Lovely (Ruby x Dyrroth)

thirteen

There was a strange sort of thrill to being out in the open of the Abyss, although it was dark, the ruler of the land running soundlessly by Ruby's side, his magenta eyes more filled with life than she'd ever seen them. There was a broad, handsome grin plastered onto his face, and it never faltered, not even for a second.

Ruby loved it. That she knew. The thought was easily the most certain one she'd had in days. She would never, ever want to see that lovely smile go. This was utterly unchangeable and beyond doubt.

She was only beginning to discover the reason why she thought so, but for once she went with the flow and let things unravel on their own without rushing them.

When she came out of her room and shut the door behind her, she shot Dyrroth an anxious look. She knew boys like him very well. They hardly planned anything. They just jumped right into things without a single thought about how they'd worm themselves out of them. 'Do you have a plan?' she whispered.

He arced an eyebrow at her questioningly. 'No. Why would we need a plan? I'm the prince.'

Inwardly, Ruby groaned. Should've seen that coming.

She calmly forced herself to hold back any sudden outbursts of disbelief, like, Are you an idiot? Do you not own any brain cells? Do you have the slightest idea what will happen to us if you get us caught?

She let off a flippant shrug, once again hiding her panic with nonchalance. 'Whatever,' she mumbled, eyeing the dimly lit corridor with discontent and unease. 'Is the Abyss always this dark?'

'It isn't dark, Ruby. It's you humans who can somehow bear to live in excessively bright areas.' Dyrroth shuddered, grimacing, and Ruby swatted his shoulder sourly.

That was when it hit her. Wait a second. Was that the first time I ever touched him on purpose?  She could feel her cheeks reddening. Oh God.

Dyrroth began to speak again, and Ruby snapped out of her embarrassed trance. 'So where do you wanna go?' he asked casually, strolling down the corridor in a leisurely manner.

Ruby blinked dubiously. How was he so untroubled? If they got caught, they were dead meat. 'I don't think I wanna go anywhere that's in the Abyss,' she answered coolly.

Dyrroth snickered, shooting her a fleeting grin. 'Should've guessed you'd say that.'

For a while, they walked silence. Ruby lagged behind a little, not fully trusting that nobody would inevitably cross paths with them. When the silence was becoming too much to bear, she matched his pace and asked, 'So why have Selena and your mom been treating me like some VIP?' She tried to keep her voice free of bitterness and disdain, but failed majestically. 'For your information, Selena wanted to let me starve and Alice separated me from my friends.'

The prince looked surprised that she'd spoken. After a moment's pause, he responded idly, 'I honestly don't know. I guess they both have something against you.' He gave her a strained look.

Ruby had known that for a long time, but she pulled a bewildered face anyway. 'Why?' she demanded.

Exasperated, Dyrroth dragged a hand through his pale blond hair. Illuminated by the yellow glow from the lamps around them, it was almost a lustrous gold, and Ruby was once again struck by how absurdly good-looking he was. 'Basically, they're the kind of women who hold grudges for no reason. I'm pretty sure you know what I'm talking about.'

She blanked out for a second, and then let out a startled laugh. 'Yeah, I do.' Lesley and Kagura were capable of holding grudges that lasted for eternity if they wanted them to.