( season 3 : episode 13 - license to fly ; part three )

(juniper's outfit for this chapter)

Ray finally was letting Henry try flying the helicopter. But not the Man Copter first. Just one he rented out just in case. Juniper was happy Ray was finally giving Henry a chance. She knew he was ready. They've been practicing nonstop after school, and Juniper made sure to study with him and give him some last minute tips. Henry was nervous but excited. He was ready for this. He felt ready, at least.

"So, are you ready?" Juniper asked, giving him a reassuring smile.

"I think so. Are you going to come with us?" He asked, hoping she would. He would be lying if he said he didn't feel better having her around. She knew a lot about flying and would definitely keep him calm and focused.

Juniper hesitates, glancing at Ray who was already in the helicopter. "I don't know, Henry. Maybe this is something you and Ray need to do on your own. I don't want to intrude. I don't wanna feel like I'm babysitting again either." She adds, glancing back at him and sighing at seeing the puppy dog eye look he's giving her. "Dang it," She whines, booing him for giving her that look since he knew she usually caved in at it. "Don't give me the puppy eyes. That's not fair." She pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

Henry let out a mock groan, dramatically dropping his head to the side. "But, Junebug, you're my good luck charm. How am I supposed to be a pro pilot without you there?" His tone was playful, but there was a glint of genuine hope in his eyes.

Her heart flutters and she ignores her face heating up at his words. "I'm your good luck charm?" She asked, raising an eyebrow but unable to keep the soft smile from her lips.

"Of course," Henry said without hesitation, stepping closer to her. "You're my Junebug. You've been there for every step of this—practicing, studying, cheering me on. You're the reason I feel ready."

There goes her heart skipping a beat again. Juniper rolls her eyes playfully, though her cheeks flushed. "You're giving me way too much credit. You've put in the work. I just...Gave a nudge here and there."

"And that nudge made all the difference," Henry counters, his tone sincere. "So, please? I really want you there. For support and to keep Ray from driving me insane."

"Hey! I heard that!" Ray called from the helicopter, earning a laugh from Juniper.

She gives him a thoughtful look, considering his request. As much as she didn't want to interrupt his training time with Ray, she could tell that Henry really wanted her there. And, truth be told, she didn't want to miss out on the experience. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright. I'll go. But only if you promise me one thing." She held up a finger, her expression serious.

He perks up, a smile breaking out on his face. "Anything."

"We better get ice cream or smoothies or something after this." She demanded, her tone playful but firm.

Henry laughs, his shoulders relaxing with relief. "Deal. Ice cream, smoothies, whatever you want, Junebug."

Ignoring butterflies in her stomach, she smirked, satisfied, and climbed into the helicopter, buckling herself in the back seat. Henry followed, settling into the co-pilot's seat with Ray, frowning though when Ray pushed him out of the way to the seat next to it.

"Dude!" Henry complained.

"Beautiful morning, eh?" Ray smirked as he buckled up.

"You're supposed to let me fly." Henry reminded him.

"Well, I assume you know the first rule of flying a helicopter." Ray shrugged.

"What?" Henry asked.

"Shuttin' up." Ray replied sassily, earning a heavy sigh and an eye roll from Juniper. She had a feeling this would be a long flight. "Now, flying a helicopter isn't for babies."

"Clearly, 'cause babies can't even talk or walk yet." Juniper quipped, gaining a chuckle from Henry and an annoyed huff from Ray.

"What's your point?" Henry questioned, glancing at Ray.

"That you should read this manual, cover to cover." Ray held up the manual to the helicopter.

Juniper exchanges a look with Henry before they both look back at Ray with raised eyebrows. "Alright, I'll read that manual if you swear on your life that you read that manual before you flew a helicopter." Henry shot back.

Ray grew quiet, glancing at the manual before he tosses it aside. "'Kay, you don't have to read the manual."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Juniper scoffs. "Okay, maybe I should fly. How do you know what to do without the manual?"

Ray chuckles, clearly unfazed. "Relax, June. You don't need to read the manual when you've got experience. And I've got plenty of it."

Juniper crosses her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Experience doesn't count if you don't follow the basics, Ray. Like safety."

"Psh. Safety schmafety." Ray dismisses her worries, waving his hand. "We're fine."

Before Juniper could argue, a loud yelp is heard after a loud thud. Then an angry Charlotte storms over with the manual. "Who threw this manual?"

"Uh, so-so....Some guy." Ray stammered, subtly pointing at Henry, who sent him a look while Juniper rolled her eyes.

"It was Ray." Juniper revealed, gaining a glare from the man in question.

"Ray!" Charlotte scolded, smacking him with the manual. Juniper chuckled while Henry tried to hold back his laughter.

"Charlotte, will you please finish up the diagnostic test so we can get this thing up in the air? Thank you." Henry asked hopefully and urgently, ready to start flying.

"Oh, sure, I'm sorry." Charlotte sarcastically replies. "I didn't mean to waste your guys' time while I was pulling this manual out of my eye!"

"Apology accepted." Ray nodded.

"It's okay." Henry assured her.

Juniper shakes her head at them and glances at Charlotte in concern. "Char, are you hurt?"

"No, thanks for asking." Charlotte smiles. "At least someone's looking out for me." She shot a pointed look at Ray. "Here's your manual." She dropped the manual on his crotch before walking away. Ray let out a yelp and Juniper snickered.

"You deserved that." She commented, smirking in amusement.

"Hey, why are we taking this helicopter?" Henry asks after realizing it wasn't the Man Copter. "I thought we were gonna take the Man Copter."

"Because before you get to fly my super cool Man Copter...Which does exist...You first need to learn on this rental helicopter." Ray explained.

Henry sighs. "Okay, fine, whatever, let's just start this thing, okay, I just wanna fly."

"Hey, hey, hey. It's not that easy." Ray told him.

Henry raises his eyebrows at him. "Oh, it's not?"

"No, it's not." Ray argues. "I mean, for example...Starting a helicopter....Nothing at all like starting a car."

"Obviously." Juniper remarked, rolling her eyes as Henry hummed in response, already looking at the control panel, remembering when he studied with Juniper which one turned it on.

Ray ignores her comment and continues. "As you can see there are literally dozens buttons, levers, and lights all over the dashboard and it takes time and experiance..." His voice trailed off while he realized Henry turned the correct lever on to start the helicopter.

"Studying helps too." Henry smirks, glancing over his shoulder at Juniper, who grins back at him. "Thanks, Junebug." Juniper nodded, saluting him. Henry turned back to Ray smugly, who looked at him slightly impressed and a bit annoyed.

Suddenly another yelp is heard, followed by Charlotte calling out, "Turn it off!"

Ray immediately turns it off. "Don't do that."

"But it started." Henry pointed out as Juniper looked out to check on Charlotte in concern.

Ray shakes his head. "I know, but don't do that."

"Okay." Henry shrugged.

"Thank you." Ray replied.

"But it started." Henry mumbled under his breath, looking away.

Ray glances at him with raised eyebrows. "What?"

Henry pretends to be confused too. "Mhm? What?"

Once again an angry Charlotte storms over, this time her hair a mess and the boys jump, startled and now nervous because of angry Charlotte. Juniper grimaces at the sight. "Who started the helicopter?!" Charlotte demanded.

"Henry did." Ray was quick to snitch while Henry grew even more nervous and sheepish.

"Well, we're not really sure-"

"We're very sure it was Henry." Ray interrupted the nervous blonde.

"Well..."

"Heny, did you start the helicopter?" Charlotte interjected Henry's nervous sentence this time, glaring at him.

Henry avoids eye contact nervously. "Uh, maybe! I think so! I'm pretty sure, yeah. Why does it matter? I didn't mean too! I'm sorry!" He rambled out apologetically.

"Well, the next time you wanna start a helicopter, I'd appreciate it if you'd please tell me, so I can move my head away from the large spinning blades!" Charlotte exclaimed angrily.

"Dude, she's mad, so just take off." Henry muttered to Ray.

"Ready to lift off." Ray agreed.

"Just hit the thing and lift off." Henry added.

"Sorry, Char," Juniper apologizes to Charlotte as the helicopter is started again. "I'll be sure to scold 'em once we're in the air." She reassured the angry girl admist the boys urgently muttering to each other to lift off quickly.

"Wait, I was in the middle of expressing my thoughts!" Charlotte angrily shouted, her words ignored as the boys started the helicopter. "Don't you lift off!"

"Ohh, can't hear you!" Henry calls back. "Because of the blades!"

"Oh, it's really loud!" Ray adds. "Like, wow, really loud!"

"Don't go without me, come back!" Charlotte yelled.

"We can't come back!" Henry responded.

"We don't know how it works!" Ray added.

Juniper rolls her eyes at the boys and glances down at Charlotte apologetically. "Sorry, Char, we'll be back soon!" She felt bad for leaving the girl behind but at the same time, she wanted to watch the boys try and fly this helicopter.

"You do too know how it works!" Charlotte grumbled.

"Back in a few!" Henry called out.

"Now, as you can see, one of the most important things about flying a helicopter is keeping the helicopter high off the ground, or, in more technical terms-"

"Dude! Dude! You said I could fly!" Henry interrupted Ray a few minutes later.

"Well, yeah, but first I gotta teach you!" Ray pointed out.

"Then teach me while I'm flying!" Henry suggested.

Ray sighs and shrugs. "Alright, you think you're ready to fly this thing?"

"Yeah, I really do! Juni taught me a lot, and I know I'm ready!" Henry replied eagerly, growing more excited. Juniper smiled at him, glad he felt confident enough. She knew he could do it.

"Alright, let's switch places." Ray decided, starting to unbuckle which caused Juniper and Henry to share a look.

"Wait, in the air?" Juniper gasps. "Are you serious, Ray?" She exclaims, gripping the seat tightly. "You can't just swap seats mid-air! That's beyond reckless!"

"Relax, June, everything will be fine." Ray assures her, though his tone was less than assuring. "It'll be quick."

Juniper chewed on her lower lip as she leaned back in her seat, watching as the boys switched places. Wasn't the best idea to do so while flying the helicopter. But, she kept her mouth shut. She knew there was no convincing them to not do it.

Henry grinned at the control panel in excitement, his hands gripping the handles. This was finally happening. He was about to fly a helicopter. And the fact Juniper was here was even better. As he and Ray switched paces, it was more chaotic and difficult than he thought it would be. Plus he lost his banana he had been eating after he and Ray lost grip of driving for a few seconds and the helicopter tilted. Juniper was relieved she stayed buckled and was holding on tight.

"Aww, gosh, there goes my banana!" He complained.

"It's just a stupid banana!" Juniper snaps. "Sit down, please, you guys are freaking me out."

Henry pouts, glancing down at the half eaten banana falling. "It's not just a banana, it's my banana." He muttered, trying to steady the helicopter as he fumbled with the controls.

Juniper shot him a glare, her grip tightening on her seat as she leaned forward slightly. "Forget the banana, Henry! Focus!" She shouted over the whir of the blades.

Henry got control of the helicopter, his excitement growing. "Yeah, whoo! This isn't so hard!" He excitedly said.

Juniper relaxed in her seat, releasing a sigh of relief. She wasn't completely at ease, but at least the helicopter had stabilized, and Henry seemed to be getting the hang of it. Her grip on the seat loosened a bit, though her heart was still beating faster than usual. "Yeah, just be careful." Ray speaks up.

"Yeah, no prob-" Henry pauses when he saw Ray holding his soda. "Hey, that's my soda!"

"Yeah, well, I'm drinkin' it." Ray shrugged.

"No, no, you better not!" Henry frowned

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot drink, Henry-" Henry makes the helicopter tilt to the side, causing Ray to lose his grp on the bottle and for it to fall out into the sky. Juniper grips onto the seat tighter at the sudden tilting of the helicopter, letting out a frustrated yell. "No, dang it!"

Henry laughs, looking at him with amusement. "Juni, you see that?" He glances over his shoulder, frowning when he noticed she was gripping the seat even tighter, her knuckles white. "Oh, come on, I didn't mean to make it that dramatic!" Henry said with a sheepish laugh, trying to steady the helicopter.

Juniper shot him a look, her voice laced with frustration. "You can't just mess around like that, Henry! We're in the air!"

Henry grimaced, giving her an apologetic smile. "I know, I know, I'm sorry, Junebug." He turned his attention back to the control panel, focusing on keeping the helicopter steady since he didn't want to scare her anymore. Juniper took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she leaned back in her seat again. She had to admit, despite her nerves and her worry, the view was amazing. It was cool seeing all of Swellview from the air. She was almost relaxed. Key word, almost.

****

Henry was having the time of his life flying the helicopter. Everything he learned from studying with Juniper came back to mind and made it so much easier. He was doing better than Ray expected and Juniper was proud of him. She was more relaxed now, her nerves calming down, but she kept a close eye on Henry and the control panel. The last thing they needed was to crash.

"Helicopters are heli-fun, yknow what I'm sayin'?" Henry grinned.

"Yeah." Ray was busy holding onto the side tightly and Juniper couldn't help but snicker as they go back and forth with bickering again.

"What, Ray, you afraid of his flying?" Juniper teased, her eyes lighting up with amusement.

"What? No." Ray scoffed, though the tight grip on the side spoke otherwise.

"Hey, look, we're not that far from Junk-N-Stuff!" Henry pointed out.

Ray shrugs. "Yeah, so?"

"So, c'mon, let's fly over the shop so Charlotte, Schwoz, and Jasper can see us!" Henry suggested.

Juniper smiles, nodding as she perks up. "That would be awesome!"

Ray wasn't a fan of the idea. "Uh, no, no, no, no. The answer is no."

Juniper pouts. "Boo." She booed him, gaining a look from him.

"Ah, yeah...Of course the answer is no." Henry sighed.

Ray furrows his eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you're against fun." Henry replied.

Ray's eyes widen. "What?!"

"You hate fun. You're a fun killer." Henry told him.

Ray looks offended as he shakes his head. "No, i'm not. I love fun."

"Then let's fly over Junk-N-Stuff." Henry suggested again.

"No, 'cause I think we should fly over Junk-N-Stuff." Ray replied, gaining confused looks from the teens.

"What? Yeah, that's what we wanted to do." Henry muttered.

"Yeah," Ray awkwardly laughs. "After I wanted to."

"What?" Henry glanced at him in confusion.

"J-Just-Just be quiet and fly over Junk-N-Stuff so we can have some fun! Alright. I'm just tying to have some fun, okay? I mean, unless you're against fun." Ray stammered.

"Nah, I'm pro fun." Henry replied.

"Oh! Oh yeah....Yeah, sure, sure." Ray mumbles. "'Cause I'm...'Cause I'm pro fun."

"What?" Henry asked in confusion.

"Nothing." Ray mutters, looking away. "Just fly."

Juniper chuckles, watching the exchange with amusement. "You two are ridiculous." She said with a shake of her head, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"Ridiculously fun." Henry grins back at her. "This is officially the most fun I've ever had."

"Just keep flying over to Junk-N-Stuff, I'm trying to make a list for the supermarket." Ray informed him. Juniper chucked and rolled her eyes as she leaned back against the seat. She had to admit, this wasn't bad at all. It was nice up here, the air was fresh and it was a great view. Now that Henry had better control over the helicopter, it was relaxing.

"I need meat..." Ray mumbles, looking down at his Ipad while typing in on his notes app. "I need peanut butter...Crunchy!"

Juniper looks at him with surprise. "You like crunchy peanut butter and not creamy?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

Ray glances up from his iPad, a little defensive. "Yeah, crunchy. What's wrong with that?"

Juniper shakes her head in mock disbelief. "I don't know, I just always thought creamy was the way to go. Crunchy seems...Unnecessary."

Ray crosses his arms, a grin playing on his face. "You clearly don't appreciate the superior texture of crunchy peanut butter." He teases, raising an eyebrow at her. "It's got character."

Juniper looks at him in amusement. "Character? It's just peanut butter with chunks."

"And the best kind!" Ray argues playfully. "Okay, back to my list." He shoots Juniper a glare, who just chuckled and roll her eyes again. "Assorted crackers..."

Ray was in the middle of arguing about crackers when he suddenly paused, looking at Henry with a raised eyebrow. "Wait a second, I don't know why you're so obsessed with crunchy peanut butter. I mean, creamy is just—"

"Ugh, here we go again," Henry groans, rolling his eyes. "Are we really doing this? It's just peanut butter, Ray. There's no need to make a huge debate out of it. Why don't you just—"

"Why don't I what?" Ray snapped, crossing his arms defensively. He leaned forward a bit too far, aiming to make a dramatic point. "Why don't you just admit that—"

Before he could finish, the helicopter swerved slightly, thrown off balance by Ray's movement. Henry immediately steadied it, but Ray's sudden lunge toward the control panel made him lose his grip on the side of the helicopter. He tumbled sideways, falling out of the helicopter with a shout. Juniper gasped, her heart pounding in her chest, reaching out to try to grab him, but was too late.

"Ray!"

Both teens watch in shock and disbelief when the man fell out of the helicopter, his screams echoing. Juniper felt her heart leap in her throat, her stomach twisting in knots, her mouth running dry. She couldn't believe what just happened. "Ray just fell out of the freaking helicopter."

"It's okay, it's okay. He's indestructible...So it's not a problem...That he flew out of the helicopter." Henry nervously rambled, his mind racing a mile a minute, not believing that he had just witnessed Ray fall out of a helicopter. He tried to push the worry aside. Ray was indestructible. He couldn't get hurt. He'd be fine.

"Ray, are you okay?!" Juniper calls out, her heart racing as she glances out the side, but there was no sign of him. She leans toward Henry, her voice shaky. "We have to go back down and get him!"

Henry, momentarily panicked, quickly reassures her. "Don't worry, he's indestructible, remember?"

Juniper let out a small sigh of relief, though the worry was still evident on her face. She couldn't just ignore what had happened, but she knew Ray would somehow be fine. Henry turns the helicopter back to the helipad. "But still, that was...A bit much."

"Tell me about it," Juniper mutters under her breath, her grip tightening again. "Maybe we should just land and—"

"Smoothies," Henry interrupts, a grin creeping back onto his face. "We should go get smoothies after we land."

Juniper glances at him with raised eyebrows. "Smoothies? Seriously? I mean, I'm all for it, but Ray just—"

"Fell out of the helicopter," Henry finishes for her with a nervous chuckle. "But hey, smoothies are a great way to calm down after...You know, that."

Juniper shakes her head, but despite the lingering shock, she can't help but smile at Henry's attempt to lighten the mood. "Okay, you have a point." She concedes, leaning back in her seat. "Let's get smoothies."

As they make their way back toward the helipad, Juniper's mind still races with what just happened. Ray, always the wildcard, never failed to make things interesting. She could feel her pulse slowing down, but the image of him falling out of the helicopter would stay with her for a while. At least Henry had managed to steady the chopper quickly—though she wasn't sure how much comfort that provided in the moment.

Henry brings the helicopter down with more caution this time, landing as smoothly as he can. He lets out a breath of relief, his hands still trembling slightly from the adrenaline. "That was intense," He says, glancing over at Juniper. "And fun."

Juniper manages a laugh, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Most of the time," She jokes, shaking her head. "But now I think I'm done with helicopters for awhile. So, smoothies?" She asked as she began to get out of the helicopter.

Henry jumps out after unbuckling, reaching a hand to help Juniper, even though she didn't need it. She takes his hand anyway, smiling gratefully as she climbs out of the helicopter. "Thanks." She murmured, shaking her head as she steadied herself on the ground. The adrenaline is still coursing through her, but she's glad the craziness is over for now.

Henry nods, smiling at her. "No problem. Ready?"

"Mhm, let's use my super speed to get there faster." Juniper suggests, wrapping an around his waist to hold onto him tightly, her other arm reaching up to hold his shoulder. "Hold on tight."

Before Henry could respond, she speeds off, causing him to let out a yelp and his grip on her tightens. He will never get used to doing this with her. She always impresses him with her super speed. The first time they tried this he kept his head buried in her neck the whole time, afraid to look. But now, after getting used to the feeling, he didn't mind it. It was pretty cool to be going so fast, with the wind rushing past them and the ground blurring beneath their feet. As they zipped through the streets, Henry's heart raced not just from the speed, but from the thrill of the moment. Juniper's grip on him was firm and reassuring, and her excitement was contagious. He couldn't help but grin as the world whirled by around them.

"We're here." Juniper spoke up, her voice slightly strained as she slowed down. Henry stumbled slightly as they came to a stop, but she kept a strong grip on him, preventing him from falling over.

"Woah," He mumbles, leaning on her slightly. "I keep forgetting how dizzy that makes me."

Juniper laughs, patting his shoulder as she releases him. "Well, I'm here to keep you steady. Always." She says, grinning up at him.

Henry can't help but grin back, his eyes shining with amusement. "My hero." He joked, his tone teasing.

"My sidekick." She retorted, smirking as she nudged his side.

Henry chuckles, nudging her back. "Let's get our smoothies."

The pair enters the smoothie shop and orders their smoothies before finding a table in the corner. The atmosphere is comfortable, the air filled with chatter and the faint music playing. The place was a bit crowded, but not so crowded that they couldn't find a place to sit. Henry sits down at the table, a little relieved to be sitting again. His mind was still racing from the events of the helicopter ride, but the calm atmosphere of the smoothie shop was starting to help him relax. He took a deep breath, allowing the noise and warmth around him to settle his nerves.

Juniper slid into the seat across from him, her smile still lingering from their little adventure. She reached for her smoothie, taking a sip before meeting his eyes. "You okay?" She asked, her tone soft, though her usual playful edge was still there.

Henry nods, still grinning, but . "Yeah, just...Catching up with my heart rate." He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. "That was intense."

Juniper's expression softened, her gaze full of concern. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have suggested it. I forget people are effected differently when I take them with me super speeding." She murmurs, her eyes flickering away from his, a small frown forming. "I didn't mean to make you feel overwhelmed."

Henry quickly shakes his head, a reassuring smile on his face. "No, no, don't worry about it. I knew what I was getting into." He reaches across the table, gently placing his hand over hers. "Honestly, it was kind of amazing. Just...Takes a minute to get my bearings."

Juniper looks up at him, her frown softening as she meets his eyes. "I don't want you to feel bad, though. I get carried away sometimes."

Henry chuckles, giving her hand a small squeeze. "Hey, June, seriously. Don't worry about it. It was fun, and a little scary, but definitely worth it. Trust me."

Juniper searches his gaze for a moment, to make sure he was telling the truth. He looked back at her, his expression genuine. She slowly smiles, relaxing a little. "Okay," She says, turning her hand over to squeeze his hand. "As long as you're okay."

"More than okay." Henry assures her, squeezing her hand back.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, drinking their smoothies and enjoying the peace and quiet. After they chatted and joked a bit, they decided to leave the smoothie shop and go back home. They decided to hang out at her place and were now cuddled up on her bed, watching a movie.

"I'm proud of what you did today, Henry." Juniper mumbles, smiling softly at him as she rests her head on his shoulder. "Looks like studying paid off, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess it did," Henry chuckles, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "But honestly, you're a good teacher."

"Pretty sure the kisses helped, too." Juniper teased, earning a blush from the boy.

"Yeah, those did help." He replied, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"They should've," She says, laughing as she presses a kiss to his cheek. "But seriously, I'm proud of you. You handled that situation well."

Henry's heart warms at the praise, a grin tugging at his lips. "Thank you. That means a lot, especially coming from you."

"Of course." Juniper mumbled, snuggling closer to him. Her head was rested on his chest, her arms wrapped around his waist. She was relaxed, her eyes trained on the movie. Henry watched her for a moment, his chest swelling with affection. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, a content sigh escaping him.

He had his right arm around her waist, that hand had snuck under her shirt to rub her side and back gently, making her relax against him even more. Her right leg.was slightly bended on him, so he just reached down with his left hand to her thigh to wrap her leg over his hips, letting his hand stay on her thigh. She scooted closer eagerly, pressing her body against his so there's no space between them, making him smirk and press a kiss on the top of her head.

They both enjoyed the closeness, the warmth and comfort it provided. There was no rush, no pressure, no expectations. Just them, enjoying each other's presence. Juniper could feel herself getting sleepy, her eyelids heavy as she leaned into Henry's touch. He was always so gentle, so caring, so loving. It was hard not to fall asleep when he was holding her like this, his fingers tracing soothing patterns along her skin. She was drifting off to sleep, the movie and Henry's heartbeat lulling her.

"Are you tired?" He murmured, glancing down at her with a soft smile.

"Mhm." She hummed, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. "It's been a long day dealing with you two idiots."

Henry chuckles, knowing she was talking about himself and Ray. "Yeah, I can imagine. It's okay, just sleep."

Juniper closes her eyes, letting out a soft sigh. "Don't go anywhere." She mumbled, her voice low and slightly raspy from exhaustion.

"I won't," He reassures her, stroking her hair gently. "I'll stay right here."

Juniper felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, her mind becoming foggy as sleep washed over her. The last thing she felt before falling asleep was Henry's lips brushing against her forehead, and his arms holding her close. She sighed contently, a small smile on her face.

Henry smiled when he saw that Juniper had fallen asleep, her breathing even and her face peaceful. He pulled the blanket over them, careful not to wake her. She stirred slightly, mumbling something he couldn't quite make out. He just shushed her gently, stroking her hair until she settled down.

He made sure they were both laying down and comfortable before he turned off the TV, letting her room go dark. His eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly, and he gazed at her for a moment, his heart full. She looked so peaceful, so relaxed. He was glad she was able to get some rest, she had seemed exhausted when they first arrived.

"Sweet dreams, Juni." He whispered, kissing the top of her head once more before closing his eyes and letting himself drift off to sleep.