A/N: Happy New Year Everyone!
I'm starting the year out strong with a hangover and a new fic XD
As always, big thanks to ActualBampot for their feedback and proofreading.
It had been exactly one-thousand-eight-hundred-and-thirty-nine days, just over sixty months, after the world as they knew it had been saved. Five years since the immortal being, introduced as Salem, had been defeated. What was once thought as a near-impossible feat had been pulled off in large thanks to the Dark Goddess' pawn-turned-black queen. Whether the move towards the side of 'good' had been made out of self-preservation or a change of heart no one would know. It had been over a decade since the concept of 'freedom' had crossed Cinder Fall's mind. The last time had been when she was brought under Salem's care, her tutelage, her torture and every other instance, preceding, sought to destroy what little hope and trust she had.
Now at twenty eight years old, the False Maiden was finally free to choose what she would do with her future. The shadow of her past stretched far ahead even as the woman strode past the heavily guarded gates of Vale's first and only military compound.
As the once 'key-piece to Remnant's destruction' the Dark Queen's lieutenant thought it bittersweet that all she had to her name were the clothes on her back and a carton box with what little belongings she had. Noticing Vale's once-public-enemy-number-one, the guards tightened their hold on their rifles as if she had escaped from prison, and not released after years of due service.
The woman fought the urge to roll her eye. Really, if she wanted to kill someone here, then she wouldn't have bothered waiting for the legal system to finally decide she was no longer worth their resources.
On cue, morning light flooded Cinder's vision, she raised a shielding hand until the last barrier between her and imprisonment came into view. Thick metal walls were lined with hard light barriers and crackling electricity. Armoured guards, with a twitch in their trigger fingers, patrolled every inch of the compound and Cinder doubted she would ever forget their routes, schedules or the distinct sound of each pair of steps if she tried.
Cinder didn't doubt that everything mankind learnt from fighting the Grimm's Goddess had been put back into subduing a Maiden in a small metal box. It would have taken a lot more to escape than Cinder was willing to admit. At the risk of being shut in with her own thoughts and separated from the person she grew to love, Cinder Fall kept her abilities at bay. She'd impatiently wait for that fateful day to come. Now the waiting was at long last over.
Approaching the gate, with the other entryways already shut behind her one of the guards, a tiger Faunus gave the all clear for the gate to be opened over comms.
A successful defence against an attempt to rush the gate, Cinder mused, but not if you were able to buy their cooperation beforehand. As if sensing the train of thought, as shaped by a life of crime, the guard turned to her with a snarl.
"You don't deserve this. Freedom. Never forget that."
The words dug its claws into her chest but Cinder refused to let it show and strode past the guard without so much as a second glance.
Still, she couldn't help but to think of what he said.
Was she deserving of freedom?
Cinder scoffed.
Who was he, a no-name guard, to tell her what she deserved.
For there were many things more, things no one would wish upon anyone else, Cinder had to endure without question.
Rather than dwelling on thoughts that were much better suited for a dark corner or cloudy overlook, Cinder admired the view of Vale from atop the reinforced and partly-developed Mountain Glenn. Spring was spread clear and wide across the valley below. Forever Fall was bursting with red and the season's unique white blossoms. The intensity of colour made way towards the city in shoots of green, pink, orange, purple and blues as it mingled with the gust of wind, seemingly kicked up by Cinder's audible sigh as the armoured gates creaked shut.
She was out.
She was free.
The burden of imprisonment had been cast from her shoulders and the woman was left with the daunting realisation as it pressed against her chest. If these last few years were anything to go by, she didn't know anything about how the world worked, how people saw each other and why they treated each other more than pawns and tools when not all others did. Perhaps those were just the things she had to learn as she had learned how to deceive, kill and destroy. Only this time Cinder feared far more what would happen to her should she fail.
Inhaling deep, the woman gathered the courage to face those possibilities, turning to face the representation of her fear, her hate, her failure, her gratitude, her freedom.
There she was, standing and waiting for her.
Ruby Rose.
The Champion of Remnant, the greatest Huntress of her time, the Silver Eyed Legend.
Cinder had no doubt that she could have been anywhere else in Remnant with anything she could have wanted. Yet, here she was; battle-scarred and smiling at her with a bittersweetness, Cinder couldn't place. The habitual look of caution and disbelief must have been shone through the woman's expression despite her attempt at hiding it behind a stone mask.
Ruby's expression was tender and tinged with a slight despondent strain that pulled Cinder back into the depths of her mind.
"I promised, didn't I?"
Cinder thought back to blood red skies, the cry of her name, the pulsating of age-old magic and silver light tearing through her skin. Amongst pools of death, Cinder remembers those silver eyes. For the first time, then, in the glow of a campfire, the softness of bedsheets and warmth of their whispers, it struck a sense of assurance, of determination within her.
After everything, Ruby Rose had returned to aid in the aftermath of her most ruthless enemy, Cinder Fall's most hated adversary. And yet, she couldn't stop her twitch of a smile…
"You did."
…and the soft embrace she suddenly found herself in.
Navigating Springleaf station, Cinder couldn't help but to remember the last time she had been around this many civilians. She had blasted them all into oblivion. Considering the chaos, and noise of it all, the woman convinced herself that a perfectly appropriate thought to have. People were bustling about, carrying a ridiculous amount of suitcases and crying children. Why in Brothers' name anyone would let those things outside, Cinder couldn't guess.
While trying not to bump into someone and risk them somehow noticing her, but despite her gracious consideration, another woman had no qualms with shoulder checking the Fall Maiden as she passed. Fighting the urge to swing around with a right hook, Cinder bit her tongue, semblance heating up her hand in Ruby's grasp. Said heat was coaxed back down with a gentle squeeze before rushing them out of the building in a flurry of rose petals.
Back outside, Cinder offered Ruby a glance, tinged with apology. Ruby smiled softly in turn, searching down the street until she found a brown and cream-coloured building, decorated with bold steel lettering: 'Beans!'
Cinder cocked a brow.
Ruby seemed oddly giddy.
"Coffee?"
"That would be appropriate."
Even with the occasional rain and mountain-chilled gusts of wind Vale was by no means cold this time of the year. That didn't mean Cinder couldn't appreciate the cosy warmth and aroma of freshly ground coffee as it wafted in the air.
It was…nice.
Even if her tone suggested otherwise.
"I thought you said there would be less people."
The Huntress, ever reassuring. "Don't worry. I know a guy."
True to her word, Ruby had a waiter guide them to one of the shop's secluded corners. Handing out their menus, the waiter wasted no time, smiling a tad too wide for the Maiden's liking.
"Your usual today, Ruby?"
"Not today, thanks Ridge."
Seemingly only then noticing Cinder, Ridge nodded and left with a polite smile.
"I'll give you ladies a few minutes."
A moment of silence settled only to be broken by a loud clatter of cups in the distance.
"You seem acquainted." Cinder commented, picking at the menu as if it would somehow reveal its secrets to her. She didn't mean to sound as jealous as it did.
"Oh well… a little. I always come here for coffee before I visit you. Or visited now I guess. It's the only place that can get your tea the way you like it."
Cinder offered a non-committal hum in response as she squinted at the list in hand.
Ruby noticed the other's indecision and was quick to offer her vast insight on all-things-sweet. "Oh, all of their drinks are great." She smiled half embarrassedly, tugging at a lock of crimson-tipped hair. "And that's coming from someone who maaay have tried them all."
The Maiden let out an amused snort. "Bold of you to assume I know what any of these things are."
Not batting an eye, Ruby inched closer, chest puffed out in pride as if she had been preparing for this moment for months. "Well coffee is pretty straightforward. Vacuan roast is a lot stronger and isn't served with milk or…"
After listing each and every drink with a combination of speed and patience that could only belong to the Huntress, Cinder settled on a Mistralian latte and Ruby, a decadent chocolate milkshake.
Silence settled as they waited and Cinder found herself oddly at ease while Ruby never did like the silence. It was always 'awkward' as she had put it. So the older woman waited knowingly for the other to find something to bring up.
"So… how are you feeling? I know all of this must feel super weird."
Cinder glanced down at the toothpick that had been idly keeping her hands busy.
"Everything feels…surreal… like a dream. As if I am one memory away from waking up. Back at the…"
The woman's words died at the tip of her tongue. Toothpick, burnt black at the tips as it clattered to the table. Ruby inched her hands across the table for their fingers to touch…intertwine. Ruby's hands were calloused but always soft, comforting in how her thumbs stroked across the back of her hands.
"Everything must be so… loud and busy. Different… but also reminding you of everything from… from before." Cinder swallowed, blocking any image of a memory, trying to stay rooted in the other's words. "It's hard. Gonna be hard. But that's why I'm here. To make things a bit better."
The woman sighed, scraping together the words with a hoarse voice. "You've done more than enough… getting me here. You shouldn't have me ask anymore from you-"
"I'm pretty sure that we've had this conversation before. I'm helping you because I want to and there isn't anything wrong with accepting help. Besides…" Ruby piped up, shifting to the optimism she is so known for. "…you'll be doing all the hard work."
Cinder's tone drawled with sarcasm. "Yes, because holding down a job without committing any crimes is far to much of what anyone can expect from me." A clear invitation that Ruby took with a mischievous grin and roll of her eyes.
"Says the person who nearly chucked a fireball at that woman for- oh crap." But their verbal trysts would have to wait. Ruby lifted her scroll apologetically. "Sorry. It's Beacon. I have to take this."
The Huntress, one moment later, a trail of rose petals.
Cinder scoffed bemusedly as she flicked a speck of red from her shoulder. One would think that after all of her pointed remarks, Ruby would have learnt by now that someone is going to have to clean this all up. On cue, Ridge arrived bearing drinks and Cinder glanced toward the door as if the smell alone would send the Huntress running. At the very least it gave Cinder the perfect opportunity to empty five packets of sugar into the cup and incinerate the sachets of evidence lest she ruined her dark and detached image. After a few sips of warm spice and sugar, Cinder looked up to see Ruby plop down on her seat and finish half of her milkshake before slouching back with a sigh.
"Ugh. I forgot how annoying writing assignments could be."
Cinder raised a disbelieving brow, deadpan in her inquiry. "You say that as if it is somehow more challenging than everything you've accomplished."
"And you say that like you don't know how terrifying professors can be."
Cinder took another slow sip of her drink. "I'll take my chances."
Ruby, from what Cinder knows but not in any way understood, had decided to go back to Beacon to finally get all the bells and whistles she had first wanted with her Hunter's licence.
Of course that had been before Beacon had fallen. Before Ruby had to shoulder the burden saving Remnant. After all that, Cinder couldn't fathom as to why she would return to something that seemed so insignificant. The woman was quick to learn during those last few months behind bars, Ruby had been ecstatic to return. To finish what she had embarked on so long ago.
Ruby had taken her first semester as a partial excuse to recreate her beloved weapon, fondly dubbed 'Crescent Rose II', and for the extra credentials which would mean the Huntress had more missions to choose from and had the choice of other fields, if she so chose. That was the reasoning Ruby gave. But Cinder had a suspicion that it was the former's belief that they would have been otherwise better equipped during their Grimmland mission.
Just as Cinder turned to that cloud as it loomed over the horizon Ruby's rambling pulled her away.
"It's just. I'm finally doing my Weapon Specialisation course and I thought that it would just be that. I get to upgrade Crescent Rose II. Learn how other weapons work by type. What their general features were. Maybe they'd have us make a weapon for someone else to fit their semblance and fighting style. Or they could have us convert one weapon into an entirely different one. Heck! Forging a weapon like they did one hundred years ago would be better than what they are making us do now."
Despite her vastly different circumstances and uncertain future, Cinder was grateful that she would still have moments like these. So the woman couldn't help but to raise her brow in full indulgence.
"And what are they having you do, Miss Rose?"
The Huntress threw up her hands in exasperation. "We have to write a whole paper! Some stupid dissertation thing. Theory stuff. About weapons! And Professor Garni doesn't like anything I come up with! She said that my other stuff, about how weapons are an extension of us, doesn't have any 'point' that I'm making? The point is to talk about how a Hunter's weapon is an extension of their soul! What else am I supposed to write about? How was my weapon made? The difference between a 400 and 600 alloy? Why should you always use medium carbon steel rather than stainless? What is the best way to shape a blade? That's the easy stuff!"
Cinder was sure that even if Ruby took the time to explain, which she would do in a heartbeat, the woman doubted she would understand it any more. That didn't change the fact that she was still sitting there, taking in every word and-
"Cinder."
The woman perked up, mentioning toward Ruby that she was paying attention. Although admittedly, her thoughts might have still been wandering beneath the surface-
"You're staring."
The woman blinked. Mischief gleams in the gold of her eye.
"And so are you." Only for her gaze to flick downward. "Now what could have made you blush like that?" And what had been a soft dusting of pink of Ruby's cheeks instantly turned beet red.
"Wha- I wasn't- isn't!" Flustered, the more the young woman tried to defend herself, the more she stuttered. "Yo- you're supposed to listen to me complain. Not make it harder!"
Cinder slid into a smirk, tone smooth and trying just a little too hard to sound convincing. "Oh but I am listening." Just enough that the other would know how much she is enjoying… whatever this conversation had become. "And you, Miss Rose, are failing to convince me that another year at Beacon can teach you more than you know already."
"You mean other than what missions and jobs I can take?"
Cinder chuckled softly. "I think you can take your chances."
Settling into a comfortable silence the women enjoyed the rest of their drinks. Once finished the Huntress asked for their bill. As Cinder watched Ruby search her for her wallet, the woman added another thing to the ever-growing list of things that need doing . As the woman pondered the when, where and hows, something caught her eye.
A petal-pink slice of cake, adorned with intricate white patterns and topped with fresh strawberries, sat down on the adjacent table in front of another beaming customer.
Cinder knew that it wasn't her secretive sweet tooth that had her attention so drawn nor was it the child-like delight of seeing such a delicious treat after so long. Then why-
"Desserts are not for servants."
Cinder's gaze snapped away to find Ruby smiling at her for a reason the woman couldn't place.
"Did you want some?" Still reeling from the sound of what was supposed to be a forgotten voice, the confusion on her face must've shown. Ruby gestured to the table next to them. "Of the strawberry cake?"
"Oh." It was only a few moments and the woman had already forgotten what triggered…that… in the first place. She inhaled, regaining her composure. "No need. Let's go."
It didn't take long for Ruby to find them a cab and before Cinder knew it they were gliding down the streets as it became a whirlwind of new sights and colours.
Lest she be glued to the window like some overexcited child,Cinder kept the outside world; the cars, trains, parks, theatres, malls, signs, flowers, trees and strays in the corner or her eye. It made the woman's intrusive thought so much easier to forget. A fleeting thought is all it was, brought on by the sudden chaos to her life. Once she had settled in, everything would go back to normal.
Normal, the woman thought with a bitter sigh.
What does that even mean?
Normal was being confined to one room and a few amnesties. Normal was having to wait for the grace of the guards to let her even see Ruby and normal was needing to have the Grimm overgrowth of her arm trimmed every few weeks. As the woman's attention shifted, her left arm clenched with a sigh, only to relax against the arm rest. Normal was whatever she made for herself in the weeks, months, to come. So with that, Cinder pulled her mind away from looking for negative thoughts, and turned to the landscape whirring past.
Climbing in altitude, traffic and colourful buildings merged into ever-reaching trees lining a single dusty tar road. On the outskirts of the city, hugging the edges of mountain Glenn, lay sparse plots of land. The first few held modest wooden cabins, perfect for those who sought both the calming solitude of small settlements and the safety of the kingdoms.
Cinder would think that Ruby, as fast paced and energetic as she could be, much to the woman's unspoken annoyance, would prefer life in the city. But, pondering for a moment longer, it started to make sense. Every employer and council member is vying for the Hero of Remnant's skills and service. It's no wonder that the Huntress sought to get away from them as far as possible. How long does it take to get to and from the compound every week, the woman wondered.
Cinder glanced over to Ruby and imagined her sitting in a cab, brimming with the excitement of sharing a new story, book or board game.
A smile tugged at her heartstrings.
But as soon as her smile appeared, it faded.
The cab drove by another plot of land, this one with a cabin in the process of being demolished, the next under heavy construction. Further yet; lavish mansions blocked off by grandiose metal gates left a bitter taste in the woman's mouth. So much so that she hadn't noticed Ruby shuffling closer to peer out the same window.
"Ugh yeah. Ever since we pushed back the Grimm and that new security forcefield went up they have been buying everything, moving people out of their houses and building like crazy."
Cinder rolled her eye.
If she wasn't annoyed before then she definitely was now. No, she was disappointed in herself for thinking that Vale, in all of its noble pursuits and grand gestures in the name of good and fairness, would be different from any other corrupted Kingdom.
Luckily the woman didn't have time to stew much longer before Ruby pulled her attention to the opposite window.
"Look, you can see Beacon from here!"
Just before Cinder started to fidget the cab rolled to a stop in front of another driveway half hidden by the thick trees and shrubs that surrounded it. Ruby handed the driver some Lien and a moment later the two women were walking down the driveway which was much too rocky for any city car.
The smell of mist and petrichor was thick in the air, a stark contrast to the sterile and throat-stinging air that was pumped into the prison cells. A cool breeze rustled through the trees. Savouring this moment, Cinder closed her eyes, easily accepting Ruby's touch as it sneaked in between her fingers. What felt like a perpetual moment later the rocky terrain even out under her feet into soft grass, prompting Cinder to open her eyes.
She stood in front of a house- Ruby's house.
It had a look similar to the cabins, but with a slightly more modern design, which added some brick and big glass windows.
"I'm surprised they haven't made you an offer."
Caught off guard, Ruby blew a raspberry in a failed attempt to hide the glee behind her sarcastic smile. "Oh they tried." She trotted up to the front door, taking a moment to jiggle her keys in the lock, swinging the door open with a mischievous grin over her shoulder. "Moving is not really something I'm in the mood for right now."
The way she said it, with a glint of trickery in those eyes, made it sound much more exciting than Cinder thought it had the right to be.
As she crossed the threshold, clutching at her box of belongings, a sudden bout of anxiety that creeped up in her chest. The feeling was not unlike that of a nervous child on their first day of school. Or an intern shuffling into their office. At least Cinder could only guess that it was what she was feeling.
With the door sliding closed, Cinder's eye flew across the interior, a mix of curiosity and ingrained caution. The house was small but not at all stifling. With high roofs, and an open floor plan to seamlessly connect the kitchen and living room with space for a small dining table in between, the large windows made separation between the in- and outside a mere tug of the curtains away. Like the outside, the inside of the house was wrapped in different kinds of wood. From the floors to the cabinets and roofs. It made the air feel so much warmer than had it been enclosed by linoleum floors and steel walls.
"You can put your stuff down on the counter for now if you want."
Shifting towards the kitchen, palm absentmindedly sliding over the cool marble, the woman's gaze lingered on the bits of colour scattered about. Dishes lay in the sink. A half-empty cereal bowl sat on the dining table among a plethora of nuts, bolts and sheets of paper which the woman could only assume to be schematics of some sort. A blanket was haphazardly strewn across one of the couches in front of the monitor. Bookcases, shelves and cabinets held all kinds of books, figurines, puzzles and board games.
In the middle of it all Ruby stood shifting from one foot to the other bearing a nervous smile that always managed to make Cinder feel at ease.
"So uh… this is it! Home sweet home."
With those words ringing in the back of her mind, the woman felt her attention drift to the glass doors, leading to a balcony behind the huntress. It was just a second where Cinder found herself slowing down but Ruby had already noticed, had already taken Cinder's hands and half-dragged, half-lead them to the balcony.
It was only from their vantage point where the woman could grasp where they were; atop the mountain range that separated Vale from the wilds, just high enough to gaze at the expanse of greenery beyond.
A flock of birds slowly made their way across the backdrop of a shattered island, amongst the sea of blue above.
Weight settled in Cinder's was quick to discard it with a mental shake of her head. It was silly. It wasn't as if she didn't have any freedom in these last few years. She went on missions. She saw trees, mountains and views which outclassed this one by far.
So why was she… why was Ruby looking at her like that?
"You made it Cinder. You're free."
The woman's gaze shifted to the scenery, trying her best to stifle a threatening blush, unable to ward off the magnetic pull towards Ruby's suddenly shy demeanour. With each glance a buzzing energy grew inside of Cinder. Her left arm twitched with anticipation that welled up in the woman's throat. Ruby's attention was fully on Cinder, but with giddy nervousness that had her swaying from side to side. The woman wondered where her mind was wandering to.
As soft hands and calloused fingertips intertwined it occurred to Cinder that with freedom, came solitude.
Privacy.
For the first in a very long time Cinder could capture Ruby's lips without a care in the world. Ruby sighed contentedly in the non-existent space between them. Hands snuck around Cinder's neck pulling her close with a step forward that had the Huntress pressed against the railing. As the distance between them faded, so did restraint.
With hands cupped around Ruby's face, Cinder coaxed her mouth open with an upward tilt. Her eagerness prompted a soft moan that travelled from Ruby's lips down Cinder's spine. The tingling sensation in stark contrast with the languid pace at which Cinder's tongue melded with Ruby's. Hands explored on their own accord. Calloused fingers dipped underneath Cinder's shirt with a hitch of her breath as cool mountain air kissed along her rapidly heating skin. Such heat was no match for the shudderingly cool trails Ruby left across her abdomen, muscles and the edge of her scars.
They parted with a mischievous bite from the Huntress and Cinder realised that she was letting the Huntress get away with far too much. The mistake was easily corrected. Without any warning Cinder grabbed Ruby's hips, sitting her atop the edge of the railing with a surprised yelp from the other that was muffled in a kiss just as quick.
Keeping balance, Ruby had no choice but to shift her grip around Cinder's neck. All while the change in height meant that Cinder had the Huntress' exposed stomach at her fingertips.
The Maiden's neck was tilted in an upward angle that their heights didn't always allow. When Ruby dared to shift her hands, one looking for a purchase of warmth, Cinder wasted no time in reminding the young woman of her precocious position. She took one step forward, one of her legs firmly planted between the Huntress, breaking the tension between the back of her neck and Ruby's hold. The woman swung back with an audible yelp! Both hands shot forward, wrapping around Cinder's neck and drawing Ruby's cheek against the split of the woman's smirk.
"Careful. We wouldn't want you to fall, now do we?"
"You did that on purpose!"
Cinder chuckled, murmuring against the shell of Ruby's ear. "I think we both know that heights mean nothing to you."
It wouldn't take anything at all for the Huntress to tap into her semblance and have their positions reversed in a second.
What Cinder started to realise, and what Ruby wouldn't yet admit to, is that the Huntress had a taste for risk and its rewards. Attacking a pack of Beowolves alone or willingly sat between a mortal fall and a woman who could have teeth and claws just as sharp. Ruby could turn the tides but why would she when all she wanted was the other, looming over her, to stake her claim.
The thought of such fantasies was absolutely irresistible and it goaded Cinder to drag her tongue down Ruby's neck in a blatant show of possession. Ruby released a deep sigh, curling into the woman's touch with her head resting atop the other's.
With a gloved hand steadying Ruby's position, the other dipped underneath her shirt. The freedom of Cinder's roaming touch was a welcomed change as opposed to the difficulty of the Huntress' signature corset. Her patterns seemed idle and wandering at first, but she was searching for any nick and scar. One or two stretching over her back or side and many more, barely noticeable. The Maiden traced them, meticulous as if she was stitching them herself, refreshing their memory as it had faded during months of isolation. Cinder hoped that there wouldn't ever again be a time where she could forget or where moments like this would feel so far in between.
"It's been much too long." The woman murmured idly. The touch of her breath had Ruby shivering with the static rippling across her skin.
Cinder's palm drifted to Ruby's breast, and gently started kneading, so soft. Flesh melded beneath her fingertips and Cinder took to it like a cat would take to its newest plaything. With that same amalgam of sly curiosity the woman applied a bit of heat while her finger rolled over the now-erect nipple. The heat and pressure was just enough to satiate. Cinder gleefully watched Ruby shut her eyes to focus on nothing but the attention Cinder gave her. Adding another degree of heat the woman dragged her nails down the huntress' toned stomach to the sound of Ruby's yelp. With the sting's relief, her hand lavishing the other breast, Ruby's guard dropped with the tension in her shoulders.
"Don't make me wait any longer."
Cinder sighed contentedly into the juncture between Ruby's neck and shoulder. How she wished to finally hear those words. How she wished to hear it again, to drag those soft gasps with her digit along the hem of the Huntress' jeans. Once the Maiden's heated fingertips started to teasingly flick at the band of Ruby's red underwear, the woman squirmed underneath the creaking railing, prompting a rumbling chuckle.
"As far as I'm aware… we're still in the middle of a 'house tour'."
The Huntress groaned and gripped at the fabric of the Cinder's shirt. The feel of a flash of teeth against heated skin made the Maiden shudder and lean forward ever so slightly to push back against the goal that was trying to usher her back inside.
"Next stop; bed."
Luckily Cinder had lost the means to continue her increasingly arduous teasing. In one swift motion she turned around with the underside of Ruby's knees in her grasp. Her legs were wound tight around her hips and the smile Cinder had on her lips was ever mischievous.
"That sounds like it can be arranged."