Juniper was finally able to speak somewhat normally after a few days, the damage that was done to her throat was worse than anyone expected.

Seraphina was spending time with her as Raphael was working even harder to get to the bottom of everything.

Juniper was sat at Seraphina's pool, her arms weren't bandaged anymore.

She showed off her healing skin, making the nymph gag.

"Phoenix was saying Saint has been working a lot more," Seraphina waded in the pool.

Juniper had her hair tied up, large sunglasses sat on her nose. She was wearing the smallest bikini she owned, fully aware Raphael would come to get her later and see.

For precautions, Phoenix was inside to keep them safe but she paid him no mind and vice versa.

"I wish he would let me help more," the shadow demon laid along the side of the pool.

"He's just worried," Sera comforted her friend.

"I know that, but I can be helpful! I tell this guy my issues and suddenly he's in charge of everything I do," Juniper crossed her arms in annoyance.

Seraphina scowled at her, "You know damn well he isn't some guy. And he's not in charge of everything you do. We both know you won't do anything you don't want to."

Juniper grumbled, knowing she was right.

"My dad called me," she blurted.

Seraphina who was sipping on a drink, spluttered loudly.

She slapped her chest and Juniper sat up to hit her back as well. They both glanced up in surprise as Warren walked through the large gate. Phoenix came out as well from the house as if to make sure everything was alright.

"Holy crap," Seraphina gasped.

"Long time no see!" Warren held his arms out. Juniper smiled a little and gave him a brief hug. As he walked closer he dropped a large duffel bag.

Seraphina gripped his hand that tugged her out of the pull.

"Hey stranger," Juniper sipped on her draw.

The hound grinned down at her, patting her shoulder as he hugged Sera.

She frowned and swatted his hand, "Don't touch me you smell."

"You know what, I take offense to that," he called over his shoulder as he walked to the cooler for a beer. They were surrounded in Seraphina's insane garden.

Phoenix wrapped his nymph up on a towel as she was still staring at her best friend incredulously.

"You smell like a certain berserker yourself Juni," the blonde teased.

Juniper was unbothered by the comment, as she should.

"You're father called?!" Seraphina finally screeched. Warren choked on his beer.

"Raphael spoke to him," Juniper picked at a piece of grass.

"What?!" her friends shrieked.

She sneered at how loud they were, "I couldn't speak he answered the phone. My dad wanted to know if I'd come to him and Dana's wedding."

"Fuck that," Warren scoffed.

Seraphina sat on one side of Juniper as Phoenix furrowed his brow. "Am I allowed to ask why this is a big deal?"

"He's a deadbeat for one," Warren scoffed.

Juniper and Seraphina both glared at him.

"He's not a deadbeat," Juniper snapped. "Don't call him that, he's just had his priorities fucked up. This woman that he's marrying is end all be all since I was young. She's got a prissy daughter and they're both cunts," she explained for Phoenix. Warren had winced and immediately apologized as Juniper pursed her lips before accepting his apology.

Seraphina rubbed her friends arm, "He was always really hard on Juni. And that Dana woman is a witch- not like an actual witch but... you get what I mean."

Juniper smirked a little and glanced up just as her berserker walked through the gate as well.

Seraphina smiled wide at the little pep to her friends step as she approached her male.

She smiled softly as she swayed towards him, watching him inhale sharply at her swim suit. His arm wound around her waist, bringing her into his chest hard.

"Hi," she breathed. He grunted and she saw he was tired, his large hand sliding down and squeezing her rear tightly.

Raphael leaned down to inhale her scent at the crook of her neck, glaring at Warren over her shoulder.

"Stop it," she scolded quietly while brushing her hand up his side. "You know he's like a brother."

The berserker pulled back but paused to let her kiss his lips gently. "Hi," he finally greeted her back.

She felt him trail his hands down her arms, gently over her burns. "Have to put more cream on it," he turned them so he could examine the wounds.

Juniper allowed him to look them over as she admired his outfit. A crisp red button up, tucked into gray slacks. He was probably hot now that he was outside.

Phoenix approached his boss and best friend, "Here man. Looks like you could use it."

Phoenix passed Raphael a beer, to which he nodded in thanks.

His mate leaned forward, brushing her teeth gently over his ear before speaking. "Wanna stay a little?"

Dark eyes trailed down her curvy body, the large sunglasses and sunhat she wore. She didn't look ready to leave.

"Yeah," he relented and allowed her to lead him to the rest of the group.

Seraphina and Warren sat at the edge of the pool still, greeting Raphael who grunted towards them. Juniper ran her hand over Raphael's forearm, lifting his hand up to her mouth.

He watched her with piercing eyes as she kissed his knuckles. Raphael's breath hitched a little as she smiled slyly. Juniper winked before going back to sit between her friends.

Raphael sat at the patio table Phoenix was set up, he was aware of how odd this was for him.

being at a social gathering. with a significant other no less.

"You look happy," Phoenix observed.

Raphael only raised a brow at him while taking a long swig of his beer.

He was watching Juniper as she slid into the pool. Music played softly in the background.

"We're still figuring stuff out," Raphael muttered.

"That doesn't mean you can't be happy," the silver haired man shrugged.

Raphael agreed.

"You haven't been arguing much?" Phoenix knew the two mates butted heads often.

Raphael sucked on his teeth, "Normal amount. Same stupid shit, it doesn't bother me actually. I think she thinks it's fun." There was a lick of amusement to his words.

"I always did say you needed someone to keep you in check," Phoenix smirked. "Maybe arguing is her love language."

Raphael ran a stressed hand through his hair, "Shit... probably."

"But obviously it's not all bad."

Raphael shook his head, "No," he admitted quietly. "No it's not bad at all."

Just as they spoke, Juniper turned back to make eye contact with him. The two looked over one another for a moment before she turned back just for Warren to splash her.

Juniper smacked him upside the head, arm cocked back and everything.

"Damn," both the men at the table hissed.

The shadow demoness could be heard cursing to herself, "Told you not to fuck up my damn hair."

She pushed herself up, talking to Seraphina about whatever as both men watched their respectful partners.

Juniper patted her hair dry, but the curls she'd tamed today were always frizzing up thanks to Warren.

The hellhound pushed himself out of the pool and out of pure annoyance Juniper shoved him back in the pool with her foot.

Raphael scratched the back of his head as Phoenix was laughing loudly.

Seraphina hopped over to sit on her boyfriends lap, smiling at Juniper and Warren arguing.

"Isn't she so funny," Seraphina admired. Both men looked at her with raised brow, Warren was cowering from the shadow demon at the moment.

"Don't you think she's... I don't know a little mean?" Phoenix asked somewhat jokingly. Raphael growled at him and Seraphina narrowed her eyes.

"I certainly do not." Sera turned her nose up in distaste, "Juniper is the nicest person I know."

Even Raphael couldn't exactly agree with her on that one.

Warren came back, rubbing his head.

Everyone was getting more drinks, Raphael stood up to get his mate and he was distracted as he watched her hop back into the pool out of nowhere.

He furrowed his brow as she swam to the deep end, making her hair more wet but she stopped when she cupped something in the water.

He walked forward and saw she'd saved a frog from drowning. Juniper was cooing quietly to the amphibian as she waded back over the edge. Soon enough, she set it free so he could hop away.

Reaching down, Raphael helped her up. She wiped her hands on a towel as her mate cupped her face.

She glanced up distractedly only for Raph to kiss her hard.

She moaned a little and gripped his belt loops, she hummed and tasted him.

"You are nice," he said in a mildly surprised tone.

Juniper squinted her eyes, "Thanks?"

Later, while they were sat around eating Warren stood up and went to his forgotten bag. Juniper wasn't interested in what he was doing as she'd been admiring how handsome her mate looked.

His shirt was almost entirely unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled up. She sat on his left thigh in her small bathing suit, his hand pressed to her back.

Raphael glanced up at her as she ate some of his potato salad. He was trying to keep himself distracted from how good Juniper looked. A small dark blue bikini covered her important bits and that was it, it matched her hair as her small black sunglasses sat atop her round nose.

Juniper was basking in the attention he was giving her, his hand brushing through her hair repeatedly to kiss behind her ear as he listened to everyone else talk.

"I forgot I brought these, boss." Warren set the bag down in front of the two couples.

The bluenette sat forward in interested, the bag giving off a metallic smell.

Her brows rose as she recognized it before he even opened it.

"I confiscated these while on patrol duty at the portal hub, I came straight here from my shift so I figured give them straight to you guys."

The bag was enchanted obviously, holding much more than seemingly possible upon looks.

Everyone peered in to see a lot of weapons. Guns, knives, swords.

Juniper's face showed she was impressed.

"All of this from one shift?" Raphael asked lowly.

"Yeah it's not as surprising as you'd think. But some of these swords looked enchanted. The people bringing them in were detained."

Juniper wasn't listening anymore, rather picking up a hand gun and checking to see if it was loaded. In it was enchanted bullets that could do some real damage.

"At the shed Juni," Seraphina piped up randomly.

Before either berserker could react Juniper turned and shot the gun at the wall of the shed.

Hitting a bullseye in the center of a painted flower.

She laughed quietly to herself, standing up to peer further into the bag of weapons.

Raphael's eyes were wide in shock, Phoenix's jaw dropping.

"Juniper," Raphael grunted quietly.

"What she didn't tell you?" Warren patted Juniper's shoulders as she pulled out one of the swords. It had a green and purple handle with foreign words written along the blade.

"Juniper's dad was psycho about self defense. He was an ex warrior, taught her a lot," Warren held up another sword to play duel her.

"Both of you stop it," Seraphina rolled her eyes.

Before she could actually fight him, Raphael pulled her down into his lap. Swiftly turning to straddle him, Juniper held the sword between them.

He hadn't ever seen her so excited about something, other than the dating show they watched.

"Isn't it cool?" she mumbled to him.

"You didn't mention any of this before," Raphael grumbled while raising a brow at her.

Juniper smirked, dragging her tongue over the dull edge of the sword.

He watched the action closely, his body stiffening as arousal flooded him. Raphael's pants grew tighter.

"I like these," Juniper grinned sneakily.

"How well can you handle these?" he husked. Trying to grab the large sword from her, she maneuvered it out of his hold.

"Better than you," Juniper's tone was cocky. He scoffed a little at the fact that out of all the things to be so excited about it was guns and swords.

She really is his mate after all.

"Okay put it down before you cut yourself," Raphael frowned and watched her narrow her eyes at him. Begrudgingly she put the sword down and crossed her arms tightly.

She felt his lips brush her ear as he growled, "You can take it home, stop pouting."

Juniper who had pressed her back to his chest angrily, craned her neck as if to see if he was serious.

"Pack them up for me Warren, I'll put them in my car later."

Her brows quirked in triumph before reaching and nipping his jaw naughtily.

"Warren try and take the sword from me," Juniper grinned and snagged another sword. The hellhound went to immediately engage as they often did when they were younger.

Everyone else piped up while standing up to stop them, "No."

Wrapping an arm around Juniper and easily lifting her up sideways as she squealed, Raphael took the sword from her.

"Time to go home, you lost your privileges."

~

happy friday!!
originally when i wrote this it ended after the scene with the frog thing and then i went back and added the weapons stuff cause i thought it was funny

it made me chuckle writing this lolol