Demon.
Duchess of Seduction.
Ruler of Lace.
Why do I reach for the stars,
If I don't have wings to carry me that far?
The wind can come and do it's best,
Blow me north and south, east and west,
But I'll still be standing.
You wanna know how to make me smile
Take control, own me just for the night
Part of the SuperWho RP SAMXRUBY
{HOTTER THAN HELL}
With Sam gone, Ruby needed something to busy herself. Or at the very least to keep her mind off of everything that had happened lately. When she realized that her best friend was still sleeping on her couch, she set on going to the guest room and change the bed. With the A/C being turned off, the room had quickly went back to a more normal temperature, thanks to California's weather.
So with Nana's help, the two of them changed the sheets of the bed, coming to the conclusion that it was kind of gross to use a bed in which a dead body had laid for a week. Once that was done, Ruby picked up her best friend from the couch and carried her to the guest room. It wasn't very hard due to her strength, but she was pretty sure the sight was funny considering River had a few inches over her.
Ruby made sure River was tucked comfortably in bed and even wrote down a note for her that she left on the nightstand. It was pretty straight forward, just saying that she was back and that she had been the one to put her there and not to freak out.
She closed the door behind her and walked back upstairs to her room, Apollo on her heels. So far, he had yet to leave her out of his sight. One would think she was one of these A-List celebrities that needed a bodyguard at all time. Walking over to the bookshelf, she reached for a box on the top shelf and sat down on the bed. Apollo, seeing that she wasn't in danger, moved to the balcony doors, laying down in a ray of sunlight.
In the box, she found a brooch he had given her for Christmas before his fate was sealed. She also found a white silk scarf she had given him, saying that he needed a new one for when they were going to the theatre. She smiled when she saw the silver handle of a walking stick. Another gift from her. Under these gifts were letters that were so old the paper was now yellow and she took the time to read them all again, chuckling lightly at a joke he or she would have written.
Then, came what she had feared: old pictures. There was a few with her standing next to a man, both of them looking very serious, and more shots of them alone that had most likely had been taken by the other. There was one of her she had kept over the years where she was seated in a parlor, her back slightly turned away from the camera, gazing out the window, a long forgotten open book on her lap. She had always loved that photography. Her hair were up in a bun, the bejeweled orchid pinned in one side. The next one was a portrait of a man in a tux, smiling, his eyes glistening with joy. Ruby slowly traced his features, tears welling up in her eyes again. "Oh Charles," she whispered. "If only you knew how much I miss you."
Wiping her tears away, Ruby put everything back in the box, safe for the hairpin, and closed it. Instead of putting it back up on the shelf, she placed it on the dresser. Now that Lilith had confirmed she didn't remember him, Ruby didn't want to be the only one to know about his existence and in that moment, she decided that it was time for Sam to find out more about her past. She threw herself across the bed on her back and took the hairpin out of her hair. She stared at it for a long time, making it spin slowly between her fingers.
galifreys-gladiator replied to your post: On Proxy Servers
I didn’t assume. but you didn’t mention proxies so I decided to mention it. Maybe you’ve never had to unblock a site before and therefore never had to use a proxy? How am I to know? And not every proxy is blocked. it’s a trial and error sort of thing
It’s not your place. We solved the problem the way we best saw fit. RPing via Skype really isn’t any different than Tumblr. The only difference is you have to hit Shift+Enter to put in paragraph breaks. Yes Google Docs is a little bit more difficult, but not everyone has Skype, it’s an option.
Stop questioning our decisions. We make every decision together and often talk to others about the options before posting a final announcement.
Does she not understand that I have to use my work internet and if I get around the firewall the first thing they'll do is block the proxy site if they want to keep tumblr blocked? Not to mention I could get a warning or a write up if they get upset? I love rping but it's not worth losing my job over it.
I honestly don't know if this was a mistake or someone really wants us off tumblr but either way I'm not going to press the issue and get into hot water at my job. Besides, Ann figured out a way I can still be active until this is figured out.
“Yes, really.” He said as he carried her into the bathroom. He smiled at her laughter, glad to be able to give her that even after spending three years in Hell because of him. “Your prisoner hmm?” He said with mock surprise. “What ever will I do?” He smirked as she pulled off her shirt. He kissed her back his lips parting as their mouths met. “Hmm. Well. I’d say were right about here, like this, but that we were waiting on the bathtub to fill.” He glanced over his shoulder to be sure it wasn’t going to overfill any time too soon. He leaned back just a little pulling his own shirt up and over his head, letting it fall alongside hers on the bathroom floor.
He leaned back toward her. “Oh, captor? May I turn off the water before it overflows?” he asked placing a kiss on her lips, then another on her jaw, and another on her neck. He’d given himself plenty of time to get over to turn the water off. He gave a soft nip at her neck, letting his teeth drag lightly across her skin.
She nodded, "Yep. My prisoner and mine only," she agreed. "Whatever I say," she answered his question, grinning mischievously. She sucked gently on his bottom lip, showing her disappointment when they broke apart. She took a quick look at the bath, but she shrugged off her disinterest, kissing his jaw instead. She smirked when he took off his shirt, her hands going to his stomach and gently clawing it on their own accord. "Later," she muttered against his lips. Ruby let out a shaky breath when he kissed her jaw and her neck and she moaned when he nipped at her skin, throwing her head back.
That was just mean. Now that he was nipping and kissing her neck, she didn't want to let him go even if it was to go in the tub. She tried to slide closer to him, pressing her body against his. She regretfully pushed him away, fighting every instincts that told her to keep him right where he was. "Go take care of the water before I can't let you go anymore and we flood the entire house," she said weakly. Oh god, she really wanted to pull him back to her. She watched as he stepped away, hopping down the counter. She pushed her panties down and kicked them away, silently walking back to him. As soon as he turned away, she pulled him into a passionate kiss, pressing herself against him again. "Sam," she moaned when they broke away. "Please... I miss you. I need you," she added in a whisper because kissing him once more.
Sam laughed and shook his head. “Well whatever it is. I was still worried. I suppose it’s a good thing that I can follow directions well then.” He shrugged and gave her a smile. “I mean it. It’s a very pretty flower, but it only accents you.” He reached up and moved the flower slightly so it rested more neatly in her hair. “Perfect.” He said and chuckled at her comment. “I’m not so sure.” He said with a laugh. Her cooking was most definitely better.
He smiled and kissed her back as she straddle his lap. “Good.” He said simply, knowing she would rather be here. That’s why she owned the place. “Mmm.” He hummed contemplating her question after she kissed him a second time. His shoulders relaxed as she started to rub his shoulders. “I recall a bath being mentioned on our way home from Sioux Falls that never actually happened,” he said with a grin. “Maybe we should do that. Stay here.” Without waiting for an answer from her, he shifted both of them so he could slip out of bed and into the bathroom. He started the bath water and moved back into the bedroom. He picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, setting her on the counter. He leaned forward and kissed her.
She smiled when he reached out to place the flower correctly. Yep, everyone could go fuck themselves for calling her domesticated. She couldn't care less right now. "Thank you," she said softly. She wasn't sure perfect was an appropriate adjective for her, but she'd gladly take it. She kept flattering him, being on the receiving end of a compliment every once in a while couldn't hurt, right?
She raised an eyebrow, grinning playfully. "Oh really?" Ruby said just before he moved her. She sat in the bed, pouting until he came back to pick her up. She laughed, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck. When he put her down on the counter, she wrapped her legs around him, keeping him there. "You're my prisoner now," she stated before kissing him back. Using the fact that she had a bit more space to move than he did, she pulled away from him and took the flower out of her hair, carefully setting it down on the counter. She then proceeded to take off her shirt and threw it away on the floor before she moved back closer to him, kissing him again. "Now, where were we again?" Ruby asked, grinning.
Galinda. Why couldn't you have stayed calm for once, instead of flying off the handle! I hope you're happy. I hope you're happy now. I hope you're happy how you hurt your cause forever. I hope you think you're clever. So though I can't imagine how, I hope you're happy right now. Glinda, listen to me. Just say you're sorry. You can still be with the Doctor. What you've worked and waited for. You can have all you ever wanted.
Sam smiled as she pulled him into a kiss as he settled onto the bed next to her. He kissed her back. “Good. Because I was half afraid these weren’t going to turn out since Nana left me in charge of mixing them while she ran out for ‘proper maple syrup’ is what she called it.” After a pause, he said, “The flower is a nice touch I think. It suits you. Orchids do.” He waited as she took her first bite. “You’re welcome.” He said with another smile. He laughed nervously as she said they were as good as they smelled. “I hope you’re not just saying that to be nice.” He said before cutting into his own.
He was pleasantly surprised to find the waffle was actually pretty good. Overdone, but he’d known that about his. He ate quickly, careful not to get syrup on the bed sheets. He set his tray aside and sipped his coffee as she finished her breakfast. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re back. I may have gone crazy… again, if you were gone much longer.” Not to mention he would most definitely owe a certain yellow-eyed demon a debt, but all bets were off now that Sam knew what had really happened when he’d seen Ruby in Hell. It made him tense again in anger as he thought about it, but he quickly recovered himself, giving her a wide smile.
Ruby chuckled, "That would be my fault. I introduced her to the real thing many years ago and since then, she has refused to buy what you Americans try to pass as maple syrup. Consider yourself lucky she didn't need to make a trip to Canada to get it. Believe me, she would have." She smiled and looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Thank you." She urged him to try his own waffle. "I promise I'm not just saying that to be nice."
She took her time eating, and the fact that his was slightly overdone wasn't lost on her. Good to know he had obeyed the simple rule of the kitchen. She smiled when he kissed her cheek and she set her tray aside before answering. She moved one leg on the other side of his, straddling his lap. She kissed him slowly, humming at the mix between coffee and maple syrup. "I'm glad to be back," she said, kissing him again. She had gone to Hell before without getting crushed, so why couldn't she get her spirits back up in record time? Even if she was mostly pretending, she knew she could have had it worst downstairs then what had happened. She was just grateful she hadn't ran into Alastair. "So..." she started, dragging the vowel, "what should we do now?" Ruby asked as she gently started to rub his shoulders.
“Why on Earth would you want a wall in front of the glass door? I happen to like going onto the balcony.” He chuckled. He gave a soft sigh as he felt her wrap her arms tighter around him. “What’s the look for?” He couldn’t quite see it completely, but he felt her move on his chest. “I just wanted to sleep longer, but I’m awake now, so I’m going to make you breakfast, providing I can enlist Nana’s help.” He really wasn’t good at the whole cooking thing, so he really had to hope that there were either recipes around somewhere or Nana could lend him a hand or both. Both was probably best. Otherwise they’d end up with toast and jam.
“Alright. I will.” He said, taking her statement about surprising her as a challenge. When she rolled over onto her back he leaned over he and gave her a quick kiss before climbing out of bed an grabbing a pair of flannel pajama pants that were tucked away somewhere at the back of one of his drawers. He pulled them on and made his way downstairs.
After several minutes of discussion, it was decided they would make her waffles, but first someone would have to run out and get the maple syrup. Nana got out the waffle iron from the place she’d hidden it in the kitchen and handed him the recipe for waffle batter. She told him to start, and she would be back before he got to cooking them to help and make sure everything was fine. Sam didn’t like the idea of having to do most of this alone, but he nodded and started carefully following the instructions. As he added the last of the ingredients, Nana walked in with a small grocery bag. She tasted the batter and gave her approval before instructing him further. The first was slightly over cooked, not burnt but darker than it should be. It would be his. The following on was nearly perfect.
Sam laid Ruby’s breakfast out on a tray and carried it up the stairs to the bedroom. He smiled as he entered the room. “Morning, Gem,” he said setting the tray on her night stand, next to the white orchid. “I have one other thing to grab and I’ll join you for breakfast.” He said quickly making his way back downstairs to grab his tray, which Nana had set out while he’d taken hers up. He joined her on the bed. It had been since their time on the TARDIS. That was the last time they’d eaten breakfast in bed together.
She grinned when he said he would surprise her and pouted when she only got a quick kiss. She had somewhat slept well through the night and it had done wonders for her mood. While she did have some nightmares, waking up next to Sam had soothed her. She watched him as he climbed out of bed, appreciating the view.
Ruby stayed still for a few minutes, just looking at the ceiling. When it became clear that she wasn't going to sleep again, she pushed the covers away and walked to the bathroom, finding it in herself to look at her reflexion. Her reaction was instantaneous: she grimaced and groaned. It wasn't her usual blonde locks and clear eyes she could see in the mirror. She saw her much longer auburn hair and black eyes, with her horns, well the full one and the broken one, poking out of her hair. She took a few steps back and groaned again when her scars appeared in the mirror. Her hand ghosted over her 'name tag' and she shook her head. Great. Exactly what she needed. She splashed some water on her face and moved back to the bedroom, grabbing one of Sam's shirt on her way back to the bed.
Ruby climbed into bed and pulled the covers back around her waist. She leaned against the wall just as Apollo ran in the room, jumping on the bed. "Hey you," she said to the dog, petting him. He tried to lick her hand and she couldn't help but tease him, lifting it just out of his reach every time he was getting close.
She smiled brightly when Sam walked into the room with her tray and she put Apollo down, giving him a small push away. "Morning, Charming," she replied. It was only as she watched him put her tray down that she noticed the orchid on her nightstand. While he went downstairs to get his tray, she picked the flower up and tucked it in her hair, just above her ear. She then reached to take her tray and put it on the mattress, close to her knees, waiting for him to come back. "It smells heavenly good," she commented when he settled down next to her and she pulled him into a kiss. "Thank you," she said before digging in. Ruby hummed happily at her first bite and she forced herself to chew carefully. "They're just as good as they smell. Very well done, Charming," she said, winking at him.
Sam made a low groan as she moved burying her face in his chest. He’d been content to remain sleeping as long as he could, but the extra movement caused him to move his arm. He lifted his head looking down at her with a raised eyebrow. “How exactly would you like me to do that?” He asked as she pulled the covers higher so they nearly came to his chin. He wasn’t a fan of sleeping with the covers pulled up so high, so he shifted to get above them.
He made a soft disappointed sound. He was awake now, and he heard Apollo and Nana moving around downstairs. It sounded as if the maid had taken him out for his morning walk already, and they’d just gotten back. He shifted again peeking under the covers at her. “How about you sleep for a little while longer and I’ll be back in a little while with a surprise? Okay not really a surprise. I’ll be back with breakfast. What would you like?”
She tried to shrug, "Build a huge wall in front of the glass door?" Ruby suggested. "Could be a nice weekend project." She held onto him a bit more tightly for a few seconds, shifting a little to get a bit more comfortable. She raised an eyebrow at the disappointed sound he made but didn't bother with asking a question. He'd give her details if he wanted to.
She moved when he suggested she get more sleep. She leaned on her forearms, looking at him, her hair messy. "You want to make me breakfast?" Ruby asked, grinning brightly. "I don't know. Surprise me. Something homemade would be good," she flopped on her back, crossing her arms under her head. "Remember the rule! You burn it, you eat it!" Ruby said in a sing-song voice.
Sam smiled and nodded as she lay down. Already missing her being so close to him. He sighed an lay back down. He hoped that now that she was here he’d be able to sleep without waking from dreams of her disappearing from his arms, then again maybe it would be worse. He gave a soft, more content sigh as she curled up against his side.
It was a while before he managed to fall back asleep, almost frightened that when he woke in the morning she would be gone again. His sleep was nearly dreamless, dotted with quick flashes of memory. Every night since Cas pushed the voice out of his head he’d dreamed of it. It was like a reminder that he couldn’t forget it. No matter how hard he tried, it would always be part of him.
When the sun began to stream through the windows the next morning, Sam threw an arm over his face. He wasn’t ready to move yet. He wanted to lay here for as long as he could.
She smiled when he laid down, quickly snuggling against his side, just like she had always done. She fell asleep quickly, her bed being a thousand time more comfortable than anywhere she had been sleeping for the past three years. And with Sam's arm around her, it was even better.
The sun streaming through the next morning made her grimace and she burried her face in Sam's chest the best she could. "Please, make it go away," she whined, pulling the covers over her head.
Sam almost didn’t notice she’d pulled away from him. He blinked and looked at her as she asked what was wrong. He closed his eyes and shook his head. “It doesn’t matter.” He frowned when she asked if she’d done something wrong and shook his head again. “No, no.” He said his tone getting much softer. Now he felt guilty. He didn’t want her to think he was angry with her. She was the last person he could be angry with right now. “Not you. I’m sorry,” he said kissing her forehead.
He took a deep breath, nodding when she asked about missing their anniversary. “By three days.” He said quietly. He gave her a small smile. “Well, we could pretend it’s tomorrow, unless it had to be on the eighth? It’s not too late to celebrate it.” He was still trying to pull himself away from the anger he felt toward Azazel, but now was not the time. He’d have time to come up with something against him later. Right now, Ruby needed him to focus on her. That meant he needed to snap out of this. He brushed his hand over her hair, smoothing it out of her face.
She nodded slowly, "Okay." A shiver ran down her spine as he kissed her forehead and she sighed happily. "Oh..." Was her only reaction when he said she had missed it by three days. He might be feeling bad for everything that had happened, but the truth was that she didn't feel any better. She looked up to him and let out a small chuckle. "No, no. I suppose we could celebrate it tomorrow. I'd just have a few things to look at first. She smiled when he ran his hand over her hair.
She stifled a yawn before she rested her head on his shoulder. "I could use a real night of sleep," she said. "Lay down with me?" Ruby asked. Without waiting for an answer she moved to get off his lap and laid down on her back, looking at him.
He could tell she was trying to force a smile on her face. He gave her a weak smile and rested his hand on her cheek. His smile grew a little when he saw a more genuine smile on her face. “You’ll always be safe here. I love you. Nothing can change that.” He said hearing that little bit of doubt in her voice as she repeated what he’d told her. He let his thumb stroke her cheek gently for a moment. It hurt to hear that doubt. He didn’t care there was every reason he should hate her. He’d forgiven her for her mistake a long time ago. It would take quite a lot of convincing for him to feel any of that was entirely her fault. After all, if he had a destiny that he was supposed to fulfill and couldn’t change, why couldn’t it be the same for a demon? Or the woman who had become a demon for a friend?
He kissed her back. He let his fingers tangle into her hair. When she pulled away and started talking about giving up, he froze. “He what?!” There was an edge of anger in his voice that he tried to hide. Azazel had only told him he’d left her, not that he’d thrown her farther into Hell. His muscles tensed slightly in anger. He put his arms around her relaxing into her as she nuzzled his neck, trying to suppress the anger he felt at this news. His breathing relaxed as she kissed his neck. “I love you, too.” He nodded, still somewhat listening to her. In his head, he was angry. There were half a dozen ideas that he knew wouldn’t work to make Azazel pay in his head now. That’s how he’d known when Ruby should have been back. Because he knew where he’d left her in pits. Then he’d been bold enough to offer help. Sam knew the anger was probably what Azazel wanted, but he couldn’t shake it. He should be happy now. Ruby was back in his arms, but he couldn’t shake the betrayed anger he felt.
"Yes, I'm safe here with you," she agreed, nodding. She didn't mean to hurt him or anything, she hoped he knew that. She hoped he knew she didn't like that seed of doubt Hell had planted in her mind. But most of all, she wished they were going to work this out. They were better at working as a team than on their own
She tensed at the tone of he used, but tried to calm him down, and herself at the same time, by keeping on kissing his neck. She pulled away after a moment when she figured it wasn't helping and frowned. "What's wrong?" Ruby asked in a small voice. It had been entirely her fault if he had thrown her more deeply into Hell. A lesson she had somewhat learned when Lilith had showed up. "Did I do something wrong?" Ruby asked. Something he said earlier clicked in her mind and her expression fell. "I... I missed our anniversary?" She looked down, biting her lip. "I was looking forward to it," she whispered. "I had something planned and it was going to be perfect," she complained.
Sam nodded slowly. He couldn’t come up with anything more to say. He didn’t really need to be told. It was in the way he woke up most mornings with her wrapped around his side. She’d wasted absolutely no time in showing up in Sioux Falls when Bobby had called. The way she’d stayed when he asked her. Her reaction to Jess. And that was all in the past month. Take the six months they’d been together and multiply that by all the crap they’d been through. He ran a hand through her hair as he felt her sob against him. He sighed softly as she rested her forehead against his.
“I know. I know it was a long time. I know it wasn’t easy, but every day I thought about you. Every day I worried about you. Every day I prayed you wouldn’t run into Lilith or Alastair or Azazel. I brought home flowers on our anniversary, hoping you’d be back before they wilted. I only wanted you back. Maybe it was only a week for me, but I still missed hearing you say you loved me back.” He frowned and tucked a loose strand behind her ear. “You’re here now. You’re safe.”
She tried to force a smile. She knew she shouldn't add this burden to everything he was going through, but she wasn't going to be able to get through this if she was on her own. "I thought about you every day too," she said. "You're the only reason I made it out." Ruby smiled a little as he tucked the loose strand of hair away and she nodded. "Yes, I'm here and I'm safe," she repeated, trying to convince herself.
She moved to kiss him, letting out a small moan at the feeling of his lips against hers. God had she missed it. "I almost gave up. When Azazel threw me deeper into the pits, I wanted to give up. I was so far down..." She shook her head, trying to push away the screams she had heard. "But then I told myself I couldn't. I thought that I couldn't leave you alone and that I myself couldn't stay there forever. Not without you." She moved to nuzzle his neck, breathing in his scent at the same time. Another thing she had missed greatly. "I love you," she whispered against his skin, placing soft kisses here and there. "You're my greatest strength you know that?"
Sam felt her reaction to the news that Azazel had told him, but said nothing more on the subject. Now wasn’t the time to bring him into this. He just wanted to sit here with his arms around her until the sun came up. He didn’t even know how long that would be. He didn’t know if he wanted to admit what he’d done. He’d only been trying to get her back. He’d needed her out of there and back here. He nodded slowly when she whispered to him. He swallow and let her shift in his lap, not minding because it meant that the two of them were closer, and she was still real.
He fell still and absolutely silent as she talked about Hell. He was shocked more than anything, but he felt a sharp pain at hearing her say that she was afraid that he would kill her in the end. It was enough to make him almost physically ill at the thought. He finally moved placing a kiss on the top of her head. He stroked her hair for a moment. “Never. I couldn’t do something like that.” He swallowed and continued as she clung to his t-shirt. “I’d have nothing if I did. A brother I betrayed so many times. An ex-girlfriend who told me she didn’t want to see me anymore. I’d be alone, and I can’t… I’m dangerous alone.” He shook his head slightly. “I need you and that’s not going to change.” There was a moment of silence. “I can’t live with you thinking I’d hurt you,” he whispered.
She closed her eyes as he talked, pressing herself against him a bit more. "I need you too," she said softly, "More than I'm willing to admit." She never had needed anyone as much as she needed him. She had been minding her own business for centuries, doing what she had to to get by, but nothing more. Even Charles hadn't meant as much to her. Charles... Another sob wrecked her body and she waited for it to pass before pulling away from Sam just enough so she could rest her forehead against his.
"I don't... I know you won't. Three years is a long time to be taunted and laughed at. I didn't let it get to me at first but after a year... It got into my head even though I didn't want it to," she tried to explain. "I've spent three years away from you. Three years without hearing you tell me that you loved me. Without you calling me Gem. Without you holding me to you at night. Three years without you making love to me. Three years without you making me feel safe, protected, loved and at home. And I crave all that. I crave your touch, your lips on mine, the way you make me feel, everything. I spent three years feeling lost and alone and I was terrified I wouldn't make it out. When Lilith showed up... I thought I was done. I thought I would never see you again," she admitted, the last part barely audible.
Her brows furrowed in confusion as he looked down. She had hoped he would pull her to him, kiss her worries away and hold her through the night. She had hoped that they could have put off working out everything that was wrong to the morning. She needed him to prove her that Lilith and everyone else had been wrong. She needed to hear him say that he loved her.
When he finally pulled her to him, all the time she had spent worrying she’d never see him again washed over her and tears quickly welled up in her eyes. She moved her arms around him, putting one of her hands going to his hair and the other on his back. As he started to apologize, tears rolled down her cheeks and she gently rocked the both of them back and forth. She sniffed, “Don’t apologize,” she said softly, clinging to him. “I would have been back earlier if I had shut up when Azazel showed up,” she added quietly, trying not to choke on her sobs.
Sam’s breath came in ragged, uneven drags; his face screwed up trying to force back tears. He let her rock the two of them for a moment as he tried to calm himself back down. The soft sniff only made it worse. He didn’t say anything for a long moment. He didn’t want to talk about his visitors right now. He couldn’t bring himself to pull away from her. “I know. Azazel told me,” he said quietly as he held her tighter.
He pulled away and looked at her. Tears still threatening to fall as he met her eyes. He took her face and both of his hands, gently wiping away the tears on her cheeks with his thumbs. He kissed her, her face still in his hands. When he pulled away from her. “I love you.” He swallowed, and pulled her back to him. “I was afraid I’d lost you.” And made a horrible mistake… He knew the chances of Azazel not continuing to hold this over his head were slim, but he could only hope that since she hadn’t said anything, she didn’t know about the help Azazel had offered.
Ruby squeezed her eyes shut, clinging onto him even more. What had Azazel told him? That she was a complete fool who didn't know her place? That she had only herself to blame for being away from him? She blinked as he pulled away from her and studied her. She didn't want to leave his embrace just yet. She didn't lose time before kissing him back, more tears rolling down her cheeks. "I love you too," she said between her sobs. She shifted when he pulled her back to him and moved to sit on his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Never," she whispered. "I'm here forever."
She buried her face in the crook of his neck, trying to stop crying, to no avail. "If you had heard what everyone kept telling me..." she said quietly after a while. "They kept saying you didn't love me. That you were only plotting your revenge. They tried to convince me that you were glad I was gone, that I was just a slut and nothing more. They called me weak for loving you, a disgrace to being a demon." Her hands balled into tight fists around his shirt and she let out a choked sob. "I've had hundreds of dreams where you ended up killing me," she admitted. "I don't... I don't want to believe them. I want to believe everything you told me... But I'm terrified they're going to be right in the end." She held tightly onto him, hoping he would understand she wasn't saying this to hurt him. On the contrary, she needed him to reassure her, to tell her that nothing of this sort would ever happen. She needed him to push her worries away because alone she wouldn't be able to do it.
