Raphael adjusted his sunglasses as he trailed behind his mate. She walked around the open market, the island was set up so everyone could go shopping for everything all in close locations.

They had just finished grocery shopping and now Juniper was looking at clothes and things for the house.

He was reluctant to even take her here, but he knew Juniper would wring his neck if he kept her cooped up any longer.

She wore sunglasses as well, Raphael having forced a hat on her head after she'd wrestled against it vehemently.

The bucket hat looked cute, he thought.

And of course, Seraphina and Phoenix just had to tag along.

Because gods forbid he had any time alone with his mate.

He could hear the nymph fuss over Juniper's mark, he felt his friend staring at him.

"Do you have something to say asshole?" Raphael grunted.

Phoenix tried to hide his grin, "I just think it's cute seeing you marked and locked down."

Raphael sneered, "Cute?!"

Cute was not synonymous with the large berserker who had a permanent scowl on his face.

Despite having been annoyed, he still didn't tear his gaze from Juniper.

They walked into a store that was blaring music loudly, Raphael frowned at the volume.

Seraphina gasped and turned to Juniper, singing the song that played.
down

Grenade by Bruno Mars.

"Juni! This is our song!"

Juniper tried to fight her smile as her friend swayed to the song. Despite the other people in the store Seraphina still sung to her friend.

Phoenix watched in amusement as she bumped hips with Juniper who didn't react.

Turning to the berserkers who watched the pair, Seraphina smirked.

"When we were younger-"

Juniper looked at her sharply, shaking her head.

Raphael's brows rose in interest at what the woman was saying.

"What was that?" he brushed his hands over Juniper's shoulders.

Seraphina giggled, "When we were fifteen Juniper and I had just gotten close. We were drunk and she started crying while we listened to this song. Like- crying crying, snot bubbles and everything. I've still never seen her cry that hard ever since. She wasn't even dating anybody!"

Juniper pursed her lips, frowning sheepishly.

Raphael smirked looming over her shoulder and kissing her exposed mark gently, feeling a shiver shoot up her spine.

"Bruno Mars gets you emotional baby?" he teased quietly.

"Another word and you better get reacquainted with your left hand," Juniper glanced back at him with a raised brow.

Raphael opened his mouth but stopped, "...How'd you know I was left handed?"

Juniper snorted, "You wear your watch on your right hand. I've literally watched you write things, your handwriting it all slanty and everything. I know a bunch of little shit like that."

She looked over some of the skirts they had out.

Raphael blinked in surprise, he ignored the shoppers in the store looking at them with wide eyes since he wasn't often out in public.

"What else?"

Juniper held up a shirt to her body, looking at it in the mirror. "You grind your teeth in your sleep, then you wake up with a headache and pop aspirin like candies. Not good for you by the way. You color code all the stuff in your bathroom, kitchen, office," she hummed in thought before reaching around and checking the size of the pants he was wearing. She picked up shorts that might fit him.

"You like spicy food and even though you claim to hate Bear you always give him our left overs too. You do things twice... like doorknobs you twist them twice. Have a certain spot for everything, you get really irritated when some things are out of place. You haven't slept without your head on my tits in a week and a half. Should I go on?" Juniper smirked a little while grabbing something else.

"No I got the gist," he rubbed his jaw.

Juniper rose both brows at him arrogantly, to which he scoffed and smacked her ass.

His mate squealed quietly and glared at him over her shoulder while retreating to her nymph friend.

While trailing after the women like lost puppies, Phoenix tried to get all the details possible from his friend.

"So... she just said hey let me bite you?"

Raphael scowled, "No? What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Well did it feel good? You know people talk about how it's supposedly the best feeling in the world- like people never feel a high compared to marking their mate."

Raphael ran a hand through his hair, almost compelled to confirm that he hadn't ever felt anything like that.

"Sounds about right," he admitted quietly.

"I would give my left nut to mark Phina."

Raphael choked on a laugh, caught off guard by the admission.

"You fucking weirdo," they crowded behind the women and just as Juniper went to pay he snatched her card.

She whipped her head up to him in surprise, opening her mouth to protest.

Sliding his hand down, he squeezed her ass tightly drawing a quiet yelp from her. Sliding his card into the reader, he gave her a charming smile.

A smug smile that cracked at her annoyed look.

"Why'd you do that," she pouted a little.

"Cause I could," he husked and thanked the cashier who was practically shaking at their presence. "Gimme' a kiss." He demanded as he carried the bags.

Juniper giggled a little as he tugged her closer and closer, until she held his cheeks to kiss him quickly.

As they went to join their friends. Seraphina squealed a little as she looked at a magazine.

Juniper's jaw dropped, when she saw what she was looking at.

"You're looking at pornos!" Juniper whisper yelled.

"No!" Seraphina squealed and tossed it into Junipers chest.

"Look at the candle advertisement!" Seraphina waved to it frantically.

Over her shoulder, Raphael read what Juniper was looking at.

Custom candles to smell like your very own vaginas!

Both the mates jaws dropped.

Juniper suddenly laughed, Raphael smirking a little in amusement.

"Who would get that?" Juniper wondered aloud. Just as she said it she glanced at her mate who's face turned into one of consideration.

Well... she could could practically hear him say. His face contorting in actual contemplation.

"No way!" she gasped at him incredulously.

Shrugging he adjusted his glasses, "What do you want me to do- lie?"

Juniper's face was hot at his bluntness. And she was not one to get embarrassed easily.

"Y-You don't need a candle!" she spluttered while their friends laughed.

"When things smell good they make it into a candle, it's common sense." His tone was dismissive as if they were talking about the weather, stretching his arms over his head.

"So what if we had people over and you were burning this candle?"

"I wouldn't do that," he huffed. "Your smell is my smell."

She could only rub her brow at how ridiculous he was being, albeit his idiocy did have butterflies going off in her stomach. No matter how crass he is.

"Now are you buying the porno or what?" he husked while ushering her along.

Slapping his gut with said magazine, she then tossed it back where it came from before he demanded they get something to eat since her stomach was growling.

~

"Why can't we get a cat?" Juniper sat atop of her mate.

They'd just gotten home from spending the day with Seraphina and Phoenix. Their groceries were put away and the clothes they'd gotten were at the steps.

Raphael patted her thighs gently every few minutes that bared her weight while kneeling above him.

"We don't need a fucking cat," he grunted while resting his chin on her shoulder. He looked at his phone behind her back while typing up emails.

"I'm waiting for a specific reason," Juniper demanded while running her nails over his back.

Huffing, he set down his phone. Pulling away to look at her pretty face.

That was currently scowling at him.

"You never smile for me baby," he grumbled quietly.

His low voice rumbled, her breath hitched. It was insane to her that something so simple as a voice-his voice- could make her thighs quiver.

Juniper pursed her lips in thought, pressing their foreheads together.

"I smile for you," she whispered.

"No you don't," he frowned a little.

Juniper shook her head in disagreement while Raphael nodded his own, their foreheads rubbing together.

"I smile when you ask me to kiss you," she smirked a little.

"That is true," Raphael grasped her hips.

"But other than that I just nag you." Juniper chuckled softly as she allowed him to tug her to rest her weight on top of him.

"Lucky for us, I get hard as fuck when you nag me," Raphael smirked crudely.

Even though he probably said it to fire her up, it only turned her on. Because in her mind it further solidified he was made for her. Because she can nag very well.

Moaning quietly, she brushed her lips against his. "Lucky for us," her voice was breathy.

"I feel like we're always horny lately. You've got my dick stiff more times than I can count in a day," Raphael cupped the back of her neck and smashed their lips together.

They both hummed in pleasure, Juniper rubbing his chest while they kissed frantically.

Sliding his hands up her jean shorts, he grabbed hand fulls of her ass eagerly.

"Maybe," she was cut off by his lips. "Maybe we're both just really sexy?"

He smiled against her kisses, "I think you might be onto something."

Juniper suddenly pulled away when her phone rang, Raphael trailed gentle kisses down her neck right to where his mark laid.

Hearing her breath hitch as he swirled his tongue over the sensitive skin, her body tensing.

"It's my dad," Juniper croaked with an annoyed face.

Her mate stopped for a moment, sneering a little at the announcement.

"What do you want?" she answered the phone as Raphael went back to marking up her neck while listening.

"Juniper!" her fathers voice sounded surprised she even answered.

"I've been trying to call all week," her father, Elijah, complained.

"I know that. I've been ignoring you," Juniper snarked and Raphael rose his brow at her.

Pulling the phone away from her mouth, speaking to her mate. "Don't look at me like that."

Raphael held a hand up and backed off. She begrudgingly moved his hands back to her ass and he smirked.

"Juniper I'm speaking to you," they both rolled their eyes at Elijah.

"Dad what the hell could you possibly want?"

"Damn it June," her father sighed. "I haven't seen you for months and I'm trying to invite you and your apparent boyfriend to my wedding so we can figure things out and you're being difficult!"

Raphael snarled quietly at his disrespectful tone but when he tried to lift his head from where he rested it on her chest she kept him there.

"Who's fault is it that you haven't seen me? I went to you five months ago and your fiancé didn't want me there."

"You know it wasn't like that," he grumbled over the phone. "We just want you to be at the wedding. If you have it in you to throw me a bone and show up, I'd really appreciate it. If you don't ever want to see me again after that I won't blame you. Im begging Juniper."

Raphael watched Juniper's face twitch. Her eyes shutting tightly and he gripped the back of her neck, massaging at her scalp gently.

She was silent for a moment in thought.

"When is it?" she asked quietly.

"Six months, July first on the beach by our home. We would cover everything."

"Fine. I'm bringing my plus one, let me know the details later on."

"You must really like this guy if you think he'll be your plus one in six months."

Juniper looked annoyed, "Yeah you'll be seeing more of him."

"Okay... I'll let you know the details."

"Bye," she hung up on him.

"You went to him after you saw the oracle?" Raphael asked quietly.

Juniper frowned in thought, "Yeah. Didn't even get a word out before the cunt Dana was screaming at me to leave. How fucking embarrassing."

Her mate frowned in sympathy. "We don't have to go baby."

Juniper groaned and rest her head on his chest, "I know but this small part of me wants you to meet him and I know that's stupid but- I don't know. It'll probably be a shit show, you don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I go where you go. Even if you didn't want me there," he promised.

"Thank you," Juniper pulled away and gave him a small smile.

He hummed while admiring her, "My pretty girl."

Juniper's stomach jumped and when she thought back to this moment, she would tell herself that she was a simp. But right now she could only press her face into his neck sheepishly to hide her bashful face.

"I want my stupid step mother and sister to see how hot you are," Juniper kissed over his shoulder gently.

Raphael smirked smugly, turning her face up to his own. "Yeah?" he husked happily.

"I can bend you over in front of 'em if you want? Make 'em real jealous," he grinned while raising his brows as his hands began to wander.

"Tempting," Juniper smirked with low lidded eyes staring up at him heatedly.

Her fingers raked through his hair, tugging at the crimson red roots. "Think on it?"

"Yeah I'll mull it over," she giggled breathily while teasing their lips.

Raphael quickly grew impatient, promptly swooping down to mash their lips together with a pleased groan.

~

happy friday :))