Hannibal's house, Tuesday

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal scowled at the still-unfinished floor in his study and brought his tablet into the salon instead. The contractors had hit some sort of snag, and there were still several rooms now with the floors torn up. Hannibal was almost as displeased as Beethoven; the cat was refusing to even come downstairs.

"How many more days?"

Comments

[furnaceface]

//... Actually, that wouldn't be a bad idea,// Jono mused. //Give people a chance to get to know one another. People around the island aren't as close-knit as they were back when I was in school here.//

... Oh god, he was getting old. That was the reminiscing of a man who was getting old.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal correctly interpreted that look and chuckled. "Parties it is, then." He ran his hands through Jono's hair. "Do you think those group therapy sessions were useful when Sam was here? I could start those again."

[furnaceface]

//I found them useful, at least,// Jono offered. //It was oddly comforting, being a voice of traumatized experience in a room of traumatized people...//

Because Fandom.

//In a completely different way from teaching, that is...//

The sort of way where he was allowed to go for his own benefit, and all.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal nodded and started running options and scenarios. "We could have a very busy house." He gave it a sardonic look. "Provided we have floors."

[furnaceface]

//We could have a very busy backyard,// Jono countered. //It's almost summer, after all.//

Look at him, with that glass half-full again!

Entirely because being a brat was a way of life for him, really.

[sharp_as_knives]

"It is a very nice yard," Hannibal agreed. "If it isn't raining anything destructive." At this point he was really just throwing out problems to be contrary. He went to plate the cake and finish it up.

[furnaceface]

//We'll just work out our frustrations through physical exertions that day, then.//

Seriously, if anyone were to look in and see them at it like this, they'd probably start wondering if they'd swapped bodies again.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Oh? With the students over?" Hannibal smirked, shut the grill off, and came back to sit by Jono.

Anyone who thought there was only one brat between them was delusional.

[furnaceface]

//Oh, nono, we'll make the students beat on whatever's invading in the front yard.//

If Hannibal was going to be a brat, Jono was going to embrace that, dammit.

[sharp_as_knives]

"The flamingos will do that," Hannibal answered wryly. "Unless they're what's invading."

He cut off a tiny bite of the dessert and ate it carefully.

[furnaceface]

//They generally aaa--h.//

Are. Aaah. They sounded more or less the same when Jono said them, anyway.

//... Ooh.//

He approved of your grilled cake, Hannibal. Even if it did confuse him somewhat.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smirked when he finished the bite. "What was that?"

[furnaceface]

//I was just telling you in great detail about my opinions of the flamingos,// Jono replied, giving Hannibal a wry side-eye. //I'm surprised you didn't catch it.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Why don't you say it again?" Hannibal suggested. And took another bite. The caramel and strawberries were really lovely together.

[furnaceface]

//Hhngh?//

That was cheating, Hannibal. That was absolutely cheating, and you bloody well knew it, didn't you?

Of course you did. Of course.

//Say... about. With. 'Xactly. S'what I said.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Of course he did. Hannibal was excellent at cheating. "Of course it was." Here, have another bite, Jono.

Hannibal looked thoughtful. "I might need a bit of coffee with this."

[furnaceface]

WERE YOU TRYING TO KILL HIM?

...

He'd die happy. Jono was nodding his agreement, now that the suggestion had been brought up. Coffee. Coffee and strawberry cake with caramel and he setting sun and the cats, and...

Joni had just eaten that bug. Well. Jono had tried. Couldn't win them all.

[sharp_as_knives]

Not actually, no. But he could hardly be blamed for thinking Jono was adorable when he was overwhelmed.

The grill was still hot enough that Hannibal filled a pot from the tap next to it and set it to heat. His cake he set next to it on the hot tile to stay warm. "I won't be a minute." A french press wouldn't take long to set up.

[furnaceface]

Oh, good. That would give Jono a minute or two to get his bearings again, between bouts of cake and coffee. Dating a man with gourmet tastes was always an adventure.

... Sometimes more adventurous than others.

A few minutes later, and Jono had his elbows on his knees, and was watching the slow, methodical process that Joni had to attempt to sneak up on Beethoven. Jono was pretty certain that catching him unawares probably required a lot less of him eyeing her warily, but hey. She could dream that dream.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal came back out with his french press and a cup and smirked at her. "You should hunt things closer to your size, little one."

[furnaceface]

//I think she's thinking in averages,// Jono mused. //Beethoven plus the bug she just finished eating, divided by two. It's almost right, then.//

Jono was actually pretty good at cat logic.

[sharp_as_knives]

"She should also start eating better," Hannibal teased. He leaned down to scritch each cat's head in turn as he went to the grill to check the water.

[furnaceface]

//You mean eat more of whatever it is you put in Beethoven's bowl?//

Because clearly it was far more interesting than whatever was in her own bowl. Which was generally the exact same thing, these days.

[sharp_as_knives]

Jono did know what Hannibal put in Beethoven's bowl, didn't he?

"I would say she is a growing cat, except she clearly isn't." He poured the water over the coffee and brought everything back to the bench to sit.

[furnaceface]

Jono tried very hard not to think about what went into Beethoven's bowl, honestly.

//She seems to have stalled out at 'kitten' years ago,// he noted, scooting over a little again to make room, and then slipping his arm around Hannibal's waist. //Somewhere around the same time I got her, I think.//