The puppy

[Lovely]

Feb 17, 2010


The better part of the day had been spent gathering enough hands and paws to paddle the useful salvage along with the survivors from the wreck to the shore. It was already after 4 p.m. and the last was being tugged onto the beach. Larson and Garrett each had hold of a rope that pulled the dinghy from the surf, staying close but not too close to the creature that rode inside it. Venge and Kain took the previous bounty, at least the part that could walk, back to the camp already, leaving Jon on point and as clean-up crew... as usual. The two men with the boat left it and took their steps away as Jon approached to inspect what they'd hauled up now. He readied his rifle as soon as he laid eyes upon it... him, her... he wasn't sure yet with it being wet and in a foul temper. He was confident if Garrett had issues with the soggy wolf in the boat, he'd have tried drowning it already. Must mean the beast was a female or he probably would have. "Nice doggie....," he murmured, coming closer to the boat slowly with the nose of the rifle held low. "Thanks guys... leaving me with the insane beast that's going to eat my lips off," he commented, trying not be afraid of her.

"You heard the man. They want to be alone," Garrett remarked to his monkey companion and started heading back toward camp. "He can handle a little puppy, no problem."

Larson had little to say on the matter. His fur was matted and strung with seaweed and grit from the multiple trips. He'd done his share and was ready to curl up in a nice cool corner of his cave to spend his remaining energies on something far more pleasant. Garrett's remark about the girl wolf being merely a puppy made his wide smile beam before he started bounding off ahead of his friend, galloping off on paw and knuckles. Likely he'd have to get Sol down here to put Humpty Dumpty back in his shell after she finished shredding him.

The female wolf had spent most of her time in her feral form since the wreck, the survival instinct and abilities in that form helped to keep her alive. The men who found the survivors had also found several among them who had expired during the time on the life boat and a few more who would not last long once on shore. This girl was worn and battered but still full of fight - the fight that had kept her alive. She'd nearly taken someone's hand off when they first reached for her, that was when they'd shot her with something that made her feel funny. She didn't really remember that part, only that she had suddenly felt woozy and then the confusion that followed. She did not become suddenly passive but was calmer than when first approached, she also felt strangely aroused and her feral side reacted by showing itself more strongly and at the time she couldn't have shifted to her human form if she'd wanted to. Part of her behavior was due to her being young, part of it was being in feral form so long, another part were the effects of severals days on the life boat.. and another piece was her distrust of the males who'd come to 'rescue' them. They'd divided the male and female survivors into seperate boats, bringing the girls into their boats and leaving the men on the life boats.. except hers. She'd been the only one left and even through the strange feelings she snapped and snarled at anyone who'd tried to come near her. In the end the men had simply tied her boat to one of theirs and dragged her to the shore. She was the last survivor brought in and had seen the other male survivors left behind. One of the males who had hauled her boat in was like her but she didn't like him much right now, she had half expected to have to fight him once on land but he went off with the ape and left her. She was growling after them and at the one who now stood with his gun pointed in her direction, so they'd brought her here to have this one shoot her? So many things did not make sense, her growl deepened and her cloudy gaze tried to focus on him and back him down.

Garrett stopped at the edge of the growth that Larson disappeared through and turned, growling back his own opinion in response. He didn't like her much either for being self righteous and ungrateful in a bite-the-hand-that-feeds sort of way. It wasn't his hand that was bitten, thankfully, but he was going to check on their friend to be sure he didn't bleed to death before Sol or Aberto decided he was worth patching up. If she wanted a fight, she'd get it, but right now she'd have to wait for it. He said his peace in grumbling wolf-speak and snarl then turned to follow Larson.

Jon's eyebrow raised but not as much as the hair on his neck when the man growled and spoke his mind. Jon understood probably as well as she did and he was happy not to be on Garrett's shit list. Her own growling was unsettling enough and he was about to ask them to help tie or shackle her to get her into camp. "Guys, can y-...," he heard the rustle of branches behind him and noticed that Garrett had nothing more to say. He turned to find himself alone with the angered and drugged wolf. "Guys?!" So help me, he thought, if they were just joking with him and didn't really head back to camp without him... which was probably even worse.

The wolf turned to growl at her and she heard him clearly but gave no real reply, she wasn't used to being around her own kind and only understood in very basic instinctual ways. That was enough for the message to get across but not to have her rolling over and showing her belly. They left this one behind and he called for them.. there was a chance that even with his gun, she could take him. She rose up slowly from where she'd wedged herself at the bottom of the dingy, her teeth showing and the empty cartridge of the tranq finally dislodging from her shoulder and falling with a soft clatter against the wood of the boat. Suddenly she froze as the breeze shifted and Jon's scent filled her nostrils, her head twisted to the side and she let out a small whine. Still angry and not trusting but now more confused by the scent, he wasn't feral but his scent made her want to attack him in a different way.

[Lovely]

Jon looked back to find her shifting and maybe getting ready to bolt free from the looks of it, however the cartridge - a good sized dose at that - fell empty and she froze. The way she looked at him, he was at a loss, wondering what she caught scent of that had her staring through him. Then the whine, to him an intelligible murmur of confusion. His own head tilted, worried that she was too confused by the drug to listen to reason. "You're okay now," he tried to reassure her, though he kept the rifle ready. "They may not seem like it, but they're friends. So am I."

She shook her head as if telling him she was not okay, she still felt funny, it was then that she realized she could understand him in this form as clearly as if she'd been in her other. She moved slowly because of his gun, her intent no longer being to attack him.. something in his scent wouldn't let her do that. Was he a friend? She didn't think the others were but he smelled so nice.. very, very nice. She propped up on the edge of the dingy, looking at him and then slowly moving herself over the side to the sand beside the small boat. Her head turned back to the water and she saw no sign of the other dingy with the male survivors. After a moment of searching the horizon she brought her gaze back to Jon and barked out her question. "If they are friends.. why did they leave the others?" She could understand him but could he understand her?

He cringed as she barked out. "Shhh, I can hear you fine. They had their reasons, okay? Well, maybe not okay, but here's the deal. The guys didn't make it and weren't going to make it. That's just a cold fact. I'm sorry. Really, I'm sorry that this happened to you and them. I need to find out, though, if you're hurt."

She whined softly as if he'd harshly scolded her when he told her to 'shh', her head lowered slightly as if she pouted. When he spoke of her being hurt, her head lifted again and she seemed to stare at his rifle. "Why.. so you can hurt me?" She 'spoke' more softly this time or tried to, taking a step backward only to bump into the dingy.

"So you don't hurt me, or the others. A wounded wolf is bad news and on drugs? They got you this far, looks like I get to take you the rest of the way. Watch your step, there's a boat there," he pointed out as she backed away only as far as she could.

"I won't hurt you.." She couldn't promise on the others but she could tell him honestly that she wouldn't harm him. "Drugs?" She asked, tipping her head to the side, confused again.. was she drugged? "Is that why I feel funny?" She seemed to be scared, whining quietly and trying to curl beneath the side of the boat. If they'd drugged her, what else might they do to her? The other male wolf didn't like her and she was no match for him if she was drugged.. she wasn't sure if she could really fight him even if she wasn't.

He wasn't so sure. She was compromised with the tranquilizers and although she said it, instinct often overruled reason. He kept the rifle up, but aimed low to her side, intending it as nothing more than noise-maker. He had no intentions of hurting a girl even if she could rip his throat out. "Yes.. drugs so you wouldn't hurt them. They tried twice to get you in, they said, but you were pretty fiesty out there. Not that that's bad, I mean, how would you know what they were doing, right?" He chuckled a little. "You don't need to hide... um... what's your name?"

"They make me feel funny..." She sort of repeated what she'd said before shaking her head as if to try to clear it and whined softly, she was starting to make sense out of some of what she felt. It reminded her of going into heat but she shouldn't be doing that.. yet. She looked up to Jon again, she could still smell him even with the sand, salt, and sea. "I was scared.. they were seperating the others and I could hear the things they were saying.. I didn't want to be .. a squeak toy or a snack for the one in the water." She seemed to be pouting again and if he was able to sense her emotions as well as he understood her, he'd know she was being honest. There was a pause as she watched him and before she told him her name. "Ruby... what's yours?"

He smiled and lowered the rifle, somewhat leaning on it now. "Jon, no 'h', not that it matters. Don't expect you're going to write me any letters or anything. They were talking about the sharks, well one in particular. He's like you... but like a shark, not a wolf, you know? I can't explain all of it right now. I'm supposed to get you to camp. Of course, if you put up a fight, it could take us a while to get there," he suggested, liking the fact he could talk with someone who wasn't ordering him around or teasing him relentlessly.

She studied him for a long moment, seeming to think about what he'd said and she was tempted to put up a fight because it seemed like he wanted her to.. if only to take longer to get to camp - he wasn't challenging her. It was confusing and more so because of the form she remained in, she'd been fighting the urge to shift since they had made her feel funny but now she wanted to so much. She was tired, thirsty, hungry, and sore, she had been hurt in the wreck but had been nursing her wounds the best she could. "I don't want to fight you." She told him quietly and shook a little, her form changed and 'melted' into that of a young, pretty, blonde girl though she was a bit disheveled and worn looking. Her eyes a little red and without her fur gashes were visible along her side, legs and arms, some more superficial and a few deep but sealed over. Ruby rested her head back against the side of the boat and looked to Jon with a soft pout. "I'll put up a fight if you want me too.. but I'm far too tired to give you much trouble right now." Her voice was soft, a little hoarse but still held it's sweet tone.

"Holey cow," he said, his smile fading as he looked over her wounds first then at the girl beneath them as she materialized from the wolf form. Damn she was good looking but the wounds were fierce from what he could see. "Huh? No, I didn't mean like... not a real fight or anything. Was just saying I could tell them you put up a fight and it took a while, you know? So, you are hurt and pretty bad. I should get you there to get those looked at, actually. I'm not a healer, but we've got somebody...," he said, realizing she might question more why the other boat was left behind. "He's pretty good with first aid and stuff."

[Lovely]

Something in his scent changed as he paused in telling her about the man who was good with the first aid, her eyes narrowed a fraction. The others weren't honest or at least not completely and she'd been able to sense it, that was part of the reason she'd put up a fuss. "I tend to heal myself up pretty well.. there are others who need his first aid more than I do.. I just need rest.. water.. food."

"Okay, so that still means getting you to camp. I have water, but the sun out here will bake you onto the sand in no time, even at this time of day, so you can't stay here. Running loose isn't really recommended either," he suggested and perhaps she'd sense the worry and his warning. The perimeter of the island was set with traps and dangers and the whole of the island had its natural inhabitants that weren't known to be friendly, as well. "Are you okay to walk? It's a pretty long way in through there," he said, gesturing where she'd seen the others go earlier.

"Not like this." She replied in a tone that held a little amusement in it, she was naked after all, though he hadn't seemed to notice that as much as her injuries which meant her wounds were likely pretty bad looking. "Would you mind.. if I had some of your water before I try hiking?"

"Huh? Oh yeah," he said, distracted overall by her. As much as she understood him, he could make sense of her as well as when she was still in wolf form. Paying attention to the words however was different than understanding the emotions and body language and her tones. He unhooked his canteen from his belt and rolled it to her across the short expanse of sand, not expecting her to trust him too close to her yet. He didn't have much else to offer her except the shirt off his back to cover her which wouldn't help much against the slaps and stings of thorns and low growth or the insects that buzzed around this time of day. "However much you need. I'm good. You might want to stay in your wolf form until we get you inside."

She nodded, agreeing about the form he suggested, she smiled a little as she brought the canteen to her lips to take the first drink. Ruby was smart enough not to guzzle it and upset her stomach in this form, she sipped slowly and let the refreshing drink quench her thirst. "Just give me a minute, I'll change back." The water didn't taste like plain water but it tasted wonderful so she didn't complain. "Thank you... Jon without an h."

"Just Jon," he chuckled, shaking his head. It was nice to be thanked for anything and it made him feel funny. He could get used to that sort of thing. "Heh, don't take this wrong, but can I keep you? Around, I mean. I don't get thanked that often."

"Sure.. I like you." She smiled again, a quiet chuckle coming out as the sips of water helped her throat feel better. She took another drink and gestured around them at the seemingly endless sand, sea, sky, and jungle. "Why are you in this place?"

"Why not? It's a freakin' paradise, isn't it?" He had mixed feelings about being here sometimes, but his honesty would shine through the bite in his comment. "Never snows.. except in Kaz's tent, but that's because he's crazy. We run the place like we want and we don't get stupid tourists. Just.. the occassional wreck and shit."

She looked down and licked at her lips, it felt really good to do that. "Wrecks where you pick and choose who survives and who doesn't get rescued.. They only put women on the boats they brought back here.. maybe they thought we wouldn't notice or didn't care if we did.. but it's kind of creepy." She realized that she was being completely honest with him when she hadn't wanted to tell him so openly about what she'd observed or how she felt about it. "It is pretty though... you really like it here?"

"Most of the time," he said, looking back at her with a strange smile. He dug at the sand a little with the nose of the rifle, making small circles. "I'm not the one who makes the rules we do have. I'm sorry. If they were like you, though, they're here, at least for a little while." He felt the hair on his neck beginning to prickle like he was saying too much.

"So.. this is like a freaks only island? My boyfriend was on the other boat.. sorry, ex-boyfriend.. we broke up about five minutes before the accident or whatever it was." She sighed, looking down at the sand where Jon drew circles and slowly bringing her gaze up to his face. "He was a jerk and I wanted to knock his teeth out but.. I'm not sure how I feel about him being left out there because he's not.. what I am.." She stopped for a moment to gather her thoughts and words. "Who makes the rules?" She took a few more sips of the water, feeling as if she was relaxing more with each sip.

"Tripp," he said flatly, looking down at the circles that were crooked enough to almost resemble hearts. He scratched through them and dug deeper into the watery mush as he brought up the man's name. "If he wasn't like you, Garrett was right. He won't survive here. It's not just a rule, it's a necessity to be like us, here."

"That's a fair reason not to keep them here but why not send them back to the mainland... wait.. what about us? You brought us here and if you wouldn't bring them here.. you're not sending us home." She searched his face, certain she was correct in that assumption but not sure how she felt about being stuck here. She liked Jon and his scent was very appealing but was that reason enough not to care about the other boat being left and them being taken prisoner? She took another sip of the water and put the cap back on the canteen, she held it out toward him. "Talking about this Tripp person makes you uneasy.."

"Preeeeetty much," he sighed, answering all of the questions with the one quiet sound. His smile had gone dark and he gave her another look. Tripp had the say in everything, even her staying here. He straightened up a little and came closer to take the canteen from her hand, stepping through the drawing to leave a wet bootprint. "Start calling this place home," he said, hoping that she'd learn to like it here as easily as she'd learned to accept him as someone who wouldn't hurt her.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked with a tilt of her head, she studied his expression and leaned slightly to take in a deeper breath of his scent. She was unsure of what she sensed from him or where the emotion was directed. It bothered her to think he was angry with her for all her questions or for any reason.

"Hell no. No, not at you. Sorry, it's just.. that part that I don't like about being here, not knowing when someone may just be gone. It happens sometimes, but I guess anywhere's like that when you think about it. God, now I'm going to scare you," he said, realizing the gloom in what he was telling her. "It's not you, I'll just leave it at that. Looks like you're starting to bleed again. Your leg looks pretty bad still."

"Too bad you're not feral... you could lick it for me." She sighed with a slight chuckle in it and looked down at her legs. "I guess that means I should change." She shook herself back into her furry four legged form before curling to sweep her tongue over the wounds on her leg and seal them enough to hopefully make the walk to where they needed to go. She got to her feet and took a couple steps to test her legs moving closer to him and reaching to lick his hand.

"No, I'm not. Sometimes wish I was though," he said as she went about bending and twisting to reach her wounds. It made his stomach feel a little funny how she sort of offered for him to help her. He wasn't the one who liked blood so much, though, even though he'd done his share of fighting and ripping others up one way or another. She tested her land legs again against the wobble the tranqs gave her and he reached out gently to help steady her, almost touching her furry ruff. He pulled back a little. "Um... so are you ready to go meet the man behind hte curtain?"

[Lovely]

She licked his hand again to let him know she would follow him - ready or not. She would admit, only to herself, that she was scared and worried about this and it bothered her that he'd pulled back from touching her in this form. Why should it bother her? He smelled even better closer up and she whined again, shifting her feet with the restless ache that was slowly growing stronger.

"Hey, take it easy," he chuckled a little, watching her shift and feeling the strange uneasiness in response to his own. "I just didn't want to startle you. I grew up around dogs and realized.. hey you might not be used to be petted or ... yeah. Call me stupid. I mean, you're a girl in there. We'll get you all the help you need when we're in camp. Really it's not all that far, it just seems like it when you're toast. Believe me, after a couple allnighters on guard out here, it can hurt to blink sometimes, let alone hike back to your cot."

Her head lifted and she looked up at him, wondering if he could tell what she was feeling or that she liked him far more than she thought she should in such a short time. Despite the thoughts that she shouldn't like him, she did and found the attraction to him growing stronger. She took a step toward him and rubbed her head against his leg. "Never wanted anyone to pet me before.. so I'm not used to it." She admitted with another soft whine, letting her tongue lap over his fingers. "Pet me?" She asked, looking up at him with what could only be explained as puppy eyes.

"Pet you? Are you serious? Okay," he chuckled like she was a tiny puppy begging for a snack, not simple affection. He reached down to nestle his fingers into her thick fur, expecting it to be wirey but finding it soft. His touch was gentle, something in his demeanor seeming kind and a little lost as his fingertips curled under her chin and scratched back softly to the thick collaring fur on her neck. "Hope that's not too rough or anything. It's not like you're a lab."

"Mmmmm I like it!" She stretched under the attention and shifted for his fingers to reach more of her, her tail wagged happily. She rose up on her hind legs, putting her front paws against his leg as she stood to try to lick his arm and his cheek if she could reach that far.

It was the first time in months Jon actually laughed. She was a strong girl underneath the furry coat and nearly knocked him over. "Okay! Hey, easy," he said, dropping the rifle to the sand and reaching for her with the other hand. "You're a good girl. Don't make a liar of me by shredding the uniform. Okay, well maybe a little shred would be worth it."

Her tail wagged more furiously as if she was laughing though there was no sound for it in this form, she stretched up to lick his cheek and neck. She felt how he strained against her and was almost knocked over by her strength, but her intent was not to hurt him. The shift was involuntary this time and she stumbled against him as she was suddenly a curvy human girl again. Off balance she braced herself against his chest, staring up at him in surprise. "Oh!"

She was suddenly not furry and he found his hand slipping over cool, smooth skin across her back as he also lost balance, falling backward into the lapping rolls of water and loose sand that deadened his fall. Splashing down on his butt, he was there to break her fall if she didn't tumble away from his unexpected embrace. "Um... yeah. Hi. Did you mean to do that?"

She tumbled with and into him as he fell back onto his butt. "Ummm not exactly.. I was thinking I'd rather kiss you than lick you.. well not that I don't want to lick you too.. just not like that.. while I'm like that.." Her fingers curled over his shoulders and her eyes fluttered closed for a moment and she shook her head. "So I guess I sort of did mean to do that.. I didn't hurt you.. did I? I knocked you over." She pointed out the obvious with a soft pout, as her eyes opened to gaze directly into his as they were face to face now.

He laughed again. "I'm fine. Please, I take a worse beating every d-... did you really mean -that-? The um... you'd rather... really?" He didn't know what to say, looking into her large, bright eyes. The water curled up around him and flowed away again as he pet her a little more, stroking her bare back.

"Really." She said with a slight nod and a sweet smile, his hands stroking over her back made her breath catch and her hands slid up his neck, she leaned to kiss him. Whether or not he believed her spoken reply, there was no doubt about this part of her answer - this was no chaste or timid kiss.

Holy hell in a handbag, did she have his number. Jon was as used to being kissed like this as she was being petted. The flow of her intentions, mood, tone and definitely the body language scarcely needed his form of interpretation, but it was nice to have the added emphasis. His fingers fanned across her back as the kiss was returned. Sure.. he could say he was attacked and it took all he had to take care of her before they got back to camp, right? Damn Tripp and his intrusive tests, though. The man would know in a heartbeat if he was lying.. and it could end up being his last heartbeat if he wasn't careful. "Mmm.. hey, could you... maybe do me a favor?" He asked meekly as he peeled away from the kiss. "Hold that thought and tell me more about it when I'm off duty?"

He peeled away and for a moment she thought that he was rejecting her and that he didn't like the kiss, his scent as well as his words told her differently. "You really want me to?" She asked him as he had to her only moments before, her smile sweet and shy though her eyes sparkled with playfulness and life that seemed to fill her. If she continued to feel 'funny' like she had been, she would show him more than just this thought when he was off duty... she'd demostrate every thought and urge tumbling through her. It took much effort to do as he asked and not shred his uniform here and now.

"Yea, I think I really do. That was something else and I might not forgive myself if I don't take up the offer while I can, cuz you know... life is weird and instinct... damn, even my instincts are telling me about you," he said, his thoughts becoming muddied with her distraction. "And you know, having the water in my pants is really, really weird," he laughed.

She laughed with him though hers was a softer sound and she snuck in to steal a quick soft kiss before she moved out of his lap and reached for his hands to help him up. It was a natural movement and gesture, she didn't even think about it, feeling as if she'd known him much longer than she had. "I don't have pants.. maybe you should try it.. you know when you're off duty."

"I intend to, believe me," he said, not being shy about the glances he was giving her now. He pulled himself up with her help and shook a little to drain the water out of his gear. Thank god his rifle was still dry or he'd never hear the end of it from Jarrod. "So, we're back to walking like that, or ... how you were. Personally... I mean... that's really nice, just like that."

[Lovely]

Ruby had chosen to walk and remain as she was since Jon liked her human form, even if it was banged up. By the time they got to the trip wires her energy was starting to fade and whether it was her pout or his special senses picking up on her fatigue, he gently scooped her up and carried her the rest of the way. Her eyes closed and her head rested against his shoulder, her arms wrapped lightly around his shoulder and neck. She couldn't help the small smile that perched on her lips, it was so sweet of him to carry her and daaaaaamn he smelled delicious.

"Okay, you can stop that," he chuckled, speaking quietly to her over his shoulder where she cuddled up to him. "You know I can kinda hear you and figure out what's on your mind. Not that I don't like it, but I really don't want to drop you right now," he warned teasingly, stepping carefully over the sets of hidden wires. Radioing ahead would be a challenge, carrying her like this.

She was very tempted to turn her head and nibble on his neck just to see if he would drop her, one glance down to the wires he carefully stepped over made her decide to wait on that idea. "How do I stop thinking or feeling?" She asked instead, shifting her head so her chin rested against his shoulder, better question was how did she stop thinking and feeling this way when every breath was filled with his scent? She licked at her lips, trying unsuccessfully to not think about licking him all over.

"Hey I never said anything about stopping the feeling... depends on what or who you're feeling, though," he teased, getting a nice chill in his senses. "I need use this hand, so hold on a second, okay?" He wiggled his left hand free, ready for her to step down to the ground again if she wanted now that they were clear of the wires. "If I don't call home, Auntie Em has a freaking shitfit about it."

She groaned slightly as she shifted her leg to let his hand move and then wrapped both more firmly around his waist. She tried to hide the noise by turning her head into his back so he wouldn't hear or feel bad about the pain she was in. It wasn't really unbearable, she had a tolerance for pain but it was uncomfortable, still she clearly wasn't letting go of him. Perhaps in some manner it was her way of trying to stake her claim on him though she hadn't fully realized that was what she wanted to do.

"Wow, okay, just a second," he said, feeling a spike in the sensations like the drop of a trapdoor. He didn't want to let go but had to for that moment. He couldn't even think of codes and right now it didn't matter. The others knew she was with him. "Pete, incoming. Stand down so I can bring her in. I don't give a shit KJ whatever... it's Jon."

"Sorry to hear that, Wilkes. Bring her in and we'll have a chat," replied the voice that wasn't Pieter at all.

"Oh, f*ck me," Jon sighed. It was Jarrod.

She picked up on something and growled over his shoulder toward the voice that came through his wrist piece. It was a protective kind of growl because somehow in the time since she'd been left on the beach with him she'd started to think of him as hers. Jarrod probably wouldn't hear the noise from her but Jon would and he'd feel the strong, fiercely protective vibe coming from her.

"No, hey, it's okay. I just think I might have screwed up some of my off duty playtime, though. Damnit," he said, with transmitter off. Jarrod wasn't one for smalltalk anyway and he'd be impatiently waiting for them now.

"Are you in trouble because of me?" She asked him in much the same tone she'd used when asking if he was mad at her. She'd started to think less about why she hadn't like the others and more about spending time with him off duty. When she thought about him or being with him it was easy to kind of forget about what she'd seen and heard or at least not be bothered by it.

"No. It's because of my stupid mouth," he gritted out, mad at himself, though how was he supposed to know there was a change at the gate? "I swear he does this just to piss me off so I say something and he gets to yell at me. I swear he gets his wank cranked for shittin' on me all the time. Him and Tripp."

"Then why do you stay here with them? Why do you like it here if they shit on you all the time?" She asked in a voice that was a little angry on his behalf but also curious as to how he might answer and above all an honest caring in for him. Ruby was certain he was like the others in some ways but he was different, he seemed to have a different way with people.

"Cuz it's better than getting killed at home for being what I am. I mean, I can hide it a lot better than most can, but there are a few who know and they kinda don't want me around in the breathing sense. Doctors that want to dissect me, okay? It's not all the time, it's just... anyway it's better than home," he said, trying to make sense of it himself, most days. "Some days their egos are bigger'n their dicks, but not often."

Her arms hugged around him a little tighter and she turned her face toward him, kissing his cheek. "Okay." She reassured him softly, let him know she understood, accepted his answer, and promised to try to make it better for him with the sweet brush of her lips. She did know a thing or two about normal guys and their egos, this didn't sound like it was far off from that.