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Realistic or Modern Those That Remain

Her olive eyes watched him like a hawk, every movement, slow and steady was followed by the barrel of her gun, the constant reminder that she was behind him and that she could take away his life in an instant. The constant reminder that she was in control here, not him. It may have surprised Ruby a little that he submitted so easily to her threat, but then she supposed that she had given him no other choice, as was exactly her plan. He deserved this, she told herself, simply because it was easier to believe that, to convince herself that she was doing the right thing. She could sacrifice Grim for the sake of her people... couldn't she?

When he slowly turned around to face her, amber blazing as much as green, Ruby held her gun a little tighter, never once looking away from him, his words sending prickles of lighting dancing across her skin, all the way down to her stomach. The sensation should have been unpleasant, she knew that but it wasn't and as she realised this she tried to shake off the shiver, her nostrils flaring with irritation that he got to make her feel something, when he had no goddamn right. "Stop talking," she snapped, a product of her annoyance. "You're dreaming if you think you'll get an apology from me, grandad. You don't scare me." The shaking of her hands seemed to counteract this statement, but the redhead held her ground as Grim began to push into her weapon, as she was forced to tilt her head back to look up at him. It was almost poetic how they had begun and were ending in the exact same position, though where it would take them this time was much less certain than the first. Trust had been broken on both sides and that wasn't easy to come back from. If possible at all.

"No," she answered him honestly. "But you do. Wait there until I get in. Keeps your hands up." Slowly, ever so slowly, Ruby began to back away from him, even as he began to talk. Her gun remained angled in his direction and the tension between them was palpable, the possibility of one wrong move going incredibly wrong simmering in the cooling air. Grim's words didn't help either, the anger in them, the bitterness that only sought to wind Ruby up even more. He shouldn't be angry at her. She was angry with him! It wasn't a question about what she would have done in his position, at the end of the day he'd kept the truck to himself and now here they were. Although... she couldn't help but wonder if she would have shared it with him. Despite everything she could understand why he hadn't told her but that only annoyed her more. She didn't want to understand, didn't want to show or feel compassion. This would be easier without it. "I don't care what you believe," she spat back, clambering into the passenger side of the car and then nudging her head backwards. "Get in."

By the time that he had finished questioning her, Ruby's face was flushed with her own anger and despite her need for him to be quiet, she couldn't help but fall into the trap of getting caught on the hook that he seemed to know just how to catch her with. "What, like it didn't work for you back there?" It was easier to let him believe that her kindness was an act, if that's what he wanted. Was probably easier for her to believe it too. "Or did you mutilate those two infected for fun, huh?" Slamming the door shut, she looked straight ahead briefly, mostly to try and hide the hurt on her face that she would deny the existence of until her dying breath.

"Now shut up and drive. We're going north."
 
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He'd hurt her, that much was clear from the way her chin jutted in her stubbornness to control the situation. Her hands shook on her gun and Grim's shoulders tensed, spotting the opportunity to grab the weapon from her hands and turn it on her. It would be so quick, with a quick shove to the side and a pulling motion he'd have the weapon out of her hands. In the next he'd turn it on her. He wondered how much more that might hurt her and found he couldn't bare the thought of it. Even with his prize in the truck, his ticket to freedom so close for the taking he couldn't move.

Ruby ordered him to stay still, indicating she expected him to drive her, his nostrils flared and a noise built in the back of his throat, but he forced himself quiet. Things were already so tense and now the thought of spending more time with this impossible, irritating, irresistible woman seemed like a recipe for his death. She backed away from him slowly, biting words at him and he couldn't help the sardonic smile and retort.

"I think you care very much Red." He listened as she ordered him to get in the car and he made sure he got in slowly and carefully. The door closed behind him, leaving them both trapped in their anger in close quarters. She snapped at him again, forcing his words back on him as she mentioned the two zombies he'd dispatched. His lip curled, and he bared his teeth at her, and gave her the only answer he could. "I'm going to enjoy my revenge princess." There was a palpable silence as his eyes dropped first to her mouth and then her neck and finally the gun that was sill pointed at him. Frustration growled out of him as he reached for the key, turning it in the ignition.

Grim's eyes darkened as Ruby ordered him to drive and with the truck purring to life under his hands he put his foot on the clutch and began to pull the truck away and in the direction she ordered. The sun had fully disappeared behind the horizon now, and the trucks lights soon became their only source of light other than the moon. The highways tended to host the odd infected here and there, but Grim had measures in place for such encounters should they happen. They drove for a long hour in tense silence when suddenly Grim's stomach audibly growled. He did his best to ignore it, focusing on the road and shifting into 5th as hit a clear stretch of road, when it growled once more he shot his captor a look.

"In the glove box there. I've got a pack of food- hand it over." His hand left the shifter and he held it open expectantly. When she didn't immediately move his eyes shifted to her for a brief second. "I'll fucking share it if you want, but I need something to keep me going if I'm going to drive the night." He glanced back at her once more, the flash of his teeth illuminating in the moonlight. "Your call sweetheart."
 
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Perhaps she had no right to take the moral high ground, especially not when there wasn't really a moral high ground to take anymore. But for all that she blamed Grim for not telling her about his truck, she was still forcing him to drive her at gunpoint - hurt or not, Ruby's conscience certainly wasn't clear but she was currently too seething to realise this. Her temper often got the better of her, she knew that much, had been told so by her people... and by her mother. Even from a young age she had this quiet fire, always simmering beneath her surface, ready to spark and it seemed that Grim was very good at holding a match to it.

She didn't reply to him again, not wanting to give him the satisfaction, or at least to feign some kind of disinterest that he didn't believe she had. She did make the mistake however, of looking at him when he spoke, of noticing how his gaze fell to her lips... and then her neck. Ruby swallowed, the heat in her cheeks flaring deeper as a soft scoff followed in an attempt to pull back the thudding of her heart. Grim's expression of enjoyment if he got the chance to enact his revenge sounded dangerous, thrillingly so, but despite the way his words prickled along her skin... Ruby didn't plan on giving him that chance.

The air fell thick with their silence as they travelled, the growls and sighs of frustration still rippling through the air like electricity. A tension there that perhaps wasn't just born out of anger. Red kept her gun pointed upon the driver, her eyes mostly trained upon him, but every now and then flickering to the road ahead of them, making sure they were headed in what she thought was the right direction. Ruby rarely used the main roads to travel by foot; everyone knew that they were dangerous. Not so much because of infected but because of the other humans using them. It was going to be a task for her to work out where they needed to go from this angle, and she made a silent mental note not to get her and her hostage lost with no choice but to cope with each others' company for any longer than necessary. That really would take the biscuit.

An hour ticked by, followed by another half and Ruby didn't fail to notice the growling of Grim's stomach though she chose to ignore it, continuing to do so even when he held out his hand to her. When he spoke however, she glanced to those thick fingers and then up at his profile, clenching her jaw at the flash of teeth, the nickname. "I swear to God, if you call me anything but my name one more time..." With hurried fingers she flipped down the glove compartment and yanked out the packet that rested on top of other things, slamming it closed again afterwards. "I'll eat this whole damn lot. Then we'll see who's smiling." With more force than was necessary, Ruby slapped it into his open palm, refusing to give in to sharing or taking any for herself, despite the fact that her own hunger was already gnawing at the edges of her mind. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, but she'd be damned if she was about to give in to anything that Grim was suggesting. Even if it meant spiting herself.

Letting out a sigh, Ruby shifted a little, hands still tight around her weapon. "Take a left here."
 
The world passed by them, tall trees and over grown signage seemed to flit by, only to be replaced with more of the same. In the twenty plus years since the end of it all, the earth had done a good job of reclaiming what belonged to it. It wouldn't be long now before highways and buildings crumbled under the lack of care. Grim didn't notice any of that however, his focus solely on the woman next to him and her delicious barbs as she threatened to let him go hungry should he call her another name. She could threaten him all she liked, there was no way he was dropping any of the names that came to mind, he held his tongue on telling her that however; knowing full well he'd be able to pester her better once his belly was satiated. She slapped the packet of food into his hand rejecting his offer to share with a huff.

He was in the act of trying to open the packet when Ruby directed him to make a turn, he followed without too much grumbling; ok maybe he grumbled more than a little. Submitting to this woman and her gun was not in his nature, Grim was the sort of man who loved to be in control at all times and Ruby certainly knew how to push his buttons and take that away from him. He navigated through a few abandoned cars that looked torn apart from looters before once more settling them into a nice pace down the road. His knee lifted, holding the steering wheel in place as he quickly opened the package.

While a bit dusty, the old military rations were filling and full of all the right nutrients. When he couldn't hunt for his own meals he preferred these packets despite their chalky texture. His fingers dug out of lump of something that might have been a granola bar or perhaps some dried noodles and bit into it without delay. In a matter of seconds the square of food was munched and swallowed hungrily. He was about halfway through the bag when his heart got the better of him. His stomach was now satisfied and even though he told himself not to look at the woman next to him and focus on the road he caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye.

She was fuming, her anger flowing off of her in waves of red, he could see how tightly she griped the weapon in her hands. He looked ahead once more, his eyes not really seeing anything as he drove down the road. Driving was second nature to him, and sadly not engaging enough to take his mind off the pretty little thing next to him. On the third time he found his eyes slipping in her direction he let out a defeated sigh. The packet in his hands crinkled as he moved his arm and deposited it in her lap, with half of the rations remaining for her.

"Eat." He ordered her. "You look dead on your feet Ruby. Don't let your anger stop you from taking care of yourself." His gaze slid over to her quickly once more. He really had to stop doing that. "It's like you've never taken anyone captive before. The number one rule is to keep up your own strength, otherwise your hostage might get the drop on you." Jesus, what on earth possessed him to lecture her? Dark humour flashed in the crooked lift of his lips as he grinned in the night. "I promise Ruby, you're gonna need your strength with me as your captive. I'm quite the handful."

As he spoke he spotted another small gathering of cars, along with a school bus that looked fairly untouched. His mind jumped to the single jerry can that was full of gas while the other two stood empty in the back of his truck. Slowly he eased on the brake.

"There might be some gas in those cars. I've got two jerry cans that need filling." He didn't stop the truck fully yet, its wheels coasting slowly as they drew nearer. He waited, wanting to see if she gave her permission before he went and did the thing anyway.
 
His grumbling, Ruby continued to ignore as she watched the world passing by in the night outside of the car window, a sudden realisation that this was only her second time in a car hitting her at once and all of a sudden. For a moment, she was thrown back into watching her mother hum along to an old tape behind the wheel of a battered vehicle that she knew her parent had happened upon by chance, now she thought about it. It was one of her earliest memories, and perhaps one of her happiest, and it was so stark in that moment that it took her a moment to re-ground herself, to zone back in on their current situation and to internally scold herself for drifting. One more moment like that could end all of this. Could allow him to end all of this.

The tearing of the food packet was what properly brought her back and Ruby glanced over at the rations, subtly trying not to stare at the contents Grim was now piling easily into his mouth while his knee steered the wheel. They seemed to just miss each other in their many sideways looks until they met each others' eyes at the same time and looked away again just as quickly, as though it had never happened. Ruby readjusted her shotgun, mostly for something to do. What she hadn't expected though, was the packet to land in her lap a moment later.

Jolting her head back up to look at Grim, Ruby felt her brows furrow, a wave of emotion spiking through her that erupted in the words that once out, she wished she could take back. "Wow, you really know how to charm a girl, don't you?" Then she added, more softly, "Don't make out like you care all of a sudden. It doesn't suit you." Though, as Grim went on to give her tips on their hostage situation, she couldn't help the smirk that began to tug at the corners of her own mouth despite her angst, especially when she saw the glimmer of his smile too in the darkness, which unsurprisingly annoyed her even more... but confusingly made her want to laugh, too. Christ, what was this guy doing to her?

"Don't I know it," she muttered in response, though it was clear that she had admitted defeat when she finally took the food and began to scrape the contents out with her fingers, lifting it to her lips and wolfing it, quicker than Grim had, quicker than was probably polite. She was so hungry though that she didn't even think about it, or notice the abandoned cars that they were passing until she felt the car slowing beneath her. Looking up with almost chipmunk like cheeks of chalky mush, Ruby managed to swallow before she glanced at Grim again, alarm bells ringing in her mind. This could all be some kind of ploy to get them to stop, to reverse their roles, and she was reluctant to allow it... but she had to admit, a truck would be useful to her camp, an empty one though? Not so much.

Sitting up a little straighter in her seat, Ruby sighed. "Alright. Pull over." When he did so, silence snuffing out the sound of the engine, Ruby was the one to open her door first. "Wait here." Taking her gun with her, she hopped out and then pulled herself into the back of the truck, checking the gerry cans and finding that there were indeed, two empty ones, just like Grim had said. Once she was satisfied with this, she clambered down again and opened the drivers door before bringing up her gun once more. "Out," she ordered, and when there was room, she ducked her head in just to check the petrol gage, that flickered closer to empty than full. Every movement she made was calculated, an assessment. It was obvious she didn't trust her buddy, and it was obvious she didn't care that he knew that.

Only when she was satisfied that Grim was telling the truth, she eventually placed herself back down onto the floor and flicked on her flashlight. "Okay. Do what you need to. I... I'll cover you."
 
"Ruby Anne-Marie Jones." Grim made up a middle and last name for her on the spot, "how dare you think so little of the man that is driving you to where you need to go." His hands tightened on the wheel as she smirked at him. He was grateful she didn't put up more of a fight and felt himself relaxing as she dug hungrily into the packet of food. Based on how quickly she inhaled the bits of food she'd not eaten in far longer than he had. Guilt crept up his spine like clinging vines as he realized he should have saved her more. He had another granola bar tucked away in one of his pants pockets but put the idea on pause when he spotted the cars.

He asked his question and when she turned to look at him with wide eyes and full cheeks much like a squirrel he couldn't help the smile that flared to life once more. Fuck she was cute. It took everything in his power not to reach over and swipe a crumb that clung to the corner of her mouth. Instead she gave her assent for the gas stop and he pulled the truck to a stop in front of the abandoned cars.

Ruby was back in action, her eyes narrowed at him as he couldn't seem to take his eyes off the stubborn crumb that clung to that pink lip of hers. He waited as she ordered him to stay put, and he watched his side mirrors as she disappeared behind the truck. He felt the bounce of the truck as the tailgate was opened and then a few moments later she came rounding his side of the truck. She opened the door for him, and he was about to comment on her gentlemanly ways when she ordered him out. He did as she told him and stepped out, landing on the ground leaned in closer and climbed onto the step of his truck, making him freeze. What the- He didn't move, didn't blink as she peered in towards the dash. It took him a moment to understand that she was checking the fuel levels before letting him out. When she stepped away and flicked on her flashlight he caught the gleam of her olive eyes as she scanned the surrounding area.

He twisted, matching her as she turned, making sure he stood in front of her, and before he could stop himself he lifted a hand the pad of his thumb catching the crumb near her mouth. His eyelids seemed to lower, as he took his time with the act, moving slowly. It seemed a shame to waste even the tiniest crumb and so with it still resting on his thumb he brought it up to his mouth. His mouth curved, knowing full well what he was doing.

"Mm, I'll get on it." He side stepped her, rounding the truck and pulling out the cans along with a long tube. Ruby watched him and the surrounding area as he got down to the business of looting. Only two of the cars had any usable gas in them and he set up his siphon with ease, only getting a small bit of petrol that came splashing up the tube and into his mouth before he redirected the nozzle. He held it in place for both, and was pleased when they managed to fill quite a bit of one, however sadly not the second. They poked through the cars finding only a few usable items. Grim folded a rather ratting looking blanket into a neat square as well as a pair of sunglasses that looked to be in semi usable condition, he tucked them into his shirt liking the large aviator style of the lenses.

He was peering through the backseat of the last car when he noticed something fluffy sticking out from under the seat. With a curious frown he pulled at the fluff revealing a dusty and slightly dirty stuffed animal. He had to bite back the bark of laughter that threatened to erupt from his chest. He picked up the squirrel stuffed animal toy by the tail and before Ruby could see he tucked it under the blanket for safe keeping.

"Well that seems about it for me." Grim said straightening, keeping his bundle closed tight. "Are you ready?"
 
Grim's use of her made up name only caused Ruby's smirk to widen, to the point that she felt the need to turn away from him to hide it because damn, the last thing she wanted right now was for him to know that he'd made her laugh. She was supposed to be holding him at gunpoint for fuck's sake! Needless to say, this was in part the reason for her obliviousness to the crumb that had attached itself to her bottom lip for the duration of him stopping the truck and her getting out to legitimise his story. So when she turned and he did at the same time, she didn't have time to flinch away from his hand as she might have usually done, to anyone initiating close contact. Before she knew what was happening he'd caught her, and his thumb was pressing to her bottom lip. Ruby froze, unable to think coherently or even breathe in that moment as she watched him pull away and nick the bit of food for himself, while she remained, wide-eyed and staring at him as she tried to understand why she suddenly wanted him to pin her down in the back of his truck, like right now.

It was his smile that eventually snapped her out of it, and feeling heat spread to her cheeks once more, Ruby frowned and dipped her head, knowing she'd been caught. "Bastard." The word was muttered, quiet enough for him not to hear, and when he eventually set himself back on the task at hand the redhead followed with a sigh, keeping watch just like she'd said she would and silently trying to shake off whatever the hell had just happened.

While Grim busied himself with the gas, Ruby briefly entertained herself by looking in one or two of the cars, finding not much more than a screwdriver (useful) and a couple of packets of damp cigarettes which she knew the crew back home would appreciate. She remained oblivious to Grim's perfect find, and when he declared that he was done, she had just been about to nod her head when a scream echoed around them from somewhere in the distance... followed by two consecutive gunshots. For a moment she froze, swivelling her eyes to Grim, only when a silence followed. It was difficult in the dark to know where the sounds were coming from, but of one thing was certain, and that was that they couldn't stick around any longer.

"As I'll ever be." The two of them made their way back to the truck, more urgently now, slamming the doors shut behind them. Ruby's rapid breaths could be heard until they were drowned out by the sound of the engine and she twisted, gun still in hand to check that there was nothing behind them. "Fuck," she breathed quietly, not liking how she couldn't hear a thing, how they were currently completely blind. "Could you floor it already? I hope this thing goes faster than you were driving it earlier."
 
The scream and consecutive gunshots and Grim jumping into action right away. Like Ruby he stayed quiet a few moments their ears straining against the resounding silence. Grim grunted at Ruby's tone and they got to work putting their loot inside and closing up shop. The door slammed behind him and he made a move for the ignition when Ruby demanded that he start driving now. He could see the anxious energy in the rapid movement in her eyes and he got to work getting them on the road.

Grim rolled down his window, letting the night air rush past his messy blonde hair, and he kept his ears strained over the hum of the motor. He kept his foot pressed to the floor of the truck, picking up speed and trying to get away from whatever it had been that had been so close. Ten minutes passed in strained silence and when he truly felt as if they had left the area far behind he rolled up the window and the space in the cab grew silent once more.

"Can't believe you called my driving slow." He grumbled, his hands twisting on the wheel as the road guided them down a turn. For half a moment he thought about lecturing her about the conservation of gas how economic driving played a huge role in it, but he didn't want to get called grandad again so he help his mouth shut and drove on. He followed Ruby's instructions, turning when she indicated that he do so and staying on the path. Every once in a while he would roll down the window and listen but when nothing seemed out of sorts he'd roll it back up again.

The moon was reaching its apex in the sky and Grim could feel exhaustion from the day creeping up towards his vision. "Red, is it much further now? I can probably push it another hour if that's what you'd prefer but I gotta catch some sleep soon." His foot eased on the gas, still moving them forward but a little less rapid of a rate. "I don't think anyone is following us, but I'll pull off the side of the road and seek cover if we do stop." His brows drew in together as he realized he'd asked her twice now for permission to do something. Jesus perhaps she was better at being a captor than he thought, or he was tired. Yeah- he'll blame his sudden burst of insanity on the lack of sleep.

A little ways off, out of sight from Grim and Ruby a car followed, it's lights dim as it's inhabitants prepared to upgrade their ride up to a rather nice looking truck.
 
As soon as the tires screeched on the gravel beneath them, Ruby's panic subsided just a little. She was curious as to why Grim rolled down the window, and had been about to complain about the wind when she noticed his hair whipping against his profile and the words caught in her throat. For a beat too long she stared at him, the way his jaw was set beneath his beard in concentration, the ways strands of hair flew free from where they were usually tied back, illuminating a wildness to his appearance that did strange things to her insides. In fact, it was an effort to look away but in the end she forced herself too, only letting out a breath when the window was closed once more.

"Can't believe your driving is that slow," she retorted almost immediately, looking out of the window as they once again took a left. Or at least a left that she thought they should take.

Falling into another comfortable silence, Ruby spent most of their journey so far trying to look out for signs of familiarity, of indicators that they needed to go a certain way. She felt a little better when she saw a road sign that she had used on the way out as a mark, a small piece of yellow ribbon still attached to it, which meant they were going in the right direction at least. With Grim rolling down the window every now and then, she also soon came realise what he was doing and felt herself relaxing slightly in the knowledge, that whatever they had heard seemed long behind them now. In fact, she was so relieved that she held off complaining any further, or at least that was until some time had passed and he finally admitted to the impending exhaustion, that Ruby had to admit was beginning to eat her up too, and she wasn't even driving. That didn't mean however, that she didn't let out a huff and take the opportunity to tease anyway.

"Of course, I forgot you probably need regular nanna naps," she jibed with a roll of her eyes, though as she looked over at Grim and saw that he was frowning, she thought better of pushing any further. She hadn't realised that he'd asked her permission either, not fully - perhaps she was a better captor than she thought she was too? "Fine, we can stop. There's still a while to go yet. No point in us ending all of this in a ditch somewhere because you couldn't keep your eyes open. Take a right here. I know a patch of trees up ahead. Should give us what we need for a couple of hours." Though Ruby didn't plan on sleeping herself; there was no way in hell she was about to provide him that kind of opportunity, not yet realising of course, that Grim attempting to escape was soon to become the very least of her problems.
 
"You shut your damn mouth." Grim rumbled in response to her prodding, despite his words the tone of it was more easy going than he'd intended. He decided to blame that once more on the exhaustion any other reason he might speak to her more kindly wasn't worth exploring. It would never happen, especially with how much she annoyed him. She directed him into a little grove of trees off the side of the road, and he settled the truck between the trunks of two trees. Around the bushes and grass grew tall, truly they were hidden well enough. It would be easy for someone's eyes to just skip over the mass of black nestled in the trees, likely they would only be found if someone was specifically looking for them.

The truck shuddered as the motor turned over one last time before winding down with the turn of the key. Silence fell like a blanket over them and Grim found himself blinking away the sleep that threatened to take over. He had a bed on the top level of truck attachment but the idea of having to share that small space with the woman next to him seemed like a recipe for disaster and he was certain there was no way she was letting him out of her site. The well worn leather of the truck seats would have to do.

Without another word, Grim reached down for the seat adjuster and pulled on one, sending the back of his chair most of the way back. He twisted, his side turning to face Ruby as her gaze took in the site of the shifting seat. It occurred to him then that perhaps Ruby wasn't well enough acquainted with the workings of a car to understand she could adjust her seat. Rather than trying to use his wearied mind to conjure the words he sat up a bit and leaned over her lap. His only thought had been to show her how it worked, but as he drew closer he realized quickly his mistake. She looked like she would be soft all over, and as his hand found the lever on the other side of the chair he noticed the small dusting of freckles that coloured her nose. Her seat moved back just as he spotted the hints of grey in those eyes of hers.

He lifted, clearing his throat and quickly shuffling back to his own seat. "Uh- Good night." Grim forced his eyes closed, hating how foreign and strained his voice sounded from the close contact. Despite his racing mind thinking of all the ways he'd fucked up the day and ended up in this new situation he fell asleep quickly, his chest slowly rising and falling with each deep breath. In sleep, his face relaxed, mouth hanging open slightly as the occasional soft snore filled the cabin of the truck. His bicep supported his head and he curled into himself a little, almost as if he wanted to hug something.

A few hours later the soft crunch of a twig snapping nearby was accompanied by the click of three flashlights. Bright beams of light danced their way into the truck as three men covered head to toe in mud and cheap looking camo converged on the truck. The barrel of a gun hit the hood of the truck hard, as voices screamed at them to get out.
 
There was no way that Ruby wasn't going to laugh at being told to shut her damn mouth, her teeth gleaming in the shadows as she tried to hide the expression behind her hand, seemingly satisfied with the reaction she had pulled from her partner. She wasn't sure what it was about getting a rise out of Grim that felt so good, but it did, like a small win, a point to her. Perhaps it was because he annoyed her so much and it felt good to know she could return the favour?

When they finally pulled off the road, the redhead used the headlights of the truck to find her way to her little grove and she remained silent as Grim parked up in the most secluded spot he could manage, not yet realising that it was far too late to take such precautions. The engine was finally killed, to be replaced by the silence of the night and the occasional hooting of an owl somewhere in the trees above them. It was kind of... peaceful and sleep felt tempting. Usually in these kind of situations Ruby was alone and had to sleep with one eye open, but with another body beside her...

No, she reminded herself. You can't trust him, remember? Glancing over at the man who now seemed to encompass all of her thoughts, she had been about to ask him if he had any bedding when he unknowingly, partially answered her question by adjusting his seat down into a horizontal position. Ruby stared at him for a moment, amazed at how he'd managed that so easily and of course, having absolutely no clue about how to do it herself. She wasn't about to ask for help though, or admit that she didn't know and she was all pretty much ready to settle down into keeping watch sat upright when she heard Grim shifting beside her, and before she knew it, leaning across her lap. Once again, the protest died on her tongue when she realised how close that they suddenly were. Olive eyes scoured the slight smile lines in his skin, the few grey hairs in both his beard and on his head, the ink that swirled in patterns on his neck and disappeared beneath his shirt. Up this close she could see details that she hadn't before even in the darkness and she found it impossible not to search for more. By the time that he pulled away again, her seat was down and he had put space between them again, leaving Ruby to exhale her wildly beating heart.

His grumbled good night was met with an uncertain and shaken, "Night grandad," as she finally lay down onto her back, her gun still cradled to her chest. Her gaze for the most part remained upon the ceiling of the car, listening out for any signs of movement, a refusal to sleep despite the fact that she needed to. So badly. And it was this, along with Grim's heavy breathing and his light snoring that lulled her into her own unconsciousness, only to be awoken an hour or two later by flashlights and screaming voices.

With a start, Ruby's eyes flew open. "Get the fuck out now, on your feet! C'mon, we know you're in there!"

"Shit. Shit." Rolling onto her stomach, the redhead blinked, bleary eyed as she tried to peer over the side through the window but quickly ducked again when a flashlight flew her way. She had only closed her eyes for a second and now this? Fuck. Reaching out a hand, she urgently began to shake Grim's shoulder. "Hey, grandad. Wake the fuck up!"

"You have on the count of five to get your sorry asses outta there before we open fire on ya both. Five. Four."

Think Ruby, think. But she had nothing, and as the numbers got lower, and lower, she swore softly under her breath and sat up, clicking open the car door. Her gun, she left behind as she hopped out, hands in the air. "Alright, alright, easy. Don't shoot, I'm out. I'm out."
 
Sleep brought about it's own demons, and Grim was no stranger to painful memories warping and twisting in his mind. The agonized screams of a teen as he discovered what this world had in store for him. The smell of his little closet that he'd refused to leave for days as chaos reigned supreme outside. Children and women huddling together unaware that soon one amongst them would change everything.

"Granddad! Grim heard the voice the heavy push against his shoulder. With a quiet snort his eyes opened, the first thing he saw was her. That flash of red, and those eyes wide with fear. Voices shouted outside and Grim just barely made out the meaning behind those words. Instantly his body snapped back into alertness, and he watched as Ruby acted on the barked orders, slipping from the car her hands in the air. The image brought a surge of anger roiling through him, and his hand tightened on seat before he reached for the gun she left behind and tucked it close to the opening of the door under the steering wheel. From where their attackers stood at the front of the truck they would not see it until it was too late.

"Hurry the fuck up!" A voice shouted and continued counting. With his eyes narrowed Grim opened the door, and slid out onto the soft grass. The three men were varying differences of height, the tallest and the stoutest focused their guns on him while the middle man prodded a dangerous looking shotgun in Ruby's face.

"Oh, this is quite the duo. Don't worry old man, we'll treat your girl just right." The tallest one crooned, his gaze slipping from him to land on Ruby.

A primal growl built up in chest, "if anyone touches her, I'll rip your fucking hands off." The butt of someone's gun plowed into his stomach, sending him doubling over.

"Let's make him watch." One of the men gleefully suggested. "I bet you scream so pretty." That next statement sealed everyone's fates, and Grim let the red hot anger propel him. From his doubled over state he reached for the rifle tucked under the dash and with one smooth motion, he tucked the butt to his chest and swung around, clipping the stoutest of the attackers hard on the temple with the barrel of the gun. The tallest barely had a second to react before the gun went off in Grim's hands, and a burst of blood erupted from the mans throat. He sunk to his knees clutching his throat, gasping for air that never came.

Grim twisted pointing the gun at the man who kept his weapon trained on Ruby. There was a moment's hesitation as Grim took in the situation, and the man who had his weapon pointed on Ruby sounded like he was about to let out a laugh when Grim's gun went off once more, sending the bullet on a destructive path right into the man's collar bone, ultimately making his hold on the weapon weak. Their screams felt so fucking good, and it fueled him better than any drug could have. Already the tallest was dead, leaving stout and middle man for him to exact his revenge.

A dark angry mark was blooming around the shortest man's temple and Grim bent, grabbing the man by the collar of his cameo jacket. The man let out a whimper, fighting uselessly against his hold as Grim dragged him to the front of the car.
"On your knees." He growled, keeping the weapon trained on him. "Bring the other one here Red." He wouldn't use her name in front of these bastards, they had no right to it. When the second man was kneeling next to his comrade Grim glanced quickly to Ruby. "Walk away Little One." He would only warn her once. He turned back to his victims, their tears streaked faces making his lip curl in distaste. "Hold out your hands."

"We didn't touch her! We didn-" The man's words died in his throat as Grim pulled the hunting knife out from its sheath.
 
The torches were too bright as they shone directly into Ruby's eyes, causing her to squint against them, putting her at an immediate disadvantage for trying to work out what the fuck to do. The sight of the three men in their makeshift camo was almost pitiful and she might have sniggered at their attempt if one hadn't been pointing a gun directly at her head. One wrong move was all that it would take for this to all be over and the redhead once again found herself trembling under the strain of the thought and her heart sunk a little further when Grim finally slipped from the truck next with his own hands raised. She had hoped that his delay might give him time to think through a plan, to open fire if that's what he needed to do, yet here they both were, as good as dead, tossed over to the whims of the sick minds of wild cretins who were no longer controlled by societal norms.

The tallest one's words sent a shiver of disgust and terror lancing through Ruby's stomach and she flinched when the handle of a gun was thrust into Grim's stomach. His own growl echoed around her mind, the way that he had jumped to her defence, the possessiveness in his tone. It might have flipped her heart around if she hadn't been so damned petrified and so desperately trying not to let it show. Though when that final, fateful statement came, everything quickly descended into chaos. One minute Ruby had a retort, sharp as a knife on the tip of her tongue, the next Grim was scuffling, gun in hand, a shot ringing out through the grove, scattering birds from the trees.

Yet still... she was unable to move. The barrel of the gun holding her drove deeper into her temple and there was a split second where Grim turned to face her and her captor when she found herself closing her eyes, readying herself. The next shot made her jump, sent a ringing through her ears, lighting the edges of her vision with white... but she was still here, and she could open her eyes and she saw the man beside her stumbling, clutching at his chest. This was her chance and she took it, pushing him backwards and swiping her leg behind him so that his balance swayed, his hold on his weapon retracting to be replaced by her own.

At Grim's barked request, the redhead kicked her prisoner in the back, forcing him forwards onto his knees as he whimpered in pain and scrambled to join his friend at the front of the truck. For a moment, all that could be heard was a heavy kind of silence, ragged breaths in the moonlight and the tension of the aftermath of a battle now won.

Ruby's own vision was clouded with a red mist in that moment, a desire to make them pay for what they had thought about doing to her. However, it was Grim's words that once again pulled her from the cloud, the anger as she looked up at him, noticing the fury pulsing in his jaw, the almost animalistic way he held his broad shoulders tall, and tight. Ready. He was beautiful in that moment, terrifying but damn, so fucking hot, too. A perhaps inappropriate sentiment for where they currently were, but one that occurred nonetheless. She considered for a moment, doing as she was told, considered walking away and leaving them to it but then she remembered who she was, and what was about to happen as olive eyes looked from the men, their now held out hands and the knife being pulled from Grim's sheath. A part of her wanted this, so badly, but another part, the part of her that still felt remotely human was pushing through to get to her surface.

Grim seemed to be drawing himself up taller as the men started to snivel, begging, pleading. Ruby allowed them for just a moment longer, before she reached out a hand to gently touch her companion's sleeved forearm, so soft it was almost a caress. "They're not worth your anger," she told him quietly, "Don't waste it on them." Then she took out her own knife and stepped forwards, tugging the first upwards by his hair and slicing the blade straight across his throat with a moment of hesitation. The man gargled, a strangled, ugly sound as his friend started keening next to him. Ruby didn't hesitate, stealing the life of the next and then pushing him to the floor. When she stepped back, her expression was blank in the darkness. Maybe once she might have shown mercy but.... not anymore. Not when she had seen the worst of humankind. Not when she knew they'd have followed them until they got what they wanted.

Without a word, Ruby turned back to the truck, but paused before opening the passenger door. "Grab their weapons. Oh and I guess this makes us even. We're both at three and a half now." Then with the same deadpan that perhaps showed she was more bothered by all of this than she was letting on, Ruby opened the door, clambered in and silently shut it behind her.
 
Ruby's gentle hand on his forearm brought him pause, and Grim was reminded of a time long bygone. A time where a young kid loved movies and storytelling, there was a line from one such movie that kept repeating in his mind over and over - "Oh no, it wasn't the airplanes; it was beauty that killed the beast." Or at least in his sense tamed it. He remained where he was, knife still in hand as Ruby dealt out her own form of vengeance one by one. The men slumped to the ground and he felt the anger within him slowly die with the beating of their attackers hearts. One might of supposed the sense of victory might replace the burning hot fury, but Grim knew all to well the hollow feeling that was evident on Ruby's face.

She gave her orders, taking her leave from the corpses and from the situation. "We certainly are Ruby." Grim said in response to her words that they were now even. He didn't sound that congratulatory though, more so mournful. She closed the door to the truck, and he let his gaze linger over the passenger side door for a brief moment before turning back to the bodies. A quick pat down revealed a few more weapons as well as some ammo. He put their new loot in the back of the truck before he took to the task of moving the bodies away from the scene. Normally he would have let them lay where they were but the idea that Ruby would have to see them in the morning didn't sit right with him.

He worked quickly, hauling them away from the truck and out of sight, as he was pulling the last of them away he noticed a small reflection in the distance, thanks to the moons glow. Upon closer inspection he spotted the vehicle the three had come in. It was a small little car, so it didn't take long to loot. He found a small cooler with a few snacks and to his surprise a bottle of unopened wine. It was a label he didn't recognize but from the script font and gold detailing he surmised it must have been quite fancy. He tucked it back in the cooler and made off with a few more little essentials.

Grim brought everything back into the cab of his truck and closed the door behind him, shrouding himself and Ruby in darkness. He couldn't see if she was asleep, and he quietly put down the items in the back seats, his hand brushing against the squirrel and blanket he'd acquired earlier. His hand hesitated there and his gaze snapped towards the shadowed form of Ruby. He He freed the blanket, and unbeknownst to him the small stuffed animal tumbled under the passenger seat.

"I don't travel with partners." He whispered the words, hoping she slept as he unfurled the blanket and spread it over her. "Everyone either gets in my way or ends up getting us both hurt." He made sure not to touch her- it seemed wrong in the moment to take more touches from her without her being fully present. Once he was assured she was adequately covered he leaned back into his own seat and curled up. His voice was so quiet as his eyes gleamed in the dark, trying to make out her features.

"You're the first to make me re-think on that self imposed rule." His eyes closed. "I knew you were trouble the moment I saw you."
 
The feeling of victory never came, that was something that Ruby had learned very early on in her life. It simply left a hole, a gnawing empty feeling that you couldn't quite shake, one that grew with every life taken, one that got easier to numb as time went on, but one that the relentless battle for survival continually opened up again, and again, and again. This time however, felt a little worse. She wasn't sure what it was; perhaps once again seeing the worst of humankind, the thought of what those men might have done to her if she'd been alone, or simply that Grim had seen her at her worst. Whatever the reason though, Ruby couldn't bring herself to lift out of the darkness clouding at her mind as she settled back into the car seat with an exhale, allowing her eyes to close. Keeping watch on Grim didn't seem to matter right now. Didn't feel necessary. Not after that.

She wasn't fully asleep when he got back into the car, but she didn't move, didn't open her eyes as he shuffled around her. Right now, she just needed quiet and she expected him to go to sleep beside her as he had done before. However, it didn't quite play out that way. Grim began to speak, soft, whispered words that sounded different to his usual gruffness. And then there was more movement, a warmth spreading over her in the form of a blanket and then... a confession. The words twisted something within her chest and Ruby had to battle to keep her eyes from opening again. They didn't make sense, she didn't understand why her of all people would change his feelings on travelling alone. Or at least that's what she tried to tell herself, when in reality, she felt exactly the same. She had never felt comfortable with that kind of feeling, or emotion, mostly because one, she had never felt it and two, because she never thought she would, never thought she would need to prepare for it - it made her thankful she had kept her eyes closed, although another small part of her wished to open them, to reciprocate.

A while passed in the end before she reacted, before she did anything at all. In fact, she even waited until she thought Grim was asleep, her courage faltering as she listened for the deep drags of his breath before she reached out and slipped her small hand into his. Comforting, warm. Contact that she hadn't felt like she needed, or wanted for a long time until now.

--

Ruby was the one to wake first with a start, olive eyes flying open to bet met with Grim's sleeping expression, her hand moving softly in his as she came to and remembered where they were and what had happened. A small groan escaped her as she finally retracted her fingers and stretched her arms, blinking in the natural light at the trees that they had been unable to see the night before. After a few moments the redhead sat herself up, moving her legs and feet and looking for a way to open her car door... which is when her boot kicked something soft beneath her chair. With a small frown, Ruby leaned over, hands grasping something fluffy and tugging, a slightly alarmed expression hitting her features when she came face to face with the stuffed squirrel toy. Blinking from it and then to the sleeping body next to her, she found amusement bubbling in her throat, a feeling she quickly squashed in favour of using the thing (cute as it was) to thwack Grim around the head with. She couldn't help herself, even in her bleary eyed state. Maybe that helped, allowed her inhibitions to slip just a little more.

"Hey, Grandad! What the fuck is this?"
 
The sweet comfort of her hand in his, although unbeknownst to him kept the nightmares and memories at bay and Grim had one of the best sleeps he'd had in a long time. Usually he preferred a bed but he'd have to give sleeping in the car another go if it was going to be like this, the small knot in his back be damned. The morning sun was warm on his back as he felt himself gently rousing from sleep, though for some reason his hand felt achingly empty. His fingers were in the act of curling in, trying to grasp something when he was suddenly brought to the waking world with a soft, yet frim thump on the head.

Grim's eyes snapped open, and a snarl was halfway out of his lips when he caught sight of Ruby. She was sleep rumpled and clearly freshly woken, there was a small red spot on the apple of her cheek bone from where she'd rested against the leather of the interior. Their body heat had fogged up the car as they rested and so a soft diffused glow haloed around her as she held the small stuffed squirrel up demanding to know what it was. He pushed up, lifting the seat with him as he went, his eyes jumping around the cabin as he scrambled to explain the stuffed animals presence.

"I found it." He managed to say. "Thought I could use it for a pillow or something." He opened the door to the truck stepping out onto the dew covered grass, his boots sinking into the lush greenery. Hand's on his hips he regarded her for a moment. "Though maybe it should be your pillow. You two remind me of each other for some reason." With a small smirk he shut the door on that conversation and after a quick listen for anything that might have decided to lurk nearby, he walked part way around the truck to the camper attachment and opened an outside storage cabinet. Inside a collection of toiletries greeted him and he got to work undoing his hair the definitely needed a good brushing. It reached beyond his shoulders even in it's tangled state and he sighed at the amount of work that had to be done. He picked up his brush and turned back to the driver side door and frowned a little.

With brush in hand he walked back to his door and pulled it open as he tried to run the brush through the first length of tangles. He looked a bit like a lion with his unruly mane, and the muscles in his arms bunched as he pulled. "I've got an extra brush and toothbrush if your wanting." He offered it without a seconds thought to needing to preserve his own supplies. He stood there a moment thinking to himself as he worked through most of his hair, leaving it in long untangled strands around his face and shoulders.

"I think I've got a can of soup we can heat for some breakfast. Normally I do a bit of hunting but I'm not sure how much longer we have to travel today." He looked to her for the answer for that.
 
Although she would absolutely never admit it, there was something largely enjoyable about watching Grim wake up from his slumber. The small crows feet were even more creased around his eyes as he squinted, and two prominent lines had nestled between his thick eyebrows as he frowned against the sensation of coming to. It was cute, his momentary disorientation and Ruby continued to watch him, imagining how he might have looked before the world had turned to shit. There was a softness there, a cheeky boyishness despite his age... which she realised she still didn't know. Not that it really mattered but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious.

His explanation, when it came immediately saw Ruby's eyebrows raising in a, 'yeah, sure thing' kind of way, a smirk tugging upon her lips while she tried to mirror Grim's actions by pulling her seat up too. She managed it, not totally gracefully as it flew into place behind her and hit her back, issuing a little huff of annoyance, one that eventually turned into a stretch and a yawn. Only did Ruby pause again when Grim mentioned that the squirrel would work better as her pillow, her nose scrunching slightly at the insinuation that she and the stuffed toy were similar. In fact, she had just been about to protest that fact when he shut the door before she could and left Ruby to take in its beady eyes and bucked teeth, before she shook her head and grumbled "Fucking rude," to herself, ending the interaction by chucking it onto the now empty drivers seat.

It was her turn to open up her car door next, so she could and slip out and onto the twigs and leaves beneath them. For a small while as Grim rustled around with something on his own side, Ruby turned and leaned her back against the vehicle, just breathing in the quiet of the forest and trying not to look at where the ground was stained with blood a few yards away. She had noticed how there were no bodies, figured Grim had disposed of them somewhere, though she didn't ask as the car door noise caught her attention and she turned again curiously, only stopping up short when she noticed that her partner no longer had his hair tied up. Whatever she had been about to say never made it out, her olive eyes staring at the lion's mane of hair and the devilishly handsome man beneath it, trying to tame out his tangles. It wasn't wasted on her how his muscles flexed as he tried to tug the brush through them, or how he looked so ridiculously wild in that moment that Ruby's mind was wandering to dangerous places. In the end, she had to clear her throat softly when he spoke to her, trying to focus on his words, rather than his appearance.

Instead of replying, Ruby quietly joined him around his side of the truck, dipped into the toiletries that were on offer with a sweet 'thank you', and set about brushing her teeth and trying not to look at how hair was still hanging around his shoulders like some ancient God. "Mm, a can of soup should be enough," the next time she spoke was around her toothbrush. "We're not far away now. Maybe a couple more hours. We can eat properly when we get there." Finishing off her teeth, Ruby then popped it back into the bag and reached for the spare hairbrush next, running it through her mass of red once, twice, then a third time. "You know," she then went on to say, "I'm a dab hand with some scissors. If you can't get your brush through it..." She gestured towards Grim's hair. "Then it might be time for a trim?" Ruby turned to look at him properly after this suggestion had crossed her lips, trying very hard not to think too much about how slipping her fingers through his hair might feel as she gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Just saying."
 
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It was hard not to notice those olive eyes of hers were glued to him. If it had been anyone else he would have had no problem painfully reminding the culprit that it was rude to stare. Her stare though, it felt like hot, pleasurable brand over his skin. He wondered what she was thinking as her throat bobbed before she cleared her throat. She moved forward and he did his best to ignore the sway of her hips as she approached and started to brush her teeth. Her soft 'thank you' just about turned him to mush and it became his turn to clear his throat. He was grateful for the last few tangles that tugged against his scalp, grounding him in the moment.

"Your people wont mind sharing a meal with your hostage?" A wry smile had his eyes alighting with humour. He was struggling with a bit of hair at the back of his head that unfortunately seemed to have formed a tangle that was proving to be a little too much for the brush. It wasn't often this happened but it did upon occasion, such was the truth of having long hair in the apocalypse. Ruby finished brushing her teeth next to him and he watched a little jealous as she pulled the brush easily through her strands. She made her offer to help with the hair and despite the little niggle of anxiety Grim found himself nodding.

"Just a trim, honestly if you could just take care of this little bastard right here that would be great. I don't want to lose too much length." Grim handed over the brush and quickly dug out a pair of craft scissors he'd found. They weren't meant for cutting hair but they would have to do. Grim's eyes scanned the surrounding area, small patches of dried blood were beside and in front of the truck but near the back he spotted a boulder that would work perfectly for a chair. He knew without a doubt that if he remained standing Ruby would have a hell of a time getting to the knot. He led them over to it and settled himself down with a small groan.

With his hair down the thick dark ink that coloured his neck was hidden, but if Ruby were to take her brush through the mess she might uncover the tattoo at the back of his neck. Framed by patterned geometric tattoos a small moon and sun stood stacked up on one another. The sun carried the initials J.J while the moon carried another set of initials, A.J. Truthfully he'd forgotten that they were even there.

"Seriously though, don't take too much off." Grim warned holding the scissors tightly for a second before relenting and giving them to her. Automatically his eyes closed and he did his best to focus on the thought of Ruby touching him and not the memory that made his heart quicken with unease. He could do this, he repeated the mantra even as his breath puffed out from between his lips rapidly; he wasn't ready for the vivid memory that stole him from Ruby.

"Fucking keep still kid." Rough hands forced him to his seat as the buzz of electric razors sounded around them. The room smelled like sweat and gunpowder as nervous teens were forcibly enlisted. He felt the vibration of the razor cutting through his hair and flinched, the blades biting into the skin of his scalp and drawing blood.

Grim's breath shuddered in his chest and then he stopped breathing altogether, his body ridged.
 
"Who said anything about a meal?" The response came quickly, with a similar smile shot back in Grim's direction but his question struck a slight chord with Ruby that she quickly tried to cover with humour. This was supposed to be a hostage situation but it felt less and less like one the more time that they spent together. She no longer held her gun up to his person at every possible opportunity, no longer felt as though she had to look over her shoulder at him to make sure he wasn't about to jump her, or swap their positions round. He'd had multiple chances to, yet here they were and Ruby could feel herself growing more relaxed, less tense, more... vulnerable. Or gullible, depending how you looked at it.

Maybe it was for this reason that she found herself offering to cut his hair, and maybe it was also for this reason that he agreed to allow her near his head with some scissors? Despite herself though, Ruby swallowed a little when Grim agreed because she hadn't been expecting it and now that she actually had to get that close to him... her chest was doing weird things and it was a struggle to keep her face straight. Nevertheless, she followed him over to the boulder he identified as his seat of choice and found herself pressing her lips together when he sat down with a groan, mainly to stop some kind of tease from escaping and sending them into another round of bickering. Not the best idea when there was a blade being passed between them.

Moving to stand behind him, Ruby took her time examining him for a moment as she retrieved the scissors and rolled her eyes slightly at his second request for her not to take too much off. "Okay, okay. You want to keep the length, I get it, don't worry. Ruby's salon won't disappoint, I promise. You've seen my hair right? If I can do this to myself then just think about the wonders I'm going to work for you. Just... don't piss me off, alright? Because I might accidentally slip and make you lopsided."

Stepping forwards then, and seemingly repeating Grim's own mantra in her head but for very different reasons, Ruby reached out, her fingers gently teasing strands of hair apart so she could get to the tangle he'd been struggling with at the base of his neck. His hair was softer than she expected, easy to handle and every so often her fingers brushed gently against the inked skin behind it. "You know, you must really trust me if you're willing to let me this close to you with scissors. Is it the squirrel effect?" She was babbling a little, but this soon ceased when she noticed the inked initials behind his hair, olive eyes pausing upon them as she restrained her need to reach out and trace each one. Instead, Ruby looked at the back of Grim's head as she trimmed out the tangle and then carefully began to pull back the rest so that hung around his shoulders, allowing her to start on the ends.

She had just been about to ask him about his tattoos when she sensed that he had tensed beneath her, his shudder shaking her hands a little. Without thinking about it, her palm dropped to his broad shoulder and squeezed softly. "Hey. You okay? Do you want me to stop?"
 
Her voice was like muffled echo in his mind, pulling him from the nightmare of the military's bungled attempt to save humanity. It was almost like the gentle touches of her fingers through his hair were wiping away those bits of pain and terror. It was the final touch of her hand to his shoulder that fully released him from the past and he felt his spine sag back in relief, the movement causing him to lean back against her touch.

"Sorry." Grim muttered, his hand lifting to brush through his hair, finding she'd done exactly what she had promised. He didn't quite know how to explain what had just happened- how could one quickly surmise everything wrong with him in a few short succinct sentences; it just didn't seem possible. He twisted, gazing up at Ruby the scissors she held in one hand gleaming with the sun. Normally the scene might have terrified him; but for some incredibly stupid reason he felt safe with her. She would likely be the death of him. "It's a long story: but I'm ready to continue with Ruby's salon." His mouth quirked at the name she'd used.

Grim went back to facing forward and with another steadying breath from the both of them he felt Ruby get back to work. "What the heck is a squirrel effect?" He questioned after a long moment, his mouth already curving; ready to laugh at whatever response she might have. After they finished Grim rose and walked over to the trucks side mirror to peer at her handiwork. He nodded approvingly and lifted his hands to tie his hair back up into its rightful place. Parts of him still felt tense and uncomfortable from the memory of more than twenty years ago, but he also had to admit that after the whole ordeal he felt considerably more relaxed than he expected thanks to her. "Ruby's Salon deserves three out of five stars. Decent service, though I could have done without the threats on my hair." He told her as he wandered to yet another storage cabinet on the camper and opened it revealing some cooking supplies and the can of soup he'd promised her.

He had a small propane heater that was running on empty but he managed to light it up for a few minutes to warm the soup to a more tepid temperature before it flickered and died. Grim divided the soup into two bowls before handing one to Ruby. He settled himself onto a seated position on the tailgate of his truck, his legs dangling over the grass.

"So this place I'm taking you to- would they prefer if your hostage acts a little bit more like a hostage?" He lifted the spoon filled with a meaty broth to his lips and took a large bite, chewing contemplatively for a moment before a gleam filled his eyes. "I've got some rope in the back if you feel like tying me up." Though honestly he wouldn't mind it if it was the other way around. "How good are you at knots Little Red? I happen to be great at them." Even as he spoke the words he knew he shouldn't have said them, he shouldn't toe the line any further with her, but damn this was the most contact he'd had with a single person in years. It was becoming far too easy to ignore the filter that kept him gruff and aloof.
 
His muscled shoulder was warm as it leaned into the palm of her hand and Ruby tried to ignore the tingling of her skin where they made contact. She didn't move just yet though, for fear that she might make whatever Grim was experiencing worse and because... it was kind of a comfort to her too, despite her mind telling her that it shouldn't be. When he eventually twisted to gaze up at her, seemingly pulling himself from wherever he had just drifted to, green stared back down at him, eyebrows slightly raised, her expression unguarded with concern. In fact, the wall only went back up when Ruby found herself thinking about how easily it would be to lean down and... "Alright. Another time then." The words were spoken mostly to cut off that thought but only after she'd spoken them did she realise what she had insinuated, that there would in fact be another time, and she found herself frowning just a little when he faced forwards again.

The simple act of cutting Grim's hair allowed her to distract herself in the end, as did his question. "You know, like you said I look like a squirrel so I'm taking that as sweet and innocent, rather than rodent-like and... toothy. It's easier to trust someone who looks more like the former two, no?" Aware of how ridiculous this sounded, Ruby too found herself snorting softly at her own words and once she was finally finished giving him the trim she had promised, she tapped his shoulder and then stood back to watch him examine her handiwork. "Three out of five stars, no way! That was a solid four star service, I didn't even snag your neck!" With a blatant huff as she put the scissors away again, Ruby considered that she had yet to ask Grim about the initials she had uncovered, but chose to wait a little given what had happened only moments ago.

It was very clear that the two were becoming increasingly comfortable with each other as they moved around one another with ease, with Ruby mostly following Grim around as he served up the soup he had promised, including hopping up onto the truck with him so that they were sat side by side to enjoy their meal. The difference in the length of their legs dangling above the ground was almost comical, but she chose not to mention it and give him another reason to potentially pick at her height. She had a spoon full of broth in her mouth when he chirped up again and gave him a sideways glance that very clearly communicated 'har har'. "I'll pass. I've got a feeling you'd enjoy it far too much if I took you up on that offer." Her olive eyes narrowed at the gleam reciprocated in his, though she couldn't help but smirk around another mouthful.

"Easy now, grandad. Don't go getting yourself too excited, don't want to startle that ticker of yours." Without thinking about it, Ruby patted his chest, an attempt mostly to stop herself thinking about just how good at tying knots Grim was. "Look, I won't lie, they're not exactly going to be thrilled to see you. They don't really... like outsiders. For obvious reasons. But it'll look better for you if you look like you're cooperating. So, as long as you do... cooperate, I mean, we're golden. We can save your expertise for another time."

That came out much more flirtatious than she had meant it to and with a gentle scoff, she turned away slightly so that he couldn't see the pink diluting the paleness of her cheeks. A few more mouthfuls later and Ruby had recovered enough to speak again. "Can I ask you something?" She paused, eyes on her soup. "Earlier, I noticed the initials on your neck. Did they or... like any of this hurt, when you got them?" With a gesture towards his general body, it definitely wasn't what Ruby wanted to ask, even if she was curious, but it was a way of her testing the water, checking to see if he might freak out at the more personal questions before she delved any deeper. Kind of like prodding a bear with a stick and hoping it tickled rather than caused any pain.
 
Sitting next to Ruby felt like one of the most natural things to do. It didn't matter that the day previous had brought them several brushes with death, it didn't matter that they came from two very different walks of life; in this moment the sensation of her thigh occasionally brushing against his sent warmth dancing over his skin. The look and return barb she sent him about the ropes had his lips curling mischievously and for a flash of a moment he entertained the idea of seeing the marks on her skin after he and his rope had their way with her. He probably should be embarrassed or felt shameful at the notion but when she reached over to pat his chest he felt the overwhelming urge to capture her hand there and hold it to his strong heart. However the soup bowl and spoon hindered him from following out that action.

'Another time.'

Every time she used those words another part of him wanted to hold her to those words. Perhaps it was that gentle kindness, or the way she carried herself through strife but with each passing second it grew harder and harder to tell himself that within a matter of hours he would be on his way and leaving behind one of the greatest treasures he'd ever come across.

"I'll co-operate as long as everyone remains civil." He grumbled like the old man he was. "They must be alright if you're willing to put yourself at risk to bring back as much as you have." He relented, though his voice came out a bit sterner than even he expected. Perhaps she had a special someone back from where she came, though he found that thought made him even grumpier. A frown marred his face as he twisted slightly to look at her. Whoever it was that she had back at home was worthless- anyone deserving of this woman would have gone with her at the very least.

Ruby had turned away from him as he spoke but that didn't stop him from catching the soft pink tinge that coloured her cheeks. There was silence as they both ate and Grim scraped away at the bowl, doing his best not to waste any of the soup as he fumed over the thought of someone else getting see that expression. Her question caught him off guard and he froze for a moment, spoon halfway up to his mouth as she asked him about his ink. Automatically his eyes dropped down to his arms and he took in the dark swirls and patterns of ink.

"Some of it did hurt, but it was worth it." The spoon clattered into his bowl and he set it down on the tailgate, a funny little smile curving his lips despite the set of his stern brow making him reach up to clasp the spot where the initials stood on his neck. "I'd forgotten about those, they were actually my first ones. I got them before... well before all this." Grim gestured back to his truck as if it carried all the stories of the apocalypse. "The worst was the ribs." He told her, lifting the hem of his tee and revealing a beautiful blank ink piece. It was a portraiture of a Valkyrie, the wings of her horse enveloping her and protecting the Norse warrior. Around her geometric patterns and slashing lines that looked like they came from a sketchbook framed her. The artwork extended around to his chest and back and he had to lift the shirt a good amount to show Ruby the whole of it. "As you can see, totally worth the pain however." He kept the shirt up a moment longer, and even though he felt stupid his stomach flexed a bit.

Grim was strong, and with the proper nutrition he could have very likely bore the definition of abs, however with meager food sources he could never really gain any true definition there. He dropped the shirt before considering her. "I know a guy, in a fort south of here. He does some pretty good work if you can find the ink." He trailed off not sure why he would tell her this, there was no way she would suddenly turn their asses around for a tattoo. One could hope however. Clearing his throat he decided to change the topic back to more immediate and frustrating matters.

"Hey listen, when we get to your camp... I need some assurances from you. My truck and those weapons that I locked in the crate- those belong to me. Things won't go well if anyone tries to take them from me." He looked down at his hands, his fingers folding together in his lap as he spoke, the vine work that dotted his skin there was old and faded. "I've got a job to do, and those weapons are the key to my f-" He'd been about to say freedom but even now as he shared more of himself than he had with anyone else, that information was too much. "I've promised those weapons to a buyer, and I don't want to spend another week scrounging for more." He decided to say.
 
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Grim's grumbling amused Ruby to no end. She found it endearing to listen to; how his voice became gruffer, how his gaze became downcast. It made her want to poke him in the ribs until he was smiling again, or until he was even grumpier with a little bit of irritation added on top, to the point that he had no choice but to laugh. Instead of doing this though, mainly because it felt wildly inappropriate and because she wasn't sure if she'd be able to stop her hands at his ribs, Ruby simply smirked to herself, her expression softening slightly when he relented and suggested that her camp were worth the risk she was taking. For a moment, Red spooned two more mouthfuls from her bowl, seemingly over-concentrating on scraping the remnants from around the outside. "They are."

And they were. The group back at her camp were the closest thing that Ruby had ever experienced to family, other than her mother. They had taught her how to properly survive, shown her skills she'd never have been able to learn on her own, fed her, watered her, essentially brought her up. She was convinced that she wouldn't be here without them and that's why it was so important that she made it back to them, with the weapons... and the medicine.

Now deep in thought, Ruby instinctively reached her fingers to the beads that hung around her neck, as she tended to do out of habit when she thought of her mother, which meant that she certainly didn't notice Grim quietly fuming away over the thought of someone back at the camp meaning more to her than just family or friendship. In any case, it was a welcome distraction when he placed down his bowl so he could answer her question and eventually dropping her hand again, she did the same, turning to face him slightly, her head tilted a little with curiosity. Green eyes followed the markings over the skin that she could see, and she wasn't surprised to hear that he'd had the initials tattooed during the before times. Ruby hadn't considered that you could still get tattoos today if you knew the right someone.

What she hadn't been expecting either, was for Grim to lift his shirt to expose the beautiful Valkyrie piece underneath. Ruby's mouth turned a little dry at the amount of exposed skin and the rippling strength she could see from his stature, definition or not. It was an effort for her to keep her gaze trained upon the artwork, which was impressive in its own right. "Woah..." The small hum of wonder fell from her lips without much thought. "I didn't... I mean, I've never seen anything like that before. It's beautiful." Only when he pulled his shirt back down did she snap out of it, that delicious colour in her cheeks deepening, because if her mind hadn't wandered to tugging the rest of his shirt over his head and running her hands over his torso...

"Wait, you know someone who still tattoos now?" Ruby's face dropped. "No way! That's so cool. I reckon I could go straight in for a rib piece. If you can handle it, grandad, then I definitely could." A cheeky grin was flickered Grim's way before she hopped off the edge of the truck and began to potter about, looking for something to rinse her bowl out with. When she found a bottle of water she sprayed it into the bowl, only pausing when Grim's request to listen came. His tone was enough to make her pause and in doing so she glanced over at him and then back to her bowl, letting out a steady gust of air from her lungs. A part of her felt a little guilty for waylaying him like this when he clearly had his own matters to attend to, but Ruby knew that she'd do it again if it meant getting this stuff back to her people.

"Your weapons are safe," she spoke quietly after a few thoughtful moments. "Your truck however, may be trickier to wrangle. Working transport is rare nowadays, as you know... you've gotta think about what you would do with that in their position. It'll mean a lot to them that you got me home though, so I'd say you're in with a pretty good chance and if not... well, I'll speak to them. Scout's honour." Giving a little salute before she took his bowl from him next, Ruby set about cleaning that too as she thought about what he'd said, the buyer he owed and the kinds of jobs that he took. A small, natural frown etched onto her features,

"So this buyer... What'd they want the weapons for, anyway? Are they from another encampment, or something?"
 
"They are."

Ruby's affirmative words about the goodness of her people just about solidified Grim's suspicions over the notion that Ruby was with another. They echoed over and over in his mind as he revealed the tattoo and she reacted with that that look of wide eyed curiosity he was doing his best not to enjoy. He wondered if Ruby looked at her partner with those same eyes. Would they be free with their touches? Their words? The idea had his lip curling in distaste, damn bastard probably didn't know what on earth he was even doing when it came to a woman like Ruby. As Ruby got up and worked on washing her dishes she spoke about handling a rib tattoo and he shot her a look, and truthfully if looks could kill Ruby might have just keeled over right then and there.

Twin flames of irritation swirled within him and two truths became known to him then: he was likely going to shoot Ruby's partner, and second he was going to need to keep a tally for whenever she irritated him. He needed to make sure he could pay her back in kind. When he asked about the truck and the weapons he watched as she paused in her work glancing up at him. Their gazes locked and Grim found himself nodding in approval when she promised him his weapons. He remained quiet as her gaze dropped once more and she returned to the task of cleaning.

"I don't care about ifs or imagining." He huffed, his nostrils flaring in annoyance. "It's my goddamn truck." She approached him and his gaze tracked over her face and then to her arm that lifted to give him a mock salute. "You better talk to them then. Otherwise I'll take something of equal value from them." He warned, though by this point he wasn't certain why he bothered getting surly with her; she didn't seem to mind him as a grizzly. She took his bowl and he hopped off the tailgate and closed it, but not before grabbing a faded grey shirt that served as a rag. At her question he turned and approached, taking her clean bowl and drying it with a quick twist of the grey fabric.

"It's another camp." He allowed himself to say. Grant River's den of sin seemed more like hell to Grim, but to those who desperately needed his protections, the promise of safety must have outweighed their terrible living conditions. How could he tell her that he was supplying a dictator who needed the weapons not to fight the infected but to control his population. It was even more shameful to think he was indebted to the man. The bowl squeaked as the rag rubbed it dry and he eased up on his grip, taking the second bowl from Ruby. After it was dry he tossed the rag in Ruby's face with a smirk before twisting on his heel and putting the dishes away.

They packed up the rest of the camp quickly and the two of them hopped back into the truck. Grim grunted, once more annoyed when he had to pick the stuffed squirrel off his seat once more he aimed for Ruby's head and tossed the toy in her direction. Once the truck was started Grim pulled forward, navigating through the trees; only then did he succumb to the urge to tell her more.

"It's for Grant Rivers. The current leader of Fort Haven." Haven had become quite the destination in the after times, taking up hold in a strip of casino's and bars that had once shone like a beacon amongst the mountains it resided in. As before the rise of the infected and now after, Fort Haven housed the morally grey collective and grew famous for it's various forms of entertainment not readily available anywhere else. If a person had objects to trade a gun for hire or a willing pair of open legs could certainly be found there. Perhaps he told her this because he wanted to scare her a little, surely she must have heard of the place. If she feared him, maybe it would be easier to leave her.

They made it back onto the road and with a little more of Ruby's directions, they drew nearer and nearer to her people and their farewell.
 
Remaining completely oblivious to Grim's misplaced jealousy, Ruby simply put his grumpiness down to the fact that this was a thorn in his side, as was she, that it was taking time out of his day that would most likely be better spent elsewhere. Either that or was just a grumpy old man, a thought which in itself caused her to softly cackle to herself. The more irritated he got, the more amused she became, though if she'd have known the real reasons for his feelings perhaps she'd have had a very different reaction.

"Oh you will, huh? If I didn't know any better, that sounded like a threat, grandad." Her amusement shone through the grin plastered all over her face and rather than try and comfort him about his truck, she took the more pleasing route of teasing him and winding him up. "Who knew someone could get so attached to a vehicle, huh? You're not like, one of those people who has love affairs with inanimate objects are you? I mean whatever floats your boat but I can't say I'm on board with it, if that's your thing."

The laughter was coming a little more freely now, Ruby's small shoulders shaking as she joked around, although this eventually faded when Grim sought to answer her question, appearing not to want to give her anymore detail than was necessary... which of course, only made her more curious. Answering his response with a pensive silence, Ruby moved then to start helping him pack up so that they could finally be on their way again and get one step closer to home.

Grim's chucking of the squirrel in her direction once they were back in the truck elicited a yelp of defiance as she cradled the poor thing and elbowed her companion in the ribs in revenge, before they finally settled once the roar of the engine scattered birds from the trees and movement began to jostle them around. The truck rocked them as it tried to make it back to the road and Ruby's own thoughts had flickered to the day ahead in the silence, so she was a little surprised when Grim spoke again, seemingly further answering her question from earlier. For a moment she just blinked as she tried to register where she knew that name and when understanding hit, her face dropping, features paling significantly. In an instant, Ruby was upon him, twisting in her seat to glare daggers at the man beside her, that hot-headed temper suddenly getting the better of her, for reasons that were currently unclear.

"Grant Rivers? You took a job from fucking, Grant Rivers? Jesus Christ, if I'd have known you were involved with that asshole I'd have shot you on location. Grant Rivers, you have got to be kidding me, grandad. He's scum of the earth, why in the hell would you want to get involved with someone like him?!"

Underneath her bubbling anger though, there was certainly something more, something that was the fear that Grim had hoped for. Not fear of him though, fear of getting anywhere close to Fort Haven even with words, for Ruby had danced with the devil before and it was a period of her life she hoped would never, ever resurface.
 
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