#I recon she still tries to put some effort in and do Make-up n stuff

[wisecrackingeric-2]

If I wasn’t so GODDAMN BUSY I would absolutely go full self indulgent mode and make funky lil “civilian” designs for each of the re characters in re4r

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

The New Girl

Summary: The guys decide reader’s age gap with them will come in handy on a case and she’s not happy about it...

Pairing: Dean x reader

Word Count: 2,000ish

Warnings: language, mention of suicides

A/N: No hate to anyone in sororities, just used it as a conduit for the plot...

This was stupid, this was stupid, this was stupid.

“Y/N, you’ll fit in just fine,” said Sam, the morning at the motel not as pleasant as you’d hoped. Dean was having the time of his life, watching you trade in your angel blade for textbooks. Not that you didn’t have the angel blade still but that was beside the point.

You’d done college once, earlier than most since you were a “gifted” student or some crap like that. You fell in love with hunting though. It’d been five years since you set foot on a college campus. But apparently despite not being too much older than the girls you were investigating made you the perfect person for recon.

“Dean,” you had pleaded. “I’m not one of those girls. I never was. I don’t know how to be a sorority girl.”

“Says the chick in her twenties, rocking a messy bun, fleece, leggings, fuzzy socks and a pair of boots. You’re right sweetie, you’ll never pull this off,” said Dean, giving you a wink.

“You just have to be one of my professors too, don’t you?” you said, eyeing him up and down. “How am I supposed to not look at you the way I do?”

“Pretend I’m like any other man that’s too old for you,” he said, your jaw snapping shut. Dean lifted his head up from the book he had his nose in when you didn’t respond. “Y/N...”

“It’s fine, Dean,” you said, pulling on a black backpack. “I got to head to class and stuff. I’ll text you later.”

“Y/N,” said Dean, standing as you gave a wave without looking back. “Why am I so stupid?”

“You don’t really want me to answer that do you?” shouted Sam from the bathroom.

“Shut up. Go investigate while I got try to teach a class to a bunch of hungover college kids,” said Dean, grabbing his bag as well and heading out the door.

You’d moved into the sorority house earlier that morning, not bothering with putting anything in it really apart from a few stereotypical things. Your roommate was nice, nicer than you expected and she looked studious. Maybe you’d get something out of her when you got back to the house after classes.

“...I see you all were on unit four, correct?” said a familiar voice as you opened the classroom door. You knew you were a few minutes late, getting lost but you hoped Dean wouldn’t say anything about it. “Who are you?”

You would have laughed if Dean hadn’t sounded so serious. This was the man that knew your darkest secrets, the ones no other living soul had ever heard, the man you’d spent countless nights curled up with. 

“Y/N Y/L/N,” you said, looking for an empty seat and finding one near the front. “I just transferred and got kind of lost.”

“I’m new too, Y/N,” said Dean, offering a smile but keeping it suppressed. “I’ll let it slide today but please be on time next time.”

You quickly took your seat and recognized three faces from your sorority in there, all three of them drooling over Dean.

“Y/N?” said Dean, snapping your attention back to him. It wasn’t a large class, maybe 15 kids or so and hiding wasn’t an option here. “Am I boring you?”

“N-no sir,” you said, Dean gulping down his natural response to being called sir which would have been to grab at you and pull you into the dirtiest kiss the world had ever known.

“Cut her a break, Professor Smith, Y/N’s new,” said one of the girls, Stacy you thought her name was.

“Yeah, first day is hard and everything,” said another one, sipping on her coffee. Dean nodded at that and continued teaching, seeming to ignore you until class was over.

“Stay after, Y/N,” said Dean. “I want to try and get you caught up with the rest of the class so you don’t fall behind.” The three sorority girls looked at you as you nodded unsure that you were fine on your own. Damn these girls were loyal.

When you and Dean were finally alone, door shut, he turned around with an apologetic look on his face.

“Sorry, I just...I’ve got to be an ass or else they’ll see right through it,” said Dean, looking at you the way he wanted to now, the love coming to the surface.

“S’okay, Dean,” you said. “Those girls are pretty close. Hopefully this won’t be too hard and we can go home soon.”

“You aren’t enjoying this even a little?” said Dean with a sly grin. “Stop by for office hours later. Might get you an A in the class,” he said, cocking his head.

“You’ve got a hand, two of them in fact,” you said, Dean’s face dropping. “I need to try to get closer to them. You can take care of yourself if you really need it.”

“Y/N, you’re not too young for me,” he said, catching you by the shoulder as you started to walk away.

“I am young. I look young,” you said, shrugging off of him. “Some of the girls in this class look older than me, Dean. You and I...”

“Y/N, you’re an adult,” said Dean. “You make your own choices. I’m one of them.”

“You like me because I’m young,” you said, crossing your arms. “You get a nice easy lay every night with some thing over a decade younger than you without any effort at all. All you have to do is throw in a few I love you’s and you got every middle-aged man’s dream.”

“Where the hell is this coming from?” asked Dean, turning pissed. “I have never thought-”

“I’ve got another class, Professor Smith,” you said, walking away. “I’ll let you know when I solve the case.”

“So that new Latin guy is a total dick,” said one of your sorority girls. “Total piece of hot ass though. Did you see his arms under that sweater? Bet he could lift you up with one arm and fuck you sideways with arms like that.”

You were still mad at Dean so hearing the girls talk about him like a piece of meat didn’t bother you. Plenty of women talked about Dean like that. Normally it enraged you. Sure, he was pretty. He was also a person with feelings and guilt and deep seeded secrets most wouldn’t be able to deal with.

“I like that FBI guy. Special Agent Johnson,” said another one of the girls, her name escaping you. “God, I’m positive he could do all kinds of things to you.”

You listened to the group of eight young women go on and on about Sam and Dean, your anger growing out of control before you abruptly got up and went to your room. You expected to find some time to be alone but your roommate was there, watching you curiously.

“Woah, you have a fight with a boyfriend or something?” she asked, your anger radiating off your body. 

“Something like that,” you said, grabbing your coat and slipping it on. “I’m going out.”

“Y/N, it’s like eleven thirty. On a Tuesday,” she said. “Unless you’re going to get some-”

“I’m going to cool off,” you said, already out of the room and down the stairs before she could respond.

You didn’t understand why you were so angry, why you were sitting on the railing of some bridge, staring down at the water, way, way down. You felt wrong and knew you should know why but you couldn’t place it. The familiar rumble of Baby’s engine driving on the road behind you made you nearly jump off just so you wouldn’t have to see Dean.

“Go away,” you said, half a second from pushing yourself off the edge as Dean’s strong arms wrapped around you and pulled you back to the ground. “What the hell!”

“Seriously? You don’t remember why we’re here? The suicides?” said Dean. He fished through one of your coat pockets as you struggled against him and pulled out a hex bag to your surprise. He quickly disposed of it and your head felt much clearer, your anger gone.

“Oh God, I was going to...” you said trying to back into him, realizing how close you’d been to ending up another victim.

“I knew something was up after the motel and certainly after class,” said Dean. “You always laugh at the age jokes. You don’t try to break up with me.”

“No, never break up with you,” you said, shaking a little as you felt the adrenaline in your body.

“Come on, let’s get you somewhere safe,” said Dean, helping you to your feet.

“It could have been anyone in the house,” said Sam, one of Dean’s large flannels thrown over your shoulders for comfort when you back at the motel. “They all had access to the room.”

“You said that blonde thinks I’m a dick,” said Dean. “Maybe she’s the culprit?”

“She also wants you to fuck her,” you said, holding onto Dean’s shirt closely. “You two are people, not things.” 

“She must be feeling better,” said Sam, patting you on the back. “Ready to kill for us again,” he joked. The second the words left his lips, all three of your heads snapped up. “Do you think?”

“Someone’s killing for someone else?” finished Dean, turning to you.

“My roommate is kind of the different one there,” you said. “Let’s do some digging on her.”

Turns out, your roommate had an older sister that had taken her own life, just the year before. At the same campus.

“So this chick blames all these girls for her sister’s death?” said Dean. “Medical records show she tried well before she went to college. Twice. These girls didn’t push her to it.”

“Let’s go convince my roommate of that,” you said, slipping into Dean’s flannel. “She’s probably already moved on to her next victim.”

“There was no changing her mind, sweetheart,” said Dean, watching you kick the ground as Sam packed up the rest of your things into Baby. 

“Now she’s in the looney bin for the rest of her life,” you said, wishing you could have helped her more.

“You saved all those sex crazed girls at the very least,” said Dean. “I’m sure the frats on this campus are forever indebted to you.”

“Shut up,” you said, smiling a little as Dean wrapped his arms around you. “Sorry about all the stuff I said.”

“It wasn’t you,” he said, resting his chin on your head. “My girl likes an older man, loves them I’ve been told.”

“Let’s go home and I’ll make you feel all kinds of young again,” you said, squeezing Dean’s hip.

“Guys! Right here!” said Sam, walking around to the other side of Baby.

“Let’s behave for Sammy,” you said, pulling yourself away from Dean. “We can misbehave later,” you said in a whisper.

“Sounds like a plan sweetheart,” whispered Dean in your ear. “You still owe me a visit for those office hours.”

“I’m definitely looking forward to that,” you said. You went to pull away but Dean caught your arm, a different look in his eye.

“You okay?” he asked. You titled your head and he pulled you a little closer to whisper again. “This case. I know it might have brought up some stuff...that stuff you asked me to never say out loud.”

“Dean on that bridge, I was under-”

“I know sweetheart. It just scared the shit out of me, seeing you up on one like that again...” said Dean. 

“Dean, it’s been years. I will never try to hurt myself like that ever again. I want to have a life. It’s not perfect but it’s mine, no one else’s. I’m not letting it get taken away from me, not even the not so nice part of me can have it. It’s mine and I want to live it, all of it, good and bad,” you said.

“As long as I can be a part of it, I’ll be the happiest guy alive,” said Dean.

“You’ll always be a part of it, Dean. I’m not letting you get taken away from me either.”

@anokhi07 @xxwinchester-22xx @charliebradbury1104 @everyday-supernatural-af @squirels-angels-and-moose @youwerelikeadream @drugpug@darkx143 @kristaparadowski @tom-is-in-my-tardis @tanithlowisabamf @smoothdogsgirl @dancingalone21 @ktrivia @demonic-meatball  @oaisara @feelmyroarrrr @cojootromuelle @gallifreyansass@fangirl1802 @itstheprincess @casgetoutofmydiddlydarnass @mogaruke@secretlyfurrydragon @perpetualabsurdity @ria132love @heycassbutt-67 @aingealcethlenn @docharleythegeekqueen  @missmotherhen@smacklesandstretch67 @ceeceewinchester  @tumblinwith-me @xfanqirlinq @heaven-is-aplaceonearthwithyou @hey-um-misha@bennyyh @acreativelydifferentlove @imissyoualittlemoreeveryday @lovelife-tothefullest @under-general-asthetics @tardis-full-of-fallen-angels @missdestiel67 @evyiione @jensenackesl @xxxdevine-demonsxxx  @ayeeitsemry @mac5323 @bellastellaluna @atc74 @abbessolute

[ch4mb3r-blog]

Tie a Yellow Ribbon // Jubes & Jono

@short-fuse-long-jacket

It was late afternoon in the middle of the week, and there was a rare sight in the faculty and staff living hall: Jono’s door was propped partway open, giving some sort of illusion of approachability. In reality he was hoping to catch Jubilee on her way back from wherever she happened to be, figuring he’d rather talk to her in person over sending any unnecessarily ominous “I need to talk to you” or “I’m leaving” texts.

Jono was dragging his feet while packing for that reason, glancing to the clock from time to time while he crammed a week’s worth of clothing into the frayed and well-worn canvas duffel that sat open on his bed. He had some time, but was already figuring it wouldn’t be enough. This was a feeling he was unused to. Normally he’d be excited about a mission, grateful for a chance to get off campus and see some action, but this felt different. It wasn’t as if he thought Jubilee didn’t worry about him when he was away before -- he’d spent his fair share of time watching the clock while she was away in past years -- but now Jono was wishing communications blackout wasn’t required so he could still check in, even if for purely selfish reasons.

/’Ey,/ he mumbled as Ex wandered across the bed and made a third attempt to climb into the duffel. /Yeh can’t go where I’m goin’, haven’t had the proper training./ Jono scooped the cat up to let him crawl onto and perch on one shoulder, pausing to settle his hands on his hips and glance around. His gaze lingered on the mission-issue tablet towards the end of the bed, still open to the dossier.

Jubilee was on her way back from a particularly raucous meeting of the GSA where Logan had sat in the corner reading ancient Japanese poetry and left her to corral the students into something resembling order. As usual her efforts met with limited success, but what success she had was worth it and she left the room smiling and shaking her head at their antics.

She was heading back to her room when the sight of Jono's door ajar made her pause for a split second. She poked her head in to find him standing near his bed with Ex up on his shoulder. "Hey, 's the world ending? You left your door open and...well, that's probably the fifth sign of the apocalypse." She caught sight of the bag and the tablet. "Oh." She shuffled her feet awkwardly until she could lean against the door frame. "You allowed to tell me where you're goin'?"

Jono started to turn as soon as he heard Jubilee’s voice, the Purrfessor launching neatly from his shoulder regardless of the height to bound over to greet her. /’Ey, sunshine./ His tone was apologetic, as if it were somehow his fault he was being tapped for this mission. /I can’t, but only because we’re not even really sure where we’re goin’, yet. Kind of a movin’ target./

He didn’t offer her the tablet but he didn’t exactly shut it off, either, stuffing a couple more shirts from the pile into his duffel before pushing it aside to turn and sit at the edge of the bed, gesturing for her to come closer. /Shouldn’t be more than a few days, though. ‘Ow was the meetin’?/

Jono tried not to seem too eager to change the subject, but he figured a little distraction at this point never hurt anyone.

She chewed her lower lip anxiously for a second but tried to put on a smile. "Well if it's Fing Fang Foom just skip all the trying to fight him stuff and just feed Logan to him. You'll be back in a coupl'a hours.”

At his motion she came into the room, closing the door behind her and stepping into his space. With him sitting she got to be taller for once and she was going to take advantage of it.

"It was good. Pretty typical, stopped Quentin from declaring himself supreme ruler again, so that's a thing that happened." She tried not to sound distracted but she was thinking about the mission and all the things that could happen.

/Savin’ the world, yet again./ Jono reached out to catch his fingers in Jubilee’s belt loops and pull her in close, his legs resting at either sides of hers and hands settling at her hips. Ex made various noises of protest from the floor before vaulting up onto the bed and making another run for the duffel. Jono didn’t bother to stop him this time.

He looked up at her with a warm, absent smile in his eyes, trying his best to be reassuring. /Shouldn’t even be a fight. ‘Opefully just recon. Some new group a’wankers callin’ itself Gene Nation. They called me in since we dealt with ‘em before./ If by “dealt with” Jono meant “got kidnapped by,” though this was probably not the time to bring that up. /But it’ll be a surprise if it’s any of the old group. They’re all missin’ or dead. Probably just some wannabes lookin’ to be put in check./

"Always." She grinned. "From pink haired baby anarchists and boring color schemes." She cupped one side of his face for a second, then thinking better of it, looped her arms around his neck. "Now there's totally gonna be a fight. You can't actually say it's going to be just recon, that's like saying Macbeth when you're putting on the show."

"Don't accidentally take Ex with you. He's not cleared for fieldwork." She inclined her head towards the bag where Ex had only his head sticking out. "You taught him that, by the way, keeping him in your coat and hoodies all the time."

She grumbled at the mention of Gene Nation. "I remember them." She leaned down and nudged her nose against his, half offering comfort and half looking for it. "When do you leave?"

/I tried to tell ‘im he doesn’t have the proper trainin’./ Jono didn’t bother to see what the cat was up to, closing his eyes and inclining his head to rest his forehead against Jubilee’s.

/Jet lifts off in less than an hour,/ he murmured, his arms looping more completely around Jubilee’s hips to draw her in against him. Jono wasn’t trying to be needy but the contact was more than welcome, wanting to take full advantage knowing that he’d have to go without for the next few days. He considered telling her he’d miss her, but wasn’t sure if that was laying it on too thick. Even if he knew it to be true.

"He fits right in around here. Wants to run before he can crawl." She said.

She made a displeased sound at the timetable. "I had to catch feelings for a superhero." She said, aiming for a wistful sigh but just ending up sounding proud. "Do you have to keep packing? Or do you want to- you've probably got stuff to do." She interrupted herself, not backing away but straightening up a bit.

/Nah,/ Jono replied quickly, even though he likely did, and his arms tightened almost instinctively around Jubilee in case she did decide to start pulling away. /I mean, it was mostly packin’. And that’s done. Minus cat./ Or plus cat, depending on how you looked at it.

He couldn’t help but pull a face for being referred to as a superhero, something Jubilee no doubt wouldn’t be surprised by, and shook his head slowly. /More like catchin’ feelings for a self-destructive git who isn’t quite sure when to stop when it comes to defendin’ people who hate us,/ Jono pointed out with all due amusement, his tone far less dour than the actual statement.

She poked him in the forehead with one finger, tilting his head back until he was looking at her. "That is, in fact the definition of a superhero." She took the opportunity to dart down and kiss him.

Jono considered arguing but figured she had a pretty good point, so he chuckled quietly and encircled his arms that much more completely around her waist as he inclined his head up into the kiss. His phone buzzed somewhere at the head of the bed and he pointedly ignored it, only pulling away a moment later in favor of bumping his nose to Jubilee’s again with an absent, contented sound.

/You ‘n Ex are going to have plenty of fun without me,/ he decided, his fingertips sneaking just under the hem of her shirt to rest against her lower back, comforted by the touch. /Y’might even go to bed at a normal hour./

She made a disgruntled sound into the kiss as his phone buzzed, only to replace it with a happy hum when he ignored it.

She shook her head at him, smirking. "Nope, we're both going to sit in the highest window, watching and awaiting your return. Zero fun, all the suffering." She bumped their noses again and at the same time his fingers made their way under her shirt, hers slipped into his hair.

"I could do that, oooor, I could finish my paper."

Chuckling again, Jono nodded slowly as he looked up at her, unwilling and frankly unable to look anywhere but at Jubilee in this moment, his hand inching higher until his palm could rest comfortably at the curve of her back. /Sounds like a much better use of your time,/ he pointed out, tone playful but also as warmly reassuring as he could manage. /’Cause I’ll be back before yeh even notice I’m gone./

She was still struggling not to ask if they could use her on the mission and it was only from years of reminding herself that if they needed her, they would have asked, that she was able to keep from saying it. Instead she made a pleased noise at the contact. "Maybe, but a fair bit of missing you is gonna happen too."

A little part of her wanted to kick him for telling her he'd be back when they both knew he couldn't promise anything of the kind, but that was probably an argument for another day. "You'd better." She said instead.

/Promise,/ he assured her, bringing his other hand up to offer his pinky and tugging her hand towards his chest when their fingers were looped. Jono’s phone buzzed again, and he shot it a brief and unimpressed look before continuing to ignore it in favor of Jubilee. /I’ll miss you, too, sunshine./

Jubilee couldn't help but smile at receiving a pinky promise that he wouldn't die, 'cause of course that's how they'd do things. "You should check that. Might be Scott or somebody, mission might have changed." She really wished he didn't have to, but this was what they'd both signed up for and eventually there'd be a mission that she'd get pulled for and they'd have to do this all over again.

"Damn straight you will."

/Mission can wait ‘til the time I was told the mission was,/ Jono decided flatly, demonstrating that legendary Starsmore teamwork and looping his arm back around Jubilee’s waist to pull her in again.

He was being a bit immature about it, certainly. But there were plenty of times in recent memory where the last thing Jono wanted to do was let Jubilee go, and the prospect of having to do so for days wasn’t helping. He closed his eyes and nuzzled his nose against her jaw before leaning in to bury his face against her neck. /I’ve got a gorgeous girl who ‘as all my attention right now./

'Since when am I the responsible one?' She mused to herself. "J- eep!" She squeaked when he tugged her back to him. It would be easy to give up there and she did let herself lean into him for a minute, tangling her fingers in his hair and rubbing soothing circles into his scalp. "If they're trying to get a hold of you then the mission might not be able to wait." He nuzzled into her neck and that was much better than letting him leave, but also not what needed to happen.

"Check your phone," she urged, angling her head a press a kiss to his temple. "If it's nothin' y'can keep holding me, and if the mission got moved up you'll get back that much sooner." Another kiss, "An' I promise when you get back we can cuddle for as long as you want."

Jono actually let out a sigh, a vestigial sort of sound, and nodded slowly against Jubilee’s neck. /Okay./ It took him a moment longer but he pulled away enough to sit up straight and look her in the eye, pointing with one hand. /But I’m only checkin’ ‘cause you asked./

He didn’t move far, his other hand still resting at Jubilee’s hip as he leaned back and stretched for his phone instead of any more sensible way to grab it. Eventually snagging it with his fingertips, Jono straightened up and tapped the screen, frowning faintly as he scanned the notifications. /Mission’s moved up,/ he muttered, turning the phone off again and tossing it aside to gather Jubilee against him again. /’Chamber, we need you ‘ere yesterday.’/

Still, Jono didn’t make any moves to get up.

She shook her head at him, trying and failing not to smile. "Your sacrifice is noted." She watched as he checked the messages, rocking back on her heels a couple times to keep herself occupied. She stopped when he relayed the message. "Balls." Was her succinct assessment of the situation. She glanced at where he'd thrown his phone. "It's radio silent isn't it?" She asked, hugging him a little harder.

"Jono..." But she wasn't loosening her hold either, she just burrowed her head into his neck. "This blows, like, mega-hard, but we'll get used to it." She backed up, trying to tug him to his feet but neither of them moved much. She giggled into his hair. "C'mon sparky, time to save the world. Our friends need you."

/Yeah. Okay./ He had to work himself up to it, but with one more squeeze around Jubilee’s middle he got himself to standing, hand coming up to brush her cheek and then briefly through her hair.

/’member, I’ll be back before you even notice,/ Jono murmured, his gaze softening as he looked down at her for a moment and then leaned in for another kiss, letting this one linger as his hand curled at the nape of her neck.

Something tightened in her chest when he stood and she wasn't sure the feeling would go away until he got back. "You want me to walk with you to the jet? Or is here better?" Probably here, considering everyone would know exactly why he was late if she went with him.

When he kissed her she let her eyes drift closed and her hands come between them to grab his jacket and hold him there (though he wasn't exactly pulling away).

/Stop it. 'M gonna notice./

Jono’s eyes were soft when he pulled away, nodding lightly and brushing his thumb against the curve of her jaw before letting her go, but not without some clear reluctance. /’Ere’s better, that way Scott’s only gonna yell at me./

He gently ushered the Purrfessor out of his duffel for the umpteenth time, offering the kitten to Jubilee before he zipped and shouldered his bag, turning off his phone to leave on the desk and grabbing the tablet to tuck under an arm. Glancing around with even more reluctance, Jono finally headed them out the door, closing and locking it behind.

Hesitating, he brought his free hand up to brush at Jubilee’s cheek again. /Back soon, luv. Try an’ behave yerself./

She managed to stop herself from holding his hand to her face when he touched it, but only barely.

She nodded her agreement, "Ok." She didn't mind Scott being upset with her, but she couldn't figure out a way to take any of the blame without earning Jono some vicious teasing. So yeah, here was better, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

"I never behave, I'm a terror, remember?" She teased, her eyes   sparkling. She caught his hand and pressed a kiss to his palm. "Be safe, ok?"

/’Ow could I forget?/ He teased right back with a similar glint of mischief, considering that conversation and where it’d led before. He stepped in close to Jubilee and nodded, bringing his hand up to cradle the nape of her neck and pull her in for a quick kiss, paying absolutely no mind to anyone who might be passing in the hall. /And I will. No worries./

Taking a step back with an unmistakable smile that he at least hoped was reassuring, he raised his free hand to offer her a snappy salute. /See you in a few, Lee./ And before he could get distracted any more than he already had been, Jono turned on his heel to head down the hall towards the garage wing.

She returned the kiss, meeting him as close to half way as she could by standing on her tip toes. When they parted she gave him a grin that was at least 50% real and a little wave that she knew made her look adorable.

"Later, Starsmore." He turned and she watched him make his way down the hall. In her arms the Purrfessor made an concerned chirruping sound, looking up at her. "It's ok, buddy. He'll be back soon." She scratched under his chin, earning her a purr. "Promise."

Jono kept his promise to be safe but had a little more difficulty with the “back before you know it.” A few days turned into several, and it ended up being after nine days total that the team finally was able to drag itself home, largely in one piece. He hadn’t been thrilled with the amount of time it took or the energy expended, but all in all the mission had been successful and non-fatal, so it was difficult to argue with that outcome.

Barely able to keep his eyes open as he shuffled down the living quarters hall, Jono pushed a hand through his unkempt hair and thought about nothing but how much he wanted to sleep, ideally with Jubilee beside him. He rapped his knuckles against her door in passing, not waiting for the door to open but continuing to his own to unlock it and push it open.

/Jubes?/ he tried, tone thick with exhaustion and almost bordering on a yawn, if he still did such things. He dragged his feet inside to drop his duffel and sit down on the floor to start unlacing his boots. /M’home./

It wasn't the highest window but since Jubilee had gotten word that the blackbird was on its way back (thank you Rogue!) she'd been sticking as close to her room as possible. This was equal parts to avoid being a creep by meeting him in the hanger and so that she'd know as soon as he was back.

She jolted at the rap to her door, startling Ex out of a light doze. She was out in the hall  by the time his tired voice reached her and skidding to a stop outside his door before he'd finished. "Jono!" It took all of a half second worth of blurred movement before she was on him, knocking him back onto the floor in her enthusiasm. "Shit! Are you hurt? Did I hurt you?"

Jono let out a surprised grunt as his back hit the floor, but that was followed soon enough by an amused and almost relieved chuckle as he looped his arms around Jubilee’s waist, apparently fine with this spot with her on the carpet. He didn’t even care if the door got shut, quite frankly. /M’fine, luv. Just bloody knackered./ He reached up to hook a finger in the bandages at his cheek, pulling them down enough to show her some of the blue energy leaking out. /Took a lot outta me, but m’in one piece./

Even though his boots were untied he hadn’t quite gotten them off of his feet by the time he had an armful of Jubilee, so he squirmed under her for a moment until he could toe those off. /Don’t breathe in,/ Jono cautioned. /Haven’t showered in days./

She gave a whistle at the color his flames had turned. "Whoa, haven't seen that particular shade of blue on you in a while." As soon as the bandages were back in place she nudged at his nose with her's. "Could'a gone a while longer without it, but I'm glad you're ok." She sighed happily, the anxiety of the last nine days starting to melt away as she nuzzled his cheek, dropping little kisses when her lips met skin.

She rolled her eyes. "Just keep your feet down there an' we won't have any problems. The rest of you smells fine." Maybe a little better than fine, if she was being honest. "'S all manly or something."

/Hm./ Amused, Jono let his eyes slide shut as he ran his hands absently up and down Jubilee’s back, obviously appreciating the ability just to be near her again. /’m too tired to care if yer just blowin’ smoke, so I’ll take it./

He opened one eye again enough to look up at her, tried to think through the million different ways to express how much he’d missed her, and instead only managed to return the nudge to her nose and say it simply. /I missed yeh, sunshine./

"And I totally noticed you were gone." She wiggled a little, trying to get comfortable on top of him.

"For waaaay longer than you said you'd be, jerkface." She pouted her lip out, hiding an obvious smile behind it. She shook her head and reached up to push her hair over one shoulder when it fell everywhere. "I missed you too." She added, her eyes and voice soft.

/I know, m’sorry./ His tone was amused regardless, since he knew Jubilee was just giving him crap. He reached up to playfully tweak her lower lip. /Superheroes have a piss-poor concept of being on time./

Jono also had a terrible concept of being on time in general, but. For once, at least, it wasn’t his fault.

He helped Jubilee out with brushing some of the hair over her shoulder with a firm and affectionate touch, his knuckles coming back to brush the length of her cheekbone. /Can yeh miss me for another forty-five minutes? ‘Cause regardless of smellin’ manly, I would kill for a bath right now./ He paused, and despite exhaustion, he was never too tired to tease. /Or, I mean. Yeh can watch./

She squeaked when he pinched her lip, all pretense of pouting gone. "Irredeemable." She said with a nod, remembering his comment about punctuality, "proud that you can admit you're a superhero though."

He helped her get her hair in order, which she appreciated. It's the longest it has ever been and she threatens at least weekly to cut it short again for convenience's sake. The brush over her cheek had her sighing in contentment, happy to have this again.

"I guess." She said, sounding put upon. The tease though, had it been about anything else she would have been all kinds of flustered, but the memory of barging in on him in the bath had been...rather frequently referenced in her mind since she started falling for him and she had opinions on that matter. She gave a considering hum instead, running a fingertip over the spot where his mouth would be. "Not tonight, but someday," she promised biting her lip as she decided how far to take it. "And when I do," though watching had its own appeal, "I'm thinking less spectator sport and more full contact."

/Full contact, huh?/ It was difficult for Jono to mask how pleased he was whenever Jubilee escalated their teasing, his hand slipping past the hem of her shirt as it’d done the afternoon before he left, hand palming the small of her back. /You really did miss me,/ he murmured with some amusement in return, inclining his head towards her touch and briefly distracted by the way she bit her lip.

/We’ll stick with ‘someday.’/ Jono closed his eyes again and bumped his nose affectionately to Jubilee’s, relaxing that much more underneath her. /Since I hope that someday, every one of my bleedin’ muscles won’t hurt as much as they do now./

"Mmmhmm." She confirmed, because yes, someday that was happening, but for now the hand on her back was enough. "I did." She said, with what might be a too eager nod.

She returned the nose bump and surprised him with a quick kiss while his eyes were closed. "Probably a good decide." She rolled off of him and to the side so he could get up, sprawling ridiculously on the floor. "My research says that you should be sore after, not before." She flashed him a mischievous grin.

/And definitely exhausted,/ Jono agreed with a chuckle, keeping his spot flat on the floor for a moment even once Jubilee moved, his hand finding hers to squeeze briefly.

He was still for another moment before he steeled himself and pushed up to sitting with a bit of a groan, slipping out of his jacket and dropping it behind him on the floor as he reached out with one long leg to swing the door shut. That accomplished, Jono reached behind his head to grab handfuls of his t-shirt at his shoulderblades and tug that off, too, leaving his bandages in haphazard array with some cracks of blue energy peeking through. He paused there and just… sat, his legs in a lanky V in front of him as he looked like he might fall asleep just like he was, blinking tiredly.

Jubilee watched the slow struggle to an upright position, quietly proud of him. She'd seen him collapse when he'd used that much energy before, so the fact that he was still going had her impressed. There was also a strong impulse to baby him that she tried to resist, not wanting to be too clingy, but it's not like they hadn't helped each other before they started this. "Can I help?" She asked, rolling onto her side and hooking two fingers in his bandages and tugging.

/Yeah./ There was a lot of relief in that one word, like he’d been reluctant to ask (and he was) but was happy to accept when offered. Despite being terrible at asking for help in general, Jono never minded accepting it from Jubilee -- probably because he knew for a fact she never offered out of pity, only out of a genuine desire to make his life less awful. And he really wished he had a better way to express just how grateful he was for that.

Instead, all Jono really managed was leaning back on one hand and reaching over with the other to give Jubilee’s knee an appreciative squeeze, his tone sheepish. /Thanks, luv./

Her smile when he said yes was easily the brightest thing in the room. Sure, it involved a half naked Jono (something she was decidedly pro about), but when it came down to it she really just liked helping him and the fact that he trusted her with this...she wasn't sure she knew a word for how that felt.

She rolled up onto her knees and pressed a kiss to his cheek before positioning herself slightly to the side and behind him. The first few inches, his face and neck were easiest and when she made it to the base of his neck he paused to touch the rarely seen skin there and leaned in to kiss one of the upper notches of his spine before continuing down. The part where they crossed over his chest to cover his shoulders took the longest, weaving ends in and out in that repetitive pattern became almost meditative. It wasn't until his shoulders were free that she realized how subdued his flames were. Normally there were a few licking over his shoulder but the now there was only a lazy blue glow.

She wound the bandages as she went, setting the rolls aside as she finished them until she had three balanced in a neat little pyramid. "All set." She stroked a hand down his back. "Go get your bath so you can get some sleep."

Jono’s shoulders sagged bit by bit with the easing of the pressure as Jubilee unwound the bandaging, the relief evident in the way he rubbed at his side to try and soothe some of the angry red lines left in his skin by the fabric. Tight quarters with the rest of the team meant he hadn’t had much respite from the bandages even when sleeping, and he was glad to be rid of them, especially considering the low level of the flames. Jono’s hand hovered at the edge of them as he examined the blue tinge, eventually bringing his attention back to Jubilee as she ran her hand down his back and he shivered faintly before smiling. /Thanks, luv./

He tilted his head to look at her, glancing over her face for a moment before continuing. /You can stay in ‘ere, if you want. It’s okay if yeh don’t, I know it’s early,/ he amended, running his hand lightly up and down the outside of her thigh where he could reach it. /And you probably don’t want t’watch me sleep for ten ‘ours straight. But I’d still like to see more of yeh… before I do./ His tone was a bit awkward, trying not to appear too needy, but… yeah, he was feeling needy.

That earned him a wry smile. "I was gonna ask you if it was ok if I stayed." She covered his hand with her's, giggling. "What is it with you and me watching you do stuff?" She shook her head. "I plan on being an active participant in this ten hours nap," she shifted a little awkwardly, shrugging, "I might not have slept great while you were gone..." Another shrug, "I'll go change into pajamas while you're in the bath?" It was a struggle not to reach out and touch him, wondering if she could get closer than the flames would normally allow. Ok, it was a struggle she lost. She ran her fingertips down the side of his neck, edging closer to the edge of the furnace.

/Yeah. Sorry ‘bout that, luv,/ Jono murmured sympathetically, glancing down at where Jubilee’s hand rested over his, giving her leg what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze.

He stilled as he felt the tips of her fingers sliding carefully towards the front of his throat, but didn’t bother to warn against it. Jubilee knew better than most of all the dangers, of this he was certain, and he wasn’t about to insult her on that front by telling her to be careful. Instead Jono focused on dampening his energy just a little bit more, not having much difficulty considering the state of it. The blue flames seemed to coil in on themselves as he concentrated, forming a vague shape almost like a memory of a jaw beneath the other half of his face.

She shrugged and shook her head. "Don't be. It's just how missions go sometimes. 'Sides, you're worth loosing a bit of sleep over."

As with most things she did, her current exploration was mostly fueled by impulse. She half expected him to jerk away or tell her she was going to get hurt but it never came. He simply sat very still and as her hand drew closer to the wisps of blue flame they receded, pulling back into his body. She tilted her head as she watched them, her fingers maybe a half inch away from the place where skin ended and fire began. It was warm and she could feel the hair on her arm stand up as a rare bit of flame came out to lick near her fingertip. The flames only drew back so far, but they more they did the more Jubilee was left with the impression of an indistinct shape where he'd once been flesh. "Are you...have you ever done that b'for?"

Jono was so focused on keeping his energy in check that when Jubilee spoke his response was delayed, both due to the time it took to process what she said and a measure of confusion for figuring out what she meant. He tried to look at her out of the corner of his eye, in favor of not moving any part of him towards her by turning his head. /Done wha’ before… ?/

With an equal amount of care she used her free hand to get her phone out of her pocket and flipped through the filters until she found one that looked the most like what she was seeing. She snapped a bunch in a quick burst and with a last brush of her fingertips, pulled her other hand away.

"This." She said, scooting closer for him to see. She flipped through the pictures, pointing out the vague boundary the fire seemed to form, the line of a jaw and throat. As far as she could remember, Jono had always depended on the bandages to keep the flames in check and all his training had been centered on how to project them outwards, rather than drawing them in.

/Huh, tha’s… / Jono trailed off, leaning in closer against Jubilee with an absent frown, one hand reaching up to rub absently at the back of his neck. The energy started to lose form as he stopped paying attention to it, back to a more nebulous, curling shape. /... tha’s strange. I don’t think I ‘ave./

He couldn’t help but stare at the shape of it, shaking his head slowly as his frown deepened. What was that supposed to mean? There was still some sort of… shape under there, under the energy? It certainly answered some questions, but it raised a lot more. Eventually Jono sat up straighter again, hand moving to rub at his eyes. /’Ere I thought I wasn’t gonna get any weirder./

"Explains why the bandages stay the way they do," she said, her tone considering. "And why they don't move with the flames."

She watched his expression closely, trying to guess at what he was thinking. She pushed his hair back from his face  and brushed the backs of her fingers over his cheeks. "It's not something to worry about now. You're exhausted. Go clean up, I'll go change and we'll both get some sleep, okay?"

He still looked concerned but seemed to pull back from the emotion, rubbing at his eyes. The only response she had to his comment was an almost dark laugh, "Oh Jono, you're an X-man. There's always room to get weirder."

/Yeah./ Jono couldn’t help but chuckle and only a little bitterly, shaking his head and dropping his hand to his lap again as he looked to Jubilee with a grateful sort of expression. /Always somethin’, innit?/

He patted right above Jubilee’s knee before giving it a firm squeeze and starting to move again, managing to get to his feet with minimal groaning and only one or two swears. /’least you know that if I fall asleep in the bath I can’t drown,/ Jono figured with a tone of amusement, draping an arm around Jubilee’s shoulders as soon as she was standing to pull her into a careful side-hug.

Jubilee watched him get to his feet before jumping lightly to her own. "Hm. That's one of the things that I find so attractive about you." She teased, leaning into the hug. "Being impervious to drowning is such a turn on." She hopped up a little to try and kiss his cheek but it wasn't quite enough. "If I didn't think you'd fall over I would just climb you." Instead she tugged on his arm until he leaned down enough for her to kiss. She was going to have to wear heels more often.

"I'll check on you in a bit to make sure you haven't fallen asleep." Her eyebrows shot up after the words left her mouth, "With the link!" She'd been talking such a good game before but apparently that streak was over. "Not, you know, with my eyes-" she could feel herself blushing. "Imma pajamas now!" With that she bolted out of the room and into hers.

"Smooth, Lee." She said to her reflection, "Hella smooth." She changed into her pineapple print pajamas, grabbed a book and gathered up the Purrfessor (still sleeping quite heavily). She locked the door behind herself in Jono's room and slid in under the covers. /Ex and I have invaded your bed, but we're gonna say we discovered it and claim manifest destiny./

Jono hadn’t wasted much time in drawing a bath and stripping down, but as soon as he sank into the hot water and salts he’d added he was far more concerned with relaxing and letting his muscles un-knot than actual scrubbing. Arms draped over either side of the tub to keep himself from sinking in entirely, he leaned his head back against the rest and smiled softly when Jubilee’s voice came over the link. /So, what we were sayin’ earlier was right, then -- y’are a terror in bed./

Knowing that Jubilee was waiting for him prompted him to speed up the process, methodically washing his achy and occasionally bruised limbs while ever-mindful of the edges of his energy. His hair was more difficult to handle in that respect, the occasional droplet or splash landing in the calm blue flames, prompting a brief expression of discomfort each time. The fact that the shallow water was already starting to cool by the time he was done with that encouraged him to get out that much more, and Jono let the bath drain as he pushed himself up and out of it.

He dried himself off quickly and looped one towel around his waist, grabbing a second to rub at his hair as he pushed the door open and stepped back into the bedroom, finding Jubilee (and Ex) exactly where promised. Jono smiled absently, rubbing the towel against the back of his head and already looking infinitely more relaxed, if still exhausted. /S’long as there’s room for one more, y’can claim as much of my bed as yeh like./

Jubilee settled into bed, letting Ex figure out where he wanted to be before she opened her book. /Normally yes, right now I'm a conquistador./ she looked up from her book even though he wasn't in the room.

A couple chapters later he came back out in a towel looking clean, sleepy and much less tense than he had when she left. "I..." She started the sentence and immediately lost it to distraction.

"Yeah, plenty of room." She finally managed, scooting over and pulling back the sheets for whenever he was ready. She didn't watch as he got ready, instead turning her attention towards the fact that they were sharing a bed on a semi regular basis before going much further than kissing and wondering how weird that was supposed to be (probably very?) vs how how weird it actually was (not really at all?).

Those kinds of thoughts couldn’t have been further from Jono’s mind, except on the front of being far more concerned about getting into that bed with her in the first place. Too tired to put a whole lot of regard into modesty, he slipped on a pair of boxer-briefs per usual and tossed both towels in the vague direction of the bathroom, making a noise that could only be described as a mental yawn as he crossed to the bed, but hesitated before actually climbing in.

/If it’s okay with yeh,/ Jono started tentatively, though it wasn’t as if he actually expected Jubilee to take an issue with his request. /I’d like t’not bother with the bandages right now./

Watching him putter around getting ready for bed was one of the cutest things she'd ever seen. Again, she wondered how other people could be scared of him, though she figured they'd probably never seen him blinking himself awake in his underwear before.

"Then don't." She said, simple as that. "You probably shouldn't put them back on anyway." She looked pointedly at his side where the red marks from keeping them on for so long were still visible. She didn't question his reasons for keeping them on so long, she knew other people kept their distance when he wasn't wearing them, not to mention it being hella conspicuous. "C'mon, I was promised a nap."

Jono nodded sheepishly as he raised one arm and craned his neck to try and get a better look at the ridges he could feel along his side with his fingertips, making a face. He’d experimented with a number of different fabrics and constructions for housing his flames over the past few years but to his dismay, had yet to find anything that was quite as versatile as the bandaging.

/Coulda started without me./ Jono smiled and reached down to give Ex a generous scritch behind the ears before he shooed the cat back towards Jubilee, making himself some space to sit down on the bed and stretch out with a low groan. As soon as his head hit the pillow he nodded slowly, eyes sliding shut. /This. This is exactly what I wanted,/ he mumbled, his hand finding Jubilee’s to slip into and intertwine their fingers for a firm squeeze.

She made a dismissive noise. "Like that was gonna happen." She scooped Ex up and put him on the other side of his legs, knowing that otherwise he'd just try to go right back to Jono's spot and probably get squished in the process.

She laid down on her side and watched him settle in with a smirk. "Don't think I've ever seen a man so happy to see his pillow." She drawled, but squeezed his hand right back when he reached for her's.

"I..." She felt dumb repeating it but she felt like she needed to say it a thousand times. "I'm really glad you're home, Jonothon."

/Me, too,/ he murmured, turning his head enough that he could look at her out of the corners of his eyes, mindful of the proximity of his flames to the pillow under his head. Jono’s thumb brushed slowly back and forth against Jubilee’s and he looked at her quietly for a moment, his eyes eventually turning more curious.

/Were you really that worried?/ His voice was quiet even in her mind, the tone neither teasing nor admonishing; merely a question. /That somethin’ coulda happened to me?/

"I...yeah. I really was." She shrugged and gave his hand another squeeze. "Not, sit-in-the-highest-window-and-wait-for-your-return, kinda worried but... Yeah, I was worried, and I missed you."

She chewed her lip, thinking. "I never like it when people I care about go on a mission without me but with you it might be a little worse..." She thought back on the last couple missions he'd been pulled for, trying not to think about how long ago those were, "Has been for a while." A light blush rose in her cheeks, "I can't actually decide if it's better or worse now that you know..." She tried to weigh her options again, 'I never told him,' vs, 'but we only just started.'

She shook her head at her own nonsense. "It's not exactly a zero percent chance that one of us won't make it back someday..." Those were just the facts of the lives they led.

His eyebrows raised slightly when she mentioned it’d been a while, but Jono opted not to comment on that in light of Jubilee’s last thought instead. His hand gave hers a careful squeeze as he barely shook his head, and as much as he wanted to argue the point they both knew it’d be in vain.

/S’not goin’ to get any easier,/ the pessimist in Jono had to figure, shifting to bring his other arm up under his pillow, his eyes turning towards the ceiling again. /But… there’s a ‘undred percent chance I’ll blast the arse outta anythin’ that tries to keep us apart./

"Funny." She said, "I was thinking it would get easier the more it came up. Or that we'd get better at dealing with it." She cocked her head, running through scenarios in her mind. "Maybe not though. Guess we'll have to wait and see."

His rebuttal startled a laugh out of her. "That's a much better plan. Plays to our strengths. 'Cause you know I'd do the same." She promised.

She suddenly remembered something. "Ummm. Can I see your phone for a second?" She figured he hadn't checked it since he got back and hoped he'd hand it to her without looking at the texts she'd sent him.

Jono pretty obviously had more thoughts on the matter, but seeing as none of them were terribly positive, he figured he'd save them for some other time when they weren't so happily reunited.  Sometimes they were next to crippling, the thoughts Jono had about what they could become to each other only to have one of them die in the field, just like that. In an instant. The reminder was enough that his hand briefly tightened in Jubilee's, but the sound of her voice brought him back.

/Eh? ... my phone?/ Jono screwed up his face in a mixture of confusion and inconvenience, but he glanced over and stretched one arm towards his desk, managing to snag his phone and bring it around to offer her. /Haven't even turned it on yet. Whatcha need it for?/

She knew that look in his eyes, he was going someplace dark in his head and she was having none of it. All you get for stressing about things you can't change is misery now and later.  She squeezed his hand back even harder and changed the subject.

"I uh...might have texted you one night when you were away."

/... oh, really?/ The confusion in Jono’s eyes changed to something closer to mischief and intrigue, hitting the power button on his phone and moving it out of Jubilee’s reach again. It wasn’t a concerted effort, considering how tired he was, but he turned his head to look over at her in amusement. /Now I’m curious./

"Jono..." She threatened. "Give me the phone." She reached for it and he moved it away. "Get your stupid long arm back over here and gimme the phone." She wasn't really ashamed of the texts she'd sent, so she was smiling even as she waved her arm after the phone, finally rolling her eyes and flopping back, knowing the teasing was inevitable.

Jono couldn’t help but laugh at the ‘stupid long arm’ comment, which only encouraged him to stretch it to its full potential in keeping the phone out of her reach. If Jubilee had fought harder or seemed more embarrassed he might’ve taken some pity on her, but when she gave up after a moment with nothing more than an eyeroll, he smiled and tapped the notification that popped up (amongst others) that bore her name.

/’Ow bad could they be?/ He figured, still smiling as he glanced at Jubilee and gave her one more chance to protest.

She gave a shrug, not really knowing how embarrassed she should be. She didn't say anything she wouldn't have before they started this (dating?!?), but there was an added layer of meaning now. Or...both parties were aware of the full meaning. "Not too bad...I don't think." She considered making another grab for the phone but decided against it.

"Just get it over with." She said, feeling her face heat. She still wasn't sure why she'd done it. She knew his phone was still in his room and that there was no way he'd get the messages while he was away, but somehow it made her feel better. She waved at him to get on with it.

He couldn’t help but notice her blush, though it didn’t do anything except endear her that much more to him -- not that Jono really thought it was possible, at this point. He gently worked an arm under Jubilee’s shoulders to draw her carefully closer against his side, ever mindful of his energy but wanting to keep her close.

His thumb scrolled through the messages she’d left him, and something about the fact that she’d sent them when she knew Jono wouldn’t even get them until he was back was oddly comforting. Maybe it was the idea that she kept sending them because she trusted well enough that he’d return soon enough to read them.

He wasn’t even disappointed that they weren’t as embarrassing as they could’ve been, and once he set his phone aside again and shut off the lamp beside his bed, Jono inclined his head until he could nuzzle his temple against Jubilee’s -- about the safest show of affection he could manage, other than another squeeze to her shoulders. /... thanks, luv. For thinkin’ of me./

She gave a contented sigh as he pulled her in, curling against him and relishing the warmth. She edged a leg over one of his and a hand across his stomach below the flames. The close proximity made the hair on her arm stand on end, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling in the slightest. It actually reminded her of the feeling just before she made a plasmoid form, almost like static.

She watched him scroll through the messages and saw his eyes go from gleeful to something softer. He set the phone aside and turned the light off, leaving the room lit in the cool blue glow of his flames. He leaned in and she returned the nuzzle, glad to have him close again.

"It's kinda hard not to." She said, earnest and shy. "But you're welcome. Thank you for bringing yourself back in one piece."

/Or at least no more broken than I left,/ he countered with some gently amused self-deprecation, one hand giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze as the other covered where hers was settled against his stomach. Jono was quiet for a moment, seeming to mull over whether or not to say something before he shrugged faintly and apparently decided to.

/I’ll always come back to yeh./ His tone was quiet but firm, and reassuring. /Tha’ was true before. But even moreso now. Alright?/

She jabbed a finger into his stomach in retaliation for making fun of himself but didn't say anything against it. She just took the squeeze and curled a little closer into him, mindful of the flames even as she burrowed into his shoulder.

"Yeah?" She asked, not so much question as processing.

That felt big. Scary big, but also amazing? Like seeing a present under the tree with your name on it that's the exact size and shape of the only thing you really wanted. She was almost too scared to take it, but almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

"Yeah. Alright." She leaned up a little, arching to avoid the flames so she could brush her lips over his temple. "Ditto, Sparky. T'all of it." She gave him a little smile as she moved back to cuddle against him.

Being a mutant and an optimist were almost a contradiction of terms but somehow she'd managed to keep seeing silver linings in the clouds despite years  of reality trying to dull the shine. And Jono, well, he's one of the most stubborn people she knows, so if any two people are going to be able to take what the world throws at them, it's her and Jono.