Hannibal's house (where he and Jono are getting tired of not being married), Friday morning

[sharp_as_knives]

Jono had been handling the latest of the island's whims fairly well, but it was obvious that he'd needed a bit of time regardless. Not that Hannibal minded the massages and the food-sharing.

Eventually, however, they were going to have to discuss the yet another wedding plan, this one as minimalist as possible, that had gotten, to use his (still) fiancé's parlance, totally buggered.

And as Jono had made it to class Wednesday, Hannibal thought that the time might be now.

Comments

[furnaceface]

And Jono was thinking... not much of anything, really, making minor headway in clearing out his e-mail inbox of spam. It was a thankless process, really.

//I might already be a winner,// he muttered to himself, clicking one e-mail into oblivion and then poking at the next one. //Some prince who wants to give me his money. Grow my--//

Seriously, did people even fall for this garbage?

//I'm quitting the internet again. Still don't need it.//

[sharp_as_knives]

"Shall I cancel your iTunes account?" Hannibal asked archly. "And your subscriptions to all of those kitten newsletters?"

He picked Jono's feet up, slid to sit where his legs had been, then put them back over his lap.

"I didn't see anything on the calendar for this weekend; do you have any plans I've missed?"

[furnaceface]

//You will touch my iTunes account over my cold, dead body,// Jono replied, wrinkling his nose but letting Hannibal rearrange him however he saw fit. //... I'll even admit I'd actually miss th'cat photos.//

Dammit, internet.

//Aside from opening the shop, my weekend's free. Not even working at Jean Grey for a while. Something about Krakoa having the flu. Why?//

[sharp_as_knives]

Even Hannibal could be sidetracked from time to time.

"How does Krakoa get the flu? It has no mucous membranes."

[furnaceface]

//I don't ask,// Jono replied, //I find that sort of thing is easier on my brain, that way.//

He wasn't the doctor in this relationship. If Hannibal wanted to go to New York to give the sentient plot of ground a checkup, he was absolutely welcome. Jono didn't want to know what ground snot consisted of in the least.

[sharp_as_knives]

This was why your world was so strange, Jono; nobody thought about that sort of thing including the writers.

And Hannibal might be curious, but he had other things to think about.

"We are coming close to the end of the year," Hannibal noted. "Unless you plan on making a liar out of an almond."

[furnaceface]

//Wanna get technical, we wouldn't be making a liar out of the almond,// Jono noted, raising an eyebrow and lowering his phone to look at Hannibal. //It wasn't really for lack of trying we didn't manage to get married, after all.//

They'd tried. Oh, how they'd tried.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal made a moue of distaste. "I am yet reluctant to allow this series of ludicrous happenings to get in our way."

[furnaceface]

//So, you're suggesting we...?// Jono inclined his head a little in question. He was almost afraid to say it himself, lest the island overhear and get any further ideas.

[sharp_as_knives]

"This weekend, perhaps?" Hannibal suggested, letting Jono have his superstitious avoidance of the word. "Or next week, if the weekend is a bad idea."

[furnaceface]

Jonothon was silent for almost an entire minute, different expressions crossing his face, from quiet thoughtfulness to a sudden, firm resolve. And then he slipped his feet off Hannibal's lap.

//Call Portalocity. Give me twenty minutes to get ready.//

He was pulling himself to his feet, now, and making his way toward the back door, peeling off layers of clothing as he went. He was going to do something incredibly stupid. Outside. In December. Naked. So that portal had better be to somewhere warm.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal punched in the number on his phone, but followed Jono instead of dialing it.

"I realize the cold won't damage you, but there are better ways to bathe than rolling in snow."

Not that he didn't have a suspicion of what was up, but asking for an explanation outright was less likely to get him one than sarcasm.

[furnaceface]

//Mmm,// Jono allowed, stopping just inside the door to the outside world, actually folding his shirt before setting it to the side, and then starting to work his way out of his jeans. //Actually, the cold can. I'm not immune to frostbite, it just won't kill me.//

Avoiding the topic at hand? Absolutely.

//We'll be on a timer after this 'bath,' so don't hold off on making that call too long, will you?//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal waited until Jono was done with his pants, then reached for his hand. "Let me help. Perhaps we can extend the timer a bit?"

[furnaceface]

Jono considered that, standing there in his boxer shorts and looking thoughtfully at Hannibal's hand as he reached to take it.

//... What'd you have in mind?//

Lord knew he didn't want to be rushed through his own elopement on account of waiting to explode.

[sharp_as_knives]

"The versions of you that lasted longer whole were the ones that weren't completely whole," Hannibal reminded him. "Leave a space in your chest - perhaps the size of my fist."

He held his fist against the center of Jono's chest in demonstration.

[furnaceface]

//... Hannibal, that's how people lose hands.//

Jono was giving him his best 'I think you've lost your mind' look. Which was probably pretty rich coming from a guy who had just decided on a whim to blow himself up just so that he could get married with a face.

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal gave him a look right back, one that said that Jono was being obtuse. "I'll stand well away while you're immolating yourself." Though if he expected Hannibal to do anything other than watch avidly...well, he probably wouldn't be marrying him. "After that, it can be a focus to form yourself around. No explosions involved."

[furnaceface]

Jono was still squinting, not entirely convinced.

//I mean... in theory it could work,// he allowed, slowly and somewhat grudgingly. //In theory. I've only done this a handful of times, though. And I don't remember much of any of it. I'm not fully cognizant of my surroundings while it happens. It just sort of... does.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal nodded, thinking. "Keep yourself close to me - you've shared my senses enough before. Use them to ground yourself," he suggested.

[furnaceface]

Jono shifted his weight uneasily at that prospect, too, but this time he didn't argue. Just sort of glanced out the window at the backyard, then back at Hannibal, then down at his hand.

//Not saying it can't be done,// he said, finally. //Sort of wondering if you really understand just how much danger you could be putting yourself in, coming up on a whirlwind of psionic flame and raw power while it's in the middle of re-building a body, is all.//

It. It being him, of course, but he felt... in this case he needed to be perfectly clear.

[sharp_as_knives]

"I've had my hands in you before," Hannibal reminded him, reaching in and running his fingers through the flames.

Knowing that Jono would need more than that, he added, "Should it start to become uncomfortable, I give you my word I will leave. As quickly as possible."

[furnaceface]

//Little different,// Jono murmured, even as he closed his eyes, let himself drink in the way Hannibal's fingers toyed through his fire. //I'm typically all here when you do... that...//

Typically. Unless they were doing something extremely distracting. He squirmed a little, and then shrugged his shoulders as he opened his eyes again.

//You know what it'll do to me if you get hurt.//

[sharp_as_knives]

Hannibal chuckled. "If there is one thing I have never been, it's self-destructive." He kissed Jono's cheek. "And yes, I'm perfectly aware that should I allow you to damage me, you would kill me yourself."

[furnaceface]

//And that's if you're lucky,// Jono agreed, squinting at him for a moment, then squaring his shoulders and looking at the door. //Right. Then... I suppose...//

Look, just because he knew he'd get better didn't mean that Jono enjoyed burning his body to cinders and starting over. Burning hurt. More than anything he'd ever felt. But at least he could make the painful part quick.