Face The Music by Underlined Twice

Chapter 1

Jono paused as he passed a door in the mansion. He was going to ask Storm about some homework problems when he heard some sniffling. As he listened, he realized that someone was practically having an emotional breakdown, but he couldn't tell who. He made a note to actually listen to the Professor when he tried to teach Jono how to sense who was around him with his telepathic abilities. Instead, he opened the door and poked his head in. His eyes widened at what he saw, then settled into an expression of seething anger. Paige Guthrie was sitting on the floor an empty classroom sobbing. Her head was down, but Jono doubted she could see him through her tears, even if she were looking straight at him. He wondered whether or not he should try to comfort her. Their relationship hadn't been in a comfortable place since before she went back to Kentucky for a week. They had been avoiding each other more recently, due to Paige's new romantic link with Archangel. How she could stand that pretty boy was beyond Jono's reasoning. However, regardless of his feelings towards the man, Jono could tell that Warren was the reason Paige was crying hysterically.

Jono was about to close the door and walk away when his dreaded sense of honour kicked in, refusing to let him walk away from a friend in need.

Sure, he thought bitterly. A friendHe walked quietly into the room, and Paige didn't even look up. Jono wasn't sure what to do; he never had to comfort someone else before. He settled for kneeling beside her and patting her shoulder. But, as soon as he touched her, Paige launched herself, sobbing, onto his chest. Jono awkwardly put his arms around her and rubbed her back in what he hoped was a soothing manner.

(It's all right, luv,) he murmured. (Always knew the bloke would turn out to be a bastard.) She seemed to be calming down a bit, so he must have been doing something right. Paige didn't let up on the death grip she had his shirt in, though. She rested her forehead on his shoulder and let out a few more shuddering sobs.

(Want to tell me what he did?) Jono asked softly, willing himself not to march up to Warren this very second and blast his head off.

Paige took a few deep breaths as the last of her tears fell out of her eyes and onto Jono's shirt. "He used his fuckin' business as an excuse," she said angrily and sat up a little, wiping off her face. Her Southern accent seemed to be creeping back up on her. "He said 'Ah need to marry someone who will fit in at the company.' The bastard." Jono's figurative heart sank at the mention of marriage. They must have been pretty serious, then, he thought sadly. But Paige was on a roll, and kept on ranting. "We hadn't even talked about marriage before!" Jono's spirits lifted again. "Two insults in one, the fuckwit. First he not so subtly calls me a hick who would be an embarrassment to be seen with! Then he insults my intelligence by pretendin' that marriage had anything to do with it at all! If he wanted to break up, he should've just said so instead of bein' a goddamned coward."

Jono had to fight to remain calm during Paige's angry explanation. Warren always was a coward. Always hiding behind his money or his "Saviour" persona. Now he had hurt one of the sweetest girls in the world.

"An' Ah defended him, too!" Paige was starting to sniffle again. "Jubilee said that he wasn't worth my attention, but Ah defended the bastard!" Tears leaked out of her closed eyes. "Oh, Jono," she said softly. "Ah just feel so stupid." That tore at Jono's heart more than anything else. The fire in his chest was beginning to flare up with his anger.

(Paige, luv?) he said. (You'd better move to one side. I'm starting to heat up.) He tried to shift her away from his chest, but she wouldn't budge.

"No," she sniffled. "You're warm." Jono stopped. No one had mentioned his mutation in a positive way before, much less tried to snuggle up to it. He would have liked to hold her like this forever, but he knew that he couldn't hold his anger back.

(I'm sorry, luv, but I can't let you get hurt.) He unwrapped her arms from around his torso and held her hands for a moment. Paige yawned and sniffled. (Let's get you to bed, princess,) Jono said with a smile in his voice. Paige simply nodded. When she made no move to get up on her own, Jono picked her up in his arms and carried her out into the hallway, and then to her room. Closing the door with his foot, he put her down on her bed. As an afterthought, he took off her shoes and pulled the covers up over her sleeping form. Jono stared at her face for a few minutes. Her eyes were puffy and still slightly blotchy, but she looked incredibly peaceful. Jono wondered how anyone could possibly try to hurt her. It was this thought that brought him back to the issue at hand: Warren Worthington. Jono allowed himself one last look at Paige. He mentally gave a soft sigh and lightly caressed one side of her face with his hand. The entire domesticity of the situation made him slightly giddy. Then he walked out the door and planned to cremate one angel.

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