Rue adjusted her wrist guard anxiously, twisting it until it pulled tightly against her skin and burned. The glaives filtered one by one into the gym, yet again locked outside the doors to await their fates. Rayne tested them less than a week before—it seemed she was dissatisfied with them all. This time, she intended on testing Rue. Relir jammed her elbow into Rue's ribs, jerking her head toward the next young man to filter inside.
"Think she'll save you for last again?"
"Probably." Rue sighed, falling back against the wall. Her stomach twisted anxiously. "What if I haven't made enough progress? Think she'll give me the boot?"
"Rayne? The woman adores you; you've got nothing to worry about. At this point, we're all just scared of getting yelled at." Relir ran a hand through her hair, shaking her head. "No one's getting kicked anytime soon, sadly."
"Sadly?" Rue raised an eyebrow. "Got a new source of hatred?"
"Maybe." Relir fell against the wall and jerked her head to the right. "The guy at the end of the hall, the one who looks eighty-three years old from here."
"Him?" Rue frowned, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to see him better. "What's wrong with him? I don't even recognize him."
"He just got back from Gralia," Relir muttered, kicking at the smooth floor. "Does nothin' but write all damn day. Doesn't seem affected by what he saw." She paused, brows furrowed in frustration. "It's just… Either Eren exaggerated what's going on there or this guy's fucked in the head." Rue's heart skipped a beat and her lips pursed. The mention of his name sent a lurch of pain through her chest. "Sorry."
"It's fine." Rue sighed, glancing back down the hall at the young man. "Maybe it's just really different there now."
"He was there with Eren," Relir insisted. Rue shook her head.
"Just… drop it."
"… Fine."
Relir fell back against the wall, crossing her arms. Her uniform pulled snugly against her skin, tracing the curves of the muscle she'd worked so diligently to build in her time at the Citadel. Rue tore her eyes away and sank down to the floor, tired. Their emergency trip to Lestallum was draining enough, but the visit to the cave sucked all the life from her bones. Wonder if Ignis is sick of my moping yet. Huffing, she knocked her head against the smooth wall. I hope so. Maybe he'll snap me out of it. She couldn't stop feeling the grimy walls and seeing the deep, deep darkness that swallowed her whole a mere two years ago.
"Relir, you're up," Gracen called down the hall, flashing a grin and knocking his writ against Axel's.
"Wish me luck," Relir grumbled, ruffling Rue's hair as she passed by. Rue batted her hand away, rolling her eyes.
"You'll be fine."
The hall steadily emptied as, one by one, Rayne turned sweaty soldiers out only to steal another away. Rue picked at her boots, knowing full well she was saved for last for a reason. Please just talk this time. Her heart squeezed when the last person left her alone. Something told her this wouldn't result in a deep discussion about family drama. Finally, the doors swung open and the young man Relir pointed out previously peered out at her.
"Need I remind you?" he asked, deadpan. Rue sighed and stood, brushing off her clothes.
"Thanks."
He didn't reply. Shrugging his coldness off, Rue headed inside the open room. Rayne waited in the center of the room, skin slick with sweat and cheeks bright red. She whipped her long hair out of her cold eyes and watched her challenger enter. Rue swallowed her fear as best as she could, but it only doubled in force when the thud of the doors closing sealed her fate. It's just Rayne. Anxious, Rue waited. Rayne eyed her, arching an eyebrow.
"You plan on going naturalistic?"
"What's that mean?" Rue frowned, uncertain how to feel about this side of her friend—the one that drove their hatred for each other to begin with.
"Where's your weapon, shithead?"
"Oh." Rue summoned her sword, feeling the weight settle in her hand. "Are we—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Rayne dashed at her. Startled, Rue ducked under a wild swing and rolled away, quickly raising her sword to block the overhead strike. Rayne stepped back, lively as ever, only to run back at her. Rue struggled to keep up, but it was significantly less difficult than it was weeks before. Sadly, her surprised pride left her vulnerable. Rayne kicked her to the floor mercilessly, slashing across her forehead with the tip of her blade. Rue didn't feel the cut, pushing back and rolling up to her feet.
Rayne's gunblade rippled with flames, leaving black stripes along the floor where the fire licked at the boards. Rue ducked under another slash, ramming her elbow into the back of Rayne's knee t force her to falter. There was no fooling the warrior; Rayne scoffed and the butt of her sword smacked the back of Rue's skull without warning. Crying out, Rue stumbled to her feet, prepared to fight back, but the force of Rayne's charge throttled her to the floor and onto her back. Dizzily, she stared up at the soldier. The heat of the blade prickled sweat up across her skin from where it hovered over her throat. Rayne's chest rose and fell steadily, the product of a well-fought battle, but she looked anything but impressed. Rue's heart sank.
"Get up," Rayne gritted. Her gunblade shattered into a thousand sparks and the heat went with it. Shakily, Rue stood, rubbing the back of her neck uncomfortably.
"Didn't go easy on me," Rue teased, laughing awkwardly.
"Rue, that's the effort I give in the first fight after entrance," Rayne huffed pinching the bridge of her nose. "You could hardly even handle a basic skills test." She shook her head, letting her hand fall to her hip before it finally landed at her side. She didn't look at Rue as she headed toward the doors.
"What…?" Rue's brow furrowed. "No, that's better than I've been doing!" She chased Rayne outside. The man from before glanced up from the book in his hand and she stumbled over her words, trying to recover. "I've improved!"
"Not enough," Rayne snapped, turning to face her. "Listen; I kept my part of the bargain. It's time you uphold yours."
"I'm trying—"
"Not hard enough." Rayne shook her head, crossing her arms and letting her eyes wander down the hallway. "You gotta get a new routine because clearly this isn't working. I can't have a useless glaive on my team just because I made a naïve promise."
"I'm not useless," Rue muttered, shoulders slouching with the weight of her realization. Why am I always so far behind?
"No, you're not." Rayne sighed, moving her hands to her hips restlessly. "But I feel like you're starting to backtrack."
"I'm not. I just… These past weeks have been a nightmare," Rue admitted, running her hand through her hair. Rayne finally met her eyes as she gnawed on her lip.
"If you need more time to recover from Eren, go ahead and take it. I'm serious."
"Rayne, I'm fine. It's not him." Rue's chest constricted at the sound of his name. Gods, will that ever stop?
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Why do you give a shit, anyway? Not like you weren't the one who sent him."
"First of all, that's fuckin' cold," Rayne snapped. "I just don't want it to stay an open wound for the rest of time, that's all."
"… Because of Wyn?"
"I wasn't given the opportunity to recover because I wasn't supposed to give a damn." Rayne glanced down at her boots and she lowered her voice so only Rue could hear. "Never healed. It's hard to make yourself forget someone you love like that."
"I didn't love him."
"Pretending to love someone is basically the same thing," Rayne shrugged, dismissive. "Besides, you did. Just not in the gross, mushy-gushy way."
"… Maybe." Stop confusing my poor impressionable heart. "I don't need more time, though. I swear. I'm doing okay."
"Okay." Rayne looked past her to the young man. "What did I tell you, Sanchez? You gonna keep your nose in the book or are you gonna obey orders?" He looked up slowly, his eyes daring Rayne to berate him further. The book closed and he tucked it deep into the pocket of his uniform. "Bedtime stories don't make good soldiers." Rayne looked back at Rue. "Get your ass in the gym and eat for fuck's sake."
"Yeah, yeah." Rue sighed, watching Rayne go.
The instant Rayne turned the corner, Sanchez shook his head and sank back against the wall, pulling his book back out. Rue gnawed her cheek nervously. Just head up to Iggy's office and see how he's doing. Didn't see him at all yesterday… She stopped herself there. No, that's the old Rue. New Rue is interesting, and friendly, and… Rue swallowed, grimacing. Outgoing? Never.
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and walked back toward the young man, cocking her head to the side. He ignored her, blue eyes flitting over the lines on the page quickly and absorbing every word. Pursing her lips together, she ducked her head down, attempting to catch his attention. After a moment, he sighed and glanced up, but he said nothing.
"She chew you out, too?" Rue asked, trying to sound lighthearted.
"… Something like that." His eyebrow twitched upward when she fell against the wall to his right. "I doubt for the same reasons."
"Try me." Rue arched a brow. "I'm a useless, backtracking disappointment."
"I single-handedly ruined a nationwide peace-seeking endeavor because I can't run faster than a train."
"Shit." Rue frowned. "Wait, Gralia's—"
"No." He paused, glancing over the open pages of his book. "Gralia is fine. Rayne is dramatic."
"Yeah, she is," she scoffed, shaking her head. "What's your name?"
"Arius Sanchez," he answered reluctantly.
"Rue Corden."
"I know who you are," he retorted. She paused, taken aback. "Bootlicker to the King from what I hear. Found your way here through unorthodox methods." Her heart sank to her stomach.
"And you're one of the ones that hates me."
"… No." Arius shook his head and reluctantly closed the book, giving in to the conversation. "Just things I've heard."
"Well, for your information, I've been through hell and back to get here." Rue rolled her eyes picking at her cuticles. "A different hell than yours, but hell all the same."
"What's the difference matter as long as there's suffering," he muttered.
"Exactly." She kicked at the floor, anxiously searching for conversation topics. Gritting her teeth, she bore the ache in her chest. "I heard you were in Gralia."
"Yes." Arius raise an eyebrow, glancing over at her. "Eren?"
"Yeah." Rue's voice hardly carried more than a whisper. "Was he okay?"
"He was fine." He sighed, turning away from her. There was more than coldness in his eyes, she realized. Is this guy stuck up or just quiet?
"The hospital—"
"He fought for you. His only chance of returning to Insomnia was to bring down enemy lines." Arius spoke firmly, but Rue watched the color of his face shift and the goosebumps that prickled up along his collar. He was there. "We stood by him, though not for the same reasons."
"Why didn't they bring you back?"
"They didn't need me here."
"Simple as that?"
"Or Rayne has a vendetta against me."
"For what?"
"Can't say I know."
"Isn't that always how it goes?" Rue slumped against the wall and crossed her arms. "This world is shit." Arius grunted in response, flipped through the pages of his book absently. "You from around here?"
"If you're trying to make a friend, you best find one elsewhere," he snapped. Rue started, frowning. What'd I say? Prompto passed by quickly, flashing a small smile and waving when Rue smiled back. Arius watched him go, scowling faintly. Why does everyone here hate me?
"Fine, I'll start." Not this time.
"I—"
"I grew up in the poor-people sector of town. I never knew my mother and my father was too busy dicking around with prostitutes to give a damn about me." Rue jammed her hands into her pockets and shrugged. "I worked at a gas station until I got married. Then the Fall and all that BS… Now here I am." She looked up at him; something in her eyes shone with determination only the strongest of wills could defy. "Your turn." Arius sighed, shaking his head, his silver hair swaying along before his eyes.
"Fine." He turned, pressing his shoulder to the wall and tightly crossing his arms. His eyes wandered about the hall as he spoke, refusing to meet hers in surrender. "I was born outside of Insomnia, but my parents died fighting off the Imperials. I moved into the city to live with my grandmother." He shrugged one shoulder. "She passed soon after. I picked up writing in an editorial group until I was pushed out by the people who didn't like my success. Then the Fall." He finally met her eyes. "That's all."
"How'd you wind up here?"
"You first."
"Okay," Rue huffed, rolling her eyes good-naturedly. "I came back to the city after the Dawn and picked up some more questionable lines of work to pay for a place to live. Joined the Glaive training when it was advertised, demoted myself to guard duty, demoted myself to secretary, and somehow made it back here. Full circle."
"Interesting." Arius pursed his lips, watching her feign indifference. Rue could feel him analyzing her. I'm getting really bad at hiding my shit. "I joined the Kingsglaive shortly after the Fall, but I found little satisfaction. A man that accompanied us on certain tasks piqued my interest, we bonded, and then I left the Glaive to train under him." He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "He disappeared after the Dawn and I returned to Insomnia. I saw the listing and joined the Glaive with my new training. I suppose I'd call that a half circle." Rue scoffed, smiling.
"I'll take it."
An uncomfortable silence rose between them. Her heart skipped a beat when her head dared to compare Arius to Eren. The similarities were certainly difficult to dispute, but it wasn't quite the same. Isn't it? No, not every guy is Eren, Rue.
"Anyway, um, I have to go, uh, meet with someone," she stammered, straightening and adjusting her jacket. "See you around, Arius." Abruptly, she turned on her heels and strode down the hall. The blood in her veins froze upon hearing him call after her.
"Rue." She turned back and he looked at the floor, embarrassed that he'd shouted after this woman he hardly knew.
"What's up?"
"…" He jerked his head back up, stiff and cold as ever. "It's Ari."
"Ari," Rue repeated, nodding. "Okay. See you, Ari."
Shaking her head, she hurried around the corner and breathed a sigh of relief. What a character she chose to involve herself with. She scoffed. Doesn't it always wind up that way? I get desperate to prove what I've got and I wind up mixing with the weirdest people. Her shoulders shrugged and she slowly headed up the stairs. At least he was nice.
"Come in."
"You got a minute?" Rue asked, poking her head into Ignis's office. Gladio slouched against the wall, arching an eyebrow when he saw the glaive. The expression was friendly despite his intimidating appearance.
"Come in." Ignis pressed a finger to his glasses and looked back up at Gladio. "I understand, but there are no records to prove this ever occurred."
"Look harder," Gladio shrugged, smiling smugly. "It happened."
"What did?" Rue frowned, closing the door behind her and heading toward her chair.
"Gladio's insisting he broke a record for time on running here at the Citadel," Ignis replied, turning toward his computer to type something in. "Fifteen years ago."
"And no one's broken it in fifteen years?" Rue asked sarcastically, leaning back to look up at Gladio. "Come on, dude. Unrealistic expectations."
"Five miles in twenty-seven minutes," Gladio stated proudly.
"That didn't happen," Rue huffed, shooting a pointed look at Ignis. He was too concentrated on his computer to notice. Gladio shrugged. "You? You're a giant."
"Wasn't when I was fifteen."
"He wasn't," Ignis muttered. He glanced up at his friend. "There's nothing there still. Top rank still goes to Arma."
"Arma Callen?" Rue repeated. "I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that."
"He used magic," Gladio huffed.
"Not that's recorded, no." Ignis touched his glasses and allowed a slight smile. "I'm afraid you've been dethroned."
"I don't believe it," Gladio replied stubbornly. He straightened and glanced down at Rue. "Gotta go kick some grunts in the ass before Rayne finds out I haven't trained 'em yet."
"Haven't they been here a while…?" Rue asked, frowning. He shrugged a shoulder on his way out the door.
"They don't need months of hard practice to do a good job."
"But—"
The door and Rue's mouth snapped shut. Ignis sighed and shook his head, pushing his desk drawer shut and touching his glasses once more. His look at Rue was pointed, expectant.
"What did you need?"
"I just wanted to say 'hi,'" Rue shrugged, crossing her legs. "That okay or are you busy?"
"No, that's alright."
"Cool." Rue tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled sheepishly. "I, uh, didn't see you yesterday."
"A tragedy," Ignis murmured, flipping through his notebook. He shut it abruptly and looked up at her expectantly.
"It really is." She sighed, picking at her sleeves. Ignis eyed her a moment. "We should do something."
"Like what?"
"I dunno. Something." She straightened, suddenly restless. "We're all getting dinner tomorrow night and I have something with Relir Saturday, so we should do something tonight."
"That's no more specific than before."
"I'm down for anything." A cheesy grin spread across her lips and she put on a mocking voice. "As long as I'm with you."
"Don't do that," Ignis huffed, though he clearly wrestled a smile when he glanced down at the cover of his notebook. Rue rolled her eyes and sunk back into the chair, slouching.
"I don't know. I'm not creative. I just want to go home and sleep."
"Then why don't you?"
"Because…" Rue glanced up from her nails, wrestling a sheepish smile. "Did you forget the part where I want to see you?"
"You've seen me."
"You know what I mean."
"Quite the assumption to make," Ignis remarked, standing and straightening his jacket. "I hardly ever know what you mean—I doubt you know, either."
"Whatever." Rue stood, uncertain. "Where are you going?"
"To Noct." He slipped past to get to the door. "Have you already forgotten my real job?"
"It wouldn't be hard to," Rue muttered. She hurried after him, pressing a hand to the door to catch him before he left. "Come back to my place after work."
"… You get bolder every day."
"Oh, shut up. Get your head out of the gutter, Ignis. I meant it when I said I just want to sleep." Ignis raised an eyebrow smugly and she rolled her eyes yet again, shoving her palm into his chest. A burst of butterflies fluttered about in her stomach. "Please?"
"We'll see," he muttered, trying for the doorknob again. Rue blocked him with her hip.
"Good enough." Energized by her newfound bravery, she stood on her toes and kissed away his irritated frown. "Didn't want the door open before that, did you?" she asked with a wink.
Ignis shook his head and his lips parted as he took a breath to speak, but he hesitated. Something in his eyes shifted with realization and Rue's heart sank. What is it? The advisor cleared his throat and he shifted away from his warm demeanor as if he'd merely slipped another mask on.
"I apologize, but I'm unavailable this evening."
"What? Why?" Rue frowned. "Did you just decide this?"
"No, of course not." Ignis's brows pinched together. "I told Rayne I would speak with her tonight."
"And that'll take all night?"
"You know she likes to talk."
"Ignis, that doesn't mean—"
"Rue, I can't."
"… Fine." Rue huffed and stepped back, hugging her arms to her body. Her demeanor was cold, but her face couldn't hide the pain that stung her heart. Her gaze fell to the smooth floor and her mind raced. That's what this is? You can't just say you're sick of me? Ignis sighed, glancing at the door once more before drawing his hand away from the cold doorknob.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean fine. Go ahead." Rue gestured toward the door sharply, avoiding his eyes. "Do your job."
"Rue, don't."
"Don't what?"
"Be like this."
"Be like what, Ignis?" she demanded, glowering up at him. I'm being dramatic. He struggled to grasp any reason for her to be so upset, unable to find a semi-solid excuse. Growing increasingly tense, Ignis heaved a sigh.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Have fun with her," Rue grumbled, reaching for the doorknob. Or maybe I'm not. Ignis stood in her way this time. His face told her he wasn't taking her nonsense. "What?"
"Why are you angry?"
"I'm not angry," she huffed, stepping away from him defensively. "Are you?"
"Rue." Impatient, Ignis touched his glasses and scowled down at her. "You're being ridiculous. Stop."
"I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to reach around him. "Let me out!" She demanded, grabbing his arm to wrestle him away. He didn't budge. Frustrated, Rue stomped like an insolent toddler and she clenched her teeth.
"I don't understand," Ignis explained, slowing his words to avoid showing his annoyance. "I already told Rayne I would—"
"Just fucking say it!"
Ignis started, watching Rue turn her back to him and tug at the roots of her hair, shuddering. Nauseating fear overtook her entire body as her lungs gulped down air she didn't need. He wished he could ease her anger, but he wasn't quite sure what had her so worked up. Rue paced, the sound her choked sobs searing their marks on his heart. Swallowing his confusion, Ignis spoke.
"Rue, I don't know what you want me to say."
"No?" She scrubbed her face, bubbling with the raging pain of betrayal when she turned to look at him. "Fine, I'll explain." Her feet carried her back to the door, her toes lifting her into his face. "Just say you're done with me. Don't make excuses, don't lie, just say it." Ignis's heart picked up the pace, burning. Her finger jabbed into his chest. "You're done with me. Say it."
"I'm not," Ignis insisted, bewildered at her accusations. His words didn't reach Rue's ears before she started shaking her head. Her fingers gripped his shirt, jerking him forward.
"I'm done with this shit. I'm tired of being used." Her anger began to sink into her sadness as tears welled back up in her eyes and she stumbled over her words. "I'm so lonely and I don't know why." She shook her head. "Why do people use me?"
"I would never—"
"Shut up!"
"Stop interrupting me," Ignis bit back, hands gripping her elbows and prying her off him. "I haven't used you, Rue, and I certainly don't plan on ending this so soon. All I need is a night with a friend. Is that so hard to ask?"
"One night, huh?" Rue retorted, tears streaking down her reddened cheeks. She became eerily calm, glaring up at him. "Didn't know you made a habit of sleeping with all your coworkers, Iggy."
Normally, guilt and shame would overcome her. This time, Rue couldn't feel anything but spite. She wanted to make him angry, see him lose his composure and shout at her and throw her out. Anything to give her a reason to feel this overwhelming panic. She thought she'd get it for a moment. His face contorted with offended fury, twisting far, far away from the collected expression she knew. In one fell swoop, she'd trashed the trust he'd so easily granted her. Despite himself, he took a sharp turn into the same coldness that had captured her.
"Only the desperate ones."
Rue's mind took a second to catch up, but once it did, she drowned in unexplainable anguish, racing through a thousand emotions—none of them pleasant. Gritting her teeth, she watched his humanity take over, felt his hands loosen their grip. Ignis, in horror, took a step back, but it was too late.
"Rue, I didn't—"
His words were cut short when the back of her thin hand struck him across the face, fueled by the adrenaline that rushed through her veins. Rue's lips curled with hatred and her eyes burned from the tears. He knew it was coming before she reacted, but he didn't move—he deserved it.
"Fuck you." Rue tried to wrestle her way past him, but Ignis refused to let her leave without repairing the damage. He pressed his shoulder to the door, blocking her only way out.
"Rue—"
"Get out of my way!"
Rue shoved him as hard as she could. Ignis stumbled not from the force of the push, but from the weight of his realization. He'd effectively ruined everything in a matter of minutes. Without a second thought, the glaive rushed on into the hallway, choking on her tears and blindly running anywhere she could suffer alone.
Gladio paused halfway through closing his door, watching her go with a concerned frown. Leaning out to see if anyone else saw, he briskly headed to Ignis's office. The advisor stood near the doorway, eyes flitting about the ground. The shield winced upon seeing an angry red mark spreading across Ignis's cheek.
"You alright?"
"I'm fine, thank you," Ignis replied curtly, looking down the hallway to see where Rue had gone. Gladio blocked his view, shouldering his way into the office. The advisor's heart sunk further, if that was even possible. "Gladio—"
"Heard yelling." Gladio crossed his arms, leaning against the bookshelf and raising an eyebrow. "Iggy, what's going on?"
"Nothing." Ignis smoothed his shirt and headed back toward his desk. His legs felt like gelatin.
"Rue doesn't yell about nothing."
"That's debatable," Ignis muttered, falling into his seat with a sigh. "Was there anything else you needed?"
"C'mon, Iggy, don't go shutting down on me."
"I'm not, and frankly, it's none of your business," Ignis snapped.
Gladio sighed, shrugging and heading toward the door. Ignis's lips were sealed.
"Alright, well, I'll leave you to it. Good luck."
"Goodbye," Ignis grumbled, waiting for the door to close before leaning forward and rubbing his face with his hands. How could she turn so quickly? Hadn't he proven himself trustworthy?
THANKS AND CREDS TO ChaosBreaker13 FOR THE CREATION OF OUR LOVELY NEW BOY, ARI. VERY FUN DUDE TO WRITE, THIS WILL NOT BE THE LAST OF HIM :D