Ruby stepped back the tiniest bit when Bear stood up and put himself between her and the blood-covered buck. It really was quite the sight, him standing there in front of her. He towered over her naturally and he looked...well...savage. His hair hung down like it always did and there was blood on his hands as well as the knife he'd been using. Any words that she might have had pretty much died on the tip of her tongue. Was she scared? No. Startled perhaps, but not scared. And, oddly enough, she was in awe of the strength she saw in him right then. But all of those thoughts were kept to herself. His sheepish smile, most likely an apology, brought her back some. She didn't take his silence as an insult, not at all.

She stepped around to the other side of the tree, watching him silently as he washed his hands and the knife of the buck's blood. There wasn't any reason for him to be embarrassed. There was nothing wrong with what he'd been doing. It was perfectly natural and, of course, necessary for their welfare.

"Oh, no...you don't have to be sorry. It was my fault for intruding in the first place." Ruby almost couldn't concentrate enough because she liked the sound of his voice so much, so her words were a tiny bit rushed. Wasn't that just sad? It was such fun to be a girl with a crush, now wasn't it. She normally was good with her words. So why didn't that apply when she was talking to Bear? When she talked to him she walked away feeling like a complete and total idiot. In the past, it had never been difficult for her to interface with a guy she liked. Then again, they were always more interested in having sex with her than anything else. God, she never could win, could she?

When he remarked on her being up early and looking like she needed more sleep, she certainly couldn't blame him for the observation. "Tink was having trouble sleeping last night, so I sat up with her so she could fall asleep." She shrugged a little bit, almost shyly. "She didn't end up drifting off until about three in the morning, so I pretty much pulled an all-nighter and needed to get out. And here I am." That time the words weren't so rushed. But who knows when that would wear off.