[1v1] The Rematch (Levi/West) [FIN]

[Smerdle]

He tried to move away from her, but the tail wrapped around his midsection effectively prevented him from going very far in any direction. He rotated his body slightly, peeking behind him. "What're y'doin' back..." West wiggled. He stopped. That hadn't been one of his brighter ideas. He tried to deliberately reach out with the flickery, dim part of his brain that could usually tell when people were angry, but there was nothing. Not mad then, or if she was, he couldn't feel it.

"Gettoff," West muttered, punching at her tail as he tried and failed to turn around fully, his shirt and pants refusing to move with him where she held them close to his body. He couldn't tell if he was close to beating her or if he might need his wings again before the fight was over, so he kept them hidden even though he sorely wanted to try taking off. Throughout his struggle, the demon's mood wavered between confusion and amusement, a fact that only deepened the first emotion. He should be raging, screaming, dropping her from astronomical heights. Instead, he was... wiggling.

"Lemme. Go." He emphasized each word with a punch, then struggled some more. Nope, still not such a good idea. He could feel the soft fur of her tail against his bare stomach, and the more he moved, the more a third, completely unwanted feeling began to pepper his already overwhelming mess of emotions.

(( HP: 34/50
Damage: 7 ))  

[nekoluch]

As the hairs of her tail rustled in the opposite direction of their growth against West, her cheeks got warm. Part of her knew why but the other part of her wished it was due to her battle aura being empowered. It was no such thing. It was exactly what she knew it was.

His attacks hurt and burned through and through- but his touch was another thing. Her tail was able to feel rather well and it never occurred to her before that there could be appeal to visible skin. Like a circuit charge, his movements against her tail fed right up through her spine and caused a sound to escape from her mouth. Immediately embarrassed, Levi cupped her mouth with both hands. It was so... ghouly. Like a high-pitched squeak only it came out of her.

As usual when the tatzel felt under threat of being ghouly, she actually brought West closer to her, letting her hands do the talking for her just as they'd done to the tatzel boil back home the first time she ran into him. Levi gave West an uppercut to the jaw.

Don't say you heard me. Don't you say it.

HP: 10/40
Damage: 6
 

[Smerdle]

The boil didn't resist much as he was drawn forward. He had heard her. That squeak had managed to cut through the rustling of the dry grass outside the ring, the chirping, creaking, flapping and squeaking of all the bugs and animals that were skittering around after dark, as well as the roar of his thoughts. That sound. He wanted to hear it again. West knew he should say something. If he didn't say something now, he never would.

He opened his mouth to speak, and she socked him in the jaw.

His head snapped back as his teeth were knocked together, but West made no sound in response other than a startled grunt. He scrambled to grab her wrists and hold them in place, but when they eluded him, he swiftly slammed his bent elbow back across her cheek without a second thought.

"Get off!" West snarled low in his throat, his breath coming in sharp gasps as he made a grab for her hands again.

(( HP: 28/50
Damage: 6 ))  

[nekoluch]

WHAM

That had been a hit that caused Levi's vision to cloud slightly. Breathless with the sting of the pain and the angle of her head off to the side, Levi's tail continued to hold onto West but a bit more loosely now. As the tatzel ghoul had done in battle with West before, she answered with whole hearted truth in what she wanted. So many times had he asked her to "get off" and she always gave him the same response.

Make me, West.

His attempts to grab at any of her limbs would prove fruitless. Once she took notice of her breathing again, she realized it was near audible and it worried her. He was too close to her right now as she was; too close. She pushed into his chest with the palm of one hand rather weakly, not wanting him to leave her right now but- at the same time not wanting to look so weak and defeated. She'd carry on for as long as she could bear ...

Levi had to prove she was able to act normally around him. She had to keep trying- even if her heart at the moment caused her focus to shift.

Make me. She continued evading his attempts.

HP: 4/40
Damage: 1
 

[Smerdle]

As if her words had been some sort of secret cue, West wrapped an arm tightly around Levi's waist and, for the second time that fight, his wings appeared. They unfurled much slower than they had at first, but once they were open, he flapped them hard, frowning at the strain, and took off straight up into the air. He only made it about fifteen feet, but that was all he needed. They disappeared again, and for a moment as the pair fell, West's face held a bit of the manic excitement of a child on a rollercoaster.

He landed on top of her, the dirt of the arena floor swirling up around them as they thudded to the ground. His legs shook ever so slightly as he drew them out to either side and sat on her thighs, pinning them in place. His arms took longer to find a spot to settle, but once he had braced one hand on either side of her shoulders, a slow smile crept across his face.

"I won." Even though he had received no confirmation that her FEAR shield was gone, he knew. He bent his elbows and drew closer, a very small part of his brain screaming at him that this was a mistake. She could easily poison him or spit in his face, but he hoped she would do neither of those things. He hoped...

West blinked, trying to slow his racing heart. "Tell me I did."

(( HP: 27/50
Damage: 6 ))  

[nekoluch]

Instantaneously Levi was up against him and her unblinking eyes spoke of just how speechless she was right now. No words could describe what was happening to her and she none to offer in retaliation to the movements inflicted around her. The ghoul knew she should be fighting her way away from him but Levi felt comfortable where she was right now.

His wings came out again from wherever they came from, contrasting entirely with their soft glow against the dark of the night sky when they first materialized and then solidified down to the tips of his bloodied feathers. Levi knew the feeling of taking off from jumps and the last time she had flown, well, was with West. She hadn't liked flying during that particular fight. That first time her tail had bolted them into the air but this time West had completely taken it upon himself to take them both up. It was that admirable strength again; could he tell she was shaking? She noticed. Flying up and up, further away from everything but them, Levi felt like her head was spinning and clear thought was just not going to happen anymore. A mixture of what she felt, coupled with the damages inflicted on her from the fight, was what made her feel so weak against West's lead.

All around them, for a minute or so, was just the air. Levi couldn't bear it like she thought. She felt something was going to happen; something she might regret after all this. Just being there was making it obvious enough for her. Like a siren sounding in her mind, Levi tried to squirm now, failing at actually putting any real effort into it. She wanted to... but didn't want to at the same time.

Then the wings were gone and Levi felt that millisecond of weightlessness. They were falling. They were both falling and he had taken the upper hand. West knew it too; his face was so terrifyingly happy... she liked it. You're doing so well, West.

What went up, Levi was well aware needed to come back down eventually. She was the first to yelp in pain when the solid bone-shattering jolt of the ground aligned with her back. By the time Levi had come to her senses, it was already too late. West had her pinned. Her treacherous tail betrayed her in throwing him off. Instead it lay across his lower back like dead weight, missing its grasp against him. That shock from earlier had left it weakened and of absolutely no use to her right now. Dangit!

Won.

He won.

West had beaten her fair and square in a fight.

She wanted to bite him... there was something urging to come out from her and she didn't know quite how to put it. ... Don't do that. His leaning into her tested her limits. The ghoul's breathing was so out of control it was as if she'd just run a marathon. Tired, worn and without the ability to counter attack right now, Levi considered her options.Tell West she gave? Nope. Not an option right now. Any other time she might have entertained him with a compliment and a cackle. Right now, Levi felt like there was something else, some other action, that she needed to perform to justify herself.

She stared straight into West's green eyes, just concentrating on bringing her breathing back to a reasonable pace. He was waiting for her to tell him he'd won. Was that all he wanted from her all this time? Was he really just another boil looking to claim victory over her? Levi wanted to believe there was something else... maybe. Just maybe there was something else? Jack, let there be something else.

The replay in her head of her actions back home during her last visit- she felt nothing like this back then. Levi's Ma had told her why and what to do if she ever...

With her remaining endurance for the pain and strength to at least make a single movement that was available to her, Levi gave West an answer. Though, perhaps, not the one he was looking for.

So close he was that her head rose off the ground far enough to press her lips against his briefly before dropping back down.

Keeping eye contact, she didn't know what to expect. Rejection? He was a boil who could surely choose any ghoul he wanted with his traits. Maybe he already had a ghoul he was interested in back at his home for all she knew. West was as beautiful as a boil could get in her eyes, his fighting abilities were unlike any she'd faced before, his will power rivaled any number of boils back home and he ... he was always a pleasure to be around. Through the stupid boil remarks and his childish habits, Levi saw someone who, as she wanted, was her own equal in many ways.

The question was- did West consider her the same? Her ears flattened nearly the moment her head was back on the floor. Taking this into consideration, her eyes glazed with worry. The ghoul had to look away. Against her usual self-assured beliefs in fights, this felt like something she wouldn't be able to heal fully from. Jack dangit, I shouldn't have done it!!! If he told her she was a dummy for doing that and left her there, she didn't have the power right now to punch him in hurt.

Levi would have to take her wounds and heal them in solitude. All of them.  

[Smerdle]

He was certain now that she had been beaten, but West still expected resistance, even if it was only of the verbal variety. Surely she wasn't going to just let him flaunt his victory without countering it somehow. He stared into her eyes, feeling the rise and fall of her body under him as her breathing evened, the faint press of her tail against the small of his back, and then...

Her lips.

He was right. It was far too late to stop this. Fortunately, it seemed he wasn't the slightest bit interested in trying anymore.

When she pulled away, West followed for a moment in an unconscious effort to lengthen the kiss, but it was still maddeningly brief. He watched as she dropped back to the ground, her expression clearly broadcasting the fact that she regretted what she had done, all while West's brain filled with chants of again again again until there was room for little else. Maybe it was all a mistake, but right now that was the furthest thing from his mind.

He leaned closer, turning his head and nipping at her jaw before pressing his lips to the spot to soothe it. She smelled of sweat and candy, and it took every last drop in his shallow pool of self-restraint to stop what he was doing, his drowsy smirk hardening into a more practical and frowny expression. Sadly, it was never the right time to rub up against nearly unconscious ghouls, especially if you were the one who had made them that way. He sat up and pushed himself off of Levi into a crouch at her side, suddenly aware of the stinging clawmarks on his cheek and the bruising down his spine. Anyone approaching them now would likely have no reason to think there was anything out of the ordinary going on at all. Almost.

West held out a hand to the injured ghoul. "Yer fine," he said, his voice only slightly softer than usual. She was fine, and if she didn't get up on her own, he would pick her up and carry her back to her dorm. And no, he was not going to talk about what had just happened. At least not right now. Why was life so much easier to deal with when he wasn't thinking? His frown deepened.  

[nekoluch]

There was a redux of that sound she made earlier, only this time she lacked the ability to cover her mouth. Whatever he was doing- she liked that too. HOW was he doing this? To have this sort of ability, to make her feel as she did, certainly he had to have been holding out on her all this time.

Or not.

Was this his- was he returning the gesture? That was how this worked, right?

The tatzel was just so exhausted that she couldn't do anything to reciprocate. Should she do this to him now? Luckily, or perhaps to her developing displeasure, West got off of her ... but he didn't leave. The ghoul took this moment to try and collect her thoughts and potentially replenish some energy.

There was a shaky sensation in her knees that worsened when Levi tried to get up on her own. West's offered hand was taken, but it was not without commentary to follow. Dang right I am. Her tail was at least able to keep her steady but walking was going to prove difficult. In her student body, Levi's legs weren't the strongest part of her to begin with. Might have'ta sleep right'ere tanight though. Chuckling, the ghoul offered West a grin, still clutching at his hand with her own. Levi had a deja vu regarding holding his hand...  

[Smerdle]

West shook his head, a measure of teasing cheerfulness returning to his expression when she seemed content not to mention what had just gone on between them. Things were as they should be, back to normal, in spite of the fact that his heart was still beating a mile a minute and he couldn't stop staring at the ghoul. There was also the matter of the hand holding, namely that it was still going on. And he wasn't stopping it. Nope. Still not stopping. And no, his thumb wasn't rubbing little circles into the back of her hand either. Not at all. Why do you ask?

"Let's, um, get back..." West tugged at her hand slightly, belatedly realizing that it probably wasn't the best thing to do at the moment. "I... sorry I asked ya t'come out so late," he added as he began to walk back toward the dorms. Actually, he wasn't sorry at all, not now, but if he didn't fill up the silence with some form of chatter, he was going to scream.  

[nekoluch]

There was great attention placed at her hand, but she tried to conceal in through her expression. If there had been any doubt in her mind, even after his kissing her back, this simple act of purposefully spreading his thumb around the back of her hand in circles was proof enough. West accepted her this way. Absolutely enthralled that he- Ah-! Levi stumbled when West tugged on her hand, But quickly compensated the imbalance with a much more cooperative tail. He'd gotten her good this time around. Yea, best ta'go.

Gripping him tighter, she tried to reassure him that she was fine. His apology for the choice in timing was met with a shaking of her head and a smile. Her head was down as she did so but turned to keep eye contact, as if still in battle, when she spoke. Only her features were softened without a hint of distaste or malice.Can't tell ya'how glad I am ya did. Really, she couldn't; she would have if she could. Tanight was as best'a time as any, boil. If not better given how he looked to her right down in the shadows of the dark and highlights from the moon's glow. He was a fearsome boil that could shake the trembling human world of all FEAR in her eyes at this moment.

Levi managed a few steps, baffled by the fact that she'd been so drained of energy by one action. She'd keep up the pace as best as she could as they made their way out of the outdoor gym and back to the dorms. West...? She had to ask. How long... did'ja...know? Had he only decided this suddenly now as she offered? Or- were there times in the past when he'd thought of her... Levi found herself curious about how West came to accept her. Whether he answered her with what she wanted to know or not, Levi remained pleased as punch right now.  

[Smerdle]

Well, so much for having the luxury of not talking about it. West tensed in response to Levi's words, tightening his fingers around her hand and nearly stumbling as a result. He thought about playing dumb, pretending that he didn't understand exactly what she meant so that he wouldn't have to think about how long he'd kept this to himself, how even now, he was afraid of what admitting it out loud would cost him. He had expended so much energy trying to deny that he felt anything at all that owning up to it felt wholly uncomfortable, like ripping off a scab that wasn't ready.

"I guess... Prime?" he muttered, turning to face the dorms as he walked. "Tha'Boo a*****e..." In spite of the initial grumpiness of his tone, the tail end of West's words were softened by a smirk. He shook his head. "I was so'fraid'a givin' y'mold... gettin' it too... 'cause... well, I liked havin' ya in my lap." He kept his lips closed around the laugh that followed, forcing the sound out of his nose in a snort. "An' you starin' me down like y'did after we got outta that maze..." He turned toward her and stopped, raising his free hand and brushing his thumb across her cheek in a gesture he never thought he'd have reason to repeat. "Y'dun let me get away with anythin'." The rest of his fingers lifted her hair away from her neck just enough for him to see the mark he had left there, and his eyes widened a fraction. Part of him thrilled at the sight, but his slightly more rational side knew that he should probably never let it happen again. Should. Probably. He turned away from her and continued walking.

His mind wandered all the way back to prom, silently pondering how much she had irked him then with her dancing and cackling and joy, how she could so effortlessly erase the feelings he was meant to create, even if she was occasionally driven by them herself. Maybe they weren't so different underneath, hatred and lo—

West swallowed. He was so not ready to even think about that word.

He could see the Monster dorms growing larger in the distance. Soon tonight would be over, but there would be no pretending it hadn't happened. Not this time. He glanced at Levi, unable to keep the amusement from his tone. "Yeah, t'night was fun." That was one word for it.  

[nekoluch]

If her eyes got any wider, she'd be an owl. Back then, when they'd been in the haunted house with the moldy pillow, she had been so concerned of them both getting mold.It was actually quite interesting now that she considered it. The ghoul knew what sort of interactions would be needed really for mold now but- did a part of her perhaps worry for mold because it was West?

Well I'll be. Back then, aye? Swinging his hand in hers a bit as they went, the tatzel's cheeks got hotter. Can't say I didn't feel nothin' while I was on thar. Her implication was emotional despite the obvious understanding of her statement. kekekeke~ singin' was proven' hard with them eyes watchin' me, boil! Suure was ready ta'sock ya one fer that. But bein' a team n' all... well~ probably wasn't tha'best time fer it, I reckon. Looking towards the dorm as well, her grip tightened as well. Knew 'I could always get'cha later anywho.

Never letting him get away with anything. The ghoul's laugh could've been heard by someone in their vicinity. Now why would'I do'a thing like that? Ain't no good jet given' ya what ya want so easy. Ya'll gotta work 'at it hard. He did; West really did work hard to be an amazing fighter.

At his turning and touching, her first response was surprisingly to overlap his hand with her own free hand. As if by instinct from fighting him, she had the urge to grab and provide a smack down. Luckily, Levi was too weak for that right now and her touch softened instead, sliding slowly away back to her side with his movements soothing her in no time. The air felt particularly cold over her neck when West shifted her hair. How odd. She'd check it out when she got back to her dorm.

With a light cough, Levi continued on as they walked, the steps of monster dorm now basically at their feet. West's words hit her like a stone in her chest; was it over so quickly? Levi felt like she wanted to learn so much more about him now. The night was not long enough. Yea, was a'good night. I liked what ya did there. Um, yer gettin' faster n' smoother in yer footwork, I think. Painfully, she released his hand. He probably had to go, being that it was so late; no need to be punished for being out on her account (even though the thrill of it excited her). It wasn't till she moved to place a hand on the handle of the large doors that a visible shaking was seen in her tail. The ghoul was still pretty beat even if she was trying her best to hide it. Whatever bruises were seen were only a percentage of what were unseen.

The expression on her face said everything was fine, but her tail, as always, was the true indicator of what she felt. Well, thank ya fer... comin' with me. N' ... shown' me yer moves. Your new fighting moves, West. Fighting moves.

Gulping, she asked what ay good hostess would, feeling that she already knew his answer though. Don't 'suppose ya wanna come-on up fer a swig'a somethin'? Wet yer whistle? If it was too late for eating anything big, at the least, she'd offer him a drink if he was feeling thirsty.  

[Smerdle]

His spine straightened in response to her praise and his hands clasped together when she pulled hers away, but West's stoic pride still faltered when she did. "Thanks," he said, hiding his reaction behind a bit of relatively meaningless sentiment. He told himself that he wasn't any more concerned over her well-being than he had been a few hours ago, but it was a lie. This was one of the things he had been worried about. As certain as he was that she could hold her own and take care of herself, from now on he was always going to have her safety and comfort in the back of his mind. It was an obvious weakness, one that was incredibly easy to exploit. West sighed. He supposed there was no harm in him helping her when there was no one around to see, especially tonight. The demon moved forward, taking her hand again long enough to lightly pry it from the doorknob and drop it back at her side before pushing the door open himself.

"I could'ave somethin' t'drink," he said quietly, so as not to alert a whole dormful of monsters to his presence. "After you." He held the door with a faint grin on his face, and waited for her to pass. He was just going to make sure she got to her room all right. Nothing was going to happen. She was injured, for Jack's sake.  

[nekoluch]

She stared for quite some time. This had been happening a lot tonight. Her eyes snapped to his as soon as he took her hand again before seeing what he had done to the door in her peripheral vision. Her head was swimming from the throbbing coupled with all that had been done tonight- now West had opened a door for her like some sort of royalty. He meant well; she knew this. But ould her think her weak looking at her right now? It was like looking at a ghouly ghoul without her proper dress, hair and makeup coordinated; Levi felt rather off being this way in front of West.

But his intentions were taken with respect. Surely it was difficult for him to be so- considerate? No, that would be a lie. West was actually quite considerate. He accepted her challenges whenever she offered them without a second thought. Even at something as minimal as nyan cat racing. He was also willing to fight with her when in dire situations. He freed her from a net and attacked a hunter with her, making them depend on one another to watch each other's backs.

She walked through the entrance, her tail swaying mildly at its end. He was going to stay? Atta boil. C'mon up then. West's voice being made to sound softer had that same effect as earlier during their fight. She felt something want to rise within her mouth. Was it a kiss? Or poison this time? Best to shake these thoughts of it out of her head, Levi reasoned.

She led West through the corridors of monster dorm, loosely intertwining her fingers with the wrath demon's experimentally. As was usually the case, the scent of candy corn strengthened as they came up closer to her dorm door. Pushing her smaller unlocked door was at least showing she had some minimal energy left as she repeated herself. Like a puppy wet and excited after a bath, there was a certain level of adrenaline keeping Levi going right now. Just by having him come up with her? Partially that and partly her will to continue operating on her own as best as possible while West was still there. Turning as she walking in to her own dorm, she led West in as if it had been his first time there. C'mon in...

Popcorn was sending tiny puffs of the candy corn scent from within his urn, Read was sprawled out over her computer desk drooling over a book and Sweets could be heard but was unseen at the moment. So- feel like anythin' specific? I'll try n' git ya whatever ya'want.  

[Smerdle]

West flinched ever so slightly when their hands met again, but he recovered remarkably well, considering.  He hadn't even thought about touching her casually while he had been doing it, but the slightest reciprocation made him jump like he had been shocked.  Maybe he had.  It had always been rather difficult for him to accept being touched outside of battle by those who hadn't been invited to do so, and even though she was now firmly on the Touching West Whitelist, it was still going to take him a bit of time to get used to that list's new member.

As a child, he had been raised to treat others with a certain measure of respect, but only those whom his parents deemed worthwhile.  It had been unnecessarily confusing to be praised for treating his grandmother well but scolded for offering his uncle the same courtesy.  He understood what his parents had been getting at now, but his priorities had shifted dramatically since the time where his greatest concern had been pleasing them. Grandma Yorah was going to have to hang up her own damn coat if he had anything to say about it, and Levi would just have to accept having doors held for her if she lacked the strength to open them herself.  At least if no one was around.  He peered into the darkness, looking for witnesses to his chivalry before following her inside.

As she led him through the halls and up the stairs, he couldn't help but feel a certain measure of apprehension piled on top of his already overcrowded emotional plate.  He was determined to behave, because that was just the way things were done, but inside he felt as though he had been waiting forever to claim her.  Entering her room as something more than a mischief maker, a sparring partner, her student?  The boil couldn't help but be on edge, a feeling that lessened only slightly when she released his hand to push open her door.

"I um..."  He hadn't really come up for a drink at all, so when she actually asked him what he wanted, West was at a loss.  He remained near the door, watching her as he had when the night had begun, only this time he knew she was aware of his presence. "Water's good. An' then y'should lie down." The look on his face seemed to imply that he wouldn't let her get away with ignoring his order, but to be honest, she could probably get him to agree to anything at this point, including letting her eat nineteen steaks while bouncing around the room like a casketball.