Cinder/Ruby. ModernAU-ish. Warning for dark themes.
The house was quiet. There was no banging of doors, frenzied screaming, venomous words spat from hateful mouths. It felt as if the building itself was dead, stale air accompanied by breathless silence.
For the first time in her life, Cinder could breathe.
As she scrubbed her hands under the running water, the teenager pondered on yesterday's events. It'd been another terrible day. She hadn't expected anything different, but for some reason, the bone deep weariness she normally carried cut deeper than usual.
Salem had run her ragged. Sending her to the rooftop to hand out cigarettes to ungrateful wannabee delinquents, then down to the canteen to pilfer cans of soda. She was bestowed the opportunity to lug it back to the abandoned classroom like a hunting dog doing its master's bidding.
Cinder did everything without complaint. Salem was a year older, an established figure in the school pecking order. She was also the principal's niece. Few people dared to speak against her, those who did would find themselves beset by a series of unfortunate circumstances. The last moron who tried snitching got expelled after they found a gun in his locker. It had been one of the flashier takedowns. Three months of detention, isolation from the student body, daily trips to the janitor's spider laden closet were some of the methods Salem employed. Those usually worked to shut them up.
Cinder scowled at her reflection, lightly touching the welt on her cheek. It had begun to purple. She brushed her fingers over bruised skin, eyes fluttering shut as she felt the pulsing heat beneath them.
The soda she'd stolen had been warm. Salem wanted it cold. Cinder hadn't seen the punch until gloved knuckles met her face, but she'd certainly seen the derisive smirk stretching from cheek to cheek as she lay sprawled on the ground.
She shook off the memory and dried her hands with the towel hanging on the rack. She exited the bathroom and glanced about. Ignoring the shattered glass by the carpet, she gingerly stepped over the pool of blood and shut the bedroom door behind her. No sense in letting air rot the bodies before she could get rid of them. Already, they had started to stiffen.
Cinder chuckled incredulously.
What had she been thinking? Their deaths were sloppy, her kills executed in a fit of emotion instead of careful calculation and planning. The situation had been too overwhelming, Cinder reflected as she braced herselfagainst the wall.
She hadn't been paying attention. Her parents had ordered her to clean the bathroom near the kitchen, and she'd gone to the one upstairs. Her mother must have been in a foul mood because she'd let her husband join, one holding a wooden cane as thick as her wrist, the other a wrench. Cinder had been scrubbing the wall when she heard them stomping up the stairs. The snarls on their faces sent her into a panic.
It was too much for her already taxed mind. Pushed the brink, she reacted. The razor near the sink beckoned, and she had answered.
And now…
Cinder didn't have enough time. Her parents' colleagues would arrive for their daily carpool in several hours. Worst still, she didn't have the strength to hide the bodies. Truly amazing that even in death, they got the last laugh.
With a savage kick that left the door wide open, allowing the smell of iron to pollute the hallway, Cinder turned and left. She winced during her descent, the stabbing pain in her foot growing stronger each time her heel met a marble step. Miraculously, she made it down without injury and hobbled into the kitchen to fix a meal.
"Ice cream? No, too sweet." Cinder rummaged through the freezer. "Frozen fish sticks. Uncooked beef. Half of a Hawaiian, gross." She thrust her entire arm inside, elbow swallowed by the white maw, before pulling out a crinkled plastic packet. "Chicken nuggets, thank god."
It was a torturous wait, the sound of sizzling meat like fireworks. When the nuggets were done, she dumped them in a bowl lined with paper towels. She tossed the pan in the sink and without waiting for the meat to cool, dug in. Despite the searing heat, Cinder was unwilling to stop until everything was devoured. She licked her lips, noticing her tongue had gone numb. She swiped the broad of her tongue on the crumbs stuck to her fingers – it felt strange, rough, like a cat's tongue – before wiping her hands on her shirt.
She looked down. "I should change into something nice before she gets here." Her absentminded words dissolved in the air. Cinder covered her yawn and left the kitchen, on the prowl for clean clothes. Her shirt was sticky and uncomfortable.
After digging through her closet, she slipped on a snug hoodie and a pair of shorts. No longer plagued by hunger or dirty clothes, she flopped onto the couch and waited for her daily visitor.
The doorbell jolted her awake. She gingerly eased herself off the couch, and stretched the kinks from her limbs. She ambled out the living room, her gait tinged with exhaustion, tired eyes framed by mussed hair. In a last ditch effort to look presentable, she flattened an insistent cowlick and straightened her shoulders.
Cinder opened the door, her mouth stretched into a welcoming grin. "Good morning, Ruby."
"Morning!" The woman had a roll of papers under her arm. She took one and smoothed the wrinkles, then placed it in Cinder's outstretched palm.
"Thanks." Cinder looked past her to the quiet morning sky. The sun was peeking out from beyond the horizon, the morning light illuminating Ruby's smile. It shone like a polished jewel, and the sight made Cinder's heart pound. "You're early today," She commented, reaching up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ears.
Ruby followed the action. She sharpened to attention, piercing eyes the colour of mercury focusing on her cheek. "Did your parents…?" Cinder shook her head. Her stomach fluttered. It felt nice to be fussed over, she only wished she was imagining the faint burn in her cheeks.
"No, it wasn't them." Cinder let the unsaid words hang in the air between them. Ruby was the only one she'd told about Salem. She could see realization lighting up her eyes, and felt a pang of discomfort for worrying the woman. Again. "It's not that bad."
Ruby reached out, her movement cautious and slow. "Don't be silly." Cinder's faint trembling was soothed by gentle, calloused hands stroking her hair. She couldn't help but lean into the touch, craving the warmth and gentleness Ruby embodied. "It's okay to admit when you're hurt." Silky fingers danced over her scalp. "It's not your fault. It's never your fault."
Cinder didn't know how long she stood there, soaking up Ruby's affection like a plant starved of sunlight. Every repressed shudder and flinch built up over the week finally spilled over, the raging tide of emotions busting through her apathetic façade. Ruby's presence stemmed the worst of it, and Cinder let herself get lost in the quiet assurance she radiated.
Cinder couldn't hide her frown when Ruby withdrew her hand, plunging it into the haversack slung across her back. She felt empty again.
The morning breeze felt like ice on her skin. The thought of returning to an empty house, to the empty shells of the people who'd birthed her, sent a shiver down her back. Her rage had been a supernova – the detonation wiping everything around her out of existence.
"Here!" Ruby's voice jerked her back to reality. Cinder startled as something bright and red and warm was pushed into her arms. She blinked at the woollen sweater, eyes going wide as saucers. Ruby grinned sheepishly, adding a small bottle of ointment on top of the garish item she'd nearly died trying to sew. "It's almost Autumn. I'll be able to do my job in peace knowing you're not freezing your butt off somewhere."
"It's amazing." Cinder tried not to sound giddy. She wanted to wrap the woman in a crushing hug and never let go. "Did you make this?"
"Yep. Took me months, but I did my best." Ruby preened, "I hope it fits. I made it according to the recommended sizing." She coughed into her fist. "I'm gonna be really bummed if it doesn't fit you."
Cinder shook her head. "I'd wear it anyway."
"Don't force yourself, I'd hate to make you wear something terrible." Ruby chuckled. She snapped her fingers. "Oh, before I forget, I have a couple of letters addressed to you." Cinder held the presents under her arm and took the starched envelopes. "I saw Beacon's logo on one, though you'd have to check. Remember to cross your fingers before opening!"
"Sheesh, you're old." Cinder drawled, "No one does that anymore."
"Hey!" Ruby huffed. "I'm only twenty five. I'll have you know I'm practically dripping with youth."
Cinder rolled her eyes. "The ones who say that never are."
"I've misjudged you." Ruby lamented, "I thought you a polite, respectful girl. But I now know your true colours. Oh, woe is me." Caught between a snort and a giggle, Cinder made an outlandish noise. Ruby laughed when she pinked in embarrassment. "It was just a joke. I know you're a good kid."
Cinder sulked. "I'm not a kid."
"It's not an insult, just an observation." Ruby made a face. "You're more mature than some adults I've met." Cinder smiled, appeased.
Ruby blanched when she realized how high the sun had risen. "Oh heck, I have to go. I have a couple of packages to deliver, and you know how people can be." Cinder nodded in understanding. "Anyway, I'm glad you liked your gifts. See you next week!"
"See you…" Her half-hearted send-off wasn't noticed as Ruby rushed off the porch, red tipped hair fluffed by a particularly strong breeze. Cinder watched Ruby peel down the street, becoming a tiny speck as she travelled to the next house.
Her mood was dark as she mulled over Ruby's words. Next week? A bitter laugh escaped her. She'd be charged with manslaughter and tossed in prison to rot. She stared at the spot Ruby had stood, eyes prickling with unshed tears.
"Ruby… would you miss me if I was gone?" The wind carried her words, lifting them into the great beyond.
No one answered. Cinder trudged into the house, dumping the letters on the table. The sweater felt warm against her skin. Closing her eyes, she pressed it against her cheek. The memory of the first time they met clawed its way up the recesses of her mind.
"Hey."
Cinder glanced up, wincing as the wound on her neck throbbed. Her father had seen fit to use his liquor as a weapon, today. She'd creeped out of the back door when he passed out. Huddled behind the house, she nibbled on a piece of stale bread she'd pilfered from the garbage.
"Go away." She snapped at the stranger.
"Do you need any help?" Looking at the genuine worry etched into the woman's face, Cinder felt her hostility fade.
"Leave me alone." She reiterated, though with considerably less hostility. "I'm eating."
The woman fell silent. Cinder watched as she reached into her bag and brought out a small lunchbox. "I guess I'll eat, too." The stranger sat in front of her, cross-legged. She opened the lid. The delectable scent wafting off the contents made Cinder's stomach rumble.
They ate in silence before the woman spoke again. "Do you like nuggets?"
"Why do you care?" She eyed her in suspicion. Why couldn't the world just leave her alone?
"I was wondering if you'd like some. I made too many." Without waiting for a reply, she placed the lunch box on the ground and nudged it forward. Cinder reached for it, unable to stem her curiosity. Just as she was about to look inside, the woman got to her feet.
"Oops, I gotta run." She looked Cinder. "Keep the box! You can throw it if want, but I hope you won't. It's limited edition." Cinder took in the tiny caricatures of corgis decorating it and blinked owlishly.
"Wait –" Cinder called, "Why are you being so nice?" Frustration leaked into her voice. "I don't even know your name."
"Oh." The woman stopped in her tracks. She turned around, smiling widely. "I'm Ruby. As for being nice… I don't need a reason to help someone, do I?'
Cinder opened her eyes.
No. She wouldn't give up. She would get through this. She was going to see Ruby again, no matter what.
Her determination strengthened, Cinder strode into the kitchen. Twenty minutes. She had twenty minutes to take the mess she made and turn it in her favour.
Cinder had faith. She was nothing if a brilliant actor.
AN: Something different to offset the fluff of the previous chapters. Much love to Drednaught for giving feedback and for being a pal. I'm glad people are enjoying this series, Ruby is still one of my fav characters in the show till this day. And thank you guys for leaving reviews!
Another P-a-t-r-e-o-n plug: if you like my stories, do consider pledging! You'll have early access to stuff I write and my eternal appreciation. Just search my ff net handle and you'll find me.
Thanks for reading. Onward to the next chapter!