All In Good Times

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL PATRONS!!

Gosh, I wrote this story well over a year ago. I've just had so many other works and commissions in between that this got pushed back so much. I'd essentially forgotten what I'd written for it. I'm so glad it's finally time to share it.

This story has somewhat more serious/mature themes, dealing with depression. I call it the Healing AU.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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													All In Good Time

There was a lot to love about finally being able to live alone together in their first apartment.

After dating for five years straight, it was obvious to both Ruby and Blake that there wasn't ever going to be anyone else. There wouldn't need to be.

Even at the age of twenty-one, and even though she'd seen quite enough of the world and its harshness, Ruby was still bubbling with innocence and purity. Regardless of how many names filled the daily obituary, regardless of how many reports there were of missing or injured people, regardless of how many political schemes and dishonesties were plaguing the social media, Ruby never succumbed to burdened thoughts about such things.

However, there were times when she behaved too innocently for her own good, sometimes to the point where it could be considered naivety.

Blake was the perfect contrast for her during such times, a gentle hand on Ruby's shoulder to enlighten her on the facts of reality in the carefullest way possible.

If Ruby didn't understand the gravity of an event or situation, it was Blake's job to convey the points and consequences without hurting her. If pain was unavoidable, she'd ensure to give Ruby the smallest amount possible. Hugs always seemed to help, too.

Even though Blake hadn't been one for close contact several years ago before they'd gotten together, over the years she'd gotten quite accustomed to Ruby's hugs.

They were always a good remedy for when Blake's depression struck.

If Ruby was prone to naivety, then Blake was prone to depression.

The horrible truths and pragmatic issues of the world around them sometimes went over Ruby's head, but they all clung to Blake's person like magnets to a pole.

Sometimes, the weight was so heavy Blake wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

On those days, it was up to Ruby to determine for herself what she could do for Blake.

Whenever Blake was like this, it was almost as though there was a large, dark cloud hanging around her, suffocating her slowly. Ruby had to discern how badly that shroud was affecting her, and then react accordingly.

Some days, it was best to simply let Blake be, to let her be quiet and alone with herself. But even on those days, Ruby was certain to keep a watchful eye on her, to make sure she ate, and to take her hand and bring her to bed at night.

Sometimes the embraces were appropriate, and would help Blake calm down enough to cut a path through the fog.

It was a very delicate matter, but Ruby was not brazen child any longer. Thanks to Yang and Summer always telling her stories and reading her fairytales before bed in her younger years, Ruby had become a good listener.

Therefore, she always listened to whatever Blake had to say, even if it was a matter of sharing darker thoughts.

More than once, Blake would seem to snap out of her trance during such a moment of insecurity, and she'd break down in tears to apologize for dragging Ruby down alongside her.

But Ruby never accused her of such things.

"It's okay to drag me down a little, Blake," she'd once said. "Because that way, I can be closer to where you are, and I can help bring you back up."

Ruby never let the crushing cynicism and disheartening realism consume her girlfriend, and Blake never let Ruby's prudence blindside her from the truth.

It had taken several years of trial and error, but they'd eventually come to forge a balanced, symbiotic relationship together.

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Ruby woke to the distant sound of birdsong coming from beyond the apartment walls and curtain-covered windows. She reminded herself that if she wasn't being woken by an alarm clock, then it must have been the weekend.

Which meant there was no reason to worry about time or responsibilities until at least 10AM.

Lying on her back, she traced her eyes over the little bumps on the ceiling, coated in a faint yellowish light let in by the windows. The milky colors told her it was still early morning, probably closer to nine o' clock. Which meant she could sleep in a little while longer with Blake.

The soft breathing coming from her right side had Ruby shifting slowly, trying not to creak the bed as she did so. She moved the ruffled sheets that she herself had no doubt messed up during the night, then revealed a dark pool of onyx hair.

Blake had her back to her, her upturned shoulder and side rising and falling slowly with every breath she took.

It had been a bit of a rough evening for Blake last night, receiving emails from an upset employer about her latest manuscript. Ruby could only watch her girlfriend sit at her desk and pull at her own hair for so long before she'd insisted Blake get to bed and try again tomorrow.

Blake was always too hard on herself, particularly when it came to her writing work. She couldn't see it for herself, but as an onlooker, Ruby noticed a lot more about Blake than Blake herself ever could.

More than once, Blake had felt immensely guilty about putting Ruby in such a position. Many nights, she'd tried to convince Ruby to leave her for her own good, but the brunette always refused.

Only in recent months had she gotten Blake to realize that Ruby loved her just the way she was, that she was proud and eager to help Blake get better as time went on.

And she had gotten better, more so than she'd ever done previously on her own, or when Ruby hadn't been a major part of her life.

Their connection was essential for both girls' survival in this world of frequent cruelty.

Presently, Ruby slid a little closer to her sleeping girlfriend, slipping one arm around Blake's stomach to spoon her. Ruby rested her chin on her girlfriend's shoulder, nuzzling her nose into dark tresses that smelled of an autumn night.

Though she was younger, she never minded taking on the role of a caretaker for Blake whenever she needed to. Ruby spread her fingers over Blake's stomach, tracing her palm in slow circles. A slight lean forward found her lips meeting Blake's ear, and Ruby snuggled close.

Her free arm snaked its way beneath Blake's shoulder where it rested against the mattress. Ruby let her fingers rest gently at Blake's collar. When she closed her eyes, she was able to focus on Blake a bit more – the expansion of her ribcage, the little tremor in her exhales, the speed of her pulse...

Ruby soon found there were quite a few elements about Blake's condition that she didn't like. She'd learned that there was a certain level of arrhythmia that accompanied Blake's anxiety, and it was often partnered with nightmares. Ruby could feel for herself now the way Blake's heart was thumping rather quickly, her breathing starting to become labored. Before it could get any worse, Ruby turned Blake over onto her back, shaking her gently.

"Blake? Blake, wake up. Please." She leaned down to kiss her cheek softly, petting fingers through loose black hair. Ruby watched as Blake's eyelids fluttered open, revealing startled pools of gold, her chest heaving with a small gasp.

"R-Ruby-"

The brunette offered a sad smile, then pulled Blake close to her.

"Sorry. You were having a nightmare, weren't you?"

Blake could feel for herself Ruby had been right. The remnants of gruesome images that had been shattered just before they could form were still fading away at the moment, and her heart was racing far too quickly for this early hour in bed. She draped her arms over Ruby's back and squeezed, clinging to the grounding weight of her body. When she could finally find her voice again, Blake replied in the affirmative.

"Yeah... It wasn't all the way there yet, but definitely was about to get bad. Thank you, Ruby."

Relief washed through the younger girl as she felt the tension drain from Blake's body.

"Happy to help."

This wouldn't have been the first time she'd spared Blake from nightmares.

Of course, there were some nights when Ruby was out cold and simply unable to do anything by means of prevention until Blake was already ensnared in the awful night terrors. Sometimes, all Ruby could do was help her calm down after it was all over, and that was the best she could manage.

But whenever Ruby was able to successfully prevent such things altogether, it made her extremely happy to know she'd spared Blake a bit of torment.

Ruby lingered a moment longer, until Blake's breathing had calmed down a bit. Ruby kissed her cheek again to help the process. Only then did she pull away slightly, concerned silver eyes meeting with gold once more.

"Is this okay?" she murmured.

Blake didn't need any other words to know what her girlfriend was asking her.

Some mornings, if the depression reared its hideous head, she'd be unable to accept physical contact from Ruby, be it due to her body refusing it, or her mind forcing her to believe she didn't deserve it.

However, Ruby's embraces were often the only things that could save her from a panic attack induced by the nightmares. So the present situation had Ruby at a crossroads, unsure if her presence was doing more helping than hurting. She'd pull away if Blake told her she needed space. Though she didn't really want that to happen, something in her stomach was twisting into a knot.

"Sorry..." Blake muttered. "Give me a few minutes."

Ruby didn't need to hear anything more than that.

"Okay. Sure thing."

Her arms released Blake, and the brunette moved away, putting about a foot of distance between them. She watched Blake for a moment as she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing.

Ruby took the time to stretch out her arms and legs, then rolled out of bed, the plush of the carpet tickling her bare feet. She looked back to Blake and spoke softly to her.

"I'm gonna go wash my face. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

Blake's only response was a small nod, her eyes still closed.

Ruby left her and headed to the bathroom, but always kept one ear alert for her girlfriend.

Blake could hear her leaving as well, though she forced her eyes to stay shut.

It was a silent battle for a few minutes, trying to fight off the dark images that threatened her mind even on such a bright morning. The nightmare kept trying to come back and seize her, and within seconds her heart was thundering again.

She threw her arms up to cover her face with her hands, desperately trying to shut them out. With a whimper, she removed her hands and her eyes flew open, finding her in that room again, just like always.

Alone.

She didn't want to be alone.

Blake swallowed thickly, and she ended up choking on a lump in her throat.

"Ruby..." she whispered. "Ruby..."

Her thin voice dragged the name out into a whimper, and when she blinked, tears fell down each cheek.

Small as the sound might've been, Ruby was always listening for it, and even past the rushing water of the sink, she didn't miss it. She slammed her palms against the faucet handles to stop the water, haphazardly threw a towel against her face so she may open her eyes, then stumbled out the door.

She dashed back into the bedroom and looked in worriedly, finding Blake struggling to breathe where she lie.

"Blake!"

Ruby rushed to her side and sat down, scooping her girlfriend into her lap. Mornings where Blake was haunted by nightmares or depression weren't uncommon, but to have those on top of a panic attack was a rarity Ruby never liked to experience. But she knew it was immeasurably less pleasant for Blake, hence why Ruby didn't hesitate to hold her close.

"It's okay," she whispered. "I'm here, Blake. You're okay."

And there was no denying that what Blake was feeling was real – those gentle hands on her back, that soothing voice in her ear.

Her fingers reached out for anything they could grip, the easiest target being Ruby's shirt. Her nails curled in and clutched as Blake pulled her face to Ruby's shoulder and wept.

"Sorry..." she whimpered. "Ruby, I knew... I knew you wouldn't have just left me, b-but I-... I just opened my eyes a-and you weren't there. I got scared. I thought you'd left me... I'm sorry. I know you wouldn't- ever do that, but I-"

"Shhh..." Ruby whispered. "It's okay, Blake. You're right; I'll never leave you. I'll always be here, okay?"

Blake nodded, the damp spots on Ruby's shirt expanding as she continued to shudder against her.

"I know..." she wheezed. "I know you'd just said... you were going into the bathroom, b-but I just- I could only think that you'd left me... I couldn't help it."

It was such an irrational thought, and her body's immediate reaction made even less sense to her, but Blake had little control over it. She was most vulnerable to such attacks late and night and early in the morning, before she had any food in her system and while her thoughts were still jumbled from sleep, her body weak from not moving in the night.

It made her feel wretched, that she could ever come to accuse someone as precious to her as Ruby with something as terrible as neglect and abandonment.

Blake wept harder into the girl's shoulder, biting Ruby's shirt to keep in the sobs. Ruby only continued to hold her, rubbing her back as she pulled Blake closer into her lap.

"It's okay, Blake. It's not your fault," she soothed. "I'm right here. Everything's okay."

At least now Ruby knew what she could say in order to help Blake calm down in a situation like this.

She knew that keeping calm herself was essential to Blake's recovery from an attack. Her own emotions would feed Blake's, and that was something Ruby hadn't known the first time she'd been alone with Blake when her girlfriend had suffered an attack.

All Ruby had done at the time was panic and cling to Blake, too terrified to move or make an effort to reach for the phone to call for help. That attack had lasted for nearly an hour, and the only thing that saw its ending had been Blake's inability to keep ahold of her conscious any longer.

They'd both taken a while to recover from that incident, but afterward had done their own parts in looking into things to better help them in the future.

Now, after so many years of living with Blake and being so close to her, Ruby knew exactly how to react and everything she could do to help her girlfriend during an attack. Certain words and phrases often worked, and those were the ones Ruby recited to her now, putting feeling behind each and every word to let Blake knew she truly meant them.

As opposed to the hour-long attack when they'd first started dating, after all this time, Ruby had reduced Blake's attacks to typically last no longer than ten minutes.

She'd always do everything within her power to help Blake feel better even one second sooner, even if Ruby herself wasn't physically there. If Blake called her to ask for help, the brunette would always quit whatever she was doing to start running to find her. She'd talk Blake through it as she ran, until she could finally hold Blake in her arms and talk to her softly.

Their relationship was one that had once been almost overflowing with stress and anxieties, often initiated by one of Blake's ailments and then amplified by Ruby's desperate desire to help her through it.

At the very least, the frequency and severity of said ailments had decreased over time, but this morning reminded them both that they still had a bit of a ways to go.

Long ago, they'd both accepted the fact that Blake might not be able to be fully cured from this. But even if that was the case, Ruby had vowed never to leave her side, to never let her suffer alone.

To Blake, Ruby was a hand to hold onto when the ground fell away from beneath her feet. She was a pillar to support Blake when the world was crumbling around her. She was warmth and light and gentleness in a cold, dark, unforgiving world.

Had it not been for Ruby, Blake knew she probably wouldn't have lasted as long as she'd managed to. This world was too harsh, but Ruby made her want to keep going, to strive for a better tomorrow with less pain for all of them.

For the sake of that future, Blake would hang on.

Ruby held her for several drawn-out minutes, repeating every helpful phrase Blake longed to hear. Ruby flashed her glance to a small digital clock on Blake's desk across the room. She watched the seconds tick by, counting Blake's heartbeats for a full minute, discovering her pulse was still far too rapid for comfort.

Ruby kissed her cheeks over and over, letting Blake cling as hard as she needed to – if it could alleviate some of her girlfriend's suffering, Ruby would accept the tiny fraction of pain.

In the next minute, Blake's pulse had slowed by a few beats, and her chest wasn't pressing so hard against Ruby's any longer. Ruby petted through her girlfriend's hair, smoothing out the little knots for her. The shaking gradually came to a stop, as did the tears.

At last, Blake sighed against her, and Ruby squeezed her tightly.

"There..." she murmured. "See, Blake? You're okay."

Blake shuddered against her, then nodded as she released a long, withering breath.

"Yeah..."

Ruby hugged her closer and kissed her temple.

"You beat this attack too, Blake! I'm so proud of you."

Blake whimpered and nodded again.

About a year ago, Ruby had introduced a different way for Blake to think about her condition.

In the past, Blake's life had been that of a hunted animal's. She'd lived every day in fear of her anxieties, expecting that they were lurking, waiting for them to strike. She'd lived knowing that an ambush was inevitable, that attacks were unavoidable.

She'd let them take control of her life, controlling how she hunched in on herself when she walked, how she curled up when she slept. She'd always thought of herself as the prey.

But Ruby had offered her a new way of thinking about it.

Rather than Blake being the prey, she'd told Blake to think of herself as the predator.

She was the one hunting. The anxieties and depression were her prey.

Sometimes, they'd jump out at her unexpectedly and overwhelm her.

But it was her job as the hunter to tackle them and take them down.

To fight.

Blake was the one in control – she merely needed to remind herself of that.

Therefore, Ruby's words of "you beat this attack too" served to remind Blake of her position as a hunter. She'd conquered another battle, which was another she could add to her growing list of victories. It was empowering, and it made her feel ready to take on the next one should it ever reveal itself to her.

With the attack over and Blake's breathing back to normal, Ruby peppered kisses all around her girlfriend's face. Ruby's merriment was contagious, and Blake managed to wipe her tears and even crack a small smile.

"Thank you, Ruby," she murmured.

"Don't thank me," Ruby whispered. "You did all the hard work, Blake."

When Blake felt strong enough to sit up, Ruby helped her straighten her posture, keeping one hand on Blake's shoulder and the other braced at her opposite hip. Blake wiped the tear trails away and shook her head slowly, taking deep breaths. Ruby watched her, glad to feel the trembling had ceased. Leaning in, she pecked Blake's nose softly.

"You okay?"

Blake nodded slowly.

"Yes. I'm all right now."

"Okay. I'm so glad." Ruby pulled her in for another brief hug. "Do you wanna try to eat some breakfast?"

Blake considered the offer for a moment. It wasn't uncommon for her to skip meals, especially after an attack. She often feared she'd throw up if too much of the anxieties were lingering.

But with her new way of thinking and Ruby's support, she'd skipped fewer and fewer meals in recent months. Past experiences told Blake she'd actually feel somewhat better if she ate after fending off an attack.

Therefore, she nodded into the side of Ruby's neck.

"Yeah. I'll have a bite to eat with you."

Ruby sighed happily. Had Blake answered with denial of food, Ruby either would have opted to skip the meal together with her, or eaten alone in the kitchen. But Blake's affirmative response was highly reassuring, and led Ruby to believe that her girlfriend really was getting better one step at a time.

"Awesome! I was gonna have some cereal. Just a little something."

"That sounds perfect."

Keeping her smile, Ruby slid out of bed again, taking both of Blake's hands in hers. She helped her stand, keeping Blake steady as she found her balance. But even as they headed into the hallway, Ruby didn't let go of her hands.

Although Blake was strengthening her mind and body with Ruby's assistance, her medication still helped Blake on a different level. Ruby gave her two pills to take along with her breakfast. Blake swallowed them silently and without complaint.

They ate slowly, chatting casually as the minutes passed them by, the sun climbing higher in the sky outside with every one.

Ruby knew that they would need to take things easy today, which was more than manageable considering it was the weekend.

After breakfast, Ruby convinced Blake that today could be a relaxing "pajama day" where they wouldn't need to change out of their sleep clothes at all, or even leave the apartment.

"We'll just take it easy!" she declared.

Blake couldn't deny how tempting such an idea was, and with her girlfriend smiling at her with those shimmering silver eyes like that, she had no way to refuse the offer.

They went about doing the usual household chores that they didn't always have time for during the week – doing laundry, changing bed sheets, dusting off bookshelves.

Of course, with Ruby Rose, none of those things were as simple or boring as they sounded.

When Blake followed her downstairs with their baskets of laundry to start washing, Ruby gave the machine a bit too much soap and had it overflowing with bubbles.

When they had come back upstairs to change the bed sheets, Ruby would first use them as a shawl of sorts, wearing them like dresses.

And when it came time to dust the bookshelves, Ruby got carried away with trying to finish quickly rather than take her time like Blake, and the result was getting a giant clump of dust falling into her face and putting her into a sneezing fit.

Every incident ended the same way; with Blake failing to hold back laughter.

That was all Ruby had ever really wanted.

After retreating to the bathroom to wash her face off, Ruby met Blake back in their bedroom. Now that their chores were finished, she proposed a more enjoyable idea.

"Let's watch a movie! Popcorn and soda for lunch! Whaddaya say, Blake?"

Blake pondered for a moment, feeling her stomach rumbling just a bit.

"It's the weekend. Why not?"

"Yaay!" Ruby jumped up and clapped her hands. "You pick the movie, I'll get started on the popcorn!"

She dashed into the kitchen area and started tearing open boxes, and within minutes, the entire apartment smelled like a movie theater.

In the meantime, Blake selected one of several dozen movies from their shelves. She chose a comedy, both because she herself wasn't really in the mood for anything else, and because she wanted to keep hearing Ruby's laughter today.

Once Ruby had returned to the room with a big orange bowl filled with popcorn, Blake put the movie into the player and closed the blinds to keep the room dark.

Ruby handed Blake the bowl to hold and then flung herself onto the clean bed, bouncing a little as she rolled over into her usual spot. Blake sat down beside her a little more slowly, placing the bowl of popcorn between them as the movie began.

Ruby snuggled up to her side, occasionally reaching out to grab a few pieces of popcorn to bring to her mouth.

She gave Blake exactly what she wanted; bouts of unbridled laughter and giggles.

And Blake ended up laughing several times as well.

Her laugh wasn't as full as Ruby's, and it was never so hard that it left her breathless. But it had its own charms to it, laced with tiny little rasps of Blake's voice.

Ruby felt that this morning's troubles had finally melted away. She looped both arms around Blake's stomach and rested her head on her shoulder, their legs curling together.

Ruby watched the rest of the film with lazy eyes, but her main focus now was on Blake.

She didn't realize she'd let herself start to doze by the end credits, and she was on the borderline of slumber when she felt Blake start to run her hands through her hair.

Ruby's hair had grown just a little over the years, now passing her shoulders an inch or so, giving Blake more to curl her fingers through.

Other than voice her thanks to her girlfriend, Blake felt this was one of the only things she could do for Ruby to display her gratitude and appreciation for all Ruby did for her.

Ruby was still for a while, enjoying the treatment of Blake's gentle hands, listening to every breath she took.

Putting the empty popcorn bowl aside on the bedside table, Blake pulled Ruby into her lap, slouching a bit to let the brunette rest on top of her. Ruby moaned happily, slipping both arms around either of Blake's sides now as she nuzzled into her collar and sighed. Blake hugged her in return, rubbing her back soothingly. When she spoke, her voice was low and calm.

"I feel I never thank you enough for all you do for me, Ruby."

The response was an idle hum.

"Silly Blake..." she mumbled. "You don't have to thank me. I'm happy to help you feel better."

"And that's exactly why I feel the need to thank you." Blake kissed the top of her head, holding her close.

For about an hour or so, they dozed together on the bed, playing with hair and massaging shoulders. Their fingertips had long-since learned the pattern of the other's body, every dip and every curve committed to memory.

Blake memorized the way Ruby's hands always fell into place in the same spots on her body, and she was accustomed to having them there.

Ruby memorized Blake's breathing and her heart rate when she was calm and at rest, able to detect any discrepancies if the paces picked up.

Such was the case after their hour of laziness together.

Ruby had closed her eyes and simply laid her head over Blake's chest to listen, more than willing to have them both fall asleep like this for a little while.

But the steady thump of Blake's pulse changed, just a little bit, but still enough for Ruby to recognize. She pushed herself up, rubbing her eyes briefly before she looked into Blake's gaze.

"Blake... what's wrong?"

There was an ounce of tension in her voice, and she was ready to bolt if her girlfriend said the word.

But Blake's eyes were tranquil, albeit somewhat melancholy.

"It's nothing. I was just remembering the email my publisher sent me last night. How he'd said my work wasn't good..."

The thought of disappointing people who were depending on her stressed Blake out. Working from home had its benefits since she didn't have to interact with people socially all that much, but it still came with the silent pressure of deadlines, messages that could be accidentally discarded, vital information misplaced...

Ruby frowned, sitting up and helping Blake with her.

"Hey, he's just being a big jerk," Ruby mumbled, pulling Blake into another hug. "I know your work is incredible. It wouldn't be paying for most of our rent if it wasn't!"

Blake made a small affirmative sound in the back of her throat. Ruby always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better.

"Thanks," Blake chuckled. "But I want to see if I can fix it now."

She made an effort to move away, but Ruby pulled her back.

"Are you sure, Blake?" she fretted. "You've had a pretty rough day... I don't want this to stress you out more."

Blake gave an appreciative smile and kissed Ruby's hair.

"I'll be fine. If I start feeling anxious, I'll take a break."

Ruby reached out and grasped one of Blake's hands before she could get out of bed. She looped their pinky fingers together and squeezed.

"Promise?"

Blake looked down at their fingers, then back up to her girlfriend.

"Promise."

She squeezed Ruby's pinky in return.

Satisfied, Ruby let her go.

She watched from the bed as Blake crossed the room to her work desk. Piles of papers decorated all sides of the desk, totally concealing the wooden surface below. Hours' worth of discarded ideas lay crumpled in the waste bin below, beside the squeaky wheels of the rolling chair. An ever-humming computer sat in the center, its keyboard worn by months and months of Blake's fingers pressing down on its keys with relentless vigor.

Ruby watched as her girlfriend sat down, and the computer screen lit up. She knew Blake worked best with her writing in silence, therefore Ruby opted to leave her alone for a little while.

She retreated to the bathroom to shower, coating herself in pink strawberry shampoo and bath soap. The warm water flowed all through her hair and down her shoulders, hitting her back in a pleasant spray.

But she must have stayed in for a bit longer than the complex's water bill allowed, because just as she'd been enjoying her last sudsy rinse, the water turned cold.

With the yelp of one betrayed, Ruby shut off the water, grabbed her red towel, and jumped out of the shower. She whimpered and whined as she wrapped herself up, but not even the fuzzy material of her towel helped all that much now that her skin was freezing.

Dressing herself was a cruel process as the raw air hit her body, and the end result left her still shivering miserably. She plugged in the hair dryer and turned it on low as not to disturb Blake. The hot hair provided a bit of solace for her head and shoulders, but the rest of her body still had goosebumps.

By the time she'd finished and limped back into the bedroom, it had been only twenty minutes or so since Blake had started working. That was long enough for a weekend, and besides, Ruby wanted to be selfish tonight and have Blake all to herself.

The dark-haired girl was still sitting at her desk, typing away, every key worn a bit with overuse except for the backspace. Ruby crept in quietly and called out to her in a needy whine.

"Blaaaake..."

Her first cry went unnoticed, simply because Blake had been so focused on her task. She'd figured out the problem in her manuscript that had gotten her publisher barking at her. She had it all planned out properly in her head – it was just a matter of arranging it on paper.

She added a line here, took out a paragraph there, switched a few lines around, put in a few more details, looked up a better word to replace a more commonplace one-

She was changing so much that she was starting to second-guess herself. Maybe she shouldn't have changed that part? Maybe she should have-

"Blaaake?"

The second wail of Ruby's voice had her spinning around in her chair, tearing her eyes away from the screen.

"Ruby? What's the matter?"

Ruby whimpered and stumbled over to her like a child who'd dropped her last cookie.

"Blaaake. The water went cold on meeeee."

Blake cracked a smile in knowing it wasn't anything too serious.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. Come here and let me help you get warmed up."

Blake opened her arms invitingly. Ruby bent down and hugged her, sighing in relief as Blake's arms wrapped around her. Blake could feel her shivering, and ended up standing. She led Ruby back to the bed and pulled one of the smaller blankets off, draping it over her girlfriend's shoulders.

"Better now?" she wondered. Ruby sniffled and shrugged. Blake kissed her cheek. "Why don't you bundle up in bed? I'll be done soon."

Blake coaxed her to sit down, then retreated to her desk.

But Ruby stood again and followed her like a lonely puppy. She spun Blake's chair around, forcing her girlfriend to look away from the computer again. Blake blinked up at her curiously.

"What is it?"

"Bed's too cold..." Ruby mumbled. "Blake's warm..."

The older girl rolled her eyes playfully, knowing full-well what Ruby was after.

"All right. Come here."

Once again she opened her arms, but this time remained seated. Ruby climbed into her lap, letting her legs fall off to either side of the chair, her feet dangling. She wrapped her arms around Blake's waist and pressed close, resting her chin on the older girl's shoulder.

Blake wrapped Ruby in her arms, securing the blanket over her back a bit more. She felt Ruby sigh blissfully as their body heat pressed together.

With effort, Blake turned the chair around to face the computer once more. She reached her hands out to either side of Ruby's body and continued to type, albeit a bit awkwardly. Ruby clung to her back, dozing happily now, warmth wreathing around her on all sides now, Blake's scent filling her lungs.

Blake continued her work for a while longer, going through the pages again and again to edit, revise, and repeat. She paused briefly to rub her eyes, then went onto the next page, her mind buzzing with thoughts.

/Maybe... I should change this part... Where'd that one link go? I could use this... Or- no, he said this part was all right. What he didn't like was this page... But I really thought this one was good.../

Blake bit her lip as she continuously contemplated with herself about her work, fretting silently as she tried to figure out something that could work. Ruby noticed the change in her girlfriend's condition again, and shifted slightly, hugging Blake tighter.

"Mm, Blake... I can feel your heartbeat. It's a little fast. You okay?"

Blake paused in her work long enough to realize she'd been stressing herself out unnecessarily again, a bad habit she'd yet to break. But with Ruby's help, she was getting better. She sighed, saved her current file, and then shut down the computer.

"I've done enough for today. I can come back to it tomorrow," she decided.

Ruby nodded, pressing a small kiss to her girlfriend's cheek.

That was another improvement that had since resulted from their relationship.

In the past, Blake would often immerse and even drown herself in stressful work, and refuse to pull away from it. She'd tie weights to her broken ankles and let herself sink under the pressure of every burden.

But ever since Ruby had come along, she'd made sure never to let Blake dip beneath the surface for longer than she could handle.

She was glad that now, Blake had gotten to the point where she could pull herself away from a self-destructive situation with little persuasion. With the help of Ruby's love for her, Blake was learning to treasure herself.

Ruby hummed happily as Blake carefully shifted them both, scooping Ruby up into her arms as she stood. The brunette held onto Blake's shoulders, nuzzling into her soft hair as she was lifted up. Blake carried her back to bed, blanket and all, and laid her down, then crawled up beside her.

Instantly, Ruby climbed over her, deeming herself Blake's blanket for the night as she covered her girlfriend with her own body and the red blanket on top of herself. Ruby moved up a little bit, just to gaze down into Blake's eyes for a moment before kissing her lips.

Blake kissed back, sighing contentedly as the scent of strawberries enveloped her. After pulling away, Ruby settled her head against Blake's chest to listen to the rhythm of her heart once more.

"Goodnight, Blake," she murmured. "I love you."

Blake squeezed the girl's shoulders and closed her eyes.

"Thank you, Ruby. I love you, too. Sleep well."

Ruby got comfortable, focusing on Blake's steady pulse, letting it fill her head in its soft, unique melody.

Blake could feel as her girlfriend slipped away into slumber. As she lay there, waiting to follow, Blake knew she wouldn't have to worry about nightmares tonight.

She reflected on all the things Ruby had done to help her in the past, what she was doing in the present, and what she would surely do in the future. She'd saved Blake from herself, she'd started to help heal her, and she'd provided the love Blake had never given herself.

But now, thanks to Ruby, and her own strength, Blake knew she was well along her path to recovery.

She knew it might take a bit more time to finally reach the end, and surely there would be more setbacks along the way.

But she also knew she'd have Ruby with her all along the way.

And if that was the case, Blake knew she would get there.

All in good time.

A/N: I just want to make it known I've never been in a relationship with someone who suffers from depression like Blake does in this, nor do I suffer from it myself. So I'm sorry if any of this seems unrealistic to those of you who know more personally about depression.

I tried not to make it read like a "happy kitten flowers" kind of story. I know not everything is happy and fun and easy, even if you're in a relationship with someone. It's still difficult and trying.

But I never want to leave these sort of stories on sad notes. I believe things can and will get better in time, and perhaps if you and your partner(s) or lack thereof believe that as well, things will change for the better someday. One day at a time, as they say.

In any case, I hope you enjoyed this story, which isn't terribly like my usual ones.