chimera | d. jackson

TWO | old friends

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎.
OLD FRIENDS

𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 Dorian out on the street while the storm rolled into town felt good, Juniper couldn't deny it. She felt bad, locking up long before the 9-5 crowd even left work, but there were things that needed to be done before her leave of undetermined absence. The walk between her bar and apartment wasn't far, but she allowed it to take longer than usual, soaking up the calm feeling brought to her, courtesy of the rain.

Soaked to the bone, the only thing kept dry being a jacket that was several sizes too big for her, Juniper trudged up three flights of stairs in her apartment building. Normally, she would've just gone up the fire escape, having devised a way to avoid sightings by her neighbors and keep her whereabouts a mystery to her customers. While it may have seemed unnecessary to others, in Juniper's head, it made perfect sense.

The less people knew about her, the more likely they were to keep coming back in hopes of figuring the town mystery out.

And she had yet to be proven wrong.

Making her way through the dimly lit corridor that served to branch into various apartments, Juniper stopped just short of apartment 4D, one of four on her floor of the building, when she noticed that the door was cracked. She distinctly remembered it being closed when she left, especially since she'd gone out the fire escape.

Slowly pulling a butterfly knife from her waistband, Juniper all but held her breath. She made sure that no one was around before slipping into her apartment soundlessly. She saw a figure standing in the center of the living space, back turned to her. She snuck across the room, her footsteps near nonexistent. She placed the blade of her butterfly knife against the intruder's carotid, almost as though daring them to move.

However, before she could demand information from the figure, now determined to be male, he cut her off in a startled voice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

She'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Damn you, Danny."

Withdrawing her weapon, setting it on the table beside the door, she turned back to Daniel. The two watched one another for a long moment before she stepped toward him and pressed her lips to his. The doctor responded with matched adoration. The brunette couldn't help smiling against her lover's lips before pulling away.

"That's one way to welcome me home, Bar Girl," he said through a chuckle. Juniper's lips twitched upward, though she rolled her eyes jokingly.

"I would've done better if you hadn't left the door cracked, Space Boy," she returned fondly. She set her jacket aside and moved to the kitchen. While there, she opened the fridge and grabbed a couple waters. Daniel raised a brow in question. "Long day, don't want to forget this time." He nodded.

"Anything you want to talk about," he asked, though he was sure that he knew the answer. Juniper sighed.

"Oh, you know, just my older brother recruiting me for some top secret government project that he refuses to tell me anything about," she rambled, her words coming out in a single breath. And yet, what with how long they'd known one another, Daniel understood her every word as well as how it made her feel. If he were to be asked to describe the emotions evoked by that one statement, it would be stressed. Of course, anyone would presumably feel that way.

And yet, despite understanding how she was feeling, Daniel couldn't seem to find the words to say, not sure if anything he said would make her feel even the slightest bit lighter. So, he settled for the next best thing he could think of.

"What can I do to help," he offered. Juniper smiled softly at him, knowing exactly what he really meant. He knew that, if she didn't know the details of the project she was getting involved with, then she certainly couldn't tell him. Daniel also knew that the last thing she'd want to do was talk about her brother given their soured relationship the last several years. So, she gave him the best answer she could come up with.

"Make me forget. Just for a little bit."

And help her forget, he did.

↩ 🌌 ↪

𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 her head on Daniel's bare chest, Juniper revelled in the peaceful aura that seemed to surround them. Sheets proved to be the sole divider between them, but she didn't pay much attention to that particular fact. Instead, Juniper sighed, realizing that the peace she'd believed would last was gone like the snap of one's fingers. Because there came the flashes of memories belonging to a life she wanted to forget more than anything in the world.

And yet, there was still the calming knowledge that Daniel would be joining her on this endeavor, evidenced by his earlier reveal that he too was recruited for a top secret government project, one suspiciously timed to match her own meeting.

Trying to push away the sinking feeling that began to make another appearance, Juniper began to trace random shapes on Daniel's torso, working to distract herself. Daniel lightly squeezed Juniper's shoulders, subsequently pulling her closer to his side. It allowed her to press further into the warmth his body provided in the chill of her apartment.

"I don't want to go back there. Not again," she murmured, a confession meant only for the stars above. Still, Daniel made an unspoken promise to her.

"I know."