Of Hate and Love

The climbing was always the part that she liked the least, even with the dark rope helping her ascent the windows were too damn high in that place in any case, a very long climb to finally break in... but one couldn't expect any less from the home of a giant... and a big one at that too. And yet she knew that she'd find an opening there, a fissure that might have not seemed like much for the faron but that was plenty wide for a human, enough to let her in.
Sam sighed in realizing how well she knew the place by now, a testimony of all her previous failed attempts but also the reason why she believed that she'd be able to complete the job this time. The brute's contempt towards her, the ridiculous way in which he allowed her to walk away hurt only in pride time after time was going to be his downfall... and that was going to be one hell of a loud crash.
She knew all about the giant's ways by now and was finally ready to take him down... if also this time it didn't work then she'd just admit defeat, as there would truly be no use in continuing that charade that ended only with her getting slobbered up by the titanic red-head.
When Samira was halfway up to the window she felt a great movement in the air and heard a great big door quietly swinging on its hinges, and she stopped to groan some curses under her breath.
“Just can't use a door like a normal person, can ye, lass?” the amused rumble made Sam only more angry, swinging around on the rope to try and glare up at the colossus, knowing that she'd be hanging at about knee-level for him at the moment.
“Shut up and let me work, Finnigan!” she shouted as the faron crouched, peering down at her with a wide grin “So happy t'see ye too, lass... what is it this time? Thinkin' that third time th'third time'll be yer charm?” it was so like him to start by rubbing in the fact that this was the ninth attempt thus far.
“You'll see, damned monster... today you're going down.” Samira snarled in reply.
“Sure thing, lass... got a minute before that or are ye in a hurry?” Finn asked as he offered her a hand, the large palm hovering only a few feet beneath Samira.
“What? You gotta be kidding me!” the woman yelled at him.
“Oi, come on, lass... dun be such a stranger. Won't be th'first time, aye?” Finn pointed out still with a charming, if fanged, smile curving his lips.
“Fine... won't change your fate in any case, you titanic fool.” Samira muttered under her breath as she allowed herself to drop down in the giant's palm, knowing him to be strangely honorable by now... he wouldn't go for a sneak attack or a trap.
If a fight between a human and a Faron could ever be called fair to begin with, what with their ridiculous size and magic powers, then Finnigan did best her fairly every time, no trickery involved... so she knew that, at least until their match didn't start, she would be alright.

“What's so interesting about taunting your 'snack' in any case, huh? Feels good to rub it in, is that it?” Sam asked after a while, crossing her arms and looking away from the giant, frankly tired of the banter by now... they both knew that they were going to duke it out soon enough, and acting all friendly and carefree before that just let Samira notice once again how much the behemoth underestimated her.
“Oi, dun give me that, lass... ye're na just a snack. Ye're my rival an'archenemy too...” Finnigan replied almost gently, a pout appearing on his face.
“Not anymore, big guy.” Samira said harshly, a bitter chuckle accompanying the words as she sat down on the giant's table.
“Na anymore? What are ye sayin', lass? Got someone else out there?” there truly was a hint of jealousy as the giant rumbled that question.
“Tonight it's the last time, Finnigan. Either I put an end to you or I give up.” Samira admitted glaring up at the giant.
“An end t'me, huh? You'd really manage t'kill me after all this time?” Samira didn't answer, keeping up the glare “Ye're so heartless, Sam. An'then they say I'm a monster...”
“Because you are, a very big, very bad, especially terrible monster!” Samira snapped before shaking her head “But... no, I couldn't really kill you. Wouldn't be fair after all the rematches that you gave me.” she admitted, her anger rising even higher just in having to force herself to speak that truth.
“Then... what are ye goin' t'do? Why are ye even here?” Finn asked, his head lowered to rest on his arm, green eyes looking curiously down at the woman.
“I know that you've got honor to you, Finnigan... no matter how twisted that is. So I'll give you a deal. When I win, I won't kill you and you'll put an end to your rampaging madness.” Samira's wasn't even a question, nor a challenge, her confidence making those words into an unchangeable truth instead.
“What? No fun, lass... Way to kill a lad's joy. I dun like this deal...” Finn complained, his ears dropping at the mere thought.
“You'll promise me that you'll take it, giant, or you'll force me to stab your heart out.” Samira continued, her tone serious.
“Confident of yer chances are ye, lass?” he asked with a smirk.
“I'm not kidding, Finnigan, either you promise or you die!” she yelled.
“And, no matter what, this is the last time I see ye then?” he asked after a while, the huge green eyes falling away from the violet glare fixed upon them.
“That's a promise... I'll no longer bug you. Now you swear to me that you won't be a sore loser!” Samira spoke loudly as she got back to her feet, a hand already going to grasp her blade.
“But...” Finn started to protest when Samira urged him on again “... Fine, if that's what ye want... I promise.”
No later than the last syllable was uttered, Samira started her assault.

It had been easy... too easy. Only a few minutes of struggle before it was over, the great Faron bound by shadow magic and pinned to the ground, bleeding scratches here and there over his body and an expression of quiet amazement on his face as he looked down to the tiny human panting for breath in front of him.
Finn couldn't even say how it happened... maybe because he was too busy thinking about other stuff... that lass was sure tricky, giving him such news right before a fight, no wonder he couldn't focus into it, and he knew well enough that Sam would need his full attention...
“Oi... seems like ye've won, lass...” Finn muttered with a strange smirk over his face.
“What the hell...” Sam gasped before taking in a deeper breath and shouting “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING? What's with this mock fight, huh? Think I need your pity so much that you can't even pretend you're being serious? Is that it, you goddamned freak?!”
“Oi, Sam...” Finn started to say but flinched and got interrupted as more shouting followed “I DON'T CARE! Whatever, do what you want... I still won and you better fucking stick to your word!” she pointed accusingly at the immense face in front of her before turning around and starting to storm away from him “Damn this was frustrating... AAAAARGH! I hate you!”
“Oi, it's na fair! Na fair, ye hear?” the faron complained as he tried to crawl forward “Ye can't drop all that crap on me an'then expect a great fight!”
“Oh, yeah... 'cause you didn't just totally give up on it on purpose...” Sam sneered, not even turning back despite feeling the faron drawing closer.
“I didn't even get th'time t'choose what I wanted t'do. Ye forced me in a tight spot there, lass.”
“What was there to choose from, huh? It was keeping on as you were or giving up on rampages, simple as that.”
“Ye make it sound so easy there...” Finn sighed deeply “Th'way I see it was choosin' between rampagin' an'ye.”
“Me? Get your mind out of the gutter, dude!” Samira chuckled mockingly as she turned around, finally noticing that Finnigan was a lot closer than she realized “I'll never see your ugly mug again in any case.”
“No.” Finnigan said sternly, a growl mixed in with that single syllable.
“Throw a tantrum, will you? Do what you want, I'm out of here...” Samira shrugged and turned around again, ready to march off when she found herself paralyzed out of surprise, sudden anger and a bit of disgust as the Faron licked her back.
“Now ye listen t'me, Sam.” he said knowing that he got her full attention “I won't take it like that. If ye dun give me a chance I won't give up on raidin' villages an'stuff.”
“A chance? A chance at what, damned giant?” Samira asked as she stiffly, slowly turned around, anger vibrating in her eyes.
“A date. Na weapons or work involved. Just ye an'me.” the giant slightly blushed as he made his claim.
“W-W-What? W-What sort of demented and ridiculous thing is that? You're sick, Finnigan, completely sick!” Sam snapped as she slowly retreated from the giant, hardly managing to believe what she was hearing, or the hopeful look in the giant's eyes.
“Is that a price too big fer th'safety o'those poor li'l villagers? Find me that disgustin', lass?” Finn's voice hardened, clearly feeling hurt by that reply.
“N-No... but...” Samira didn't know what to say... she surely wasn't expecting something like that, not from a Faron... not from Finnigan of all people “It's only one date, right?” she then asked, feeling embarrassed and confused.
“That's all I'm askin' fer...” Finn said with a kind smile that soon bloomed in a playful grin “I'm sure ye'll beg me fer a second one, Sam.”
“Keep on dreaming... but fine. I'll do it.” Samira replied, smiling in spite of herself.
“Knew ye'd understand, lass.” Finn chuckled, feeling his heart thumping louder and quicker in finally having managed to say these things out loud.
“So... can ye let me go now? It's kinda startin' t'feel uncomfortable...” Finn asked, trying once again to bust the shadow bindings open but finding them incredibly resilient even against his strength.
“Only on one condition... you'll be keeping your tongue where it belongs.” Samira grumpily warned as she pointed sternly at the giant.
“Ye mean like this?” Finn asked playfully before sticking out his tongue to lick at Samira's hand “'Cause I'm pretty sure it belongs on ye, lass.”
“You're hopeless...” Sam sighed even as she chuckled and released the brute from the shadows... he wasn't that bad after all.