Immortal Poison (FFXV)

Chapter 7

Cor let out a stressful sigh as he sat at the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. A streak of light crept through the space in the curtains, shining on the clock that read 2:45AM. The room was cold, but he felt overheated, despite going to bed without a shirt. He went into the bathroom and washed his face; contemplating taking a cold shower, or going for a walk. Indecisive, he sighed, dried his face, and then left the bathroom.

       "Are you okay?" Ruby asked as she laid awake.
      "Yeah. Sorry to wake you." Cor got back into bed, leaning against the queen sized headboard. He raised his arm, and then dropped it around Ruby who snuggled beside him.
      "It's fine. I think I was waking up anyway. Are you worried about the king?" She took his hand, gently stroking the back of it with her thumb.
      "Everything seems to be fine at home, so I'm not too concerned."
      "So what's-...Sorry. Are those raisins still there? Or the muffin?"
      "You don't like raisins or apricot muffins. You didn't want them earlier."
      "Yeah, but i'm starving." She sat up, taking the food from him. "What's bothering you?"

After watching her struggle to open the stubborn muffin packaging, he took it from her and pulled it apart. She smiled and then started eating. He watched her chow down for a moment, unsure if he was noticing something different about her. She was enjoying the snacks as if they were her favorite. He swung his legs off of the bed, putting himself at the edge again.
"Cor?" She pushed him to answer, with her tone slightly muffled from the food.
     "...I don't know how to say it. Or if now is even the right time."
     "...Are you dumping me?"
     He turned to face her, with a disapprovingly confused expression. "What?! Hell no!"

      "Does it have anything to do with us? Is it the mission?" She tossed the empty wrapper into the trash, and then stood in the bathroom doorway as she brushed her teeth.
      He sighed. "...You are what's bothering me."
Offended and confused, she retreated back into the bathroom where she finished cleaning her teeth. Sitting next to him again, she responded. "Me? What'd I do?"
     "You're in my head all the time, even when I'm supposed to be working."
     "I didn't have to come here, Cor."
     "Your skills will only benefit us for this mission, but that's not what I'm getting at. Even if you weren't here, I'd still have this same problem." He explained.
      She frowned. "...Should I leave?"
     "No. I've seen you walk away before, and I can't let that happen again." He sighed. "I don't like to think about my life without you."
      "You think I'm gonna dump you?! That's not happening, my love." She pressed her lips against the scar on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him. "My immortal love, you are stuck with me."

     "...I may need that in writing." He said, wrapping his arm around her waist.
     She snickered. "Do you not believe me, Mr. Leonis?"
      "I do," he began, pushing her hair behind her ear, "but Mrs. Leonis might stick around a lot longer."
      With bright red cheeks, her face lit up, and she grinned. "...Can you say it again?"
      "Mrs. Leonis?"
      Ruby squealed with joy. Her heart pounded through her tingly body. She didn't give a damn about her job, or anything else. She'd been waiting for that moment for quite a while.
      "I thought this would've gone differently. I had planned to ask. I should have-"
      "No! This is perfect! Can we go home now?!" 
      He chuckled. "We still have work to do, Ruby."
     "Uh-uh." She shook her head. "That's not my name anymore."
      "Really? Your first name is-"
     "My name is Mrs. Leonis. And I guess if you really wanna ask me on one of those cliche dates, I'll suck it up and let you spoil me."
      "If that's what you want, you'll have to wait to see the ring."
      "You have it?! Let me see!" She demanded ecstatically.
      He chuckled. "No. You can wait."
     "You're gonna give me my ring, Mr. Leonis." She grinned, climbing over him and then pressing her lips against his.

They pulled apart for a moment, getting lost in their gaze, as it all started to fully sink in. There was nothing more to be said. Tracing over the curves, he pulled her closer into an intimate kiss; sending chills up her spine as he devoured the taste of her minty breath. She held onto him as tight as she could, deepening the kiss.
His hands traveled up her body, dragging her outer shirt along with it. With no hesitation, she removed it, revealing the snug navy blue tank top she wore underneath. He held her close again, nuzzling his face in her neck; burning her cheeks with every kiss he planted on her. He soon pulled away, but just a bit. He was waiting for it; the tempting habit that dragged him back to her, as he traced his fingers over the spiraling vines of her tattoo.
It was never a long wait. Her teeth sunk in to her lower lip, but the expression she fed him wasn't what he expected; the combination of her playful grin, and seductive gaze. He was caught completely off guard by her innocent, affectionate eyes; the ones that loved him unconditionally. That expression drove him mad and robbed him of his self control. He kissed her again as they readjusted themselves, moving further from the edge. She gazed up at his eyes that mirrored her affection, and gave her a sense of security. They buried themselves within each other; getting lost within their passionate kiss.

"We're missing one." Artemis pointed out the following morning, as he cut his breakfast sandwich in half.
"Maybe she headed out early. She wasn't here when I woke up." Amethyst said, sitting on a stool. "Hopefully she'll be back soon. I need to talk to her."
      "Are you still going on about this Ruby and Cor rumor?" Jasper sighed.
      "No, it's a little more serious." Amethyst began. "She has these notes about the potential existence of another crystal."
       Artemis raised his eyebrows in amazement. "Another crystal?"
      "That's insane, and more than likely false information. Isn't it a myth? Where did she get it?" Jasper picked up his water bottle from the table.
      "My guess is that someone at HQ dropped it, she picked it up, and wants to start looking for it, if she hasn't started already." Amethyst explained.
      "If she already started, that would explain why she was gone for a week." Jasper added.
       "...What if they're Calix's notes?" Artemis began. "The Crownsguards are always in and out of HQ. He could've dropped them, figured out that they were with Ruby while she was gone, and then stowed away when we left."
       "Why not contact her beforehand?" Jasper took a sip of his water.
       "We don't call her The Ghost for nothing." Amethyst reminded him. "Let's pick this up again later. We need to get going; and can I be the first to say that I'm not a big fan of Niflheim's casual attire?"
      Jasper shrugged. "It's all right, I guess. Nothing to lose sleep over, but it'll help us blend in. We need to rent a car."
     "He's right. Now get going. I'll see you guys outside." Said Artemis.
Amethyst and Jasper nodded in agreement, and then left the suite.

Ruby pulled her hair back into a ponytail, styling it with her skull hair clip so that her right eye was still covered. She adjusted the waist, and then the top of her catsuit, before putting on a long rose-colored raincoat. Her face lit up ecstatically, as she gazed down at the intricately detailed white-gold band, embedded with black diamonds, and a few rubies that created a pattern. It was shouldered with black, ruby-eyed skulls, beneath the central blooming cherry blossom that held the large, beautifully round-cut diamond.
Cor let out a gentle sigh. "Don't wear it out, Ruby. You don't need the unnecessary attention. Wait till we get home."
"Five more minutes." She smiled as she whined joyfully. She turned around as he approached her. "I still can't believe you had it with you."
"...For the last few months, I never traveled without it." He admitted.
"Months? I hope it wasn't nerves. If you had asked me anytime prior to you getting this ring, I would've said yes." She kissed his cheek, and then pulled her hood up as she approached the window.
"The ring, Ruby." He reminded her as he turned to face her. She grinned and kissed the ring, before climbing out into the rain and then grappling her way to the alley below.

Within the hour, Amethyst and Jasper had picked up the other three in separate locations, and they drove out of the city. Several hours into the drive, the rain had long since ended, and Ruby glanced down at her hand for the millionth time. She felt naked without her ring, and she soon turned her gaze back to the desert plains they drove through. Soon, the Magitek Production Facility was in their sights.
"Pull over." Cor commanded.
Jasper changed direction, then stopped behind a rock, and bushes large enough to hide the entire vehicle. They all jumped out and continued on foot to a vantage point that allowed them to see a large portion of the facility.
    "Pretty big place. I'm guessing it'll take us all night to get through." Jasper said.
    "If you're slow, it will." Cor reminded them, checking his watch. "We still have a few hours. Prepare yourselves."

     By nightfall, the group had separated; sneaking in to different areas of the facility.