The Liability (2023 - COMPLETE)

XII - The Warning

His lips were soft and warm; his embrace was welcoming. Their kiss didn't last more than a few moments, but it was just enough for Juno to know. Of course, she had never been kissed before and she wasn't normally someone so bold. Yet, it felt right.

They both pulled away and just looked at each other. It was too dark for Juno to see all of his features and make out all the details, but she just liked the parts that she could see.

"What was that for?" Percy asks, clearly feeling shy. He reaches up between them to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I just felt like it," Juno says, unable to actually articulate everything she was feeling. Percy had just announced that he actually wanted to be a proper mate to her, yet that didn't seem real to her. It made sense and put his recent efforts to interact more in perspective, but she was still unsure about her relationship with him.

It was clear that he cared about her, to some extent. He stated that he wanted to be with her. She could feel the draw of their bond, the warm feeling that came with him being close. Maybe if things were different she would so desperately want this too. Maybe if she were someone else, she could allow herself to open up to someone like him and allow herself the joys of a soulmate bond. Maybe things could turn out okay one day.

This time it was Percy who kissed her. His actions were gentle and sweet. It was clear that he was still unsure, almost afraid to touch her. Afraid that any moment, things would return to how they had been before.

Soon, it will have been a year since they had known of their bond. A year ago she would have never imagined that this would be happening to her, that he had shown any interest in her at all. In just a couple of days, she will be 18. A few days after that she will be gone, no longer stuck and hopeless in Washington.

Juno knew that it was wrong to indulge herself with these acts, to let a moment of sweetness get into her head. She knew that things wouldn't work out with Percy, that things would never end well with her staying in this little town. Even if fate had decided that he was the one for her, her physical and mental well-being could not sustain itself in a place that had caused her so much pain.

She couldn't bring herself to tell him that, that she had already decided to leave. That they would never have these little moments again. That she would be out of the state within the next two weeks. That she was glad about her decision to leave. That he had been too late.

"Would you consider giving us a chance?" Percy asks. His voice was soft; Juno could listen to him speak forever. If things had been different, she could have. But not with how things are now.

"I have to think about it," She says, choosing her words carefully. The words felt wrong in her mouth, knowing that they were a lie. There was no life for her here and she was sure that Percy could never undo that.

"Take your time, I will always be here for you,"

~

Over the next couple of days, she couldn't help but think about that night. There was simply so much for her to consider and yet she feels as though she had gone wrong somewhere along the line. Kissing him was one of the main places she had gone wrong. Even if it had felt right in the moment, Juno knew that it made things more complicated for the two of them.

She tried her best not to think about him and was extra diligent in ensuring that there would not be any other run-ins with Percy. Even if she had made up her mind to leave, and ultimately not be with him, there was so much for her to think about. She couldn't help but think about what had been said that night. Percy had been vulnerable and the most forward he had ever been with her.