AN: I love you people so much that I'm getting through my stomach hurting coughs just so you can have another chapter ;).

I realized I had been switching tenses and fixed it. The beginning chapters are in the past tense, but I might make future ones in the present.

I should have asked her. I should have asked her if I could go see her again after I got done work...

Ruby sighed as she plopped down on her bed. She had just put on a tank top and boy shorts and was ready to fall asleep, but she couldn't no matter how hard she tried.

She sat up and turned her light on, and pulled out her phone. She was tempted to text Belle, to ask her if she could go visit her or spend the night at the beautiful maiden's apartment, but she decided against it. She didn't want to overstep her boundaries.

Ruby sighed, put her phone down, and settled into her bed again. She was almost asleep when she heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she said in a cranky voice.

"Belle."

"Oh, come in."

Belle almost instantaneously opened the door, and Ruby sat up, turned the light on, and rubbed her eyes. Belle was wearing her jacket.

"I didn't mean to wake you, I just... well, I actually don't know why I'm here. Hmm..." Belle had a concentrated look on her face that made Ruby want to spring up and kiss her.

"It's alright," Ruby responded. She motioned for Belle to join her on the bed, and the other girl sat down immediately. Ruby noticed that she had a book in her hand, entitled The Last Book in the Universe. "Why'd you bring a book?"

"I thought you might like it. It's not as classic as Great Expectations, but it's still a good book."

"Oh, thanks," Ruby yawned.

"I can go, if you want," Belle blurted. "I mean, you're obviously tired and I don't want to keep you up."

"No, it's alright." Ruby thought for a moment. "If- if you want, you could spend the night here."

"I don't have any clothes to sleep in," Belle pouted.

"You can borrow some of mine. I mean," Ruby grinned,"they might be a little big, but they should be okay."

"Alright," Belle smiled.

Ruby walked over to her dresser and pulled out some clothes for Belle. She handed them to the shorter girl, and pointed at the bathroom. "You can change in there or in here, if you want. I won't look."

Belle started to walk toward the bathroom, but then stopped and shrugged. "I'm comfortable around you." And with that, she started undressing.

Ruby looked away, but after a few seconds, her curiosity got the best of her. She glanced at Belle, but then she couldn't stop looking. Belle felt Ruby's eyes on her and squealed. "Ruby!" she jokingly scolded. "You said you wouldn't look!"

Ruby furiously blushed and snapped out of her daze. "Oh, uh... I did- I'm sorry. Um..." she awkwardly chuckled and then buried her face in a pillow until she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"You perv," Belle giggled.

Ruby groaned into the pillow. Belle laughed again. After a few seconds, Ruby put the pillow down, sighed, and looked at Belle. Then they both erupted into laughter. "I-I'm really sorry," Ruby said between laughs.

"It's okay," Belle said. "It was oddly... nice. I mean, like, not in a weird way," she blushed, "but, like, in a... I can't explain it."

Ruby was grinning. She had this light in her eyes that Belle had only seen once, when they were talking that morning. Belle felt an unfamiliar flutter in her stomach. She's gorgeous...

"Do you want to read that book?" Ruby asked. "Like, we could take turns reading chapters to each other or something."

"Yeah," Belle smiled. "That would be nice."

Her and Ruby slid under the covers. Belle started reading first, and after a few chapters, she fell asleep on Ruby's shoulder as the taller girl read aloud. Ruby finished the chapter, put the book on her nightstand, turned the lamp off, and settled into the best sleep she had had in a long while...