rmeriwether - Tumblr blog

[rmeriwether]

She flusters at his touch, about to protest that surely the butler is watching, or— with her luck— his parents will appear in the next second, but when his lips are on hers, that all melts away. It's a testament really to his affect on her. Ruby knows that he has to feel more than a little trepidation being here and waiting to meet his family as a couple, and she's clearly anxious too. But Grayson has such an outward self-assuredness about him, about them, that it's far easier to help her think they can take on anything together just by being next to her. And a kiss almost makes her forget any worry altogether.

When he breaks away, she wears a much calmer expression, finding his hand between them and intertwining her fingers in his. "Well, if I were them I'd be waiting at the door for you. Remind me to thank my parents when we get back stateside," she whispers, but it does almost make her grimace to even joke about the Meriwethers being especially inviting. Compared to the job-interview-esque anticipation she's experiencing so far, though, she has to admit her mom and dad deserve some credit.

"So…" Ruby starts, deciding to take advantage of the time they have while still alone— despite the possibility presented that they are in fact being watched— and her eyes flit about the room, looking for signs of family, imagining a younger Grayson in the space. "I can't imagine there are too many fun childhood anecdotes in the sitting room, but please humor me if you have them," she grins, nudging his shoulder with hers. "You ever run around in here playing hide and seek with your siblings? Accidentally break an expensive heirloom?" she jokes, though she wonders how long her boyfriend has been of the rule-abiding kind. "Your secret is safe with me, I swear."

She wants to fight back that her unibrow and acne in middle school would beg to differ, but understands it’s not really the time. Besides, sometimes it’s nice to take the compliment, especially coming from him. Some days, she really doesn’t know what he saw in her in their first year of meeting. She hadn’t yet shaken off the bulk of her awkward anxiety, and was particularly bumbling when it came to learning about the world Gallagher uncovered to her. When she looks at him, she sees someone capable, someone to look up to. From the beginning, she had always seen Grayson as someone she could rely on because, unlike her, he could stand on his own. Ruby thinks— hopes at least— that her growth in the last years has made her someone he can depend on too. And today, that’s exactly what she wants to be.

Ruby offers a kind nod to Bert as they enter the threshold of the estate, tucking the name into her brain like it’s her goal to become the expert in Berkshire trivia, and also because she was raised right and remembering the names of staff is simply a given. As they walk in, her eyes glide across the polished floors and decorated walls of the place, attention taken by how immaculate it looks. It strikes her now how similar her and Grayson’s lives are. Looking at the old portraits in elaborate frames, and the worldly art pieces on display, and the wide hallways devoid of any actual people, she realizes he used to live in a museum. And now she lives in one too. The main difference now being that her personal home-slash-museum is constantly riddled with staff, politicians, and tourists creating noise and bustle and life, but as is made apparent by the clean and echoed clicks of her heels, Grayson’s museum spends most of its time empty.

“Is this a test, you think?” she chuckles as she sits on the couch next to him, ankles crossed and skirt smoothed perfectly underneath her. “I mean, they don’t make you wait in the sitting room every time you come home, right? It’s just the… me of it all.” It’s definitely hard not to feel like she’s in the middle of a very specific audition right now, but it’s the deal she’s already signed, and she’s ready to ace it.

[rmeriwether]

She wants to fight back that her unibrow and acne in middle school would beg to differ, but understands it’s not really the time. Besides, sometimes it’s nice to take the compliment, especially coming from him. Some days, she really doesn’t know what he saw in her in their first year of meeting. She hadn’t yet shaken off the bulk of her awkward anxiety, and was particularly bumbling when it came to learning about the world Gallagher uncovered to her. When she looks at him, she sees someone capable, someone to look up to. From the beginning, she had always seen Grayson as someone she could rely on because, unlike her, he could stand on his own. Ruby thinks— hopes at least— that her growth in the last years has made her someone he can depend on too. And today, that’s exactly what she wants to be.

Ruby offers a kind nod to Bert as they enter the threshold of the estate, tucking the name into her brain like it’s her goal to become the expert in Berkshire trivia, and also because she was raised right and remembering the names of staff is simply a given. As they walk in, her eyes glide across the polished floors and decorated walls of the place, attention taken by how immaculate it looks. It strikes her now how similar her and Grayson’s lives are. Looking at the old portraits in elaborate frames, and the worldly art pieces on display, and the wide hallways devoid of any actual people, she realizes he used to live in a museum. And now she lives in one too. The main difference now being that her personal home-slash-museum is constantly riddled with staff, politicians, and tourists creating noise and bustle and life, but as is made apparent by the clean and echoed clicks of her heels, Grayson’s museum spends most of its time empty.

“Is this a test, you think?” she chuckles as she sits on the couch next to him, ankles crossed and skirt smoothed perfectly underneath her. “I mean, they don’t make you wait in the sitting room every time you come home, right? It’s just the… me of it all.” It’s definitely hard not to feel like she’s in the middle of a very specific audition right now, but it’s the deal she’s already signed, and she’s ready to ace it.

 rmeriwether:

She nods, watching the rise and fall in his shoulders as he takes another breath, her attention to him looking like devotion. She sort of hopes it’s Poppy who answers the door— a friendly face to usher them into the rest of the household, and likely a gauge Ruby will be judging how normal this day goes by. At the very least, she think it’ll put Grayson more at ease. “Hey, I let you sleep in my childhood bedroom,” she teases, a curt smile playing on her lips. The memory of that first Thanksgiving with him eases the stressed edges of her focus, recalling how, even through the nerves, it had been so nice to have him there, and intimate in a way she’d never experienced before. She lets that fondness carry into the relaxation of her shoulders, taking on the poised posture she’s perfected with the recent years of media training.

Maybe it had been a good thing they had waited on this for a couple of years. Ruby is not the same girl she was when she’d first walked into Gallagher’s halls, or even when she’d moved into the White House. With almost two years under her belt as a first daughter of the United States, embracing it more than she’d ever expected— and adding courses of Linguistics, Culture & Assimilation into her degree plan— this Ruby feels more ready. Straightening her spine, and squeezing his hand one more time, she puts on a prim and modest smile and waits for whatever will greet them on the other side of the door.

Grayson assumes his home doesn’t have as many family photos as the ordinary house would, especially of the embarrassing variety. And although the painted family portrait hanging in the dining room is pedestrian in his own estimation, he might suddenly find it mortifying when trying to see things through Ruby’s eyes. Everything is always so much worse when you’re experiencing it again alongside someone whose opinion matters to you. “That’s different. Your bedroom was charming and you were adorable as a child.” Unfortunately, Grayson was born with stereotypically British teeth, which was hugely apparent before he was old enough to have them fixed.

Due to their differences in experience and age, Grayson often feels it’s his job to play the protector, but the longer they’ve been together, the more they seem to share this role. Grayson will always be stronger physically, with more combat and espionage experience under his belt, but Ruby runs laps around him in the emotional maturity department and she’s only becoming more and more wise with age. He’s visited home a handful of times -- less than that -- since they started dating, but he didn’t want to subject her to their scrutiny, and he was never at his best around his own blood.

Grayson steps up to the door, Ruby’s hand still clutched tightly in his own, and uses his free hand to ring the doorbell. The long tone reverberates loudly behind the thick entrance door but they only have to wait a few seconds before his family’s trusted estate manager answers the door. “Good afternoon, Bert,” he greets politely. He isn’t much for smalltalk, but thankfully, neither is Bert, unless of course you’re Poppy and don’t give him a choice.

“Mr. Berkshire,” he returns, before taking a step back and gesturing inside. “Please, feel free to wait in the sitting room.” Which wasn’t so much a choice he was being given but a command he was expected by his parents to follow.

As they enter, Grayson leads the way, glancing about the entrance way and staircase for any glimpse of the others. His youngest siblings have already texted him that they’ve arrived but he hasn’t heard anything from Reed, though he suspects his older brother was the first to arrive that morning, perhaps even showing up the night before. He somehow thought he was currying favor when inconveniencing their parents with unexpectedly early visits.

Grayson sat down on the leather Chesterfield sofa, resisting the urge to pull Ruby into his lap. It would make him feel better and definitely serve as an interesting first introduction, but instead he gives a gentle tug on her hand as she sits down beside him. “I’m not sure how long they’ll keep us waiting. You should have brought a book.”

[rmeriwether]

She nods, watching the rise and fall in his shoulders as he takes another breath, her attention to him looking like devotion. She sort of hopes it’s Poppy who answers the door— a friendly face to usher them into the rest of the household, and likely a gauge Ruby will be judging how normal this day goes by. At the very least, she think it’ll put Grayson more at ease. “Hey, I let you sleep in my childhood bedroom,” she teases, a curt smile playing on her lips. The memory of that first Thanksgiving with him eases the stressed edges of her focus, recalling how, even through the nerves, it had been so nice to have him there, and intimate in a way she’d never experienced before. She lets that fondness carry into the relaxation of her shoulders, taking on the poised posture she’s perfected with the recent years of media training.

Maybe it had been a good thing they had waited on this for a couple of years. Ruby is not the same girl she was when she’d first walked into Gallagher’s halls, or even when she’d moved into the White House. With almost two years under her belt as a first daughter of the United States, embracing it more than she’d ever expected— and adding courses of Linguistics, Culture & Assimilation into her degree plan— this Ruby feels more ready. Straightening her spine, and squeezing his hand one more time, she puts on a prim and modest smile and waits for whatever will greet them on the other side of the door.

 rmeriwether:

She can’t help but feel the slightest twinge of guilt as they step out of the car and stand before the Berkshire manor in all its splendor. It’s certainly gorgeous, almost exactly as Ruby had pictured in her mind’s eye when she imagined what the wealthy, prominent family estate of a British legacy family would look like. She had predicted how intimidating it would feel, too, but if she had overcome the White House, she figures she can overcome this as well. Still, the last thing she also imagines are the nerves in her boyfriend’s stomach, returning to a home he doesn’t consider home anymore. Ruby wonders if she pushed too hard for this, but she can’t deny that it’s what she wanted, to know all parts of him, to feel like family in this way too. She just hopes she hasn’t asked for too much.

Squeezing his hand in return, she leans up in her heels to leave a small kiss on his cheek. “Say the word and I’ll drive,” she whispers with a small, knowing, smile. Ruby knows he’s doing this for her, and the least she can do is be ready to offer an escape plan. Sure, she’s praying the evening goes well and his family is hospitable to the both of them, but she would be lying if she said she isn’t still thinking about creases in her dress, or if she remembers the right British slang, or if her reputation has already preceded her to a fault. There’s no other way to find out, she supposes, and looks back to Grayson with an encouraging nod to ask, “Are you ready?”

He breathes a laugh, trying not to sound too cynical. Of course he’s not ready ready, but he’s had ample time to emotionally prepare for this homecoming. Ruby will probably be confused when they treat him kindly, if only for her benefit. The Berkshires value their reputation above all else, and they’re probably hoping to make a good impression on Ruby, more so due to her status as a president’s daughter than the fact that she’s dating their son. After all, Grayson is the middle son, not the prodigal child who carries their legacy on his back or the youngest who was always babied more than the rest of them. He’s afforded a certain amount of freedom with less expectations, something he’s clearly been taking full advantage of.

“Just one more moment,” he says stiffly, exhaling a final breath. The entrance is always the most awkward part, never quite sure which family member will be nearest when the estate manager answers the door. Best case scenario is they’re directed straight to the sitting room to wait for the rest of his family to arrive. He’s wasting time, not entirely by accident, running over the various scenarios but he forces a grim smile and brings the back of Ruby’s hand to his lips. “God forbid you see any childhood photos...just remember I had no say in my outfits.”

[rmeriwether]

She can’t help but feel the slightest twinge of guilt as they step out of the car and stand before the Berkshire manor in all its splendor. It’s certainly gorgeous, almost exactly as Ruby had pictured in her mind’s eye when she imagined what the wealthy, prominent family estate of a British legacy family would look like. She had predicted how intimidating it would feel, too, but if she had overcome the White House, she figures she can overcome this as well. Still, the last thing she also imagines are the nerves in her boyfriend’s stomach, returning to a home he doesn’t consider home anymore. Ruby wonders if she pushed too hard for this, but she can’t deny that it’s what she wanted, to know all parts of him, to feel like family in this way too. She just hopes she hasn’t asked for too much.

Squeezing his hand in return, she leans up in her heels to leave a small kiss on his cheek. “Say the word and I’ll drive,” she whispers with a small, knowing, smile. Ruby knows he’s doing this for her, and the least she can do is be ready to offer an escape plan. Sure, she’s praying the evening goes well and his family is hospitable to the both of them, but she would be lying if she said she isn’t still thinking about creases in her dress, or if she remembers the right British slang, or if her reputation has already preceded her to a fault. There’s no other way to find out, she supposes, and looks back to Grayson with an encouraging nod to ask, “Are you ready?”

it's unfair to ruby how long this has taken, which is the only reason he's arranged it in the first place. to grayson, his family is quite literally blood -- that's it. he doesn't owe them any personal information and they certainly haven't earned the right to meet his girlfriend, but she's a prominent figure in not just US but global politics so it's hardly as if they don't know who she is. he'd rather they form their opinions of her in person than from british tabloids, which are 100 times worse than their american equivalent.

he's doing this for her, ultimately, because meeting his family is important to ruby. but he can't help a pang in his chest as he looks at his beautiful girlfriend in the dress she'd carefully picked out for the occasion, believing his family doesn't deserve to know her at all. granted, he's often unsure that he entirely deserves it either, but at least grayson loves and appreciates her with the appropriate depth. it's been so long since he's had a proper dinner with his family that he has no idea whether they're going to fake politeness or scrutinize her with all the power of a legacy spy family.

grayson takes her hand with a small, nervous smile, giving it a light squeeze. "we can still run," he says, knowing she'll take it as a joke but he's not exactly joking. / @rmeriwether

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

He laughs, struggling to lean forward far enough to set down his own mug. “Bit hard to drink when you do that,” he teases gently, because he’s not complaining. Grayson is technically more of a rural person himself, if only because his family has a large estate right outside of a major city. Growing up, he could be right in the heart of things in just a few minutes, but the expansive land surrounding his sizable family home was something of an illusion. The spy boarding schools of his childhood, for obvious reasons, were likewise set out of sight in order to maintain their privacy. “Do you want to come back next summer?” He asks, not allowing himself to question if she’ll still want him by then, instead focusing on running his fingers through the strands of her hair that naturally fell over his hand. He sputters a laugh and turns his gaze away from her to look out at the actual view in front of them. “You’ll be sorely disappointed when you finally meet my father. We Berkshires don’t age well.” It’s hard for him to see his father objectively, though in an honesty, he probably looks perfectly acceptable for his age. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel real,” he says quietly, vague, because what he means is that there will always be a part of him on edge, waiting for danger, the glint of metal flashing from behind a tree, but he doesn’t want to dampen the mood. He has to worry that just him isn’t enough to keep her safe, no matter how highly he considers his capabilities and the fact that he’s been training his entire life to protect others. “You just said that,” he points out, then leans over to kiss the side of her head. “But I love you twice, too.”

“I picked Colorado this time, next summer is all up to you,” Ruby answers sheepishly. What she really thinks it’s that it’s her fault than choice they’re in Colorado this time, that it’s on her and her propensity for danger the past season that’s forced this hand, but she knows Grayson wouldn’t want her to look at it that way, and maybe it feels a little easier to follow his lead and cut herself some slack. After all, it’s not a bad vacation, away from anything and everyone except for him. “I want whatever you want,” she adds, letting her head rest against his arm, knowing that there isn’t anywhere in the world she could be unhappy as long as she could hold him like this, warm under her touch, breathing in the soft scent of him and knowing she was safe. “I think I’ll be the judge of that,” she laughs, craning her neck again to look at him, and, feeling brave, adds, “Maybe we try London next, then.” She tries to hold his gaze before she feels too awkward about it again, gauging his reaction and hoping maybe the sight of pleading eyes might adjust the outcome. Ruby knows the idea of finally going to meet all of his family puts knots in her boyfriend’s stomach, and she knows it’s due to who the Berkshires are and not who she is, but she can’t help but want it anyway. They’re his family after all, and Grayson happens to be the most important person in her life. After all they’ve been through, what she feels for him, she knows it’s serious, she knows it matters. One hand slides up his back against the fabric of his shirt until it rest on his shoulder and Ruby offers him a gentle smile, one she hopes provides as much safety to him as he does to her. “And I meant it just as much as the first time.” He was her family.

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

“I wasn’t trying to be smooth, just honest.” He’s not the kind of guy to instead make a joke about clothes coming off, and not just because they haven’t gotten there yet. Grayson realizes that part of that might be due to him not making such references, when he knows it’s on him to be more forthright, traditionally as the male, but more importantly as the older and more experienced one in the relationship. But he knows that Ruby knows she can be honest with him so there’s no need for even moderate pushiness on his end. “Hm, well, I suppose if you swear,” he teases gently, smiling because it is reassuring, though not nearly as reassuring as she doubtless hopes. Grayson is not to be reassured, he’s to be talked down at best, to go into situations like this believing he won’t completely botch it, but to think he’ll be so much as fine is asking a lot of him. “Breathing is easy…it’s worrying about the way I breathe, if it’s…strange, or too loud, or too shallow. Those are the dead giveaways for nervousness.” Ones that most people probably wouldn’t notice, but since Grayson is so aware of others, it only serves to make him hyperaware of himself, too. He rarely ever just is, every move is in some way calculated or orchestrated because he tends to know exactly how he’s being perceived. “Exceptional I don’t get very often,” he says honestly, if a little bit self-deprecating. “Short, though, I hear that a lot.” And he doesn’t even have an excuse for that, because he should be tall. His brother is tall. Ruby herself is tall, which does nothing to make him feel insecure, but it does accentuate how close they are in height. “You’re just now telling me I’m supposed to have some sort of speech prepared?! I suppose there’s enough time, I could come up with something halfway decent…” He mutters, mostly to himself. This is tricky, though, because naturally he’ll have to say in front of her family that he’s most thankful this year to have started dating her, which is true, but maybe that seems too kiss-up-y, or obsessive, but really he doesn’t have much else to be thankful for, aside from his job, which he doesn’t feel particularly strongly about and he doesn’t want to seem too work-minded, either. He breathes a laugh against her neck, then places a soft kiss there. “You should enjoy this time with your family.”

“Well, I appreciate the sentiment either way,” she chuckles, setting the hanger back up on the rack, taking a second with her back turned to wonder what Ruby from a year ago might think to see her now with the boy she cares so deeply for in her bedroom, telling her how nice she’ll look in her dress. Maybe it’s stupid, or frivolous, or just a testament to how new she is to all of this still, but those little things make her have to stifle the blossoming smile on her lips, make her take a breath to settle the welcome nerves humming in her chest. “Cross my heart,” Ruby responds, turning to him again with an honest grin, prepared to continue to give him all the reassurances he needs. There are a lot of things out her control about tonight— his anxious tendencies and her family’s newfound and extreme rise in status— but what she can control is herself, and how much she cares about him, and how much she’d do anything to make his day. “Sounds like you took some Awareness and Breath Control electives, didn’t you?” she teases, sweeping her hands up and down the sides of his arms before letting out a small chuckle, bringing her forehead to rest on his shoulder. “I don’t think you’re short, Grayson, do you really get that a lot?” she asks, peeking up again to watch his expression, and she muses for a moment about how nice it is to be this close to him. “No speech necessary, don’t worry!” she says, her hands moving to hold his shoulders, trying to get him to keep his focus on her and not some runaway essay. “Just, like, a sentence, you know? Quick and easy. My dad will definitely talk for way too long— god, probably about the presidency, too” she groans for a second, losing focus herself before snapping back to attention. “Anyway, nothing super special. Just the first thing that pops into your head— here, we can practice. What are you thankful for this year, Grayson?” Ruby asks hopefully, and with some perspective maybe it is a little comical that she’s doing this while sitting in his lap with both hands at the sides of his face. “I will. But I want you to be a part of my life, too. You’re family to me.”

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

When she’d returned to school, he figured that was the end of it, that he wouldn’t see her again until the next school break or measly Roseville weekend. He never insists that they pool their resources and demand she be allowed more freedom, since such a thing is an illusion when dating the First Daughter, anyway, and he’s okay with the distance. It’s nothing he can’t handle, and being on his own, with a girlfriend he cares about not too far away, is preferable to still being in school or back with his family. But of course he misses her daily, feels like the winter break had been far too short, and whenever he gets to see her again, it only gets harder and harder to return to long distance. It feels like he’ll never get used to it, which is difficult when considering they have two more years of this, but he’s hopeful that things will be different next year, that she’ll be given more leniency to leave campus. “I can see why,” he comments, though he can’t help but find the location reminiscent of the Gallagher lake. “It’s bringing back complicated memories, though,” he notes, pausing before continuing. “I told this girl I liked her by a body of water once and she ran away from me.” Grayson tugs her hand to pull her slightly closer, jokingly making sure she’s not going anywhere this time. “I wish it was more than just the one day, but I’m glad you changed your mind about staying on campus. Part of me worries you’re about to tell me horrible news.” He’s teasing for the most part, but it’s true, his brain constantly jumps to worst case scenarios, especially when it comes to the best aspects of his life.

She can’t help the embarrassed breath of laughter that escapes her, hanging her head a little as her cheeks warm, but she lets him tug her closer because of course this time she’s not going anywhere. “She sounds like a total idiot,” Ruby quips, leaning into his touch, eyes watching the glistening water travel downstream. “What? No, of course not,” she assures, reflexively shifting her gaze and craning her neck so she can look back up to him, squeezing his hand in return. She knows he’s mostly joking by his tone of voice, but she knows him well and knows that there’s a part of him that maybe isn’t, that maybe can’t help but be prepared for the other shoe to drop. “I just... I really wanted to see you again, Grayson. I wanted... I had something to tell you,” she explains, her smile soft and encouraging. A part of her heart does ache a bit to think that he could still worry about worst case scenario, reminded again too of that first blunder back in Gallagher’s forest. She doesn’t want to ever give him another reason to doubt, and she’s standing here now because she doesn’t have doubts herself. Despite that small ache, the rest of her heart feels like it’s beaming as she looks at him. She sees the features that used to make her so incredibly flustered, nerves bundling in a naive first year every time she caught his smile. She remembers all the times she’s felt so safe just for being close to him, for feeling his heartbeat against her skin. Ruby pushes up on her tiptoes as both hands slip up to hold either side of his face, a gentle kiss warming her lips among the winter air. “Happy New Year, by the way,” she whispers, still a couple inches away.

[rmeriwether]

@gberkshire ; location: colorado, summer 2021

Ruby mumbles a soft ‘I love you’ into the side of his face as she smooshes her profile into his cheek, offering a comfortable kiss before setting down her mug of tea on the wooden table of the cabin’s patio, slipping onto the bench next to him and wrapping her arm around his. “It’s gonna be hard to go back to a city after this, I could really get used to evenings with this view,” she says with a soft smile, eyes adjusting to low light of sunset in Colorado, but feeling nothing but peace wash over her as she takes in the clear-aired nature around them. Serene shades of blue sky above them, the scent of pine from the line of trees ahead of them, and the sound of running water somewhere nearby. “I mean, there’s also this view, too,” she teases as her gaze drifts up to him instead, and it’s all too natural for her smile to grow as she looks at him. “And that I do plan to keep for as long as I can.” After she graduates, that is. Ruby thinks about how much easier it’ll be after that, how nice it’ll be wake up most mornings next to him, and end her nights with him by her side. She leans her head against his arm, feeling safe in the warmth he provides. “I’m really glad we’re here, you know. Just... getting this little piece of the world to breathe, alone, just you,” she whispers. “I love you, Grayson.”

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

Grayson is not particularly excited to return to campus and being freshly wounded would be as good an excuse as any to avoid the trip, but he doesn’t want to miss out on any time spent with his girlfriend, even when they have the entire summer spread out before them – with the exception of work. He sort of hates the attention garnered by the sling, but at the same time, people know not to stare or ask too many questions.

He is, in all honesty, exhausted from socializing more than he has in ages, on top of his body working to heal his injuries, so while he appreciates Ruby checking in on him, all he really wants or needs is to rest. He could just as easily fall asleep in his suit, but he’ll probably regret that in the morning, especially if he manages to bleed through his bandages. He raises an eyebrow at her. “You don’t need an excuse if you want to undress me, Ruby,” he teases gently before shrugging off his jacket and starting to undo his shirt buttons with his good hand. “Getting dressed is actually more difficult than getting undressed.”

They’ve been together for a year now, and that kind of remark typically shouldn’t make her so easily flustered, but she is who she is and that happens to be a girl who is still incredibly smitten by him no matter the time or distance since their first kiss. And maybe it’s possible that the idea that she may have lost him will linger for much longer than she wants to or can help. Ruby lets out a light laugh, trying to push that thought away as pink also touches the apples of her cheeks. “Doesn’t mean it’s perfectly easy, though, does it?” she responds with a knowing smile as she sets down the sleepwear, and moves with delicate hands to help undo the buttons.

She parts the crisp white linen of his dress shirt and is met with both the sight of his soft skin, and as her gaze trails up, she sees the white gauze still fixed onto his chest. Her hands falter for a moment, nervous for a beat, but she wants to hold it in in front of him, wants to be stronger when she knows he’s the one that’s in the most pain, so she looks away from it just as quickly, trying to focus on his face as she helps tug off the shirt. “Do you, ah, need anything else? Oh, are you hungry? Or do you think you might need more pillows— I can definitely find some more. You can take my bed, of course, I’ll just use one of my sister’s rooms,” she rambles on, unsure of the state of her own home, but she’ll figure it out. All Ruby can think of right now is how to make him the most comfortable, how to do anything she can for him.

[rmeriwether]

@gberkshire​

It feels strange to leave the campus again, even though she knows she’ll be back the next day to see her friends graduate. Ruby makes mental notes during the car ride to Richmond of which flowers she'll send for in the morning— what kind of color roses Jas might prefer or if Drew might like hydrangeas better— and it helps distract her from her anxieties. When it doesn’t work, she feels such a soft relief to simply reach over and squeeze Grayson’s hand in the back seat.

The house is still and quiet, and for a moment Ruby thinks it’ll feel like a stranger’s, but it’s only been a handful of months since she’s been away, and stepping into her home wraps her in familiarity and a welcome safety. Slowly, she leads Grayson through again, stopping occasionally to look at family photos on the wall that hadn’t come to D.C. or to ask him if there's anything he needs. She knows he wants her to not be so cautious, but it’s far easier said than done, and while there’s comfort in having him alone, there’s still a soft hesitance about her around him, as if she might break him if she’s not careful. Delicate hands hold a set of sleepwear she’s nabbed from the guest-room when she walks back into her own room. She’s still barefoot in a dress and he’s still got a suit on and part of her almost wants to hold him close and dance again, but Ruby just offers a gentle smile as she nods towards him. “Do you want some help with all that?”

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

“It’d have to be specialized, I’m sure. But I think there’s a convincing case to be made; the Insert Alumni Name Here Library of Medicine.” Grayson never checked out anything medicine related, but he hadn’t even glimpsed that section of the library which he thinks says something to how vast is it (or isn’t). “Yes, but I’m sure you’ll prefer the fireplace in the common room to the wind outside.” He’s…moderately outdoorsy himself, but he doesn’t like being uncomfortable. Even if cold weather might be a norm back home, he prefers to stay inside once the temperature starts rapidly declining. “I think technically you can leave campus next year, you just need to ask special permission first. And I know that might be difficult.” Considering she’ll be the first daughter by then, but then again, maybe Gallagher will be more likely to let her leave since she’ll have the Secret Service on her side. He doesn’t expect special treatment if she’s leaving to see him, just because he’s a Gallagher, but it can’t hurt, either. “I don’t mean to waste our time together complaining.” Grayson just wishes that the school bearing his family name didn’t further complicate long distance dating.

“I don’t think abiding by the rules is boring,” he says, as if that hasn’t been made clear many times. Grayson can definitely think of exceptions, but usually he thinks rules exist for good reason and he tends to agree with them. “And, well, yes, because I find that reassuring.” He’s not sure how he’d feel if Ruby was more daring, since it would only give him more things to worry about, which he certainly doesn’t need help with. “Okay, the gift would come with a lesson,” he clarifies, huffing out a breath of laughter as he pushes her hair behind her ear to cradle her face. “Which is what I thought they were supposed to be teaching here, but I wouldn’t mind offering additional help. It’d make me feel better if you felt confident in your self defense capabilities.” Because he fully expects her not to go into the field upon graduation, or that’s what he’s hoping for.

“I’m gonna turn this whole place into one giant library someday. Very ambitious, I know, but you should be aware you’re dating a girl with goals,” she jokes, and while that is true, Ruby has no real intention of making big waves like that. “Mm, maybe so,” she concedes with a small grin, though she’s not entirely opposed to outdoor strolls even in the cold. It’s just not the same walking through the chilled fall air of Roseville without him by her side. “What I’d really prefer is the warmth of having you here, too,” she sighs slightly, leaning her head against his arm. “Or being in your apartment. But, I can be patient,” Ruby smiles, closing her eyes and imagining the peace and comfort of being in a space they could have all to themselves, the record player she’d bought him spinning soft melodies in her head. As she listens to him, she shifts her head up to look at him again, slipping a soft hand against his jaw. “Time with you isn’t a waste,” Ruby chastises, wrapping an arm around his, using her body to nudge him slightly too.

A slight laugh bubbles out of her, and conversations like this are reminiscent of the friendship they’d started out with, giving her the feeling of easy nostalgia. And Ruby doesn’t mind giving him all the reassurance he needs, especially since it’s more important now that they couldn’t be around each other every day. “Okay, well I do think I am that boring, so don’t sweat it,” she says with a grin, leaning into the touch against her face, and then winces slightly when a memory pops into her head at his offer. “Oo, I don’t know... I’ve never told you this, but lessons with you are... hard to pay attention to,” Ruby admits, her cheeks taking on a rosy hue as she bites her lip, trying not to laugh at her own self. “You’re not a bad teacher, you’re just— Well, surprise, I find you very attractive, Grayson.” Leave it to her to be the kind of person to get shy about admitting she had a crush on the guy who’s now her boyfriend, but that’s exactly who she is. 

[rmeriwether]

@gberkshire​

Her mind has been reeling since Christmas, and Ruby is honestly surprised at the way she’s mostly kept her composure about it all. A year ago, she would have thought the kind of epiphany at the forefront of her mind would have sent her into a crazed spiral, unable to not freak out at every waking moment (or, hell, even ruin it). But instead, what she’s felt is a very new and unfamiliar sense of peace. It’s all she can really think about whenever she has a free moment, that’s true, but when the words form in her in her mind, all she feels is so wholly happy. It’s so strange to her how something she thought would be so unattainable to her, or so new she didn’t think she’d ever be able to place it, can now feel so true and real. She’d returned to Gallagher for New Year’s Eve for the party, and to be there for her friends, but while she still has a few days left of the school break, she knows exactly what she wants to do. For that reason, Ruby had called up Grayson and asked him to pick her up and make the drive with her back to Richmond to spend at least one more day together. She needs to see him, needs to gather her courage to tell him. While it’s been hard all day as she showed him around some of her usual spots in Richmond not to just blurt it, every time she looked at him, she was overcome with a soft wave of affection, and just looking at him-- smiling at him-- was enough to keep it together. At the end of the day, as the colors of the sky start to shift, they now find themselves at the edge of a park she frequented a lot in her adolescence. A line of trees marks the edge of a field on one side of the park, and just past it lies a small trail parallel to a tiny and quiet stream. “I used to come here all the time just to think. Just to be alone,” she tells him as her hand holds his tight in the cold, a small layer of snow beneath their feet, and then she leans into his arm, her smile still so bright and content to not be alone for a change. “Thank you for spending the day with me.”

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

Sometimes it’s a curse how adept he is at reading people, so he has a pretty good idea how Ruby’s parents feel about him based on first impressions, and he’s not looking forward to screwing up at dinner. At least he knows he has impeccable table manners and it’s comforting that Ruby doesn’t come from a spy family, so his surname and status as a Gallagher will hopefully not be the main topic of conversation. Sounds like it’d be easiest if he could just wear a dress, too. Sadly, he did not bring one with him. “Very nice. Though it’ll look even better on.” Because clothes always do, or they should, but also of course he thinks Ruby makes all articles of clothing look better. He stares down at his options again. “Okay…but you’re sure I don’t need a jacket?” At least if he’s over dressed, he can just take it off, though would it look horrendous of him to hang it off the back of his chair? “I’ll look comforting?” He asks dubiously, laughing a little. Grayson is sure he comes off tense and high-strung the first time he meets anyone, let alone his girlfriend’s parents. “Okay,” he repeats, turning to take Ruby’s face with a palm against her cheek and brush a kiss across the other before he quickly puts together the outfit she’d suggested. He hangs the leftover clothing articles in her closet and hangs his finished look against the closet door. He sits down with a sigh at her question, his hand finding hers to gently pull her into his lap, and normally he would imply he wants her to sit instead of being so forceful but her body heat is one of the few things capable of calming him down. “To state the obvious, I’m…exceptionally bloody nervous, I assume there are all kinds of Thanksgiving customs I’m not even familiar with and…obviously, I really want your parents to like me.” He softly sweeps all her hair to one side over her shoulder so he can graze his nose against her neck, followed by his lips. “Don’t worry about me,” he reassures her quietly, because she’s going through a lot right now and his feelings are irrelevant.

“Mm, very smooth, Mister Berkshire,” she laughs in an attempt to seem very cool and composed about it even though the compliment is of course making her heart squeeze and a bit of rosy tint flushes her cheeks. Pretending to be unfazed about it is practically part of the joke as well, because she knows Grayson knows her all too well by now, and knows she is easily flustered by words like that when they come from his mouth. Ruby Meriwether is hardly cool and collected in the presence of the boy she is so entirely smitten by. Easily undone is a more apt description. “No, you’ll be fine, I swear,” she smiles, a reassuring hand on his arm, and she’s perfectly happy to offer as much support as possible in an effort to make him more comfortable little by little. Though she of course knows that unease is not simply the result of low confidence, Ruby often looks at Grayson and wonders how in the world he could possibly be unsure of himself. There are so many things she loves and admires about him-- practically everything, if she’s going to be honest-- and it baffles her that he could ever not believe in himself. But she shares the sentiment in her own person, so at the same time, she understands the way doubt and worry creep in through a back door like an uninvited guest. And so, it matters to her even more to be there for him, to make him feel as sure of himself as he makes her feel. “Hey, I said you are, too,” she retorts with a grin. “I know it’s much easier said than done, but you just gotta, you know, breathe a little.” Funny coming from her, to be honest. Even funnier, that as soon as his touch in on her skin, his lips on her cheek, her breath stops for a moment. It’s a little embarrassing almost, the way it’s been so many months but he still has that power over her, and she can still stand there absolutely awestruck just to be his. Her body moves easily towards his, not even needing words to just follow the feeling to sit, and she more than enjoys being so close to him. Her eyes look up at him beneath her lashes as she offers a gentle smile. “I get it, and I know I can’t just tell you not to be. But I also know you’re rather exceptional, and I know they’ll see that,” Ruby tells him, her voice genuine before she gives a small chuckle. “Thanksgiving is barely a real holiday. At one point we’ll go around the table and talk about what we’re grateful for this year, and that’s pretty much it. The rest is good food and quality time,” she explains, hoping to make him feel as prepared as possible. But suddenly it’s very hard to think about Thanksgiving or plans when his lips touch her neck and her eyes flutter shut for a quick second, all too fixated on the way it makes her feel so incredibly light. Her voice is softer as her head leans slightly towards him, feeling it both natural and unreal the way she just wants to be held by him. “Too late,” Ruby whispers, her hand finding its way to the back of his neck, “I care way too much about you not to.”

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

“At least at Ivys, people donate things like new wings and libraries. And, well, I hate to complain, but they may have a point.” Nature is…good? Grayson has nothing against gardens in general, though Gallagher seems to have more than enough. “Especially now that it’s getting colder out, I doubt you’ll be out here quite as often.” Or he should say he hopes not, lest she catch a cold. He takes her hand and gently pulls her closer. “If I’m honest, I’m looking forward to you becoming a fourth year, then we won’t have to go outside in order to be alone together.” It had been slightly uncomfortable in her room, as well, knowing that roommates would be returning and one of them is someone who hates him for admittedly no good reason and the beds are tiny and therefore not exactly suitable for two people, even when those two people are just watching something together on a laptop.

“Typically?” He asks with a short laugh, raising an eyebrow. Grayson would hate to think that his interest in Ruby had anything to do with their similarities, but he does consider her as staunchly rule following as he is, so he can’t picture her ever breaking them. He runs his thumb along her knuckles, wanting to believe her, but he’ll never truly believe she’s out of harm’s way if he can’t be there to insure his safety himself. “You better be. I don’t want to assert my dominance as a Gallagher, but I would, if I had to. So nothing happens to you.” He doesn’t make a subconscious move for his knife, but his mind wanders there. “If I buy you a weapon for your birthday, is that romantic or overkill?”

“A second library would be fun,” she muses with a slight hum, and she’s not even the slightest bit self-conscious about how nerdy she may or may not seem with that statement. Ruby thinks a lot about the way she appears to people, to a fault even, but Grayson has always made her feel completely comfortable in her own shoes, content to be herself. She can admit since they’d started dating, that she often thinks about how to be a better girlfriend, but being around him had only ever provided her with the ease of feeling whole in own person, even back when they were just friends. “Well, winter clothes do exist for a reason, Grayson,” she says, throwing him a teasing grin as she looks up at him when he tugs on her hand, just waiting for him to look back at her and catch a glimpse of his own smile. A lot of thoughts run through her mind when he looks at her, and she has to keep most of them to herself so she doesn’t sound like an absolute fool all the time, but, god, his smile does wonders and it’s crazy how she knows she’ll feel those stupid butterflies every time. “You and me both, but we’ve still got the better part of two years, so we’re going to have to make do with little escapes like this,” Ruby chuckles, a light and airy sound, and although she’s right and it’s annoying to have to wait that long, it feels good to say that she will be waiting, that she knows in two years she’ll still confidently want to be his.

“Are you going to make me admit just how boring of a student I am?” she jokes, because they both know who she is, and she’s as afraid of getting into academic trouble as she is of finding danger in the middle of the night. But again, the idea of danger doesn’t phase her nearly as much when he’s with her. Ruby wants to crack another lame joke about how she can hardly imagine him ‘asserting Gallagher dominance’, but humor is not even her strongest suit, and instead she’s entirely too focused on the way he sounds serious about doing it for her, and that’s enough to stop her thoughts for a minute and try in vain to conceal an endeared smile from spreading on her face. So instead, Ruby slowly reaches up to leave a soft kiss on his lips before pulling away with a trusting nod. “I’m okay, I promise. And a weapon would be slightly concerning in my clumsy hands, and sort of romantic, but only if you present it with a lot of kisses.” The latter of which, she’ll be asking for on her birthday, anyway. 

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

His outfit options are lying out on the bed, because he still hasn’t gotten dressed yet, which is fine considering dinner isn’t supposed to be ready for another couple of hours. She’s reassured him enough times that dinner will be fine and her sisters already like him but Grayson has never been one for accepting such assurances at face value or believing anyone cares much for his presence. He feels like a loser for needing a pep talk, as if he isn’t a grown man with a government job, but he can appreciate how Ruby senses his nervousness and wants to make him feel better. “I think a suit might be a bit much for dinner in general, but considering…everything, it seems like underdressing just to put on a nice sweater and some slacks.” Also, for some reason the idea of getting dressed in front of her makes him feel like he’s doing something inappropriate, despite sharing a room for most of the summer. It’s just been a while since they’ve gotten to spend so much time together, much less alone like this. “Do you know what everyone else is wearing? What are you wearing?” / @rmeriwether​

The most nerve-wracking part is over, in her opinion, after having met her parents at the door on Grayson’s arm with a bouquet of flowers she’d known her mom would marvel at. She still doesn’t have a proper gauge on her parents’ thoughts, though Cate has been throwing up thumbs ups behind the older couple’s backs since they’d arrived. “A hard decision for me considering I think you look really cute in sweaters,” Ruby notes with a joking pout, her arms folded in thought as she takes a glance at the clothes on her bed. At his question, she reaches over to her closet, pulling out the dress she’d planned on, holding it out in front of her body with a silent ta-da. “I think Cate and my mom are wearing dresses too, and Liv is very excited to debut some new pants. My dad’ll wear a blazer for sure, but no tie, so no worries about being too formal,” she chuckles, though she understands where his concern is coming from. She’d known his anxiety over the holiday would manifest in little ways, and for now she’s glad it’s only over wardrobe, something she knows exactly how to help with. “How about... a sweater with a collared shirt underneath?” Ruby posits, wrapping her arms around him from behind as she thinks, her head peeking out from his behind his arm to look at the clothes again. "You'll look comforting and approachable, which you are. Plus, all your sweaters are form-fitting, so you’ll look polished, too.” Her cheek squishes up against the back of his shoulder as she smiles, finding her own sense of comfort in holding him. “How are you feeling?” Ruby asks, her tone softer and quieter in the privacy of her own bedroom (which is hosting the presence of a boy for the first time, though if she thinks about that too hard she’ll blush).

[rmeriwether]

gberkshire​:

Being apart for months has always been his expectation for long distance and he’s good at keeping himself busy, though he doesn’t have much of a social life in Maryland. Mostly he reads a lot and watches the news, which has been especially important lately with Ruby’s father on every network. He knows it’s hard for her, that she doesn’t want him to win, but they’d both be lying if they were to claim he’s not the better choice for the good of the country. Grayson is just relieved he’s not a citizen and can’t vote. Anyways – as a Gallagher, he can probably get away with visiting more than anyone really wants, but he’s not the kind to abuse his family name and he would much rather spend time with Ruby…well, literally anywhere else. It’s odd being back on the Berkshire floor and he’s relieved when she suggests they take a walk and leave her dorm. He certainly has not missed bunk beds and the rest of campus should be more or less deserted thanks to the party, which he feels a bit bad skipping since he’s sure Kass put considerable effort into the event.

“Bribing is polite, if anything. Being a legacy already means more than it should.” Grayson would be even more self-hating if he didn’t also have the skill to back up his title as a Gallagher grad. His name doesn’t mean much out in the real world, where he’s expected to prove himself, and he’s enjoying his quiet office job even if he’s adept with weapons and perhaps more suited to the field. “It is against the rules, usually. But as long as the party isn’t over, we’re not doing anything wrong. I’m sort of glad to hear that, though. I don’t like the idea of you out here like this on your own.” Or with anyone but him, frankly.

“Mm, it feels like alum donations at an Ivy League, but somehow with a tiny touch of a threat,” Ruby jokes, bringing a hand up to gesture. “And in any case, at least we get something out of it this time. Although, I have heard students complain about them being a little useless.” She gets where they’re coming from, since they aren’t serving a huge purpose, but she’d be lying if she said she doesn’t visit them frequently. A lot of her free time is spent studying in the various gardens, and Ruby has found herself rather partial and sentimental to the peace they provide. Which is all the more reason it makes her even happier to share a moment with Grayson here. It might be silly to think about now, but the next time she’ll be in this particular spot alone, she knows he’s the only thing she’ll be able to think about. 

“I’m typically a very rule-abiding student, don’t worry,” Ruby says with a chuckle, light and airy. And it’s true, she’s perhaps too boring, but she’s not one to go searching for any type of adventure right now. The most interesting parts of her weeks are in class-- because it is still spy school-- or the times she hangs out with Sunny and her innate vibrance. “And I’m safe,” she adds, because she knows that’s always lingering in his mind, maybe even especially during an event like this, and Ruby wonders how many of them will always be looking behind their shoulders during these types of nights. The thought makes her hold his hand a little tighter again, but it’s hard not to feel perfectly safe standing right beside him now.

[rmeriwether]

@gberkshire​

It was pretty needless to say that Ruby had been exceptionally happy these past few days. It had been about two months since she’d gotten to see Grayson in person, after the school-year had started and they’d both had to say goodbye to a summer of such close proximity. It had been weird, not seeing him every day, and at times painful. But she’d remember that at the end of the day, she still had him, and somewhere in Maryland, he was thinking of her as much as she was thinking of him. And she’d spent all of October counting down the days until she knew she’d been able to wrap her arms around him again. Once the 28th finally rolled around, it had been hard to contain her excitement and elation at seeing his face again in person. Ruby had tried to be pretty respectful of his disinclination for PDA, finding it alarmingly hard not to kiss him in front of the whole campus as soon as she had her hands on him again. But she’d resisted the urge for his sake, which made it all the more lovely when she did get to kiss him in private moments, much like this Halloween night.

She relishes in getting the dorm to themselves, though despite her classmate’s suggestions, it’s not for any adult need-- though she did spend a good time making out with her boyfriend in the privacy of her dorm, thank you! More than anything, Ruby is just grateful to get time with Grayson, near him, holding him, talking to him. She’s more than content as they spend the night in each other’s company, catching up and talking about random things. When the night winds downs and her youngest roommate sends a text that she’s heading back, Ruby proposes the idea of talking a walk outside. So, they find themselves venturing out as Ruby shows him around one of her favorite new locations to the Gallagher campus, the French Garden. “I know the donated additions kind of feel like a bribe, but I have to admit, they’re gorgeous,” she whispers, foolishly feeling like it’s needed even though they’re alone in the walls of the garden. Ruby smiles up at him as she squeezes his hand, offhandedly thinking about how handsome he looks in the low lighting of the moon and sparse lanterns. “I don’t think I’ve ever been out here this late, I feel like I’m sneaking around,” she jokes.