Inspired by a prompt that I saw on tumblr and set in the future, after Salem is defeated and things have settled down. Warning for copious amounts of sap and fluff. Enjoy!
Sometime after the war ends and Salem is defeated (and after attending countless therapy sessions), Ruby comes to realize that the best way to deal with illness and injury is not, in fact, to power through like nothing's wrong, only resting when she collapses and can't go on any further. So, when she wakes up to her alarm going off, feeling groggy despite going to bed on time the night before, achy and sore and with a headache pounding behind her eyes, and it becomes obvious that she's caught the flu that's been going around, she decides to call in sick from work, reluctantly reaching one arm out from under the warmth of the blankets to snag her scroll off the bedside table and sending a message that she won't be making it in today.
Although she's only half-awake and ready to fall back asleep, she forces herself to stay awake until she receives confirmation that her message has been received and she's cleared to stay home. With a sigh of relief, she tosses her scroll aside and snuggles back under the covers, muffling a cough into the pillow and clearing her throat before drifting off once more. Even though she knows that she's more than capable of muddling through the tasks of the day when she feels a bit cruddy, it's a huge relief to just—not have to do that, to let herself rest and recover instead of pushing herself until she falls apart.
They can manage without her for the day. She's not letting anyone down by taking care of herself.
A loud pounding at the door jolts her back to wakefulness. What the—
How long has she been asleep? Who would be banging on her door like that? She levers herself up to a sitting position—and then groans, cradling her head in her hands as the blood rushes to her head and the room seems to spin around her, intensifying the ache behind her eyes.
When her vision finally clears, she's alarmed to see the door to her bedroom swinging open, and she makes to cry out in surprise—until she realizes that it's just the rest of team RWBY. What they're doing here, she has no idea, but she allows herself to relax. Still, the effort irritates her sore throat and sends her into a rough coughing fit.
Blinking tears out of her eyes, she glances up into the worried faces of her teammates. "What are you guys doing here?" she manges to croak out, and winces. She must look like a complete mess.
"You didn't come in today, and you weren't answering your scroll," her sister says, somehow sounding both concerned and sheepish at the same time. "We thought we'd come check on you."
It's entirely unnecessary, but Ruby can't help but smile at the sweet gesture. "I finally caught the flu that's been going around," she explains hoarsely. "Thought I'd take a day and try to sleep it off."
All three of them stare at her as if she's grown a second head. "Since when do you take a sick day for something like the flu?" Weiss finally manages to sputter out.
"Since I realized it was an option," Ruby replies quietly. Since her therapist had finally managed to get through to her that running herself into the ground wasn't helping anyone in the long run; least of all herself. That looking after herself was the first step she needed to take in order to help others.
Sure, it didn't come easily or naturally to her to try to put herself first, and she still feels a little guilty when she prioritizes her own needs, but every time she does, it gets a little easier. Baby steps, her therapist had said. You've got to break down your old bad habits and replace them with better ones.
Progress takes patience.
She sees her friends' faces soften at the weight of meaning behind her words. "Glad to hear it," Blake murmurs, smiling softly.
"Not that I'm complaining, sis," Yang says with her usual grin. "But we kind of thought that you must have been dying or something, Rubes."
"That used to be the only way anyone could get you to take a day off," Weiss comments, her tense posture relaxing now that she knows that her partner isn't in imminent danger.
"Well, not anymore," Ruby says firmly, although it comes out as more of a rasp. She ducks into her elbow to cough.
This stirs her teammates into action. "Well, even if it's just the flu, there's no reason you have to sit around feeling miserable by yourself," Weiss announces.
Ruby winces. "I don't want to make you guys get in trouble. We're already down a person at work—"
"Not a problem, sis," Yang cuts her off. "In case you didn't notice, the sun is setting. We're done for the day. And we all know that the best way to feel better when your sick is a movie marathon!" She claps her hands together in excitement. "I'll go see what's playing tonight."
Had she really been asleep all day? "I don't want to get you guys sick," Ruby protests weakly.
"I wouldn't worry about that, Ruby," Blake assures her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If anything, I'm pretty sure that you got this from taking care of us last week. This is just us returning the favor. Plus," she pauses for dramatic emphasis. "I'm going to whip up some of my mom's famous soup. She swears by it as a cure for any illness."
"Well I can't exactly say no to that, can I," Ruby says, grinning despite herself. Kali Belladonna is the best cook that Ruby knows, and Blake learned to cook from her. Ruby would be a fool to turn it down.
"You definitely can't," Blake replies playfully, before departing for the kitchen.
"Come on, Ruby," Weiss says, offering a hand to help her partner to her feet. "Let's get out there before Yang picks a movie without us." When Ruby wobbles unsteadily upon standing, Weiss slings an arm around her shoulders to keep her upright. "Let us take care of you this time."
Ruby allows herself to be lead out to the living room, plopping down heavily onto the couch and curling up under her favorite blanket. She smiles as she listens to Blake puttering around in the kitchen, humming to herself, and Yang and Weiss bickering over which movie to watch. This is what home sounds like.
Allowing herself the grace to care of herself is one thing, but allowing other people to take care of her is an entirely different, even more difficult struggle. Fortunately, she's got her friends to help her along every step of the way.
Thank you for reading! Please leave a review if you liked it.
I've come to realize in writing this fic that Ruby would be far too powerful if she got some therapy. Salem and Cinder and everyone wouldn't stand a chance.