Title: Sparring Match
Author: Fullmetal Ai
Rating: PG / K+
"DAMN!" He yelled out as he was knocked down to the ground quite easily. The old man chuckled, turning around quickly and grabbing the arm of his other attacker as she approached, throwing her down onto the ground beside her companion. Both of the young fighters panted, short of breath and drenched in sweat from head to toe. The old man hobbled slowly in front of them, chuckling to himself as if this display of so-called talent had been the most amusing and pathetic thing he had ever seen in his seventy-plus years of life.
"You two have been at this all afternoon. Are you ready to give up?" The man said, his voice cracking with his age, though his eyes were still bright with laughter at the attempts of his two young 'sparring partners.' The girl, his Granddaughter, was the first to stand up again. He smirked. Stubborn young girl. Just like her mother. Soon afterward, her friend, the male of the two, stood, apparently not being one to let himself down so easily, much like his companion.
"Grandpa .. you know how I am .." The girl smirked, mocking her Grandfather. "I'm too good to give up so EASILY!" With that last word, she grunted and threw a hooked kick toward the old man, only to have him end up grabbing her leg and swinging the young girl back so that she fell into her partner, the two of them falling down onto the ground, the tiny girl panting heavily from her efforts while the young man rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. Finally, he sighed in defeat.
"Mr. Jinrei, I think we've had enough. We'll continue this tomorrow." The old man rose an eyebrow, chuckling and turning, ready to walk back toward the tiny house that he resided in.
"At least one of you knows when to quit. We'll resume our sparring tomorrow at noon." With that, he began hobbling toward the house, complaining every now and then of the pain in his back. The girl rose her upper half to follow, a look of determination on her face as she did so, but to no avail; The male just pushed her back down against his chest with one of his muscular arms, obsidian eyes closing with a soft sigh. The tiny girl made a noise of frustration and glared slightly at the boy she was on top of.
"Jin! Why did you stop me? We can take him, we can!" Jin opened one eye and chuckled slightly, gently rubbing the girl's back.
"Xiao, we've been at it for three and a half hours, already." Xiaoyu sighed, resting her head on his chest.
"But we were so clooooose .." She whined, the feeling of frustration coming back to her as she pouted.
"Xiao?" Jin asked, looking down at the girl.
"Mmm?"
"Why didn't you tell me that your Grandfather was so damn quick?" He asked, sighing the same sigh of frustration that she had only moments ago. Xiaoyu giggled, lifting herself up again, and tapping his nose gently with her fingertip, winking at him.
"You never asked," She said, standing and extending a hand to help her friend up. He sighed, accepting the hand and standing next to her.
"I've been staying here with you and Mr. Jinrei for six weeks. I thought we would have been able to beat him at his own game already .." Xiaoyu giggled at his comment.
"My Grandfather is full of surprises, Jin."
"Like Grandfather like Granddaughter, I suppose." Xiaoyu couldn't help but laugh.
5.20.2006