Juniper wrapped her hair up in a towel while swaying through her room.

She pushed through Raphael's clothes, as she had done every night to pick out one of his t-shirts to sleep in. Luckily, everything of his was completely organized. By size, by color, hell maybe even by fabric.

Juniper wanted to think it was weird, but all she could think was that it was cute how particular he was. And that she didn't want to mess up the organization.

Because as much as she didn't want to admit it, he was still her mate.

She nibbled her lip in thought as she tugged on spandex shorts to avoid flashing him, even if the shirt went to her lower thighs.

After making up her mind, she snagged one of her own most worn t-shirts. The size difference between the one she wore and the one she grabbed was almost comical.

The smell of tomato flooded her nose as she stepped into the hallway.

Her bare feet padded their way to the kitchen, she saw Raphael at the stove. She hummed as she caught a whiff of tomato soup and grilled cheese. Her gray eyes fluttered to the blender and chopping boards, from the looks of it the soup seemed to be made from scratch.

Juniper was impressed, not expecting him to be able to cook.

Raphael turned towards her, hearing her enter. He nodded for her to sit, as she passed him she tossed her old t-shirt into his chest.

He caught it and furrowed his brow, glancing at her in question.

"It'll help you sleep. The scent," she gestured to it.

Raphael's eyes widened a little and Juniper could've sworn he looked sheepish as he tightened his grip on the cloth.

"Here's soup, Phoenix said you didn't feel good earlier."

He didn't meet her eyes as he slid a bowl and plate towards her.

Juniper's face contorted in confusion, but wiped it away as soon as they looked at each other.

She quickly nodded to spare him any embarrassment, "Thank you."

Raphael got his own food together but still watched her eat carefully.

"You haven't touched any of the meat in the freezer," he noticed while deciding what to cook.

Juniper hummed in thought, "I don't eat it."

He figured as much, remembering back to when they first had dinner at the manor she didn't touch the fish.

"Any particular reason?"

Juniper thought for a moment, "No. Not really at least, I just don't like the whole killing something to eat it."

Raphael nodded at the answer, "You didn't seemed bothered when I killed that man from last week."

The man he decapitated with his bare hands.

"That's different," Juniper shook her head while dipping her grilled cheese in the soup.

"Killing people that need to be killed doesn't bother me. People make decisions and animals don't," she hummed. Raphael watched her wiggle in her seat as she ate, her face was content. Juniper made little noises as she ate the food, a feeling of pride spread through his chest as she ate the food he provided.

"How old are you?" Juniper suddenly blurted while turning towards him. She still took large bites of her sandwich, she hadn't eaten all day.

"200 something," Raphael grunted.

Juniper's eyes widened a little at the fact that he lost track so carelessly. Raphael only looked a few years older than her. Berserkers, unlike any other supernatural race, stopped aging after a while. The oldest a berserker lived to was 1,000 before he was killed. That's why they were the most followed supernatural race around.

Even lycans aged after a few hundred years.

Juniper shivered, if she marked Raphael, their life spans would be intertwined and they'd be living the same amount of time naturally. Unless one of them were killed.

Suddenly she chuckled under her breath, Raphael narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What?"

"You're old," she laughed to herself.

"I look good for 200 something though," he gave her a cocky smirk.

Juniper's eyes widened in surprise before she snickered.

Raphael scoffed and nudged her with his foot. She nudged him right back with a small grin.

He grinned a little into his food, Juniper picked up her bowl to drink the rest of her soup before standing.

"Did you taste it?" Raphael mumbled between bites as he looked at her like she was crazy.

"My show is coming on," she called over her shoulder as she swayed into the living room.

Raphael squinted in mild confusion, bending to feed the dog that came running at the sound of food.

Bear pawed at his pant leg to which Raphael reluctantly pet his head before following after his mate.

Tucking the shirt she'd given him into his back pocket, he saw Juniper huddling up on the couch. A dating show's intro began playing on the tv.

"I'll clean up the kitchen, thank you for dinner," Juniper glanced up at him as he entered. She tugged a blanket to her chin as her eyes darted back to the reality tv show.

"You like this shit?"

Juniper sharply glared at him, to which he raised a brow.

"It's quality television," she waved a hand to the men fighting on tv over a girl that cried in the background.

He shook his head, leaving to clean up the mess he'd made even if Juniper said she would.

It didn't take long since he cleaned as he went, soon enough he found himself sitting on the other end of the couch watching with Juniper.

He couldn't remember the last time he'd watched tv or even made dinner in this house.

"So they kick people out every week?" Raphael furrowed his brow at the bizarre concept.

"They vote out the ones that aren't dating people or are assholes," she explained dutifully.

"But why?"

"Because it adds pressure to the people that actually want to make connections."

"If they actually wanted connections they wouldn't go on tv."

Juniper argued the fact as Raphael countered each of her points.

"Raph," she rubbed her forehead in irritation. She laid along the couch, her head near his lap as she looked at him upside down. She was growing tired.

"You don't have to watch if you don't like it," Juniper pointed out.

"No I'm watching it," he crossed his arms stubbornly.

She scoffed in amusement as she turned on her side, going back to the episode.

Raphael would never admit that he allowed Juniper to replay the entire season up until the current episode after that.

"Do you understand the appeal now?" she asked. Her eyes lowered tiredly as she crawled closer to Raphael.

He opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out as she rest her cheek on his thigh.

Juniper yawned quietly.

"Maybe," he grunted as another show began playing automatically.

Her face was smushed against his slacks, Raphael trailed his fingers gently over her curls that fell down her back.

They were beginning to dry and shrink into tighter ringlets, he observed curiously.

"Do you watch these often?" he asked quietly as he looked over her curled up form on the couch.

"I used to before all of this. I figured I'd catch up while I'm here," she mumbled.

He hummed in acknowledgment, brushing her hairs behind her ear.

"It's nice to be around you when we're not arguing," Juniper slurred as sleep weighed on her eyelids.

Raphael chuckled lowly, "I agree."

"Thursday nights at 8,"Juniper felt his fingers barely brush over the side of her face.

"Hm?"

"That's when the new episodes come," she informed him. "We'll watch them."

He nodded slowly, "Alright."

Juniper hummed, pleased with his answer as her eyes fell shut. While half asleep, she reached and held his hand closer to his face so he cupped her cheek.

"'M tired," Juniper slurred.

"I know. You're clingy when you're tired."

Juniper gasped and went to sit up, only for Raphael to heft her further into his lap. She whined quietly as he jostled her to lay on top of him.

"Stop it, it's not a bad clingy," he grumbled. "Go to sleep, it'll be easier while we're closer."

Juniper conceded, a wave of exhaustion hitting her. She turned into his stomach, brushing her hand up his shirt to which he shivered.

Swallowing hard, he held his breath as if not to bother her.

Raphael watched her fall asleep eventually, unwilling to move until he knew she wasn't going to wake up.

He grunted as he slid an arm underneath her waist. Hefting her up he whistled lowly for the dog to follow.

Juniper snored quietly, completely limp as he carried her. Soon enough he laid her down, staring at her pillow for a moment before swapping out the one she used for the extra on the bed.

Tucking it under his arm, he saw that damn dog jump right onto his mattress. Lying in the unoccupied spot in the bed where he should be sleeping.

He grumbled quietly before shutting the door behind him, after days he found himself back in the bedroom besides Juniper. Throwing the pillow that reeked of her scent where he'd be laying his head and tossing the shirt she'd given him under it.

He heard thunder outside, while he stripped he saw it was storming pretty hard.

The lights flickered, he rolled his eyes. Why did he ever think an island was a good place to settle down?

As he laid in his boxers, listening to the patter of the rain he was reluctant to say he was pleased to have Juniper's scent. Sleep came easier that night.

~

i will edit this later lol

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