#kinda simple

Marnie shrugged, her eyebrow twitched just a fraction, but that was as much of a response as a verbal response - Piers knew Marnie better than he knew himself.

"He keeps beatin' me in our battles," Marnie sighed. "Keeps beatin' me like I'm nothin', like I'm just a game or a roadblock to Leon."

"Are you nothin'?" Piers asked.

Marnie's brow furrowed - fully this time, and her eyes flicked around Piers' face as she processed his words.

"Well... no. I'm the strongest trainer in Spikemuth..."

"Yeah, see?" Piers said with a shrug. "You're tough, tough enough to beat me in record time. There's always gonna be someone better than you, stronger than you, but you can't let that stop you from moving forward."

"He isn't stronger than me!" Marnie huffed suddenly. Her face pinched into a small scowl, too cute to be threatening, but there was no way Piers would comment on that now. "I just need to train harder."

"You've been training hard all day," Piers said. "Get some rest tonight, and start up again tomorrow. Can't be a good trainer if you don't take care of yourself too."

Marnie nodded, and Piers stood again. His socks pressed into peony pink carpet as he headed towards the door. It was just a sliver of sound, in the way Marnie swallowed, but it was enough to get Piers to turn.

"Could you stay in here with me for a bit?" Marnie asked quietly. "An' I brush your hair?"

Piers smiled, and warmth bloomed in him at the simple request. She hardly ever asked that anymore, only saved it for when she really was feeling down. Piers turned and gave a shrug.

"Yeah, haven't done it in myself in weeks anyway."

"I can tell."

There was no hint of laughter in her voice, but when the coner of Piers' mouth twitched up, so did Marnie's.

"Yeah yeah ha ha," Piers said, and he gave the biggest eyeroll he could muster as he sat on her bed again. "I got Ma's thick hair, and you got Pop's silky hair. You got it easy."

"You can do more with yours though," Marnie huffed as she plucked her hairbrush from the nightstand. "I can't even do any curls or nothin', they'll just fall out."

"Oi, who you curlin' your hair for?" Piers asked, whipping his head back around. Marnie's face tinged as pink as her carpet, and she turned Piers' head back around.

"No one!" she huffed, but the way she dragged her brush through his hair wasn't exactly cool and collected. "Hush about it."

"Is it that Victor kid again? I'll kick his ass."

"Piers!" Marnie yelped, and she tugged on his hair in defiance. Piers let out a chuckle.

"Alright alright," he said, and Marnie went back to brushing. "If that kid hurts you then I'll be on him like a Perrserker's claws. My boots don't have spiked heels for nothin'."

Marnie playfully tugged on a bundle of Piers' hair again, and he let out another chuckle.

"I thought you were a Primarina made of bubblegum?" Marnie said as a smile bloomed on her face. Piers smiled too, and gave another eyeroll.

"Whatever, you gonna brush or keep snacking your maw?"

Marnie laughed and did indeed keep brushing. Light chuckles filled the air, and, unfortunately, so did Piers' yelp every time the brush snagged.