Hannibal's home (in which Jono is not having a good day), later Thursday

[sharp_as_knives]

Between his cracked ribs, wrenched leg, and bruised...everything...it took a while longer for Hannibal to get home than usual, even with Jono helping.

Well, at least they had dinner already made, thanks to Eliot. And the time spent wrapped so close to Jono did give him time to soak in Hannibal's calm, which would hopefully help. Along with the aches and pains he was feeling, unfortunately; Hannibal had considered attempting to hide them, but he rather thought Jono wouldn't thank him for that.

Luckily, there was a full bath on the lower level, since that seemed to be where Hannibal was grounded to.

He wasn't bothering to hide his amusement at being grounded, either. Even if he suspected it rather defeated the purpose.

"Am I entitled to towels after my soak?"

Comments

[sharp_as_knives]

"Perhaps." Hannibal sighed. "Though I remain stubbornly optimistic. I won't ask how it could be worse, but there is a part of me that insists upon wondering."

[furnaceface]

//... So we're going to find out, then.//

How it could be worse. Somebody was going to end up in a body bag before they actually wound up married, Jono was sure of it.

[sharp_as_knives]

"That's precisely why I'm not asking," Hannibal said wryly. There was enough water now in the tub, and he started unbuttoning his ruined shirt.

[furnaceface]

Jono nodded, shifting his weight so that he could help Hannibal out of his shirt without making him have to pull any painful acrobatics to remove it. For all that he wanted to throttle him into next week, yes, he was going to be helpful now.

... Admittedly, partly because he was still feeling psionic bleed from Hannibal's aches in addition to his own, and he'd much rather soothe them than slam up a wall to keep it from touching him at all.

//It's alright,// he replied. //I'm pessimist enough for the two of us, anyway.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"You are," Hannibal agreed. He smiled, only a little strained as he shifted to remove his trousers. "Then again, a pessimist would not have invited Jack, and might also have ordered several pairs of these, so I'm disinclined to fault it at the moment."

[furnaceface]

//Have to say,// Jono mused, raising an eyebrow before ducking down to pull at Hannibal's trousers, //if you mix stubbornness and optimism together in the proper portions, I'm fairly sure that's actually a recipe for idiocy.//

This was said... mostly fondly. Jono had saved Hannibal's life today. He was fairly certain that gave him carte blanche to call him an idiot for a while.

[sharp_as_knives]

"And if you mix them in other quantities, you get strength and the ability to change the world."

Jono had certainly earned some latitude. Which meant that Hannibal wasn't going to kick him, even in jest.

[furnaceface]

//Already changed the world a few times,// Jono noted, folding the trousers and setting them on the counter beside the sink. //The getting there is overrated. I'd settle for just having one bloody successful wedding, honestly.//

He was getting dangerously close to just parking Hannibal in front of any non-bigoted person he could find who was capable of signing the damn papers.

[sharp_as_knives]

"As would I." Hannibal sighed and turned to get in the tub, his hand on Jono's arm to brace himself. "But it would be wonderful to have a proper wedding."

[furnaceface]

There was a Rolling Stones song that leapt to Jono's mind in response to that one. It took effort to not just pull out his phone and play it.

//Yes,// he replied instead, a sigh in his voice. //Yes, it would.//

He'd wanted to elope from the get-go. He'd like that to go on record.

[sharp_as_knives]

Yes, but their friends never would have forgiven them.

And at this point, Hannibal just refused to let their friends win bets against them.

"We'll find a way," he promised Jono, relaxing as he settled back. "Or we'll elope after all. We'll definitely be married."

[furnaceface]

//Good.// Jono settled down carefully beside the bath, leaning against the tub and closing his eyes. God, his everything hurt and he was tired. //Giving this one more go, then. But I'm drawing my line at that.//

Because honestly, if they couldn't get married after four weddings, the universe was clearly conspiring against them and could just go get stuffed.

[sharp_as_knives]

If four weddings didn't do it, even Hannibal wasn't going for the funeral.

"Only one more," Hannibal agreed. "Perhaps we can get Bob to put the same spells on The Boards as on our home, so that nothing dangerous gets in."

He carefully raised one hand to rest it on Jono's head, stroking his hair.

[furnaceface]

//... I'd be willing to see if Bob is up for that,// Jono murmured, leaning his head into Hannibal's hand. He was still angry, and he didn't think Hannibal would think otherwise. But he also sort of needed this. //No chances, this time. No announcement in the paper. We go over the invite list again before sending it out. Maybe we just bloody well phone people this time. If they don't answer their phone or check their voicemail, we still tried.//

No risks.

Less opportunity to, say, invite people who wanted them dead, this way.

[sharp_as_knives]

"All reasonable precautions," Hannibal said. "Again, not on a weekend. Or only if the previous weekend has had odd happenings and not the week before. We oversee everything closely."

[furnaceface]

//... We might need to invest in silk flowers, if we're going at it like that,// Jono noted. //I already felt like an arsehole getting th'flower shop bloke to make all those bouquets on such short notice.//

And at this point, it would ultimately be cheaper. Even if they went with the really high end ones.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Real flowers," Hannibal said firmly. "Silk isn't the same. We'll pay him very well."

[furnaceface]

Jono was just cracking open one eye and giving Hannibal a look.

Yeah, he was still in a mood.

//We'll see if he's up for it again,// he settled on. //If we're specifically aiming for a weekend after th' excrement hits the air conditioning, he might be reeling too much to do it any justice.//

Christ, Jono had to talk the poor man down from a full-blown panic, while he was there before.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal pursed his lips but nodded in agreement. "We'll see."

He went back to stroking Jono's hair, trailing his fingers down to his flames. He stroked them, too, then winced as Jono's aches bled through, compounding his own. "How badly hurt are you?"

[furnaceface]

Jono continued looking at Hannibal for only a few moments more, and then just shrugged his shoulders and settled against the tub, shifting to try to get comfortable.

//Hard to say, really. I'm picking up on your injuries too, after all.//

And he hadn't exactly been paying close attention to himself while he was in homicidal hit-man mode. He was pretty sure he'd be feeling it later, even if he did ease himself back from Hannibal psionically.

//I'll live, just like I told Lucille earlier.//

But that was a given.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal nodded. "We both will. It won't be comfortable for a while, but we will." He shifted, trying to get comfortable. "I'll take painkillers; perhaps they'll help us both."

[furnaceface]

//Perhaps they will,// Jono agreed, and then hiked his shoulders upwards slightly. //I might put that wall back up until you do, though. Not that I'm not terribly fond of you even when I want to smother you under a pillow, but...//

He gestured vaguely with one hand. Unless Hannibal was toying with his fire, he only had one set of aches to contend with.

[sharp_as_knives]

"There are some in the cabinet behind you," Hannibal said. A kit in every bathroom and the kitchen wasn't excessive when you had his hobbies and penchant for preparation.

He was really never going to be without a scalpel or knife again, after this.

[furnaceface]

Jono paused a moment, drawing up his psionic barriers, getting a feel for every ache and pain in his own body before gingerly making a reach for the cabinet.

//... Nothing you shouldn't be taking while in the tub, I should hope?//

Not that Jono wouldn't fish Hannibal out if he went under, but still.

[sharp_as_knives]

"Not right now," Hannibal answered. "Later. For now - the second compartment down, on the left."