#itlurkswithin

Ruby sat at the edge of the bed, slowly rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Ambrose had been working the late shifts again. By the time he came home each night, Ruby had already fallen asleep. By the time Ruby awoke in the morning, Ambrose was too tired to even greet her. 

Their love had been tested over the years, they both knew that. The trials and tribulations of a siren and a werewolf. Tested over and over again by countless curses yet here they were, living a rather mundane life, working jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over their head. Not much had changed, it just seemed that in this land, nothing was trying to kill them. 

Yet now, as Ruby stretched, turning over to see her lover sound asleep on the bed next to her, she gave a soft smile. Her first instance had been to pick up the book by the side of the bed, gently turning the pages in the late morning light while she scanned across the words. 

After maybe an hour or two of reading, Ruby gave in, placing the book on the nightstand before sleepily stumbling towards the bathroom to start her day. She took care in how much noise she made, trying to brush her teeth and wash her face silently, cursing the pipes for banging as she turned on the taps. 

Returning back to their bed, she began brushing her hair, glancing down at her sleeping partner to ensure he was still breathing. The clock showed 13:00. She knew Ambrose had probably drifted off to sleep around 5am, so she took less care in how much noise she made this time round. Placing a wash on, turning the kettle on before returning back to bed beside him. Ambrose seemed to sleep through it all.

Ruby cursed herself for not waking him sooner, but as the day grew, and the time ticked away, she knew she would have less and less time to spend with him before he trotted back off to work again. Bringing the man a brew, she gently woke him with kisses, knowing it would be just over an hour until he had to leave for work again. 

Ambrose groggily woke, accepting the brew with a grin on his face while sitting himself up in their bed. Ruby snuggled closer to him as he turned the tv on, flicking through a few channels before settling on the news and weather forecast for the day. 

Ruby had been dressed for hours; hair brushed, makeup done, she had even made herself a little bit of breakfast. Although she felt well accomplished for a day off, completing the washing that needed doing and even taking a quick stroll down to the harbor and back, something in her mind felt empty. As if she was missing something majorly from her life.  

It was at this moment Ambrose had jumped up to begin getting ready for his next shift, pulling a towel from the linen closet before jumping in a quick shower. 

Ruby took this chance to change the bedding, trying to complete the task as quickly as possible to ensure Ambrose would have somewhere to get dressed once he had showered himself. Ruby had even got out his general hygiene products to ensure he could get ready with ease. 

Once the pipes had stopped banging, Ambrose stepped out of the bathroom, the steam surrounding him as his floppy wet locks stuck to the sides of his face. 

In passing, he had offered Ruby a forehead kiss, making her smile and blush slightly as he began to get ready. 

The sight of ice that had strewn itself across the fence outside had caused Ruby to pull her hair dryer out of the closet, patting the bed to have her other half sit in front of her while she attempted to remove some of the dampness before he had to leave for work. 

Ambrose had pulled his shoes and jacket on, kissing Ruby three times across her face and quickly ran out the door, keys in hand, to get to work on time. 

Once the door had shut, the silence filled their little apartment once more. Sitting cross legged on the bed, Ruby felt a tear drop down her face. 

It had been weeks since she had last properly seen her partner. Their shifts never quite aligned with each other well enough for them to spend any real time together. Yes, maybe Ruby would wake when Ambrose crept in the shallow hours of the morning, giving them an hour together before the tiredness overcomes Ruby once again, sending her back into a deep slumber, ready for her to wake the next morning for her shift. Or occasionally on their opposing days off, their paths would cross for a few more hours before one of them would fall sound asleep, separating them once more. 

Frustration began building up in Ruby. What could she do? Who could she talk to about this? How could she tell him that she was unhappy…

Ruby pushed the thought from her mind. In her absent minded moments, she had picked her nail beds raw, the smell of blood panging her senses as she walked to the bathroom to wash it away from her hands. 

Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her puffy red eyes and tear soaked cheeks seemed to shine on her face. She wanted to scream and cry at herself, tell her she was stupid for feeling this way, neither of them had control over their shifts. Neither of them had been in any position to quit their jobs, or find something that suited the two of them best. Ambrose had been in so many jobs over the last few months, it made her heart happy when he came home smiling to tell her about his day. Yet, in the back of her mind, she had hated where he had gone. How it seemed to get in between them when she needed him more than ever. The stench of his jacket when he came home from work. 

Tears began again, this time she watched it as it rolled down her cheeks, reaching for her phone as she opened Ambrose’s name. “Gods..” she sighed, placing it back down on the side. What could she say? ‘I need you to quit your job because I am sad?’ ‘I need you to be here for me’ ‘I need you…’ 

What if… What if they could go back to how they were, when they were first together. Working together, always in the same place, always completing the same kind of work. Always within arms reach.

@itlurkswithin​ 

The chaos that had ensued only months earlier had stuck so strongly with Ruby she was unsure she could ever trust a stranger again. The breakdown of her family had really taken its toll. Granted she had not discussed this with anyone, and had hoped she had held her emotions in well; hatred would only space her form more if she knew she was inflicting her pain onto her family.  The flashes of blood, the broken glass and occasional screams. It shot through her head like a movie on fast forward. She had murdered men before, granted Nikolai had not been her kill, she still couldn’t shake the pleasure she took from thinking she had succeeded. Ruby could no longer recognise who she had become. 

The idea of warm blood running down her throat as she stood over a lifeless body, the feeling intoxicating to her. How she missed taking the lives of those who dared to challenge her. How exhilarated she felt for days afterwards. The comedown was the worst, all the guilt washed over you, the scent of their blood still left on your hands. But that never stopped her from doing it again. Even upon meeting Ambrose the killing didn’t stop. She would still go out on hunts for her freedom, protecting the ones she loved. Why stop now?

Ambrose had taken some time off after, Ruby taking up shifts with Granny, who had been more than happy to offer the work. She had always needed an extra pair of hands. This was the first time he had gone anywhere alone. She basked in the silence, hugging her whole body together as she sat on the sofa in the dark. The kids weren’t due back for hours, Ambrose not due to return for a few more minutes at least. Serenity. 

 A knock on the door took her out of her trance. Standing up quickly, she tampered with the idea of who could be at the door. Fear raced through her body, what if it was him again? What if this was all some feverish dream she had experienced, something to cope with the loss of her family? What if—

 Tap. Tap. Tap

There it was again, this time more hurried, as if they were worried someone was watching them, chasing them? Ruby’s mind was running in circles, like a dog chasing their tail. She stood slowly, trying to contract some kind of scent to decipher who it could be. 

A hard gulp followed her first step, it was too late to open the curtains to check who it was, instead she readied herself for a fight, grasping the letter opener she had picked from the table. She had made a note to sharpen the device earlier in the week, a form of innocent protection, just in case anything was to happen again. 

A hand rested on the handle, dread taking over her emotions. With a swift tug, she pulled the door open wide, a large smile plastered on her face. “Can I help?”

The deteriorating magic, and beacon of light that Storybrooke held could only last so long. The town could only take so many evil spirits, so many changes, so many families as the originals began to spread their wings and create a new story for themselves. Snow and Charming suggested that the town could be split into two, those who wanted to stay on the Mainland, and those who had wanted to return to the life they knew before, explore those far off lands without fear of forgetting who they were. Or even introducing their new family to the way the world used to be for many of the town's residents. For Ambrose and Ruby, perhaps leaving behind the quaint town of Storybrooke and returning to the way their life should have been was not the best idea they could have had. Their children, who had now begun to find families of their own, jumped at the chance to experience only that of what their parents had told them about. Perhaps even before they knew this was a possibility they trained them for whatever this new world could throw at them, and protection from the dangers of their old life.

Their first night back in the Enchanted Forest had proved more soothing than frightening to Ruby. They had agreed to stay within the castle walls, rebuild from the inside out while this new community figured out a way to create a haven for those who needed it most. Together, in what once was the grand throne room, stood an imposter (David), a vigilante (Snow), a monster (Ruby) and an outlaw (Ambrose). What more could be asked for in promoting a safe space than an estranged group from a far off land. 

Only a small number of their possessions made it over to this land, books, memorabilia. Luckily for the new residents, many photographs had also been transported this time. Something more to cling onto from a past life. Ruby had managed to retrieve a journal she had started upon waking from the first curse. Something she had bought to remind Ambrose how much he really did for her. Over the years it became buried in the back of her mind, hidden away from prying eyes, something she could hold onto for a rainy day.

Noah had been the first of the children to complain about the lack of technology within this land. How he missed his gaming consoles and mobile phone that helped him escape from the world he grew up in. However the boy also seemed to be more settled here, whittling away at some wood when helping the farmers rebuild their barns. Poppy followed shortly after, asking about the makeup her mother would wear before presenting herself to the world. The girl’s wails of dismay could be heard across the kingdom when she discovered such practices were not needed here. Sam however, never peeped a word. Instead he kept his head down, flirting away with one of the girls that had come over with them. The girl who would eventually become his wife. 

These memories washed over Ruby like the first rainfall after a drought, clutching onto the letter that informed her Sam was finally expecting his first child. A boy, he hoped. Someone he could teach everything his parents had taught - perhaps even shape into a man as great as his father. 

In her other hand, Ruby pinched her forefinger and thumb together, revealing a grey hair she had plucked from her hair as she walked into the room in which Ambrose had begun getting ready. “This is what I mean,” Eyes grew wide as she focused on the strand, thrusting it before her husband. “Why don’t you get these!” she feigned a sigh, brows knitted tightly together before her voice spoke again. “These children, they tell me I'm to be a grandmother and BAM! Grey hairs start sprouting.” With a huff, she placed herself at the end of the bed. “I don't want to get old.”

In truth, Ruby was scared of leaving Ambrose alone. He had explained to her from the start that a Siren’s life expectancy could see a normal human being twice over, if they were lucky. He had already lived for so long before her, she was unsure of how much time after her he would have. Granted she was thankful their children would have a shoulder to cry on for years after, it still never made it any easier. Even now Alexis had begun showing her age, wrinkles forming on her forehead, the soft glow that once radiated from her beginning to dim. 

Looking to her husband, she tugged at the edge of his shirt. Finally placing the letter down beside her, she rose again, dusting off Ambrose’s shoulders and ensuring he had everything ready for the day. “Pass on my love, and congratulate our son, okay?” she placed a quick peck on his lips, squeezing his hand tightly in her before releasing again. “I love you.”

Today would mark the routine meet up her family had arranged, to keep in the loop with one another. Ruby had sent word ahead she would miss this one, partaking in the royal duties she had been assigned as the head hunter. It seemed the days of running free beneath the moonlight had been slipping through her fingers like sand in an hourglass. Her wolfstime was running out.  Nevertheless, she still placed on her smile and patrolled the surrounding forest until she could find whatever she had been looking for. 

In her hand she clung to a small wrapped journal, keeping its identity away from her husband. Once out of site, she returned to their dining room, unwrapping it carefully as she turned to the last page. Her hand ran over her old writing, one made with a pen from the mainland. “What a life,” her words whispered through the cottage. Picking the quill and ink she had prepared earlier before scribing down one last note at the bottom of the page. “Reasons why i love you,” Quickly, she tucked her hair behind her ear, taking care in not smudging the ink. “You will always be there for me.” 

Ruby carried on with her morning duties in the house, ensuring everything had been safely stored away before returning to the now dried ink pages and carefully wrapping them away, leaving another note on the top. ‘For you, for always - Ruby.’

relationship status; the furthest away from being in a relationship I have ever been... a whole 21 years

favourite colour:  red, it comes with the character

lipstick or chapstick:  lip balm (I’m British) all day - my mouth just isn’t the right shape for lipstick

last song i listened to: haaaa Rule the World by take that... I promise I’m not 40+ it’s just a really nice song to listen to when you’re stressed!!

last movie i watched: I watched clips from Twilight: Eclipse for reference to a thread.....

top three tv shows: I don’t really have a top 3?? Like, I’m currently watching Community and it’s brilliant, OUAT for obvious reasons and the great British bake off because who doesn’t love drinking tea and watch people flail over cakes and biscuits and..... ooohh see my go to at the moment is doctor who and Brooklyn 99 so... take that as you will

Top three ships: if I don’t say my own ship, then WHATS the point? Redrose (RubyxAmbrose), Snow x Charming (ouat) andddddd Amy x Jake (B99)

books i’m currently reading: I’m tryna read Hidden Figures but I can’t quite get into it and I’m also nearly finishing Circe by Madeline Miller (again because I love her)

tagged by: the lovely @thecharmingknightemma @fairestmusesofthemall (thank you for this is has been a while 💙)

And Then There Were Five; 

Lucas-Arendesen 

@itlurkswithin

Ruby must’ve been babbling on about baby names for hours now. It all started when they took a trip to the supermarket, and a young child kept pulling faces at Ruby as their mother turned her back, Ruby, of course, returning the favour. She had glanced at Ambrose once or twice, he seemed completely dead to the idea of playing with this child in front of them, concentrating on their shopping list instead. 

At the time, this wasn’t something she took to heart, in fact, she barely even noticed it. It wasn’t until later that evening when they were sat on the sofa, curled up with a glass of wine that she realised how uninterested in children he had actually been. 

- “Your father didn’t even look me in the eye, it was if he heard the word children and switched off to the world completely.” Ruby chuckled. “Much like you guys do when we mention the word chores?” Her eyebrows raised as she glanced over at her children, whom squirmed in their beds to hide their faces and giggles. -

“Ambrose,” Ruby almost demanded his name, maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was her instinct. “You haven’t said anything all day, is there something on your mind?” She peeked up through her eyelashes. Perhaps he was just having one of those days where he needed space, perhaps Ruby hadn’t noticed it this time. Surely he would have said something, right?