fannishliss

title: As Above, So Below.
author:

fannishliss
650 words
Pairing: Anna/Ruby
rating: PG 13
spoilers for s4 "I Know What you Did Last Summer" and "Heaven and Hell"

notes: a little enclosed spaces, a little hurt/comfort, and pretty good Bechdel compliance. :)

This is for

mercuryblue144, who prompted : "Anna and Ruby, between when Anna's screaming at the sight of Ruby and when Anna's saying Ruby's not like other demons. And/or a little later, when Ruby's dealing with Anna's cut arm. Bechdel pass preferable."

So in mercuryblue's icon, Ruby is Liberty, while Anna is Justice, and that seems reasonably apt. :)

As Above, So Below.

Two girls, hiding in a closet: one a demon, one an angel, both closeted in robes of flesh.

Anna lets out a shriek, shrinks back, huddling, as Ruby hurls herself in, hastily pulls the door closed.

Glimmers of light from the ill-fitting door, a susurration of metal, and Ruby is pulling the knife across the floor. Anna’s throat is closed, eyes dry and riveted to her movements in the dimness, as Ruby mutters under her breath:

“Watchtowers of the four directions, I conjure and invoke thee, hide us here and avaunt the searching eye! Shadows both dark and light, join thou and keep us by thy mighty powers, covert us here, I invoke thee, I invoke thee, I invoke thee!”

Her knife seems to sing as she scratches glowing runes into the closet floor. Anna reels back, recognizing the runes -- shadow, repel, protect, encircle.

Ruby grabs Anna, stifling her as she jumps, slams a hand over her mouth to silence her scream, and the terrible sound of broken glass crashes and redounds in the echoing hall.

Almost worse is the sudden ringing silence, the measured footfalls of a man’s dress shoes walking past them on the creaking wooden floor.

“We’ve already gone, we’ve already gone, we’ve slipped out without you noticing,” Ruby whispers, a scanty breath in Anna’s ear.

A hoarse exhalation, a mirthless bark of laughter that sends a shiver all down Anna’s spine, and the man’s footsteps retreat.

Ruby holds Anna tight. “We’ve already gone, we’ve already gone,” Ruby murmurs, a little louder.

Anna feels a bit lightheaded as the terror drains away. She sighs, leaning back into Ruby’s arms.

“Sh, sh, we’ve already gone, no one here to find, we’ve gone, we’ve gone to ground.” Ruby’s whisper is almost a chant and Anna’s mind is filling with it.

“Gone to ground,” she whispers, shivering. Ruby presses closer. Her arms are warm.

“Gone to ground,” Ruby breathes in her ear. Her lips find the tender skin just below Anna’s hairline, kissing lightly.

Anna moans. The horrible visage in her mind’s eye doesn’t match the softness, the tenderness with which the demon embraces her.

The warm lips nip and suck at Anna’s neck, gently, soothingly.

“What an angel, what a lovely girl,” Ruby murmurs.

“What... what are you?” Anna gasps. Her head is swimming, her limbs are heavy, heat is building in her belly and lower.

“What am I? Don’t worry about me-- what are you?” Ruby laughs, low in her throat, purring into Anna’s ear. Her hand slips alarmingly onto Anna’s belly as her lips continue to play along Anna’s jaw and neck.

“Oh! What am I? What do you mean?” Anna gasps, as Ruby’s fingers delve down, gentle, tender. Her other hand strokes Anna’s side, so comforting.

“You don’t know, Love, but you will. You’ll remember me, remember this, a gift from me to you, angel,” Ruby murmurs, the hand on Anna’s side moves up and forward, cupping Anna sweetly, while the other hand moves down, soft and inexorable.

“Why?” Anna says, but she’s yielding to Ruby. She’s no virgin, no stranger to sex, and Ruby chuckles.

“Maybe I just want to get into your good grace,” Ruby says, stroking so lightly that Anna writhes.

“I think... you’re there,” Anna says, her breath hitching. Ruby listens, intoxicated, as the breath catches on the little moans Ruby is giving her.

Anna’s pleasure spreads like wings and takes flight, and Ruby drinks down the liquid cries that spill from her throat.

Later, bandaging the place where Anna opened a vein to do old magic, Ruby lowers her head and kisses the wound while Anna smiles in gratitude. And maybe Anna doesn’t see when Ruby turns her head, eyes going dark as she licks her lips, tasting for traces of heaven.