save a life, read a book

As much as Juno hated to admit it, she had Kaia’s magic to thank for her relatively easy recovery from what could’ve been a fatal wound. It definitely complicated that situation though and it was for that reason that Juno kept her distance over the next few days. She still kept an eye on her though. Observing from afar and taking note of anything she felt was pertinent and/or useful. And with things no longer being as simple as usual, Juno just had to make her notes more detailed. 

This morning she was going for a different approach though. She was tired of watching and biding her time. Her life’s work was essentially on hold until she paid Kaia back, which she wasn’t going to be able to do if she continued to stay away. Nope, as much as it pained her, Juno needed to take a more direct approach. “What does it look like?” she answered with a roll of her eyes, as she continued her Tai Chi routine outside of the bookstore. “Honestly, do you even make money doing this? Cause the sign says eight and well…” 

“It looks like you’re outside of my store when I thought we both agreed we’d stay out of each other’s way since you, ya know, tried to murder me and then I saved your life.” Kaia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest as she began to tap her foot against the pavement. “I don’t come in until nine, not that you would know since you don’t live in the area. It’s opened at eight by a worker and then--” She stopped herself, shaking her head. “Why am I telling you any of this?”

Considering Kaia had just been on the brink of collapsing, the last thing Juno expected was a Star Wars related rant, but then again this was Kaia and the blonde seemed to have a natural knack for making Juno’s life difficult. She waited until she was sure Kaia was done, and then smirked before uttering the words “I know” with as much cockiness as she possibly could, before she ducked under Kaia’s arm and supported her weight once again. 

As soon as their feet touched the last step, Juno turned her head up to face Kaia, growing serious once more. “You’re right and you’re wrong though,” she began, quickly continuing on so that Kaia wouldn’t have an opportunity to interrupt her. “You don’t have to help me, and you didn’t in the forest either. But you did anyway… And that unfortunately means that for now you’re stuck with me, and I with you. So you’re wrong in that sense. You may not have to help me, but I have to help you.” Juno sighed and with her free hand fumbled for the light switch. “Now tell me where to go. I’m not a fucking mind reader.”

Rolling her eyes at Juno’s words, she didn’t even bother to say anything back as she untangled herself from the other woman. Slowly but surely she moved towards some crates along the back wall. Nimble fingers dug out two potions, both with gold liquid inside. She knew how bitter it would taste, how she’d have to fight the urge to wretch but it was better than dying from the drain the magic had put on her body. The thing about healing someone with such mortal wounds was that all that pain and destruction had to go somewhere. Unluckily for Kaia, that meant that it all went inward. Not that Juno needed to know that. 

Quickly she handed one to Juno before her hands gripped another one, this one silver. To fix the damage done to her. Without even blinking, she downed the potion all in one go, feeling her insides twist and turn as she struggled to not vomit it back up. With shaky hands she clasped the next and last potion she’d need to take, blue eyes looking at the gold color before she uncorked it as well and swallowed it in one go. She knew better than to combine them, knowing it would cause a lot of pain but she needed to get better sooner than later. 

All set to help the blonde make her way to wherever she kept her potions, Juno nodded and took a step forward only to have Kaia pull away and tell her she was fine to continue on her own and that Juno was okay to leave. Rolling her eyes, Juno contemplated actually following through with Kaia’s suggestion but one look at the witch’s glacial progress to the back of the store had her sighing heavily and following. While she could try to make an argument for it being Kaia’s fault if she were to keel over and suddenly die because of her own pride and stupidity, Juno knew she’d still feel guilty for being the reason Kaia was even this weak.

She didn’t have to wait long for her to falter and pause in her descent into the basement. Called it. “What are you even…fucking stubborn ass witch,” Juno muttered under her breath, squatting down next to Kaia. “I know I don’t have to fucking help but I’m still here and that’s technically your fault for saving my life or whatever. So just let me help so I can leave and take a fucking nap. And if you say no again, I am not above picking you up and carrying you the rest of the way down.” 

And Juno meant it. To add emphasis to her point, she moved in closer hands outstretched as she raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Kaia. “So what will it be, princess? Are we going to do this the easy way or the hard way?” 

Luckily Kaia hadn’t heard what Juno had to say otherwise she would have used her remaining strength to push her down the damn stairs. Kaia watched as Juno moved towards her, basically crouching down next to her. Part of her couldn’t help but realize that Juno didn’t really need to crouch to become eye-level, the smile lifting at the corners of her mouth as she looked at her in a haze. “I’m sorry, what?” Kaia had been mid-reach for the girl’s hands when she realized that she’d just been called ‘princess’.

The point of crouching down and supporting Kaia had been to get her back onto her feet and nothing more. However, the sustained weight being placed on her shoulder wasn’t letting up and oddly she didn’t really mind. Kaia was like this because she’d saved her life - a stupidly blind act if there ever was one, Juno wanted to add but kept that thought to herself - and even if there wasn’t a code amongst her people to repay back that debt, it was the right thing to do.

 The small voice in her head that continuously reminded her that all she was really obligated to do was stop Kaia from dying and not play nursemaid, was conveniently silenced by a louder voice that argued that Kaia could have just left her in the woods after healing her. Just because Kaia wasn’t on deaths door, didn’t mean Juno should just up and leave. 

The inner turmoil brewing inside of her was distracting enough to momentarily distract Juno from how close their faces were, but when she did finally notice, oh boy did she notice. Hoping that the gulp she just took wasn’t as audible as it was to her, Juno froze for a split second and then shook her head to clear it. “Okay…are you going to be okay going down there? I could uhm…if you tell me what to get I could go down or I could help…or whatever. Just tell me what you need,” she eventually mumbled, her eyes wearing a hole in the floor where she was staring fixedly. 

“Do you mind helping me downstairs? I just don’t want to fall and bust my head open on the stairs.” Kaia was honestly too fatigued to attempt the stairs on her own but if Juno wanted to bolt than she would definitely let her do so. She’d been on her own for long enough to be adaptable to figuring shit out by herself. In fact, she realized she could give Juno a different path to take. Removing herself from Juno, Kaia slowly inched forward before leaning heavily on the counter nearest to the back room that held the door that would lead to the basement. 

“Actually on second thought... You don’t have to help. I can do this by myself.” Kaia gave Juno a smile, nodding at her through heavily hooded lids. “You can go and get some good rest. I... It’s healed and sleep should replenish the rest of the blood you’ve lost.” The blonde nodded in Juno’s direction before turning her back and slowly making her way to the back room, pushing the thick black curtain aside. Her hands shook as she took her key out for the door and opened it, knowing that there was a magical spell to unlock it as well. With a sigh, Kaia pressed her open palm to just the right of the handle, her eyes closing as her nose bled more. 

Rolling her eyes, Juno only just about managed to suppress the jibe about the blonde’s jerky driving. “Not always,” she grumbled, her hand still placed over the non-existent wound. Every time the seat belt rubbed against it, she felt the need to flinch even though it no longer hurt. 

Thankfully they were back at the book store in record time and Juno was relieved to be able to jump out of the car and get her feet back on solid ground again. It was clear that she was still mostly running on adrenaline and god knows what else, thanks to the magic kicking in, but she knew that any minute there was a chance she could fall right back asleep again, which was why the sooner she knew Kaia was safely situated, the better. The very same Kaia who was so extra she had to magic the door open, and almost faceplant at the same time.

“Woah, easy there…” The words were barely out of her mouth, as Juno darted forward and reached out to support Kaia with a grace and gentleness that surprised even her. One hand reached out to lightly rest on the blonde’s shoulder, while the other cupped her right elbow, ensuring there was no way for Kaia to fall any further forward. “I got you,” she mumbled, slipping her head under Kaia’s arm and slowly lifting the witch up as she stood up straight, “No need to rush.”

As Kaia felt the other girl help her stabilize herself, she found herself face to face with Juno. Her breath caught in her throat at how close they were, eyes not sure where to look. She really shouldn’t find the girl that tried to murder her to be this ridiculously good looking but here she was, practically eye-fucking her right now. Granted, Kaia didn’t know that the eye-fucking was taking place, so she would have stopped immediately if she knew she was doing it. 

Whatever Kaia had done to her, it was clear that it had taken a lot out of the blonde. Their was a wariness between the two, that Juno knew was ultimately her fault, but that didn’t stop her from keeping an eye on Kaia as they walked back to her car. She kept her distance enough to not make the witch too uncomfortable but close enough that if she stumbled, Juno would be able to close the distance easily. 

For some reason she didn’t expect Kaia to drive a Jeep. Not that she’d really given the blonde and her car preferences any thought in general, but it just didn’t seem to fit with what she knew of the blonde already. But she kept that thought to herself and easily hoisted herself into the car with minimal effort. 

Upon being asked about where she should get dropped off, Juno hesitated. There was a reason why she rented under a fake name and always made sure to take a different route home when she could. Keeping her residence a secret was a habit she intended to keep. “Just take me back to the book store. I’ll walk from there. Are you going to be okay driving back? I can drive if you want,” she answered, keeping her eyes trained to the front of the car, before adding,  “Wouldn’t want us to survive all that, only for you to drive us off the road.”

“I can drive, yeah.” Without so much as a backwards glance, or even a look in Juno’s direction, Kaia pulled out and headed towards town. Long fingers moved to turn on the jeep’s sound system, soon connecting her phone with the bluetooth. As music began to play from the speakers, Kaia bopped her head along but still maintaining to keep her eyes on the road. “Contrary to popular belief, lesbians don’t make bad drivers. Not always, at least.” 

With a sigh, Kaia took a left turn that would lead her back to her bookstore. By the time the song was over, she was pulling up into a parking stall just in front of it. As she got out of the Jeep, Kaia swayed a bit, the fatigue still going strong it seemed. Her stomach churned as she realized just how drained she felt, the nausea pulsing in her throat before she tried to wish it away.

To her relief it didn’t take much to rouse the sleeping witch. “We both did and I’m sorry for waking you but the sun’s setting and I know from experience that it’s never wise to linger longer than necessary in these woods.” Kaia looked just as tired as she felt, but saying the words for them both to hear only reaffirmed her belief that they needed to leave and seek real shelter immediately.

At the offer of her car, Juno nodded cautiously, not entirely sure how long this tentative partnership was going to last for. “Sounds good…are you gonna be okay making it there?” She was still a little shaky herself, but nowhere near as bad as before and making sure they both made it home safe was the least she could do. The very least. Kaia didn’t know it, but she’d accidentally bound the two of them for the foreseeable future and that started now.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Kaia replied, not sure why Juno particularly cared. There girl had been sweet as sugar up until finding out what Kaia really was and then she was all danger and venom and nothing nice. Dusting herself off, Kaia wobbled a bit at her first couple of steps, clearing her throat as she regained her balance. “It’s fine, it’s nothing. And if it gets worse, I can just fly back to my car.” Elemental magic wasn’t draining, thank God. Rubbing the back of her neck, Kaia gave a sideways glance over to Juno, taking in the other girl’s form. She seemed a bit better than before. 

She’d only meant to close her eyes for a little while. Just to rest them and then she’d be okay to move again. But of course her body had other plans and before Juno knew it, she was slowly falling asleep. The past couple of hours had involved fighting to stay awake but it seemed it was all a little too much for her and at the first sign of safety she was out like a light.  

The cold should have been an issue but if anything as she drifted off, she heard the unmistakeable signs of a fire being lit, and then a prolonged warmth that pressed against her body. Without even realising it, she curled in closer, her arms wrapping around the source of heat as she finally lost consciousness.

The fire had long gone out by the time Juno opened her eyes again. It took a moment for her to remember what had happened, but then it all came rushing back to her. The fight. The mortal wound she’d sustained. Kaia finding her. The thought of Kaia made Juno shift backwards, finally noticing the position she’d been sleeping in. Legs intertwined and arms resting gently over torsos. We must’ve both fallen asleep. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hand automatically went to press on her wound. Or she tried to. But instead all Juno found was soft, if a little tender, new skin where there’d once been a gaping hole. She saved me? Her eyebrows knitted together and she couldn’t help but continue to stroke over the area, not sure how she felt that she was only alive through magical intervention. Why would she save me when I…? And why are we still here.

Now completely aware of her surroundings, Juno wrapped her arms around herself to fend off the cold that had previously been kept at bay by the sleeping blonde. The sun was setting and it was only going to get colder. They needed to return to town. Juno squatted down next to Kaia, and carefully shook her shoulder, not wanting to jostle her too much in case she was injured, but enough to wake most people. “Come on Sleeping Beauty. We’ve got to get outta here.” She could have just left, but that wasn’t an option for Juno anymore. Not when Kaia had saved her life. 

"Why did you do that sweetheart?"

Kaia roused awake at the sound of her mother’s voice. How did she get here? She’d left her in the house, trapped by magic and--Wait, where was she? Looking around she noticed that she was sleeping on the freezing ground with a smaller girl in her arms. Juno’s head was tucked under her chin and Kaia’s arms were wrapped around the Hunter, as if she was trying to keep her safe and warm. Clearing her throat, Kaia looked away from the sight towards her mother who was standing over her with a sly yet loving smile. “I uh... I don’t know. I had to make sure she was okay.”

Jane smirked, shaking her head. “She did try to kill you, Kai. But I see that the pull is a bit strong on this one.” Kaia frowned at this, her head tilting. There was no pull, she liked Nora who was actually Elle and-- “Kaia, I’m in your head I can hear your thoughts. What you had with Elle, you can’t have with Nora. And deep down, you know that. So there’s no shame in liking someone new. Even though she did try to kill you.” Kaia shook her head at this. She didn’t like Juno, far fucking from it, actually. But all she could hear was her mother’s giggles before she felt a warm kiss pressed to her forehead, her eyes closing at the action. “You need to wake up, sweetheart. I don’t need both of us to be dead.”

Deep down, Juno still knew it was Kaia she was staring at, but at the same time she couldn’t tear her eyes away from her. It was almost like the first moment they’d met. Before Juno had found out the blonde was a witch, of course. The moment where she was just a little enamoured and flustered by a pretty girl in a book store. Whether it was the warmth spreading from her healed wound or the blood loss that was affecting the way she was perceiving the world, Juno really didn’t know, nor did she care. 

What she did care about was hearing Kaia mention the name Naomi. Had she really started talking about her mom aloud? Apparently so and it didn’t look like she was about to stop anytime soon, despite the years she’d gone without so much as mentioning her family to anyone. “My mom. She said angels don’t exist but I called bullshit and I was right?” It didn’t seem like Kaia was going anywhere so maybe it would be okay if she closed her eyes for a bit and continued the conversation that way. “Walking? Walking seems hard, I think I’m good right here.”

Shit. Juno was definitely not walking out of here any time soon. Wiping off the blood from her nose, Kaia let out a small whimper as she staggered to her feet. Holy shit, no wonder she had never done that kind of spell, it was so incredibly draining. Looking around them, Kaia knew she didn’t have enough control on her magic to put up protective wards around them. Her humanity kicked in at that moment, remembering how her mom had let her join Girl Scouts when she was younger after Kaia had begged and pleaded for months. Granted... She got kicked out soon after because they thought she was cheating with making fires. Which... She totally wasn’t. She was born a Witch so that wasn’t... Really cheating--Right?

Kaia made her way around the area that surrounded them, grabbing the necessary materials she needed to make a fire. Her body could handle a little flame-making, she hadn’t completely exhausted her magic. But boy, oh boy, when she got back into town she was going to need a rejuvenation potion and stat. This might have gone a bit differently if she were back home in the States. Seattle knew snow in the Winter but Canada? Canada was just annoying with the snow. Luckily for the both of them, snow wasn’t present. 

Moving back to Juno, Kaia dropped to her knees and began to fix the fire. Placing the rocks around the edge, the kindling came next and then the branches stacked into a triangle before she let out a small hum, eyes going closed for a moment as a small flame appeared in her hand. With a steady and small crackle, the fire sprang to life and the blonde couldn’t help but sag backwards, happy that she’d managed to do this. Despite her best interest, she knew that she needed to protect the smaller girl, not wanting her to get too terribly cold while her body worked hard to restore the blood she’d lost. 

If Juno had had any energy left in her, she would have used it all to swat away Kaia’s hands, not trusting the blonde for a second. Luckily she still seemed able to complain about what was going on. “The guy…absolute bastar-ow!. You know t-the giant hole in my abdomen hurts right?” Maybe this was her plan all from the start, act all nice and then literally kill her with kindness. There had to be better ways to go than this. 

Or you could just leave me to die in peace. Honestly if it was her time to go, it was her time to go and hoping a witch would help her went against everything she believed in. There was nothing natural about magic. Nobody should have the power over life and death and Juno had seen it backfire spectacularly over and over again. The only reason she was even going along with this, if you could even call it that, was because she wasn’t able to do much else. Everything around her was getting dark and she wasn’t even sure if that was a good or bad sign anymore. The distant sound of material ripping and more pressure on her side barely even induced a reaction. 

Warmth spread over the wound and it felt…nice? Now on the precipice of consciousness, Juno reached out with her hand and placed her hand on the source of the warmth, a smile tugging at her lips. The pain was still a dull memory that ebbed and flowed like small waves crashing over body, but it wasn’t as pronounced. Her eyes had fluttered shut at some point and opening them seemed unimportant as she just let herself revel in the sensations washing over her. 

It took a moment for Juno to remember she wasn’t alone and that someone was actually speaking to her. Her unfocused eyes cracked open just a fraction, long enough to catch Kaia rocking back and leaning against a tree. Only some of the words coming out of her mouth had registered with Juno so she attempted to respond to what she could. “Kill you? Why…why would I try to kill an angel?” It was hard keeping her eyes open but Juno found that she didn’t want to look away either. “Wait till I tell Naomi. I love it when she’s wrong.”

Kaia felt her brows furrow the moment that Juno called her an angel. “I’m... Sorry.. What?” She was so utterly confused by this new development, given the fact that Juno had wanted to kill her days prior and had even been begging her to not heal her wounds. Why she now thought she was an angel was beyond her. Or maybe it could have been for the fact that the pain had made her loopier than a fruit loop. Either way, Kaia wasn’t going to question. An intake of breath. Well, apparently yes she was.