A/N: I don't mean for these chapters to take as long as they do. But whenever I reach the end, it's always worth it. Like today's chapter, about some common minutiae that all relationships have. It's time for femslash!

Chapter 17: Minor Frictions

December 22, 2030
Eldoon's stand
3:12 p.m.

The two women finished their noodles and paid Eldoon, thanking him for the meal.

Eldoon responded by playing a short tune on his harmonica.

"It does this weary old soul good to see something as precious as the love you two share," Eldoon said after he finished. "I'll see you both again next year."

"So where to next, Juniper?" Robin asked, giving Juniper her usual bright grin as the two of them got back inside the car.

"I'd like to drive now," Juniper answered as she got into the driver's seat. "Where we're going next is a surprise, so close your eyes."

"Awww, do I really have to," Robin said, pouting. "Can I at least have a hint?"

"No hints," Juniper said firmly. "But I think you're really going to enjoy this."

Robin closed her eyes, humming excitedly to herself in anticipation. Juniper smiled to herself as she started the car, keeping in her mind their next destination.

Juniper thought about Eldoon's statement of seeing them next year and her mind went to the ring that she had in a small pocket on her dress. The plan was to present it to Robin at the dinner they were going to have at the end of the day. There were roughly five hours for them to spend together until then, and since the dinner had been arranged by Robin, Juniper was determined to use those five hours to spoil Robin rotten.

The first stop was something she had spent the past few months setting up with the help of her friends and Themis Legal Academy. It was something very near and dear to both of them.

"Are you sure that you can't tell me where we're going? Pretty please?" Robin asked with her eyes still closed.

"Just wait for a little while longer," Juniper said. Chances were Robin would be unable to help herself and would keep asking about the surprise.

Just how would their interactions look like to the world around them? As Juniper herself learned once, nothing was quite what it seemed at first glance….

February 14th, 2029
Shipshape Aquarium
2:41 p.m.

"C'mere, Orla and Ora!"

The massive orca twins both swerved through the water towards Athena's call, soaking everyone in near the edge of the pool in the process. The people with Athena, as it happened, were Ema, Juniper, and Robin.

"Aren't they just the cutest?" Athena cooed, petting the two orcas affectionately.

"Ohmygosh they are!" Robin exclaimed. "I wish I could do tricks like that."

"The Orcinus orca is certainly a talented creature, and aesthetically pleasing," Ema said, trying to wring out her soaked lab coat. "But I don't think they're going to pay for the dry cleaning."

"How often do you get to say that you got to touch a pair of orcas, Ema?" Athena said, seemingly oblivious to her girlfriend's grousing.

"Well, not that often I suppose," Ema admitted, her mood without the bitter edge it usually had. "But you're still going to be paying to clean my clothes."

Juniper raised an eyebrow as Athena continued to plead with Ema for leniency on the subject. For this Valentine's day this year, some free days happened to align. So Juniper had coordinated with Thena for their first double date. Since Athena had helped Mr. Wright rescue Shipshape Aquarium, it had of course welcomed the party of four with open arms.

The first event had been a free, exclusive show presented by the main stars Sasha Buckler and Marlon Rimes, both friends of Athena. After that they had been allowed to briefly go backstage to the orca pool to interact with Orla and Ora. Athena, who had previously been given a whistle and some training, showed off some ocra tricks of her own, which culminated everyone getting soaked.

"Okay, fine. I'll take care of the dry cleaning this week," Athena said. "But today we're going to enjoy ourselves!"

Juniper breathed a sigh of relief she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. It wasn't that she doubted that Athena and Ema were happy together. But the amount of times they seem to have small arguments with each other like this was perhaps concerning.

The group next made its way to the gift shop, where everyone gravitated towards whatever caught their interests.

"Ahhh, this calendar!" Robin squealed as she spotted the penguin shaped object. "I feel like I've waited my whole life to find it!"

Juniper in turn found herself gravitating towards some very large Orca plushies in the corner of the gift store, and Ema and Athena were browsing the rest of the store together. Juniper grabbed one of the penguin calendars while Robin snagged one of the Orca plushies, and both women headed towards the cash register. Manning the register was Myriam, who was dressed in a Shipshape Aquarium and looking quite unhappy to be there.

"Hey there, Myriam!" Robin greeted. "How ya doing?"

"Norma stuck me back here, sss sss sss," Myriam answered. "As part of my training of becoming the best investigative reporter. Something about learning to talk with the 'common riff raff'."

"Um, I d-don't know about riff raff," Juniper said. "But it's nice that you're g-getting to talk with more people. Anyone you've m-managed to get along with since you started working here?"

"A few people have been tolerable, kahk kahk," Myriam said, scratching her cheek and looking rather flushed. "But my mind wanders to when I can quit this shift so I can hang out with you guys."

It was nice to hear how much Myriam had come to care about them as friends, even if they didn't see her very often. Juniper explained that for today at least she was on a date, but promised to hang out with Myriam another time.

"Watcha going to do with the money you get from this job, Myriam?" Robin asked curiously.

"Open up my own news agency, of course!" Myriam exclaimed proudly. "I can't work under Ms. dePlume forever. I'm going to spread the news people need to hear my own way, sss sss sss. Now just hand me your stuff before other people come in wanting to buy things."

"I wish you all the best then, Myriam," Juniper said sincerely. Juniper and Robin had Myriam ring up their purchases, then promptly handed the gifts to each other.

"Thank you, Juniper!" Robin said as she held the penguin calendar like one would a piece of fine art. "I can't wait to use this to count every day I spend with y-o-u!"

"And thank you for your gift, Robin," Juniper said in turn as she squeezed the Orca plushie. "Holding it reminds me of whenever we rest with each other after a long day at work…"

"I don't think that's how gifts work," Ema quipped from the other side of the store. At the cash register Myriam slunk away from the sugary-sweet scene occurring in front of her.

"Oh shush you," Athena said playfully to Ema, Widget glowing a joyful green around her neck. "Okay everyone, it's time to go!"

"Aren't you two going to buy anything?" Juniper asked.

"We already traded gifts earlier today," Ema answered. "and we have plans for the evening. Plans that someone hopefully won't spill. Again."

"Widget promises to be quiet this time," A now embarrassed Athena said.

"I'll behave!" Widget cried out.

On the way out of the Aquarium Juniper decided to take Athena off to one side for a private conversation.

"What did you want to talk about, Junie?" Athena asked.

"So about you and Ema," Juniper began, finding herself having to suppress a cough. "How often do you two argue?"

"Argue?" Athena echoed in surprise. "Oh! You mean the whole dry cleaning talk we had earlier? We weren't arguing. That was just Ema being Ema."

"O-oh, really?" Juniper said, now feeling really foolish. "S-sorry I asked, Thena."

"I understand that you worry about me," Athena said quickly. "And that's not to say Ema and I don't argue at all. But usually one of us will apologize after we figure out what happened. Nothing can hide from science gals like us!"

Juniper considered this, and quickly realized how little context she had to go on. Her best friend's relationship, after all, had private moments that only she and Ema would know about, just the same as her own relationship with Robin. If nothing else, Juniper felt reassured that her worries were unfounded.

With that, she followed Athena back to where Robin and Ema were waiting for them, looking forward to whatever the rest of the day would bring.

February 14th, 2029
Newman-Woods Residence
10:50 p.m.

The sensation of something making contact with her face roused Juniper from her sleep, which turned out to be Robin's arm.

Juniper sighed. As much as she loved her girlfriend's boundless energy during the day, it was less appreciated at moments like this.

"Robin, you're tossing and turning again," Juniper whispered softly. The day's events were still fresh in her mind, and she could hear Athena taking about how she avoided arguments with Ema.

"Am I really?" Robin responded sleepily. "Hang on…."

Robin proceeded to cuddle up to Juniper, encasing her into a tight hug.

"M-u-c-h better," Robin said as she drifted off to sleep again.

Juniper smiled to herself as she let Robin's warmth carry her off as well.

December 22, 2030
Unknown Location
3:32 p.m.

As Juniper approached her intended destination, she considered Athena's words again.

Thanks to the events of that day, all future disagreements between them were resolved with great ease.

Of course, there was a very important difference between a disagreement and an argument. One that the two of them wound up having to learn in very bad circumstances.

But that was an incident that was still a long way down the line in her memories.

A/N:The incident that's been alluded to several times throughout this story will finally be covered in Arc 5, so it's not long now. In the meantime, I will continue this arc about Juniper and Robin's home life. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl, and thank you for visiting my corner of Romance.