Lovely (Ruby x Dyrroth)

twenty-one

Ruby slammed the door behind her, fighting to catch her breath. 

Somehow, she'd managed to get back alive, on her own. Ruby knew she probably ought to feel proud of herself, but she didn't. All she felt was a large, gaping hole in her chest where fear had once been. 

She'd just experienced what was probably the most terrifying night of her life. Despite having been in danger lots of times in the past, Ruby couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so petrified. 

Even now, with her adventure having ended, her heartbeat had yet to slow to its normal pace. She felt at though she'd spent several hours out there, when it reality it had probably only been slightly more than an hour. 

Ruby sighed, letting the fatigue settle in, and leaned her head back against the door. So Dyrroth had said he would come and visit her once he'd dealt with Selena. Ruby wasn't entirely sure whether she should believe him or not. 

But, if he really came to see her, then holy shit, that was bad. What was Ruby supposed to say to him? She'd never known it was possible to sense the awkwardness of a conversation that hadn't even taken place yet. 

Holy gods. She'd just returned from an adventure with her heart beating out of her chest, and now she had to prepare to be alone with her crush whom she hadn't spoken to properly for ages. Shit. Shit. Shit. 

What was she supposed to...

That was when somebody shoved the door open behind her forcefully, propelling her forwards and making her stumble. Ruby tripped and nearly fell, but fortunately managed to regain her balance on time. She spun around to face the doorway furiously. 'You idiot!' she yelled, scowling at the the man who'd just showed up.

Dyrroth had that infuriating trademark smirk on his face again. 'I have no words to say about what just happened,' he said, standing there with his arms crossed and pinning a mocking gaze on Ruby. 

She looked away, irritated. 'The look on your face says otherwise,' she muttered. 

'It probably does,' he agreed.

For a moment, neither of them said a word, and silent stretched thin between them, bothering Ruby slightly. She was getting tired of the tension. 'So,' she began, trying to seem casual, 'how'd you deal with Selena back there?'

Dyrroth sighed and ran a hand through his silvery blond hair. 'I dunno, I just gave her an explanation, I guess. It was easier than I thought. Perhaps it was just me, but...it was like she knew it wasn't the first time you'd gone outside.' 

Ruby blinked, not exactly knowing how to respond to that. 'And...she's not gonna tell anyone, right?'

'Well, I hope so.'

He didn't sound very sure of himself, but Ruby decided to let it slide. She didn't really care whether Selena would expose her - them - or not. After all, she'd found Dyrroth now, which meant she could settle all the stuff about escaping and finally return to the North-Eastern Lands with her friends. That sounded like a total dream come true, but unfortunately making it actually happen was easier said than done. 

Speaking of Selena...

'So, she's your fiancée, huh.' Ruby turned away without meeting his gaze, inspecting her fingernails idly. She'd tried her hardest to feign nonchalance, but knew what she'd said probably still sounded passive-aggressive.

She saw Dyrroth go still from the corner of her eye. For a moment she thought she saw him open his mouth as if about to speak, but he didn't say anything. So she decided to continue.

'Just so you know,' Ruby said, trying to keep her voice devoid of emotion but still sounding slightly vulnerable, 'I haven't forgiven you for what you did. Not yet.'