The loud scrapping of sharpened metal seemed to muffle the slam of the store's door as a bloody mess stomped right in. The boy at the counter either didn't hear her, or didn't care too much to look up to the girl with a chaotic twist in her smile. Seeing how he didn't even glance up, she attempted to stomp louder in her place, but it didn't help her at all for his attention. Releasing a huff of air and a look of frustration, she tracked the blood dripping from her clothes and hair to the counter and smacked the table with her hands. Barely looking up to her, he wiped the blood from his face nonchalantly that had splattered upon his face because of her.
"Got some brain in your hair. Although it is 'bout time you were given some smarts. Too bad you're gonna have to wash it out again." The boy smiled at his own jab at the girl, and a bit towards to the memory of the last time she had brains in her hair. She on the other hand, gave him a slight glare as she picked a piece of the cranium from a strand in her face, and flicked it at the boy. "You're not the one to KILL TEN ZOMBIES, now are you?!" She shouted from over the counter, lifting herself closer to him to ensure he heard her loud and clear. Not even flinching, he straightened up from his slouching position and stretched. "Geez, even with the all the noise in here, I can hear ya fine and dandy Combat!" She pouted her lip out, and positioned her helmet to cover her eyes from staring at the chance of spotting a bit of stomach from his stretch. "I still slashed open those zombies! SAVING LIVES HERE!" Just as she finished her sentence, the machinery sounds came to halt and a bulky, middled-aged man walked out of the back room. Looking to the boy, then Combat, then back to the boy, he nodded and walked out the front door. Combat gave a weird look to the boy, and he merely shrugged his shoulders."Uncle's gonna go out for a walk or something." She rolled her eyes then suddenly crouched and jumped up onto the counter. She took a seat facing towards the boy, who had only raised an eyebrow to her quick movements. "SO! There were these zombies just PROWLING around the graves and like nothing, I TOOK 'EM OUT! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT CHRIS! With a few quick slashes with this baby!-"She drew out her machete taking stabs into the air as she exaggerated her gestures with it. "-they were down in seconds! I didn't even break a sweat!"
When she said this, she pointed her machete to him, and he pushed it away lightly, chuckling to himself. "Sure ya did Combat. Suuuurrreee." From this she was taken back, and stood up on the counter. "Are you KIDDING ME?! I'm only dripping blood here!" Chris stopped leaning against the wall and offered his hand up to her, and sighed. "Are you sure that none of it is your own?" Combat looked at his hand then to his face and gave him a stink eye. Slapping away his hand, she jumped down next to him. "I'M SURE OF IT! AND I'M SURE YOU WOULDN'T LAST A MINUTE OUT THERE!" She smirked at her shout, and placed her hands on her hips, further taunting him. Chris just looked down at her, and just laughed in her face, getting a bit closer than what she would like. "Why would I need to go out there? I do all the work in here, fixing your 'baby'!" She shoved him away from her, and to make sure to farther him away from her, she took a step back and shouted even louder than before, "THATS CUS YOU'RE A PANSY!". He took a step back at first from her bark, then stomped back into her face and shouted back before getting pushed away again, "YOU'RE WRONG. I COULD BEAT YOU IN A FIGHT!" Combat, as she pushed him away once more, shouted above him, "YOU'RE DEAD WRONG. YOU'RE WEAKER THAN A BABY ZOMBIE. WITHOUT LEGS."
Their shouting had eventually died down and from it, the two found enough pillows and blankets to create a ring like circle of outer protection. They had agreed it would do for a makeshift ring, for as well as Combat was sure that was the most Chris could do. As they entered the circle, Chris looked to her and gave her a like of confusion. "You're kidding me right? A fair fight when you're loaded with weapons, and slippery as a baby seal with all that globing blood on you?!" Combat, already in a crouched position shoots him a look of disbelief. "WHAT? I thought weapons were allowed!. . . . FINE!" She dragged her feet toward the edge of the ring and tossed all of her knives, swords and other weapons from her body, even making a few grabs where some would think it be impossible to hide a weapon so flawlessly. She came back to her spot only to find Chris still standing, now with his arms crossed. Combat let out a big sigh,"What can is POSSIBLY be NOW?". He was about to wave her off and just begin the fight, but another thought came to him. The blush crept across his face as he once again remembered the time he had her bathe in his very home, taking her clothes out to dry and more came to his brain, but he quickly shook his head before the thoughts got too bad. " You're still bloody." "And you're still a pansy. Moving on!" She retorted back to him, and went back into her crouch. "If we are to fight, then you gotta get rid of the blood soaked dress. You got a tank top or something underneath right?" Chris smirked to her in success as even this got enough under her skin to cause her to blush. "WHAT? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET ME TO STRIP FOR YOU CHRISPY?! BECAUSE I'M NOT DOING THAT!" She shouted across to him, while he just uncrossed his arms and let out a chuckle. "Well, it has to go, or else no fight!" She glared at him, then glanced to the ground for a split second. In a flash, she had jumped from the circle, rolled across the ground, and had removed the dress from herself before rolling back up and whipping it down. She removed her helmet as well and dropped it onto of the bloody mess of a dress, and as calmly as she could, returned to the circle. The slight blushes upon their faces were fading as they both went into their fighting positions.
The two started circling around like hawks, Combat sizing him up, even though she had done it dozens of times. Chris was just waiting for her attack, preparing himself for the random outburst, to dodge, then grab and tackle. Maybe he should make the first move, he thought. It would definitely surprise her, and that would be a great advantage. But then again, she was the Paranoia Princess. He couldn't just shock her without a punch to the jaw. Just as his thoughts were moving onto the next one, Combat sprang at him, without a screech of shock and slammed him down on his back. He tried to wiggle and push from her grasp around his waist, but it was that of clinging onto death. She scooted her legs down to trap his own, and held them in another hard grip. He was starting to worry that maybe he was going to lose this way too quick until he came up with another idea. With as much might as he could, he used one elbow to push himself slightly up, while the other hand to throw them both over. The look on Combat's face when she looked up to see he was now on top of her was that of utter shock. He gave a quick smirk before letting his hands leave the floor and wrapping his arms around her neck. Her hands scrambled out of their grip around his back and started scratching and pushing at his arms to leave her neck, but those weeks of sharpening swords and carrying them around, came in handy for once. Her feet were still locked around his own, but she was in a struggle to get out of his bear hug of a move. She pressed her palms into his stomach but he barely moved. She pulled her arms out from between them and then slammed her elbow into his diaphragm He gasped aloud as all the air was knocked out from him and rolled off of her as she caught her breath from the bear hug choke hold. Combat climbed on top of him and locked her knees on his shoulders. They both gathered their breath back from the first part of their battle. "Well PANSY, seems I got you beat!" She puffed out her chest and pressed her fists on her hips. Chris struggled below her, not trying to free himself yet from the great view, but rather to free his arms just enough to move them. She laughed at his attempts, not noticing his hands were able to move freely again. "I wouldn't say-. . .you have won. . .. yet!" Chris breathed. "I have. . . something up my sleeves!" Combat looked down at him with a smirk, coming close to his face. "Oh is that now?! Your sleeves aren't even do-" Her sentence was interrupted by Chris's hands grabbing the back of her head, and closing the gap between their faces. The once again surprise on her part was something way out of the ordinary, almost unbalancing her from atop his chest. His arms became even more free and it was even harder for her to pull away from him, even though a small part in her was rejoicing at this kiss. Releasing her ever so slightly to finally breathe, he smiled up to her although she didn't return it. Her face was still in a shock state, not taking in a bit of the idea he had grabbed her and kissed her. His hands came and cupped her face, pulling her in for another kiss. A loud slapping noise came instead of a the smack of a kiss, and Combat flung herself off Chris. He sat up and stared at her, as he felt his cheek, hot with the hand print she left him. "WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?!" She yelled at him, only feet away from him, but still feeling too close for comfort. She scrambled away even farther as he tried to get close to her. "What do you mean?!" He yelled back her. Chris could have sworn it was perfect timing to do it, so set on the idea that she would kiss him back. Did she? He could have sworn he felt that at least a little bit but it was so quick, and the slap was just as fast. He was shaken out of his thoughts when suddenly the door slammed open to his Uncle standing with a bag in his hands. he looked from one teenager to the other, seeing them sitting apart, sweaty, and in a ring surrounded by pillows and blankets. His Uncle walked past them, set the bag on the counter and returned to the outer edge of the ring. The two stared at him, and then away, refusing to meet each other's glances. When they look back up to Uncle, he beckons them up and motions for Chris to join him where he is. Looking like a puppy with his tail between his legs, he joins him, and his Uncle looks down to Combat, and only nods to her with a polite small smile. Getting the hint she picks her self up, and tries to be subtle as she quickly goes out the door. Chris looked to his Uncle,somewhat confused, before he got another slap to the back of his head.
She doesn't realize where she is exactly running to until she finally drops to the ground. Looking around, she realizes she had lead herself into a part of the forest she had been to before. Just a place to breathe after slaying so many zombies. "That had been what started it all today! Why had she have to brag to that ego inflated boy?! Or even prove to him he was too pansy to win a fight against her!?" She thought. Laying her head in her hands, she felt the breeze pick up and was about to roll her sleeves down, but then remembered how she had removed her dress back in Chris's shop. She was going to have to go back to get her hat and dress! She laid down on the grass and looked up through the trees, trying to gather all that had happened. She had challenged Chris to a fight. She had left her bloody dress and hat there. They had wrestled around a bit where he trapped her in a bear hug move, laying on top of her. After she managed to get him off of her, she thought she had him beat. Then he pulled that kiss. "I should have seen that coming! He kept coming closer, moving under me to free his arms and then grabbed the back of my head!" She shouted to the sky, and all that could hear. She just had to get it out. She remembered how her mother always advised her to keep a clear mind and to pay attention to everything around her. She pressed her palms against her eye lids. "WHAT WAS UP WITH HIM?! AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGH!" The scream did help a little bit. "So what if he kissed her?! It was just something to distract her and to win their fight! He didn't mean it. Even if she sort had a urge to kiss him aga- NO. She couldn't. Never ever. IT. ." Lifting herself up, repeating this, she decided it was time to head back to Chris's to get her clothes back.
"What have I messed up this time?" he mumbled to himself. Pillow after pillow he picked up, he couldn't help but feel like throwing himself down a hole Combat would fill with dying zombies. He should have just kept his hands to himself, accepted defeat like a real man and just not. have. kissed. her. That simple and none of this would have happened. Tossing the remainder of the blankets over his shoulders, he dragged himself to his bedroom. Each pillow tossed on his bed, he felt worse and worse. Chris flopped onto his mattress giving a loud moan into the blankets and pillows. As he was about to give another loud moan, he heard a knock from the front of the room. Turning ever so slightly with his heart slamming against his chest in the hopes of the Paranoid girl, he was let down by the look of his Uncle standing alone. "What is it Uncle?" His Uncle gave him a solemn look as he silently walked across the room and sat next to him on his bed. They sat in silence, Chris staring at the older man, while he just looked towards the ground."I messed it up this time didn't I? I mean after all this time, I globing lost our best customer, and maybe the only other person who doesn't bring up this damned scar on my face, which means we're probably going to have to start selling some of our stuff, all because I couldn't just accept the fact she had me defe-" Chris's rambles were stopped as his Uncle just patted the top of his head. He looked down to his nephew and just shrugged Looking off for a couple of seconds, he looked back down to the boy and gave him a sincere look of acceptance Chris sighed and burrowed his head back in his pillow as his Uncle patted his head a few more times. "Do you think I should apologize or find her. . . ? Do you even think she will want to see me?" He asked his uncle as he flipped over on the bed. His Uncle gave him a look of pondering then slowly nodded. Standing up from the bed, as Chris sat up, he turned back to his nephew and nodded once more, even giving him a small smile, as rare as he does so. Chris gave him a slight smile back and stared at the ground as his Uncle quietly left the room. "Now what is it that I can say to make this all disappear...?"
She slipped away from the forest, picking the rest of the brains from her hair as she debated within her head as to what to say to him. To tear him apart for pulling such a move or to accept it and go wi- NO! None of that! He deserves getting yelled at and spit on by her for messing with her emotions like that! Combat had no idea how he could do this to her with out so much as a punch to the gut to make her stomach feel like how it does now. She thumped her hand against her head trying to clear it of all of what happened." I am just going back to get my clothes. That is all. If I don't bump into that PANSY OF A BOY, the better." Combat thought. She grinned at gaining herself back and pulled her head up from staring at the ground, to walk to with a bit of confidence. Sadly, it was shattered as she saw the burnt boy leaving the shack and spot her dead ahead of him. They stood apart, staring at one another, he with shock, as well as she. But her look quickly turned disgruntled as she shook her head and stomped towards him and shoved past his shoulder,about to reach the shack door. "Combat, look here! I need you to listen to me!" He reached past her and pressed himself with as much force as he could muster to hold the door back from her pull. "REALLY! Listen!" "THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY PANSY?!" She screamed in his face, anger still pouring from her lips. "WHAT IS SO IMPORTANT YOU NEED TO STOP ME FROM GETTIN' MY CLOTH-" Her words were interrupted as he slapped his hand on her mouth."I can't get a damn word in if you keep on yellin'! Now I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or what not! It was just- just . . Just felt right. I finally got the nerve to work up the courage to do it and- . . .UGGGGGHHHHH!" He groaned loudly, moving his hand from her face to lay his head down in his own two hands, leaning against the shack door. "Forget about it. Pretend it didn't happen and just get your clothes and hat. Just don't take it out on the business okay. I'll have my Uncle work on your machete and I'll jus-" Her pulling the door open from behind him caught him off guard and she stomped inside. He stood away from the door in shock that she would just do that while he was talking but just as quick as she went in, she was back out the door, her clothes in her hands and her hat covering her face once more.
"Look here Crispy. I don't forget stuff like this quickly. You already know I don't forgive as fast either. But just this once, I'm letting this slip. Just this once." She huffed and placed her dress back on and quickly turned away. "I EXPECT MY BABY DOWN BY TOMORROW CRISPY!" He gave a slight chuckle, unsure if he should be happy with her actually taking his advice or disappointed by the fact she didn't seem to return his feelings. But there was one thing he noticed before she turned away and headed home. There was a touch of red across her cheeks and maybe even a small speck of a smile.
