Things will be alright.<br/><br/>Kuram's words hung heavily in the air, a stark reminder of how things would<i>never</i>again be the same between them. Juniper knew in her heart of hearts that Kuram was still the same sweet boy she'd fallen in love with, that it had been the monster that had hurt her (not him, never him), but looking at him brought an almost overwhelming sense of fear bubbling up her chest. She was suffocating and it was getting harder and harder to breathe.<br/><br/>It was then that something shifted in Kuram's golden eyes. She felt a shiver up her spine, felt her breath catching in her throat.<br/><br/>Juniper remained as still as a rock as Kuram left. The meeting room was suddenly quiet and it remained eerily so until Klause broke the silence.<br/><br/>"Hey, Juniper. I don't mean to pry in you and loverboy's lives," there was a hint of bitterness underneath the annoyance in Klause's voice. "But, are you sure everything is alright? We're kind of on a tight schedule here. We can't have you being all distracted, and we can't have him running off whenever he damn well pleases. Can you go and get him?"<br/><br/>"Right of course. Sorry about everything Klause. You don't have to worry."<br/><br/>The way Juniper phrased her words, and the way she wrung her hands together as she stood up to follow after the other scythe only made him worry more. Something was going on between the two, and it made Klause' blood boil. If Kuram was trying anything weird, he'd be sure to make the other boy pay. "We'll be waiting right here."<br/><br/>Juniper disappeared before he could so much as say anything else.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center">---<br/>​</div>Hesitantly, Juniper followed after Kuram. She'd the darkness that had crossed his features and she was lost somewhere between worry and fear. She hadn't contacted or spoken to Kuram since that night in the arcade, and while a part of her was still reeling from the brutal assault he'd subjected her to in the alley, another part of her missed him and worried about how he was dealing with the aftermath of the possession. She loved him and yet looking at him was painful.<br/><br/>Why did something like this have to happen to her? She knocked on his door before heading inside.<br/><br/>"Kuram. Are you... are you okay? We still have a meeting to finish. Klause is getting impatient."<br/><br/>He kissed her suddenly then, his rough hands grabbing hold of her as he pinned her against the wall. His lips were warm against hers and the sensation sent her heart racing. She felt it in her throat, the steady beat that grew more erratic the more physical Kuram got.<br/><br/>Her shaky hands found his chest, planting firmly across taut muscles as she tried to push him away.<br/><br/>His words were scaring her. "Kuram? What? This isn't you. We need to," she pushed him back, unsure of what to say. "We need to tell Klause and the others, they'll know what to do. They'll know how to fix you. I want to help." She really did. "But, the others, they'll know how to help you better." She was about to make one last push and head for the door, when the sight of his black tongue stopped her in her tracks. If Klause saw this, there was a chance he'd send Kuram away to the higher ups. They didn't take too kindly to possessions, so she stopped fighting and went limp against the wall. "Kuram, what does the monster want you to do? Can we stop it?"