Disclaimer: Yep, I own Susana, and that's about it

Disclaimer: Yep, I own Susana, and that's about it. Go me. Huffamoose owns the song, Marvel owns the recognizable mutant types.


Notes:

sound
*thought*
} telepathic conversation {

Setting: Later that evening, back in Westchester.

Jono set the guitar aside and stood when he heard the limo pull up to the door. He walked across the room to the window, where he could look down and over and have a clear view of the circular section of the driveway. From this spot, he watched as the occupants of the limo spilled out, carrying various packages and bags. Susana spoke briefly to the driver, then cast a mental line out to find Jono.

}Hey, love. Meet me in the foyer, will you?{ She looked up at the window he was standing in, then grinned when he disappeared from view. *Good. Now he won't see his present...and hopefully he'll stay outta my mind till tomorrow, when I give it to him. I'm so glad the professor said I could set it up in that little room across the hall. If it had to go in our room....* She shuddered at the thought, then began digging in her purse for the camera so she could show Jono her dress.

When Jono walked into the entryway, Susana was glaring down at the viewscreen of the camera. }What's wrong, luv?{

"Damn thing is being weird. We found a dress and I have pictures so I can send them to my mom and Nat and Claud andnowIcan'tgetthemtoshowupsoIcanshowyou!" Everything from the names of her ex-roommates on came out in the same breath, and when she stopped to catch another breath, Jono pulled her to him and wrapped an arm around her.

}Calm down, gel. D'you remember what it looked like?{ She nodded without looking up, and he reached between them to gently push her chin up. He brushed her lips with the pad of his thumb, and crinkled down at her. }Show me.{

She closed her eyes and smiled against his thumb, then began sifting through the images of the gown that she'd filed away in her memory. She opened a small telepathic connection between them, and images of the gown in the shop flashed through, interspersed with images of the gown as she imagined it would look when she actually wore it. Through everything she was sending, there was a common thread of simultaneous joy and apprehension. Eventually, the images slowed to a trickle rather than a rush, and she opened her eyes. "Like it?"

}S'beautiful. What else did you gels do?{ She looked down and hoped fervently that he was staying safely out of her mind. She wanted his present to be a surprise. The evil grin from earlier reappeared as she turned and caught Jubilee's eye.

"Oh, nothing much. We did look at the baby clothes section of Macy's, though...and Jubes found the cutest little miniature raincoat!" Angelo paled visibly and headed outside for a cigarette. Jubilee choked back laughter and followed him.

}Yer kidding, right?{ There was a definite tinge of alarm in Jono's eyes, and she giggled.

"Nope. Jubes did find a really cute raincoat...but that was while we were waiting for the others to convince Jean that it was time to leave. Don't worry; parenthood is not imminent. We just wanted to scare Ange."

}And me.{ he raised an eyebrow, daring her to dispute his words. She grinned sheepishly and nodded.

"Well...yeah. You, too. Would you really be upset?" She tilted her head sideways and looked up at him.

}Not...not upset. Unprepared and a bit worried, yes, but not upset. I dunno. I like kids, but I don't think either of us is up for parenthood just yet. Now, let me take a look at the camera...I did buy it fer myself, even if you stole it from me that same day.{ Wordlessly, she handed over the camera and watched as he turned it over, checking the position of switches and the settings on the screen. }Here's the problem. This switch must've gotten bumped somehow.{ He flicked it, and the screen was filled with a picture of Susana and Jubilee striking a pose suited to the pages of any fashion magazine. }Gonna send this one to Vogue or somethin'? "What the well-dressed mutant bride is wearin' this spring"...I can see the feature now.{

Susana shook her head at him, then took the camera. "and what did you do today? Hmm?" She turned back to face him, then poked him in the stomach with the corner of the camera, accentuating the action with lightsaber sound effects from the previous night's Star Wars marathon. Jono watched her with a slightly suspicious expression, then grabbed her wrist when she went to poke at him again.

}You done?{

She bit her lip, considering, then nodded slowly and looked up. "Well? What'd you do?"

}Nothin' much, worked with the professor on refining my control. He says he thinks I'm getting' better at controlling the blasts and the energy in general...and I'm going to try the flying- like Ev could do when he synched with me- later on tonight, when there's less chance of being seen.{

"I see...you have a new mutant gift, it seems. We have among us...The Master of Understatement. Nothin' much, my ass!" She gave a disgruntled huff, then smiled. "Seriously, though, that's wonderful. You are getting better as far as control goes, have been since I met you."

}How d'you figure?{

"Well...did ya blow up the Academy mansion while we were both there?" He shook his head, and she continued. "Our room- hell, that whole wing of the mansion- has stayed mostly whole...and when it hasn't, has it been your fault?"

}Well....{ He began, then stopped. }You know, you're right. I haven't slipped up since we got here.{

"And that's been 3 years and some." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek, then turned to the stairs. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go email these to Mama, Nat, and Claud. You gotta let me go before I can do that." She turned back to him and gave his stomach another experimental poke, then shrieked with laughter as he picked her up, carried her upstairs, and sat down in the chair at her computer desk. Settling her securely on his lap, he watched as she connected a cable to the camera and tapped a few keys to load the pictures onto the computer, then opened the Internet connection and began tacking pictures onto a short email. She tapped out a rhythm on the edge of the desk while she waited for the pictures to load, then stopped when he began lazily tracing a fingertip up her arm, across her shoulder, and along the hairline at the base of her neck. She tipped her head back, trapping his hand, then reached behind her to capture it more effectively.

"You're being playful. What's up with that?" She turned slightly so she could look at him, and he reached up to her chin to tilt it back towards the laptop screen.

}Nothing...can't I be affectionate without it making the news?{ His tone was defensive, and a little hurt, and- still facing the computer screen- she reached back with her free hand to give his waist a slight squeeze.

"It's not that it bothers me. It's just...a change, is all. It's nice." She tucked her chin to her chest to dislodge his hand, then gave his thumb a slight nip when he tried to tilt her chin back up. Her reaction amused him, so he continued trying to move her chin, tickling lightly along her jaw and the side of her neck until she broke down in giggles. "Quit that, you dork! You're making me all twitchy!"

}Oh, so I'm a dork now, am I? Guess I'll just go dig out an ancient computer manual...maybe some taped glasses, and a pocket protector. Costuming, y'know? I'm sure we've got that stuff somewhere around here.{

"Don't you dare, Starsmore. I told you before that you're too sexy to be a Boy Scout...and you're definitely not cut out for bein' a dork. You're just incredibly..."

}Sexy, right? 'At's what you're gonna say, isn't it?{ He raised an eyebrow and pretended to slide a pair of reading glasses down the bridge of his nose to peer at her. The gesture reminded her so much of Hank that she laughed herself breathless at it before reaching back and poking him lightly in the side.

"I was going for infuriating, maybe persistently annoying...but I think sexy'll do. Or maybe conceited would suit you better. Actually, I'm quite certain it would." A prompt flashed on the computer screen, and she tapped a button to make it go away. "Excuse me, sir...but what, exactly, do you think you're doing?" He undid another shirt button, then looked up at her.

}Taking back my shirt.{ The way he answered made it seem perfectly normal...which, she supposed, it would be- if the shirt weren't on her at the moment.

"And you can't wait until I change, and...Oh, I dunno. Wash the shirt, perhaps?"

}I could, yes. Don't particularly want to, though. I'll admit, I've got more than a passing interest in what's under the shirt.{

"Mighty honest of you to share that." A distinctive sound rang out, drawing her attention back to the computer, which had uploaded and sent all of her pictures. She turned completely towards the screen, closed the Internet connection, and pushed the chair back from the desk so she could stand facing it. She propped a hand on her hip and waved the other hand at the shirt's remaining buttons expectantly. "Well? You don't seem to have your shirt back yet...so why the pause?"

}Just thinkin'.{ He shrugged and looked down, then blinked in surprise as she hooked a finger into the neck of his shirt and leaned her head to his ear. }huh?{

"Think later, you bloody annoying Limey bastard. You've started something...and it'd be quite ungentlemanly not to finish it." She ran the edge of a nail lightly along the edge of his ear, then grinned as she felt a tugging on the finely woven cotton of the shirt. Without looking, she fumbled on the desk until she came up with a remote control. Pressing a button, she hit play and dropped the remote back onto piles of papers covering the desk. Slightly jangly guitar filled the air, followed shortly by a more conventional guitar piece and an almost raspy voice.

move back just a little let me watch your hips sway
hold me looser still throw me like I'm wet clay
and you a feast I devour
if you let me be the man of the hour
cause you are rhythm I'm a cold shower

baby wait baby wait I'm reaching in your pocket baby wait
baby wait it's coming
wait baby wait I'm deeper in your pocket baby now
baby now it's coming

Susana took a cue from the lyrics and pulled on the pocket of Jono's jeans, tugging him closer to her and across the room, towards the bed.

private figure skater I love when your eyes fix
up and down figure eighter you stick with the old tricks
and you alone my soul entrancer
let me be your private dancer
cause you got moves motion me an answer

baby wait baby wait I'm reaching in your pocket baby wait
baby wait it's coming
wait baby wait I'm deeper in your pocket baby now
baby now it's coming

carnival hazy eyes tango lovers tranquilize
in patterned prances secret glances
of high strung tip toe fringe of a taut brown leather
strikes me down with the weight of a feather

we'll be moving love forever together

baby wait baby wait I'm reaching in your pocket baby wait
baby wait it's coming
wait baby wait I'm deeper in your pocket baby now
baby now it's coming

strikes me down with the weight of a feather

The bedframe creaked softly in protest as both Susana and Jono collapsed onto it, and Logan, who was carrying a speaker into the room Susana had acquisitioned for Jono's present, grinned broadly around his ever present cigar. *looks like she's got him well and truly distracted. Good thing, since she wants this stuff secret from him and he could likely pick up on my thoughts if he wanted to.* He settled the speaker into a corner of the room, then headed downstairs to antagonize Scott.