Theo saw he'd caught her by surprise, even if the expression was subtle, barely a shift. Her standard was looking like a smug cat, so he'd learnt to spot when he got under her skin, whatever way he did. Today it was surprise, but he knew he was being more forward than usual, his own restlessness feeding into it.
All she did was flick her hem off the tip of the sword, and Theo let the blade drop to point at the ground, held loosely as she declared his lack of listening wouldn't impact her complaints. Cocking his head, the Englishman allowed himself a small smirk, letting the silence reign as Ash's attention shifted to the training swords.
She hadn't said it outright, but it was clear enough she intended to cross swords with him, so he watched as she studied the feeder's on offer. She selected one that didn't suit her stature, but matched his. The weight didn't matter, Theo reminded himself, even as the urge to point it out rose. She had the strength to compensate for an ill-fitting sword, the knowledge too.
They were well matched, but Theo still wanted more of a challenge. To push himself, but in what ways could he do that outside of actual fucking combat?
“Would you be interested in upping the ante?” Theo mused, surprising himself by speaking before he'd thought it through. He fixed her with an evaluative stare, thinking of that disastrous Halloween. Maybe...
All she did was flick her hem off the tip of the sword, and Theo let the blade drop to point at the ground, held loosely as she declared his lack of listening wouldn't impact her complaints. Cocking his head, the Englishman allowed himself a small smirk, letting the silence reign as Ash's attention shifted to the training swords.
She hadn't said it outright, but it was clear enough she intended to cross swords with him, so he watched as she studied the feeder's on offer. She selected one that didn't suit her stature, but matched his. The weight didn't matter, Theo reminded himself, even as the urge to point it out rose. She had the strength to compensate for an ill-fitting sword, the knowledge too.
They were well matched, but Theo still wanted more of a challenge. To push himself, but in what ways could he do that outside of actual fucking combat?
“Would you be interested in upping the ante?” Theo mused, surprising himself by speaking before he'd thought it through. He fixed her with an evaluative stare, thinking of that disastrous Halloween. Maybe...