Multifandom Oneshots

euphoria ~ attention issues (fluff) ~ rue/jules

A/N : Takes place in their idealized reality that we saw in the special episodes

Everything was good now.

Rue and Jules lived together in a small apartment in New York, just like they'd always wanted. Jules went to the university a few blocks away, and Rue worked at the local convenience store to help pay the bills. It reminded her of Fez, who she still hailed as one of the few druggies she had known who was actually a good person. Gave a shit about her and her sobriety. Sure, she'd liked Elliot, but he had done her no favors when it came to using. He was an addict just as she had been, and whatever qualms he had about dragging her down with him were overshadowed by the illness. But... She was sober now. Had been for three years and a few months.

Jules was proud of her, too. And relieved. She'd always loved Rue, but her addiction had been a constant stressor through the early stages of their relationship. Her sobriety was entirely dependent on how available Jules was at any given time, and that was only proven by the fact that she'd relapsed as soon as the blonde had gotten onto that god-forsaken train. But, after her huge breakdown and withdrawal, she'd decided to get clean. Not for Jules. Not for her mom. Not for Gia. Sure, they were all a part of that, but they weren't why she'd decided to get clean. No, she needed to get clean for herself. Because the way she was living was not good.

She was clean now. Jules had been going to therapy ever since she'd run away, and she was much better for it. Rue had even begun seeing a therapist herself because lord knows she needed it. Everything was good now.

----------

"...and then he- Rue, are you hearing me?"

"Huh? What?"

Rue's ADD had been acting up over the last week or so, and it worried Jules. Maybe it was because it reminded her of how dazed the girl would be when she was high. Maybe it was because it usually got worse when she was having other mental health issues. The reason she was worried didn't matter. All she knew was that something was up. "I was talking to you, but you didn't really look like you were listening" Jules told her patiently. Rue always admired how much patience the girl seemed to have for her. Though, she supposed it went both ways. Lord knows how many long-winded rants about anime she'd sat through whenever Jules got hyperfixated on a new one... Whatever. It worked for them.

"Oh, sorry" Rue apologized, shaking her head as though to try and brush away the brain fog, but that didn't do anything. She was just too distracted at that point. "It's fine" Jules assured her with that crooked smile that always made Rue's heart skip a beat. "It wasn't anything important, just one of my dumb rants" she added with a chuckle. "It's not stupid" Rue told her. "I like listening to you talk, even if I don't know what the fuck you're talking about half the time" she continued, reaching over and taking one of Jules' hands in her own. "Sorry I wasn't paying attention. My ADD's been kicking my ass these last couple of days"

"Did you take your meds this morning?" Jules asked her. Rue thought for a moment before nodding, which Jules was relieved to see. "So you're just having an off week then?" the blonde asked, getting another nod in response as the other girl leaned against her with a deep exhale. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" Jules asked softly after a moment. Rue just shrugged again before standing up and walking to the kitchen area, making herself a small bowl of cereal in hopes that it would somehow kickstart her brain back into paying attention to her surroundings.

"Do you have work today?" she asked, knowing that the girl might forget if she was not reminded. Rue checked her phone schedule and then shook her head. "No, I don't" she replied with a relieved expression on her face. "Thank the fuckin' lord"

"I thought you didn't believe in God" Jules said with a chuckle as she walked over to where Rue was now sitting and eating cereal. She went up behind her and wrapped her arms around her in a sort of hug, causing the ex-addict to laugh a bit. "I don't know" she replied with a smile. "I mean, I don't think that there is a dude up in the sky watching over me and shit, cause my life has been too rough for that shit" she explained. "But I always find myself praying to him"

"I used to pray to the ocean when I was little" the blonde told her with a small smile. Rue grinned at a vague memory of a conversation she'd had with Ali. She was high during that particular meet-up, but parts of it stuck with her. Especially since that was when he'd told her the ugly truth- How he had hit his wife in front of his kids. "Ali said you can't believe in the ocean like you believe in a God"

"I love that guy, but I disagree with him there" Jules told her with a chuckle. "The ocean is like... Powerful as fuck. And feminine as fuck. And a force to be fucking reckoned with"

"So are you"

"That's an uncharacteristically sappy thing for you to say"

"Yeah, well, I don't even entirely know what we're talking about right now"

"Fair enough"