A/N: Blame Kino's stream. Just... I just... *Hurls self into trash compactor*

Ruby rubbed her hands nervously, relishing the feeling of free hand movement before they were swiftly tied behind her back. Eyes drilling into the baked good sitting in front of her, steam still wafting from it's freshly baked crust. Raising her head slightly, Ruby gave a tight-lipped smile to her sister, Yang… Who was currently cheering as loud as she could, waving her hands so haphazardly it was a miracle no one got slapped. Waving back as feebly as one could, Ruby dropped her gaze again, and this time, not even the decadent blueberry pie in front of her face could strangle her nervousness.

Grey eyes slowly darted among the other competitors; she remembered seeing a few of them at last years Pie-eating contest. However, the only one she could name was Nora, the hyperactive, pint-sized ball of energy with a passion for pie that equaled her passion for blatantly explaining the minor, and sometimes vulgar, details of her relationship with another old competitor, Ren. Eyes scanning past a few more vaguely familiar faces, Ruby started when her eyes landed on brilliant, fiery gold ones that were blazing with intensity -was there something else?- and currently staring straight into her own.

Ruby bit her lip when she recognized the woman. The yes were unmistakable, as was the hair, like a longer version of her own; it was Cinder. pie-eating competitor -and winner- extraordinaire, infamous for her ability to race through pies, from blueberry to custard, with inhuman speed, never once getting a crumb on her face or popping a seam in her scandalously tight dress. She had won for years now, and Ruby, a competitor who had only been around for half of the round last year when her sister threw up and asked for a substitute, was chilled by the hunger in those brilliant gold eyes.

Perhaps the woman was just craving pie…?

Gold eyes slowly slid from her own, focusing somewhere else. Ruby, still frozen to her seat, felt numb; it was impossible for someone to be so… So… feral. Gulping and willing the sweat to stop beading on her forehead, Ruby almost toppled out of her chair when the squeal of a bad microphone roared over the sound of the crowd.

"...GO!"

Ruby panicked; in her daze, she seemed to have missed the announcer shouting out the start of the competition. Almost toppling out of her chair, Ruby slammed her face into her blueberry pie, almost crying out when she felt how warm it still was. Chowing down on the edges, Ruby chewed tirelessly, expression glowing with determination as she methodically worked her way through the pie, not caring when syrupy blueberry gaze ran down her chin and trickled onto her pants. Slowly scraping up the last mouthful, Ruby raised her head to breathe, relaxing for a moment while a new pie was placed in front of her face.

one down, too more to g- How is she already halfway through!?

Ruby's eyes had subconsciously landed on the queen of the contest, feathery black hair swept neatly into a loose ponytail, and despite her obvious handicap, was eating with as much grace as nobility. And she was winning; already halfway through her second pie, a lemon meringue, she had gained a quite noticeable lead, seeing as Ruby was the only one who had finished her first.

Frowning, a sudden fire raced through her; she had to win. she just had to. Eating with giant mouthfuls, Ruby focused on gulping the pie down, not even savouring the taste of tangy, creamy meringue or the cool dollops of whipped cream; the only thought in her mind at the moment was of a certain gold-eyed individual.

Finishing the pie in record time, Ruby licked her lips and dived into the third, a mouthwateringly fantastic apple and cinnamon; however, the ingenious mix of spice and fruit was lost on the grey-eyed girl; she needed to win, and it was no time for such trivial things like actually tasting your food. No; she had to beat Cinder, she had to-

"And… WE HAVE A WINNER! GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO LAST YEARS CHAMPION, CINDER!"

Ruby froze mid-chew, not believing her ears. What? Cynder had already finished!? Ruby slowly raised her head, dejected. But she wanted to win, so bad…

Staring down at the barely touched pie that would have been her door to victory, Ruby didn't lift her head when a voice, smooth, cool and alluring, sounded close to Ruby, close enough that no one else heard.

"Excuse me. I believe I asked you a question."

One finger, then two, caressed Ruby's chin, slowly raising her head up like she was training a pup. Gold eyes stared into Grey ones, a smouldering smirk on her face.

"Would you happen to want the rest of your pie? I'm still quite hungry, you see, and you seem to have quite the generous amount left."

Ruby's eyes flicked down, pausing at Cinder's stomach; of course, the woman wouldn't even be noticeably plump, not even after she inhaled three pies. Obviously. "Um… W-well… I actually wanted to… Um… my sister kinda… Pie for her? Maybe in a bit… After I ask?" Ruby squeaked, not daring to look up and meet Cinder's gaze, even though she knew it was trained on her. And since when did she stutter so much? Ruby was not known to be especially shy.

"Oh, but…"

Slender, meticulously manicured fingers tipped her chin up once more, the owner's golden eyes glowing with an almost feral hunger.

"I don't like waiting…"

Cynder paused, entire expression oozing the feeling of a lioness creeping in on a kill, the same molten gaze raked Ruby up and down, a predatory smile forming on lush, red lips. Leaning ever closer, so close that Ruby could feel hot breath ghosting by her neck, an alluring hiss -like water misting on glowing coal- wormed it's way into Ruby's ear and mind, settling itself there like a satisfied panther.

"For anything... Meet me later by the parking lot."

The sentence sounding more like a command than anything, Cinder pulled back slightly, allowing Ruby to release the breath she didn't think she was holding. The smirk stretched wider, tongue flicking out again to slowly, achingly slowly, lick at her lips.

"And don't forget that pie."