A Guild of Moonlit Shadows (A KOTLC FanFic)

~15~ Unfinished Business

"In my apartment, why?" Ruy called back through his mind.

No answer.

"Sophie?" Ruy asked again.

Nothing.

Maybe she was just checking in, making sure he was okay. Ruy thought this as he tried to fall back asleep, but in 20 minutes, there was a faint knocking at his door. Ruy froze, not knowing what to expect. He grabbed his gauntlet from the top of his bedside table, strapping it on. He awkwardly shuffled through the apartment, his wings dragging as he did so. He slowly turned the handle, peeping out the crack in the door.

No mugging or harassment met him, only Sophie's swirling dark irises as she peeped through the crack. She gazed up from beneath his height, drops of brown seeping through her thick lashes. Ruy let out a sigh of relief, opening the door fully for her. She clearly hadn't cared for herself since the battle, but she looked a bit better. Her limp was gone, her hair tied up in a tangly mess behind her head. She still wore her black armor, most likely traveling by the rooftops to avoid questions and attention. Hanging from her shoulder was her brown leather bag. She stood as tall as possible on the tips of her toes in an effort the glance behind him to see his apartment. She didn't even try to hide her cringe.

"Am I not paying you enough?" Were the first words out of her mouth.

Ruy didn't even have a comeback. "How did you know where my place was?"

"One, I'm the one who signs your paperwork as your employer, so I know your address. Two," She tapped her temple, "Tracked your mind." She smiled.

Ruy snorted, "Of course you did."

Sophie looked up at him, biting her lip.

"May I come in?" She asked quietly, trying not to disturb his neighbors. Ruy just noticed that he was frozen in place in the door frame, leaving no room for her.

"What? Oh yeah- yeah! Come on in." He awkwardly shuffled to the side, tucking his wings close to his back as Sophie walked in. She looked around, her lip puckered out as she observed the hot wreck that is his apartment. She picked up the bottle of brandy sitting on his table, sloshing the barely touched liquid around in the glass bottle. Sophie turned on her heel, looking at him, holding the bottle.

"Really?" She asked.

He shrugged, leaning against the door frame. "It's been a long day." He answered. She snorted, placing the brandy back on the table and rubbing her arms.

"I don't want to go home to the Villa. I don't want to hunt down Ricin to ride out, I'm sure my neighbors are going to ask questions, and the house is going to be a mess..." Sophie sighed. She met his eyes.

"Do you mind if I crash here for the night?" She asked. Ruy's brain froze, but he furiously nodded his head.

"Yeah, yeah... no problem. Do you need pillows and things? I'm sure I have some extras around here somewhere." He proposed.

"Sure, but most of all, I think I need a shower." She chuckled, pulling apart her blood dried hair.

"Uh, yeah, sure! Everything should already be in there." Ruy confirmed, pointing to the small powder room near the back of his apartment.

"Thanks," She smiled. After dropping her bag on the counter, she calmly made her way toward the bathroom. The way her hips swayed from beneath her bloody clothes took Ruy aback, snapping back to reality when the door quietly shut behind her. Ruy stared at the door for a moment, then two, then three.

"Ruy?" Sophie called out.

Ruy was still in a daze.

"Ruy?" Sophie called out again.