Ruby stamped her feet on the small welcome mat, shaking off the snow. Blowing hot air out her mouth, she walked through the small post office at Beacon, and got in line behind one of the only other people there. She promptly stepped up to the counter as the queue moved on. "Hey Bill, how're my packages doing? They get where they were going?"

"Let me check," the clerk said, and reached for a tablet. After a minute of scrolling and tapping, he answered, "Yup. Everyone's getting their presents on time."

"Awesome."

"You also have a number of packages that have arrived today. Would you like to take them yourself, or have them delivered to your dorm?"

"I'll just take them myself." Several packages precariously stacked in her arms later, and she blindly navigated her way back out the post office, heading for the dorms. In her room, she added another, much smaller package to her pile, this one hand-wrapped with a crimson ribbon. She continued her journey throughout the school, drawing a few curious and amused glances by the few remaining residents.

Wobbling on one leg, she opened the door to Ozpin's apartment with her foot. "Hello," she greeted.

He looked up from his book, and did a double take. "Ruby?"

"Yeah." She felt the stack start to teeter, and shifted her weight back under it to compensate. "Do you mind if I stick these under your tree?"

He set his book aside. "You may, but why?"

"Well I mean, Natiuiteo is tomorrow. If not now, when?" She knelt, and tipped the boxes onto the floor, though she held onto the little hand-wrapped present. She removed the presents from within the brown shipping boxes, revealing their colorful paper patterns.

He watched her for a moment. "I suppose I might as well put my own presents under the tree."

"Oh yeah man, totally!" She had shoved her torso under the tree, her knees digging into the floor as she buried her gifts among the branches. She was halfway through her pile when Ozpin came back with his own gifts. But she couldn't help but give pause as he only carried a couple of presents. "Is that all?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her, and knelt down next to her. "I've only managed to keep in touch with a few close friends, over the years. Yes, this is all."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't." He reached over and tucked some hair behind her ear, giving her a gentle smile. She smiled shyly back.

Later, Clark retrieved some board games, and they played the afternoon away. As the hour grew late, Clark set about preparing dinner. Ruby soon joined him in the kitchen, and they worked together, her chopping up vegetables while he oiled a skillet. Once dinner was ready, they sat together at the island counter. Ruby took off her cape, letting it drape over the back of her chair.

"Why do you take off your cape at dinner?" he asked.

"Dad never let me wear it at the table," she explained, straightening her skirt. "Said it was impolite."

He nodded in understanding, and they continued their meal.

When they were done and the dishes were put away, they moved to his couch. Ruby cuddled up next to him as they watched tv, any host of Natiuiteo specials playing on a variety of channels. Full and satisfied, a certain heaviness started to creep into their bones, without either of them noticing. They could hear the wind whistle and see the snow fall outside, but inside was warm, and so were they. The tv was set at a low volume, the music and voices taking on soothing, lullabic properties. It floated through their ears and drifted in their heads, a hypnotic spell that even caused the more cautious of the two to drop his guard and be enchanted. The couch was a cloud, the moving images blurred and more like a swirling of colors. The rest of the lights had already been turned off or turned low in the apartment.

They fell asleep. Neither of them had been paying attention to the time, too engrossed in the cheesy yet endearing nature of the holiday programs. Not particularly aware of themselves, they shut their eyes and slipped away, slumping over on the sofa. Their bodies turned limp and settled on the paths of least resistance. Clark's leg dangled off the edge, foot resting on its side on the floor. Ruby had wrapped her arms around the nearest thing that her body supposed was a pillow.

Thus, as the clock ticked into the birth of a new day, she soon discovered what happened. She shivered, the chill finally starting to get to her, despite the warmth of her pillow. She reached blindly for a blanket, but couldn't immediately find one. Blearily, she opened her eyes. Clark lay fast asleep, his head propped against the end pillow, his body stretched out on the couch. One hand lay haphazardly over the small of her back, which happened to be right over where his stomach was. The pillow she'd been using turning out to be his chest, slowly rising and falling. His glasses were askew on his face, and she smiled at that. Slow and careful in her movements, she took his glasses off, folded them, and set them on the nearby coffee table.

She grabbed the remote, and turned the tv off. She reached up and retrieved the throw-blanket from the back of the sofa, and covered them with it. She snuggled a little closer to him, and rested her chin on his chest. She watched his face, and brushed some of his hair back. "This is the part of you that I like," she whispered, her voice barely audible, even to herself. "This is the part that I like to see. That makes all of it worth it."

She fiddled with the collar of his shirt, and continued, "When you let all your barriers down, and let me see the real you. When you let me see how nice and funny and loving you can be. When your ice melts, and you're warm, just for me." She sighed, and rested the side of her head against his chest now, hugging him around the middle. "It's so worth it. No matter what people say, no matter what kind of trouble we may face, no matter what the world does to try and tear us apart. It's worth it, just to see the way you look at me when we're alone."

"I love you, Clark," she breathed, and fell back asleep.