Disclaimer: I own Susana and Jason, Marvel owns Jono, and no one makes any
money from this story. Sue and ye shall
be disappointed. Janet Jackson owns the
song "Doesn't Really Matter", and someone who is not me owns Second
Story Books.
Notes:
sound
*thought*
} telepathic conversation {
Setting: Washington, Monday morning/afternoon
Jono stepped out of the Dupont Circle metro station and shaded
his eyes while he waited for Susana, who had stopped to check the map she'd
bought in a gift shop along their route.
She bounded up the stairs after him, then scanned the area for street
signs. "Do you see..." she
checked the map again, "P Street?"
She eyed the map suspiciously, then looked up again. Jono took the opportunity to flip the map
open for a more detailed picture of the Dupont Circle neighborhood.
}If we go this way,{ he pointed, extending an arm up the street,
}and then turn right, we should be on the street. What's on P Street anyway?{
"You'll see."
She grinned at him and headed off in the direction he'd pointed. With a resigned shrug, Jono followed, his
long legs allowing him to catch up without much effort. They passed a park, chess tables buzzing
with activity, and a few busy stores.
Jono glanced at the window display of a music store they passed, but
when Susana asked if he wanted to go in, he shook his head and urged her on
towards their destination.
}Too many blonde "pop tarts" in the windows. They're nice scenery, but not music I'd
buy.{ He ducked a light slap, capturing
her wrist so she couldn't try again, and crinkled at her. }Ok, I promise not to do that again. Now, can I get a like promise from you?{
Her eyes sparkled as she imitated a nature show announcer's
voice. "Witness how the female
Xavier's student is able to correct the male through the judicious use of a
well timed bitch-slap.
Fascinating." She shook her arm loose and ducked under his arm,
twirling as she continued to elude him.
"What's wrong, amante?
Wishing you'd joined Kurt and I when we were working the agility
bit?" She stopped, allowing her arm
to be caught again, and they continued walking. She looked up at him, then reached up with her free hand to
smooth his hair back from his face.
With a little hop, she pressed a kiss to the space where bandages met
skin, causing him to stop and look down at her. She grinned.
"What?"
}Just thinkin'.{ He
shook his head and walked on.
"Don't hurt yourself.
Or me...oww. Walk slower, please?"
He looked down in surprise, then crinkled sheepishly and slowed his
pace.
}Sorry about that. We
even now?{
"I suppose...yes, of course we are."
}So, where are we going?{ He raised an eyebrow inquiringly, and
she glared at him.
"I told you...you'll see when you get there." She shook her head and ignored him.
}Can't blame a bloke for tryin', can you?{
"Hmpf. Yes, I
can...but we're here now, so it's a moot point." She stopped in front of a store front, and he looked at the
sign.
}Second Story Books.
Very cool.{ He said the last
rather halfheartedly, and she almost didn't tell him the real reason they were there. A glance at his eyes showed how truly bored
he expected to be, and she took pity on him.
"Don't worry, we're not here for me to browse...follow
me." She headed into the store, weaving between high shelves stacked with
every kind of used book, traveling to the back of the store. They reached a doorway set into a partition,
and Jono stopped cold.
}Holy shite.{ He looked
around the room and was amazed to find a selection of used records that rivaled
the vinyl shop down the street from Susana's apartment. After giving Susana's hand a quick squeeze,
he began scanning the sections of the room, and his eyes lit up when he saw a
sign for UK punk. }I'll...see you
later, ok, gel?{ He was obviously
distracted, so she nodded and headed back into the main part of the store,
figuring he'd send her a message when he was ready to go. Picking a random bookshelf, her eyes flicked
rapidly back and forth across the titles.
She pulled a book from the shelf and settled into an overstuffed sofa to
read. After about fifteen minutes, she
felt someone watching her. She looked
up and met a pair of deep green eyes.
Her gaze flicked briefly up and down the watching guy, and she raised an
eyebrow.
"Sorry...didn't mean to stare." He offered a disarming grin, and she was
mildly abashed that she couldn't stop an answering grin. "Do you...ah...come here
often?" He winced, then
continued. "I'm sorry...that was
such a line, and I really didn't mean it to be. I'm Jason. So, what's so
fascinating today?" He gestured to
the book, which she was nearly finished with.
"Oh, nothing much...just home improvement stuff." She shrugged, and let the book fall
closed. "I'm Susana...a
tourist. So in answer to your question,
no I don't come here often." She
grinned at his sheepish expression, then continued. "Do you?"
He nodded, and a strand of pale blond hair fell across his
eyes. He blew it away from his face,
and grinned again. "I actually
work here." He sank into a chair
beside the sofa and leaned forward.
"Really?"
"Yep...and in my spare time," he accented the
phrase with heavy sarcasm, and Susana laughed, "I'm a student at
Georgetown. Law. Don't hate me!" He held both hands up as if to defend
himself, then lowered them slowly as she laughed.
"Don't worry about it.
This September I start the MBA program at Columbia University. So I'm a soulless corporate wench, on about
the same level as the "bottom-dwelling lawyer types". And in my free time, I teach Spanish
at a boarding school in New York."
"You don't look old enough to teach. Not to be rude or anything." He raised
a placating hand so she wouldn't take offense.
"And your accent...you don't sound Spanish..."
"Well, I've been speaking Spanish since...just about birth,
actually. My mama was born and raised
in Mexico." She shrugged. "It's not so tough to teach it. And it's the least I can do- I live at the
school part of the time anyway. For
them to bring in another person to teach...or, God forbid, to give Ange the
class, would be pointless. The accent,
though, is cause of where I grew up.
New Orleans, and Australia."
She flicked at a strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail, then
stretched, turning to see if Jono had emerged from the music room. *Of course not. You'll probably have to drag him out kicking and cussing.* She turned back as Jason spoke.
"That's cool, about your accent. So, tell me...this Ange a friend of yours?" The emphasis he put on 'friend' made it
clear that he wasn't referring to the innocent, platonic sense of the word.
"Well, yes, he's a friend...but not the way you
meant." His eyes lit up, and she
hurried to get the next sentence out.
"My fiancée is around here somewhere...sorting through piles of
dusty vinyl, no doubt. He's, like, a
complete music freak. He's British,
y'know?" *God, could I possibly
sound any ditzier?*
"Uhh...yeah, I know."
His face had clouded over, and she could sense his disappointment
without even trying to read his thoughts.
She felt bad that he was disappointed...but what help was there for
it? Just then, she felt a hand on her
shoulder. She turned and greeted Jono
with a sunny smile.
"Find anything good?"
She looked at the small stack of records he held in his other hand and
snorted. "Obviously so. Whatcha got? Oops...I'm being rude, aren't I?
Jono, this," she indicated the blond man, "is Jason- he works
here, and Jason, this is my fiancée, Jono." She turned to Jono and squeezed the hand he was resting on her
shoulder. "You ready to go,
hon?" He nodded, and she
stood. "nice meeting you,
Jason. Don't let law school kill
you."
"Don't let those Columbia people kill you, either. Enjoy the rest of your trip!" Jason turned and headed into a back section
of the shop, looking for a new customer to hit on. Susana and Jono paid, then headed back out onto the street.
Susana checked her watch, then looked up at Jono. "Want to go back now?" He shrugged, then turned and walked back
towards the metro station, leaving her to follow at her leisure. }Jono, you ok?{ She reached up to grab his hand, then drew back with a hurt look
when he made no effort to slow down or make it easier for her to catch his
hand. She sent out a small telepathic
feeler as she hurried after him, and was pained at the emotions it picked up on.
*Geez, querido, try to feel something happy, will ya? All I'm getting here is regret that you're
not like boring book guy back there. And
he was...well, boring! Hmm....* She followed him down the stairs and into a nearly
empty Metro car. This particular car
was set up with seats along each wall and bars for the passengers who
stood. Jono sat in a seat on the side
opposite the open door, so Susana plopped down across from him, along the wall
near the platform. He didn't look up
until the next stop, where he scanned the people passing by outside the train. When they pulled out of the station, the car
they were in was empty except for a teenage boy with a skateboard and a harried
woman with a toddler; all of them were sitting at the opposite end of the car.
Susana began to hum softly, growing slightly louder until she
was sure she had his attention. She
hummed her way through the chorus, wanting to give him enough time to place the
song on his own, then she began to sing, softly but clearly.
It
doesn't matter if they won't accept you
I'm accepting of you and the things you do
Just as long as it's you
Nobody but you, baby, baby
My love for you, unconditional love too
Gotta get up, get up
Get up, get up, get up and show you that it
Doesn't
really matter what the eye is seeing
Cause I'm in love with the inner being
And it doesn't really matter what they believe
What matters to me is you're in love with me.
She looked up at him and grinned across the aisleway as she
danced in her seat, bouncing to the beat in her mind and humming along to the
tune.
Doesn't
matter if you're feeling insecure
Doesn't matter if you're feeling so unsure
Cause I'll take away the doubt within your heart
And show that my love will never hurt or harm
More dancing in place.
She looked up and was gratified to note that he had an amused look in
his eyes, and that he was definitely smiling.
The corners of his eyes were crinkling, and both eyebrows were slightly
raised.
Doesn't
matter what they say
Cause you know I'm gonna love you anyway
Doesn't matter what they do
Cause my love will always be with you
}You ok over there?{ She
tilted her head diagonally and watched him, looking for all the world like a
curious puppy. He crinkled more and
tapped the seat next to him.
Susana glanced up and down the car, which was now quite empty,
since it was a weekday and most people were at work. With a devilish grin, she stood and crossed the aisle. She planted her feet on the outsides of
Jono's feet and braced her hands on his shoulders, then leaned forward until
her knees hit the edge of the seat, her forehead bumped his lightly, and her
nose was a fraction of an inch from his.
"Have your insecurities been sufficiently soothed, my
dear?" She lifted a hand from his
shoulder and traced it lightly down his side as she asked the question.
}Well, yes...but while you're doin' that, there's something else
you could soothe....{ He wrapped his
arms around her waist and pulled her against him on the seat. }But I'm sure that can wait till we get back
to the hotel.{
She nodded, then looked up at the map overhead. "We're the next stop. And, regardless of the words to that song, my
eyes quite like what they're seeing.
You're the whole package...way more than just a pretty personality."
She grinned impudently at him and brushed her lips against his wraps. With a grinding protest, the train began
slowing, and she slid off his lap and onto her feet. Pulling him up from the seat, she crossed to the door and waited
impatiently. She was chanting something
under her breath, and when Jono leaned forward to hear what she was saying, she
turned her head and brushed a quick kiss against his ear, then whispered "playtime,"
and darted out through the widening gap between the doors. Jono shook his head and crinkled indulgently,
then followed her out of the station.