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ch4mb3r-blog · 7 years

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Please, Please, Please. // Jubes & Jono

@short-fuse-long-jacket

It couldn’t have been more than a couple of weeks since the last time they were at Orthodox, and potentially the third time in the past month or two. Ever since their first visit Jono hadn’t had a very easy time masking just how much he’d wanted to go back, and back, and back. He hadn’t quite gotten to the point of going by himself, and he inwardly hoped he never irritated Jubilee to the point of her not wanting to go with him, what for all the pestering.

There were no secrets about how difficult it was for Jono to operate in everyday life without getting stared at and singled out. It was a large part of why he stuck to such a dark, monochromatic palette; he figured it helped him blend in, try to remain unassuming. He didn’t have to worry about that here, and the freeing effect that had was swift and clear. Tonight Jono wore a royal blue button down that was both more colorful and more fitted than his usual fare, unbuttoned partially down his chest for the sake of his intentionally loose bandaging, letting light seep through the cracks. The shirt was tucked neatly into a pair of dark wash jeans and his hand was tucked just as neatly in Jubilee’s, gesturing towards the first bar once they were into the thick of it. /Buy you a drink, luv?/

The second they were inside the actual club she could see the shift in Jono, his shoulders relaxing, his stance becoming less defensive. She gave his hand a squeeze, grinning up at him. It wasn't that she didn't find the other patrons interesting, she did, just after more than a few visits to Orthodox in the past months it had stopped being quite so enthralling, watching Jono hadn't.

She gave him an affectionate bump from shoulder to hip (her shoulder to hip anyway). "Just one, please, then can we dance?" She twisted a little, making her dress twirl out. Her outfit was a little less date-y than she'd worn the previous times they'd gone out, and was a little more Jubilee. From a distance the dress looked black with some kind of polkadot pattern, but up close you could see the PAC man graphics repeating along the fabric. It was finally warm enough to go without tights, but bright yellow heels, a messy braid and some hella blue eye shadow completed the look. "I have to tell you what Alex did today."

/Ugh,/ Jono replied automatically and with an equally dramatic eyeroll, even as he appreciated the twist and the swirl of fabric, his fingertips lightly brushing over the skin exposed by the scoop in the back of her dress. /And here I thought we were going to have a nice night,/ he added good-naturedly, his arm settling around Jubilee’s waist to keep her close, half due to the press of the crowd and half because he wanted to.

It wasn’t difficult to find a spot at the bar, because even in a place like this Jono managed to clear space for himself by virtue of being somewhat on fire, curls of energy sneaking through the purposefully careless bandaging. He leaned one elbow on the bar and nodded to the telekinetic behind it, who smiled at the both of them and nodded in reply; they were starting to get noticed as regulars, even in this sea of thoroughly noticeable mutants.

"Think again, hot stuff." She quipped, sliding her hand into his back pocket to keep her arm from being trapped between them (no other motive, none) and kept her expression as innocent as possible. The five seconds it lasted were probably the longest she'd gone without looking like some kind of trouble in years, but all good things must end. "We're gonna have an awesome night." She shot him a wink that fell somewhere between ridiculous and flirty (which was more or less where she lived).

They came up to the bar and people shifted to make room, though the way people parted here seemed less about fear and more about trying very politely to not get singed. Jubilee sent the bartender a jaunty salute when she nodded their way and waited for her to come over. The woman levitated some bottles and had them pouring in a complicated dance, the drinks smoothly hovering to the people who ordered them. When she finished that round she made her way to them, smiling widely.

Her voice came out in a smooth drawl, not like Rogue's, something further west that Jubilee found oddly comforting. "Welcome back. Something sweet for you," she tipped her head at Jubilee who nodded enthusiastically, and bottles were already leaving the shelves and counter behind her, "and you, ready to take the plunge?" She flicked her eyes to the side, giving the injection apparatus a significant look.

/Ah, not just yet, I don’t think. Thanks, Angel, luv./ They still weren’t 100% on whether that was her real name or a mutant moniker. Plenty of mutants outside of the X-Men had started adopting codename-esque nicknames, sometimes for fun but often for safety. Jono doubted that Angel had much to fear with the hulking four-armed man who often accompanied her to give side-eye to overly drunk or friendly clientele, but better safe than sorry.

Jono’s fingertips absently traced the scoop of the dress at Jubilee’s back before his hand flattened there, warm against her skin while he watched the floating bottles expertly and precisely pouring a drink with layers like a sunrise. His eyes spared the faintly glowing purple tube connected to the injector a brief look before turning his attention back to Jubilee with a smile in the corners of his eyes, content to pay her more attention than the room around them like she had been for him earlier. /That drink looks like it’ll have enough sugar to keep you goin’ for a few hours yet,/ Jono figured as he pulled a couple of bills out the pocket not occupied by her hand, sliding them across the bar.

When Angel went to take another order she sent a mental whisper to Jono, /You ever decide to try that, I'm paying./ She insisted. Since one of them didn't eat or drink it made splitting the bill a moot point, so she was calling dibs on that, should it ever happen. Not that she really expected it to any time soon though, so she was already planning to take him to a movie or concert next weekend.

"As if I need it." She replied, watching the bottles move back into place. Her drink levitated over over, layers mixing slightly. Jubilee called out a thank you to Angel, took a sip and repeated the thanks with even more enthusiasm. She'd taken to just saying she wanted something sweet and letting Angel figure the rest out, whatever this was had just a little bit of sourness to it to stop the sweetness from being too overpowering. "Our usual spot?" She asked, looking up at Jono to find his eyes already on her. She felt her cheeks heat but didn't look away like she might have done a month ago, instead she stretched up, silently asking for a kiss.

/We don’t even know how much that costs,/ Jono replied dubiously but not without an air of both amusement and absent affection; that she would even offer meant a lot. He inclined his head to bump his nose against Jubilee’s before pressing a kiss to her lips that would’ve lingered longer if not for the other people antsy to take their spot at the bar. He nodded lightly in response to her question as he straightened up, hand finding the small of Jubilee’s back so he could trail her through the crowd.

Their usual spot was a couch with a prime mix of privacy and a good angle for people-watching, something they had both learned to do with just the right level of discretion. Jono also figured that he’d had enough of being stared at in his life that he could return the favor every now and again.

He paused only briefly as they reached their (remarkably vacant) spot, frowning and taking advantage of his height to crane his neck over the crowd for a moment, then settled himself down next to Jubilee with long limbs stretched out as much as space would allow, and a thoughtful look. /Think I might’ve seen one’a my students./

She gestured as wide as she could in the cramped space with a wry smile on her lips. /Behold the field in which I grow my fucks. Long has it lain fallow./ She gave him a smile that said she wasn't going to budge on this.

She went up on her toes to return the kiss, pausing for a second before heading off into the crunch of people, knowing he'd be right behind her. When she made it to 'their' area she flopped onto the sofa with enthusiasm, sending her skirt into disarray, the bright yellow crinoline under it showing even after she tried to smooth to smooth it out. Whatever.

"Yeah?" Then a sudden thought and wave of responsibility, "Wait, current or former? Are they allowed to be here? Is that our job? Are we those adults now? Oh god, we're adults." The stream of consciousness ended there in horror, then another beat and then tentative after a sudden thought, though she honestly didn't think it was the case, "Are they not supposed to see us?"

Jono glanced at Jubilee with quiet amusement for the string of questions, stretching one arm over the back of the couch to rest comfortably around her shoulders. The last question seemed to surprise him, as if he hadn’t even considered it and wasn’t expecting her to ask (which, he hadn’t and he wasn’t). /I don’t give a toss whether they see us or whether they’re allowed to be here. S’one of my current students, and if you ask me, I should give them a specific assignment to come here./

Jono figured that if it could help his own self-consciousness -- of all the unhelpable, rock-bottom conditions -- it could probably help anyone.

/I think people’ve gotten the idea about us already,/ he added, deceptively casual in the tone of the statement. /At least, I’ve certainly caught wind of people talkin’./

"Ok, see? That's why you're the hot teacher. Mandatory club field trips. Also, sweet, I don't want to be that kind of adult." She settled back into her seat, snuggling up against him as much as she could while still being able to look at him. She wouldn't argue, the fact that this would be a positive experience aside, if they were here they weren't traveling to alternate dimensions or being kidnapped or brainwashed or any of the other things that happened when they went off on their own at that age. Maybe they'd have gotten in less trouble if they'd had something like this when they were a bit younger. "I'm not sure I want to know which one, I'll be too tempted to make finger guns at them in the hall." She secretly hoped it was Shark Girl. Lies. She secretly hoped it was all of them.

She bit her lip and looked away. "Yeaaaah. You've been gettin' that vibe too, then?" She set her drink down and fiddled with her braid. "I've gotten some questions...more than normal anyway." After they started...whatever this was, wasn't the first time she'd been asked if they were together. She'd assumed back then that it was just people assuming that men and women can't be friends, but now she wondered if they'd seen something she hadn't.

She grinned, waggling her eyebrows. “Guess we've stirred up the rumor mill a little. What have you been hearing?" Her favorite so far was definitely the one about their secret engagement, not that she'd be the first to bring that particular one up, even if she did find it hilarious.

Jono chuckled absently and shook his head when Jubilee wiggled her eyebrows, giving her shoulders an affectionate squeeze that doubled as pulling her in to nuzzle against her temple, mindful of where his bandages parted. /I think yer just a little more approachable than I am./ Understatement of the century. /Haven’t gotten a lot of direct questions, but I’ve noticed my students exchanging looks when yer walkin’ me to class. Roxy did ask point-blank if there was somethin’ goin’ on between us, though./

Bling always was one of the more forward in his class, and Jono honestly admired her for that. It was typical for mutants with very obvious mutations to become withdrawn -- much like Jono -- but Roxy was too strong-natured for that.

/So, I told her yes,/ Jono finished with a small shrug, then seemed to have a thought as he shifted uncomfortably. /Kurt kinda caught wind earlier’n most. Early enough that I insisted nothin’ was goin’ on and that I was sure you only saw me as family, because… that’s what I thought, at the time./

She felt a wisp of flame lick near her face when he tugged her close, just a little flash of heat before it was gone again and it didn't stop her from leaning into his touch.

"Only a little." She teased, "Might have something to do with me being a nosy neon weirdo." A grin showed that she wasn't being self deprecating at all, she liked all those things about herself. "Or it might be that people are still like, mega-protective of me and hafta check on me every ten minutes." She felt confident in guessing more staff had talked to her than Jono, though she got her fair share of student interest too.

She was pretty sure they'd gotten similar looks when people saw them together before, and they just hadn't noticed. She didn't correct him. What she did do was cover her face to laugh, her words coming through muffled. "Course Rox asked. That girl, she's not subtle." She shook her head, a proud sort of smile on her face. Someday she was going to realize she didn't need to be quite as tough as she looked, and then she was going to be damn near unstoppable. She wondered if she should tell Jono how Roxy came out to her, but was more interested in something else just then. "What did she say to that?" She wanted to know what he said to her, beyond 'yes' but didn't ask.

She was sure there were going to be all kinds of questions at the GSA meeting this week, she made a mental note not to get her hopes up about actually accomplishing anything with them.

Her eyes softened when he started to look cagey. She'd seen a lot more of his shy and hesitant side in the last couple months, it was something she found unbearably cute. "Hmmm. Well I'm glad I set you right." She reached for his hand and traced over the lines of his palm with her fingertips. The way his hand felt against hers was definitely not familial. "Did you tell Kurt that he was right?"

"A couple of the students I know well have asked. An' Trevor keeps giving me these super significant looks with all his eyes at once," she rolled hers, and then it was her turn to look uncomfortable. "It's actually been mostly staff that have talk to me? Most of 'em have been really cool." She didn't bring up that some had not been as enthusiastic.

/Really?/ Jono’s tone was flat and thoroughly dubious, the word a borderline scoff as his fingers wandered absently over her shoulder, eventually giving it an affectionate squeeze. /Would’ve thought it’d be a full chorus of ‘you’re too good for him,’/ he continued, in such a way that suggested he probably agreed with the sentiment.

He watched Jubilee’s fingers trace his palm before he shook his head and curled his fingers in to lace between hers, the calloused pads of his fingertips against her knuckles. /Roxy didn’t say much, since I didn’t say much. Just sorta narrowed her eyes at me and went back about her business. I think Trevor’s given me some of the same looks,/ Jono added with amusement, since it was pretty difficult for Trevor not to give anyone a ‘significant look.’

/’Onestly, I’m expectin’ the overprotective shotgun brigade at my door any day now, with Logan front ‘n center./ He had to glance away and over the crowd as he said so, eyes narrowing briefly with an emotion that was difficult to pin down.

She gave his hand a hard squeeze, equal parts punishment for the implication and reassurance that it wasn't true. "Yes, really. Rogue and Alison were both super cool, Remy too. The main concern has actually been how different we are, but I got questions about how this," she gestured at herself, them him, then between them, "worked when we were just friends."

She wondered if she should expect some kind of talking to from Roxy, if not more of Jono's students. As awkward as the prospect would be, she liked the idea of them looking out for him. Speaking of..."I talked to Logan and...it went ok. He's protective and yeah, he doesn't really get it." She squeezed his hand again, "but I told him he doesn't need to. He just needs to respect that I know what I'm about and not be an ass." That conversation had gone the second least well of all the ones she'd had about Jono. It probably would have been worse if Logan ever said more than the bare minimum of what was on his mind. Bobby however, had no such qualms."I'm not going to lie, he's probably going to talk to you. A couple other people might too." He wasn't meeting her eyes and it sent a spark of worry through her. "And...I'd get it if that's not something you want to deal with." Her hand loosened a little incase he wanted to pull away. She didn't want to believe he would, but past experience said not to bank on it. "Logan's hard enough to work with without..." she repeated the gesture between the two of them before leaving it there simply because she didn't know what to call whatever it was they were doing. She gave a sigh and looked down at her skirt. So much for an awesome night.

/Hey,/ Jono murmured, the tone as she trailed off being enough to bring his attention more respectfully back to the conversation, letting go of Jubilee’s hand only in favor of using his fingertips to tilt her chin in his direction again. /No, I don’t want to deal with it. I’m not gonna lie and tell yeh otherwise. But what we have is worth it, and it’s like yeh said: whether I or other people think yeh deserve better isn’t for us to decide, tha’s for you. Yeah, it might uncomfortable. But you know I’m not exactly easily intimidated./

It was probably the most Jono had thought about the situation, and certainly the most he’d said about it in one sitting so he gave a shrug, shifted uncomfortably, and felt the need to add, /Tha’s my feelings on it, anyway. If anyone wants to start somethin’ with me, they’re welcome to try./ Jono doubted there was much anyone could say to him that he hadn’t already thought of or about himself.

She let him guide her back to eye contact, though her gaze would almost certainly have snapped back a second later at what he said, a flare of irritation clear on her face. "You shouldn't have to put up with it!" There might have been an undercurrent of insecurity because other people had opted not to risk it, but she pushed that down. If she wanted him to accept that he was worth it, she needed to be willing to do the same. It was just...she bristled at the idea of this being something that made his life more difficult than it already was. As if he didn't already question his value like, all the time. He didn't need people adding fuel to that fire (no pun intended). She was just really getting going in her head when he followed it up with something that cooled her anger.

Her irritated half sulk turned into a tentative half smile. "Me too, worth it, I mean, me think that it's worth- fuck." She covered her face with her hands. /I think it's worth it too. I just wish folks would stay in their lane./

/I wish that every day of my life,/ Jono replied with a good-natured chuckle, inclining his head to nuzzle Jubilee’s temple while she had her face covered. /I appreciate you bein’ pissed on my behalf./ The reasoning behind it wasn’t lost on him, and he gave her shoulders an appreciative squeeze, tucking her in closer against his side.

/An’ while I want to give you the whole ‘they’re just lookin’ out for you,’ I also wish they’d realize you can look out for yerself./ It was a sentiment he often expressed and unfortunately, one that had plenty of reason to persist. If Jono was tired enough of being treated like a leper, surely Jubilee was just as tired of being treated like everyone’s kid sister.

She cuddled in, letting her hands drop from her face. "Don't laugh at me, I'm a beacon of poise and perfection and I will fight you."

She blew out a breath, her bangs blowing everywhere. "Anyway, only Logan and Bobby have been shitty. Everyone else has been some mix of cool and supportive, with optional side orders of protective or teasing." She swept her fingers through her bags, hoping to put them in order. "Allison was like, high-key pleased. Wanted to know when I started being into bad boys." She gave him a smile, hoping this would be enough to change the subject. She picked up her drink and took another sip. "You know, I might be the thing that ruins your reputation."

An eyeroll to accompany the mention of Bobby’s name was inevitable. Jono had anticipated Logan, and while he hadn’t necessarily expected Bobby, he was hardly surprised. He wondered whether or not that would end up being a conversation, and if so, whether either of them would make it out alive.

/Never much cared for my reputation either way,/ he murmured, unsurprisingly. There was amusement in his eyes again as he brushed his thumb over the curve of Jubilee’s shoulder, attention wandering back into the crowd. /Y’should probably be more worried about yours, datin’ a ‘bad boy’ like me./ That phrase was dosed with more than enough sarcasm to get his point across.

She gave him an extra squeeze, grateful for his putting up with her crazy family and a commiserating look about Bobby. She loved him like a brother but he never did know when to drop the jokes which landed the ice cube in hot water on at least a biweekly basis. And Jono was one tall glass of hot water.

"Psh. My rep is untarnishable. I mean, it's also beyond inaccurate, but if trends continue I've got nothin' to worry about. You though?" She shook her head in mock pity. "S probably for the best that you don't care. You keep acting all sweet to me and that scowl is gonna stop work-" she paused, his words having sunk in and leaving a her a little surprised and a lot pleased. "Dating?" She angled herself a little more towards him. "Is that what we're doing?" It came out a little uncertain, a little teasing and a little shy. "I mean, it's what we're doing but," another pause, this time to bite her lip and look up at him through her lashes, a little smile on her lips, far more optimistic about his answer after the rest of their conversation. "Neither of us have really called it that...So what do you think, Sparky, wanna go steady?"

The word -- ‘dating’ -- had slipped out so naturally and without a second thought that Jubilee’s reaction surprised him for a moment. Jono raised his eyebrows and looked back to her as she leaned in, and the fluster was nearly instantaneous; his cheeks flushed, and it had nothing to do with being a tall, hot glass of water.

/I mean… / If he’d had a throat left to clear, he would’ve done it, stalling with a hesitant shrug instead. /I’d probably never recommend anyone ‘go steady’ with me. But I hear yer pretty difficult to dissuade,/ Jono added, reaching up to brush at her bangs with his fingertips. /So, if yeh’ll have me./ He trailed off again, and with another faint shrug he nodded, the look in his eyes warm.

/Then, yeah. … I’d like that, sunshine./

He was...fucking adorable, she decided, watching the blush spread above the bandages and wondering what she'd have to do to get him to look that way more often. Probably just keep being as into him as she already was and well....she was pretty sure she could manage that without much trouble.

She leaned up and kissed him softly, a smile on her lips. "I am known for my tenacity." When she settled back in and he swiped her bangs out of her eyes she joined him in blushing. She wanted to make a comment about 'having' him but passed it over in favor of responding with the same sincerity.

"I'd like that too." She tugged him down to her to brush her nose against his, staying close and talking low. "Not gonna lie, I've been high-key holding back by not callin' you my boyfriend. It'll be nice to not haveta skirt around it, I've...kinda wanted to call you that for a while."

/Really?/ The surprise was instantaneous and almost comical, not to mention genuine; Jono wasn’t doubting the sentiment nor was he teasing her for it, he was legitimately caught off-guard.

/I mean-- tha’s good,/ he was quick to add, the hand he didn’t have resting on Jubilee’s shoulder moving to settle on her knee with a tentative squeeze. His eyes softened and he gave something like a chuckle, shaking his head and glancing down. /Bit of a miracle anyone considers me boyfriend material anymore. Lord knows I’ve been told the opposite plenty ‘a times./ By Paige and others. He looked up again to meet Jubilee’s eyes and brushed his calloused fingertips lightly against her jawline, still not sure how he got so lucky -- or when he would manage to screw it up. /’M also more than happy to consider yeh my girlfriend, luv./

Jubilee punched him in the shoulder. Not as hard as she could have, but not exactly joking around either. "Duh!" She shook her head, huffing at his astonishment. What did he think she wanted with him?

She gave a little eye roll at the phrase 'boyfriend material'. Material had to be changed, had to be made into something else. It was true that she desperately wanted Jono to be happy and more comfortable with himself, but she wanted those things for him and she wanted him regardless of whether he ever made it to that point. Regardless, semantics wasn't a battle she was picking today.

She turned her head to press a kiss to one of his fingertips, the skin warm and rough against her lips and familiar. Her lips quirked up at the memory of how he'd managed to stop her cold with a touch there before any of this started.

#please please please: jubilee #short-fuse-long-jacket

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ch4mb3r-blog · 7 years

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Crouching Chamber, Hidden Jubilee // Jubes & Jono

@short-fuse-long-jacket

/Alright, luv. Anythin’ in particular you wanna try, or are we goin’ free-for-all?/

Jono glanced up and across the rubbery, lightly padded floor of one of the smaller sparring rooms to Jubilee, though his attention flickered back and forth between her and the wrap he was winding from his knuckles to partway up his wrists. He looked ready for more of a pajama party than a hand-to-hand combat practice session, but figured what was more mobile than a pair of loose grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt?

Besides, he had, like. Fifty black t-shirts. Jubilee probably took the only non-black t-shirt he had. And while he still wasn’t complaining (much), Jono missed it.

Use it, Starsmore. Fuel the sparring.

/Some dodgy fighting but not too extreme, tap out rules apply, etcetera?/ He tucked in the end of his second wrap and flexed his fingers, still sporting blue nail polish chipped to a point that belied anxiety, boredom, or both.

"Not 'specially." She blew a huge bubble with her gum until it popped, giving a non-committal shrug. She rolled her neck, working out imaginary kinks as she watched him wrap his wrists and hands. She'd gone the opposite direction with her training attire, black capri leggings with a basket weave pattern on the side, bright yellow shoes, yellow hoodie that she unzipped and tossed across the room, not about to give him the benefit of having her hood to catch onto. The pink top she wore under it would be much harder to grab, and besides that, it looked cute as hell.

She fell into a low crouch, blowing another bubble as she stretched one leg out to the side, then sliding her weight over, stretched the other.

"Mr. Starsmore, are you offering me a safe word?" She grinned, hoping to embarrass him with the awkward situation that occurred when he made the mistake of asking the students what movie they'd like to watch next in film club.

"Sounds fair. No powers, no real damage but other than that no mercy?" She straightened and reached high above her head, stretching up on her tip toes just for the pleasure of it.

She gave a last roll of her shoulders and fell into a loose but ready stance. She tried not to stare at his hands as he finished wrapping them and settled for sort of bopping in place and humming some pop song she heard on the radio earlier. "Ready?" She asked, blowing one last bubble. "Fight me, Starsmore."

Jono’s eyebrows gave an expressive twitch as he took in Jubilee’s choice in practice garb, unsurprised but appreciative -- though he reminded himself not to be too appreciative (or at least not obviously so), his eyes flickering neatly back to her face. He swung his lanky arms front-to-back with practiced and performed laziness, attempting to turn that less than subtle up-down look to something more along the lines of sizing her up.

A curt nod and a glimmer in Jono’s eyes were his only reactions to her own terms and the mention of a safeword -- he made a mental note to see that Jubilee was sorry for that later -- as he relaxed back into his own stance. Shoulders slack, his elbows hung at his sides as he brought his hands up in a lazy boxing posture, more suited for a London pub than formal training. One hand turned and opened to gesture briefly with flat fingers. /You first, Lee./

His posture seemed loose and unpracticed, but she knew him better than to believe that he didn't know what he was doing. She'd fought by him enough to know that, though his approach was less polished, his height, reach and strength more than made up for it. Powers or no, Jono wasn't a pushover.

Luckily for Jubilee, neither was she. For her part, she stuck to a martial arts stance, falling easily into place with her fists a little higher, one protecting her face, the other her solar plexus. She rolled her eyes at his 'come at me' gesture and moved before he had time to prepare.

What he probably could have crossed in two steps took her a few more but she managed to get into his reach without being hit. She landed a controlled punch of her own before dodging around him and putting herself back outside his reach.

"Well?" She asked, blowing another bubble, "You gonna lemme get away with that?"

If there was one thing Jono could be thankful about regarding his “gifted” physiology, it was the serious upgrade in the amount of abuse he was able to take. He’d been an exceptionally patient lab-rat to Hank for a period of time in hopes of some sort of discovery that would help Jono keep things under control, but all they really figured out is being a shell of energy meant your body had to be ridiculously resilient.

Still, he wasn’t (entirely) bulletproof, and he rubbed at his cheek where Jubilee had struck and a shade of pain blossomed. Jono shook his head and his eyes glimmered as he used his primary movement advantage -- his lanky-ass legs -- to dart forward and just behind Jubilee, snaking an arm around her neck to wrap her in a choke hold. /No, m’not. And don’t you dare hold back, yeah? I know yeh can hit me ‘arder than that./

She angled her shoulder into what on anyone else would have been their diaphragm, planted her feet, one slightly to the side, one just inside his right. "I could," she grumbled, grabbing at his arm around her neck, "but you don't look half as pretty bruised up as I do." She bent herself double and flipped him over her shoulder, his arm releasing her in the process.

Having prepared for the roll as she maneuvered her shoulder down his torso, Jono tumbled neatly out of it and back to his feet, broadcasting a metal scoff as he turned back towards Jubilee and hopped from foot to foot in place, uncharacteristically light. /Luv, I don’t look half as pretty as you in any respect./ Because of course he’d find a way to compliment her and put himself down in the same gesture.

He wasn’t about to pull any of his own punches, either, seeing as that kind of bullshit would only result in an offended Jubilee who wasn’t any better at defending herself against someone his size. With that in mind, Jono stepped swiftly in again and swung a punch low, aiming for her exposed stomach.

"Agree t'disagree." She countered, waiting for his next move with an over-exaggerated impatient foot tap. She was about to look at an imaginary watch when he started to move, her theatrics leaving her momentarily off guard. She managed to sidestep the punch but it was a sloppy dodge and left her practically inches from him.

The only real upside to him being so much taller than her (when it came to fighting, there were an unbelievable number of upsides to it in other contexts) was that if he wanted to hit her anywhere besides her face he had to come down to that level.

With him overbalanced and her off balance she did the only thing she could think of, she grabbed his arm and let her own momentum carry her to the floor. She might not weigh much but it was enough to unbalance him even more and her feet planted in his abdomen sent him ass over tea kettle again.

She made it up first but the impact with the floor had knocked the wind out of her and it took her a minute to get her breath back.

Jono knew his best course of action was going to be to restrict her movement, since Jubilee was smaller and more agile by far. He didn’t move to get up, only tucking one long leg under him as he waited for her to pause, then used his other leg to swing wide and sweep her feet out from under her. He had to move fast to pin Jubilee before she could jump up again, swooping over to grab her forearms and push them to the floor as his shin pressed down across her hips, trying not to give her room to twist away.

/Got you,/ Jono intoned lightly, more playful than smug as he put more of his weight on the leg he had across her hips, his other knee on the floor beside.

Jubilee 'eeped' as she found herself on the floor for the second time in a matter of minutes, this time with a not unpleasant weight on top of her. She was briefly reminded of that day in the snow but didn't let that distract her. She wriggled under him, kicking her legs and when that didn't get her anywhere, planting her feet on the floor and trying to buck him off. She had him unbalanced for a moment and he tilted to the side, but found his center again faster than she could get away and settled even more of his weight on her. She cursed.

She tried to move her arms but only managed to shift them a little before he pinned them even more securely. After a minute of thrashing she stopped and panted. "Ok, yeah, but no one is just gonna pin me and hold me there. They're gonna hit me or something," she left that ambiguous because reality sucked. She still had a couple options here, but she was wary of using one of them simply because she didn't feel like hurting for the rest of the day.

/Ah. … true./ Jono withdrew with a clear sense of discomfort for the association, crouching beside Jubilee on his haunches instead and resting his elbows on his knees, seeming to take that moment as a tap-out. He’d probably live to regret it in t-minus five seconds, but he’d rather take the abuse than the comparison.

/That’s for paffing motherfuckers right in the eyes,/ he decided, and surely not independent of Jubilee. He pointed at his own eyes with a measure of amusement. /I need these, though./

She sat up after him, shaking her head. "Hey, no," she said, tangling her fingers in the worn soft fabric of his shirt, not really stopping him from pulling away, but keeping him from going far.

"You said y'wanted to help me train, part of that is admitting the risks, and that's one of 'em." She shrugged, not about to ignore it.

She nodded her agreement. "And other places." She promised, not mentioning the fact that doing anything but pinning her would give her openings and that most people aren't quite as indestructible as Jono, so it would never get to a powers point in all reality.

She gave him a little shove, just enough to tip him over and climb on top of him. "Lucky for you and your pretty eyes you have never made me feel anything but safe," she said, her voice soft and earnest. "I trust you, Jono."

Jono let her tip him without much argument, and even less so as she climbed over him, regardless of the more somber turn the conversation had taken. Jubilee’s words were more reassuring than he could really express, considering how patently unsafe he felt to the world around him, and often those he cared about in particular.

/Thanks, luv,/ he murmured in earnest, his mental tone quiet and warm as he cupped Jubilee’s face and brought her in for a kiss that was meaningful but brief. /... don’t trust me too much, though./

Jono’s hands moved to grasp Jubilee’s hips, and while it took some considerable effort on his part regardless of her slight weight, he managed to give her a quick toss to the side before he scrambled to his feet again. /Or at least, not right now./

She let herself be guided down into the kiss, making a contented sound at his hands on her face. Most boys don't like it when you tell them they're not as dangerous as they think they are, but then again, most boys didn't blow up a school dorm 'cause someone kissed them once. As usual, Jono had to be the exception to every single rule.

Then Jono's hands were on her hips and her body was moving through the air and all she could do was take the impact with her shoulder and roll. She was laughing as she got to her feet, "You sonovabitch." She said between giggles. "We were having a moment." Apparently the no mercy thing was still in effect, well, that was fine by her. She stepped into his range, grabbing his wrist when he reached for her. Her next step brought his arm across his body and her foot down on his hard. Her next move was a knee to the groin that stopped short, just pressing for a split second while she flashed him a smug smile. She gave a sharp tug to his arm, setting her off balance to give her a second to pull back out of his space.

/We’re still having a moment,/ Jono countered with obvious amusement, though he let out a brief grunt of pain as her heel slammed into his foot. /Just a… different kind’a moment,/ he added, his tone still amused but a little more strained.

Jono grabbed her forearm just as she’d tugged his, not giving Jubilee a chance to go far before he crouched and swung with his other elbow to connect above her stomach, trying to knock the wind out of her. Without the option of trying to immobilize her entirely, he figured this was another way to see if he could slow her down -- and how she could recover.

Jubilee turned her body, still taking the blow but not nearly as hard as it would have been otherwise. It still knocked the breath out of her and sent her stumbling back a step but it didn't stop her. He still had her arm, fingers wrapped tight enough around her forearm that she'd likely have bruises tomorrow. She drew her arm close to her chest, not breaking the hold but grabbing onto his arm with her free hand and moving quickly so he couldn't catch on. She stopped, still trying to catch her breath but now with his arm over her shoulder and his elbow braces on her collarbone.

She pulled down, hyper extending the joint just enough to keep him from moving. "Yeah?" She said as she caught her breath. "How would you describe this moment?"

/This moment is-- bugger./ Jono meant it as an expletive but he started to laugh instead, figuring that was a description that worked well enough. /This moment is bugger./

Not wanting to move his arm from where Jubilee had it locked and too stubborn to tap, Jono considered his options before trying to reach for her with his other arm across his body, starting to laugh again as his fingertips brushed ineffectually at the bare skin of her stomach and the well-fitted straps of her top over her ribs. /I usually fight-- blokes with more clothing--/ A couple more attempts didn’t yield results that were any better, so he settled for the next best thing and started poking her firmly in the ribs to try and get Jubilee to laugh and loosen her grip.

Keeping up the pressure on his arm she arched her neck to look back at him with a grin. "Yeah? I think it's a pretty good moment." She gave a stuttered laugh as his fingers brushed over her skin. "Are you trying to tell me I'm a distraction, Starsmore? You want me to put my hoodie back on so it’s a fair fight?" She managed between giggles as he continued to prod at her.

She wasn't very ticklish but the entire situation was ridiculous in so many ways that she couldn't help but laugh. Knowing that she couldn't keep her grip much longer she stepped back into him, her hold on his arm making him bend back slightly and giving her a chance to hook a foot behind his and kick it out from under him. The rest was gravity and turning as they fell to land on top of him and grappling to pin his hands, though she knew she couldn't hope to keep him there.

/I’m not suggestin’ that--/ Jono was cut off as he found his feet swept out from under him, letting out a vestigial ‘oof’ of a mental sound as his back hit the floor, since it wasn’t like he had any breath to be knocked out of him. He quirked an eyebrow up at Jubilee as she pinned his hands, only halfway trying to hide his amusement. /But we need to level the playin’ field somehow./

He tensed his arms and pushed up against her hold, muscles straining when she leaned her weight onto them but eventually managing to free his wrists. Instead of throwing her off like before, Jono pushed himself up to sitting with Jubilee gathered neatly in his lap and, without further warning or explanation, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his head, tossing it aside.

/There./ Jono gestured between them, at her top and his tightly wound bandages. /Basically the same. Right?/ It was a joke, and the glint in his eyes obviously suggested as much… but the comparison wasn’t far off, in all honesty.

It took even less time than she expected it to for him to get out of her grip. It was an unfortunate truth of being a buck fifteen soaking wet, even if she'd put her whole body weight on his hands he would have been able to get free.

She fixed him with an amused stare, "So that's like, a super firm yes on me being a distraction." She teased as he took off his shirt, self aware enough to know that she'd only have until it was off to quip.

As expected when the shirt left, so did her attention span. She reached out for him (not that it was very far considering she was already settled in his lap), running her hands down his arms. "Yeah, I'd call that level."

/If this field is level,/ Jono started, meeting her amused gaze with one of his own as he ran his hands slowly up the outside of her thighs to rest at her hips. /Then that’s a ‘yes’ on me being a distraction, too?/

He wasn’t sure what to consider this portion of the training. Neither of them had tapped out but they weren’t exactly sparring anymore, content to bask briefly in each other’s proximity for the time being instead. Jono was inwardly annoyed that the rough bandages covering his palms cut down on how much of Jubilee’s skin he could feel when he flattened his hand at her lower back, but he figured he could make up for it by inclining his head to nuzzle his nose against her neck.

100% confirmed, full distraction.

She felt herself blush as his hands moved up her legs, the change in the mood sudden, but not unexpected. "That's a big yes." She leaned in a little shy and pressing their foreheads together. "An all caps, neon letters and fireworks yes." She was still touching his arms a little distractedly which probably illustrated her point, though it wasn't her intent.

As poker faces went her's was all but non-existent, not that she'd ever felt much of a need to hide the way she felt about...anything, actually.

She ran her hands down his back, pressing a little harder so he could feel her though the bandages and humming happily to herself when her hands met skin. She wasn't quite brave enough yet to follow the exposed skin to his front, though the thought of touching his stomach made her's clench.

She made a soft sound as he nuzzled into her neck, the cool contact sending shivers down her spine and encouraging her to arch her neck encouragingly. She pressed a hand to the back of his neck, fingers sliding between the strips of bandages to gently touch.

Jono suppressed a brief shiver at the feel of her fingertips sneaking between the fabric of his bandages, his eyes starting to slide shut as he tilted his head back into the touch. He fixed Jubilee with that same half-lidded look, and his arm tightened almost involuntarily around her waist as his other hand settled at her hip.

/This may not be conventional sparrin’, luv, but if you’re lookin’ for a way to make me weak… yeh found it./ He recognized it was probably a cheesy thing to say, but at this point? He didn’t much care.

She huffed a breath out in an almost laugh as he tugged her closer, arching at the feeling of his fingers against her skin.

"Screw conventional." She lifted up to brush her lips over his cheekbone, humming warmly. She had to fight off a smile as she left a trail of little kisses as she made her way to just behind his ear and nuzzled in. "So that weakness, would it be this?" She slid her fingers further under the bandages, nails gently scratching, "or just me in general?" She teased, kissing just above the bandages before leaning back enough to grin up at him.

Jono let out a soft mental chuckle at the concept of ‘screw conventional,’ since that pretty much summed up not only their relationship but also their friendship, not to mention the majority of their lives. His head tilted back towards Jubilee’s touch and his eyes slid shut, settling into the feeling with distraction.

/Mm… I feel like I should plead the fifth, but yeh probably already know the answer is ‘both.’/ This wasn’t new information, either. She’d been a weakness of his even when they were just friends, and Jono knew he shared that sentiment with a number of people. That was just the effect Jubilee had on people. It was tough to deny her much of anything, least of all affection.

/We’re gonna get caught, luv,/ Jono felt the need to add but apparently didn’t feel the need to make any effort to pull away, and in fact let his arms settle that much more completely around Jubilee’s waist.

Jubilee slid her hand out from under his bandages, already mourning the loss of heated skin (and silently marveling at how strong her desire to keep touching him was). She slung her arms around his neck, looking up at him.

"Pretty sure this is one of the tamer things this room has seen." She said, blocking out memories of things she has walked in on that cannot be unseen. She froze for a second, part of her wanting to offer to take this someplace else, though that thought had her heart pounding nervous-fast against her ribs. She tugged him down and into a hard kiss that left her breath a little shuddery. She flashed him a smile and teased, "You could always tap out? 'Cause it looks like I've got you on the ropes here."

/Story of m’life,/ Jono countered lightly enough, quietly disappointed but never one to pressure, even if the kiss had him flattening his hands against Jubilee’s back with a measure of want that was difficult to mask. Instead, he withdrew one and reached up to tap playfully at her forehead, since why tap out in a normal way?

/I think yer winnin’, but obviously you fight dirty,/ he admonished, leaning back on his hands to give Jubilee room to pull away if she wanted, though the way his eyes sparkled at her suggested Jono wanted anything but.

She giggled at the gentle tap to her forehead, blushing a little at the gesture.

"Duh." She said, refusing to move her arms from about his neck and letting his lean take her with him. It was long past being strange to not feel his chest moving with breaths against her's, but it was something she noticed anyway.

"I've got my arms full'a you. That's totes a win." She leaned up to kiss him again, this time soft, lingering and incredibly grateful for his patience.

/Mm, if you say so./ The amusement in Jono’s tone was clear as he inclined his head into that kiss, reaching up to curl his wrapped fingers at the nape of Jubilee’s neck to keep her close. Even when he broke off the kiss he didn’t go far, his nose bumping affectionately to hers.

/Y’know, I tapped out but yer obviously still bein’ very aggressive towards me,/ he teased with a brief nod towards their positions. /Pretty sure that means I get to start fightin’ back, soon./

/I do./ She hummed back across the link, shivering happily when his hand cupped her neck.

She returned the nose bump with a soft smile and half lidded eyes that shot open and sparkled at his teasing tone. "That's a lot of talk from someone who's been taking this abuse laying down. What'r'you gonna do about it?" She teased right back, leaning close enough to just brush her lips over the bandages where his mouth would be.

/Hm./ Jono pretended to consider, though at the same time the distraction was Very Real, his head automatically tilting to follow her brush of a kiss with one of his own. /This, I guess./

It took some maneuvering, during which Jono kept his arms tight around Jubilee so she couldn’t escape, unable to keep himself from chuckling at either his own cleverness or the turn of events, it wasn’t obvious. He dug his heels into the floor and threw his upper body backwards, the hands he had on Jubilee’s hips tossing her up and neatly over his head. He knew her gymnastics skills well enough that he trusted he wouldn’t drop her on her head, but he was curious to see how it’d go, anyhow.

As soon as he was free of any limbs, Jono quickly pushed himself up to standing again and whirled around, knees bend and hands held up and at the ready, his eyes with the same mischievous sparkle that she should be more than familiar with by now.

She shrieked as she tumbled over his head, tucking hers in and rolling to keep from landing hard on her back.

"JONO!"

She let her momentum take her to just before the far wall and got to her feet with a glare and a grin. "Guess that was you tappin' back in then?" She grumbled as she leaned over to brush imaginary dust off her shorts. Sparkle or no, he was going down for that.

When she came back up she was shaking her head. "Should'a stayed down, Sparky." She figured that close range they'd probably be an even match. He'd still have strength but his reach wouldn't help him any and hopefully her speed would make up for what she lacked in power.

Now she just needed to close the gap without getting K.O.ed in the process. She thought back to her roll from a moment ago and took off at a run, dropping into a summersault just as she entered his reach and rolling between his legs. Once behind him she jumped up, pivoting on her hand so she was facing his back and take advantage of his slight crouch to throw an elbow into his ribs and kick his left foot out from under him.

Not expecting the sudden charge (and still chuckling to himself about the way she’d shrieked his name), Jono stepped in and tried to make a grab for Jubilee as soon as she was in range, missing by a comical mile when she dropped and rolled between the expanse of his long legs. His reach was usually one of his strengths, such that he had a tendency to lean too hard on it and it was a much-needed reminder that it wasn’t as helpful against a smaller, quicker opponent.

The sharp elbow to his ribs was probably the firmest reminder, and Jono let out a grunt of pain as he struggled to keep his balance, using the swing of his left foot forward to turn around awkwardly in place and make another grab for Jubilee instead. A swift mental calculation decided hair-pulling wasn’t “too extreme,” and he grabbed her ponytail firmly in one hand to prevent any further gymnastics as he wrapped his other arm around her waist to pull her against him.

/I don’t even ‘ave a full set of ribs anymore, but you always manage to find ‘em,/ Jono pointed out with some amusement, trying to figure out where he was supposed to go from this point.

She smiled fiercely up at him, ready to jab her fingers into the muscles that connect his arm to his chest, hopefully hard enough to get him to release his hold on her hair. To that end, she started to wriggle her arm free, though the motion had the added effect of drawing attention to how much of their bodies were pressed together and she stopped moving with a slower smile.

"Pulling my hair, Starsmore? Maybe I should'a gone for that safe word after all." She drawled, using the time to catch her breath.

/Jubilee./ Jono’s reply managed to be flat and amused at the same time, not exactly a warning since he wasn’t about to dissuade her from getting closer to him, but unsure what to do with the statement all the same. The look in his eyes was likewise amused if nothing else, and he did let go of her hair in favor of wrapping both arms around her in a tight bear hug.

He was both curious and afraid for himself, when it came to considering how Jubilee might get out of this. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t give her the chance to try.

She giggled for a second and leaned into his chest, cuddling against him while she weighed her options. There were plenty of ways she could think of to make her escape, most of which would probably not endear her to him, which, while not the point of training, was kind of the point of a lot of other things in her life.

So, kick him in the balls, hit the knee that got stomped when those mutant-phobic bastards attacked them, or... she quirked the corner of her mouth up at him. "Jono..." she said, her voice low and teasing as she managed to wriggle her arms around him and gently brushed her fingertips over the small of his back, then fighting off a grin, slid her hands down and grabbed his ass with both hands.

Jono was certainly suspicious of the way Jubilee said his name and cuddled in against him as he tried to keep her otherwise immobile, but even as he was formulating a long list of things she might do and what he could do to counteract, what she actually ended up doing was nowhere on that list. Not even near the bottom. He’d already planned for what he could do if she went for his balls, but two hands with a firm grip on his ass? That had no contingency plan.

Instead, Jono tensed against her in surprise before he let out a short laugh of disbelief, which at least had the helpful effect of his arms unconsciously loosening their hold around her. /Jubilee!/ he all but sputtered, and with nothing to follow that, dissolved into more laughter. /Tha’s definitely fightin’ dirty!/

Jubilee couldn't help the laughter that echoed his, though hers was the only audible one. She gave another squeeze that had nothing to do with escaping before letting go and slipping his grip. At that point all she could manage to do was stand a couple feet away from him and try not to fall over laughing at his gobsmacked expression.

"So worth it." She gasped between giggles. "On so many levels." As the startled expression started to fade she could see the laughter in his eyes and that look made something tighten in her chest. In a couple steps she was back in his space and through the combined efforts of standing on her tip toes and tugging him ever so slightly down with a hand on the back of her neck, nuzzled their noses together. She knew she was taking a chance of ending up back in that same hold, but she couldn't quite help herself. She brushed their cheeks together and nuzzled in just behind his ear. One gentle kiss later she pressed her forehead to his and huffed a laugh at herself. "Sorry, you just looked like, mega-kissable there."

/Hm./ Jono’s eyes turned up in a soft smile, the only hold he put on Jubilee being the way he gently cradled her face in his hands, thumbs brushing her cheeks before he inclined his head to press another soft kiss to her lips.

/Part of me is convinced yer jus’ doin’ this so you can flip me over your shoulder when my guard is down,/ he murmured, his voice a low, comfortable resonance in Jubilee’s head. /An’ the rest of me doesn’t really care if that’s true./ Jono punctuated as much with another light, more playful kiss to her lips.

A blush rose in her cheeks when he cupped her face, and his thumbs brushing over her skin only made it worse. She made a pleased sound at the kiss, a small smile on her lips when they parted.

"That doesn't sound like me at all," she insisted, shaking her head in denial.

"Ok, lies, that totes sounds like me." She laughed and bit her lip looking away self consciously, the blush deepening one last little bit. She reached out for him, hands resting a little awkwardly on his waist. "But it's all super new, right? And um...I'd rather be touching and kissing you than punching and throwing."

/Yeah,/ Jono agreed with a quiet rumble of a chuckle, the smile pretty clear in his eyes as he dusted his thumbs over Jubilee’s cheeks again, quietly and affectionately appreciative of the blush there.

/As much as I enjoy givin’ you the chance to kick my ass, it’s more fun when you grab it./ The mischief in his eyes was as clear as the smile, with the not-so-subtle intent to keep that blush going. It was endearing as hell, Jono decided, and just like she couldn’t resist stepping in for a kiss earlier, he couldn’t resist inclining his head for another right now.

It felt like the temperature in the room went up a couple degrees when he laughed like that, the deep rumbly sound echoing in her head and skipping down her spine. Something about being at the center of his attention made her feel, she didn't even know what to call it, some weird thrilled-vulnerable-excited-nervous-wanted combo-emotion that had her heart pounding faster than the training had.

"I um..." she swallowed hard, her blush going from a warm glow to full on blazing at his teasing because while it was so the kind of impulsive thing she'd do and she stood by its awesomeness, she was still a little embarrassed at having actually done it.

As he leaned in for another kiss she managed to find her words again, grumbling even as she gravitated towards him. "Someday I'm gonna be able to put off kissing you long enough to fight you an' then you'll be in real trouble, Starsmore."

#crouching chamber hidden jubilee: jubilee #short-fuse-long-jacket

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