FEBRUARY 1973

"Junie," Hyde snickered from the Formans' now-worn-out couch as Juniper entered the basement.

She rolled her eyes, waiting for the immature joke that was sure to come from the fourteen-year-old boy. "What?"

Juniper noted the way all four pairs of eyes were trained on her, and she knew everyone was in on Hyde's taunting.

"Kelso wants to ask you a question."

Wait, what? Juniper's gaze flickered to Michael, then to Hyde for confirmation. Steven nodded with a shit-eating grin. He knew what she was silently asking and gave her an answer without even needing to hear her say it out loud.

Juniper studied the expressions of Eric and Donna, who were watching Kelso intently with wide smiles. Rather, Donna watched him and Eric watched Donna.

Michael cleared his throat to catch Juniper's attention and she turned her piercing eyes onto him.

"Well," she laughed in an attempt to block out the seemingly deafening sound of her heart slamming itself against the walls of her chest, "what's the question, then?"

Her eyebrows slowly rose up to her forehead when he didn't answer, simply staring up at her with his mouth opening and closing as if he were a fish.

"Spit it out, Kelso!" Donna jeered teasingly.

"I love you!"

Juniper knew it was coming, but she hadn't expected it to come out like that. Her nose twitched and her face contorted into one of confusion. "That... That wasn't a question, Mike."

Michael shot up to his feet and grasped her hands. "Do you want to go out with me?"

She blinked at him. "Yeah."

His jaw dropped and he lowered his tone. "Wait, really?"

Juniper's perfectly-shaped lips broke into a charming grin. "Yeah."

"Alright!" he cheered. "What are we waiting for, then?"

The three others in the room clapped and hollered loudly, just on the edge of obnoxiously. June shrieked as Michael swept her up in his arms, not unlike the way he used to carry her around when he was pretending to save her from the evil cookie-crumb-covered clutches of Casey Kelso.

Thirty minutes later, the pair hopped off the bus and walked to the diner that the gang would frequently go to, The Hub.

Michael told Juniper to wait outside before rushing to get their food. June giggled as he nearly knocked someone over by the entrance.

He quickly returned with two milkshakes and an order of fries, sauntering over to her in an attempt to seem suaver. She raised her eyebrows as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to a back alley.

"A shady place for a first date, don't you think?" Juniper teased.

He was visibly nervous, and she nudged him with her shoulder. "I'm kidding, Mike, relax."

Michael nodded vigorously. "I decorated it a bit."

"Oh?"

He pulled back a tattered curtain and turned on a worn-down floor lamp that illuminated just enough of the surrounding area in the dark night. A relatively new-looking leather couch sat against the brick wall of the building next to them and a can of air freshener rested on the concrete next to it.

"I'm only now realizing that it looks pretty bad," Michael chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand, not considering the fact that the milkshakes and fries looked just about ready to topple over. "It's just that me and Hyde and Forman were hanging around here and we saw the lamp and someone from the apartments just threw out the couch and Hyde said-"

Juniper walked in front of him to properly face him. "Michael."

A small smile appeared on her lips when he faltered.

"It's okay. Everything's perfect."

"Really?"

She gently grabbed the food from his hand and plopped down on the couch. "Really."

Michael exhaled. "Okay, good."

Juniper popped the lid off of one of the milkshakes and held it out to him. The corners of his lips quirked up as he glanced at her.

Juniper rolled her eyes playfully. "Just do it already."

She wrinkled her nose as he chuckled and dipped a salty fry into the chocolate shake before popping it into his mouth.

"What?" he smirked down at her, knowing exactly what her answer would be.

"That's gross."

"It's not!" Michael protested. "Aren't girls supposed to like stuff like that?"

Juniper raised an eyebrow. "'Stuff like that?'"

"Yeah, like in books where they have a thing for fries and milkshakes."

She stifled a giggle. "What romance novel are you reading? It sounds good."

Michael nudged her with his shoulder. "Shut up," he drawled with a small smile.

Juniper bit down on a fry. "I'm good."

He kept quiet while she lifted his arm and draped it over her shoulders. "How long have you liked me?"

Michael thought for a moment, watching a bird that was trying to swallow a rat whole on top of the roof across from them. "I don't know, really. Maybe since we were nine-ish? So four years or so?"

Juniper laughed under her breath. "Took you that long, huh?"

"Be glad that it happened, woman! You'd still be knee-deep in a pool of secret love for me if I never spoke up!"

Instead of answering, June reached up and pecked his lips with a grin.

≛

JUNE 1974

Juniper couldn't believe it. She didn't know how to feel. California... a magical place, in her eyes. Her parents were finally acknowledging her constant pleas to go there, but could she really leave her friends? Did she really want to leave Michael?

"Buggy, you're not talking," Michael frowned as he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist.

Juniper turned to face him. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize."

They had only started officially dating, what, four months ago? Now she had to leave. Juniper loved him, and she couldn't bear the thought of just packing up and leaving.

There was still so much for them to look forward to... They hadn't even really gotten to touching each other yet. Not intimately, at least.

"Michael," June whispered, resting a hand on his cheek.

He smiled and leaned into her touch. "Hm?"

"Kiss me."

She watched as Michael's forehead creased. "Huh?"

Juniper leaned forward and eagerly pressed her lips onto his, adjusting her positioning so she was straddling his hips. He broke away, albeit reluctantly, and pushed a few stray hairs behind her ear. "Buggy?"

Juniper scanned his face. His twinkling eyes, his full lips, his sharp jawline. He was perfect. "Mike, I'm ready," she said surely.

Michael was not expecting that. His cheeks flushed a deep shade of red as he looked up at the girl above him. "What?"

"I won't force you to do anything, of course, but I just thought I'd let you know, I think I'm-"

The boy sat up, reaching a hand behind her neck and effectively silencing her before pulling her into another kiss.

He rubbed circles on her waist and she toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. The gentle touches turned into rougher movements, and before long, both of their shirts were off. Michael fingered the hooks at the back of her bra and watched her for confirmation before she nodded, allowing him to slip it off.

"Wow," Juniper laughed breathlessly. "That was easy for you to do."

Michael was almost too fixated on her to respond. "I stole some of your bras and practiced with them."

She bit her lip playfully, picking at the hem of his jeans. "Of course you did."

They went back to their routine of kissing and touching before Michael stopped. "Shit- Buggy, do you have something?"

She reached under her bed and handed him a condom.

Michael stared down at it. This was really happening. He was going to lose it, and to his Buggy. He glanced up at Juniper one more time for confirmation. "Are you sure you want this?"

She looked him in his eyes. "Yes."

≛

"Why were you bleeding?" Michael panicked. "Fuck, did I do something wrong?"

Juniper pursed her lips to hide her giggle as she pulled her clothes back on and tossed the towel to her boyfriend. "No, you did everything just right. That's what happens to some girls when they have sex for the first time."

Michael paled. "You're not pregnant, are you?"

Juniper rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not pregnant. See, when the hymen, which is this-"

"Alright, alright!" he hollered. "I don't need to hear any of that medical crap!"

"I love you," she mumbled as she watched him buckle his pants.

He flashed a grin at her. "I love you, too."

For a moment, everything was okay. June was staying in Wisconsin with her friends and her boyfriend, and the world was at peace. She was in love.

Then she snapped out of it. Everything was not okay. She would be leaving, maybe even forever.

Michael seemed to notice the sudden change in her mood. "Bugs? What's up?"

Juniper felt as if her voice had been snatched away by the monster called guilt. Could she do it? Could she tell him that she might never see him again? She tried to speak, but she couldn't make a sound. Tears pricked at her eyes and she quickly blinked them away, pressing her tongue to the roof of her mouth.

Concerned, Michael rushed over to her and peppered her face with kisses. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he cooed.

June couldn't keep it in. She wouldn't. 

"I'm leaving."

The boy was confused. Of course he was. That was possibly the vaguest response she could have given.

She continued. "I'm moving to California."

Juniper found it difficult not to break down at the emotions that passed across Michael's face one by one. Puzzlement, then understanding, then realization, and finally hurt. "Why?"

"Dad found a job there. He wants me and Mama to come with him."

"Oh," he uttered. Michael didn't want to show the full extent of his pain. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel guilty about something she barely had any control over. "When, uh... When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"What- tomorrow?" he said, his voice cracking.

"Yes."

Michael swallowed. "Buggy, why didn't- why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Her bottom lip quivered. "I'm sorry."

"No, no." He pulled her into his arms. "It's okay. It's going to be okay. It's always been your dream to go there, right?"

"I don't want to go anymore."

"Damn, Buggy..."

"I'm sorry, Mike," she sniffled.

"Stop apologizing. You did nothing wrong."

Juniper took a few deep breaths, taking in the scent of his slightly-overused cologne to steady herself. "I love you, okay?"

"Okay. I love you, too."

≛

JUNE 1974

Juniper pressed one last kiss to her ex-boyfriend's lips before her parents pulled out of their driveway. They had decided to break up, of course. It wasn't like they'd ever see each other again.

Just as she did when she was a young girl, June watched the ice form on the window while snow fell delicately around them as though nothing was out of place. The waving figures of the Formans and her friends became smaller and smaller as the Clarks drove farther down the road.

Juniper felt a hot tear slide down her cheek, a stark contrast to the bitter cold that nipped at her nose even when she was in the car.

They turned a corner, and almost everyone she knew was gone. 

≛

(not) brought to you by michael's virginity (where did it go?)

(not) brought to you by fries dipped in milkshakes

(not) brought to you by you shook me - led zeppelin

brought to you by lissy <3