Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Alexa was a simple girl, not in a dumb way - she was actually very smart, but more in a relaxed sort of way. The five-foot-tall blonde was counting on an easy summer, lounging by the pool, living her best life. The best part was, that it wasn't even her house that she was having to watch.

Supposedly one of her mom's friends from work needed somebody to stay at their house for the summer while they were vacationing over in Europe. Apparently, the family had a couple of dogs that couldn't be left alone, so they'd need somebody to keep an eye on the dogs and the house. Her mom had recommended Alexa since the twenty-one-year-old would be finished up with her classes for the semester.

Alexa had thought perhaps it would be a small house, but as she drove her tiny little Volkswagon bug up the winding driveway, she realized that her mom's work friend was probably more like a doctor or a hospital administrator. The house was not really a house, but more of a sprawling mansion.

"Holy shit," Alexa muttered, as she slowly got out of her car. The girl removed her sunglasses and pushed them to the top of her head. Walking to the front door, she knocked on it, only to be met by a kind dark-haired woman who was probably in her early fifties.

"You must be Alexis Kaufman, right? You do look like your mother, she's a dear friend at the hospital. I'm Heidi Prange, my husband Joe is in the kitchen, come on in." Heidi said, inviting Alexa in.

Alexa did her best to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor. If she had thought that the outside of the house was fancy, the inside was even better. The living room was painted a brilliant shade of purple and had a massive couch. Mounted onto the wall was a huge high definition TV, that Alexa knew she would definitely be taking advantage of.

"You have such a lovely home, Mrs. Prange," Alexa said, her voice full of awe. It wasn't like her own family was poor, but the Pranges seemed to be the filthy rich type.

"Thank you, sweetie, you can just call me Heidi. Joe this is Alexis, she's going to be watching our house." Heid called out as a bald man entered the room. He was wearing a light blue button-up and dress slacks, a fancy watch on his wrist. However, he gave Alexa a kind smile.

Alexa smiled back polite. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Prange, you both can call me Alexa or Lexie, it's what my family calls me." She explained. She couldn't deny that she was excited, and she loved animals so that wouldn't be a problem.

Joe sized Lexie up and then seemed content with what he saw, he beckoned for her to follow him. "On the fridge is all the case of emergency numbers. We're going to be gone for a couple months so if there is an issue with the house and you can't get a hold of us, feel free to call our daughter Dori. She goes to college a couple states over, but she'd be closer to help than we would."

Heidi nodded her head. "We would have asked Dori but she's doing a lot of summer classes, she goes to Yale." The woman said with a proud with little.

Alexa knew what it was like to have parents be proud. Her own mother was like Alexa's best friend, the one who believed in her when nobody else did.

"You'll actually be staying in her room, we're in the midst of remodeling some of the guest rooms," Heid explained, leading the way down one of the hallways. Alexa followed behind, trying to memorize her way around the house.

"Dori is a little out there, she's brilliantly gifted, but she prefers that dark music," Heidi warned as she opened the door to her daughter's room. "You can set your stuff in here, I changed the sheets already."

Alexa looked around the room that was painted in dark colors, various band posters littered the walls. Pinned to the wall by a window was a few pictures of a dark-haired girl with tattoos, hanging out with a blonde girl and a brunette. The girl apparently had her own bathroom and shower as well.

"She has a nice room." Alexa supplied weakly. She wasn't sure what to make of it, but the bed looked huge and the covers looked warm and inviting.

Heidi gave a little laugh. "As I said, she's a little out there. She's a great student though, all As. I'm proud of her. Anyways why don't we go meet the dogs." Heidi suggested, wanting Alexa to get used to them before she had to leave. "I locked them in the laundry room with their doggy beds so they wouldn't jump on you."

Alexa nodded and followed after her, she could hear the sound of dogs barking. "How many dogs do you have?"

"Four," Heidi said with a little laugh. "Two big ones, a medium one, and a little Yorkie."

Alexa felt her heart melt a little bit. She was such an animal lover at heart. "They sound so cute."

"I'll let you meet the little Yorkie first, she's the princess of the group. Her name is Duchess." Heidi opened the door for the laundry room.

The little Yorkie trotted out and Alexa smiled, letting it sniff her. "I have a feeling, we'll get a lot just great." Alexa mused softly.

"The next two are like partners in crime. Bandit and Banjo." Heidi then let out one of the larger dogs and the medium one. "Banjo is a Jack Russel terrier and Bandit is a border collie. They will cuddle you to death."

Alexa let them smell her and played with the rambunctious dogs for a while. Alexa liked them, and she felt like taking care of them would be relatively easy. "Where's the fourth one?" She asked looking back in the laundry room.

Heidi gave a little sigh. "The last is Dori's dog, he's kind of... moody. He won't hurt you, but don't expect him to cuddle with you either. He'll probably stay away from you, for the most part, he doesn't trust strangers. His name is Riot, he's a Boxer dog."

At the mention of his name Riot trotted out of the laundry room. He seemed to stare Alexa down for a minute, sniffing in her direction before trotting past the other dogs to go lay down somewhere else in the house.

Alexa just watched, getting the vibe that she'd probably bond more with the other dogs then she did with Riot. She shrugged her shoulders and smiled warmly at Heidi. "I'll take good care of them."

"Anyways we have to be leaving soon, the keys are on the counter. We left you a credit card for food and expenses. The fridge is full and we have a maid that comes by and cleans three times a week, so if you just give her a list of what you need, she'll pick it up. If you have any questions, I guess just text us. Make yourself at home, we have a pool in the back I'm sure your mom mentioned that." Heidi said, giving Alexa a quick tour through the rest of the house to show her where the important stuff was.

Alexa gave a friendly smile. "Don't worry about us, we're going to be fine." Truth be told Alexa was pretty damn excited to have a giant house to herself. She was already imagining herself sliding through the house in just a large t-shirt and some underwear. It didn't seem like that hard a job to watch some dogs and a house.

Besides the dogs had a doggy door and all she'd have to do was feed them, water them, get the mail and hang out.

---
Three days later
---

Okay, so maybe everything wasn't going as smoothly as Alexa had hoped they would be. The dogs were chill for the most part, but Riot seemed out to get her. The dog was going out of his way to act like an asshole to her, she was sure of it. He wouldn't eat if she was in the room, had pooped on her bed, causing her to have to remake it, and just seemed to have an utter distrust for Alexa.

The other dogs seemed fine with Alexa, but Riot would growl and bark if Alexa got to close to him. Alexa had a feeling that if he kept acting like that, the months that she would be watching the house were going to drag on. She had been there for almost seventy-two hours and was kind of bored.

Most of her own friends were either finishing up their classes or away on vacation. Alexa was doing her best not to snoop her ex's posts on Instagram. She was bored out of her mind and trying to get over it, but she was struggling.

She was cuddled up with Duchess, Banjo, and Bandit, watching Moana on Netflix. Alexa loved Disney movies and was trying to watch all the ones she could find, to get rid of her boredom. She was almost asleep when Riot started to growl from his position on the doggy bed nearest the fireplace.

"Riot please stop," Alexa begged, not wanting to have to deal with him getting the other dogs all riled up. She was tired and just wanted to sleep, but Riot kept growling and then took off towards the front door.

That was a new one, and Alexa rolled off the couch. She heard Riot then take off to the back door, going through the doggy door and racing around the side of the house, barking his head off.

Alexa could hear what sounded like a person grunting in pain, and a few mumbled curse words. Snagging the fireplace poker, Alexa crept to the front door, ready to swing for the fences if somebody tried to break in. She stole a quick peek through the security peephole and saw a person in a hoodie looking for something on the porch.

"Shit where is it?"

Alexa heard a feminine voice ask from outside, then a rustling sound. Slowly the doorknob turned, and honestly, it felt like an eternity to Alexa. Riot was still barking at the person on the other side of the door.

Suddenly the door swung open and Alexa raised the fireplace poker to bring it down on the person's head. Alexa was swinging on pure adrealine, she had seen enough horror movies to know what would happen if she didn't defend herself. Thankfully the person had seen her coming out of the corner of their eye and narrowly avoided getting beamed in the head as they stepped back.

"Hey what the fuck man! Are you serious? Stoppit! Are you trying to kill me?"

Alexa's eyes widened in horror as she took in the sight of the hooded person. It was the Prange's daughter, it took a moment for Alexa to place her. Alexa finally recognized her from the various family photos around the house.

"Oh my god," Alexa said dropping the fireplace poker. "You scared the shit out of me." She mumbled, placing a hand over her heart, that felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.

"I scared the shit out of you? You just tried to take my head off with a weapon." The woman snapped, raising her fist to defend herself. Riot stood by her side, growling at Alexa again.

Alexa held up her hands to show she meant no harm. "I'm sorry, I am just house sitting here. I heard Riot start barking and through somebody was breaking in. You are Dori right, the daughter?"

"Don't call me that, my friends and other people call me Ruby," Ruby said flinching at the name, she was still a little miffed that the blonde had tried to hit her. Ruby finally lowered her first and pushed her hood back. "So you're the one who is staying here for my parents?" She asked, unsure if she should trust Alexa. The other dogs seemed to be okay with Alexa, so that put Ruby at ease.

"Yeah, I'm Alexa." Alexa looked from Ruby to Riot and tried not to chuckle. She understood now what people meant by saying dogs resembled their people. She realized Ruby was staring at her expectantly. "Oh um come on in I guess. Your parents didn't mention you were coming by."

Ruby shrugged and dragged her bags inside before greeting the rest of the dogs. "They kind of don't know I'm here and I'd like to keep it that way," Ruby said giving Alexa a very pointed look.

Alexa wasn't sure if she felt comfortable around Ruby, the girl was a bit unnerving. Now that Ruby was in the house, Alexa could see her better. Apparently, the pictures in the bedroom hadn't lied, Ruby had multiple tattoos everywhere it seemed. The girl's hair was shaved on one side, long and black on the other with red streaks. Alexa had to admit she looked pretty badass, but she wasn't going to actually voice that out loud.

"So why are you here then?" Alexa finally asked, rocking on her heels a bit nervous.

"I need a place to crash for a bit and this is still technically my house. You can go home or do whatever you want to blondie, but I'm staying here for a couple of days at least." Ruby said, the tone leaving no room for argument. Ruby then scooped up her bags and headed towards her bedroom.

"Wait, my stuff is in there." Alexa protested, frowning when she saw Ruby looking around in disgust.

"Fine, you can stay in my room I guess, but I need to grab some of my clothes. I've been stuck in a car for like two days and I just want to shower. I'll stay in my parent's master bedroom then, come on Riot" Ruby said, raiding her dresser to find some fresh clothes. The dog eagerly followed his master, showing more excitement then Alexa had seen since she first saw the dog.

Alexa felt like her head was spinning, she hadn't expected the daughter of the homeowners to come home. The blonde didn't know how to react or even process the situation. She had wished that Ruby would have been more considerate and given a heads up, but Alexa knew she could probably survive a few days, then the rude girl would be gone.

The blonde made her way back to the couch in the living room and sat down. All she wanted was a peaceful summer, but she had a feeling that with the way Ruby had rolled into the house like a hurricane, her summer was about to get a whole hell of a lot more interesting.

Chapter Text

Ruby twisted and turned, fighting against her covers as she tried to get a few last minutes of sleep. Riot was sleeping next to her on the bed, growling softly every time she jostled him. Ruby’s eyes finally snapped open and the twenty-two-year-old sighed. She was frustrated and hadn’t slept well. Her heart was racing still and she felt uncertain of what her future held.

She had dropped out of Yale, she was supposed to be taking summer classes and on a whim, she had dropped out. Ruby couldn’t force herself to do it anymore, the school didn’t feel like the place for her, she didn’t want to be a doctor.

The fact that her parents would be gone for a few months, gave Ruby enough cause to go home. She figured she could spend a few months getting her life together at home, and then when they got back she’d have a case for why she didn’t need school.

She had convinced her two friends from high school to come to pick her up. Liv and Sarah had been more than willing to come to see her, Sarah played lacrosse at Yale even though she was a music major. Liv went to the community college and was a theater major, but she had gone to school near her friends so they’d all be together.

Ruby had told them how she didn’t want to go to college anymore, it just wasn’t a fit for her. They had, of course, backed her up like good friends. Ruby wasn’t sure what her future even held or what to do, she just knew that if she went back to school she’d be depressed.

Truth be told Ruby loved music, she and her friends had a band in high school, but they hadn’t got to play together in a while. Ruby was thinking maybe since they had come back home with her, she could play a couple shows during open mic night and see if she had what it took to make it.

Finally growing sick of being worried in her bed, Ruby rolled out of it and tried to psych herself up. She hated being depressed, almost as much as she hated trying to plan for her future. The tattooed girl tried to shake herself out of it, she couldn't let the depression funk bring her down.

Ruby wondered idly if the girl that was house sitting her parent's house would be there. Ruby still hadn't forgotten that the girl almost hit her in the head with a fireplace poker. She supposed she should be thankful that the girl was so protective over the place, but Ruby wasn't going to admit that to Alexa.

Much to Ruby's utter irritation and disappointment, Alexa was already in the kitchen, feeding the other three dogs. Ruby watched the way that Alexa interacted with each of the dogs in turn, Duchess, Banjo, and Bandit seemed to really like Alexa. Dogs were normally good judges of character and maybe the blonde wasn't all bad. Ruby decided to save that judgment for later when she could think more clearly.

"Is Riot not up yet?" Alexa asked, not even looking in Ruby's direction. The shorter girl had heard her coming from down the hallway.

Ruby chuckled softly. "He likes to sleep in, he's definitely my dog."

Alexa had a cutting comment on the tip of her tongue but barely managed to hold it back. Instead, Alexa grabbed a coffee mug and poured herself a cup, trying to distract herself.

Ruby waited for a moment before pouring herself a cup as well. She was tired because she had taken the last shift driving for her friends. Being on the road for the past three days had been a lot on her, and she was glad to just not be cramped in the car.

"So you're going to be here all summer then?" Alexa asked, tilting her head to the side curiously. Alexa had never been good at long silences. Perhaps it was the cheerleader inside of her or her naturally bubbly personality.

"Yeah, I am." Ruby knew she should offer more information, but she didn't feel like it. She could see that her short answer frustrated Alexa and the irritated face the blonde made, was too funny to really pass up.

Alexa frowned and took another sip of her coffee, before deciding to try again. "So are my services no longer needed here then?" Alexa was enjoying her job, it had only been four days now. She didn't want to lose her nice, cushy job just because Ruby had come home.

A look of fear entered Ruby's eyes, dismissing Alexa from house sitting would raise too many questions. "No, no you need to stay. I am here but I am gonna be getting a job and doing some stuff for work. I might take a road trip with my friends, I don't know. I just need you to stay here and pretend like I am not here." Ruby didn't want word getting back to her parents that she had come early. They would ask questions and no doubt lecture her on how stupid she was for giving up a spot at Yale.

As much as Ruby wanted to be her own person, she still craved her parent's acceptance. They hadn't liked the multiple tattoos she had gotten, told her it didn't look professional for a future doctor, but she didn't care. She wanted them to be proud of her, even if she didn't become a doctor. Though she already knew they'd be super pissed that she hadn't talked to them before dropping out.

"Okay, so since we're going to be living together, why don't you tell me about you," Alexa said, hoping to foster a friendship. In her heart, Alexa knew for a fact that she wasn't meant to be a solitary creature, she wanted interaction with someone other than the four dogs.

Ruby didn't look at all enthused to have to share information about herself. "Well I live here when I'm not at school, I'm twenty-two, I like art, music, and tattoos. I also love my dog Riot."

The information volunteered by the taller girl wasn't all that deep but Alexa could work with it. "So how'd you pick the name Riot."

Ruby actually smiled at that. "I found him at the pound, I was doing volunteer hours and he wasn't what others would consider adoptable. Riot had a tendency to rile up the other dogs and start..." She trailed off, laughing at it. Riot had indeed started many riots at the dog pound.

"So he's a bit of a troublemaker?" Alexa could see that the dog had gone out of his way to mess with her.

"He can be a softie if you gain his trust. He doesn't trust easily, he's my good boy though." Ruby said as the subject of their conversation trotted into the room. "Did you hear your name Riot, were you coming to defend your honor?" She asked, scratching at her dog's fur.

For the first time since Alexa had met the dog, Riot actually seemed happy and like a playful puppy. Alexa watched the duo, she could see that Ruby and Riot really loved each other. Both the dog and the human seemed to have rough edges about them, but together there was a genuine softness there.

"So blondie, tell me about you." Ruby finally said. She decided she should at the very least try to make an effort to know Alexa.

"Well my name is Alexa but my friends call me Lexie. I'm a cheerleader and a former gymnast, have been my whole life. I'm actually a cheerleader for the local state college." Alexa said, rather proud of herself. She had managed to kick her eating disorder and make it back on the team. However there were still days she struggled, she knew she didn't look like the other cheerleaders.

"Figures that you would be a cheerleader," Ruby muttered shaking her head.

Alexa gave a huff and stamped her foot. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asked folding her arms over her chest.

Riot started to growl at what he felt was a display of aggression, but Ruby just patted him on the head, calming him. "Easy there blondie. I didn't mean anything bad by it, you just seem very out outgoing."

Alexa didn't look like she believed one word of what Ruby was saying. She leveled her with a gaze and arched a single eyebrow as if challenging Ruby to continue digging herself a hole.

"You look like a cheerleader." Ruby continued, unable to stop herself. Ruby knew damn well she was digging herself a bigger hole but she couldn't stop putting her foot in her mouth.

"Do tell, what does a cheerleader look like Prange?" Alexa asked, looking very much like she wanted to strangle Ruby.

Ruby flinched at the mention of her last name. "Somebody who is hot?" She offered weakly.

"So you think I am hot?" Alexa asked taking a step towards hers. Despite being like four inches shorter, she could tell that she was intimidating Ruby and making her uncomfortable. "Not so bad yourself Ruby." She said her name teasingly before brushing past her and out of the kitchen.

Ruby stayed behind trying to get her breathing back under control. The blonde was something else and Ruby was just glad that the interaction was over. She didn't know what to make of Alexa or the girl's personality. Ruby was well aware that she probably needed to go and take some space before she ended up making a bigger ass out of herself in front of the blonde.

Walking back into her parent's room where her luggage was, Ruby quickly changed clothes and got ready. She texted Liv and Sarah to meet her outside in fifteen. Grabbing the extra set of house keys from her parent's bathroom, she headed back into the living room.

Alexa was on the couch, drinking her coffee, her free hand running up and down Bandit's back. The dog was curled up against Alexa's side, while Duchess and Banjo were curled up near her feet.

"You going out?" Alexa asked curiously, lifting her gaze to meet Ruby's.

"Yes for a little bit at least. I'm going to go see my friends, I'll take Riot with me." Ruby said, grabbing the leash and hooking it to Riot's collar. The dog hadn't really left her side and was patiently sitting by her feet.

Alexa was curious as to where the darker-haired girl was going, but she wasn't sure it was any of her business to ask. Ruby didn't look the type to be all buddy-buddy right out the gate. "Well, I'll be here when you get back I guess."

Ruby nodded and then lead Riot out of the house, wanting to put some space between her and Alexa. She felt something stirring inside of her the longer she talked to Alexa, and she didn't want to have to process that feeling. It was only going to lead to heartache, she could feel it in her gut.

Making her way outside, she saw Liv and Sarah already waiting in Sarah's truck for her. Ruby was excited to see them, hoping that they could calm the swirling anxiety inside of her.

"Who's the blonde Rue-Rue," Liv asked, nodding to the window where Alexa was watching them. "Did you get a new girlfriend."

Ruby shook her head and helped put Riot in the back of the truck, securing him so he wouldn't jump out. "Nah, she's just house sitting for my family. I don't know her."

"She's still staring at you," Sarah called from the driver's seat.

Liv hopped out of the truck and jumped into Ruby's arms, hugging her tightly and kissing her cheek. Ruby was used to Liv's silly antics and caught her, giving the girl a hug before carrying her back to the truck door.

"Let's get going ladies," Ruby said, not daring to look back at the window. She didn't want to feel guilty for leaving Alexa behind in the house.

Inside of the house, the second that Alexa had seen Liv kissing Ruby's cheek, she had backed away from the window as if she got burned. She knew she shouldn't care, it wasn't like she was into Ruby herself. Yet seeing the other blonde all over the tattooed girl gave her a feeling of uneasiness. It was like disappointment was curdling up in her stomach, and Alexa felt like she was going to be sick.

Pushing those thoughts away she put in a new Disney movie, trying to distract herself. She didn't care what some rude, tattooed girl was up too. It didn't bother her in the slightest, or at least that was what Alexa kept trying to tell herself.