Penalties

Penalties

Attacking his hair with restless fingers, Halloween pulls a number of strands out of the binding that ties his locks behind his neck. His hair tangles and knots around his fingers and just above the scrunchie Lei let him borrow.

The sounds of fists connecting flesh, and different pained sounds reach his ears. He grinds his teeth together, feeling the heat from his thoughts touch his cheeks.

“Let go of me!”

“You stupid bitch! Bite me again and see what happens!”

He curls his nose and finally yanks his hands from his hair, knocking his hat clean off his head with the sudden movement. “That’s IT!” He shouts, his hands balled into fists at his sides. “I’VE HAD IT WITH YOU!”

“Keep out of this you stup-” Ripfang starts, but she can’t finish her sentence before Halloween’s hand grabs her by her hair and yanks her powerful form off of Lei’s frailer built one. She screams as the sound of something tearing pierces the air. Hall snarls and throws his prize on the ground: a hefty chuck of Ripfang’s hair. Without second thought, he strikes with his other hand, ensnaring her around her throat.

“If you ever touch her again,” he says, drawing her up to his level, her face to his, “I will kill you.”

Ripfang coughs and sputters as her oxygen source is cut off, and she claws at her opponent’s wrist, careful not to break the skin. She squeezes her eyes shut and kicks at his chest, desperately trying to get free, but she’s drawn too close to his body to do anything more than push. Desperate, she lets go with one hand and starts grabbing at his hair. Then, with the other, she starts getting a little more threatening and, accidentally, cuts the scrunchie in his hair. The tie falls and his knotty hair is let free, giving Ripfang more to grab at.

Halloween snarls. “And that’s no idle threat,” he mumbles darkly and twists his upper body, discarding of the hostile female in one fell swing. She doesn’t even watch her as she pitifully scrambles away on all fours, trying to get around the nearest wall where his cold eyes can’t reach her.

“Are you okay?” Hall says, turning his attention to the balled up girl on the floor at his feet. He kneels down and pets her hair comfortingly. She cringes under his gentle hands, but after a moment of getting used to the fact that he means no harm, Lei looks up. Her right eye is swollen, black and blue and bleeding from the outer corner. She has a bloody lip and nose, and various bruises and swelling about her face.

The demon sighs, upset by the sight before him, and seeks for something to change the subject with. He draws a complete blank. All except for the broken scrunchie on the floor that once belonged to Lei. He picks up the broken hair band and holds it out to her. “I’m sorry. I broke your favorite hair band.”

Lei smiles at him and sits up. She falls against him because of momentary weakness and the need for any arms that offer comfort and warmth. She buries her face into his stomach until her words come out as nothing short of muffled. “It’s okay.”

Halloween smiles and stands, picking her up as he rises. “I love you.”