our universe

- S H A T T E R E D -

Juniper yawned, rolling over in her bed. Correction, their bed. She blinked in the morning light. Her eyes were still bleary from sleep, but she could make out the lines of Teddy's face in front of her, slowly coming into focus. Juniper curled up next to him, black tangles splayed against the pillows.

He smelled like cigarettes, which meant he'd been up for a while. He always woke up early, Juniper had learned. Rory wouldn't let him smoke in the house, so he must've gone outside. She hoped he'd stopped at the store. They needed milk.

Teddy fingered the strap of her thin tank top, it was deathly hot in their flat. All. The. Time. Air conditioning was out of the question, none of them were making enough for that, and fans only did so much for the muggy London heat. "Have I told you how beautiful you are in the morning?"

"Not yet," Juniper said, pressing her cheek to his skin, sticky with sweat.

"Well, you are," he murmured, methodically running his fingers through her hair.

Juniper lifted a careless shoulder, "I know."

"And modest too," Teddy smirked. "Quite a catch, Medusa girl."

"Careful," Juniper warned, wrinkling her nose, "or I'll turn you to stone."

"Oooh," Teddy mocked, clutching his heart dramatically, "I'm scared."

Juniper sucked in her cheeks, eyes narrowing to slits. "Now you've done it," she growled.

"Uh oh."

"Uh oh is right, princess," Juniper pounced on him with a pillow, whacking him in the face. Teddy gladly accepted the challenge, tickling her mercilessly. Juniper put up a good fight, but in five seconds flat Teddy had her pinned down on the mattress by her wrists, completely at his mercy.

Teddy looked all too pleased with himself, especially because Juniper was wearing the plaid pajama shorts that had frequented his dreams since the first time she wore them

"Sorry, what was that you were saying?" Teddy cocked his head smugly.

"Shut up," Juniper muttered.

"Ah ah ah," Teddy grinned evilly, "I'm in charge now, trouble."

His gaze raked over her like hot coals, setting her body aflame. The quirk of his mouth was so dirty that Juniper' toes curled involuntarily. She hated that he could do this to her. That his hands around her wrists made her heartbeat speed up, and her mind go to some very not innocent places.

He dragged his teeth over his lower lip, and Juniper wanted to kill him and kiss him simultaneously. He knew exactly what he was doing to her. "What do you think happens next?" Teddy asked lowly, raising an eyebrow.

"I punch you in the face?" Juniper offered coyly, not ready to give in to his charms just yet.

"No."

Juniper smiled sweetly, "Kick you in the balls?"

Teddy rolled his eyes, lips twitching, "I hate you so much." He leaned forward slowly, their noses almost touching.

"I promise I hate you more," she breathed, just before his mouth closed over hers.

They'd fallen into a comfortable rhythm over the past month and a half. It had been an adjustment at first. Sure, Hogwarts had been almost like living with each other. But that had been school. This was real life. With jobs and bills to pay, groceries and dishes and laundry, and a whole host of other things that Juniper hadn't even thought about until now.

There had been quite a few mistakes along the way. For example, when Juniper had been boiling water, forgotten that the burner was on, and set fire to one of James's favorite dish cloths. The sofa Teddy had found at a yard sale that turned out to be infested with bed bugs. Rory nearly set fire to him for that one.