#boboxx

Lemon rolled her eyes, resting her head against the tree trunk she was sitting by. “You can’t judge a book by its cover, you know. Maybe she just hasn’t approached you because she’s afraid she’ll scare you off. I mean look at you, you look like you slept with a nightlight through high school.”

“Oh fuck off,” she huffed, though she supposed there might be a tinge of truth to it. She was small and dressed mostly in pastels, creating a stark contrast to the dark-clothed, tattooed girl she was pining after.

“Christ, we’re not getting anywhere with this, are we?” Lemon groaned and pushed herself to her feet.

“Where are you going?”

But Lemon was already walking away, walking towards Scarlett. “Hey, my friend thinks you’re hot. Go talk to her if you’re into it, because I’ve reached my limit here.” She didn’t give Scarlett a chance to respond either, leaving in another direction entirely.

Juice had no idea what Lemon did, but all of the sudden, Scarlett was walking towards her and panic instantly set in. She contemplated running or faking an emergency phone call from her mom. But she couldn’t decide on a plan before Scarlett was sitting beside her.

“Hey.”

She swallowed thickly, swearing she could taste her heart in her throat. “Hey.”

“Your friend kinda blew up your spot,” Scarlett told her. “Said you think I’m hot and I should come see you if the feeling’s mutual. She’s kind of a bitch, but I think she meant well.”

Juice laughed softly, feeling calm a lot quicker than she expected. “That’s Lemon, yeah. I’m Julianna, by the way, but just call me Juice.”

“Juice,” Scarlett echoed. “Cute. I’m Scarlett, not a big nickname fan for myself honestly.” She was quiet for a beat, lips pursed. “And continuing that ‘honest’ theme, I’m surprised I’m your type.”

“Well, you are,” she hummed. “I think you’re beautiful.”

Scarlett grinned, shifting closer to the shorter girl. “Thanks, I think you’re beautiful too. So… coffee?”

Scarlett wasn’t sure they believed in love. Sure, they knew it existed, but they had never really experienced it for themself. And right now, if they were being honest, they thought they would probably never feel it. Love wasn’t particularly prevalent in Scarlett’s life; the countless amount of one night stands they’d had was enough proof of that. Of course, it could be argued that, yes, Scarlett had experienced love but having a girl naked in your bed just isn't the same as spending time with friends and family. That was unflawed logic that none of them could really argue with. 

 Everything they thought they knew about love went out of the window in favour of the girl with the funky nickname. Blonde hair that fell just past her shoulders paired with crystal blue eyes and a small smile as she stirred the straw in her drink at the opposite end of the bar. Something about her was just enthralling and Scarlett felt the urge to introduce themself. Julia was new and different, and it was good. The good sort of different that Scarlett knew that they would definitely miss if it left as quick as it came. 

 “Hey,” Scarlett said as they took a seat next to her.

“No cheesy pick-up line?” she asked as they shook their head, “ that’s a shame. I’m a sucker for a bit of stupid.”

Scarlett thought for a moment before responding, “ how’s this one: your lips look lonely. Would they like to meet mine?” 

“oh my gosh! That was awful,” she laughed, “how many times have you used that one?” 

“Never, you’re the first,” they winked as she laughed again. Scarlett would never grow tired of hearing that laugh, even if they only had tonight to listen to it. 

 Scarlett doesn’t know how it happened, but not even thirty minutes after meeting, they had the smaller girl against the bathroom wall of the sweaty club. The two were so focused on one another that they barely registered the door opening and a ditzy yellow-haired girl walking in talking faster than Julia had ever heard anybody speak, “ Pri said we’re going to get tattoos, you in?”

Scarlett looked at the yellow girl in confusion for a moment, their mind still wrapped up in the embarrassed blonde who stood across from them. “Uh yeah sure, you want to come?” they asked, hoping she would agree. Joy and relief washed over them as Julia said yes. In retrospect, Julia was infinitely glad that she had decided to say yes that night, even if she was left with a weird tattoo. 

 After a dramatic number of tears (all from Lila of course), the 5 of them had a reminder of the night permanently etched on their skin. Some of them played it safe, getting something small and cute, but the same couldn’t be said for Kiara and Priyanka who both now had a Quebecois curse word and the current day’s date respectively. Lila got a small lemon in honour of her nickname; Julia got a flamingo drinking a juice box and Scarlett got a tiny clown face due to her love of the circus. Was getting a tattoo in the middle of the night really the best idea? No, of course not.

 As everyone began to disperse and go home, Scarlett worked up the courage to ask her to go home with them. Julia agreed, her voice sounding as sweet as honey and Scarlett knew they would never get sick of hearing it. 

 “Before we go in, how do you feel about dogs?” Scarlet asked as they reached to unlock their apartment. 

 “I love dogs. I have one at home with my roommate!”she exclaimed in excitement. The prospect that Scarlett had a dog was amazing as she was definitely getting more of a cat-lady vibe from them. 

 “Perfect!” Scarlett all but shouted as they let them both into the apartment, their dog sleeping soundly in the corner. 

 They wandered into the kitchen area, telling Julia to make herself at home as they went to boil some water in the kettle to make them some tea. Scarlett wasn’t much of a tea drinker; preferring something with a caffeine boost like coffee but it was far too late for that so chamomile would have to suffice.

 When they re-entered the room, they found Julia browsing over the shelves against the wall that were filled with books, movies and photo frames. Scarlett was usually pretty private about her life, preferring to spend nights away from home rather than bring people back to their apartment. When people did visit, they hid the sentimental items, not wanting their friends to see the vulnerability that they housed. But something about Julia was like a breath of fresh air and Scarlett felt like they were open and exposed, the air mingling inside of them. But for once, they didn’t hate the feeling. 

“That’s my mom and sister at my graduation,” Scarlett told her unprompted as they saw which picture she was looking at. 

 “You look really different without the green in your hair. I almost didn’t recognise you,” Julia joked with a soft look in her eye, “you’re really pretty,” she concluded with a large smile, moving on to look at another picture. 

 “Thanks? You are too,” They complemented, causing a small blush to work its way across her face. 

 “Is that Lemon and Priyanka?” she asked through a giggle as she looked at the picture of the three girls dressed in halloween costumes, Lila looking significantly smaller than the other two as the picture captured her mid-fall. 

 The two of them spoke for hours, conversation varying from what they did for work, hobbies they had all the way to future plans. The chamomile tea that was made earlier in the night now sat forgotten on the coffee table as they slept uncomfortably on the sofa, a soft blanket draped over them both. Scarlett was pleasantly surprised to see Julia still in their home when they woke up only hours later. The smaller girl shifted a little bit before waking up. The sudden movements and quiet noises of discomfort were enough to alert Scarlett’s dog to come rushing over to the sofa where they resided. 

 “Morning,” Scarlett greeted Julia as they gave the dog the attention he so desperately wanted. 

“Good morning,” she responded in an almost questioning tone through a yawn. Julia wasn’t much of a morning person, she much preferred to stay awake until the early hours of the morning and then wake around midday if she didn’t have work. 

She left at around 1 pm, promising to send pictures of her dog. After countless hookups, they chose not to believe people when they say they’ll text later. So Scarlett sat in waters of uncertainty as they waited for a potential message, trying every method possible to distract themself. When the clock hit half past four, a message finally came through from Julia. Attached was around five pictures and an apology for it taking so long. It was safe to say that it was totally worth the wait, each picture being more adorable than the last. But Scarlett would be lying if they said their favourite wasn’t the one with Julia in it too. As they typed a response to Julia, a different notification appeared.

 Priyanka: y’all remember that tiny girl too right?? the one who left with bobo?

 Lemon: yeah i walked in on them in the bathroom together...

They worked through it, Juice trying to relax her grip on other people and Scarlett learning to keep their cool. It worked, for a while. But all walls crumbled with time and pressure. Juice hated her natural ability to flirt. She was almost always unaware of how it came off, she just wanted to be nice to people. Scarlett noticed, tensing at the way some people eyed her up. They knew it wasn’t her fault, not something to get angry over. Though the bitter jealousy would only grow if left unchecked. All it took was a girl mistaking Juice for single and flirting, the small girl being kind back and Scarlett was seething. They tried to quell it but only succeeded in making it bubble up more. 

Words hurt, especially from someone you loved. People said things they didn’t mean, although Scarlett lashed out too hard to be excused. They knew how to get under Juice’s skin, what to say to rile her up or upset her, and used it all to their advantage. It took only a few seconds for the regret to sink in. But that was too late. 

“Get out.” The venom in Juice’s tone made Scarlett flinch. She’d never sounded that angry before. It was unnatural, not the girl she knew. But she had crossed a line, the regret wouldn’t do anything to fix it. She did what she got angry at other people for, she hurt Juice. 

“Did I stutter? If you don’t leave I will throw you out. We both know I can lift you.”

“Juice, please. I’m sorry.” it was pointless pleading, knowing Juice wouldn’t care but trying anyway for the hope this could be fixed. Scarlett tried, they meant everything, it was just too late.

“You don’t get to be sorry. Get the fuck out of my house!” The anger was rising, Juice was unrelenting, intensely glaring in a way that scared Scarlett for being four inches shorter. She looked Scarlett up and down as if they were a hardened criminal who just got caught. It was terrifying to see the lack of any warmth in her eye, only cold, hard anger. 

“Juice-”

Before Scarlett could finish, Juice had shoved them out of the door, into the street. She slammed the door not waiting for any more words. 

They’d fucked up. Bad. 

Scarlett refused to believe they’d ever be that person, sending an emotionally charged voicemail begging for some kind of response. Juice hadn’t spoken a word in the two weeks since their argument and every second without her hurt, the memory of hurting her still sinking into their flesh, burning at the thought of how bad they messed up. 

It was bad judgment to text her in the first place, even more so to say they missed her and send a rambling, melancholic voicemail that would only complicate things further. They showed up as read. Juice had seen it, she’d heard it and yet didn’t have a response. It’d been over half an hour since it showed up as read and Scarlett felt the sadness and resignation sink ever deeper. 

A knock brought them out of the spiral, although the idea of having to face someone made their head spin with anxieties. They couldn’t quite cope with other people, not while like this. It was too much vulnerability that they didn’t want to be accountable for. So, just don’t answer it. But it wasn’t that simple. A distraction, however brief, was craved, so Scarlett begrudgingly answered it, not knowing what to expect, shocked at who it was.

“You miss me.” Although her tone was distant, Scarlett saw the familiar softness in Juice’s eyes as they opened the door to see her meek expression. It said more than she was able to. Upon closer inspection, her soft brown eyes were dark with a conflicted sadness, mixed with a loving gaze she couldn’t help whenever Scarlett was around.

“I’m so sorry,” Scarlett whispered brokenly. There was no point holding up any walls, the vulnerability wasn’t always a bad thing and Juice deserved to know how they felt. Scarlett kept their eyes down, not wanting to know how she was reacting to it all.

“I know.” Juice pulled Scarlett into a tight hug, stepping inside the house, nudging the door behind her shut. She felt the taller one tense in her arms before relaxing and pulling her tighter. It all hit after that, all the pent up feelings and sadness at not having each other, the prior rage almost all melted away with the warmth that Scarlett brought. Almost.

“This doesn’t make up for what you said.” Juice broke the moment, not sure how much she should let her guard down. She had every right to be so defensive and yet it still hurt. Scarlett knew better than to argue, their anger had settled into self-loathing long ago, all they could do now is agree and regret everything ever more. 

“I know.” Despite their different perspectives, Scarlett mirroring her words made Juice’s heart clench. They weren’t at all distant, instead, soft and loving but weakened by regret and sorrow. 

Eventually, the long hug ended, neither quite knowing what to do until Scarlett led Juice to the couch, prompting her to put something on so they could spend time together without thinking too hard about it. The air was still tense but Juice appreciated the effort. 

“What about that show you kept asking me to watch?” Scarlett felt their heart warm as Juice’s eyes lit up, cutting through the tension with her excitement. She was adorable when talking about something she liked and this was no exception. She rambled on about how much Scarlett would like the show and how good it was. The glee radiating from her made Scarlett’s face unconsciously break from a frown to a loving smile. Juice paused for a second, realising how much she missed the stupid grin Scarlett would give her if she got excited enough about something, never interrupting her, just appreciating her. 

Juice seemed a lot more relaxed as the show started, eventually shuffling closer to Scarlett, curling into their side as they watched attentively. Juice commentating on everything in a way that would be annoying if anyone else did it, but she made it all the more entertaining with her thoughts. 

“You know, she’s like you, all angry but just soft for one blonde girl,” Juice laughed, gesturing to the screen. Scarlett shot her a confused look which only made her giggle more. 

“Juicy, I see where you’re going but I am not a catgirl.” Juice pouted, Scarlett holding back a laugh at her behaviour. The way they fell back into the soft loving ways made everything feel better. Juice’s laughs were the last thing needed to patch up their heart and they planned on keeping her happy for a lot longer. 

“Wait! She’s gay for the blonde one? Who let this mentally unstable cat drive a tank anyway?” Scarlett watched on incredulously, Juice only laughing at her questions. She was understanding why Juice liked the show so much now, it was cute, even if she compared them to the feral catgirl. It wasn’t that inaccurate although they wouldn’t admit that. 

More episodes played as Juice’s commentary died down, she stayed curled into Scarlett’s side, occasional comments muttered into their shoulder as her head nestled into it. She was half asleep when Scarlett shook her, nudging her towards the bedroom.

“Do you want to stay the night?” Juice gave a soft hum in response, curling closer into the enby. Scarlett laughed softly, picking her up to place her on the bed, knowing her attempts to walk over would end in her sleepily stumbling, tripping over anything in her path. Juice let out a pleased hum when Scarlett threw some old, baggy clothes at her to sleep in. There was something adorable about the way everything they owned was too big on the brunette. Although they weren’t that far apart in height, Juice was tiny and Scarlett preferred baggy clothes. The way the long sleeves of an old band shirt flopped over Juice’s wrists, swallowing most of her body was a sight that Scarlett would treasure. 

The pair settled down, at first facing each other but not touching, both scared to make the first move before Juice felt herself succumbing to the fatigue. She shuffled over, wrapping her small arms around Scarlett, nuzzling her head into their shoulder. 

Scarlett was used to it by now, the repetition of the same cycle they found comforting. It was easier like this, less worry if there was less time to see the person. Maybe going around and sleeping with friends wasn’t the best idea but sometimes it was the easiest, as long as they left and didn’t make it a big issue it wasn’t a problem. It would lead to jokes down the line about how Scarlett had slept with most if not all of their circle of friends but it was never serious. No one questioned why they never stayed with anyone, or why no one ever stayed with them. It was just how it went.

Just because it was easy didn’t mean there weren't nights where Scarlett lay awake, craving the support and warmth of another person. The irony wasn’t lost on them, never allowing themself to be around people long enough to catch feelings or have any shred of vulnerability but still craving it regardless. But even given someone who gave the emotional warmth they craved, it was impossible to open up. Scarlett just couldn’t even meet their close friends. The idea of it sent them spiralling, no one could know. They couldn’t deal with anything too emotional, it would wreck any ongoing friendships, and losing someone now wasn’t something Scarlett knew if they could come back from or not.

In hindsight, hooking up with Juice was an awful idea. It had always been a little different with her. Juice had no issues being open with her struggles, always turning to Scarlett if she felt particularly bad. If anyone else were this emotionally sensitive, Scarlett would have distanced from them long ago. But Juice was different. She was so sweet and kind but also wasn’t afraid to poke fun at herself or others. Their friendship was built off mutual love and mockery. It was the closest Scarlett had been to a person in a long time but they still weren’t ready to let down the walls.

The only time Scarlett had shown any vulnerability was involving Juice. If anyone was rude to her it would be Scarlett to immediately jump to her defense, anger rising by the second. Even if she could handle it herself, they wouldn’t let anyone do anything to hurt Juice. The few times Scarlett had cried around another person were with Juice. Someone had hurt her, seeing the usually bright, silly girl so small made their heart wrench. Seeing Scarlett so overwhelmed with empathy for her was enough for Juice to know they were a real friend. Someone she could always rely on as well as the other way around, but Scarlett wasn’t nearly as open as she was.

It had happened quickly, there was always something a little more to their relationship that both were too scared to explore but one night that fears dissolved, leaving the pair in Scarlett’s bed, on the verge of falling asleep but both not sure how to progress after everything.

“You can leave now, no one normally stays.” Scarlett’s voice was quiet, unnaturally soft. They held back the pain, the desire for Juice to stay, cuddle up to them and comfort the ever-present loneliness that was creeping back upon them. But those were words they couldn’t speak, not like this. It was easier for her to leave, for the feelings to go unspoken and for Scarlett to continue their craving for someone while pushing away anyone who got too close.

Juice didn’t know if she had the words to respond, only pulling Scarlett into a hug that made everything way worse. All the feelings they were trying to push down were bubbling back up more intensely than ever and it was too much to handle.

Scarlett rolled over, sitting up and trying to steady themself before speaking again.

“Just go, don’t make this complicated.” the words came out harsh, Juice blinked, taken aback by the coldness in Scarlett’s tone before she noticed the slight shake of their hand. Nerves wouldn’t be there if this was as casual as they implied. There was something more to it that Juice couldn’t help but dig at.

“What if I don’t want to leave?” Juice murmured, wrapping her arms around Scarlett’s waist and laying her head on their shoulder. She could have sworn she felt them relax into her touch but the change was too minimal to tell.

“Juliana.” The coldness in their tone faltered, what had meant to come out as dismissive was tinged with a sadness that made Juice want to double down on her efforts and help Scarlett no matter how much they tried to push her away.

“Scar, that’s not going to work. I won’t force you to talk but I care about you and want to help.”

Scarlett huffed in response, not wanting to admit defeat but the urge to sink into Juice’s arms was growing by the second. The fear of opening up seemed to subside the longer she held onto them.

“Why? I’m fine. It doesn’t matter. Just go. Please. Don’t do this, Juice.” The snappy tone came back, more biting than ever. Juice tensed at the words, her hands gripping Scarlett a little tighter before going back to how they were. She never let go, just sat there, her head in the same position on their shoulder, not giving in to Scarlett’s self-destructive pleas.

“Scarly,” Juice began softly. She realised the only way to make this easier was to be blunt. As much as she wished Scarlett would turn around and admit there was something wrong, it was unlikely. They didn’t do vulnerability, why would now be any different. “This isn’t about us sleeping together is it?”

“No!” perhaps too hastily, Scarlett replied. Juice only pulled them tighter at the words.

“Then just know I care, and that while you don’t want to face anyone because you’re scared, that I’m here if you need to. If you crumble it’s not a bad thing. You’ve helped me through so much I only wish you would help yourself. You deserve better. I’m not leaving until you talk to me.” Juice spoke louder, her words sunk into Scarlett, the genuine care and love in her tone wasn’t lost but made their stomach churn with the number of emotions it brought up. They couldn’t push Juice. She didn’t deserve for it to be treated like nothing happened. But if everything started unraveling, would she look at them the same? Would it break any chance they had at staying so close? Juice was the most stable she had ever felt in another person. The idea of risking that was something they could never face. But she was persistent. Her words hung in the air as she stayed clamped around their back. Her hands would occasionally move up, stroking their hair before lowering back down to squeeze around their waist once more.

Something started cracking, the walls could only stay up for so long and Juice insisted on seeing the fall. It started softly, a small tremble quivering through Scarlett before they lost the tight grip on their emotions.

“It’s so lonely. I push everyone away who gets close. I don't want to risk them hurting me, so I hurt myself instead.” There it was, the lack of walls they had been so afraid of for years. But with Juice still wrapped around them, it almost felt safe. That was only scraping the surface, they both knew. But it was the start Juice wanted. She was content to leave it there, let Scarlett put a few light barriers up but not push her away. It was never that simple though. You can’t pry open a seal and then tape it back up. The insides will be touched by the outside world, they won’t be the same, and leaving them won’t end well.

“Well then, I’m not going to let you push me away. Even if I annoy you to no end I'm not leaving. You don’t have to be lonely, not if I'm around. I know it’s hard admitting that, I'm proud of you, Scarlett.” Juice stayed calm, but her words carried such a soft, loving tone that made the enby turn around and burrow themself into her. No words had to be exchanged, only the warmth, physically and emotionally, of having someone there. That was enough.

“Of course you would say that, you’re different to the others aren’t you Juice,” Scarlett spoke up after a short silence, not leaving the small blonde a chance to reply before continuing. “It’s easy to push people away, they know all I want is something simple, no time for feelings to get involved. But then I thought it was a good idea to hook up with a friend and now we’re here. I can’t push you because I don’t want to lose you but I don’t want to make things change between us. You’re everything I want but you deserve better than someone like me.”

There it was, the insecurity they fought so hard to keep away, spilled out over Juice before either of them could think about it. The girl took a second to gather her words. Not wanting to hurt someone she cared so much about but needing to be honest about all her feelings on the matter.

“Scarly, you know how much I care about you. I feel closer to you than anyone. If I made the choice to do this with you, I did for a reason. I wouldn’t still be here if I didn’t want this, we both have our issues, but I don’t care. All I want is you, issues and all.” the shift in Juice’s tone was obvious, the past softness had faded for a calm seriousness. She didn't know if her words would be enough but craved for Scarlett to accept them, even if they disagreed.

“It’s never simple with you, is it? We couldn’t just hook up and move on, there are always feelings with you. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing. It would make my life a lot easier if I could be as open as you, but not now.” Scarlett laughed somewhat bitterly, but they sounded almost happy. Just beyond someone who could respond in the way Juice wanted but true to themself all the same.

Neither quite had the words. All that was left was to admit it, the mutual feelings that had hit their boiling point. It was a terrifying thought, even if it was mutual, how could they go from here? Scarlett felt unfit for carrying Juice’s heart but she wanted nothing more than whatever they could offer. There were so many reasons it wouldn’t work, but cuddling on Scarlett’s bed, their emotions laid bare, it felt like it was only right to throw it in with everything else that had been said.

“I love you, Juice, and if you insist after everything that you want this. If you insist that you want me, I won't push you away. I just don’t think I-” Scarlett was cut off by Juice pressing their lips together once more. This wasn’t the first kiss they had shared, but it was the most telling of everything. It was far from perfect, the shock of it had startled Scarlett into not quite knowing how to respond. But it was soft and sweet all the same, not covered by lust or unspoken feelings. They broke apart while the feeling lingered, the clarity of everything was welcomed, maybe things didn’t have to be so complicated.

“I love you too, and I’ll help you love yourself. You deserve it, and I deserve all the love I know you’re going to give me.”

Was it as simple as that? The months of anxiety, the years of not knowing if they could even give the right person love. It all fell to Juice and her persistent love. Scarlett couldn’t have dreamed of it going any better, no matter how much it may have hurt getting there.

Before she knew it, Juice was falling. Everything was too much, she could only stand there, unable to take it in and not sure how to cope. She felt a panic attack coming on before but ignored it; now she had to deal with it. Standing felt like too much, everything was happening around her and she could only watch powerlessly as any positive feelings quickly slipped through her fingers.

Scarlett entered the room, noticing Juice standing, staring blankly ahead before crumpling to the floor with a sob. They knew the signs of a panic attack in the small girl by now, this one looked to be particularly bad. Coming back into the room holding a blanket and some water, Scarlett settled next to Juice and tried to get her attention without startling her.

“Juice? What’s wrong?” Juice turned towards her partner before burrowing her head back into her arms and letting out a pained cry. She couldn’t speak if she wanted to, words wouldn’t come out which only made Juice feel worse, unable to communicate and only sink deeper into her dark feelings.

Hearing her crying only get worse, Scarlett tried again, softly whispering her name to no response. Juice only let out a few sobs, her whole body shaking with fast, ragged breaths.

“Juice, honey, can you hear me?” No response, seeing Juice’s panic only get worse, Scarlett tried something different.

“Julia.” Their words were slightly louder, not quite forceful but enough to get Juice’s attention. She jolted, staring at Scarlett in shock, but they could see the panic in her eyes. “Hey, I’m here, what’s wrong?” Juice tried to speak up, say anything, but nothing came out, leading her to let out a soft whimper before the tears came back with a vengeance.

Scarlett took this as a chance to bring Juice into their arms, relieved when she melted into the embrace and grappled Scarlett’s back for support while burrowing her head into their shoulder.

Scarlett continued to speak soft supportive words as Juice shook with tears and panicked breaths. Eventually, she started to settle, the sob quieting but still breathing shakily.

“Hey, I've got you. It’s all okay Juice, baby.” The use of the pet name brought her back into the present, finding herself finally able to let out more sound than a pained noise.

“Scarlett? I-” Juice's voice trailed, barely audible in the first place. She couldn’t bring herself to communicate, only attempting to stutter out an explanation before Scarlett stopped her.

“Shh, you don’t need to explain anything. It happens and it’s hard, don’t feel any kind of embarrassment, I'm here to support you, nothing else to it.”

Juice almost burst into tears at that, wondering how she had gotten lucky enough to have such an understanding partner. She could only nod, her head burrowing even deeper into the shoulder as Scarlett continued to quietly hold her, letting her take as much time as she needed.

Neither was sure how long they spent, quietly intertwined. But Juice knew that was what she needed, finally feeling able to move and not feel her head spin.

“Scarlett, could you please-” Before she could finish, Scarlett nodded, guiding Juice to the couch, setting down a mug of water near her feet and pulling her close, smiling slightly as Juice stretched across the couch, shuffling and moving her head to the crook of their neck, gesturing for Scarlett to lie underneath her. They pulled Juice’s favourite pink weighted blanket over both of them, letting out a sigh of relief as Juice sunk into the hug, her face relaxing into a more peaceful expression.

“Snug.” Juice hummed softly, a tired smile briefly coming over her features before she let out a comfortable sigh, nuzzling her head into Scarlett.

“Oh? You’re feeling snug, kitten?” Scarlett could barely hold back a laugh as Juice hummed in agreement, clearly barely able to keep her eyes open.

“Mhm, snug as a bug in a rug.” Juice’s words were soft, the fatigue in her tone was noticeable despite her words being spoken half-muffled into Scarlett’s neck.

“Why don’t you rest a bit, I can tell you’re exhausted, bug.”