Chapter Text
"Ruby. Get up now, I'm closing up soon."
Bismuth wiped down the countertops, humming and glancing occasionally at Ruby's slumped form sitting at one of the stools. The bar's harsh yellow light casted down on Ruby’s obscured face. Contrasting from the soft blue moonlight that crept in, through the busted window shutters. Ruby turned to rest her cheek on the tabletop.
She looked around with droopy eyes, the entire bar being empty except for just Bismuth and her. All the neon lights decorating the walls were turned off an hour prior. Plunging the deepest parts of the bar into a crawling darkness.
Ruby groaned. Propping his head up with his elbow. The booze still burned in his stomach which threatened to rise up his throat. Ruby bit back from throwing up all over Bismuth’s mahogany counters.
"So, what happened this time?" Bismuth asked, coming over to snatch the half empty bottle from Ruby. The aforementioned was sluggishly reaching for it. Pathetically trying to get another sip before it disappeared from sight forever.
Bismuth gently swatted her hand away, eliciting a small, "Noo..." from the bar goer.
"Ruby. C'mon," Bismuth sighed, dumping the contents down the sink before bagging up the recycling, "Something happen between you and Sapphire?"
Ruby let out a quiet groan, a hand came up to rub at her face. Rubbing at his scrunched face, at the buzz persisting behind her eyes. Small tears pricked at the corners of them. She didn't want to think about this. Not after however the fuck long she's been in here.
“It’s,” Ruby started, mind blanking on how exactly to word this, “Y’know how… Rose is always talkin’ about having kids?”
Bismuth nodded, coming over to help Ruby up to her feet with one hand. The other hand holding the trash. Ruby leaned on Bismuth’s side, the world revolving in her vision as they exited the pub.
Bismuth knew just how much Rose wanted a child, to have something to love and nurture. She’s been non-stop buzzing about it as of late. Much to the misery of Pearl. Maybe Rose knows that she’s getting old. And maybe that’s why she’s been doubling down on her efforts to scare off the authorities from forcing their way into this city. So people like her could get just a smidge of a chance of having a future in this sort of political climate. Yet, will it ever be enough?
“I just don’t know… I think, me ‘n Sapphy… Get her. B-But this is no place for one… Not right now any… ways,” Ruby trailed off, getting distracted by the burning in his chest. She was propped up on Bismuth’s green dented Ford, watching lazily as Bismuth hauled the bag into the truck bed. She swallowed back a lump forming in her throat, “It’s all too early for this, m’sorry Bis…”
Bismuth let her into the back seat of her truck. Ruby lay across the truck's back seats, staring at the truck’s ceiling with shiny teary eyes. Bismuth sighed, shutting the door and hopping into the driver's seat. “Y’know you can always talk to me.”
The truck sputtered and came alive with a roar. Bismuth watched Ruby through the rear view mirror for any sort of response.
She was met with a long silence, as Bismuth pulled out of the lot and down into the highway. The low hum of the engine filled the silence for the most part. Streetlights peer through the windshields, hitting Ruby directly in the eyes. She flipped around in her position in the seat, burying her face in the backrest. Half trying not to throw up from the motion of the truck, and half trying to stay conscious.
His mind drifted off into the protest they organised last week. Rose marched a legion of tens, if not at least hundreds of protesters gathered from every part of the city, into city hall. Holding up signs and chanting for demands to leave them alone. Yet falling on deaf ears as officials huddled in their little meeting room. Relying on agents to force the protesters back out with shields and batons.
Ruby remembered how Briggs got nearly blinded with the excessive amount of pepper spray they deployed. He remembered Angel getting her arm trampled over admist the chaos. He remembered the overwhelmingly loud sirens that followed soon after. Ruby grit his teeth.
“…S'all just so unfair. Ain’t it?” A quiet, slurred voice came from the backseat. Bismuth glanced up at the rearview mirror to see Ruby peeking over his shoulder, “Nothing. Nothin' we try ever fucking works."
Bismuth hummed quietly in agreement, eyes fixed on the road. She had to go an alternate route back to their apartments. As the roads leading to the city centre, and eventually city hall itself, were temporarily closed off. Various signage informed the trails would be re-opened Monday of next week. Bismuth could've sworn she saw someone on the top balcony of an apartment building, fighting against the wind, draping down the national flag.
In any other context, it would've elicited a comment from either of the two.
It seems it wasn't that sort of night. Ruby flipped back over on her back, staring straight out the passenger window. Dazedly watching them pass street after street.
"…How long has it been now, Bis?" Ruby mumbled absentmindedly.
"Three, almost four years now."
"I could've had a fucking degree by now. Or— Or even gotten married to her. Y'know? And even… gettin' started on thinking about a family. We can't have shit. Not here. Not anywhere else in this damn fucked country," Ruby's rough, bruised hands came up to take off her headband. Stuffing the crimson fabric into the pocket of her pants."I could've… Done something with my life."
"You are," Bismuth murmured, turning into the apartment complex's parking lot.
Ruby sat up, hands gripping the latch to open the door as Bismuth parked. "What? Workin' as a bartender? Sneakin' off into my girlfriends penthouse every now an' then, beefing with pigs?"
"Being part of the Crystal Gems. Making a difference for this city's future. C'mon now." Bismuth opened the truck door for Ruby, helping him onto his feet as they walked into the building. Ruby stumbled over the steps. Bismuth patiently waited for her at the front door.
"They're gonna get us one day. They can always keep deploying more. And more. Raid our spaces— Ah, fuck," Ruby grunted a bit, almost tripping and getting a face full of stair as she climbed up to the third storey. Clinging onto the sticky railing.
"Careful. Our neighbours are sleeping," Bismuth followed slowly behind Ruby. Steadying his shoulders and making sure he doesn't fall backward. She sighed once they reached their floor. Watching Ruby fumble with the key to his apartment. Pressing his dark curls against the door as he jammed the wrong key in.
Ruby eventually got it right, not without hearing the barking of a woken up dog. She muttered a thanks to Bismuth as she watched Ruby go into his apartment.
"Wait, Ruby." Ruby paused on closing his door. Leaving it half open. She looked at Bismuth, standing across the hall with her arms crossed. Looking unusually tense.
"Mmh?"
"I'm planning a rally. Two weeks."
"Yeah I'll be there—"
"You don't get it, wait."
"Bis, I just wanna sleep…"
Bismuth looked pensive, lightly tapping her foot on the dusty carpet. Ruby waited to see if she wanted to say anything else.
"… It's gonna be violent," Bismuth admitted.
"What?… Bismuth we don't kill people—"
"I know! I know. But you said they're not going to stop, right? I want to show them what we're capable of. To further scare them away from here if just peace isn't going to work. Just… Trust me?"
Ruby paused, biting her lip. Looking back and forth at her door and Bismuth's standing form. Contemplating.
"I'll talk to you in the morning, 'kay? Night, Bis."
The door clicked close. Bismuth cast her gaze onto the carpet.
"Night, Ruby."