fandomtownies | The Park, Sunday Morning

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The Park, Sunday Morning

Rain. Of course it was raining. And cold. It being nearly summer back home (and he was using the word 'home' very loosely, these days) didn't mean a hell of a lot when it came to Jonothon's return to Fandom. The trees were telling him that it was autumn. The last bit of snow underfoot was being eaten away by the rain.

At least he wasn't barefoot, he supposed. And he wasn't so stupid as to sit on the bench by the pond, today. He'd found himself a spot with enough cover by the trees that he could stand and think over his options while the rain minded its own business everywhere else. There was a list of things as long as his arm that he knew that he needed to do, and if he could actually manage to settle on any one thing as being more important than the rest, then...

Then...

He sighed, closed his eyes, and leaned back against the tree trunk. He'd figure it out. In a bit, he'd figure it out. For now, he was just going to listen to the rain and breathe.

[Open park, crappy weather!]

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Raven wasn't sure why she didn't just teleport instead of walking in the rain, but she just went with her gut and was now passing through the park on her way to the shuttle to the Renaissance Faire. She had her hood up and her cloak pulled around her as she hurried through, then came to a sudden stop as she sensed a familiar emotional signature nearby.

"Jono?" she called, looking around for him with a smile. She'd been hoping he would make it back to Fandom for Halloween.

Raven.

Jono's back pressed against the tree trunk for a moment, his heart pounding in his ears. Not going to panic. He wasn't. He'd come face to face with Apocalypse in his mad cult's den, and he hadn't panicked. Why was it that a girl could make his insides try to turn themselves inside-out like this?

He didn't say anything. He wouldn't know what to say. But he did pull in a deep breath, square his shoulders, and step out from the treecover, pulling the collar on his coat up over the bottom of his face before reaching from behind her to rest his hand on her shoulder.

His heart felt like it was bleeding. He'd nearly forgotten that they could do that.

Raven whirled around and flung her arms around him with a delighted squeal, hugging him close. The grey and gloom of the morning meant she didn't note the change in his skin tone from the part of his face she could see, though a confused little corner of her brain did register the fact that he seemed more solid now.

Still, she was sending kisses as she always did as she clung to him, babbling happily. "I am so glad you could come! I had hoped you would be here for Halloween so I could show you my costume. Kenzi helped me pick it out. It is very much not as I usually dress but that is the point, is it not?"

But she couldn't ignore what she felt, not just his body but his emotions, the anxiety and uncertainty, and she clung even harder. "What is wrong?" she said softly, even as her gifts were telling her some of the story. He was different, he had changed. "What has happened?"

He exhaled, now, a shuddery breath as he reached tentative arms to finally wrap around her, in turn.

"I..."

He had no idea where the hell to start. Maybe just that syllable was better than nothing, though?

He wanted to turn and run and hide, but his knees weren't cooperating, and his arms seemed pretty hell-bent on staying put right where they were.

She immediately registered that his voice wasn't in her mind; it was in her ears. Slowly she lifted her head to look at his face, somehow already knowing what she was going to see. The fuzzy memories of their future selves, and the beautiful little girl who used blue lipstick to make herself look like her daddy filled her mind...but that was still far off in the future, wasn't it? It couldn't be happening now. It was too soon, far too soon.

Her fingers brushed his cheek as she lifted one hand to his face, and she tugged gently at the collar of his coat so she could see his whole face. Whole face. Scars and wrappings gone, grey skin and blue lips. "Oh, Azar," she whispered. "Jono...."

He couldn't breathe. Every little force in the universe was grabbing at his chest and pressing in on it now, as his lips pulled into a tight frown, as his eyes shut tight and the chill of the rain tried to slice through him.

Pity. It was going to be pity, here, wasn't it? And that would hurt a thousand times more than any hate or fear that people might throw his way back in his own world. At least he'd earned those. He deserved them.

But, lord, he couldn't handle being pitied.

"I didn't run."

But he wanted to, right now. So, so much.

Raven stared at him in shock, struggling momentarily with a host of emotions. Relief and gratitude that he was here and hadn't run like his future self. Compassion and fear at what he must have gone through. Rage at the ones who had likely done this to him, since she remembered what he'd told her about Apocalypse. And rage at the X-Men for not telling her that something was wrong. Guilt for not being there.

But most of all there was love. His appearance had changed, but that hadn't, and that was what was most important. She pushed the rest aside as she caressed his cheek. "I would have chased you," she said. "I would have never let you go. I love you, Jono."

There was a lump somewhere in his throat that he couldn't quite swallow, now. So he opened his mouth to speak, again. And mostly just found himself clamping his jaw shut again, wrestling back a sob. Shame. God, on top of the guilt, now there was shame.

If Cable hadn't brought him here, he probably would have written that damn letter. Would have tried, at least.

"'M sorry," he found himself muttering, pulling her to his chest and pressing his face into her hair and breathing her in. "You were right. 'M sorry, Raven..."

She'd been worried. She'd had every reason to be.

"I did not want to be," Raven said, fighting back tears. Her voice was muffled against his chest, and she hoped it would hide the hitch in her voice. Two futures had show them this, but to believe it had to happen meant she had to believe in her own twisted possible future, and she refused to do that. But she could never fully shake the lingering fear that she wouldn't be there for him when he needed her.

She was here now. She couldn't prevent the transformation, but she could help him deal with it in whatever way she could. She knew what it was like to have blood running through your veins that you didn't want.

"Do not apologize," she said, trying to keep her voice strong and sure. "You are here now, and that is what matters. And I am here for you."

"Okay." Tiny nod. Tight clinging. Careful tight clinging all the same. He was a fair bit stronger than he'd ever been between Weapon X training and the changes that the blood made to his body, and even if fire wasn't an issue, the last thing he wanted was to hurt her. "I... Okay. Thank you."

He had a million more things he wanted to say. And had no idea where to start.

"It is cold and wet out here," Raven said. She had things she wished to say and ask as well, but she focused on the practical first. She wanted him to feel as safe and comfortable as she could make him to ease some of his anxiety.

"Let us get out of this rain," she said. "Are you hungry? Do you have a place to stay? And then we may talk."

"... A bit hungry," Jonothon admitted, after a moment taken to actually consider what it was that hungry even felt like. "I was going to go looking for work and a place to stay at some point today, but I won't be sleeping on park benches or anything like that, if it comes down to it."

He could crash in one of the abandoned warehouses!

... Or just ask Cable if he and Deadpool wouldn't mind him stealing a corner for a few days. Though he really didn't want to impose. There was his pride at work again, or what was left of it.

"You know I would not allow that," Raven said, giving him a gentle smile. She'd kidnap him to her dorm room before she'd let that happen, no matter how much he protested.

"I could get a room at the hotel, and we could have some food brought up for us," she suggested, sensing he likely wasn't quite ready to just stroll into one of the restaurants in Fandom for something to eat.

"You don't need to..." He cut himself off before he could form too much of a protest, and then eased back a little, shrugging. "I mean, I'd be just as happy getting takeout somewhere, or..."

He shrugged again.

He wasn't a charity case. He wasn't going to let himself be. But this was his girlfriend, offering to spend time with him. Not some bleeding heart stranger dragging him to a food bank.

"Whatever you think is best. But I'm still going to look for work today, if anything's open at all."

There. A compromise. Something that would let his dignity make a little leeway for him.

She was going to be reluctant to let him out of her sight, but Pride she understood. And she knew she was going to need to go find Karla or someone she could hold on to when she gave way to the emotions churning inside her.

"Takeout would be fine, if you would not mind enjoying it in Lady Aphrodite's office," she offered. "Whichever you prefer." Either would offer warmth and privacy to talk. The store should be closed, and 'Dite's old office was cozy and comfortable.

"That would work," Jono decided, nodding just a little. It didn't involve the cost of a hotel room. The food could be quick and cheap, so he wouldn't have to worry about being a burden any more than he already was. "I don't need anything fancy, luv."

An umbrella, maybe.

Whatever.

"It's... not even Halloween, yet?"

He could assume that an entire year hadn't gone by yet, here. Raven wasn't freaking the hell out at him, after all.

"It has only been a week since Homecoming," Raven said, shaking her head. "Halloween is tomorrow."

She wanted to ask him how long it had been -- more than just a few weeks, she could tell -- but questions could wait until they were inside. "Come," she said, drawing away and slipping her hand into his. "We will go to the store and I will order food to be delivered to us there. Do you have any preference for what kind?"

"Something..." His hand tightened around hers for a moment. Only a week. It had only been a week. "... Something. Chinese, maybe. Or Thai. Chinese has more vegetarian options, though, doesn't it?"

He had no idea. He'd eat pretty much anything that was set in front of him at this point, and either he'd like it, or he'd decide that everything was about as appetizing as sand and he'd eat it anyhow because if he didn't, he'd be hungry, and she'd be more worried than she already was.

"I would be satisfied with either," Raven said. She squeezed his hand back, sending him a gentle pulse of comfort and love. "I am very fond of vegetarian Pad Thai."

She started to walk them toward the store, all thoughts of the Renaissance festival forgotten, and thanking Azar she'd walked through the park that morning instead of being lazy and teleporting. 'Dite's was only a block or so away (and thankfully not on Apocalypse Ave), so it would not take them long to get there.

At least the walk was short. Standing under the cover of the trees was fine and well, but actually being out in the October rain was bringing an uncomfortable chill clear through to his bones that he hadn't really felt in ages.

"Then... that," he agreed, his shoulders bunching forward a little as they walked, his free hand reaching to turn the collar on his coat up again. Weather or none, he wasn't really in the mood to parade around, showing off his new look just yet.

Fortunately Fandom was fairly quiet and empty, and they didn't encounter anyone on the short trip to 'Dite's shop. The store was dark, but there was enough light from the outside that Raven didn't need to turn on any lights to guide them to Aphrodite's old office. The goddess had done counseling there, so that room was very cozy and welcoming.

"Please, take off your coat and sit down," Raven said, indicating the couch. She shed her cloak, draping it over the back of the chair in front of 'Dite's desk, and dug for her phone in her bag. "Is there anything in particular you would like, or should I just order several things to try? And then I will see if I can find you a towel."

"Surprise me," Jono replied, mostly because for the life of him, he couldn't remember what he really liked, anyhow. So many of the things he'd done under the Weapon X program were things that weren't really him at all. He wasn't going to trust any of it. Not just yet. "I'm not terribly choosy, Sunshine."

That statement came with the barest attempt at a smile, visible just for a moment as he pulled his coat off and draped it over her cloak.

After calling in the order to Taste of Thai, Raven quickly searched around until she found a towel -- a very fluffy, very pink one. It'd work well enough to dry his head, at least, though she gave Jono an apologetic smile as she handed it to him, then sat down on the couch.

"Do you wish to talk?" she asked quietly. "How long has it been for you? How...what happened?"

Jono towelled off at least, leaving his hair sticking up in awkward directions all it wanted to before balling the towel up in his hands and making his way to sit, as well.

"Wouldn't know where to start," he admitted, still not quite able to look up. "Better part of a year, I think. I lost track for some of it. Couldn't find out if I wanted to, for a bit, too. World went straight to hell, somewhere in there..."

She shifted toward him, moving one hand to clasp his while her other arm slipped around his back. "The beginning," she prompted gently, trying to get a feel for if he really wanted to talk about it yet. She wanted to know, but she wouldn't push for details if he wasn't ready.

"What happened when you left the island after Homecoming?" she asked.

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