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Wuyang wiped his forehead with a satisfied sign. He wasn’t sure just how much time he spent in this gym, but anything that could knock him off his feet at night was more than welcome. Those weird, fever dreams were keeping him awake for far too long now. At first, he blamed stress, new people, new surroundings, new obligations, he was sure that after getting used to it all, it would fade away. But as the time passed, the nightmares didn’t. His new plan concluded working out at the gym and passing out as soon as his head hits the pillow. It didn’t really help with the dreams, but it saved him from just tossing and turning around before sleep.
“Hey there, done already?”
“Yup.” He looked up, after putting away the last dumbbell. “You could’ve told me earlier you’d be here, I would wait.”
Anran smiled lazily.
“Yeah, yeah I’ll do that next time. Hey listen,” she chimed happily. “could you do me a favour?”
“What kind?”
“Well, I was chatting with Juno earlier and-”
“A-about what?”
“About music, you dummy.” Her smile only got bigger. “She was curious about what's trendy right now, so I gave her a few recommendations, but after some thought I wrote some more.”
She showed him a flimsy bit of paper.
“I was wondering if you could be a good, little brother and take it to her.”
“And you can’t do it yourself because…?” He glanced at her suspiciously.
“Because I’m busy! I gotta work out a bit and then meet Brigitte. Also you two seem to get along just fine, you know? I think she wouldn't mind your company.” She crossed her arms.
He still didn’t look convinced.
“Listen, I don’t have any ulterior motives, I just think she, and also you, could use a friend.”
“I have friends!”
“I’m not saying you don’t, just! Ugh!” She poked him with the piece of paper. “Ming isn’t here and you gotta do some normal things sometimes, okay? Hang with people and stuff.”
He still wasn’t certain, but took the paper anyway. It’s true that his social life wasn’t at its peak right now, not that he felt particularly lonely or anything, he was just… Well, busy. If it wasn’t for the many missions that he had to take a part of, then it was training. Like a lot of training. Anran graciously agreed to frequent spares with him and even if he lost more than he won, he could feel that he was getting better.
After taking a quick shower he set off to see Juno. The weather on Gibraltar was great, warm rays of sunshine shining through towering constructions above, breezy wind promising oncoming spring and the fresh scent of the sea filling up the air around. The inside of the accommodations area was cold but weirdly inviting. The newer recruits got their rooms on the lower levels, while the veterans took over the higher floors. He suddenly remembered how happy Winston looked, when everyone was claiming their rooms, it got pretty rowdy real fast.
After reaching his destination he fidgeted with the piece of paper for a second. His palms felt sweaty and his confidence was slipping away with every second. Why was he so nervous? It’s just Juno. They talked almost every day, how was it different now? He took a quick breath and finally knocked. Seconds passed without even a sound from the other side. Maybe she was busy? Or not even in her room. Yup, that’s surely it, he should just go back and come by anoth-
“Wuyang!” Juno's head finally poked out of the door frame.
“Hey… Oh? Did I wake you up?”
Her brows shot up, confused.
“Your hair.” he smiled.
“Oh!” she shook her head embarrassed. “I did take a nap… But I am awake.”
“I see.”
An awkward silence stretched between them.
“So… Would you like to come in?” she asked after a while.
“Oh, no, I just brought you… That’s your room?” his brows shot up in surprise after taking a peek behind her.
“Yes! I just finished decorating it last week! Come on in, I will show you around!” she almost bounced, revealing more of her space. Wuyang took a few steps ahead, looking around.
The walls were painted in this light purple colour and floors were covered up by many fluffy carpets and plushies. She had countless trinkets and gadgets neatly arranged on her shelves and a massive computer in the corner. There was also this huge beanbag just next to the bed. Almost every inch of the walls were adorned by many fairy lights and flashy posters. Wuyang smiled as he scanned the whole place. It really felt cozy here. He slowed down to look at the few photos she had on display. There was one with Mei, one with Hana; all taken here, on Gibraltar. Only one of them looked older. A photo of two women in lab coats, smiling at the camera.
“I like the stars,” he said, pointing at the ceiling.
“Yeah, they are my favourite part too.” she giggled. “They glow in the dark.”
Countless, plastic stars were glued to the ceiling, creating this illusion of abundant night skies.
“Honestly, it looks great” he shot her a smile. “Weirdly, I haven’t even thought of decorating my place.”
“Really? But the rooms originally look so…”
“Cold? Robotic? Uninviting?”
“Exactly.” A cheeky grin appeared on her face.
“How are your boots?” He asked, after failing to notice them.
“Oh, they are in one of the labs. Auntie Mei is helping me with repairs. They should be as good as new in a few days.”
“That’s good.”
They stood in silence for a while not sure what to say more.
“Soo… Did you come to hang out?” The way she pronounced the last two words made Wuyang stare at her. “I mean, Anran told me you were having some trouble recently and…”
“Wait, wait, she told you what?”
“It is not like we were gossiping, really! It is just… She is kinda worried about you.”
Wuyang looked away after hearing that.
“Yeah… She told me that.”
“Is everything alright Wuyang?”
Hearing her say his name in such a worried tone made his heart melt.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He had a feeling that his charming smile wouldn't get him out of this situation. Her eyes with that hint of worry in them, pierced right through him.
“It’s nothing really, I guess I’m just having a hard time… Adapting. Don't get me wrong,” he added quickly. ”I love being part of the team, you know, the adrenaline rush on the missions? All the people here? It’s great. Just… I’m having a bit of trouble sleeping.”
“Oh, well then!” she perked up suddenly. “You are in luck! You could call me an expert in that area!”
“Really?” A coy smile appeared on his face.
“Yes! A good sleep is extremely important if you want to keep both your body and mind healthy!”
He raised his brows in surprise. She wasn’t kidding.
“Alright!” She sat on her bed and patted a place beside her. “So, what seems to be a problem?”
He sat by her, her sudden professional tone making him smile.
“It’s nothing serious I just… I’ve been having these really weird dreams, you know? The type that makes me wake up in the middle of night, all scared, confused and sweaty.”
Juno just nodded her head slowly.
“Well then, it seems to me that you are in dire need of relaxation!”
“Relaxation?”
“Mhm!” She stood up and clicked something on her computer. The lights in the room changed to many dimmed shades of blues and purples. “Sometimes, when we have a lot on our mind, it manifests as these weird dreams. My first recommendation! Make sure your environment is nice and restful! Personally, I prefer to sleep with ambient lightning and some quiet background music.”
As she said that, a calm, quiet melody filled the room.
“Second thing!” She really was enjoying the whole teaching process. “I sometimes spray my pillows with lavender oil. Did you know it has soothing characteristics?”
Wuyang just smiled warmly, seeing her being all passionate. He wasn’t confident at all that it would help him, but he wasn’t gonna grumble.
“Let us try then.” she suddenly appeared in front of him, snapping him back from his thoughts.
“Try what?”
“Well, sleeping!”
“Here?” his brows shot up.
“Why not?” Her shoulders dropped slightly. “You got the right environment here and I could help you along the way.”
“Along the way…” He whispered to himself in disbelief. “You know… I don’t think I’m gonna be able to fall asleep with you looking at me.”
“Mmm…You are right.” She put her hand to her chin in thought. “Well then, why don’t we try having a slumber party? I saw those in movies!”
“A slumber party?” This situation was getting crazier with each passing second.
“Yes!” She was practically beaming.
Juno took one of her blankets and threw it on the nearby beanbag. It already looked like a nest of some extremely cozy beast.
“People always have those,” she stated, smoothing out the blanket. “They play games, watch movies and stuff. But because we got your sleeping problem in our hands, we can skip these and just lay down and talk.”
She sounded so confident and cheery, this whole “slumber party” idea seemed really important to her. At the same time, Wuyang thought it was a really bad idea. He definitely should not be doing this, it all seemed a little bit too much…Intimate. Shouldn’t she be having one of those with other girls? Or maybe he was just too old-fashioned.
“Yeah… We can try.” He ran his fingers through his hair and got on the beanbag before he could change his mind. The moment he sat, his whole body sunk into the soft material.
Juno smiled brightly and tucked him in with another blanket. Then she laid next to him, all excited. Wuyang immediately stiffed, focusing his gaze on the glowing stars stuck on the ceiling.
“It really looks like a real galaxy now.” He smiled trying to loosen up.
“Yeah,” she whispered.
He tried his best to ease up, he stared at the ceiling, tried to listen to music, but the way they were just laying next to each other was making him tense.
“Hey, Juno,” he started after a while. “Maybe you could tell me a little about space?”
“I would love to.”
She talked a little bit about her time on Mars, how different everything here, on Earth, seemed. She told him how vast and quiet the cosmos was, how lonely but mesmerizing at the same time it felt, just drifting across the stars. Wuyang chuckled when she mentioned talking to her torpedoes whenever she felt lonely up there. Juno’s soothing voice worked like magic, at this point he was fighting to keep his eyes open. His answers became limited to soft grunts, as he found himself gradually drifting between consciousness and sleep. With his eyes already closed, his body slowly began to feel heavy as he steadily started to surrender himself into the arms of Morpheus.
Wuyang sighed lazily, stretching one of his legs and once again burying his face into a soft pillow. It smelled like flowers. It’s been so long since he took such a nice nap. No weird dreams, no pointless overthinking, just blissful sleep. He wondered what time it was, it felt like he slept for hours, not that it was something to complain about. He groaned and raised his head slightly, looking around a bit confused. This pleasant scent of fresh lavender was making it hard for him to properly wake up. He couldn’t locate his phone either, which was weird, he always made sure to leave it on the steel table right beside his bed. With his gaze still unfocused, he tried to lift himself up, but unexpectedly there was something; or rather someone, holding him back. Still groggy, he looked down at Juno, sleeping soundly in his arms. This sight alone woke him up in a second. The pillow he was snuggling into just a moment ago, turned out to be her hair. She was still fast asleep, breathing silently into his chest. Right, he remembered now. She was trying to teach him how to relax, so he could sleep better. Well, it certainly worked, he couldn't even remember when he dozed off. But man, what now? Should he just leave? No, definitely not, that would be just rude. Should he just try and fall asleep again? Also no, his pounding heart definitely wouldn't let him. They were alone in the dimly lit room, the barely audible song was still playing in the background and the sweet smell of Juno’s shampoo was driving him crazy. Just when he thought his head would explode, she groaned something under her breath.
“Hey…” she whispered, her eyes still in a daze. “Did it work?”
A soft smile appeared on her face, dispelling all of his worries.
“Better than I thought.”
She mumbled something and stretched her whole body with a satisfied sign. Wuyang wouldn’t dare to move, painfully aware of both of his hands still lingering on her waist.
“I am glad…” She lazily rubbed her eyes.
He stared at her, mesmerized. Her disheveled hair sticking up in every possible direction, her cute expression trying to rub the drowsiness off.
Juno looked straight at him and suddenly all the stars and distant galaxies were inside her eyes, sparkling and beaming with all the colours only he could see. His breath hitched, a tight knot already forming in his stomach. He felt a familiar crimson, dangerously creeping up on his cheeks and ears. The rush of heat and emotions was so unexpected, his hands slightly tightened on her waist.
It was her turn to feel the weight of the situation. Her mouth felt dry, when she realized how close they’ve actually gotten. She felt this inviting warmth emanating from his whole body, his large hands keeping her at bay, their legs tangled under the fuzzy blanket she threw over them. Her eyes grew wider, seeing his face so close to hers. His deep brown eyes enveloped by long, dark lashes, his mouth slightly ajar, jet black hair resting on his forehead. It all seemed so surreal. He was setting her skin on fire with every little touch of his fingers, tormenting her with a fading trace of his hands, goosebumps forming all over her body.
The silence that surrounded them was palpable, their irregular breaths slowly evening out, both of them waiting for the other’s one reaction. The first one to break eye contact was Juno. Her dreamy gaze involuntarily slid down to Wuyang's lips. He suddenly felt the urge to kiss her, right now. The butterflies in his stomach turned into a full blown tornado, urging him to take action. His right hand slowly rose to her face, lingering near the dark lock of her hair. He bit the inside of his cheek, almost afraid that just a little touch would make her disappear. He held his breath, slowly leaning in, Juno’s eyes already glistening and half lidded.
Attention all Overwatch agents. Tomorrow morning, at five am sharp we’ll be having a meeting in the operation center. Attendance is mandatory. Get some sleep and I’ll see you there tomorrow.
Sojourn's voice disappeared as abruptly as it appeared.
One second passed. Then another. They still wouldn't dare to move, almost like stuck in a trance.
But then, suddenly everything sunk in. They both shifted back, eyes wide. Wuyang opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His mind still fuzzy, not sure what to do next.
“Sorry I…” His voice still hoarse from sleep.
“N-no, it’s…” Juno blinked rapidly.
Their closeness suddenly felt suffocating, like something was sucking all the oxygen out of the room. He slowly withdrew his hands and swallowed before speaking.
“I… I think I should go.”
Sadness and confusion flickered in Juno’s face for a moment, before she lowered her eyes. She put her hands together, already missing his warmth.
“Yeah… You are right, we should rest before tomorrow.”
He nodded and stumbled out the bedding in silence.
“Hey, thank you for your help today.” He turned around to steal one more glance at her, just before opening the door.
She just sent him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
He moved forward leaving the room behind, his heart still pounding in his ears.
He groaned out loudly, ruffling his hair in frustration. The walk back to his room was a daze. His body moved almost robotically, taking him by the familiar route, his steps echoing in an empty corridor. After arriving in his room, he threw himself on his bed and shoved a pillow in his face. His heart was still beating like crazy, thoughts of earlier scenes making him unable to lay still.
He wished that he just left after waking up. No, that was a lie. All that frustration and embarrassment wasn’t because of that, it was because of the kiss that never happened. The kiss. He really tried to kiss her. A familiar knot tightened up in his stomach. He was growing tired of that feeling. Then he thought about the expression she made, just before he left. Was she mad at him? Or just disappointed? He sat up straight looking even more tired than before. He could still smell the fainting scent of lavender lingering around. God, what’s tomorrow's gonna look like? How is he supposed to look her in the eyes and act normal?
He lied down again trying to ignore the tight feeling in his chest.
Wuyang slowly entered the operation center. Even though it wasn’t the arranged time yet, there were already some agents present. He dragged his feet, greeting passing Overwatch members along the way, then stopped after founding his sister.
“Rough night?“ She looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“You could say that.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose, blinking rapidly. The harsh light wasn’t helping with his tired eyes.
“Oh, Brigitte is here.” Anran’s cheery voice made him look up.
The Swedish girl was happily marching in their direction and right behind her he saw Juno. When she noticed him she stopped in her tracks and quickly looked away. He felt his mouth go dry from the nerves. Then she whispered something into Brigitte's ear and ran off to the other group of agents. Wuyang's eyes followed her until she reached Hana’s side.
Honestly, he didn’t know what he expected. Obviously there will be some tension between them, but are they going to avoid each other from now on? It’s not like he would know what to say anyways. He signed and looked away.
“I can feel you staring,” he mumbled.
“I’m not.” Anran huffed and quickly shifted her attention to the Swedish girl. “Morning Brigitte.”
“Hey there you two, how did you sleep?”
Wuyang closed his eyes, a cynical smile already forming on his face.
“Like a baby.” His sister laughed, while glancing at him suspiciously.
“That’s good! Oh Wuyang, I got something for you.”
He stared curiously at the little pouch she was holding.
“Thanks… What is it?”
“Not sure, it’s from Juno.”
“It is?” Anran suddenly got very interested. He snatched the tiny bundle right before her eyes and inspected it. The girl just shrugged and went back to chatting with her friend.
The small pouch was made from this light pink material, tied around with shiny ribbon at the top. He glanced at it a bit confused, but when he undone the ribbon he couldn’t hold the big smile forming on his face. It was lavender.