Life Lessons

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Ruby Winters was a young woman of around twenty two, not that her parents would remember this fact. She was their youngest child. A mistake. Surplus to the achievement of creating their eldest. It hadn’t taken long for Ruby to stop ‘bothering’ her mother with her drawings as a toddler, knowing the response would always be the same; ‘Lovely’, without so much as a glance. She had taken up the piano, to which her father had told her was a waste of time and energy, after all... they didn’t need two pianists in the family. As she grew older, Ruby tried to ask her father to school her in the family business, to which he had told her it was not her place to know the family business. The business would belong to her elder sister one day, it was a useless endeavour to show Ruby how it worked. Eventually Ruby simply ceased interacting with her parents. She spent her days living in the farthest part of their sprawling mansion from them, not that they noticed. The young woman tried finding a job as anything at all, but as soon as they saw the name ‘Winters’, she was laughed away, most companies telling her to just go ask daddy to make her a pony, or whatever it was little girls wanted these days. Such statements barely made sense, as she had only the faintest understanding of what her family did. She knew they were part of a partnership that owned an extremely popular theme park that only the very wealthy could afford, such was her reason for staying away from it; She wanted nothing at all to do with anything Winters.
While she had grown up wanting for nothing in the material sense, the youngest Winter’s daughter was extremely poor when it came to personal relationships.

“You thinks that’s all it will take to blow my mind, meatloaf?” Ruby asked, and while only her eyes were visible above the menu, it was clear they were smiling.

“I will if you will.” Kraven breathed grabbing hold of Joe’s wrist before she could pull it back.

"Well..." Milo laughed again. The sound was rather strange. "You haven't tried the meatloaf. You are unaware of it's powers"

"Sure. For one night. We'll live." Joe agreed.

“I’ve never had meatloaf.” Ruby replied, then returning to inspecting her menu. “Or my mind blown.”

Kraven turned Joe’s hand over, and kissed the bandaged palm lightly. “All I’ll need, duchess.”

"Well then..." Milo reached across the table and gently removed the menu from her. "Prepare yourself." He chuckled. They were so close their lips brushed when he spoke.

"You know what would really piss them off? If we got married before they very public grand event." Joe said, her wicked smile returning.

Ruby could feel her heart hammering so hard in her chest she thought it was going to leap right up her throat. The young woman tried to speak, but her usual self deprecating tongue seemed to evade her as she stared up into the ice blue eyes looking down at her.

Kraven grinned, loving that Joe wanted to cause as much trouble as he did. He was about to agree whole heartedly when he happened to glance over her shoulder, catching sight of a silver head leaning into someone who looked very familiar. “Well shit...” he murmured. “Where did you say you left your sister again?”

Milo leaned in closer, his lips capturing hers fully. He couldn't fight the temptation any longer. She was so innocent to the dark world around her. He needed that. He needed her.

"I left her in the park. I set the rancher on her path to make sure she was taken care of. Why do you ask?"

Ruby suddenly felt like the costume she still wore was far too tight as Milo’s kiss took her breathe away. A slender hand laid over his on top of the table as she returned the kiss, just as eyes on the other side of the small diner noticed her.

Kraven snorted and shook his head, eyes narrowed at what he was seeing. “Looks like someone beat the rancher to the path of getting their tongue in her mouth.” He sneered.

Milo's fingers slid into her hair as he deepened their kiss. He didn't know what had come over him. Usually he was much more reserved than this. The last woman he'd let close to him had torn him to shreds. He couldn't afford to let that happen again. But still...

"Son of a bitch..." Joe hissed, shoving out of her seat. "Milo! Get your hands off her!" She shouted from across the restaurant. "Lying sack of shit Kraven. You're as bad as cockroaches, both of you!" 
Milo's head shot up, his icy eyes flaming. "Don't use that name." He hissed, stepping back from Ruby.

Ruby was also on her feet, looking utterly crestfallen by the situation. “You’re a Kraven?” She asked, betrayal written over every inch of her youthful face as she looked up at the mysterious man who had seemed to simply sweep her from the park out of kindness and nothing more. She felt a fool, like she should have known better. This was about Joe. It was always about Joe.

It was impossible to read Milo's face. He was looking at Jack over the two women's heads, his lips set in a thin line.

Ruby couldn’t recall a time when she had felt worse than she did right then. She could hear people talking, but not what they were saying. It was always about Joe. She should’ve known the only reason a man like Milo even pretended to want anything to do with her was to get to Joe. The young woman finally surrendered to her gut instinct and pushed her way past the other three and ran for the door.
Kraven snorted when he saw Ruby flee, and sneered at his elder brother. “I see you’re still a real hit with the ladies. If you can even call her that... she’s just a kid.”

Milo stared at his half brother for a moment longer before he turned and went the other way. He should have known Jack would ruin this.

It didn’t sit well with Kraven at all that his big brother had seemingly been seducing the younger Winters girl. That’s all it was in Jack’s eyes; Milo was seducing the inexperienced child in order to sink his teeth into a bigger piece of the park fortune. “You need to keep her away from him.” He warned Joe darkly, seeming oddly more serious than he usually was.

Joe frowned at this but didn't say anything more. Milo turned on his younger brother for the second time, his icy eyes dark. "I'd worry about myself." He hissed. "That mother of yours carries a knife in her pocket."

Joe frowned at this but didn't say anything more. Milo turned on his younger brother for the second time, his icy eyes dark. "I'd worry about myself." He hissed. "That mother of yours carries a knife in her pocket."

Kraven narrowed eyes that matched his brother’s back at the elder man. “Oh sure, like you care. What’s the matter, jealous I still have a mother?” He sneered, shoving Milo enough to make him back up a step. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to plan. We can’t all be changing after useless little girls.” He added spitefully, taking hold of Joe’s hand and pulling her along with him.

"No. Some of use just marry them and kill them." Milo said darkly, knowing Joe could hear him. He turned to head toward the kitchens then out the back doors of the restaurant. It broke him that Ruby judged him by his name especially after everything they had discussed that day. He'd go back to his robots. At least they didn't have him because of his father. 

Joe had heard what the silver haired man said and it only made her worry more. Never the less she sat in Kraven's car, determined to follow through with her plans. She could only hope her sister got her message.

"No. Some of use just marry them and kill them." Milo said darkly, knowing Joe could hear him. He turned to head toward the kitchens then out the back doors of the restaurant. It broke him that Ruby judged him by his name especially after everything they had discussed that day. He'd go back to his robots. At least they didn't have him because of his father. 

Joe had heard what the silver haired man said and it only made her worry more. Never the less she sat in Kraven's car, determined to follow through with her plans. She could only hope her sister got her message.

Ruby was sat on the curb outside. All her belongings were back at the park, and she couldn’t go home dressed like this... not that anyone would care. She was replaying all her interactions with Milo over in her head, Kraven having filled her with the fear that the elder man was indeed only trying to get to Joe through her idiot little sister.

“I’m sorry.” Kraven’s words cut through the silence as he drove. “I know you wanted to keep her away from all this, and I... I didn’t exactly help.” He attempted to run his fingers though his hair like he always did, it was going to take some getting used to there being much less of it than he was accustomed to.

Milo went back to his office and locked himself in. He was done with everyone at this point. He had Ruby's things sent to her home and switched off his phone. Not that it mattered. No one called him anyway.

Joe's head snapped toward him her eyes sweeping over his face. Kraven never apologized. Ever. She didn't know what to say. 
"Ruby deserves better than the Winters family. I was just trying to make her forget things for a bit. Figures I'd screw that up."

Ruby had seen her bag waiting for her in the foyer when she returned home. She felt all the air suddenly seem to leave the room, as even she could understand this action all too clearly. Upstairs the young woman locked her bedroom door and tore off the clothes her sister had had her wear. That done she crawled into her bed and pulled the heavy blanket over her head. There was a reason Ruby Winters avoided people, and today was a perfect reason why.

“She’s old enough to look after her own interests, don’t you think?” Kraven asked. “She needs to grow up and stop relying on you to keep all the bad shit away.” He added simply. “Milo was an unexpected complication. This... it isn’t like him. I don’t know what the fuck kind of game he’s playing here...”

"Your father is angry." Her mother hissed from the doorway. She was clearly drunk. It wasn't something new. "You made a fool of yourself at your sister's engagement party. He's going to punish you. I hope he kills you. He should have done that when you were born." 

"Milo is pushing his luck getting close to her. I'll have his head for this." She hissed.

There was a long pause before Ruby opened the door to face her mother, a black silk robe pulled around her which she was tying at the waist. “Wow, I must be getting really good.” She sneered. “I can even make a fool of myself at Parties I wasn’t even in attendance at, you know... because I wasn’t invited?”

Kraven nodded in agreement. “It makes no sense... he rarely interacts with anything but the hosts. Why her? Why now?” The younger man truly couldn’t see past the outer shell to the person Ruby was inside.

"Don't lie to me you little bitch. Your blood is all over my carpet down stairs. After that embarrassing show you made in front of Peggy Forthright. Jealousy is an ugly color for you. You're not made for a Kraven. But your sister is bred for him. Don't screw it up." Her mother hissed.

"I don't know." Joe sighed. "I guess I should go home. This whole thing is ruined. Our mothers will probably win this one."

Ruby’s lip quirked into an almost wicked smile when he mother said this. “Too bad you bred her for the wrong Kraven.” She sneered.

Kraven signed, though he nodded in agreement. “So much for our little act of rebellion, huh?” He asked with an almost sad smile. “I’ll deive you home, we can figure this out in the morning, unless...” the old Kraven seemed to return and he slid a hand along Joe’s slender thigh. “You want to take this back to my place?”

"What is that supposed to mean?" Her mother asked, stumbling into the hallway. "You're a stupid worthless child. That's all you ever will be. Go to bed. Your father will deal with you in the morning." 

Joe slapped his hand away. "You've had your fun." She sat in silence for a long moment, hating that she'd caught a glimpse of a man that didn't really exist and now it was gone. "But...why don't we go ahead with our plans. There's no reason to let our mothers win everything. Is there?"

“I’m only here because the only way you can get attention from any man, even your husband, is to spread your legs!” Ruby growled, not sure where this new found bravery had come from.

Kraven continued to grin, despite Joe’s rejection of his offer. “Oh for the loom on their faces when they find out they’ve been denied all that pomp and ceremony!”

Ramona stopped where she was, swaying on her feet and sneered. Then she marched back and slapped her daughter hard enough to make her nose bleed. "You wouldn't know what it's like. No one wants you. No one ever will. Your life will be easy because she protects you. Just wait until the Kraven's swallow her up and there's nothing left of you."

Joe couldn't help but laugh as well. "Which one do you think will go green first?"

Sadly, Ruby was all too accustomed to being beaten by her mother when the elder woman was drunk. Joe likely knew nothing of it, such were the lengths the younger girl went to to keep it secret from her big sister. The other girl had enough to worry about without anyway. Despite the blood dripping from her nose, and knowing there would soon be a hand shaped bruise on her cheek, Ruby smiled thinly. “That would imply there was something worthwhile about me to begin with.” She replied, then simply turned away from Ramona.

“Probably my mother, yours will be too drunk to remember us telling her what we did.” Kraven replied with a smirk.

Ramona stumbled away and to her own room, slamming the door hard enough to shake art off the walls. Her husband was with another that night. That was revenge enough. 

"Then is it really worth the bother?" Joe asked. "If we go through with a wedding like they want then at least we get a show out of it."