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]

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.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Forever small and adorable." He shook his head as she pounced just short of Beethoven, who put a paw on her head and gave her a look. "Or annoying, I suppose, depending upon your point of view.

[furnaceface]

//Aw, but she adores him,// Jono replied. //And has gotten better about stealing from his bowl. Ish.//

Ish. When they managed to catch her in time with the spray bottle, generally.

[sharp_as_knives]

"The feeling, unfortunately, is not terribly mutual. Although I do believe he's getting more tolerant of her."

Beethoven may have glared at Hannibal for that. Not that that would have made sense - he was deaf.

[furnaceface]

Sometimes cats just knew. It was a gift.

//Less likely to thump her into next month. And sssh, don't tell anybody, but I think I caught them curled up together asleep the other day.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Without a large snake between them?" Hannibal grinned. "I am impressed." He finished the french press, added just a touch of sugar, and sipped his coffee.

[furnaceface]

//Even without a-- yesssss.//

And there he went again, losing his ability to form coherent speech, but at least immediately becoming about 75% more snuggly, at least going by the way he listed sideways a little.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled and stroked Jono's hair, switching from coffee to cake. He enjoyed his dessert for a while longer, taking small bites and sips, savoring each one and savoring Jono's enjoyment at least as much.

[furnaceface]

Really, it was probably no wonder Jono was a cat person, considering the way he was half turned upside-down in an effort to rest his head on Hannibal's shoulder, there. This was maximum taste approval mode, right here, and the only thing keeping him from purring was the fact that he was very decidedly not built that way.

//Y'spoil me...//

As if Hannibal wasn't already aware.

[sharp_as_knives]

"And will continue to do so for as long as you appreciate it so thoroughly," Hannibal answered. He smiled and kissed Jono's hair.

[furnaceface]

//Well, then you'll be stuck with me f'rever...//

Or at least some sort of 'almost forever' equivalent that took into consideration the fact that at least one of them probably wasn't going to live that long.

[sharp_as_knives]

"A very long time," Hannibal noted. If there were a possessive and slightly smug note to it, could he be blamed?

[furnaceface]

Just so long as there was always coffee, Jono wouldn't blame Hannibal for much, really.

//F'rever gen'rally is, mmnhn.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Not even the rest of his diet?

Hannibal finished the dessert and set the plate aside to concentrate on that coffee. "I've never tried anything for forever. It sounds like quite a challenge." He enjoyed a challenge. And he never started anything he couldn't excel at.

[furnaceface]

Jono was still doing the mental equivalent of covering his ears and going LA LA LA whenever he remembered the rest of Hannibal's diet.

//Only insofar as you'd have to put up with me that long,// Jono replied, seizing the break between dessert and coffee to try to regain his bearings before the flavour floored him all over again.

... Ooh. Hi, coffee.

//Could be a challenge, at that...//

[sharp_as_knives]

"You think so?" Hannibal smiled. "You'd have to put up with me as well. Dressing you up, playing you Classical music. Making you visit tailors and spas."

[furnaceface]

//Hey, now. I like the Classical music.//

... He was going to plead the fifth about the rest, though.