Go right ahead and enjoy! I might take some ideas from this one shot to make a multi-chapter for scientificshipping! :)
Slivers of sunlight cast through the laboratory window across Aurea Juniper's cluttered desk. In fact, the entire lab was cluttered still from Professor Juniper's latest research.
Aurea had worked throughout the entire night and ended up falling asleep in her rolling chair; she had her face hidden in her arms on her desk snoozing away the morning.
There was a knock on the lab door left unheard followed by a hesitant turn of the door knob.
"Hello?" A sweet voice echoed in the room.
A young women in a white lab coat and long dark hair stepped inside and shut the door behind her.
Professor Juniper stirred in her sleep a bit before silence was the only thing that greeted the young women known as Fennel.
Fennel's blue eyes landed on Juniper's work area and she felt a start in her. Fennel ran over to her friend and shook her shoulder vigorously.
"Aurea, are you ok? Wake up, wake up!" She said frantically.
She stopped shaking Juniper when her eyes tiredly blinked open and looked up at her.
"Oh, good! You were just sleeping. You gave me quite a scare there, Aurea!" said Fennel with a considerable amount of relief in her voice. Something in Fennel's demeanor had suddenly changed and wasn't left unnoticed by the tired Juniper.
"What is it, Fennel?" Juniper asked calmly. Her concern for her friend had dissipated any weariness from her abrupt awakening.
"An old college friend just can't visit once and a while?" Fennel joked, though her rigid body language insisted she was only stalling.
"That is how I know you're holding your tongue, Fennel. We've known each other for a long time now."
"Now you're just making me feel old, and we're only in our thirties." Fennel replies, her shoulders sagging a tiny bit.
Juniper smiled at her friend before becoming serious about the situation again. It didn't matter that that she had slept over at the lab and just realized it. Fennel was here on her own terms, and Juniper wasn't sure why it alarmed her on the inside. Usually Fennel or herself would contact the other via Xtransiever to arrange a research project.
"Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I brew a fresh pot of coffee." Juniper got up and gestured for Fennel to sit in the chair she just stood from.
"Okay, that sounds good. Thanks Aurea." Fennel sat down and clutched a pink notebook close to her that Juniper hadn't noticed Fennel was holding before.
Professor Juniper gave Fennel a reassuring look before going to make the coffee. As she dumped last night's coffee down the lab's small kitchen sink, thoughts of what was going on were nagging her.
Quickly she began the coffee machine, and leaned against the counter with an impatiently tapping her shoe against the floor. Juniper felt as though Fennel needed some time to calm down, so out of respect she would give her that time.
Finally when the coffee was done, Juniper put the cream and three sugar cubes in Fennel's mug, and just took her own coffee black.
Fennel was absentmindedly leafing through her pink notebook when Juniper approached with her coffee.
"Here you go." Juniper said warmly, and Fennel took her coffee.
"Thank you! I know I don't have to ask, but did you -" Fennel was cut off by Professor Juniper,
"Cream and three cubes of sugar." Juniper smiled before taking a sip of her own coffee, and sat down in a rolling chair she pulled up beside Fennel's.
"Just the way I like it! Mmmmm." Fennel took a ginger sip from her mug.
Professor Juniper looked at the women that sat before her and felt a lurch in her stomach. She took a deep breath and rubbed her temples with her free hand.
"Is everything ok, Aurea? I'm sorry for taking my sweet time. It's just... You're the only one I can talk to about this." Fennel said suddenly.
"No, no! I'm still tired from last night, that's all." Professor Juniper replied, mentally waving off that feeling she thought would be under control by now.
Fennel was her best friend and lab partner. It made her feel guilty to have harbored such feelings about someone as innocent and sweet as Fennel. Juniper has never taken to someone in such a way, never finding much interest in love.
"I see. Well, for the past three nights I haven't been able to remember my dreams! I always remember my dreams. This is my dream journal where I have been writing my dreams to analyse them on my own time. It's really scaring me, and I've always done everything correct in order to remember and record each dream." Fennel explained, her blue eyes brimming with emotion as if this were the most terrible thing that has happened to her.
Professor Juniper thought over what Fennel had just revealed to her.
"Is anything bothering you lately?" Juniper asked knowing she would need more information than that to even attempt to make a theory.
Fennel was worrying her, but she wouldn't reveal that to her. This is why she often caught herself admiring the amount of emotion that radiated from Fennel.
"Nothing I'm aware of. But you might be onto something. I've been a little worried about Musharna's health since she finally was able to return to me. But not enough worry to be drastic or anything." Fennel said, taking a rather large gulp of coffee.
"Assuming something really is bothering you more than you might think, maybe your mind is simply trying to block off connection with the problem?" Juniper suggested, slightly amused by Fennel's coffee drinking habit.
"I have considered that, but haven't put further thought into it. So that may be it!"
"Fennel, whatever is bothering you you need to confront. Then we'll see if you can remember your dreams."
"I'm going to get another cup of coffee." Fennel said suddenly, avoiding Juniper's eyes as she walked away.
That was strange, Juniper thought. What has gotten into Fennel? Whatever it was, Juniper made a mental promise to Fennel that she would help her resolve this problem.
In Fennel's chair the pink notebook sat. Professor Juniper's eyes froze on it, and her heart quickened. No! She wouldn't violate Fennel's privacy! Fennel was the one persons he cared most deeply for. As if she had enough time to get a hold of the notebook anyway.
Juniper felt a light breeze against her face as Fennel quickly walked by her, grabbing her notebook, and sitting down with a fresh mug of coffee.
"Fennel, what have you been dreaming about before all this happened?" Juniper asked after a moment.
Fennel stirred her steaming coffee, and Juniper could tell she was very worried about something. So she knew more than she was letting on.
"Is it all right if I see this dream journal if it's easier?" Juniper asked patiently, hoping it would make the situation less awkward. Again, Fennel was silent for a long moment.
"I don't think that's a good idea." She finally said in defeat.
Juniper felt an ache somewhere inside her chest seeing Fennel hang her head in such sadness. What surprised her next is Fennel stood up as if she was just going to leave.
Juniper stood from her own chair, put her coffee aside, and grabbed Fennel's wrist. Though her eyes didn't betray her, the feeling of immediate regret washed over just touching Fennel like that.
"Fennel, wait, don't go!" Juniper's voice was desperate, which surprised herself.
"I wish I haven't came. It was silly of me, I shouldn't have come here. I'm sorry Aurea." Fennel tried to explain.
"Please, just tell me the meaning of all this, Fennel... I'm not going anywhere. I care for you, and you can tell me anything. I'll be here for you no matter what is bothering you, so just let it out." The words that slipped through Juniper's lips so fluidly and with such emotion had surprised herself again.
Fennel looked down at their hands, then her eyes met Junipers from behind her glasses. Life itself was a risk. And sometimes words alone couldn't tell what Fennel was about to tell Aurea Juniper.
Fennel stepped closer to Juniper and grabbed Juniper's other hand with her free hand. Fennel was no longer going to be afraid after years of growing feelings. The space between them was closed, and Fennel lightly kissed Aurea Juniper's lovely mouth again, and again.
It was the most wondrous feeling both had ever felt. Fennel moved both of her hands to the backs of Juniper's arms and pulled her as close as possible. Their kisses were sweetly experimental at first.
They took a moment to look into each others eyes, savoring the feeling of being in each other's arms. Fennel was enveloped in Junipers arms as well at some point during their little private moment.
Fennel took the opportunity to kiss Juniper again before she rested her head in Juniper's neck.
"This is what I've been dreaming of for a long time. I wanted to control it. I wanted that feeling to go away; I thought you'd be repulsed by me if I told you." Fennel whispered into Juniper's ear.
Juniper held Fennel's body tighter to her own in response.
"We were both wrong," Juniper said softly, "Because I've also been hiding my feelings for you, Fennel."
Fennel lifted her head to look at Professor Juniper. The sincerity in her voice struck Fennel. This was really happening after so long of only dreaming it, and believing in her dreams is only where she would be with the woman she loved. The idea had depressed Fennel more in recent time. And she had wished she could just not feel at all until now.
"Oh, Aurea. You have no idea how much that meant to hear you say that." Fennel said, her blue eyes full of love.
Fennel cupped Aurea Juniper's face in her hands, and kissed her more passionately than before. It took a second for Aurea to register the kiss, but she returned it with just as much passion. When they parted they simply gazed at each other. Aurea's lips curled into a small smile, and the corner of her mouth twitched as if she were trying to stifle a laugh.
"What is it? Did I not do that correctly?" Fennel asked blushing a deep scarlet.
"No, that's not it." Juniper said gently. Juniper reached over to Fennel's face, and readjusted her glasses.
"Oh, I didn't even realize they were ascew." Fennel smiled, and the giggle finally escaped Aurea's throat.
Aurea kissed Fennel's forehead before she guided her to a chair to sit on her lap. Fennel snuggled into Aurea's body as Aurea wrapped her arms around her lover.
Suddenly the door swung open and a certain blonde assistant barged in on their quiet moment.
"Professor Juniper and Doctor Fe-fennel? Ahhhh, sorry! I should have expected this after all! I mean, I just remembered I have to be somewhere else right now." Bianca's eyes were wide at what she was seeing, and had to mentally remind herself to blink a few times.
"Then why did you come here, Bianca?" asked Juniper unabashed by the situation, which earned her a giggle from Fennel.
"Well, ahhhhhhhhh... Well-"
"Just come back later, Bianca." Juniper's voice sounded amused.
Bianca gave a firm nod before she spun on her heel and shut the lab door behind her.
Aurea Juniper and Fennel looked at each other before bursting with laughter.
So, please tell me what you thought!
I am new to this pairing, but absolutely adore it.
I was doodling them in my sketchbook, and sketched Juniper wearing Fennel's glasses. I wrote Fennel saying, "I can't even see you anyways!" So if you all want, I could probably make a cute little one shot with that idea.
I know I should have went into further details in this one shot on what Juniper was working on and such. But I just wanted to get to the fluffy stuff. haha
By the way, I am never sure how to end these things. Sorry if that was totally uncalled for. I hope you enjoyed the story anyways ! ^^