Ruby needed just one look to verify going for a flight would be a terrible idea. In his opinion, the great steel bird's metallic "feathers" were simply safety hazards. The sides of the creature were scraped and needed severe polishing as well. Skarmory was practically just one sharp steel weapon. A flying one, at that.
Not to mention that the red-eyed sixteen year old would have his arms tightly wrapped around a slate-eyed and vaguely blue haired male. A particularly...handsome nineteen-year-old male at that.
Regardless, his main concern was trying to keep his fear of heights under wraps. Just imagining his embarrassment if Steven found tears from wind and fear on the back of his jacket would've been death as well.
In short, Ruby was violently opposed to go flying on the back of a steel bird while holding onto a specific Steven Stone.
In the end, the ex-champion managed to convince the younger of the two to go for a soar. And mid-flight, the sixteen-year-old could simply not help thinking, Dear Arceus, why did I agree to this torture!? And in the middle of the sky, the older of the two couldn't help but realize the back of his suit was almost completely stained through with his passenger's tears of wind and fear.
"Ruby!" He shouted with concern. "Do you want to go back down?!" After a brief moment, he felt a slow nod in his back.
With gentle taps on Skarmory's sides, the bluenette slowly descended and dropped down on a small island. Sliding off the bird and recalling it after patting its head, he smiled down at the white-hatted male standing with a blank expression. "Did you enjoy it, at least a little?"
"I suppose it was nice to smell your jacket for a hour." He admitted.