Chapter Four

Justin wakes first. It's early evening, and the moon is just starting to rise. His roommate Scott has thankfully had the sense to find alternative plans for the evening, and Justin flushes at the thought that Scott might've predicted that they would do this.

"Mmm… Justin," Juliet moans, her eyelids fluttering open, as he starts to get out of bed. "Don't go." Her eyes are still half-closed, and her arms are curled around his waist, her head resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She seems to like doing that, he's noticed.

Justin smiles, and settles back down onto the mattress, laying his head against the pillow. "Anything for you, my love." He places a gentle kiss on her forehead, and she smiles contentedly and wraps her arms tighter around him.

The two lie there for a while, snuggled tightly in each other's arms and enjoying the warmth and passion of their embrace. Finally, Justin breaks the silence with a question. "You said that being a vampire with a soul isn't like being completely human, right?"

"Yeah," Juliet mumbles, looking up. "Why do you ask?"

Justin starts to blush before he can even get a word out. "It's… kind of an awkward topic."

Juliet sits up more fully, leaning back against the headboard, and Justin follows, still keeping his arms around her. "Lemme guess… you want to know if I felt anything after… what we just did?"

The faint pink glow on Justin's cheeks deepens to bright red, and Juliet just giggles. "Believe me, I get that a lot – at least, from people who know I'm a vampire with a soul." Justin stiffens at her simple phrasing, and the thought that she has done this with probably countless other people in her years alive.

"I really just thought of that a few minutes ago," he explains quickly, trying to control his flaming cheeks. "I mean, you were saying earlier that even with a soul, you don't feel emotions as strongly as humans do, so I wondered if…"

Juliet wraps her arms around his neck and pulls herself up to meet his lips, cutting him off with a searing kiss. "There is no question about it – that was definitely my best experience ever, in all my 2,196 years alive. You do something to me, Justin… I can't quite put my finger on it. When I'm with you… I feel almost human again."

Justin feels a warm feeling in his chest, something akin to the feeling he felt when Juliet first told him she loved him. A proud, beaming smile spreads across his face unbidden, and he kisses her gently on the forehead as she snuggles deeper into his arms. "I love you, Juliet."

"I love you too, Justin."

"I wish we could just stay like this forever. Wouldn't that be nice?" Justin remarks idly, playing with a lock of her long golden hair. "Too bad I have to have a roommate."

"Well I don't," Juliet says. "I bought a little apartment near campus. It's tiny, but there's room enough for one more person… if you want to move in…"

Justin's face lights up at the prospect. Move in with Juliet, his sweet, adorable girlfriend, who he loved and had just lost his virginity to, in her undoubtedly cute and cozy little apartment? No more cramped, noisy dorms; no more annoying roommate with his steady stream of hookups always coming by their room when Justin was trying to study? "I'd love to," Justin replies, bending down to kiss her again. "When should I bring over my stuff?"

"Justin! This is a nice surprise!" Theresa exclaims when he walks through the front door of the Sub Station. "I certainly wasn't expecting you this weekend – did something bad happen?"

"Something wonderful happened," Justin smiles, as Theresa stares at him confusedly.

"Hey Mrs. Russo," Juliet says, walking into the restaurant behind him right on cue. "Where should I put our bags?"

Justin watches as Theresa's face morphs from mother-like concern for him, to confusion, to shock, to pure joy and elation, then back to confusion again. "But… I thought you couldn't find the mummy?"

"Some other Monster Hunter caught him about a year ago," Juliet says smoothly, dropping their suitcases and coming to stand next to Justin, who wraps one arm around her shoulders. "The spell on his minions was broken when they put him in Monster Jail, and I escaped before they could find me and put me there also. I've been living with my parents in Europe for a while, but eventually I couldn't stay away from New York – from Justin – any longer. So I came back and enrolled in Columbia, where we just happened to bump into each other the other day." At this, Juliet turns and smiles at Justin. "We're going to move in together, and Justin convinced me to stop here and see all your family before he brings his stuff to my apartment. Are the rest of the Russos home yet?"

"Jerry's upstairs, watching a sports game, and Max is out with Annaleigh. Oh – and Alex came home this weekend too. I think she said she left something here last weekend and she really needed it back for some project or something. Anyway, she's up in her room." Just then a fresh wave of customers trickles into the Sub Station, and Theresa jumps into action. "Sorry, guys – I guess the lunch rush isn't quite over yet. If you'd like to, pull on an apron and help me; otherwise, you can go find Alex. I think she's upstairs in her room. Oh – and you can share Justin's room for the weekend, I guess."

"Well that was… easier than I thought it would be," Juliet remarks, bending down to pick up her bags.

"Mm-hmm," Justin responds idly, wrapping his arms around her from behind and pulling her against his chest, her head fitting snugly into the crook of his neck.

"Mmm…" Juliet sighs, nestling deeper into his embrace. "My Justin…"

Just as Justin is about to lean down and kiss his beautiful vampire girlfriend, Alex barrels down the stairs, nearly bumping into them. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she immediately starts to apologize, but then does a double take as she looks closer. "J-J-Juliet?"

"Hey, Alex," Juliet smiles, breaking free from Justin's arms to accept Alex's somewhat stunned hug. "Good to see you again. You look nice."

"But– what– how– I– you– Justin!" Alex screeches.

Justin laughs; it isn't often he gets to see Alex like this anymore – confused and unsure of herself, needing to turn to him for help. "Long story short, another Monster Hunter caught the mummy, and she was let go from the mind control."

"Well, good for you two," Alex smiles. "At least one of us should be happy in a relationship, if it can't be me." Her face sours, and Justin knows she's thinking about Mason Grabeck, the handsome British werewolf she dated for part of her junior year in high school and most of her senior year, who unfortunately had to move back to England at the end of senior year.

"Don't worry, Alex," Justin finds himself saying. "If it's really meant to be between you and Mason, you'll find each other again. After all, that's what happened with me and Juliet."

"You really think so?" Alex's eyes light up at his words.

"Of course I do. That's what you told me, after all."

Alex beams. "Thank you, Justin," she says, squeezing him in a tight hug. "I hope you two are happy together," she calls over her shoulder, as she races out the front door of the restaurant.

"Your sister is sweet," Juliet remarks, as they pick up their bags and head upstairs to Justin's room. "Who's this Mason guy she was talking about? Sounds like she really loves him."

"He's a… a werewolf, from England. They dated for most of her junior and senior year, but then he had to go back to England. She wanted to go with him, but… you know, I don't remember why she couldn't. Anyway, then she got into FIT, and we all thought she'd gotten over it, but I guess she's still not over him."

"A British werewolf named Mason?" Juliet asks. "I knew a British werewolf named Mason – about 300 years ago, actually. Doubt it's the same one, though."

"Probably not," Justin laughs. "Still… sometimes I worry about her. I mean, she was really torn up about it at first – and the FIT news, as great as it was for her… well, I just don't think it was really enough to make her forget about it."

"Don't worry about your sister," Juliet insists. "If there's one thing that Alex Russo is, it's strong."

"You're right," he reluctantly admits, kissing her on the cheek. "Oh, what did I ever do without you?"

"I don't know," she giggles, and he swats her playfully on the shoulder, before leaning down to kiss her again, long and sweet and passionate.

"I love you, Juliet," he whispers, as they finally break the kiss.

"I love you too, Justin," she echoes. "God, it's good to be home."

"But… this isn't your home," Justin says warily.

Juliet smiles. "Yes it is," she says. "Wherever you are, that's home. You – you're my home."

Author's Note: So for those of you that remember when this was supposed to be a little longer, all I can say is I'm sorry. I tried to make it work as a longer fic, but eventually I just lost my inspiration. So this is where it ends now - just a cute little story about Justin and Juliet finding each other. (Of course, considering all the twists and turns the Wizards writers have thrown at us, I don't know what to make of things anymore, but whatever.)

For any newcomers: first, I'm sorry for that paragraph you won't understand. And second, I hope you liked it! Reviews are much appreciated - this part I'm leaving up is still work I'm quite proud of, even if I'm not continuing it.

I love you all!

- Authoress