"
"Uh-huh. Right. That's why I had you pinned in five seconds."
She smirked. "Really? Is that why I had YOU pinned for longer than that?"
Either the light of the braziers was playing tricks on her eyes or Malroth actually blushed as he looked away. "Distracting me is not winning."
"A win is still a win!"
Malroth chuckled and shook his head. The Builder watched him take a few steps forward before he suddenly lunged back at her, scooping her up and throwing her over his shoulder. She let out a yelp of surprise before pummeling his back with her fists, a few giggles escaping her.
"Malroth! Put me down!"
"Nah." He picked up his mallet and rested it over his other shoulder while whistling innocently. "And you know, you're right, a win is still a win. You may have won the match, but I won you."
With that, he carried a blushing Builder towards the restaurant where Lillian had hopefully saved a plateful of food for both of them.
