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Realistic or Modern Those That Remain

The elbow to the ribs smarted and Grim felt his eyes narrow on his travel partner. From her comments about the truck to the way her eyes seemed to alight with humour at his every moan and groan it seemed as if Ruby had been intentionally created to drive him mad. The way she called him granddad... For a second he imagined the steering wheel was her neck and his fingers tightened on the leather. Not even her yelp of surprise from the squirrel could have made him feel better and strangely enough when she did display the fear he thought he craved from her he didn't feel any better.

They were on the road, the tires crunching over greenery that took back the concrete as Ruby twisted in her seat, the belt hugging tight to her chest as her words filled the cab. He could all but taste the venom in her words, and when his eyes slid off the road to her he found the fear draining what little colour her face had. His entire body stiffened and for half a moment he tried to convince himself to keep driving, to keep her fear so that they could part and never have to think of the other again. He didn't have to answer her question, it would be better if she didn't know anything. It felt like the more he told her about himself the more she would hold power over him, and yet here he was; pressing his foot to the brake and bringing the truck to a halt.

Ever cognisant of their petrol rations he threw their transport into park and shut off the engine. Like Ruby had moment's earlier he twisted in his seat, his attention fully on her. The soft morning light had the sun illuminating the profile of his face and his amber eyes flared.

"Grant Rivers is the scum of the earth." He agreed with her earlier statement. Nerves fired through him and he reached up to scratch at his beard as he considered what on earth to tell her. Certainly it would be simpler to leave things at that, but there was no way his heart would let him. "I owe him." Grim struggled with the words, hating how they sounded. "A year ago, I was in a bit of a bad way." He could feel the burn of the bullet's in his back even now and he straightened against the memory. "River's found me after I'd been left for dead and he..." He teeth gritted against his next words. "Saved... me. He used a bunch of supplies that had been meant for another." His eyes dropped then, as shame slightly tinged his cheek bones.

"Anyways, I've done a couple odd jobs for him in an effort to repay what had been lost. With this job- my slate will finally be cleared." He took a steadying breath, forcing himself to lift his gaze once more. His entire being felt raw in that moment, in all his years he'd never felt the urge to reveal more of his thoughts or motivations to anyone, like he felt it with Ruby. In this moment it felt like Ruby held control over every bit of him and in a semblance to feel a little more balanced he reached out, his strong fingers grasping the lines of her jaw, tugging her forward slightly as he leaned towards her. They were bent over the center console, their breath's mingling in the space between them.

From this distance he caught the faint scent of her, she was earth and feminine and his nostrils flared a little as his gaze dropped from her eyes down to her mouth.

"You really should stop calling me Grandad, Little Red." His voice rough, almost challenging. "Call me that again and I'll turn this truck round." It would be so easy to close the distance between them, so easy to satiate his insane desire to see what she tasted like. She would be fire, and passion and he savour every moment of taming the burn between them. Instead, he held them there a few moments longer, torturing himself before finally his fingers released her and he turned back to the wheel of the truck, finding the ignition once more.
 
Her mind was swimming, alive with memories threatening to drown her, memories that were disguised by an irrational anger directed towards the only option she had to throw it at. And perhaps there was a little bit of disappointment mixed in there too, at hearing that Grim was involved with someone like Grant fucking Rivers. Maybe she had no right to feel that way, they'd all done things in this life that they had to, that they regretted, but when it came to Fort Haven Ruby's fear knew no bounds, for reasons that she had no intention of sharing. Or at least not yet, anyway.

The fire in her gaze remained, even when the truck was screeched to a holt, when the engine was killed, the large man beside her twisting to mirror her expression almost exactly. The sun cast orange rays behind him, highlighting the yellow flecks of his eyes and the rigid flex of his jaw which only heightened hissense of anger and Ruby bristled in response, silently demanding an explanation from him whether he wanted to give it or not. She at least stayed quiet while she listened though, trying to piece the nuggets of information he was affording her together.

When she thought Grim had finished, the words in response burst out of her before she could stop them. "What are you, fucking stupid? Grant Rivers doesn't just save somebody. He creates a... a debt, so you have to do odd jobs here and there. You really think this drop will pay for your freedom? If you believe that then you're an idiot. He'll just find another way to get you, you know. You don't get away from someone like him without leaving a piece of yourself behind."

And there it was. A disguised admission. Of course, behind the bravado there was a story, there always was, just like she could see that Grim had his own in the way he dropped his gaze when he spoke of who should be here in his place. Ruby was beyond comfort though, or embracing his vulnerability when she suddenly felt herself spiralling back into her own. She had just been about to turn away to hide it when strong fingers suddenly reached out to grip her jaw and her breath hitched as she was pulled in closer to her newfound irritation, so close in fact that she could feel his breath, warm upon her lips. She didn't miss the way he looked to her mouth, just as she was sure he didn't miss how her eyes dropped to his. Only when he spoke did Ruby look back up again, that passion and fire reflected in the depths of darkened eyes. Go on. She seemed to tell him through the silence. Do it. I dare you.

But then he released her and Ruby loosed a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. A frown marred her features and she ran a trembling hand through her jagged red locks, twisting away from Grim so he couldn't see the colour in her cheeks, or the desire that had pooled in her lower stomach, now reflected in her features. One foot lifted against the glove compartment, her right shoulder turning into her seat so that she was facing the window and in a grumble she simply muttered, much like a petulant child might, "Whatever. Grandad."
 
In those moments after his truth was revealed Grim could have sworn Ruby looked a bit like a caged animal. Her eyes were wild, and though he didn't fully comprehend it; he recognized that she seemed to be speaking from experience. His eyes bounced back and forth, jumping from the set of her brow to the way her rigid shoulders leaned against the leather seat of his truck. Truthfully he didn't think he could say anything to bring her back from whatever it was that flooded her mind. Perhaps it was her age that made her speak as though Grant River's ledger was painted fully in black.

"Think what you like of me little girl, but I always pay my debts in full." Grant had promised him, and if the bastard reneged on his words then he was surely going to get a bullet in the knee.

He wondered what piece she'd left behind in that den of sin as they lingered over the centre console. It was so rewarding to see the fear and anger in her eyes matched by the familiar fiery blaze she seemed to aim in his direction. She almost seemed to be silently encouraging him to fill that space between them, to close the distance and forget all the bullshit of the past. Were he a better man he might have done it but he couldn't seem to shake that image of her anger and disappointment in him from his mind. He didn't think he could bare it if she wore the same expression after crushing his mouth to hers.

The leather of his seat groaned as he shifted away from her and settled back into the drivers seat. He was so focused on acting as if their proximity had not affected him that he did not notice she was doing the same right next to him. It was almost as if all of his clothes were too tight, and he felt constrained by the woven fabric of his seatbelt. Grim's gaze narrowed on the road she Ruby muttered the nickname for him once more, he could feel a growl building in his chest but forced the sound back down. He refused to look at her, his mouth set in a firm line as they once more took off down the road towards Ruby's camp. Instead of making good on his word and turning the truck around he took the more childish route of refusing to speak with her anymore.

Thirty minutes later, Grim started wishing he'd kept some of the CD's he'd found along his travels. The silence in the cab almost felt deafening and he desperately wished to fill the space with something, heck he'd even take more fighting at this point, but every single thing that came to his mind to speak aloud just didn't feel right. After another twenty minutes he was just about bursting at the seams and had been stupidly about to ask Ruby what her favourite colour was when he was saved from doing so. About half a kilometre in front of them a large mass of black and brown seemed to cover the road blocking them from moving any further. Grim squinted, slowing the truck down a safe distance away, he huffed out a small noise of surprise when he recognized the herd of bison casually standing in their way.

It wasn't uncommon to see wildlife wandering around the world but he'd never seen a herd of this size. Grim turned off the truck, unwilling to try and approach any further, he wasn't keen on the idea of his truck or them taking a few hits from a disgruntled bison. With the key still engaged but the truck off, he was able to roll down both their windows and leaned into the breeze that danced over his skin. The silence hit him again and Grim found his eyes drifting to Ruby.

"I always used to think these guys were boring when I went to the zoo as a kid; but out here... they seem pretty cool." He jumped on the statement. It seemed every time the two of them took a step towards one another something had them retreating the same distance only moments later. Grim liked Ruby's anger, her determination but he found himself desperate for more of the gentle moments. "Do get bison around your camp a lot? Or is this something new?" He asked forcing his gaze outward where a few of the bison stepped off the road to graze at the clovers that grew there.
 
The grip of his fingers lingered upon her chin and in her mind. They were each sat as far away from each other as they could get in the space that suddenly felt too small for the both of them and like Grim, Ruby's expression remained rigid with simmering fury, to the point that she was glad when the engine started back up again to fill the silence. Her head on the other hand, was loud enough for the both of them, except only she could hear it.

Ruby wanted no part, no involvement in Grant and his disgusting excuse for an encampment. She had sworn to herself never again the last time she'd left there. But therein lay her dilemma because if she were to talk her own camp into letting Grim go with his weapons then she'd be doing Fort Haven a service. If she didn't however, she'd be forcing Grim into another week of imprisonment. Not that she believed for a second he would actually get his freedom if he delivered the weapons. Like she said, Grant Rivers. Scum of the earth. She just wished Grim could see what she was trying to tell him, what she was trying to warn him of, in her own muddled way.

The next thirty minutes past by ridiculously slowly, with the tension mounting with each second that ticked by. Ruby found herself worrying at her bottom lip, her neck aching from trying to hold her face away from the man sitting next to her. She was so incredibly stubborn though that there was no way in hell she was about to speak first, even if she wanted to. It was this thought that she found plaguing her mind when she noticed the truck slowing and unable to help herself the redhead glanced at Grim, and then back out the windscreen to where she could now see the herd of brown animals up ahead, scattered along the side of the road. Her anger was momentarily forgotten as she realised what they were looking at, her foot returning to the other on the floor of the car and her small body shifting towards the edge of her seat so she could take a better look.

It would seem that they were finally both back on the same page as Grim killed the engine and wound down their windows and Ruby took in a gulp of air as a breeze swished at the hair hanging just above her shoulders. She didn't look at him when he spoke, olive eyes remaining glued to the creatures in front of them. "I've never been to a zoo," she replied, slightly sulkily still but she was talking so that was something. She could recognise that he was trying to extend an olive branch and she knew it'd be childish to refuse it. Plus, like him, although their bickering was fun, their fights not so much and Ruby enjoyed Grim's company more.

To his question, she shook her head. "No. This is new," and then without warning she unclipped her seatbelt and pushed open the car door, slipping onto the dusty ground beneath them. As quietly as she could, she hauled herself onto the back of the truck and sat herself above her passenger seat, crossing her legs and watching in pensive silence the bison nibbling at their clover. The scene was almost serene; gave her space to think, to breathe for a moment. Time to calm down and a chance to take the pressure off a little.

In the end, when she spoke again, her voice was softer, quieter. "What was your favourite thing to see at the zoo?"
 
There was no way to know how this would turn out between the two of them, but Grim found himself promising that at least for the rest of the day he could do his best not to be the cause of her anger. The sight of her scooting forward until she was almost on the edge of her seat softened him, and when she said she'd never been to a zoo he found his breath hitching a little in his chest. Jesus, she really was in her twenties then, she must not have ever known a life before all of this. He was nodding along to her second answer when Ruby reached for the door latched and clambered out onto the road.

"Hey." He leaned towards her, ready to warn her to not get to close but it seemed Little Red had other ideas. She threw herself up the side of the truck and like the agile thing she was, she seated herself on top of the cab. The idea seemed like a grand one to him and Grim quickly followed suit. The door clicked behind him and he lifted a heavy boot into the wheel well of his truck and hoisted himself up, it certainly wasn't as graceful as Ruby but it got the job done and soon he was sitting next to her as they gazed over the animals.

Ahead of them the herd meandered, and small calves nestled under their mothers stomachs, eager for their next meal. Low bleats and groans could be heard and Grim found himself smiling at the peaceful sight. Looking at this one could forget for a few moments. He shifted, sliding a little closer to Ruby so the knee of her crossed leg bumped against his thigh. The breeze lifted their hair, sending it dancing around their necks as Ruby asked her question. Grim's arm's lifted to fold over his chest as he seriously considered her question.

"The zoo in my city had one of those enclosures where you could walk amongst some birds of prey. There was no barrier there between yourself and the animal. It made me feel close to them for some reason." He shrugged, tugging his gaze away from the bison to look at Ruby. It was hard not to notice how pretty she was, he liked the small furrow of her brow that lingered over her soulful eyes. He wondered if she would be just as soft everywhere and his hand tingled in the memory of her skin under his. Grim had never felt the pull of desire as strong as this, and it both confused and excited him.

"I would bet that your favourite would have been the red pandas, and not just because of your kindred colouring." He gestured to her hair, and then unable to resist reached over to give a few of her locks a light tug. "It's the closest thing to a squirrel that I can think of that might be in a zoo."
 
Ruby didn't need to look over towards Grim to know what he was doing as he hauled himself up the side of the truck and eventually came to settle beside her. The brief silence between them felt different now, as though the tension had fizzled out and instead they sat with quiet understanding, perhaps of themselves and each other. This wasn't something you saw everyday and the innocence of it was comforting - to know that there were pockets of the world that were still untouched by the shit-show that was now humankind brought with it a small amount of hope. Hope that was bittersweet as Ruby watched a calf nestle underneath its mother, a pang of pain shooting through her chest that was otherwise diverted when she felt the presence of Grim's thigh underneath her knee. A part of her wanted to huddle in closer, to let herself be enclosed by those huge arms and just be... held. Just for a little while.

Of course she didn't, but instead let out a small sigh as she settled into listening to Grim's answer to her question. She could imagine him walking amongst birds of prey somehow, even more so with some kind of magnificent pet eagle landing on his outstretched arm, like an ancient Viking warrior. If ancient Viking warriors had pet eagles? Before she could go down that rabbit hole though, chunky hands had reached over to tug on her hair and instinctively she batted them away, playfully and with a smile threatening her mouth. "Get outta here," Ruby smirked as she nudged his shoulder with her own. "I'm surprised then that your answer wasn't a grizzly bear - huge and very, very grumpy."

Lifting her head then to look back at the herd, Ruby tucked her hair behind her ears as a soft breeze rustled around them. "I actually think my favourites would have been the big cats. Lions, specifically and no, not tigers just because of the colouring." This jibe was paired with another eyeroll, before her expression softened, gaze disappearing to somewhere that Grim couldn't see. "I like how fiercely they look after their young. I don't know a whole lot about it but I found a book once that said mothers will go up against male lions to protect their cubs if they need to and I... I don't know. It just kind of resonated with me." This time she shrugged her small shoulders, casting her eyes down to where her ankles crossed each other.

"Guess it's a shame I might never get to visit a zoo, huh."
 
He lifted his hand in mock surrender when Ruby swatted her hand to shoo him away from the strands of her hair and when she nudged him he had to suppress the urge to throw his arm around her shoulders. Instead he tapped a finger to his nose when she compared him to a grizzly bear.

"That one was my second favourite." He told her. Ruby turned her attention back to the herd and he watched her as she spoke about big cats and her resonation to them. He tried to picture Ruby at the zoo and the image that he conjured made him smile. He could see her so clearly with her nose pressed to the glass as a tiger made his rounds around the enclosure. The light she would get in her eyes when she'd spot another napping. He'd probably buy her an ice cream with the intention to share but end up eating most if it himself. Grim returned to the present when she turned her gaze downward sounding dejected about the prospect of never going to visit a zoo for herself.

"Hmm." Grim made a low noise in the back of his throat as he looked back to the herd, suddenly trying to figure out how on earth he could make that dream come true for her. The sad fact of the matter was that Ruby would never get to visit a zoo, theme park or hop in a plane to visit far off places. No one would ever do those things again. More bison bleated out and he watched as one great lumbering beast shook itself free of the dust and insects. "It is a shame." He finally said after gathering his thoughts on the matter. "There are a lot of things about the world that I think you would have liked. Though I gotta say, you would have never seen something like this." He gestured to the herd and a soft smile curved up one side of his lips. "At least I never did."

They watched over the herd for a long while, not once thinking to hurry them along so that they might continue on. It was like nature had put them on a much needed pause and for that Grim was thankful. They exchanged a few more words as the sun rose in its apex over the sky. Grim asked a few simple questions like what her favourite colour was, as well as what other books she enjoyed reading. They were simple enough questions, not too deep and each one she answered he locked it away in the ever growing list of things he'd come to know about her. In return he revealed his favourite book, a mystery thriller called Mercy by a woman named Julie Garwood, while his favourite colour happened to be black. Eventually the herd moved off the road and the two travellers could once more go on their journey.

Grim slipped back to the concrete with a small 'oof' and brushed the dust off his pants before slipping into the passenger seat once more. The tension that had filled the cab before was in the past, and once he was assured Ruby was buckled in he sent them back on their way. It was warm enough that he kept the windows rolled down, and he had to admit he enjoyed the view of Ruby's hair kicking up all around her. He noticed the shoe print of where she'd rested her foot against the dash on one of the occasions he snuck a glance at her and raised a brow.

"You better clean that before we part ways." He told her, gesturing to the spot. According to Ruby they were likely only half an hour away from her home and he found himself slowing a little to navigate through a few abandoned cars on the road. It was to be safe, he told himself. It certainly wasn't because he didn't want this to end.
 
There was something about the moment they found themselves in that neither Ruby nor Grim wanted to disturb and it wasn't until the Bison decided to move on, inadvertently pushing them forwards did they clamber down from the cab again and begin their journey once more. At least this time the silence was non-existent, as they shared simple facts about themselves with each other, such as Ruby's favourite colour (yellow) her favourite book (Little Women). Easy chatter and companionship relaxed them both as they drove towards the sunset... and towards where they would finally part ways. Ruby hadn't considered this much since they had met, mostly because every time the thought surfaced she shoved it away to deal with later. The issue was, later was now quickly approaching and despite knowing that attachment in this world was dangerous, she felt a weight beginning to settle upon her chest at the thought of Grim disappearing back into the world without her. This wasn't exactly a life in which they could keep in touch.

With the wind from the rolled down windows whipping through her hair, when Grim spoke, Ruby turned while simultaneously tucking red locks behind her ears. One eyebrow quirked when he gestured towards her footprint on the glove compartment and then a slow, lazy smirk settled upon her features as she looked back out to the road ahead, that was now littered with abandoned cars. They were getting closer.

"Nah. I think I'll leave it for you as something to remember me by."

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Around a half an hour later, Ruby's encampment could finally be spotted on the horizon in front of them. She had instructed Grim to turn the truck off the road around ten minutes ago and they had trundled through dried up fields and patches of trees, seemingly away from civilisation since then. The camp was purposefully situated in the middle of nowhere, built up around what had once clearly been a settlement of some kind. There were the remains of buildings encased around a makeshift wall of barbed wire and a set of metal gates at the front. Currently, the place was shrouded in darkness, no doubt because someone within had heard the rumble of the truck approaching. "Hey, slow it down here," Ruby urged as torch lights suddenly appeared at the gate, shining towards them, following by angry, fearful voices.

"Out. Now! On your knees! Move!"

"Look, just do as they say, okay?" Ruby whispered. "I've got this. Once they realise you're with me they'll be fine but to begin with they're gonna be suspicious."

Then without a second thought, Ruby opened her car door and shut it behind her, hands raised. "Hey, guys. It's just me. It's Ruby."

"Rubes?" It was Erin's voice that echoed from behind the lights and Ruby smiled a little.

"Yeah, Erin. I'm back." The older woman approached through the gates, wrapping Ruby into a tight hug as the two men flanking her started towards the truck.

"Thank God. I was beginning to worry. Did you get the stuff?"

Ruby had just been about to nod when a startled yell sounded from behind them. "Hands in the air! Now! Get down!" Jack and Riley both had their weapons pointed at the form who towered over them and the redhead whipped around and away from her leader, rushing over to the other side of the truck. "Hey, hey guys. Easy, he's fine. He's not a threat. Look, he brought me back here and the loot is in the back of the truck. He... he helped me."

Behind her, Erin approached, her jaw rigid as she stepped into the lights and peered at Grim before her, her gaze stony. Distrust of newcomers was usual, understandable. It was going to take a while for them to accept him and then let him go, even with Ruby's assurances.

"Don't stand down just yet," Erin eventually spoke to the two men, her eyes never leaving Grim's. "Let's get him inside. Jack? The blindfold."
 
If Ruby thought the shoe print would be the only reminder of her short time in his life she was sorely mistaken. He'd likely think of her every time he looked to the passenger seat, fuck, he'd probably think of her each time he held his knife. His grip tightened on the wheel as the memory of their first meeting flashed through his mind, if only he'd understood then what she would do to him, he'd have kept her pinned to that wall much longer. A wry smile curved his lips as he glanced over to Ruby.

"Trust me Princess, I won't be forgetting you anytime soon."

The sky was darkening by the time they reached the encampment and when Ruby directed that he stop Grim pressed his foot to the brake and brought the truck to a slow and gentle stop. The voices from outside of the cab however were not as gentle and Grim felt his mask of indifference slip over him as new comers shouted for him them to exit the truck. Grim moved slowly, taking the key from the ignition and sliding it into one of his many pockets before stepping out. His eyes tracking the two men that hustled forward, flashlights strapped to their weapons that jabbed towards him with authority. He held his hands just over his head he refused to slip to his knees as instructed, from the other end of the truck he could just make out the conversation between Erin and Ruby.

From the glow of the flashlights he could just barely make out the two men and involuntarily he wondered if they were part of the reason Ruby spoke so fondly of her people. His eyes narrowed on the men and he forced his lips from curling in distaste. Ruby vouched for him to Erin but he didn't let his gaze move to the two women even when Erin directed Jack to blindfold him. He breathing picked up for half a moment as he worked through the possibility of resisting, however he wasn't willing to risk Ruby or the trust her people had in her, even if he fantasized about turning their rifles on the two men in front of him.

Jack stepped forward, pulling a scarf from his back pocket. Both he and Grim sized up the other and he couldn't stop the satisfied smirk he wore when Jack had to reach up to adjust the fabric. Darkness shrouded his gaze and Grim let his eyes slip close as he focused on the sounds around him.

"My safe word is zombie." He said dryly, Jack tightened the final knot around his head perhaps a little more roughly than he needed to after that. A gun prodded him in the back and Grim stepped forward.

"Get a fucking move on." Jack's rough voice growled from behind him. The ground crunched under their feet as the group moved forward.

"Quite the welcome party you've got, Red." Grim spoke aloud and received another hard prod in the back in retaliation.

"Don't fucking talk to her." The other guard spoke, and Grim's head tilted, did he detect a hint of jealousy in that tone? They walked for a few long minutes and Grim took in the sounds of a metal gate opening and hushed whispers as they passed through. The ground turned smooth under his boot as the ground transitioned from dirt to wooden flooring. The boards creaked under their feet and the next thing Grim knew he was being shoved unceremoniously into a seat. The blindfold was ripped from his eyes and Grim let his eyes adjust to the moderately lit room in its candle light. Erin stood in front of him, her hands folded over her chest as she regarded him with a steely gaze. Behind him the two guards mirrored Erin's stance, he raised a brow at the sight before him.

"Ruby says you helped her." Erin stated.

"I mean, that is my truck out there." Grim's voice was monotonous as he spoke, almost as if he was bored.

"What's in it for you?" Erin took a menacing step forward and Grim tilted his head back to keep up his eye contact with her, he just shrugged in response.
 
Even though these were her people Ruby was acutely aware of their treatment of Grim; the blindfold, the prods to his back, the harsh orders that he took with surprising ease, though not without the dry humour that she was growing increasingly fond of. Despite all of this though, she didn't say a word as the group began their entrance back into the settlement, the metal grate scraping, the heavy thud of boots upon mud and wooden floorboards echoing into the night. The familiarity of the place was usually a comfort to Ruby but as things stood now, she suddenly found the high walls threatening, dangerous, simply because she wasn't sure what was going to happen within them. Though she knew she had Erin's ear, that wasn't to say she could control the situation 100%, a risk she had known she had taken by bringing Grim here, but one that was only now beginning to properly weigh upon her.

As they made their way into the main building, an abandoned office space nestled to the left of the entrance, Ruby was stopped briefly as the rest of the group went ahead. Medical checks for wounds and... infection were common place for returners and olive eyes followed the party briefly, longingly as they disappeared into what most of them knew as the interrogation room, while Mac, a makeshift medic gave her the once over. He chattered idly as he shone a torch into her eyes and asked her to stick her tongue out but Ruby's responses were dull, her mind elsewhere before she was given the all clear and finally slipped into the dimly lit room with Erin and the others.

She was almost silent as she clicked the door behind her, gaze finding Grim's in the centre of the room, taking him in on the chair and the way that the three of her people stood before him, much like a murder squad might. The thought made her feel slightly nauseous and the redhead instead chose to focus upon Grim's response to Erin's question. The shrug. The silence, one that stretched on with Ruby's curiosity filling it. When it became clear he wasn't about to answer she spoke up instead, an attempt to aid his cause, as well as one to stop the speculation in her own mind. Why had he helped her? Sure, she'd had him at gunpoint but they both knew he could have overpowered her at any opportunity. In reality, there was more to it and they both knew it.

But despite this... "I didn't give him a choice." Ruby's voice sounded out into the room. Erin didn't turn so Ruby moved to stand beside Grim's seat, imploring. "He didn't offer to help, don't mistake him for a gentleman." There was light scoffing to her tone but also... fear. Uncertainty. "I got the jump on him." Then, a shrug. "So he brought me back here."

"So, you're saying he didn't help you?"

Ruby sighed. "No, that's not what I'm saying. The fact is, we worked together to get the loot we need back here and if it wasn't for him, I'm not sure I'd be here right now." The situation suddenly felt a lot more complex but she held tight, strong. "In return, I promised him we'd let him go with his truck and his own share. A small price to pay for what we need, if you ask me."

A silence followed, one in which Ruby could feel Erin studying her through as she began to pace.

"How much did you get?"

"As much as I could carry. Guns, meds. There was more though, back there. We'd be more successful if a few of us took a return trip before others get to it first. If they haven't already.

Erin considered this in silence, eventually coming to a stop. "We'd be more successful with working transport." Then, as if everyone had the same thought, all four of the people in the room turned their attention back to Grim.
 
Someone could have cut the tension the the room with a knife, it was that palpable. Despite the frigidity of Erin's stare, Grim looked as unperturbed as ever, like being blindfolded and questioned like this was just business as usual. His dull amber eyes seemed to alight with something when a familiar form entered the room as quietly as she could. For the briefest moment, his bored expression and gaze flicked to Ruby, before jumping back to Erin and re-assuming his disinterest. When it became clear that he was not going to dignify their prodding with an answer Ruby came to his rescue, moving to stand beside him as she pleaded his case.

His mouth quirked down, just barely perceptible when Ruby announced she had gotten the drop on him and all three of his captors were treated to the sight of Grim's eyes darkening with irritation. And yet, despite her irksome retelling where she definitely sounded far more in charge than she actually was he was forced to admit that he'd forgotten how rewarding it was to have someone stand up for him. He had the sudden insane urge to reach out for the back of Ruby's shirt and tug her down into his lap. The possessive primal part of himself wanted to mark her as his in front of the very people she called home. His fingers twitched against the wood of the chair. He'd feel like a damn king with her molded to him like that, he could all but see the way he'd hook an arm around her strong waist and tug her tight against him.

The thought was so pleasing to him that Grim barely noticed that Erin had turned her attention back to him from her pacing; her insinuation clear even though he'd tuned out everything but himself and Ruby. All eyes were on him and he took the opportunity to fold his arms over his chest as he considered the implications of what they were suggesting. By the time he'd gone out and come back with more loot for the encampment Grant Rivers would probably be wondering as to the location of his weapons. He'd been about to deny them their request when an idea dawned on him. At ease with himself despite the impatient looks sent his way Grim leaned forward, his attention solely on Erin.

"I'll get you your supplies, on the condition that pipsqueak over here comes along for the ride." His head jerked towards Ruby who still stood next to him.

"Not a fucking chance." Growled Jack, but Erin lifted her hand shushing her soldier.

"Why her?" Erin questioned.

"I want to kill her less than any of you. She's proven her worth out in the open. She'll ensure you'll get all the supplies you and yours need." He counted off the reasons on his finger. Riley stepped towards Grim his loathing for their captive seemed to simmer around him.

"You'll keep your grimy fucking hands off her." Riley spit at Grim. Grim merely raised a brow in a gesture that could only mean that Riley was about to fuck around and find out.

"She comes, or I don't go at all." Grim restated to Erin. He sounded as calm as ever, but if Ruby looked closely enough she would see the wild anticipation that was flooding his nervous system with endorphins.

"You aren't in control here!" Riley stepped forward again and once he was in arms range of Grim he shoved his shoulder hard. Grim barely moved in reaction, the legs of his chair sliding a little on the floor with the force of the push. Erin called out a warning and Grim watched in slow motion as Riley's hand lifted, clearly reaching for Ruby's wrist to guide her away from Grim. His eyes narrowed and in the next moment he was surging to his feet, the chair toppling over behind him as he forced himself between Riley and Ruby. Riley became Grim's shield and with militaristic ease Grim had Riley's knife out from its hilt and was pressing the lethal blade to Riley's throat.

"Didn't your boss tell you it was rude to interrupt negotiations?" Grim hissed in Riley's ear, his next statement was directed to both Ruby and Erin. "I'm ready to play nice when your boys are. Let's not make this any harder than it has to be."
 
Currently unaware of just where Grim's mind was hovering, what Ruby did notice was the darkening of his eyes beneath the flickering light of the candle. She could see it a mile off, sense it - usually because the kind of tension it carried came directed at her, through irritation mostly. If it had been just the two of them it might have made her smirk, might have drawn her finger towards his buttons that she was quickly learning to press. Perhaps she would have made up some superhero type story about how she'd overpowered her him, how he'd given up to her without a fight - all untrue but she knew how such statements would get him, just like she knew that she wanted them to. Maybe he'd kick the chair across the room, storm up to her, push her against the wall and hold her chin again just like he had back in his truck? Maybe he'd go even further, pin her up so her feet were no longer on the floor, lean in engulf her like she found herself thinking about much more than she cared to admit.

A reminder that it wasn't just the two of them came in the form of Erin's next suggestion and Ruby felt the thudding of her heart stammer a little, the heat that had formed in her cheeks retreating back out of the images currently playing through her mind. For once, she wasn't sure where her leader was going with this, whether she was about to suggest getting rid of Grim to keep his truck or...? But apparently Grim was faster on the upkeep than she was because when the next words came out of his mouth, the redhead found herself blinking in surprise, the nickname eventually catching up with her above all else.

"Hey, watch who you're--"

Jack's growled response cut off Red's indignation however, the tension simmering as Erin questioned Grim's motive and Ruby too found herself watching and waiting for his answer. Her olive eyes remained upon him from where she stood at his side, her chest jumping in anticipation and perhaps in... hope. Hope that this wasn't over, hope that maybe, just maybe, Grim wasn't ready to leave her just yet. As she wasn't him. This was their opportunity, to make this last for just a small while longer, a chance to put off their inevitable separation. Grim rolled off the reasons she should go with him easily on his fingers as though he'd put very little thought into them, as though this didn't really matter to him at all, yet his request suggested something entirely different. It was so confusing that she found herself staring at him, so engrossed in the reasons for why he was trying to bargain with her company that she didn't notice when Riley reached for her wrist, and what followed could only be described as an explosion.

The chair skidded and toppled as Grim surged forwards with the strength and speed of a bear. Riley didn't stand a chance as he was slammed into the wall with his own knife held at his throat. Jack's gun rose immediately and Erin pulled her pistol from a holster on her leg. In her own panic, Ruby was the one to speak first, putting herself, to the surprise of her people, between them and Grim with her hands held out, requesting that they wait.

"Wait! Wait." Ruby could see the frown on Erin's face from where she stood, could hear the hiss in Riley's voice as he struggled with his neck forced into an unnatural angle away from the blade that held at it. "Let me go, fucker," he spat, as Ruby turned and made her way over, hand immediately reaching to tug at Grim's wrist so that she could pull the weapon down. "Shut the fuck up, Riley," the redhead seethed, before shoving her two small hands into Grim's broad chest, trying to force him to back up. "Enough. Go sit back down grandad, don't want you pulling a muscle now, do we?" The humour felt misplaced, but then Ruby had a feeling she knew how to recapture Grim's attention, despite the confused looks passed between the people she knew at the informality of her order.

"Alright, now that the inevitable embarrassing display of masculinity is finally out of the way, Jack, Riley you two don't speak for me, got it? Why don't you both take a walk and let the grown ups make the decision, huh? This has got nothing to do with you."

"Ruby, what the fuck, you cannot be serious! There's no way in hell I'm going to let that bastard--"

"You heard her, Riley. Take a walk." Erin's voice was clear, and though it took both men a few seconds, eventually Riley was the first to make a move. "This is some bullshit," he hissed and then stormed out, closely followed by Jack at his heels. Ruby loved them both like brothers but damn, they were annoying like brothers too.

The room seemed to breathe once the three were left alone, and the redhead turned to Erin next in an attempt to gather her thoughts. "I think... I think his suggestion could work," she began carefully, glancing at Grim and them back to Erin again, trying to disguise her nerves. "What he said makes sense. If you let him go, who's to say he'll come back? He has no reason to. But if I go as well... Then there's your guarantee." The latter words was added more quietly, seriously and Erin sighed before turning to Grim once more and pushing her pistol back into its holster, clearly on the verge of a decision.

"You," she beckoned towards him. "If I agree to this... how do I know you won't hurt her? What's to say you don't put a bullet in her head the minute you're out of range of this place?"
 
If someone told him that he would be putting his freedom on hold and braving the wrath of Grant Rivers for a few extra days with the woman in front of him, Grim would have laughed and then beat the shit out of them for daring to be so stupid. Mercenaries worked alone, drifting from place to place- it would be pure insanity to hitch himself to her; and yet here he was, bargaining for just a few extra moments more. Riley squirmed in his grasp and Grim relished as the knife came dangerously close to his jugular, the man was all spark and no fire and Grim easily subdued his struggles. He was just considering teaching Riley a lesson to keep his mitts of Ruby when she pressed a warm hand to his wrist. His pulse jumped under her fingers and as she pulled his arm down he went willingly with her.

His attention moved undivided to her, watching with mirth as she put the fool of a man in his place. He was just about to shoot a smirk of victory at Riley when she rounded on him, pressing hard against his chest to get him to move away. His nostrils flared at the nickname she used and he would have paddled her ass had it not been for their present company, and yet he listened; moving the few steps back and differing to her. Not once did he mind the gun Erin had trained on him, he'd seen enough to know Erin respected Ruby enough to know that when she said she had something handled, it would all be handled. Jack and Riley were sent from the room, but the victory felt hollow now after she nicknamed him in front of everyone.

He was still frowning when Erin asked her questions of him, demanding assurances for Ruby's safety. He had to snort at the absurdity of it all.

"Oh trust me. I would have already done so if she'd let me."

If she'd let me. The words may have been more telling than he'd intended. If Ruby told him to jump he'd rumble like a bear but then after he made sure she knew he wasn't pleased he'd ask: "how high?" Anything for one of her rare smiles. Erin's eyes were narrowed on him and he stared back, unblinking like the grumpy old man he was.

"We need cooking utensils, more tools and any ammo you can find." Erin finally relented after a long pause. "I want that truck bursting at the seams with all the loot you both bring me." Erin stepped forward her fingers jabbing into Grim's chest. He bared his teeth at her but did nothing more, even when she threatened him. "So help me god, if you hurt a single hair on Ruby I will gut you and leave you bleeding out for the infected to find." Erin twisted to Ruby, something soft in that stern gaze of hers as she lifted her hand to grasp Ruby's upper arm. Her touch was firm against her arm and Erin leaned in to whisper something to Ruby that Grim didn't quite catch. Erin didn't spare Grim a second glance as she turned to leave, just as she reached the door to the interrogation room she called over her shoulder. "You leave at first light."

When they were alone Grim shifted his stance so he was facing the woman who seemed to twist him up in knots with a single look. "I think that went well." He said dryly. He meant to tell her that he was happy to stuck with her for a while more but of course that would mean he was good at communicating, he felt out of control when it came to Red and the thought spooked him. So instead his next word were harsh with frustration and perhaps a touch of insanity. "Riley is certainly lucky to have someone like you protecting him. I'd have ripped his eyes out for how he was ogling you."
 
Despite everything; the situation they found themselves in, the anger that Ruby could feel directed towards Grim for not staying cool as she'd advised - at the words if she'd let me, she couldn't help but smirk and Erin, for a moment seemed to see the humour in that statement too, even if it was peppered with a little bit of confusion. It sure did seem absurd that someone as small and slight as Ruby had managed to defend herself against someone as huge and overpowering as Grim, yet here they were. Erin knew better than most the feistiness and determination of the small redhead standing in front of her yet she couldn't help but feel that this was about more than that, for both Ruby and for Grim. There was something unspoken simmering in the room, something that sent a pang of worry and anxiety sweeping through her, but one that she couldn't afford to act on like she wanted to. If her people hadn't been so desperate for those supplies, she'd have shut this down and sent the brute on his way. But she just couldn't. And so she didn't.

The next words that the leader spoke were tinged with her defeat and Ruby let out a silent exhale of relief. There were multiple different emotions gripping her in that moment so she didn't expect the soft but firm grim to her arm, or the words muttered by her ear. "Head first. Heart second. Remember that." And then Erin was gone, pausing in the doorway with her instruction before Ruby had a chance to question her words or fight back. Instead, she was once again left in a cloud of confusion, of... irritation and of fear because Erin seemed to understand more than she did and being that out of control was absolutely not something that Red was not used to. It was for this reason that she once again rounded on Grim when they were finally left alone in the room together again.

"It would have if you'd have done what I told you and kept your damn mouth shut," she growled in response, her own happiness at the way this had turned suddenly masked by the fear of why that happiness existed in the first place. They were cut from the same cloth yet very unaccepting of it, clearly. Ruby had just been about to demand more of an explanation when Grim seemed to read her mind and she stared at him in the candlelight, brow furrowing at the absurdity of what he'd just said... and why he'd said it.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ruby flared up. "I wasn't protecting him, I was simply deescalating a situation I warned you not to create. And he was not ogling me. Jesus." Her tone turned to a scoff, her eyes narrowing, fingers once again itching towards those buttons. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you sound a little jealous, grandad. Don't worry though, it's you and me who'll be sharing a room tonight. Riley can wait until I get back for his turn." The words came out bitter, annoyed and they certainly did not deny Grim's assumption, but then maybe that was the point. Right now, Ruby was much too frustrated to comfort anyone, including herself.

So, in the aftermath of what she'd just said, she shook her head and turned away, heading towards the door that Erin had just disappeared through moments ago. "Follow me. Your truck will be fine where we left it. Oh, and if you could try not to knife anyone between here and the ten steps it'll take to get to our beds for the night, that would be great."
 
If Grim hadn't been so shell shocked at Ruby's clear insinuation that she would be bedding down with Riley upon their return he might have put up more of a fight as she escorted him out of the interrogation room and towards the sleeping quarters. Ruby's encampment was doing well enough for itself, a few small buildings housed their people and in the centre a large communal fire warmed its inhabitants. Tall walls protected them from harsher winds and saved the infected from spotting the light of the fire. Some of the inhabitants twisted their heads to look at the two of them, their figures bending in close to one another as they whispered. Grim could make out the glow of Riley's sneer from across the orange glow of the fire and he considered just removing the problem there and now with a well placed bullet. Instead he trailed after Ruby like the lost puppy he was and when they entered a building he took great pleasure in shoving the door closed behind him.

The encampments sleeping quarters were simple enough, the building seemed to have a single hallway with multiple doors on either side. As they passed a few of the doors Grim hear soft snores and mumbles from residents that had already tucked in for the night. Ruby led him to the door on the left at the end of the hall and he stepped in after her, once more closing the door. Soft moonlight and the occasional orange flicker from the fire filtered through the window, sending shadows dancing over the walls and ceiling. Two small cots were placed on either side of the room, and while Ruby moved further into the space, Grim stayed where he was. His arms were folded over his chest and he leaned back against the door.

Ruby had absolutely hit the nail on the head in her accusation of his jealousy. He couldn't tell if she was being serious or if she had said it to piss him off, either way - it sucked. Ruby moved towards the window, presumably to draw the bit of fabric that had been pinned up over the glass and Grim saw an opportunity. His legs ate up the floor, and within the space of a heart beat he was right behind her, hand wrapping around the wrist that had lifted and pinning it there to the makeshift curtain. His boots framed her tattered shoes and he almost groaned at the sheer bliss of her backside tucked up against him. He towered over her, caging her to the open window, from here they could just barely make out the group standing around the fire, directly to the left of them.

"What do you think Riley would do if he saw this?" The hand that wasn't caging her wrist lifted to her hip, gripping it tightly and pulling her back against him for a brief delicious moment. He left go then and moved his hand to the delicate line of her throat, and he finally succumbed to the fantasy of wrapping a hand around it, his large inked fingers directed her stare towards the fire. He was certain she could feel how this was already affecting him, but he was too far gone to care. The idea that another might get to feel the rapid beating of her pulse under their fingers had pushed him over the edge.

"I think the boy might take one look at your face and he would know that he'd never be man enough for you. He'd never make you look as flushed and on edge as you do now." His voice was a growl in her ear, and his hand tightened for a brief moment around her throat as a figure stepped away from the fire, and from the direction of their gait it was a possibility that they might pass their window. Grim remained where he was, interested to see what Ruby would do.
 
Thoughts engulfed the redhead like a storm cloud as she led Grim through her home, keeping mostly to the darkened shadows of the building and away from the prying eyes of those who huddled around the central fire. People came and went; there was an easiness to it amongst the harsh reality of what their life had now become. Though no longer alone, walking felt a little more wrought with tension on this occasion simply because Ruby could feel eyes trained upon her and the looming figure who was following her. No doubt that Jack and Riley had already begun to spread the word amongst the group, the lies seeping like poison into the minds of the people she considered as family. People these days were naturally suspicious, quick to think the worst because that was the hand that life had dealt them - she could understand it, but that didn't mean she currently had any patience left to explain. Hence her slinking getaway as she continued to the sleeping quarters, moving inside, down the corridor and then finally to the left door that her room was nestled behind.

The space was much like the others in the building, two beds, a cupboard and a sink, with a window overlooking the fire. Ruby was lucky enough to currently have a room to herself, and around her bed hung various objects she'd acquired on her travels; old pamphlets with pretty pictures of lakes and greenery, a couple of vinyl covers that had caught her attention by bands and artists she'd never listened to (one Blondie, one Pink Floyd), and numerous little animal trinkets that were dotted about the place like her own kind of personal zoo. Ruby didn't have much in this world anymore, but what she did have was here and instinctively reaching her fingers to the beads around her neck, she moved towards the sheet of material at the window, intending to cover it, yet never quite making it that far.

Grim was upon her in seconds, so quickly that Ruby didn't have time to react, or move. Her breath hitched as she felt the firm muscles of his torso against her back, his grip strong and ironlike upon her outstretched wrist that was now being pressed against the glass. For a moment she simply froze, completely devoured by everything about him; his scent, his warmth, the way he towered above her, pinning her between himself and the window. And when his voice came by her ear, low and gravelled, and those large, inked fingers brushed the skin of her neck and wrapped around her throat, Ruby gasped; she couldn't help it. She was utterly paralysed by her own desire, the way her blood thrummed in her ears around her desperation to push back into him, to feel how much she hoped this was affecting him as much as it was her.

Ruby watched the figure get up and move from the fire, felt Grim's hand upon her tighten. Her mind was swimming, trying to grasp at anything that wasn't her begging him to take her like this, right here and right now, to finally put an end to the burning flame in the centre of her lower belly that ignited whenever she was around him. In the end though, it was his words that pulled her from the daydream, like a bucket of icy water tipped over her head. Of course. Of course. This was born out of jealousy, out of the primal instinct for competition. Grim thought Riley had staked his claim and he wanted to challenge it. Nothing more, nothing less. Or at least that's what it was easiest for Ruby to accept, the hurt rather than the truth.

"I think..." She managed as she hated herself for trembling beneath him. "That he'd wrap a fist around your jaw, for touching someone he sees as his baby sister." With as much force as she could muster then, Ruby yanked her wrist out of Grim's hand and she turned to face him, so that her front was pressed into his. "You have no idea... how wrong you are about this," she told him softly, inching closer almost instinctually, so that their lips were only inches apart. Ruby could feel his breath, hot on her lips as her gaze flickered down to his mouth.

"And I wonder if you'd still have so much to say, if you realised that there was no competition here at all." Her words lingered as seconds passed by, one in which they seemed to be daring each other to make a move. But in the end, just as Ruby could feel herself beginning to fall, she let out a defeated exhale before turning her head away as a clear indication that whatever this was... it was over. In the next instance, the redhead slipped out of Grim's grasp, all the while trying to ignore the flushing of her cheeks, the way she felt breathless, hot and cold all at once. Only when she reached the door did she pause briefly, but without looking back.

"I'm gonna take a shower. You'll stay here in here if you know what's good for you."
 
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Her gasp lit a fire within him and the way her body imperceptibly pushed back against him was more reward than she could have ever known. He should have kept his stupid mouth shut however, the venom in his jealousy had Ruby's next words halting him from lowering his hand and showing her truly just how flushed he thought she could be. Despite the tremble that shivered through her and reverberated back into his chest, her tone didn't carry the same breathless desire he'd been expecting. His amber eyes narrowed as she pulled out his grasp and once more she ripped the control he'd tried to lord over her right out from under his feet.

They were chest to chest in the next moment, their breaths mingling. She called him out, told him he was wrong and with each second that passed his mind scrambled on how to regain the footing, but he couldn't. He wanted to ask her what she'd meant with every single stinging word out of her mouth, but pride got in the way. She slipped out from him and he was left there, hand still pressed to the window looking like the worlds biggest jackass as she walked away from him. She ordered him to stay and with his gaze lowered to the floor he nodded. The door clicked behind Ruby and Grim was still for a moment before he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

He glanced out the window to see a person he didn't know looking right at him. Grim's eyes narrowed on the figure and he growled when a smirk was sent his way. Grim flipped the stranger the bird before reaching out to cover the window. The room was darker now, and when Grim turned he spotted two candles with a book of matches next to it. Silently he took the match and struck it, he lit one and then two candles and was about to shake the match out when something stopped him. With dull eyes he regarded the flame as it slowly ate up the wood and crept closer and closer to his finger. Already he could feel the heat of the blaze on his skin.

There had never been any competition? A crease appeared between his brows as the fire started to become painful, eventually when he could stand it no more he let the match out. The pads of his fingers tingled as his gaze swept around the room. There were bits of Ruby everywhere, assorted pictures, small trinkets and other items he recognized. The warm glow of the candles highlighted the small animal trinkets that dotted the room and Grim spotted the book of big cats that she had spoken of earlier. He was quiet for a long while, studying each of the items and committing them to memory. He wanted to know everything he could about the woman who could send him to his knees with a sneeze.

One of Ruby's books happened to be a photo study following a few bands on their tours and it piqued Grim's interest. Large inked fingers gripped the spine of the book and he went and situated himself on the bed he assumed was for him. With his back against the wall and his legs over the edge of the bed he opened the book in his lap and began to read through it. He was about a quarter in when the door opened again, Grim didn't bother to check if it was Ruby, he didn't want the sight of her to distract him from what he knew he had to say.
"What happened earlier... I'm sorry." Each word was said slowly and with punctuation, almost as if it was being dragged out of him by a skilled torturer- but hey, at least it was better than nothing.
 
Her mind was so full of him that she walked past the shared bathroom twice before finally remembering to go inside. What the fuck had just happened back there? Ruby couldn't quite get her head around it, couldn't think straight past the painful yearning in her chest that was trying to pull her back to her room, back to him so that she could push him down onto one of the beds, any of the beds, and clamber straight into his lap. She didn't know what it meant, why he had held her like that and more importantly why it had made her feel like this. Receptive. Electric. Alive.

The cold water of the shower helped, helped to cool down her burning face, helped to melt some of the heat from her system, helped her thoughts to formulate a little more clearly. Had that all been born out of jealousy? Did Grim truly think that Riley, of all people had tried to defend her because of something more than a familial tie? Would he have touched her like that, if he hadn't felt threatened? Was it more than just an assertion of power? Ruby just didn't know, didn't understand. But what was clear in her mind was that she had enjoyed it. Despite her reaction. Despite that she'd pulled away and put an end to anything going any further. If it had even been headed that way at all.

By the time that she was switching the water off, her body was trembling from the cold and instead of pulling a towel around herself and heading back to the room in it like she might have usually done, she dried off in the bathroom, combed her dripping hair and pulled on a clean checkered shirt that fell down to just above her knees. There was a reluctance in her gait as she began to pad back to her room, one born out of uncertainty of what she might find there but Ruby was quick to remind herself that she had to see Grim eventually. They were leaving together again in the morning, after all.

So, when she reached the door, she took a breath and then opened it, only glancing at him sat on the bed briefly with one of her books in his hands. On this occasion however, she swallowed the jab that threatened to surface in favour of sitting on the edge of her own bed and towelling her hair dry. She didn't look up at him again until he began to speak, and when he did... goddamn it, she couldn't help the smirk that pulled at the corners of her mouth. But once again, instead of voicing the tease that wanted to surface straight away, she tried to frown the brief amusement away by looking at the floor.

"It's fine. Forget about it. I have." Then with a shrug, the redhead stood again, mainly to hide the deceit written in her features. "Although a word of advice? Your apologies could use a little practice. The key is to sound sort of... sincere? Rather than in pain?" Ruby glanced over her shoulder then, flashing Grim a brief smile because despite everything... she appreciated that he had apologised. Even though a part of her didn't want him to because... an apology meant regret and Ruby didn't want him to regret touching her like that. Not really. Because she wanted him to. Again and again... and again. But only if he truly wanted to. Not because he wanted to show someone else who's boss. Letting a small sigh cross her lips then, when she was finished with her towel she draped it over the radiator under the window and collapsed back down onto her bed, thoughtfully, not speaking for a small while as a comfortable silence enveloped them both.

There were a hundred and one things that she wanted to say, wanted to ask. In the end though, she settled for what felt right, if not a little uncomfortable because she was still slightly unsure as to why such clarification mattered so much to her. "I meant what I said though. About Riley? He's like my big brother and he was just... being protective. Like family would be. That's all." Or at least that's what Ruby believed, anyway.
 
Only after he'd forcibly ripped the apology from his heart did Grim let himself look up at Ruby, and shit it was a good thing he hadn't snuck a peek at her. His mouth watered as she scrunched the towel over her hair. She sat on the edge of the bed and he was treated to the sight of her bare legs, the shirt she wore ended part way down her thigh and for a second he entertained the idea of rising from the bed and finding out what was underneath the oversized fabric she wore. She was trying not to smile and he couldn't have stopped the spark of hope that flamed within him at the sight.

"That was sincere." He protested, the book snapped shut in his lap and he leaned forward, his eyes twinkling in the candle light. Through the darkness his smile flashed at her, rapidly growing less menacing with every moment spent in her company. A number of comments came to mind and he was considering which one might get the best reaction out of her when she stood and he was once again promptly rendered mute. He knew her kindness, he understood her sass and respected the hell out of her for her quick thinking. Grim didn't think he would be gifted another side to know. In the oversized shirt she looked delicate, gone were the layers of grime and dust and in their place was the sort of woman he expected to find in a time long gone.

It just didn't seem possible to him that no one had wormed their way into Ruby's good graces, especially when she bent over the radiator and made sure the towel she used was straight. It took all of his effort to tear his eyes away from the rounded curve of her before she turned around and caught him. His breathing quieted as she passed and he almost felt like a predator letting its prey slip from his fingers. As it turned out Grim was starved for human connection, and when that felt threatened by the appearance of another, he got a bit irate. Ok maybe a lot irate.

They slipped into a comfortable silence and Grim began to flip through the book once more, though truthfully he wasn't really looking at the pictures. He wasn't ready to sleep yet, even with the promise of an early departure on the horizon. Thankfully Ruby spoke first, clarifying even more from their earlier altercation, and something clicked into place for him. Perhaps it didn't matter how others looked at her, all that mattered was how they were around one another. In the Interrogation room hadn't she proven that to him as she removed Riley? He grunted in response to her and then her very slowly and very deliberately moved to the edge of his bed. One after the other, his shoes were removed. Grim stood and with a single arm he pulled the shirt he wore from his head and hung it over the old chipped headboard of the bed. His amber eyes turned molten and he kept them on her as his fingers found the release to his belt. He took his time with that as well, draping it next to the shirt.

"I like how you're looking at me Red." He murmured. Soon the only thing he wore was the dark grey undergarments that clung to his heavily inked thighs. He took the few short steps to the lit candles and with a single huff extinguished the glow in the room. When he passed Ruby's bed he couldn't help but torture the both of them a little more. They could just barely make out one another's features with the moonlight that filtered from the gaps of the covered window and he leaned in, his strong forearm sinking into the bed right above her shoulder as he leaned over her. "Keep looking at only me just like that ok?" He asked softly, asking in his own fucked up way for her affection. "I will also... attempt- and I mean it, attempt to more behaved." It wasn't a guarantee that he'd be a saint when it came to Riley, but he would do his best to respect the bond she and he had. "When we met, one of the first things you said was that you didn't like sharing with strangers... turns out we're very similar." He lifted then, wandering to his own bed and twisting so he laid facing her.

A wry smirk filtered over his lips. "Sweet dreams, princess."
 
Grim's smile seemed to melt the rest of the tension that had been existing between them since they arrived, but it was quickly replaced by another kind, the kind formed out of long, checked shirts and tight hugging boxers. The candlelight made things seem more intimate, more private and Ruby felt more comfortable watching her new partner from across the room, unashamedly following him with her sparkling green eyes, her mouth drying when he began to methodically remove each of his shoes, one by one, followed by his shirt with one swift tug of his hand.

Holy. Shit.

During the short time they had spent together, Ruby had always wondered where the ink on Grim's neck disappeared to and now she could see. The vines stretched across his broad shoulders, entwining over his chest and swirling down to his abdomen. Her mouth dried at the sight of him, looking more God-like than she'd ever seen him, with his smouldering amber eyes and skin that looked tanned from the constant exposure to sunlight. Their size difference was even more palpable like this and Ruby found herself licking her lips when his fingers moved to his belt, all the while his gaze never leaving hers. It was the most intense and intimate experience that she had ever had and it was taking everything in her power not to get up and close the distance. They had privacy here, they wouldn't be interrupted and they could truly take their time to get to know one another, every part, every inch.

The flame was burning in her cheeks again as Ruby slowly gave herself over to the fact that she liked that Grim was territorial when it came to her. She liked that he was trying to stake a claim in front of the others, because she wanted to be claimed by him. Fuck, if she caught anyone else looking at him like she was now then she'd want to slit their fucking throat too. Whatever she had thought before, this proved that whatever this was between them (because there was something, she was sure of it now), went beyond instinctive competition. Perhaps the threat of another had simply brought their connection to the surface?

"And how am I looking at you, Grim?" Her tease came in response, low, sultry. They both knew how but she wondered if he would say it. Instead however, he went one step further than that.

Within moments, Grim had risen from the bed to reveal the muscles in his thighs and the way his underwear hugged them. Tightly. His murmur caused Ruby's lips to quirk slightly, but she didn't move or comment, which was comment in itself as he blew out the candle, shrouding them in darkness so only their movement allowed them to realise how close they were to each other. His footsteps padded by her bed, but stopped before reaching his own and in the sliver of moonlight, Ruby could see his form looming over her, could feel the weight of his arm above her head, could feel the heat radiating from his body. She twisted onto her back so that she could look up at him, her heart fluttering so damn hard it would be a surprise if he couldn't hear it. And his words, when they came, soft, gravelly; they sent her damn head into overdrive until all that she could manage was a strangled sounding, "Okay," of agreement. Ruby didn't need to think about looking at anyone else like this; it wasn't possible.

However, his next words caused a shaky exhale, one that was punctuated by a incredulous smile of her own, only released when he finally moved away from her and back to his own bed. He didn't want to share her and Ruby? Ruby did not want to be shared. In the shadows, she shook her head softly in amusement at how this man had her all tied up in knots. And damn did he know it.

"Night, Grandad." Then, the redhead turned back onto her side so that she was facing him too, pulling the threadbare sheet up over her. The smile was evident in her voice. "You just let me know if you need any help getting to the bathroom in the night, 'kay?"
 
It wasn't the first time Grim had a less than stellar sleep. In the past, old memories had woven their way into his dreams and the resulting nightmares had left him aching. Grim's dreams on this night brought a whole new meaning to the word aching. All his mind could seem to conjure was the sight of her in that damn checkered shirt, the way it might bunch at her thighs as he pulled her down onto him. He could all but feel the slide of her against him and it was the sweetest torture he could have imagined. He woke while it was still dark, his ragged breathing mingling with the snores he heard from the other side of the wall. He could barely make out the form of Ruby under her blanket across the way, his eyes rested over her for long moments as he waited for his more than eager body to calm down.

He'd thought about pushing things further with Ruby earlier, from the breathless way she'd whispered her affirmation to they way her eyes had eaten up his body as he undressed; he knew she'd have been a willing partner. Grim swung his legs out of bed, and as quietly as he could, he found his pants and slipped them on, he grabbed the mostly dry towel from the radiator and slipped out into the hall. With the flashlight from one of his many pockets, Grim illuminated the hallway and stepped down the rows of doors until he found one that was slightly ajar. His assumption that this was the bathroom was correct and he shut the door behind him and focused the beam of his light on the small shower.

It had been far too long since he'd had the luxury of running water and Grim didn't waste any time in stepping under the cool spray after he undressed and let his hair down. Gooseflesh prickled over his inked skin as he lathered his hair up in shampoo and ducked his head under the spray. Water cascaded down his face, running off the tip of his nose and through his thick beard. There was a part of him that regretting not pursing Ruby when he had the chance, but as much as his exhibitionist side didn't mind the thought of all those nearby hearing the two of them, he couldn't help but want their first time to have no limits. He didn't want muffled gasps and hushed whispers- no, he wanted cries that echoed into the night and growled words of praise.

Grim finished with the shower and he could just make out the dark blue sky tinged with the orange of the rising sun from the frosted bathroom window. One dried, he pulled his clothes back on and quickly trimmed his beard down by a good inch. His hair was loose around his face, curling softly and once the sink was clean and his hair was mostly dry he left the bathroom, intent on quietly making his way back to Ruby. He came up short, a quick flicker of surprise ghosting over his features before his instinctual mask of indifference came up to the sight of Jack in the hall. Jack's hands were busy with a rag and the cylinder of an open revolver, neither man bothered with pleasantries. For a long moment they stared at one another, their eyes seemingly doing all the talking. When the minute passed both Grim and Jack tilted their heads in a slight nod, and then turned and continued on their ways.

Grim returned to Ruby's room after shutting off his light, and he quietly closed the door behind him. The sun had risen enough, Grim had no problem locating the radiator and draping the towel over it once more. He approached Ruby's bedside then, crouching so they were the same height. With a hand that was more gentle than he would have thought capable, Grim brushed a tangle of red hair away from her soft cheek. He couldn't resist tracing the line of her brow or pressing the pad of his thumb the highest point of her cheekbone, reveling in how soft she felt.

"It's you and me Red, and it's time to go." He spoke softly, wanting to gently rouse her from sleep.
 
Grim wasn't the only one who found his dreams plagued by thoughts of another that night. Every time that Ruby closed her eyes the image of that inked chest and the dark grey boxers fluttered behind her eyelids, made even more intense by the knowledge that the person they belonged to was asleep just a few feet away from her. Gentle breathing filled the space between them and Ruby replayed the possibility of slipping from her bed and clambering into his, over and over again in her mind. The whole scene flickered behind her eyes, the way she'd peel back his covers so that she could straddle his lap, maybe even recover them both, shrouding their moving forms from the outside world so that all of their focus was on each other. She'd grip her hands into that tangle of long hair, and whisper soft gasps into his ear, eliciting low growls in response. A shudder passed through her form at the thought and with a small huff, Ruby turned over in an attempt to rid the images from her mind, to stop thinking about how the aching within her could be sated by just a few short footsteps. To no avail however, because even when she finally slipped into unconsciousness, Grim played the starring role in some of her best dreams.

Surprisingly, and probably mostly because her sleep had been so interrupted, Ruby didn't wake when Grim slipped from his bed, during his absence or when he came back again. She was near enough dead to the world, even when chunky fingers reached out to brush a lock of her red hair from her face, the rough pads of his fingers tingling against her cheekbone. Before she was fully aware of what she was doing, the redhead nestled into the touch, pushing her cheek into the comfort of being held by another human. A voice sounded, soft and warm from somewhere in the depths of her mind and she grumbled a little at its attempts to pull her into consciousness. The softness was only momentarily interrupted by Ruby's attempt to pull the covers over her head, and her mumbled, "Mmf, just five more minutes. M'tired."

It was clear she had currently forgotten about the mission at hand, and if another attempt to rouse her was made, Ruby would moan and peek over the edge of the covers, squinting one eye open at a time and being met with the welcome sight of Grim with his freshly washed face, and gently dampened hair. For a moment, she simply blinked at him, bleary eyed while a soft exhale escaped her. Her gaze remained upon his ruggedly handsome features while her cheek pressed into her pillow, sleep currently blurring the walls she liked to put up around herself. "Hey, did you just shower?" She asked groggily, softly. "You smell nice. And your hair is different. I like it." A small, dazed smile tugged at her lips as her eyes started to close again, but this was quickly interrupted by a yawn, a glance at Grim when it was over and then a hand swiping out to gently push his face into looking away from her.

"Stop looking at me like that," Ruby complained, before rolling onto her back and stretching her arms out above her head. "I can be nice sometimes too. It's just you usually make it too difficult to be."

Then finally, with one final groan, the redhead pulled herself up into sitting, rubbing her eyes, red hair all over the shop. "What time is it, anyway? Did Erin stop by?"
 
As Ruby woke, Grim was rewarded with the sweet sight of Ruby's reluctant awakening. She was all mussed and quick to hide herself away from his touch while his presence threatened her sleep. She tucked herself under the blankets and he did his best to pull them once more off her face, but the woman held tight and he marveled at her strength. She moaned and groaned through her awakening and he couldn't stop the smug smile as she regarded him and spoke to his cleanliness. As she yawned he spoke.

"Mm, where was this woman when we were traveling?" His next words were muffled as her hand landed on his face and pushed him away from looking at her. "So fucking wholesome." Ruby twisted away from him and he stepped back, giving her the space she needed to start her day. "Mhm, keep telling yourself that I'm the problem. Everyone here is very convinced." He intoned with wide meaningful eyes. As Ruby sat up Grim went about getting dressed for the day, pulling his belt through the loops of his pants first.

"I'd say five or so. I haven't seen her yet, but I would assume she'll meet us as we make our way out of here." Grim pulled his shirt on next and then settled on the side of the bed to pull on his boots. "Is there anywhere to get some grub before we go?" Grim wasn't the sort of person to look forward to little jaunts out into the world but he had to admit, with the morning sun shining through the window and onto Ruby; he was certainly looking forward to this one. Once the two of them were dressed and ready for the day Ruby led them out of the house and towards the small gathering of people near the relit campfire. A large cast iron pot hung over the flames and a kindly looking elderly man was stirring an aromatic stew.

"Ruby dear! A fine morning is it not?" Tom greeted Ruby as he'd always done, with a kind word and an extra little scoop of stew in her bowl. Grim noted the extra bit of stew and decided he liked the man right then and there. He accepted his own bowl of stew and both he and Ruby stayed near the fire as others came and got their breakfast. Halfway through his bowl, Grim looked up to see Erin approaching them. His hip bumped into Ruby's and he gestured with his head towards her leader, giving her a heads up.

"We'll take the supplies you already brought before you leave... we just need the keys." Erin spoke without a greeting, getting right into business.

"On it." Grim hastily finished the last of his soup and once he was sure every last drop had been eaten he deposited his bowl in a nearby bucket used for washing and made his way towards the gate to unlock the back, giving Erin a moment with Ruby if she wanted it. Riley stood at the gate, guarding it and Grim did his best to reign in his smug smile but damn it was difficult. Ruby may only view the man as a brother but he had a sneaking suspicion that Riley would be more than happy for that to change.
 
Once again, it was a trial and a half for Ruby not to stare as Grim started to dress himself and after her muttered, "Fuck off," that had them both smirking at each other from their own sides of the room, she finally hauled herself from the cot and began to dress too. The clothes she wore were cleaner than the ones she'd removed the day before; grey skinny jeans and a shirt that actually fit her, and a black fleece jacket pulled over the top. A lot of her changing happened beneath the covers of her bed for privacy, but once her shirt and underwear were on she innocently paraded the room in just that as she searched for her jeans and considered Grim's question about food.

"Downstairs. Tom'll be cooking up some stew; you should definitely try it before we leave."

Once the two of them were ready, they made it out into the dawn light of the morning that had come to act as a natural alarm clock for most of the people that lived here. Good mornings were muttered, alongside some wary glances cast Grim's way, but for the most part people kept to themselves and ate their breakfasts. As always, Ruby greeted Tom with a beaming smile. "It is now I've seen you, Thomas," the redhead retorted, thanking him for her bowl and then settling down beside Grim as they ate in a companionable silence, watching the comings and goings of her people. The stew as always, was delicious and Ruby was so engrossed in it that she didn't notice Erin until Grim hip bumped her, and she stood, placing her own bowl inside of his in the bucket. Her green eyes tracked Grim as he fiddled with his keys and made towards the gate, before they finally settled upon Erin who was now watching her.

"You ready for this?"
"As I'll ever be."
"You know... It's not too late to back out, if you want to? We could try find another way..."
To this, Ruby quickly shook her head as she struggled to shake the panic those words ignited within her. "No, not at all. Besides, I don't think anyone else would survive getting in that truck with him, let alone a near twenty four hour drive." The two women turned to Grim again and smiled briefly at each other.
"He's quite the character, huh?"
"Yeah, he is."
"Alright, well. You seem to have things handled. Let's go help him unload and then we'll get you both ready with supplies." Ruby nodded, but just as Erin went to turn away, she stopped her. "Oh hey, Erin. I've been meaning to ask. How's Tim?"
To this, the older woman stopped, a streak of worry flashing across her features. "Not great. But hopefully some of the medicines you brought back might change that."

The rest of the way to Grim's truck was spent in contemplative silence, with only Erin ordering for Riley to come and give them a hand breaking it. Once they had access to the truck, they formed a sort of conveyor belt of people to unload it, with Riley situating himself on the ground next to Ruby. "Hey, Rubes, think fast!" With a thankfully clipped grenade in hand, he tossed it towards her and Ruby felt her heart leap as she caught it in her hands. "You jerk!" She yelled back at him, throwing a punch towards his arm which sent the guy howling.
"Oh come on! I'm just trying to have a bit of fun with my girl before you leave. You lost your sense of humour on the way home or something?"
"More like I developed one after spending time away from you." Even Erin cackled at that as Riley rolled his eyes and shot Grim perhaps the dirtiest of looks yet.
 
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Packs of supplies passed down the line, with Grim leaning over the tailgate of his truck to reach some of the items that had shifted towards the back of the storage of his camper attachment. His hand clasped around the barrel of a rather lethal looking rifle and he pulled it out just in time to see Riley, the shit head he was, throw a grenade for Ruby to catch. The person in the conveyor next to him reached for the gun but Grim couldn't seem to let go of the weapon he'd very much like to use on Riley. Ruby beat him to the punch... literally and he watched as Riley did his best not to show that the hit had actually smarted by using his howling laughter as a cover.

Grim finally handed the weapon down the line and closed the back of the truck indicating they had moved the last of the items. All the while he kept his eyes trained towards Riley and Ruby, and when the skid mark of a man shot him a look it took every fiber of his being not to become the possessive, murderous asshole he wanted to be. He just had to think calming thoughts- he try to do that. Grim's mind filtered quickly through his catalogue of images that might bring him calm and he settled on the sight he'd scene earlier that morning. Ruby wearing nothing but a shirt and a little piece of cotton between her legs as she searched for her jeans.

Oh yeah, that image could definitely work to ease the rage that simmers just below the surface. An almost feral grin peeked at the corners of his lips as he approached the small group, enjoying the way Erin cackled at Riley's expense. If the man wanted to play dirty he was game.

"We're about ready to go." He told Ruby as he sidled up next to her. "You can sleep on the way if you'd like, I know we didn't get much rest last night." He'd kept his voice soft, but knew it would carry enough for Riley to hear. Grim didn't bother to look at Riley, and just to fuck with the guy a little more Grim reached to brush a bit of hair off Ruby's cheek. Erin cleared her throat and he took his time tucking the strands behind Ruby's ear before regarding Erin with a bored expression. Behind Erin, Riley looked a few shades darker. "Shouldn't take longer than four days." He told Erin, still refusing to actually make any eye contact with Ruby's 'brother.'

"Safe travels." Erin's stern gaze might have made a sane man stutter and submit but Grim didn't seem bothered. Both Grim and Ruby threw their packs with fresh clothes and a few rations in the back seat and climbed into the truck. Even before he twisted the key in the ignition Grim had to open his mouth and grumble about the hardships he'd just faced.

"You fucking owe me." He griped. "Any man who chooses to flirt by tossing grenades deserves to be drawn and quartered." The truck rumbled to life once against and Grim waved a hand in Riley and Erin's direction a strange smile in place. "Please let me kill him?" He asked Ruby, not bothering to look at her, already knowing the look she would shoot him.
 
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