(Old One)Tainted Hearts [Ruby x Granger]

Chapter 34

Disclaimer: the picture is not mine! 

GRANGER POV

Granger felt his face redden as he stayed there on one knee. He hated how he couldn't even move. What was even worse was that a psycho woman wanted to used them as her puppets to play pretend. His body move and grabbed Ruby's hand and placed a fake ring on her finger.

"Time for a kiss!" shouted the woman as she dragged Granger and Ruby towards the center of the stage. She lead the other human puppets to surround them. Granger and Ruby were struggling to break free from the strings. "Hey! Stop struggling, you guys are making this way less fun for me" complained the woman. The woman twirl them around the stage as if they were dancing, before dropping them to the floor. "Okay, you guys may leave now, I had my fun" yawned the woman. Ruby quickly dust off the strings off of her. Granger did the same, confused on why the woman set them free, but didn't want to ask. "The exit is over there" the woman said as she used one of the puppets to point at a door. Granger and Ruby walked towards the door cautiously.

"No, need to worry there is nothing behind that door that will kill you" the woman assured. Even with that Ruby slowly opened the door that lead back into the hallway from before. "Tried not to run into more illusions or else you'll lose your mind" warned the woman laughing. Ruby and Granger both left before the woman could said anything else. 

"I wonder why she let us free" said Ruby looking at her wrist that was marked by the string.

"I'm just glad that she did" Granger said looking down the hallway that had several doors waiting from them to be opened. He sighed hoping that they would soon find the man sooner or later.

"You get the doors on the left and I'll get the ones in the right" ordered Ruby opening a door. They began opening the several door down the hallway. Granger opened to the second to last to discover that it was a portal. "I wonder why this place need to portal, and where does it lead" he thought closing it. When the last door was opened Ruby sighed. "Where in the world did this man run off to, and how long do we have to keep looking to find him" complained Ruby. 

"Giving up already?" the man voice echoed throughout the hallway.

"No, we're just tried of running after a coward like you" Ruby shouted taking out her scythe.

"Ouch, my feelings, but you still haven't finished off my minions yet. How do you plan to fight me if you can defeat my subordinates?" questioned the man with a smirk as he appeared floating above them.

"Or are you just putting off the fight!" Ruby yelled glaring at the man and slashing her scythe forward. The man dodged it with ease. Granger had his gun prepared.

"No, my dear, I just simply testing you if you are going to be a worthy opponent to fight with" added the man. With that he summoned a portal below them causing them both to fall in. See you guys later" the man said disappearing.

Ruby and Granger slammed onto the ground.

"Damn it!" shouted Ruby as she got up and stomped the ground. "Now we have to fight his subordinates!" added Ruby in anger. 

"Lets hope that we could encounter them all at once, so we don't have to waste time looking for them." said Granger as they were in the middle of a dark forest at night. There was a dirt trail that was to the left of them. Ruby and Granger followed the trail to see where it would lead. Ruby could hear water running from up ahead. A river came into view cutting the dirt path. Ruby gracefully jumped onto the rocks to get to the other side. Granger carefully stepped on the rocks, not wanting to get his clothes wet along his gun. But luck wasn't on his side and his misplaced his foot, losing balance, and splashing into the water.

"Granger, are you okay" Ruby said hopping back towards him. He nodded as he got up and retrieved his gun. His was completely soaked from head to toe.

"Could you hold my gun for a second" said Granger handing Ruby his gun. Ruby took it and went back to the other side. Granger took off his drenched coat and shook it to get the droplets off his walked through the river to the other side. He hung his coat on a branch. His bandages and shirt were wet as well. He removed his shirt and squeezed the water out the best he could and hung it up as well.

"I checked your gun its dry" she said turning away from him. He still had his bandages now so wasn't entirely shirtless, but he did have to take them off along with his socks and shoes. He finally took everything off except for his pants. The entire time, Ruby looked away with her hands covering her face. 

"Ruby, its not like I'm completely naked" Granger said walking over to her.

"Well, you would do the same if I did the same as you" Ruby replied blushing. Granger felt his ears get hot. The idea of her undressing was quite unsettling for him. His face was slightly burning up now.

"Yes, I would have looked away if you were undressing" responded Granger sitting down next to her. "Well sorry about that, I'm not really good with hopping on slippery stones like you are" he added.

"Its fine" muttered Ruby as she glanced at him and blushed.

"We have to rest here for now and let my clothes dry" Granger said putting his arm around Ruby and messing with her hair.

Stop that, and use this to cover yourself" she said tossing her hood to him. He put the hood over head covering his back. "Let's rest now" Ruby added putting herself against a tree and rested her head on her knees. Granger sat down beside her gazing up at the leaves covering the night sky.