#juncee

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June liked her job, she really did, but after a shift like the last one she wondered if she was getting too old for it. As she pulled into the driveway, garage opening up, she was not surprised to see it empty - the shift ran late and she missed the window of opportunity to see her son before he had to go to school.

The boy was growing up so fast…

As she was ready to go inside and collapse on the couch, microwaving the leftovers in the fridge, she was startled by a quiet noise behind her. She turned around, worried she was going to get into some sort of Cybertronian trouble, but her face instead split into a warm smile.

Arcee has arrived.

Doors of the garage closed behind her, cutting them off from possible onlookers. June wondered for a moment if any of the more curious neighbors noticed a stranger riding into her garage and assumed she was dating someone (finally). 

Looking at the femme in front of her, trying to fit into the limited space by folding herself in an awkward kneeling position, faint blush on the faceplates, the nurse could feel her own very human heart pick up.

She couldn't bring herself to dismiss the notion entirely if she was being honest with herself.

"What a pleasure to see you again, Arcee," said June after a short silence that fell between them in the faintly illuminated and now fairly crowded space. The blue bot offered a smile in return, purring softly, frame relaxing by a fraction.

June decided there and then that she needs to hear this sound more often.

The nurse, despite her own gnawing exhaustion and hunger, braced herself on the wall - she wanted to get as much out of this rare opportunity as she could. She shivered a bit from the cold, which did not go unnoticed.

"You should get inside, you will catch a cold," Arcee said, obviously torn by concern and disappointment of seeing the woman go. 

"I face way worse every day - a cold is the least of my problems, sweetheart," June replied automatically, having had to deal with Jack's concerns like those her entire nursing career; the pet name that left her mouth was a habit, but seeing the way the femme's frame flared out slightly, blush deepening, she knew it would become a new normal for them.

"Still, I would rather not see you suffer from me keeping you out here," Arcee choked out in a higher pitch than her usual voice, as she tried to regain some poise and failed miserably.

She wanted to touch that beautiful blush - she wondered if it would be warm under her fingers.

"Would it ease your worries if I went back and fetched myself a blanket and some tea, so we could talk without you getting worked up, baby?" June could not stop with the endearments, now that she saw they were welcome. It earned her another flare of the plating and a fervent nod, as she walked inside to get the kettle going, grabbing the thick blanket from where it had been abandoned on the sofa.

As the water finally boiled and the tea began to steep, she walked back to the garage cocooned tightly against the chill. Arcee smiled as she appeared again, the nurse sitting on one of the abandoned boxes, cup warming her hands.

"Much better," the blue femme muttered, as she shifted slightly closer to where the woman was sitting, digits folded in her lap; June could see the nervous abandoned movements, as if Arcee was battling with herself if she should reach out or not.

That would not do.

June shifted her hold, as she extended her now empty hand towards the femme invitingly.

"Come on, sweetie, I don't bite… much," she chuckled; she marveled at the startled look in the blue optics, as it melted into affection, a tentative servo extended to hold her much smaller hand.

It was a little… odd, but June didn't mind it - she accepted strangeness as part of the deal a while ago.

"I do appreciate you coming here to see me, Arcee, but if you keep on holding me like that, I might get used to it," she laughed, tone teasing; when she noticed the femme was turned pensive, she shuffled a bit closer, so that her blanketed leg would brush against the other's plating lightly.

After a moment of silence, Arcee spoke up:

"What if I want you to get used to it? To get used to me?" The question rang out in the cold air of the garage, as June had to blink a few times to break herself out of the reverie. 

"Sweetheart, do you mean it?" The woman whispered, as she tightened the hold she had on the slim servo, thumb rubbing soothing circles on the firm metal.

"Yes, I do," Arcee replied, but the nurse would not let it go so easily. She had to make sure the femme knew what she was going into; the loss of Cliffjumper has scarred her badly, and human life was considerably more fragile.

"Arcee, I will nor be here for a long time; we live so short that compared to you we are a blink of an eye," she began, setting the tea aside and grabbing onto the other with both hands.

"You have been hurt before and I know it haunts you still - I do not wish to become another reason for your grief," she added as Arcee looked away, appearing smaller than her frame.

They sat like that, silent, unmoving, until the femme moved, turning herself fully towards June. The hand the nurse was holding was joined with another servo, placed on her lap, as Arcee met her eyes again.

"I am done with grief holding me back from other people," she started off, haltingly, before the conviction started to flow from her vocaliser into words, faster and faster; as if she needed to get it out, to let June know, to let herself know all of it.

"I have and will hurt from the losses, but it shall not prevent me from seeking joy any longer - not if I can help it," she said as she curled towards the nurse, obviously wishing for more contact. 

"I know there is no forever for us, but I want to have your today and all your tomorrows," Arcee mumbled into their joined hands, eyes focused on them, as she finished with "If you will let me, that is."

June extracted one of her hands and placed it on the metal cheek; she smiled weakly, seeing the pain that laced the proclamation.

"Darling, I would be honored to have you, and would give myself in return," she soothed, tugging the face up gently to meet her eyes again, glad to see the joy replace some of the sorrow the conversation brought up. 

June allowed the blanket to slide off, as she got up and pressed herself against the femme, who held onto her gently in return, grip loose so as not to hurt.

"Are you not afraid you will regret it, when the time comes?" June muttered, face pressed into the warm blue plating.

Arcee's grip tightened, as she pulled the woman closer.

"With you, it will be worth it."

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