Before the match was even over, Loras' braid had come loose. His hair bobbed and weaved with him, with every movement, sticking to his forehead and cheeks from sweat and blood. Everything was a blur of an anxious crowd and flying fists and feet.
Obi-Wan was graceful, almost panther-like. Loras was lighter, more like a fox. It lasted longer than it felt. At one point, one of the men from the crowd placed his hand on that mat and had his fingers promptly stepped on by Loras who almost lost his balance. He couldn't count how many blows there were, but he knew he'd feel them later.
It was a hard kick that sent Obi-Wan down. Loras still knew when the man was faking it and he wanted to yell at him to get up, to scream at him to stop being a liar, but he was dizzy against the ropes. Without him even caring about it, his arm was grabbed and he was jerked toward the middle of the ring with blood dribbling down the sides of his mouth. His arm was jerked upward after the ref counted Obi-Wan down and k.o.'d.
There were boos mixed with cheers. Some of the men broke out into fights. Others handed over money they lost in bets. Loras looked down at Obi through blurry eyes and returned the bloody smile, laughing at his friend.