Disclaimer: Nope, I don't
own anything new here. Just
Susana. Don't sue, please.
Notes:
sound
*thought*
} telepathic conversation {
Setting:
Back at the mansion. 12:15 AM.
The
Jeep slowed as it wound its way down the driveway, then came to a complete stop
outside the garage. Turning the engine
off, Jono tilted his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. He straightened, opening his eyes as he
reached to open the door. Sliding out,
he pocketed the keys and pressed his door closed, then walked to Susana's door
and opened it. }Wake up, gel, we're
home.{
She
snuffled quietly, then jerked her head up abruptly, nearly hitting him in the
nose. "Huh? What? Oh..yeah, home. Right, sorry." She groaned. "Jono, my head hurts. Bad.
I don't think I'm up for a walk right now."
}S'ok. It's cold out anyway. You want to just sit in the den for a
while?{
"Sounds
good, as long as I get to go put on PJ's first. Meet you there in 10," she groaned again and put a hand to the side
of her head "No, better make that 15 or 20 minutes." He helped her clamber out of the Jeep, then walked her up to the
door and pushed it open in front of her.
He accompanied her to the stairway to the girls' dorm, then watched her
until she stepped off of the stairs. As
soon as she was safely to her floor, he hurried to the basement and threw on
his own pajamas.
Arriving
in the den, he went to a cabinet under the entertainment center and pulled out
a blanket, which he dropped over the arm of the tan leather couch. Picking a
magazine out of the basket by the door, he settled down to read and wait.
"is
this a private party, or can anyone join?"
He looked up to see Susana, clad in satin PJ pants and a white tank top,
slumped against the doorframe looking freshly scrubbed and very tired. He leaned forward and dropped the magazine
on the coffee table, then sat back and patted the soft leather beside him.
}Have
a seat. I swear I won't bite.{
She
sat down and gave him a withering glance.
"Very funny, Starsmore. So,
didja have fun tonight?"
}Yes,
I actually did. Surprised?{
"Not
in the least. I knew you'd enjoy The Boot once you got over the fact that you
were at a country bar." She smiled
wanly at him, then hugged her arms to herself and began rubbing her arms. "Does that offer of warmth still stand?"
}Certainly
does. And if you want, there's a
blanket down on the end of the couch there.{
"Thought
of everything, didn't you?" She stood, walked to the middle of the room and
flapped the blanket open, then wrapped it tightly around herself and wobbled
carefully back to the couch. Collapsing in a graceless heap on the couch, she
gradually inched her way towards his outstretched arm.
}Of
course. "Be prepared" is a popular
phrase here, innit?{
"Maybe
if you're a Boy Scout, it is..." She eyed him dubiously. "You don't look much like a Boy Scout to
me...Nah."
}Why
not? I don't look that disreputable, do
I?{ He gave her a wounded look.
"Not
disreputable. You're too sexy for the
Boy Scouts." Despite her headache, she
had to laugh at his reaction. His eyes
widened, and she was sure if he had a jaw it would have dropped. "What?
You can't say no one's ever told ya you were sexy before. I refuse to believe it."
}Well,
yeah...but that was before.{
"Point
being? You're still Jono Starsmore,
guitarist and master of angst."
He
looked at her skeptically, then changed the subject. }You said you were going to explain what went on at the club when
we got back here. Still planning on
that?{
"Oh,
yeah...I did say that, didn't I?" Her
blanket wrap was making it difficult for her to remain in an upright seated
position- she kept sliding off the edge of the couch, and she squirmed, trying
to get into a position she could stay in.
Seeing her problem, he reached out and pulled her across his lap. She scowled at him, then settled in when it
became apparent he wasn't planning on letting her go any time soon.
}Well?{
"Hold
your horses, buddy. I'm trying to think
of what I want to say here. Ok, here
goes. Did you hear the song that came
on right before I started with my little fit?"
He shook his head negatively.
"well, anyway...that was the song my ex Sean and I called "our"
song. First time I'd understood the
appeal of having a song you shared with someone, you know?"
He
stared off at nothing, remembering his life before the accident, before the
mansion, back when he was just a promising young musician with a devoted,
loving girlfriend. }Yeah, I know the
feeling.{ Shaking off the wisps of
depression that were sliding along the edges of his mind, he concentrated on
her.
"Well,
I guess I haven't really dealt well with what happened, so that's why I reacted
that way to the song."
}What
did happen?{
"Oh
yeah, I forget I haven't told anyone but Jubes." She proceeded to tell him the same story she'd told Jubilee a few
days before. However, this time she'd
had a bit to drink, she hadn't had a chance to meditate and calm herself, and
she hadn't gotten over the shock of hearing the song. By the time she finished her tale, she had buried her head
against his chest and was sobbing. Jono
shifted her weight on his lap, then began alternately stroking her hair and
rubbing her back.
After
a few minutes, she sat up and smiled ruefully at him. "I'm sorry...I kinda made a mess of your shirt."
}Don't
worry about it. It'll wash.{ He looked down and almost cringed. *Damn.*
There was a large tear spot right over the Nine Inch Nails logo on the
shirt's front. *Oh well...this -just
normal companionship- is worth more than any concert shirt,* he thought,
continuing to rub her back. He was so
engrossed in his activity that he almost jumped when he looked up and saw her
wide brown eyes fixed on him. }Hmmm?{
"Nothin...well,
just this." She'd managed to extricate
her arm from the blanket. She wrapped
it around his neck pulled herself up so they were eye-to-eye. Leaning forward, she rubbed the base of his
neck and pressed her nose lightly against his.
}Sorry, dear, but unless you want to meet in the Astral Plane, this is
the best I can do as far as kisses go...{
}While
that sounds like a good idea for some other time, I don't much feel like making
the effort. This is definitely nice
enough for me,{ The corners of his eyes crinkled, and she returned the smile. He held her until the grandfather clock in
the mansion's foyer sounded a deep tone.
"Wow...is
it really one o'clock?"
}Fraid
so, luv. Think we should go to
bed? I mean, our respective
beds...unless you'd like otherwise...{
He couldn't keep the hopeful tone out of his 'voice'.
"Yeah,
I'm pretty tired...mini-breakdowns really take it outta ya, don't they?"
}Indeed. Want me to carry you to your room so you
don't get cold?{ He gave her a
deceptively innocent look.
"I
should slap you, or something. I would if
I was devotedly PC...but not having to get cold on the way to bed sounds really
good. Yeah, I think I'll take you up on
that, if you don't mind."
}It's
my pleasure,{ he said, adjusting his arms under her and standing up. }Have you got yer arms free?{ She nodded.
}Ok, why don't you wrap them around my neck to keep yerself
stable.{ She complied with his
instruction, and he stepped out into the hallway.
When
they arrived at her room, she bumped the door open with her feet. He crossed the room to her couch, then laid
her down and smoothed the blanket around her.
Pressing his nose to hers, he whispered into her mind. }G'night, luv. Sleep tight.{
"You
too. I really did have fun...and I
liked dancing with you." She smiled
sleepily at him.
}Maybe
we should try again next week?{
"I'd
like that. You can pick what club we go
to this time. And hey, we can go for
that Chinese food...how are you with chopsticks?"
}Dangerous. I wouldn't put you at such risk.{ He stepped back from the couch, watching as
she fought to remain awake. }Goodnight,
Susana.{
"'Night,
Jono. See you in th' mornin'." She gave up the battle to keep her eyes
open, and they drifted shut.
He
walked silently from the room, waiting until he was almost to the bottom of the
basement stairs before letting himself think of what a surprisingly good time
he'd had. *Yeah, that was definitely an
experience worth repeating. Now where
did I put that laundry basket? This
shirt needs to get washed tomorrow.*
Stripping off the shirt, he dropped it into the basket and collapsed in
an exhausted heap on his bed.
