Kindness Is Always Warm and Dry (Nightlight one shot)
Here's a oneshot of MISFIT Ruby x FREAKS Matilda for the people in the NERDS Discord!! Hope you enjoy!
The thunder that roared in the heavily overcast skies made Matilda yelp, pulling her hood further onto her head. Rain pelted her fleece hoodie, soaking into her clothes and clinging onto her skin as she wobbles to her feet, nearly slipping on the puddles already forming underneath her. Thankfully, she doesn't feel any scrapes or bruises from that fall. She takes a look back, barely able to make out the doors of the warehouse through the dense rain, but knowing fully well that she wasn't getting in anytime soon. Not with those stupid goons that kicked her out - 'past working hours', they claimed. 'Past working hours' her ass, they just wanted to have the facility to themselves.
Matilda almost had no time to react when she saw the rapidly approaching headlights from the side, barely able to jump out of the way in the nick of time. She splashed into another puddle, nearly teetering off balance as the car speeds past her, splashing into the puddle she was previously in and spraying her from behind. The tiny girl shudders, jumping away to examine herself before shortly groaning. If Mat wasn't completely drenched in water before, she certainly was now. She stares down at the street through the heavy precipitation - there’s no way she’s going to make it to Heathcliff’s house through this downpour. With a clammy hand, she reaches into her hoodie pocket, carefully taking out a small, round object the size of a yo-yo, several glowing green numbers flashing rather brightly on the front despite the water droplets already splattering on the screen, and smack on the top was a blue button. Matilda knew this object well - it was one of MISFIT’s teleportation devices to other universes, the numbers being coordinates to send her to Dimension 1. Specifically, Ruby 1’s room. Matilda stared at the device for a few seconds, hesitating, before finally pressing the blue button.
Her room is exactly like she remembers - cream colored walls lined with bookshelves, a few bean bag chairs littered around a table with a tv, a fluffy grey carpet smack in the center of both, a smooth marble desk in the corner stacked with an ungodly amount of paperwork that not even her own Ruby would be able to handle, and a queen sized bed with a tiny dresser right beside it. Ruby 1 had been reading a book in one of the beanbag chairs when Matilda popped in, and when she did notice her, her eyebrows shot upward, eyes widening behind her square framed glasses as she takes in Matilda’s appearance. Mat can only imagine how she must look in the other girl’s eyes - she must be a pathetic sight, already shivering from the sudden blast of the AC. Her shoes squish on the polished wood of the floor, and she suddenly feels bad that her sopping state is beginning to ruin the floor.
The petite girl only had a chance to blink before Ruby began scrambling off the beanbag chair, darting to her closet and frantically taking out a large towel, already beginning to bundle the girl with a perfectly worried expression. “Matilda, what happened to you?! You look absolutely soaked!!!” She fussed, her voice dripping in concern as she begins to dry her off despite her state. "I-I got kicked out in the rain," Matilda stuttered, startled with the other girl's sudden behavior. How could she be so caring to her so quickly? As far as she knew, she was only an 'alternate' to her. Before she knew it, clothes are being shoved into her hands and she’s ushered to the bathroom to change. Mat is quick to undress - she was practically freezing in her own clothes - and starts to properly dry herself off. She leaves the towel ruffled in her hair before picking up the clothes Ruby provided her - a grey and yellow sweater with a tiny front pocket, brown shorts, and a pair of ankle-high white socks - and tugs them on. It was no doubt that they were ridiculously huge on her, the sweater kept shrugging past her shoulders every chance it gets, the socks sinking ever so slightly down her ankles, and the shorts didn’t even try to fit, immediately flopping to the floor the moment she tried to put them on. She frowns at this, pulling the shorts back up and trying to tie the sides. No luck, they immediately fell back down with every attempt. She sighs, kicking the shorts to the side of the bathroom. At least two out of the three articles of clothing could somewhat fit her. Mat tries to adjust the sweater one last time, holding it up one shoulder as it sagged off the other, and with a huff she exits the bathroom.
“Ummm...the shorts couldn’t fit…” Matilda mumbles, shifting awkwardly the moment Ruby laid eyes on her. She wishes the stupid sweater could stop sagging for one damn minute - she swore Ruby must’ve been holding back a laugh, since she did have a hand over her face when she saw her come out. Matilda kept her eyes glued to the floor, feeling uncomfortable the longer the other girl stared. Finally, the blonde clears her throat, straightening slightly. “M-My bad. I forgot my clothes were much bigger than you. Sorry about that.” She responds with an apologetic look. “I think I have an old skirt that may be your size though!” She offers. Mat wrinkles her nose, immediately shaking her head. “No thanks - not exactly a fan of skirts.”
Ruby frowns at this. “Are you sure? Your legs must be cold right now - I can’t imagine how frigid they’ll get if you leave them like that.”
Well. Now that she mentions it, they were getting pretty chilly. Mat had to literally rub her knees together to keep them from numbing. Her lips pursed into a thin line, and she reluctantly nods. “I guess I could try.” She says sheepishly, pulling the sweater up her shoulder once more.
The taller female smiles, nodding slightly before heading to her closet. She rummages through her clothes for a while, then finally pulls out a short white skirt that Matilda honestly doubts would actually warm her in the slightest - but, beggars can’t be choosers. Ruby hands her the skirt, and she goes back to the bathroom to put it on. It surprisingly fit - almost a little too well, staying securely on her small waist without being too tight. She stuffs the burlap of a sweater into the skirt, attempting at a tuck-in but failing miserably. Was the sweater supposed to sag underneath the skirt? She guessed not. She tugs the sweater out a little, keeping a bit of the edges still tucking inside while the rest flopped out. She looked absolutely ridiculous from the reflection of the bathroom mirror, reminding herself of a spoiled toddler - if it weren’t for her wet, unkempt hair that still had a few droplets of water dripping from the tips. She dries her unruly hair with the towel one final time before setting it beside the sink, exiting the bathroom.
She couldn’t help but feel even more uncomfortable with the skirt once Ruby’s attention was back on her, and the staring definitely felt longer then before, except her eyes were glued on the stupid white article of clothing. Her hand flew to her face again, and Matilda felt herself flush in embarrassment, fiddling with the hem of the baggy sleeves. “W-well...i-it fits..” she said meekly, somehow feeling more exposed then before, shivering slightly at the faint air that passed into the skirt. Sadly, it wasn’t the type with any sort of inside shorts.
“A-Are you laughing at me?” Matilda asks suddenly, what with all the staring and mouth covering. "NO!" Ruby responded almost immediately, making Matilda jump slightly as she waved her arms in a frantic manner. "No no no. You look great! You look pretty gir-pretty great!" She floundered, and the moment she exposed her face Mat noticed the deep blush beginning to form on the other girl. This causes her to blush brighter, squirming slightly at the compliment. For a moment, she almost thought she was about to say ‘pretty girl’. “A-Am I wearing it right?” She asks anxiously, peering down at the skirt a little. “Th-There weren’t any tags…”
“Yes! Yes, of course!” Ruby spluttered out, nodding instantly. “I-It looks amazing, and you’re wearing it absolutely perfect!”
This stirs yet another flush from the smaller girl, and she stiffly nods, hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment. Ruby blinks, making a small chuckle at this before walking over and wrapping Matilda in what she assumes to be another towel until she feels a strange warmth that seemed to be emitting from inside it. “Heater blanket,” Ruby explains, bundling the girl tightly and guiding her to one of the beanbags. “I’m going to get us dinner, okay? Then I’ll put on a nice movie before we retire for the night. Get comfy.” She informs with a smile, and the tiny girl made another nod, wringing the heater blanket closer around herself as she pulls her legs to her chest.
Ruby wasn’t gone for too long, but it was enough time for Mat to lift the collar of the sweater to her nose, sniffing it curiously. It smelled like warm pastries and lavender, a combination that reminded Mat of a luxury spa that was definitely way over something Molly could afford - but somehow always managed to. The lavender scent made her relax ever so slightly, and the pastry smell made her stomach churn. Both scents mixed together helped her unwind on the bean bag chair, leaning further back and closing her eyes for a few minutes. She doesn’t open them until she hears the door open, and sees Ruby carrying two trays of food. She joins Ruby on the carpet as she places the trays in front of them, then walking over to the tv table to get out the movies. They ended up choosing some sort of action movie, one with so many cringey moments that Mat could barely pay attention to it without rolling her eyes every so often as she ate. The food wasn’t bad - it was just some mashed potatoes, peas, and a few chicken slabs, but really, any food was heaven to the tiny girl, and she thanks Ruby during the first half of the movie.
When she finished, Mat didn’t notice she had unconsciously started leaning on the other girl. It wasn’t until Ruby turned to look over at her did she realize what she’d been doing. “Tired?” The blonde asked with an amused brow. Matilda huffs, shaking her head. “I’m just cold, that’s all.” She responds, which wasn’t exactly half lying - her legs were still chilly from the lack of clothing she wore. Ruby tilts her head at this, but smiles. She reaches over, and before she could say anything she pulls the smaller girl in between her legs, proceeding to envelop her entire body around her. Matilda froze, turning to stare at the taller female incredulously, who only gave a friendly smile in return, cuddling her even more. A pink blush dusts her face, and the Korean places her hands on top of her arms, turning back to the movie. She...she couldn’t explain it, but for some reason she felt at ease in Ruby’s arms, all her troubles somehow fading from her mind as she focuses only on the movie, and how comfortable Ruby’s chest feels, and how it was so easy to relax in her warm embrace. It got more and more difficult for her to stay awake with how much she was completely basking in the other girl’s cozy hug, blinking off quite often during the movie. The credits scene is the last thing Matilda sees before she dozes off, and the faint smell of pastries and lavender suddenly much stronger - especially when she curled further into Ruby’s arms, now knowing where the scent had been coming from - Ruby’s jacket, the scent wafting into her nose as her head nuzzles into the soft material, being the final nudge before she drifts into slumber.
Matilda wakes up in Ruby’s bed the next day, still incredibly soft and the familiar pastry-lavender scent stronger than ever that Mat almost fell back asleep. She notices Ruby still snoozing soundly in her sleeping bag, and the smallest of smiles crosses her face. She got up as quietly as possible, reaching for the teleportation device left on the nightstand, about to press the button to return home before remembering something. Opening the drawer, she pulls out a pad of sticky notes and a pen, writing down a short message and sticking it on the lamp. She gives Ruby one final look before pressing the button, teleporting back to her universe.
An hour later, Ruby wakes up to an empty bed and a sticky note on her lamp.
‘Thanks for letting me stay over.
P.S. I took one of your pillows.
