November 6th 2019

June felt like she was going to throw up. Today was the day. She was at Kamar-Taj, which normally would have been exciting for her – she'd never seen it, after all. The sight of it all astonished her, and she wished that she could have had time to soak it all in. Instead, her and Stephen were ushered into the council chambers by some masters, presumably to wait for the council members to come and pass judgement upon them.

For something so sacred as the council chamber, June thought it was awfully plain. Dark wood made up the floors and extended a bit up the walls, stopping about a fourth of the way up. Windows let in the cold morning light, illuminating the room with a pale glow. What they didn't tell you about Kamar-Taj was that there were no glass windows, the only "windows" were what amounted to decorative holes in the walls with some wooden designs supporting the hole. It wasn't terribly cold in the room, but it was just chilly enough to be uncomfortable. On the walls were wooden hooks that were meant for sconces to hang from. June took notice of the high ceilings in the room, eyeing the simple pattern made of squares that could be found there.

She paced around the large room, making laps around the circular table. Stephen was sitting in one of the wooden chairs, wrapped up in a hoodie to keep the chill out. June was dressed similarly, with a red zipped-up jacket.

"You're going to make a rut in the floor." Stephen almost groaned. He'd been watching June pace around that table for about a half hour now, and it was driving him crazy. He rested his head on his hand and idly tapped the hard wood table with the other one.

"Sorry, I just can't sit still when I'm this anxious." She explained. Coming to a stop, she pulled out the chair across from Stephen and sat down. "What's taking them so long? Making us wait like this is borderline sadistic."

Stephen nodded in agreement. "There must be a problem somewhere, which might mean that we could be here for a while."

June leaned her head back and let out a loud, dramatic groan before leaning back in the chair and sliding down a little bit. Still need to work on that patience. Stephen mentally remarked.

"They could have at least put a tv in here or something." She complained, looking around the dull room. She had left her phone at home, thinking this visit was going to be quick. I guess they're just trying to keep us in suspense. She concluded. "Sooo…. Want to talk about something?"

Strange raised a brow. "Like what?"

Juniper shrugged her shoulders. "Anything's fine with me."

"You pick." Stephen wanted to talk, sure. But there were just too many thoughts and worries buzzing around in his head to pick a decent topic.

"Hmmm…" June paused, thinking of a question. "Ideal vacation?"

Stephen rested his hand against his chin, contemplating the answer. "I'm not sure. Somewhere warm, for sure. I'm thinking of a beach, too. Just somewhere that would let me forget all my troubles." He had a vague idea of where this place was; Tikehau Island, maybe Puerto Rico, or even Hawaii. Somewhere that he'd never been to before.

"If you want to forget your troubles, they make alcohol for that." June teased. Stephen laughed, the sound familiar and pleasing to her.

"I said I just wanted to forget my troubles, not the whole evening. There's really not an in-between with that."

"Lightweight." She said with a wink. June didn't consider herself much of a drinker – she didn't do it often – but she held her liquor well. She often chalked it up to her strong German heritage and family history of alcoholism.

"You're the lightweight!" Stephen sarcastically shot back, the accusation baseless. He'd never seen June drink before, but he also couldn't let that comment go without a rebuttal.

"Scathing." She chuckled.

"Hey, cut me some slack. I'm off my game today." He said with a grin. It was true, the thought of the impending discussion filled his heart with stress, and that didn't make for the best comedic timing or comebacks. But that didn't mean he couldn't try.

"Fair enough. Okay, your turn to ask a question." This was a game that the two would commonly play when bored or waiting for something, like a potion to brew. They would go back and forth, each one taking a turn answering questions until they either grew bored with it or were done waiting. Stephen enjoyed it, it was a good chance for the two to get to know each other better.

"Fine." He paused, thinking of a question. "Favorite movie?" Stephen asked, resting his elbows on the hard table.

June let out a laugh. "I can't answer that one!" She giggled. June loved movies, and asking her to pick a favorite one was borderline impossible. "I'd have to say… Probably Terminator 2. That's my favorite right now, anyway." Action and science fiction movies were her favorites, and her personal DVD collection was full of them. Stephen nodded when she spoke, silently approving the choice. But now it was June's turn, and finding a good question to ask wasn't always easy. So she settled for a mediocre one. "Hmm… okay, if you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?"

Stephen smirked. "Easy. Salad."

"Salad?" June wrinkled her nose a bit, mildly disappointed with his answer.

"Yeah, hear me out. Anything's a salad if you chop it up into tiny bits. There's fruit salad, tuna salad, chicken salad – hell, you could tear pizza up and eat it with a fork and call it pizza salad if you wanted to."

June nodded. "I see what you're getting at- damn, that's a good answer." She chuckled. "Okay, your turn."

"Fine, hmm…" Stephen rested his hand on his chin to think, but was interrupted by the door to the council chambers opening. Him and June shot up, standing as quickly as they could, trying their best to show respect for the council.

Bao was the first in the room, with Haukea pushing his wheelchair. Behind her was Shane, then Deyman. Araav was the last to enter the room. These were faces Strange knew well, but to June they were all strangers, except Araav. The stood in a line, each one of them facing the pair.

June wasn't sure what she was expecting, but this certainly wasn't it. She was imagining a group of elderly ambiguously-Asian gentlemen, all in flowing robes and with long, white beards and bald heads. The group of people before completely shattered that thought. I've watched too many kung-fu movies, June concluded. They're messing with my expectations. The group had five members in it: Araav immediately stuck out to her as the only familiar face, and he was standing by a short, chunky Hawaiian woman. Next to her was a tall- no, huge- man with pale skin. Just looking at him set off several "Danger!" warnings in June's head – this man could probably kill her with a snap of his wrist. A white guy with a mop of shaggy, black hair stood next to an Asian man with brown hair and a wheelchair. All of them were dressed in sorcerer garb – June immediately felt underdressed for the occasion- and each member wore a distinctly different color.

"Well, look at you!" Haukea walked up to June, breaking formation. "So you're what the big fuss is about?" The short Hawaiian woman sounded like a grandmother greeting their grandchild, and June half expected her cheeks to be pinched. Instead, Haukea took both her hands into her own as she looked June up and down. "It's a pleasure to meet you, child!" She beamed. I can see why Stephen wanted to keep this one all to himself. Haukea grinned at her own thoughts.

"Haukea, don't start." The huge man with blonde hair growled. June flinched at the sound of his voice. Don't fuck with the big one, she concluded. Juniper wondered who he was, and why his attitude seemed so sour, but quickly turned her attention back to the woman who was holding her hands.

June looked down at her and awkwardly smiled. "Ah, um, it's nice to meet you too." She stammered. Haukea looked pleased with her response, and released her hands. June let out an internal sigh of relief as the woman resumed her place in the lineup. Stephen merely raised his brows at the exchange, used to Haukea's exuberant ways. June passed him a quick glance, as if to ask what was going on, and he just lightly shrugged his shoulders in response.

"The council is ready to pass judgement." Araav didn't raise his voice in the slightest, but it still managed to fill the room with its commanding presence. Everybody seemed to stand up a little straighter when he talked. The air got thick with tension, and all eyes were on Araav. June's heart was hammering – her fate was about to be determined with these next few words. Stephen was similarly anxious, waiting for his own judgement to be passed. He held on to the sliver of hope that he had, that maybe they wouldn't take June away after all.

"After much deliberation, the council has passed a verdict." Araav's gaze passed to Stephen, then June. A moment of agonizing silence passed, and Juniper felt like her insides were on fire. Just say it already! She mentally hissed, unable to stand the suspence.

"Master Stephen Strange, you will be allowed to continue training miss Juniper." With those words, Stephen and June let go of the breaths they were holding. Suddenly, all was right with the world. Stephen's heart felt lighter than air in the moment, like a great weight had been lifted from it. I can still be with her. The thought soothed and elated him.

Juniper was experiencing a similar reaction. She stood a little taller, her smile wide as she passed a quick look to Stephen. Stephen smiled back before returning his attention to the council. Despite his joy, he knew that there had to be conditions for this. There was no way Stephen was getting off without any punishment.

"There's got to be a catch. What are you making me do?" He asked bluntly. Araav looked at him, brows raised slightly. He was used to Stephen's disrespectful ways, but those moments of brazen attitude still surprised him.

"You're right Stephen, there is a catch." It was Shane who spoke up, not Araav. "As a punishment for disregarding our rules, you're going to involve yourself in Kamar-Taj life again. You'll be required to report your student's progress weekly, and attend any meetings among the masters. You will also help supervise any classes that may require your services." Shane nodded after he spoke.

Stephen was floored. He was getting away with only a slap on the wrist? There had to be a reason for this – the council wasn't stupid. Maybe they were testing him? Wanting to see how he fared as a teacher? Maybe they'll ask me to teach a class soon. He wasn't fully opposed to the idea, but it did make him nervous. It was one thing to teach June something, but a full class of 20 students would be a whole different animal.

"But that's it?" He asked. There was doubt in his voice – that couldn't really be all, could it? Bao nodded.

"It is, actually. Let this serve as a warning, however. If you do something like this again, your punishment won't be as light. Don't cross us again, Stephen." He warned, adjusting his wheelchair a bit as he spoke. Bao was generally an easy-going guy, but the council couldn't condone and support Stephen's backsliding if he did something like this again.

"We will be in touch. Do you two have any other questions for us?" Shane asked. The council had done their business, and it was a waste of time to stay here any longer.

"Uh, I'm good." June said, her voice wavering a bit.

Stephen shook his head. "I think we can be done here."

Araav crossed his arms behind his back and nodded. "Very well. You two are dismissed." He stepped forward and turned around quickly, facing the council members. "And this small meeting has been concluded." His voice was dry and stoic. The noise of Araav's boots against the wood floors filled the room as he made his way to the door, not bothering to wait for the rest of the council members. As soon as Araav had left the room and the door had shut behind him, the council seemed to let out a quiet, held breath. Deyman, however, looked just as tense as before.

The mountain of a man passed a quick glare to Stephen before turning to leave the room. He didn't bother to hide his anger as he left, slamming the door behind him.

"What's his deal?" June asked in a hushed breath.

"Oh, that's just Deyman. You learn to ignore him." Haukea spoke, her voice as cheery as ever. She didn't let Deyman's terrible attitude get to her- in her mind, if Deyman bothered her, he won.

"Uh-huh…" June nodded a small bit, a hint of confusion on her face.

"Well, I'm out of here. It was nice to meet you, Juniper." Bao gave a quick nod to her before looking up at Shane. "You coming with? They're still serving breakfast in the cafeteria."

Shane shrugged. "Why not? I could go for some breakfast." He said as he got behind Bao's wheelchair and began to push him out of the room. This left only Haukea, Stephen, and Juniper in the room. The dark woman grinned wide at the two.

"Well, I think congratulations are in order!" She beamed.

"I guess you're right." Stephen said, shifting his weight to his other leg. He hadn't fully processed the council's decision yet, he felt like he was in a dream. His mind was still reeling from his "punishment." Stephen was astounded – flabbergasted, even – that the council was, in essence, letting him go. He turned to look at June, who still looked a bit shocked. Guess she hadn't really processed it either, he thought. "So, how do we celebrate? I've always considered myself a party man."

June opened her mouth to speak, but Haukea's small squeal of delight cut her off. "I'm excited for you guys! Go on, go have fun while you still can!" She looked to June. "Go live your life, so you don't have any regrets when you're old like me!" Haukea winked at June before heading towards the door. The whole situation tickled her; the thought of Stephen having a secret apprentice in his life- especially such an attractive one- reminded her of a cheesy romance novel. She loved it. In fact, she just ate it up. Seeing June and Stephen together, especially the looks they would occasionally pass each other, made it obvious to Haukea. They have to have a thing! The thought made her giggle with delight as she left the room, shutting the door behind her. Such a juicy romance! She was a hopeless romantic, for sure, and seeing Stephen – who was usually alone during his days at Kamar-Taj – find someone thrilled her. It made her feel young again, to see such a romance bloom. They remind me of Raul and I, back when we were young and in love, she mused to herself. As she walked away, she hummed a tune that carried memories of years long since passed.

Stephen and June were alone together in the council chambers, and the air between was still. They looked at each other in a moment of silence, violet eyes meeting blue ones. June inhaled, then yelled.

"Oh my god, I can't believe we did it!" The words all came out in a loud rush, and June clapped her hands together for emphasis and celebration.

"You bet we did! Because we're untouchable!" Stephen leaned back a bit, his arms out to his sides as he yelled in return.

"Yeah we are!" June raised her hand for a high-five, and Stephen did the same. June excitedly and brought her hand down on his with a satisfying clap, not aware of her own strength.

Stephen flinched and let out a cry of pain and shock, quickly gripping his smacked hand with his free one. "Too hard!" He hissed. His hands were numb in most areas, but in the parts that still had feeling, they were pretty sensitive. This was a fact that June sometimes forgot, much to Stephen's chagrin. He was glad that she didn't see his hands as delicate and crippled, but Stephen was sometimes painfully reminded that they actually were.

"Ohmygod, I'm so sorry!" June's words came out in a rush. Her eyes were wide with shock and regret, her hands pulled up over her mouth for a second. "Damnit! I'm so, so sorry Stephen." Her hand reached out and gently rested on his arm reassuringly. Inside her own mind, she was kicking herself. Why do I do this?! She chastised herself mentally, and hoped that Stephen wasn't mad at her. Although she couldn't blame him – this wasn't the first time something like this had happened, and she assumed that Stephen's patience with her was wearing thin. Thankfully this was a situation that arose rarely, otherwise June would become afraid to even consider touching his hands. It was deceptive, how he used his hands. He didn't seem hindered by them, outside of the shaking, and it was easy to forget that they were still so tender.

After a moment, the pain subsided and left behind a small, tingling feeling in his hand. Stephen shook it a bit, occasionally rubbing it gently. "It's fine." He sighed. "Just… please be careful? That doesn't feel good."

"I bet… I'm so sorry." She apologized a third time, remorse in her eyes.

"Hey, it's fine. I know you didn't mean it." Stephen said with a tiny smile pulling at his lips. He couldn't be mad at her- it was a genuine human mistake. June was excited and in the moment, and during times like that it was probably really easy to forget that high-fives between them had to be gentle. "I forgive you." He reassured her, and June smiled gently back, although she was still mentally beating herself up over the situation.

A moment of silence stretched between them, and June found herself averting her gaze from Stephen, not wanting to stare. Staring at him was something that June did often, and she prayed that Stephen didn't notice. He did notice when she did, however, but decided not to bring it up, lest it make the situation awkward.

"So, do you want me to show you around Kamar-Taj while we're here?" Stephen finally asked. It was pointless to stay in the room, and seeing Kamar-Taj would be a beneficial learning experience for June.

June looked back up and him and grinned, grateful for the subject change. "Sure." She was relieved that she didn't have to stay here, but she was curious about it. This is where Stephen, the greatest sorcerer she knew (although it's not like that title was hotly contested), learned everything he knew about magic – maybe she could learn a little bit here, too.

"Beats standing here, doesn't it? Let's get going." Stephen made his way towards the heavy, wooden double doors that made up the entrance to the council chambers, with June following close behind.

…

"Now here's one of the courtyards. It's not the main one, but I think it's the second largest one? There's multiple." Stephen said as they overlooked a large stone-floored expanse. Stone statues and hallways of Kamar-Taj framed the area, completely surrounding it. The cold, clean air smelled of rain and trees – a very different experience from the pollution and smells of New York. Stephen and June were standing off to the side of the courtyard, watching two masters train a large batch of students. They would shout some word in a dialect that June didn't know, and make a new pose all in unison, mimicking their master. Occasionally they would conjure small things, like a rod or a disc in the air in front of them.

"I see. So this is what I'd be doing if the council had voted differently?" She asked, leaning back against the wall behind them. Stephen nodded and crossed his arms.

"I assume so." He said before turning his attention back to the training students. Together they watched for a few more minutes in silence. Stephen was hoping that June was learning something about sorcerer culture, while June was trying to muster up courage.

Just ask him already! June mentally hissed at herself. Her stomach felt a little uneasy, and her heart was hammering. This is insane. What if he says no? What if this messes up our relationship? A million possibilities were running through June's mind, all of them negative. But is this what I want? She paused her inner monologue for a moment, doubt swirling inside of her like a stormy sea. It would be easy to just stand here in silence, and not ask him. It would be easier to not put herself out there, to just keep to herself. He can't reject her if she never asked, right? But this is what you want. Don't make a big deal out of it, and he won't either. June steeled herself and took a quiet, but deep, breath. Don't be a coward. Just do it!

"Hey Stephen." The second she opened her mouth, she had to fight the instinct to immediately shut it. To just say "Never mind" and leave it at that was tempting, and her insides were screaming at her to do just that. But it was too late to stop now. I've already committed myself. Just go through with it!

"Yeah?" Stephen asked, looking towards his apprentice.

"Do you… maybe… wanna come over for dinner tomorrow?" The words came out of June's mouth too quickly, and she initially worried that he didn't understand her. Nausea hit her like a wave, the sheer nervousness overpowering her body. But she couldn't take it back. There was no second tries on this – she had one shot, and she was going for it.

"Dinner?" Stephen asked, a brow raised. "Like, at your place?"

"Yeah." June breathed. "I don't want you to feel obligated or anything, but, I mean-" She stammered a bit, and mentally kicked herself. "My mom wants to meet you, for some reason, and she doesn't take 'no' for an answer. I also just thought that you might be interested in a dinner that doesn't involve you sitting alone at your apartment, eating a microwave dinner, or whatever it is you eat." June couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes as she spoke, so instead she turned to look at the students again.

Dinner? What's her play, here? Stephen mulled over the offer for a moment. Why would she ask me to dinner? And to meet her mother? His heart beat a little faster, and he found himself nervous about the situation. What if it's a date?, his mind hissed. Stephen struggled to push that thought down into the abyss from which it came. Of course it wouldn't be a date, she's not into me like that… Is she? He mentally kicked himself for even considering the possibility, but the thought was there. It would provide a reasonable explanation for her asking him to dinner, and she made a convincing argument as to why he should go. Stephen's nights usually consisted of meditation, studying, and being alone. Actually interacting with other people sounded like a wonderful time. It was a tempting offer… What do I have to lose? If I say yes, then I get to hang out with June and actually do something with myself for a night. If I reject her, I'll look like a jerk, and probably hurt her feelings. At that point, he'd made up his mind. He wanted this.

"Sure." Stephen said with a polite smile. June looked at him quickly and blinked, her brows raised.

"Wait, really?" She asked.

Stephen nodded. "Yeah. You have a point, I don't have anything else better to do. And besides, your mother sounds like a sweet lady. I'd hate to disappoint her."

June's eyes were wide and her face a little pale. "O-okay then." She paused and took a breath, considering her next words. "What would you want for dinner? My mom can cook pretty much anything, and April and I will eat anything. So, pick what you want."

"Oh no, I couldn't do that." Stephen didn't want to be rude and potentially make June and her family prepare and eat a meal they didn't want to. "You know me, I'll eat whatever. Just tell your mom to make what she wants."

"Are you sure? I'm telling you, it's not going to be any trouble-"

"I promise you, it's fine." Stephen cut her off. June blinked, then nodded with a soft smile.

"Fine, but if you don't like it, you have only yourself to blame." She teased him. Stephen rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." He finally said after a moment of silence. June smiled at him softly before returning her attention back to the students.

"So, do you think we can try some astral projection soon?" She asked, completely changing the subject. Stephen was a little surprised by her choice. Maybe she's nervous and wants to divert attention away from the dinner, he thought. That's the most rational explanation. He decided not to push the subject, even though he wanted more details clarified, like what time he needed to be at June's home. I'll just ask her later, it's not like we won't be with each other for the rest of the day.

"Not quite yet. But maybe if I ask Wong nicely, he'll let you borrow the beginner books on it." He said with a small smirk. June looked back at him, her eyes wide.

"Really? That'd be amazing!" She exclaimed. Stephen looked back at the training students with a smile on his lips.

"That's a maybe, so don't get too excited yet. Astral projection is going to take a lot of hard work. Are you sure you're up for it?"

June grinned at him confidently. "I was born ready." She proclaimed proudly before looking back at the students. Excitement brewed in her heart, and she was eager for the days to come.

Author's Notes:

Hey there reader! Just thought I'd pop in and ask you what you think of the story. c: I hope you're enjoying it! This is my first fanfic, so I don't feel really confident about the story, but I'm still going to try my best! Faves and follows are greatly appreciated, thank you for taking an interest in this dumb, self-serving story! :'D Reviews are really really appreciated, I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback! Thanks again for reading this silly story! c:

- Zexeos