"Val, Valerie!" sighing frustrated Ruth prodded her sleeping friend

"What... Oh Ruth, please just let me sleep! Mom has yet to let me have a solid nights sleep since I've come back from the city." frowning blearily Val yawned and stretched, it was no use. Ever since her time in New York once her eyes opened she was awake, not that that was her worst memento from that time in her life. Even now she'd have the awful impulse for some nevermore, for the mind numbing elation, just the shear ease of it. Then again there were still some positives, like her new... boyfriend Ravus, though come to think of it she hasn't seen him for a good week. "Ok Ruth, what is so important?"

"Well no need to be snippy about it!" she grumbled lightly "Just that I thought you might like to know that Tom is heading our way, but you know if you still want to sleep!"

"Oh Lord are you serious?" Instead of responding she just jerked her hand over her head, sitting up abruptly Val glanced surreptitiously behind her so as not to arouse suspicion. And sure enough there was Tom, resplendent in black with his mohawk died colorfully in all his awful, sneaky, mom-loving glory. Turning back to Ruth she hissed desperately "Hide me!" as she tucked her head firmly within the crook of her crossed arms. Ruth chuckled darkly and gave a ferocious glare towards Tom who visibly flinched, but continued on his path to their picnic table in the school yard. In mere seconds Tom was standing besides Ruth staring balefully at Val; still buried in her arms.

"V-v-val? It's just well... I'm sorry. I just wanted you to understand. It was nothing personal." he stuttered out. You could tell from the small amount of her face showing that it had turned a violent shade of red, whether from shyness or anger had yet to be seen. Ruth, still maintaining a stunning death glare, gritted her teeth and spat out

"That's all? Well then you self absorbed ass, you may leave!" Turning away from him she looked concernedly at Val.

"Well, Ruth I think that Val should decide! What do you say Val?" Her head popped up suddenly and you could see quite clearly that her color change was from very distinct anger

"What do I think Tom!? I think that you should leave. That if you wanted me to understand you wouldn't go behind my back and not tell me anything! On top of that it is most definitely personal when you fuck someone's mother!" She had stood somewhere amidst this speech and gained steadily in volume until almost everyone nearby was staring at the distraught trio. Exhausted, completely spent of anger she managed a final jab before she marched off to find a bus into the city and then to find Ravus.

"Screw you." and with that she stalked off maintaining her proud posture until she was out of sight but not out of ear shot because she could hear quite clearly Ruth's triumphant laughter.

Ravus sat, stone quiet, on the stool in his workshop. Obviously deep in thought, he was drumming his large green tinted fingers on the table before him. So deep in thought was he that he was oblivious to his surroundings, right up until Val tapped him on the shoulder. Jumping up, he easily slipped into a fighting stance but upon seeing Val looking shocked as she suppressed nervous laughter, he relaxed and impulsively swept her into a hug. With a grunt of surprise Val returned the hug with equal viciousness. It was a few solid minutes before either disentangled themselves from the other and some more time after waiting for one to speak. Ravus broke the silence

"Val, happy as I am to see you... Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at school?" Remembering why she had came to Ravus in the first place her eyes clouded with tears, Ravus noted this with much distress immediately attempting to backtrack and apologize all at once. Val giggled wetly,

"It's just Tom, he came to see me today at lunch and I got a little upset. I just couldn't take everyone looking at me so I left, for you..." Ravus blushed accordingly and looked down before encompassing her once again in his massive arms.

"Oh Val..." Val responded in like merely tightening her grip on as much of his form she could gather, they stayed that way for a good few minutes before an ill-timed muscle cramp forced them apart. In the comfortable silence that followed Ravus went back to his work he had abandoned in thought and Val took up her post hovering behind him.

"So how are Luis and Dave? Oh, and Lolli..?" Taking a stab at conservation, Val winced at her rather clumsy choice of topic. Sighing Ravus spoke without looking up from his steady grinding must have once been wings.

"Well, as far as I know Luis is fine, as is Dave. Both are little on edge from the 'Nevermore', as they call it, but they're recovering. We're not quite sure where Lolli is but every now and again some of my 'Nevermore' disappears."

"Oh." Val knew quite well the dependency that that 'fairy dust' could cause, the sheer power that it gave someone was intoxicating, not to mention highly addictive. She had only been exposed to its powers for half a month or so and still she was plagued with urges at every hardship, big or small in her life. Lately her solution had been to come to visit Ravus. What would Lolli do? She had been by far the worst user among them and now, with no one to talk to... that she knew of. Steal she supposed... Get back some of that power. That rush. She scolded herself internally She was with Ravus she was happy. She was not going to focus on her past. She looked over to Ravus who was watching her unabashedly. He was rather frank when it came to his attraction to it was in fact really comforting after Toms betrayal. She grinned and he responded in like as she flounced over in such a way that caused the bell bottomed jeans she was wearing to twirl around her ankles. She sat down on her loves lap, quite satisfied with the low growl he made deep in his throat, turned and kissed him once softly on the mouth. Without further ado, Ravus gripped her upon her shoulders and deepened the kiss. Sighing Val leant into his grasp and opened her mouth in acceptance, and way led to way until at least five minutes had passed and her white and woolen sweater had managed to become unzipped and the royal purple tank top she wore under it was revealed. Ravus was suckling his way down her neck much to her enjoyment; which she expressed with many breathy sighs that were music to his ears, her thin strong fingers wrapped into his straggly black hair and pushed him against her enjoying the heady contact. Mostly dead to the world by now both were lost in the other, Ravus completely oblivious to the usually prominent urges of his more bestial side. And as such he bit down lightly on her neck, eagerly lapping up her moans he moved his mouth back to hers where their teeth gnashed and their tongues fought for dominance. For many more seconds silence took over until the need for oxygen grew too strong to resist and they broke apart. Only then did he register the taste of blood lingering beyond the usual musty taste of cinnamon and freshness that was Val. Immediately drawing back he surveyed Val anxiously for any obvious wounds. There on her neck bleeding sluggishly were a set of teeth marks he recognized as his own. Reeling backwards in shock and remorse his eyes shot to her face, she was smiling languidly at him, like usual. Apparently she was oblivious to the danger she was in around him! He had the urge to take her to him once more as she licked his lips in a way she knew was oh so tempting, but he resisted fearing more for her safety than for his lustiness, which a quick dip in the cold river could fix quickly. Shakily he raised his hand, wincing at the look of his sinister claw, and pointed to the door. Val breaking out of her romance driven stupor, gazed quizzically at him, what on earth was he doing?

"Out!" he forced out in a strangled tone. Out?

"But Ravus,"

"But nothing!" He roared "Leave now. This is my home and I wish you to leave." he continued in a calmer tone. Val shook from head to foot hardly daring to wonder whether he really meant it.

"Ravus... please." she whispered pleadingly gazing at the floor.

"No. Leave." he said flatly. Desperate anger sparked in her eyes

"Fine! If you want me to leave I just won't come back" she shouted outraged "There are PLENTY of people who would date me. FUCK me!" Her word born of deep resentment for her rejection was merely meant to make him want her again, because to her it seemed as though he had all the sudden stopped. These words cut deeper than she knew. Ravus had to close his eyes at their pain, making only worse the visions of someone else, some other man talking to his Val, touching her doing... things to her. He was close to killing every man who she could possibly encounter with his bear hands when he remembered why he was sending her out. To save her… From him.

"Fine. Now please go." And though it broke his heart into a thousand pieces he sent her off once more. Suddenly all the drive left her body and Val just looked defeated, at the ground and walked towards the exit. As she reached the door she turned and whispered seven words that drove him over the edge.

"I'll go. But I'm not coming back. Ever." and with that she sprinted out leaving behind a crumbling Ravus who, within seconds was running after her.

She was running full out, hair streaming behind her and tears coursing over her face. She was not a pretty crier, like Ruth. She got puffy and red, fast; and it wouldn't leave her for hours later. But still she sprinted on hearing the hammering footsteps of someone much stronger, and with what she assumed were, longer legs behind her; because he had caught up with her quickly and wrapped his arms around her. And in the dark and filth of the subway, Ravus held her tight begging her to come back and to stop crying, while she unabashedly sobbed into his chest. When she finally regained her breath she questioned quietly, looking down at the floor,

"Do you hate me?" He winced in what he felt was almost physical pain at her words. Hugging her tighter than before he whispered in to her short yet soft hair,

"No, Oh Gods no Val. Really I love you so much and, it's just I couldn't bear to hurt you." His voice broke as he was finishing but he quickly recovered.

"But... But you don't you'd never, ever." Val replied obviously floored.

"But I did sweetling. Look." His hand traced down her neck making her shiver despite everything, stopping on the now congealed pattern of blood. Seeing what he was speaking of she started to laugh uncontrollably. She couldn't help herself. Ravus glared at her halfheartedly, "Don't you see Val. I didn't even think about it what if I lost control?" Still shuddering with suppressed laughter

"This is nothing more than a hickey! I'm no shrinking violet Ravus, I've had hickeys before. Admittedly, no ones drawn blood that way but I rather enjoyed it." She rolled her eyes at him "Silly if violence were an issue with me I would hardly let you shred my clothes every time we got hot and heavy. Now would I?" She said sensibly breaking free of his grasp to show him the unmistakable rips that his claws had tracked through her sweater.

"Did I really do that?" He questioned softly ashamed of himself to a stunning extent "Val... Why are you even still with me after everything if I've hurt you?" He took two steps backwards completely mortified hat he'd done anything like this before. Sighing she pulled him back to her and hugged him muttering into his rather large chest

"I know your a troll Ravus I've known it since day one and I'm not going to forget it." Tilting her head up and looking into his eyes "I honest to goodness love you. Don't you know that means no matter what."

"Oh." With that he swept her up into his arms and carried her back home, his bundle giggling and fighting all the way. But even with the assurance of his love he still felt the nagging reminiscence of the taste of her blood and how easy it was to be carried away by that. And whether it was a memory from a dream or reality he had yet to decide.