At a place this somber, desolate and utterly lifeless, one would expect the temperature to be cold. That's an understatement, really. Mt. Pyre, surrounded in dense mist and salty ocean air- should be freezing. But the girl next to Ruby provides a striking contrast to the surroundings. He leans slightly forward to get a better look at her, and his eyes flit over every inch of the girl's skinny stature.
Messy chestnut hair hangs loosely and frames her face. The boy notices she's breathing primarily through her mouth, exposing those adorable trademark fangs of hers. Bright eyes stare off into space, empty. Lost in thought, which is rare, because this girl is a woman of action, and rarely does she think before acting—or think at all. She's hugging her knees to her chest tightly, as if in pain.
(Ruby cringes at the thought. Imagining Sapphire—his wild, rare jewel, hurting … well, he'd rather not think about it.)
Something is off, Ruby's sure of it. A typical Sapphire would be running, jumping, exploring every nook and cranny of this mysterious location. But there she is, next to him, dead silent.
Ah…I guess we really should've skipped this place after all. Ruby sighs audibly and flops onto a patch of flora, only to immediately leap up.
"S-Sapphire! Are my clothes grass-stained?" He shouts, rubbing off any and all vegetation off of his absolutely perfect ensemble. Ruby hears a snicker and suddenly he's back on the ground, pinned down by gloved hands.
"Huh? What's that, Ruby? Grass-stained?" She puts all her weight on him and presses, twisting and contorting his now-helpless body harder against the ground.
"Sapphire! This isn't funny!" Manic laughter is all he hears.
"Kyahaha! If your stupid clothes weren't ruined before, they're ruined now, y'hear?!" Just one look at her smiling face and the coordinator knows he's lost this fight.
"Okay, okay! Sapphire, Sapphire, I give up! You win, okay!" He tries to keep a serious expression, but to no avail. Breaking into a fit of giggles, Ruby spreads his arms flat onto the dirt out to show he's admitted defeat. Sapphire loosens her grip and falls limp against his chest. Ruby swears he hears her sigh and the thought of it causes his stomach to do backflips.
For a few moments it's just the boy, Sapphire, and the sound of crashing waves.
Sapphire, his lovely summer girl.
He nearly forgets how icy-cold it is, feeling this fiery, wild creature against him. She's so radiant, so beautiful, so alive.
But something is heavily weighing down her energetic spirit. And it's only right to try and figure out what it is, Ruby assures himself.
"Sapphire…" She tenses. "Please, tell me what's on your mind." Ruby's voice is shaky but confident. Unsure, but enough for Sapphire. She's an open book, and by the look on her face she's not too surprised he's noticed her dampened attitude.
Sitting up straight, Ruby coaxes her up and into his lap. Sapphire shifts her weight around until she is comfortable, and Ruby feels color rushing to his already flushed cheeks. The jungle girl rests her head upon his bony shoulder, and he notices she's starting to break a sweat. The sensitive skin around her neck and collarbone are exposed, and they're glistening with moisture.
"Y'know, Ruby, it woulda been great if we didn't come here." He begins rubbing her back in slow circles.
Ruby wasn't too keen on travelling here either—but the two of them had a promise made. After the catastrophic events of four years ago, Hoenn was left in a state of devastation. Slowly but surely, the people and environment began their recovery. But it only seemed right for the heroes to make sure everything was proceeding in the right direction.
So began Ruby and Sapphire's travels, this time towards a common goal, hand in hand.
Of course, Ruby took his sweet time, making sure to enjoy every destination to the fullest, whereas Sapphire would've preferred to take a quick look and be on her way.
Somewhere along the way, Ruby gave up on feigning amnesia in regards to Sapphire's daring confession (and his even more surprising answer) and decided to be the one to confess this time around.
A chilling zephyr snaps Ruby out of his reminiscing. Sapphire gasps and grips his shirt tighter, and he feels her shiver violently.
(Honestly, who wears a leaf top and grass skirt to Mt. Pyre? Ruby shakes his head.)
Right. Something's bothering Sapphire. "T-tell me more about how you're feeling." Ruby starts. He's never been the best at comfort. All he can really offer is, well, physical remedies. He blushes as red as his namesake gemstone at the thought.
God, why is he even embarrassed about this? He's acting as if he's never touched her before, and he has. Definitely has.
"God! I thought you'd never ask! How dense can ya be?!" Sapphire's ocean eyes seem to contain a storm. Ruby's hurt at her words must show, because she suddenly calms. "Sorry…" She utters. It's the only consolation she can offer. Ruby's lips provide a smile and his arms loop around her, to pull her closer.
Ruby nuzzles into her neck. "I didn't mean to yell atcha, I just….Argh!" Sapphire's breathing becomes steadier and she accepts Ruby's attempts at making her feel better.
"I just can't help thinkin' bout all those pokemon who coulda got injured those years ago…! I mean, even we couldn't have saved everybody! And y'know, I bet lots of pokemon are buried here cause' we couldn't help em!" Sapphire's voice cracks as her emotion peaks.
It's crystal clear now. Sapphire is feeling guilty. Not that Ruby isn't, but he's been a little…distracted, one could say. He eyes Sapphire, his Sapphire, and smiles. He's lucky, so very lucky, to have her.
"A-and not just pokemon, either…all those trainers who…" Ruby can tell she doesn't want to say it. He nods to communicate that he knows how that sentence would've ended if not cut short by weakness, inability.
Died.
"I mean, what are their pokemon gonna do without em?! They're…all alone, and it ain't fair!" Frustration and pent-up anger seep out of her voice.
Ruby laughs, and Sapphire looks as if she's going to do something terrible to him.
"H-how could'ya laugh at me right now?!" Tears pile up in the corner of her gemstone eyes.
"Ah…Sapphire, in the end, you really are a girl, no matter how hard you try and fight it!" He peppers kisses along her neck and she nearly squeals.
She's giggling, and Ruby's hands slide all over her before resting on Sapphire's sharp curves. One silent moment follows another before their eyes lock.
"Sapphire, listen to me, okay? Nothing that happened is your fault. Way worse things could have happened if you didn't help, but you did. So quit blaming yourself!" Sapphire opens her fanged mouth to protest, but Ruby silences her with a kiss. Her eyes are wide open in shock, but she's surprisingly not pushing him away.
After a few seconds, the boy is the one who pulls away. Sapphire's lashes, clumped with dirt and salty tears, brush against Ruby's pale complexion.
"Sapphire, bottling up emotions is so typical of girls. And that induces stress, which could cause your lovely skin to break out!" Ruby shoves her to the ground before she even has a chance to try and do the same to him. Ruby's hovering over Sapphire as she stares in bewilderment. Due to the change in position, his rarely worn glasses slip off his nose.
Sapphire sees a golden opportunity open up, and she snatches them up quickly, only to toss them aimlessly off the cliff. Ruby is about to tell her off—for those are designer glasses, ridiculously expensive—but then he realizes he doesn't care.
While Sapphire is here, Ruby can't possibly care about anything else.
"Ruby! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, uh…" Sapphire's eyes dart to the cliff. The coordinator wastes no time latching onto her neck before kissing butterflies all over the tanned skin.
"Arceus, do you think I even like those ugly things?" He says between kisses. "Thank you, Sapphire."
"F-for what?" She replies, genuinely confused.
Oh, you know. For disposing of those god-awful glasses. For opening up to me. For coming to this horrid place with me, even though you didn't want to. For being the sun.
Ruby doesn't answer. He instead shifts out of the awkward position he's in, and scoops Sapphire into his arms. Sapphire's petite, and very light.
"Sapphire, you're adorable," Ruby says matter-of-factly. He's always been a man of words, very in touch with his emotions. Never afraid to speak his mind.
Sapphire paws at his face in embarrassment. She's blushing, and isn't very good at hiding it, either.
"So? Are you feeling better now? Please tell me, " Ruby croons into her ear, nipping at the skin. Sapphire's sensitive spot.
Sapphire's mind is blank. She has never been a multi-tasker, and with this prissy, girly, perfect boy treating her where it feels right, she can't even remember what was troubling her.
"A-ah, I…" She can't string sentences together now. Ruby smirks, seeing what he's reduced her to. Success.
Ruby slides his hands up her bare back, fumbling with her leafy top. Really, he'd prefer her wearing the clothes he made for her, but she's comfortable in this more…natural outfit.
Ruby's always been the one to lead when it came to things such as these. Honestly, on their first date he would've been fine with, well… hitching up Sapphire's skirt and going to town on her, to put it in kid-friendly language. But the wild child really is a kid at heart.
Sapphire's thighs tighten around Ruby's torso and he really takes a dive. He drags his tongue along her neck before moving lower, making sure not to leave any bit of Sapphire untouched. By the time he's finished, her collarbone is dotted with marks.
Sapphire opens her mouth as if to say something, anything, but there's only time for her to inhale sharply before Ruby's face is pressed onto her stomach and she's on her back once again. He presses his lips everywhere around her ribs and hips like it would be a crime to miss out on one stretch of golden skin.
Ruby looks up. The sight of her makes his mouth water.
The only thing that distracts him is the light drizzle he feels on his neck. Ruby groans in displeasure, and Sapphire leaps out of his grip to run around in the downpour. Ruby takes off his coat and drapes it over his head as some sort of makeshift umbrella.
Though he isn't quite sure what his intentions were, Ruby finds himself dissatisfied in the timing of the rain, and even more so in Sapphire's short attention span.
Though in the end, if the awful memories clouding her head have been washed away, it shouldn't matter. He simply watches as the hotheaded princess prances happily in the awful weather. Yes, she'll most likely catch cold, but Ruby is very accomplished in caring for her by now.
He's happy that he at least was able to help in the most minute of ways. Sapphire's presence does wonders for the scarred boy, and she honestly does not have the slightest idea of how much she means to him.
Ruby clutches his hat as a gust of wind dances over him.
"Sapphire, can we please leave this Arceus-forsaken place already?" He calls to her, collecting their things.
His starry-eyed treasure sprints towards him at full speed and links her arms around his neck, swinging her body and leaving Ruby rather shaken. She's soaking wet and Ruby can see her nose is already red and runny.
"I thought you'd never ask! C'mon, let's go, I'll call Walo!" She beams at him, and Ruby feels himself blushing despite the rain. Sapphire tends to have that kind of effect on him.
Sapphire is able to uplift him, turn bad into good, and Ruby is half-convinced she's some sort of enchantress. She might as well be, with her gorgeous eyes, miles deep, and deliciously golden skin. But looks aren't what sealed the deal for Ruby.
She is perfect. Her unevenly cut hair, her scraped knees, her horrid fashion sense. She is nothing like him. Ruby is flamboyant, selfish, and most would call him a primadonna. He'll never understand why Sapphire chose him. But he comes to a sudden conclusion.
"Ruby! Are you deaf? I've been callin' ya for ages now! Let's get outta here!" His opposite's undeniable voice can be heard from the beach.
If Sapphire is summer, then Ruby is winter.
"I'm coming! Geez, you are impatient!" His reply is rude, but the way he says it is dripping with adoration.
One cannot exist without the other, Ruby decides. Just like he and Sapphire.
He runs to her, his eternal summer.