Ruby waited in her position for Jet to come to her. She'd gotten her costume from Lilac, who'd worn it when she was younger. She'd asked the playful girl how best to get the most affection from Jet, and her suggestion was the most surprising thing she'd heard.

"He's got a playful side, especially around cats. Here, use my costume, but remember, you've got to be submissive. He'll let you in if you're playful around him, but also happy for him to get close to you. It might also help if you have some toys on hand scattered around for him to play with. One last thing. It's okay to overdo it a little. He'll laugh, but it works wonders on him."

Ruby remembered everything she'd been told by Lilac, and wondered, not for the first time, how she'd found this out. She watched as Jet approached her and knelt down, before patting her on the head. She felt her cat ears automatically flatten against her head as she smiled. For how patronising the gesture was, it felt kinda nice actually.

"You've been starved for attention all this time, haven't you?" Jet asked softly, tenderness plain in his voice. Ruby felt her tail wagging as she looked up at Jet and brushed up against him, sitting on the grass at his feet. She felt Jet walk away and come back, before a ball of yarn she'd placed in the open came into view.

Ruby immediately jumped for it, deliberately overdoing it and falling on her bum, but she quickly jumped up and lunged again, though Jet whipped it upwards so that she missed again. She approached him slowly, eyes transfixed on the yarn, before she lunged for it again, and this time, Jet wasn't quick enough. She wrenched it out of his grip and curled around it in a ball, making grumbling noises as she ripped at it.

She felt Jet cuddle her from behind, and turned to face him. He embraced her, and, remembering Lilac's instructions, merely curled up tighter. She felt her head being patted, and she sighed happily. It had been too long since Jet last showed this much affection.

She felt a hand on her chin and looked up at Jet, who had a wide smile on his face, almost contented. Ruby nuzzled his cheek, placing a delicate kiss before she withdrew, deciding to tease him. She felt him react, and watched as he stroked her hair, looking down on her with a tender expression.

"Why did I not do this sooner?" Jet asked, more to himself it seemed. He laid down fully and kissed Ruby on her lips, and she felt something awaken inside her once more, almost as if Jet's aura was raising the pressure of her darker desires. At the same time, she felt her worries falling, one by one, away from her, like leaves in autumn, as though being in her lover's dark presence was killing them.

"Jet, this feels so nice." Ruby sighed contentedly, and Jet responded by flaring that oh so delicious heat that poured from his body, warming her through her clothes. It mattered not that they were currently lying in snow, for Jet's heat melted the icy cold away. The warmth that she felt though Jet's presence was as addictive as it was comforting, and she pressed herself against Jet, burying her head in his chest.

She looked up as he heard what sounded like a prayer. Jet had his eyes closed, and she could feel the heat around him building.

"By the blessed power of Asmo, please banish the cold of this place." she heard Jet whisper as a warm glowing aura surrounded him. "Let the warmth of life soothe this harsh winter. Shining Dawn…"

At once, an orange translucent barrier that didn't glow covered the peak of the hill, and Ruby watched as the snow melted away, leaving fresh grass that sprung with warm life. She felt the temperature go up, but not so much that it got too hot in her clothes. She looked at Jet in awe as he opened his eyes.

"Much better, don't you think?" Jet asked, satisfied.

"Far better." Ruby agreed, and she watched as Jet removed his cloak, revealing a grey undershirt with matching tracksuit bottoms. Ruby waited until he turned to her, and she said, in her best cute voice, "I might need help with getting this off."

Jet chuckled, before he unzipped her coat and removed it. He did the same with her trousers, but was slow, almost like he knew that these actions were turning Ruby on. She had played with herself before, after all, and the sensual nature of their encounter, plus the warmth, was not doing good for her restraint.

He let her curl up next to him after she removed her ears and tail, and felt him over her with his wings. The heat coming from the black feathers was heavenly as she was shrouded in his scent, one of a flowery nature, but also of a mysterious quality she couldn't quite describe, almost like one of the shadows and illusions he weaved around others.

It was time to ask.

She brushed the feathers off her and sat up, leaving Jet's embrace. Her lover sat up too, and she gazed upon his eyes, which showed a tinge of worry to them.

"Listen, Jet." Ruby said. She needed to get this across to him in the right way. "I wanted to ask you something. Something very important to me."

"Of course." Jet replied, in an unnervingly unreadable voice, sweeping his wings back around himself. "Go ahead."

Ruby felt her heart skip a beat. Jet was not giving anything away, and this was the worst time for him to put up his emotional defences against this. Though, if she had any indication of what had transpired previously, then this may be easier than she thought.

"On New Year's day, I visit my mother's grave. It's through a forest, and I make the trek by foot. Normally, I go with Yang, but this year, I want to go with you." Ruby explained. Jet's expression changed to one of contemplation. "I wanted to know if you minded coming with me. It would mean a lot to me. I do this every year."

"Ruby…" Jet said, maintaining his demeanour. "I understand that this is important to you, but there's one thing you need to understand, and one thing you need to know."

Ruby waited with baited breath. Was he going to go with her? She would have insisted he speed things up and just tell her, but she knew better than to interrupt Jet if he was considering something.

"What you need to understand," he continued, breaking into a smile, "is that I'd love to be your companion on such an important journey. But also, you need to know that I will not use my wings or any of my powers, save the ones that'll keep us alive. If this journey is what I foresee, then I want us to work for the outcome."

"Oh thank you Jet!" Ruby cried in delight before she jumped on him. She felt Jet embrace her once again as she closed her eyes, letting herself go once again in her affections. She felt their hands lock together even as she intertwined their legs.

"It would be an honour, Ruby." Jet replied, before he embraced her and held her close. As he did so, Ruby felt that same darkening around her heart, as if she was being exposed to a toxic chemical, but she accepted that feeling as she held Jet closer to her.

To Ruby, this darkness was Jet's warmth, and was not something to be afraid of.

Rather, it was nothing more than Jet's revered presence.

Her true love.

BAM!

Ruby awoke in time to feel Jet fly off her from being hit by something. Dazed from sleepiness, she heard someone yell before sunlight flickered in her vision. She rubbed her eyes to clear them, and looked over at Jet, who was fully cloaked in his winter gear, and wielding his copy of Weiss' weapon, Silver Sliver.

She looked over as he jumped over her prone form to see Yang, and she looked akin to the time she'd given Yang the idea that she and Jet had had sex. She was furious, and Ruby instantly snapped awake as she heard her sister's yell.

"How dare you do that after what I told you!" Yang yelled, but Ruby's attention was drawn to Jet, whose blue blames were flickering sinisterly.

"Leave here, Yang, before I truly lose my patience with you." Jet growled, and Ruby could only assume he was angry too. She got up and ran between them, arms outstretched.

"Stop fighting!" Ruby cried, turning towards Jet, but when she saw Jet's wicked grin, she paused, afraid now.

"I've had enough, Yang." Jet spoke in a controlled voice, though his smile said otherwise of his mind. "Getting in the way of love is never a good thing for all participants, but we've fought countless times. You just never quit it. Now, I will not attack."

"Thank y-" Ruby tried to say, but Jet cut her off with a sweep of his hand.

"But if you attack me now, Yang Xiao Xiao Long," Jet said in a quiet voice, but one that carried true rage behind the façade, "I will not stop fighting until you die by my hand, your body burning by my own black flames."

In all the time Ruby had known Jet, he'd said nothing to make her distrust his word. Realizing that he would follow through with that cold statement, she turned to Yang. She was going to have to say it, and this would probably mean she'd never have the same bond with her sister again.

"Yang. I asked Jet to go with me to my mother's grave." she said in a calm voice. To her partial shock, the anger behind Yang's eyes vanished.

"W-what? Ruby, why?" her sister asked, almost distraught. Ruby cursed her luck, hating herself for what she was going to say next.

"Going to my mum's grave has always been about going with someone I trust more than anything else." Ruby explained, tears building in her eyes. "I've gone with you because you're my sister. You were the fire that keeps me warm and protects me. But now Jet has come into my life, and every single time you burn him with your rage, you forget that you're also burning me."

She heard a hissing sound from behind her and knew Jet had no weapon now. She stepped backwards to his side, but felt no wing or arm encircle her. She was glad, as she focussed on Yang, who looked on the verge of tears herself.

"Every time you two have fought, I felt really, really sad." Ruby cried, tears beginning to flow from her eyes as all her pain flowed back into her. "Jet's already wanted to make up with you, haven't you?" she asked, looking to her lover, who nodded in ascent. "So I'm sorry. But Jet's bluish flames have replaced yours. He might burn me by accident, but at least he learns and tries his best to improve himself. But you keep on making the same mistake."

She thought to Jet 'Take off as soon as I say my final words', not really knowing if he would hear her, but she felt him shift behind her and take a hold of her. Yang looked distraught.

"What mistake have I made? What's caused me to deserve this?" Yang asked, clearly saddened, her lilac eyes brimming with tears, and Ruby felt her own rise at the mere sight. Why was she doing this?

"You keep fighting the change I'm making. Everyone gets hurt in life, but trying to stop the pain I have to go through only creates more pain. The mistake you made was not understanding that." Ruby stated, before she nudged Jet, and they took off, Jet slinging her onto his back and not looking back. She didn't even know how Yang had taken their last statement.

All she wanted was for Jet to fly them away from Yang.