Date night, Home to ... somewhere, Saturday night

[sharp_as_knives]

The fortunate thing about finding a world in which an avant-garde opera they might both enjoy was playing, was that such places also tended to have somewhat outre ideas of fashion. It might be Hannibal's birthday, but he wasn't in a mood to make Jono uncomfortable or start any fights. Instead, Hannibal's plaid would be downright staid where they were going, and if Jono wasn't careful, he might start a trend.

Right now, though, Hannibal was trying to decide upon a tie that fit the evening. He'd had one chosen earlier, but had foolishly left it hanging too close to the bed, and it had been summarily pulled down - at the moment it was being used as a cat bed. Even if he could pull it out, the grey hairs on it weren't going anywhere any time soon.

Comments

[furnaceface]

//Lost cause, is it?// Jono gave the tie a side-eye from where he was sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to decide between a sweater he could cover his lower face with, or just wearing something nice over his wrappings. He was still torn fairly easily either way. //Once it's within reach, it's fair game. I'm surprised you forgot that.//

In fairness, usually it was Joni who sat on these things, and Jono tried to stay on top of what she was up to.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I didn't forget it, I underestimated his reach." Hannibal gave Beethoven a sour look. "He generally doesn't bother to jump." Beethoven looked back at him grumpily.

Hannibal decided on a dark paisley and set the others back before working on tying it. "The button-up," he suggested to Jono. "It makes you look less like a frightened turtle."

[furnaceface]

//I do not look like a--// Jono paused and looked at the sweater.

It was even green.

//... Button-up it is, then. And a jacket to go with, I suppose?//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Fashion aside, it is still cold enough for one," Hannibal pointed out.

And fashion was rarely set aside.

He took a jacket out of the closet that would go well with Jono's outfit and handed it to him.

[furnaceface]

//... Point,// Jono replied, sheepishly reaching for the jacket that was offered. //I meant more, nicer than my usual.//

Which wasn't hard. Jono had a nice leather jacket, sure, but it really wasn't appropriate date wear.

[sharp_as_knives]

The jacket he'd given him answered that, so Hannibal just smiled. "But no tuxedos for my birthday. Not until the wedding," he promised.

[furnaceface]

//That, I appreciate,// Jono replied, wrinkling his nose a little as he set the jacket to the side - out of the reach of any cats - and started working his way into his shirt. //I want you to have a happy birthday as much as anybody, but a tuxedo might be overkill for this. Still, we're going to have to go looking for those soon too, aren't we?//

Jono strongly suspected that neither of them would be wearing white, at least.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal was considering it; he enjoyed white. It probably wasn't Jono's color, though.

"We are," he agreed. "Along with many other things. Emma sent me a list of jewelers in her version of New York, by the way. I'm correlating them with places in the library's world."

[furnaceface]

It was very much not Jono's colour, no. He preferred to leave the whites to Emma. But if Hannibal wanted to...

//Oh? Do any seem particularly promising, so far?// He paused, and then added, //I could... try to make people just not... ah... notice, again. Like I was doing back at the ice hotel. No need to look too hard for perfect matches across the multiverse.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled in delighted approval. "Most jewelers, particularly of this caliber, won't have many people there at once. It's a perfect solution, if you feel you can keep it up while discussing rings."

[furnaceface]

//I think I can. It'd be a fitting exercise, I suppose, doing it in Emma's world. And we'd be able to drop her name when we go in, if she's one of their regulars. It works out.//

Jono shrugged his shoulders a little.

//Should be doable. I think it's doable. And her New York isn't quite as far gone as the one I'm used to living in just yet. I think we'd be fine.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"In that case, I'll make some appointments." Hannibal straightened his own jacket, checked his watch, and picked up his coat. "Are we ready?"

[furnaceface]

//I think we're about as ready as we're getting,// Jono decided, shrugging into his jacket and smoothing it down. //Th'portal should be here shortly, in any case. Probably not the time now for me to decide I should've gone with th'turtleneck after all.//

He liked the turtleneck. It was comfortable and warm, which was a nice combination this time of year. But this was a date night, so he was going to let himself look fancy, just this once.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Probably not," Hannibal agreed. He was engaged to a mutant, Jono, not a turtle.

He sighed at Beethoven and put his coat on, leading the way out the door.

[furnaceface]

Yeah, but he would have been a comfortable turtle!

Anyway, sometimes those were mutants, too.

//Maybe next time,// Jono mused, following after Hannibal, pausing only to give Beethoven a quick scratch behind the ears along the way. Because he was a little shit like that. //We can pick a reality where turtlenecks up over the face are in vogue.//

Do it for him, Hannibal.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Not in summer," Hannibal answered firmly. There was a limit, Jono. And he saw that cat-scratching. You were buying him a new tie, now. And helping him shop for it.

[furnaceface]

//If we're not going on another date until summertime, I've got a bone to pick,// Jono teased, slipping his boots on and crouching down to tie them. //But no, I'm trying to fit in, not smother you to death.//

Cross his heart.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Does a honeymoon count?" Hannibal asked. They hadn't even really discussed that. How long could he convince Jono to relax for?

[furnaceface]

There was a brief silence as Jono looked up speculatively from his shoelace.

//I... suppose so?// Squint. //Did you have something in mind already?//

Jono hadn't even considered the honeymoon part.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Not in particular," Hannibal answered. "I'm open to suggestions."

He didn't always plan everything that far in advance; sometimes it was fun to see where things led.

[furnaceface]

//Something quiet,// Jono replied almost immediately as he pulled himself back up to his feet and opened the door. //Someplace that can be just for us, because lord knows after the wedding we'll probably both need it.//

Because even if Hannibal wasn't, Jonothon was going to be running on overload. He knew himself well enough to know that much.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I have a few ideas." Hannibal mused on the subject as they headed for Portalocity. One in particular...well, he did love good wordplay. "I'll look into it and narrow the choices down."

[furnaceface]

//I look forward to hearing your suggestions,// Jono replied, hands in his jacket pockets as they walked. //You've generally had good judgment when it comes to vacation spots in the past, after all.//

Ice hotel!

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal smiled and gave him a little bow. "I'll endeavor to meet your expectations. Of course, we will need to set a date first."

[furnaceface]

//There are still a lot of things we're going to have to discuss. A date, the rings, the suits, if either of us is going to bother with a name change... that sort of thing.//

Jono shrugged. He wasn't actually terribly fussed in any direction about most of it. As much as he was deep down a shameless romantic, he'd still be just as happy to elope, after all.