Athena stood hesitantly outside of her childhood friend's home. Sure she was used to the mountains and climbing them, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that she hadn't visited since they reunited in the last year. Sure she and Juniper have been getting along great since they ran into each other again, but Athena wasn't sure how well her relationship with Junie's grandmother stood the years they were apart.
The door swung open to reveal a short woman with her braided hair in a fuss. "Th-Thena?! I wasn't expecting you here this soon," Juniper whispered, staring at the floor.
"I'm guessing you didn't take into account that I've been running daily. Hey, Junie." Athena smiled at her friend and that seemed to lift the shorter's spirits.
"Nana is making key lime pie in the kitchen. I remembered that used to be your favorite so I had her make it," Junie muttered.
"Aww, Junie. Thank you. I can't believe I haven't visited sooner than this."
Juniper giggled. "Maybe it's a good thing you didn't. This is the best our key limes have been so far! Oh sorry. That got loud, didn't it?" She hid herself the best she could under her hat. Athena lifted the hat off her best friend's head and put it on herself.
"Junie, it's perfectly alright. I haven't heard you be that loud since we were reunited. What happened with the student council president role anyway? I wasn't back in school with you until this year y'know."
She glanced down and slowly started knitting a scarf. There wasn't much detail in the scarf yet, but Athena could tell that Junie already had a design picked out. "Well, after the drama with Professor Means, the student council disbanded. Myriam, Hugh, and Robin helped the best they could to make sure student events still happened for the rest of the year. I don't think anybody's been more happy with how their prom photos turned out!" Juniper smiled. It was great news to hear that Scuttlebutt was getting along well with the trio as well.
"How are Hugh, Robin, and Myriam anyway?" Athena questioned, adjusting the hat she stole from her friend. "They all kind of had major changes happen in just a few short days."
"Yeah... Hugh's doing extra online courses to get caught up to where he's supposed to be. He tried so hard on his own. I can't believe his parents would do that to him. Robin and I have been checking on him at least once a week. He's made so much progress for himself!"
Juniper's scarf had finally reached the shape of the first pattern. That's strange. It was a light pink heart on a mainly yellow scarf so far. Athena shook her head and looked back towards the brunette. "That's so sweet of you guys! I'm so glad you guys are still as close as you are!"
"We couldn't have done it alone. Thank you, 'Thena. You're always welcome to join us." Juniper gasped. "We should invite everyone somewhere this next weekend!"
Athena tackled her friend into a tight hug. "That's an amazing idea Junie! I bet Klavier could use the extra help fitting back in." She pulled away quickly remembering something. "Wait! You still haven't told me how the other two are doing!"
Juniper dropped the scarf in shock in realization. She hurriedly bent over to pick up the work in progress. Athena knelt down to help as well. As they made eye contact, hands touching when they grabbed the same part of the scarf, they burst into a giggle fit. It didn't help that shortly after, Athena pinned Juniper down, tickling her. "Th-thena! Stop! My sides already hurt!" Junie yelled between gasps of laughter.
Athena fell back onto the floor, still laughing as she finally freed her tickling prisoner. Juniper's hat slid across the floor behind her. Both girls laid there with an occasional giggle, their faces both very red. Eventually Juniper picked herself up from the ground, not wanting to possibly get even more dirt on her dress. She held out one of her gloved hands to the mess of a psychology student still collapsed on the floor. With an extra push from Athena, they were both upright in the entryway again.
"Maybe we should move to your room? I think we're both dirty enough and I don't want to bother your grandmother while she's baking again," Athena said, brushing herself off a little bit. She got the shorter to giggle again at the mention of Athena's previous mistake of bothering her grandmother. They nearly had to chop off her ponytail with how messy it got. Luckily Juniper is a goddess when it comes to dealing with any kind of hair.
Juniper nodded, remembering her friend's question. She began off towards her room, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Wait, you forgot this," Athena mentioned, placing a sun hat on her head. The hat nested perfectly atop her head as Athena dragged them off to Juniper's room.
Balls of yarn and unfinished projects were scattered everywhere. There were also a few succulents next to the window. An abstract painting hung above Juniper's bed. If Athena didn't know she was studying to be a judge and that she casually tended a very large garden, she'd assume Juniper was just an art student. Juniper looked right at home here, but there was a lost look in her eyes.
"'Thena? Have you gone back home lately?" Juniper asked, staring out the window.
"What makes you ask that?" Athena moved next to her and wrapped an arm around the lost one.
Juniper sighed and looked Athena in the eyes. "Aura visited the other day..."
"What?"
"She asked about us. A bit more specifically about you. I think she misses you because she mentioned that we're still always welcome at the space center."
Athena shook her head. "That doesn't really sound like the Aura I last knew. Last Aura I remember is psychopathic, lesbian, robot abuser."
"'Thena! That's rude and you know it!"
Athena messed with her ponytail. "I know, but Aura was never the nicest to me either after what happened to mom."
Juniper's expression softened. "Sorry, 'Thena."
"It's alright."
"Aura had asked how you were doing now." Junie paused. "And she mentioned she has something important to ask you about."
Athena perked up. "She had something important to ask me?"
Juniper nodded. "She said she could only tell you at the center though," she muttered.
Holding her chin, Athena looked out the window to ponder what Aura could possibly have in store for her. "I'll ask Simon to take us after school on Tuesday then. He's already planning to stop by that day anyway." She glanced over at her friend noticing the shine in her, what most people would call dull, hair. Athena never really understood why a lot of people would describe Junie's hair like that. Then again, she didn't really understand a lot of things most people think and feel is nice enough to say out loud.
"Us?" Something about Juniper asking about them struck nicely to Athena.
"Well, yeah. I don't think I'd be able to face there again on my own. If I ever had to do it again, I know you're the one I'd want to do it with. Will you come with me, Junie?" Athena asked.
Her eyes were gleaming as she pulled the future psychologist into her arms. Athena draped her arms around her, and it wasn't long before Juniper shook in them. The shirt Athena wore with her jacket began to feel damp. She rubbed the other's back. "Junie, are you okay?"
Juniper sniffled. "I missed you so much, 'Thena," she mumbled with awkward pauses between words. It's been so long since Athena's had Juniper breakdown into tears in front of her. The last time would've been before Athena had moved to Europe for those few years.
"I missed you too, Junie," Athena whispered, nuzzling her head into Juniper's neck, holding back a few tears of her own. They stood there crying and holding each other for longer than they could count without getting distracted by other thoughts. A sad yet comfortable silence surrounded the two. Without their constant hiking practice and Athena's running, both of their legs surely would have collapsed with the emotional exhaustion they shared.
Athena slowly removed her head from Juniper's neck and watched the puffy eyed girl against her chest. She couldn't have looked much better after a cry like that either. Juniper glanced up at her, a small smile on her face. Athena wiped away a few stray tears and planted a kiss on the shorter's forehead. Silently, Juniper gestured for them to sit on the bed. Athena led the way, and rested against the pillow in the corner. Her partner laid against her, resting her head on the other's lap.
The comfort they had on the bed was shortly interrupted by Juniper's grandmother calling for them from the kitchen. Maybe it was for the best, seeing as both of them forgot to remove their shoes. They both laughed as they removed their shoes and moved to the kitchen, unconsciously holding hands as they walked.
A tray of cookies rested on the counter. "I thought you girls would enjoy a nice snack while the pie cools. They should still be hot." Juniper's grandmother smiled as she said that.
"Thank you, Nana."
"You're welcome, Junebug." She handed the tray to Juniper, and walked off towards her own room. The girls looked at each other then shrugged and returned to Juniper's bedroom.
They repositioned themselves back to how they were laying before, now with cookies in front of them. "Junie, do you want to watch a movie?" The girl in Athena's lap nodded. "Diamond Castle?" Athena asked with an eyebrow raised. Juniper chuckled and nodded again. Athena took the DVD player from next to the bed and put the disc for the movie in.
"Est-ce que tu veux chanter avec moi?" Athena asked as the first song from the movie started playing.
Juniper looked panicked. "Je ne veux pas! Je ne veux pas. Je n'aime pas chanter avec les autres."
"Please? It's just with me, Junie."
Juniper sat up. "Only if you let me braid your hair while we do," she stated, reaching for her brush already.
Athena groaned. "Fine, but don't pull too hard." With that, Juniper pushed Athena away from the wall and began to sing with her as she undid the giant ponytail.
Junie's singing quieted to a hum as she focused more on working Athena's hair into the braid. It's not very often she got to do this. Athena would usually be scared her hair would be pulled too hard, but Juniper never did pull too hard. Athena's hair was always fun to work with because of that and it's length. It'll be so fun to take her out to the garden and fit flowers into the braid. Brunneras would look nice with the bow and they wouldn't blend in with the hair.
"Imagine if we could live in our own little cottage without a care in the world besides if our flowers are okay. Wouldn't that be nice?" Athena asked quietly, watching the movie intently.
"Mhm," Juniper responded, brushing Athena's hair enough. She began the braid while Athena ate one of the cookies from the tray.
The movie ended a while ago and both of them were asleep on each other. The cookie tray in front of them was completely empty. Athena's braid looked beautiful already without any flowers added, but the extra details always make it look better especially if Junie's the one who adds them.
Juniper's grandmother came into the room to let them know the pie was ready, but instead she took the cookie tray and lightly tapped Athena's shoulder. Athena shuddered awake.
"What is it, Willow?" Athena whispered, careful not to possibly wake Juniper up.
"I'm just making sure you two are comfortable. There will be pie already ready when you two wake up."
"Thank you."
"Anything for my little granddaughter-in-law," Willow said with a wink, before turning the lights off and closing the door. The sun had already set outside so they sadly missed the sunset.
Athena flushed at the mention of the "wedding" that occurred when both her and Juniper were at most 7. She sighed and moved the DVD player off to the side. Softly laying her against the pillow, Athena moved Juniper into a more comfortable spot. The blanket was rested on her shortly after. Junie hadn't seemed to stir from her sleep at all as Athena did this.
The ginger suddenly remembered to move Juniper's sun hat off to the side as well. She curled up next to the shorter woman with a soft smile on her face. Tomorrow would be a very good day.
(A/N: Oh wow! Another chapter actually exists! The chapter for Sunday will either be the next chapter or the one after the next chapter so stay tuned for that if you enjoy some good ol Junithena :])