It had been two days since Ruby and the twin dragon slayers went on that job. The towns people had been very thankful to them all. Not only that but Ruby was starting to have weird feelings towards Rogue. They started a few days ago, she noticed that when ever he got close her heart would speed up slightly. She had a pretty good idea why but she hated the thought of that happening to her again. Falling in love with another dragon slayer. It was a stupid road to go down. She was only going to get him killed and her heart broken again. But she was stronger than before, she might be able to protect the one she loved this time. Wait, what the hell was she thinking? She didn't love Rogue. This was just a little crush nothing more and something she could easily stomp on before it got to powerful. Ruby was walking hime late one night after talking in the guild with Rufus and Orga when she heard a piercing scream. It sounded like a distressed woman called for help. Ruby didn't think twice and started running to were she had heard the scream. She followed the noise down a dark alleyway were she found a woman cowering from the five men surrounding her. A lot of them had beer in their hands and Ruby could smell their disgusting breath from where she stood.

"Please stop!" Said the woman.

"Are come on darling. Wearing a short short like that on a night like tonight, it's just asking for attention." Said one of the men pulling at the hem of her skirt. Ruby clenched her fists and began walking towards them.

"Leave her along you pigs." She said standing in front of the woman and glaring at the five drunk men.

"Look another babe came to join the party." Said the original man.

"This one's even cuter than the first." Said another.

"You call this a party? Let the woman go and I'll show you what a real party looks like." Ruby said with an expressionless face. The leader of the group smiled.

"That's sounds like fun. Alright then, it's a deal." Ruby turned ti the woman behind her.

"Get up dry your eyes and head straight home. Don't even look back just keep running until your safe behind your own front door." The woman stood up and whipped her tearful eyes.

"Thank you so much." She said before she ran away.

"Now gentlemen, shall we begin?" She said with a sadistic smile. The leader laughed evilly and pinched the hem of her top, lifting it up slowly to see if she would react of not.

"Um...boss that mark on her hip..." Said one of them making the other four look.

"Oh crap this girls a Sabertooth mage. We got to get out of here."

"Lads don't worry. This one doesn't seem dangerous at all." Said the boss, placing a hand on her now bare hip, covering the mark of her guild.

"If you were smart you'd listen to your friend." Said Ruby bringing up her knee with great force and making his keel over in pain gripping his man hood. Ruby's eyes became redder and began to glow as red vines appeared from her feet.

"Is that...is that blood?" One of them stuttered.

"This girl's dangerous, just look at her eyes."

"I kind of want my Mummy right now."

"You bunch of whimps." Said the leader glaring at Ruby. "Just because she can do a fancy trick doesn't mean anything." He pulled his fist back and swung it at her face but then a black shadows appeared by her side and stopped the arm in mid swing. A single glowing red eye looked at him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Said the shadow as another fist came up and punched the guy in the face. The leader fell to the ground and was unconscious. The shadow effect faded and Rogue came into view.

"That's Rogue, the shadow dragon slayer from Sabertooth. I've heard this guy can take out a whole guild by himself."

"I'm out of here." Said one as the four of them ran away in all different directions.

"What the hell Rogue? Why did you show up? I had that perfectly under control."

"He was going to punch you in the face."

"You think I would let that happen. I had a plan to deal with all those guys. I didn't need you to step in." Rogue suddenly grabbed both of Ruby's forearms and pinned her against the wall. His breathing was heavily, like he was really mad about something. Ruby clenched her fists into a ball and glared at him. "Rogue if you don't let me go..."

"Why did you let him touch you like that?" Rogue cut her off. "You never let anyone else touch you but then a perfect pig faced stranger can touch your bare skin and you don't react at all. How the hell is that fair?"

"Rogue, it's not like I enjoined that but it was just part of the plan to help save that woman."

"You...didn't like it?"

"Of course not. That man was disgusting, I mean you smelt his breath right? Who in their right minds would like being touched by that pervert?"

"You didn't like it...right, so...so if I were to do what he did..." Rogue let go of Ruby's left arm and moved his hand towards her hip. Ruby held her breath but didn't move at all. She was shocked that he would even do such a thing. Rogue never seemed like the type to enjoy physical contact. In many ways he was like her, he was mysterious and keep his self distant from others. Rogue lifted her top up slowly and slide his hand underneath it and held her hip gently. His hands were warm and soft but the action brought back memories for Ruby that she didn't really want to have...

Flashback-

"She's gone Jacob. Someone has taken her." shouted a 16 year old Ruby as she looked around the recked place that she once called home. She had come back to visit her Mother with her boyfriend Jacob but her Mother was not here. Tears rolled down her cheeks and Jacob came and wiped them away gently. He ran a hand through his brown hair and looked at her with his big green eyes.

"Ruby don't worry. I'm sure she is fine, from everything you have told me about her she'll come back. Or we'll find her." He placed his left hand on her hip and moved in closer to her. He tilted his head down slightly so that he could rest his head on Ruby's shoulder. "Whatever happens don't worry because I'll be here with you...right by you side Ruby...always." 

End of flashback- 

Ruby pushed Rogue away and pulled her top down.

"I think that's enough." She said. Rogue moved away and leant against the brick wall opposite Ruby.

"Of course, you don't want to get to close to anyone do you?"

"It's not like that."

"Then tell me why you always push everyone that could possible care about you away?"

"Because I'm trying to protect you. Where ever I go death and destruction follows that the way it has always been."

"That's not true." Said Rogue. Tears pricked at Ruby's eyes as she got angrier.

"What the hell would you know about it? Think about it, my town was attacked by a fire phoenix...everyone in the village died including my parents but I was the only one to survive. My Mother kidnapped for reasons I don't understand. Jacob died protecting me and then the other day Lector and Frosch nearly died too."

"That wasn't your fault and your mother being taken probably had nothing to do with you."

"Really? Cos it sure feels that way." Tears poured down her face. "I'm cursed and if I fall in love again something bad will just happen to that person. I can't lose anyone else, I don't think my heart can take it any more. So just stop, just don't...come any closer. You'll just get hurt." Ruby turned and walked away, wiping her eyes that were full of tears. Rogue watched her go knowing it wasn't smart to follow her. Ruby had just cried in front of him and opened up for the first time...