Lemon Meringue (fanfic and related fanart)
Title: Lemon Meringue
Author: Alicia "Kamitose" Guy
Summary: Jono offers some perspective on Jubilee's condition
Rating: T, for strong language.
Disclaimer: None of the characters in this piece of fiction belong to me. They belong to Marvel.
Distribution: As long as I am credited, and as long as you ask (and let me know once it's posted) then I don't care where it's distributed. BUT you have to ask.
Author's Note: This is my second ever X-men fanfiction.
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“Stop right there before I get bitter
There's got to be a better way
There's got to be a way to make it sweeter
A little more like lemon meringue”
Lemon Meringue ~ Poe
__________________________________________________________________________________
The bag had sat beside her, unpacked, for the last three hours. She would have bothered to unpack if she felt compelled to move from where she sat on the bed. As it was, she barely had the will to turn her attention from the single dull spot on the wall in the small room she called home (for now). She was so distracted that she didn't hear the young man approach her door until he was already in the frame.
“They told me you got back hours ago. Almost didn't believe it, honestly. Had to see what happened for myself.” Came a voice from the door.
No, not the door. In her head.
Jubilee turned around abruptly and looked Jono up and down, her eyebrow quirking a tad as she caught a glimpse of his bandaged face. “I'm not going to ask, because I probably don't want to know. And what do you mean you had to see what happened? I left for awhile and came back. No big deal.”
Jono crossed his arms as he leaned against the door frame, studying her carefully. “You never could lie well to me. Can I come in?”
“Not all of us need to be invited in, you know.” Jubilee said bitterly.
Jono entered the room and stood beside her. “I know, just thought I'd be courteous. So... vampire, huh?”
Jubilee muttered an epitaph under her breath before answering him. “You going to give me hell about it too? Tell me I'm a monster? That I need to be locked up?”
Jono put his hands in his pockets and then sat carefully beside her. “I really don't have much room to be calling people monsters, now do I, luv?”
“You're not a monster, Jono.” Jubilee said softly.
“Neither are you. And at least you still have a mouth.” He would have smiled, if he could.
Jubilee let out a short, quasi-bitter laugh. “Oh yeah, this ol' thing? No one will ever get rid of these lips. Though now my mouth is a registered lethal weapon.” She gave Jono a side glance. “You might not want to sit too close there, bud. If you haven't heard, I'm dangerous.”
“Oh, I've heard. I'm just not worried.” Jono said, smiling with his eyes.
Jubilee smiled solemnly. “Why not?”
Jono raised an eyebrow mischievously at her and offered his wrist out to her. He watched her face turn a few shades whiter. She was honestly a bit afraid of herself. “Dun worry, luv. You can't hurt me.” He said reassuringly.
“Jono, I don't want to risk it. I could---”
“Here, listen for a pulse.” He said calmly.
She tentatively grabbed his arm and pulled his wrist towards her ear. She heard no pulse. It was no wonder she didn't hear him approaching earlier. Normally she felt overwhelmed by the abundance of heartbeats on Utopia. “It's quiet, Jono. It's---” She clasped her hand around his and smiled at him.
“And you were worried you'd hurt me.” He responded. “Though, honestly gel, most girls wouldn't smile if the boy sitting on their bed had no heartbeat.”
“Honestly,” She said, placing his hand over her chest.“you wouldn't be the only one with that problem.”
He looked down to where she laid his hand feeling her own lack of heartbeat. “It doesn't make you any less alive.”
Jubilee frowned. “Jono, I'm pretty much dead.”
“Not what I meant. I don't even have a heart. I'm still here. I soldier on. Sure I sulk sometimes. Okay, I sulk a lot, but I keep going. It's all we can do sometimes.”
“When did you become the optimistic one?” Jubilee asked incredulously.
Jono leaned back, resting on his free arm. “Around the time you became a bloody pessimist. Brooding isn't becoming on you, sunshine.”
“Oh, don't call me that. That was Paige's nickname.” Jubilee said nudging his arm.
“Well, we're not together anymore, so I can use the name as I bloody well please. And I feel like being ironic today.” Jono said.
“Hipster.” Jubilee leaned her head on Jono's shoulder. “So, I take it you want to hear all about what I've been up to, don't you?”
“You don't have to.” Jono said. “I could just sit here with you so you don't have to brood by yourself.”
“How sweet of you.” She said rolling her eyes. “Okay, so a few exciting things happened. I ended up in this weird gravitationally challenged dimension with pyramids and ships and space shuttles, and a giant guitar... oh and it was guarded by a dragon. I killed the fuck out of that dragon!” She said, a boastful smile gracing her face.
“You killed a dragon.” Jono said slowly, trying to process it. “Boy, we could have used that back at Cassidy Keep.”
“Oh, hush you. I also went to Paris, did some shopping, almost ate Laura, fought a bunch of mind controlled crazies in a subway station. Good times.” She said.
“Almost... ate... Laura?”
“To be fair, she was kind of being stupid, slitting her throat in front of me like that. I mean, what the hell?” Jubilee said ranting a bit.
“No, luv, I mean who is Laura? Is she okay?” Jono said, looking slightly alarmed. “Did you bite her?”
“Oh, right. Sorry, she's Logan's female teenage clone. We're totally buds though, so it's cool. And no, I didn't bite her. I almost did. Totally flipped my shit.” Jubilee said. “I did kind of, you know, lick her though. That was kind of awkward. I can't believe I'm even telling you this! Why am I telling you this?”
Jono just chuckled. “I'm sure you'd turn red right now if you could.”
“Oh har, har. Ass.” She said punching his arm lightly, minding her new found strength. “I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to your undead best friend lament about, like everything. I'm bet I'm an absolute sorry sight right now.”
“Eh, I'd put you at bearable... I'm kidding. Don't hit me. And honestly, if I had other things to do, I'd be putting them off right now. You need friends.” He said playfully.
“You're still an ass.” She leaned back on the bed, her hands behind her head as she looked up at the ceiling. “And yeah, I guess I do need friends. Especially ones I won't try to eat.” She looked to him and made a face. “And that's probably the worst part! I can't even eat normal food! Seriously, I have like the most mad craving for chili cheese fries right now and I can't have them! It's sad that I miss food the most, isn't it? I thought I'd miss the sun the most, but I can still kind of go out in it... if I wear my big floppy hat. But no remedy for this eternal craving for chili cheese fries. GAH! It's so unfair!”
“Have you tried putting blood in it?” Jono asked, raising an eyebrow.
“That is simultaneously gross and appetizing. Damn you.” She said.
“Well if it's any consolation, and I'm sure it is. You look great.” He said laying next to her.
She grimaced. “Oh yes, because pale skin, red eyes, and fangs are all the rage this season.”
“No, I mean it. And you really do pull off the red eyes well.” He said brushing his hand across her cheek.
“Jono, don't do this. I don't think I could handle that right now.” Jubilee said looking at his hand as he withdrew it.
“I just want you to know I'm here, if you need me.” Jono said calmly.
Jubilee sighed. She realized maybe she just wanted someone to keep her warm and not treat her like anything was wrong. Not treat her like some special project, or fragile flower, or anything. Someone to just treat her like she was still Jubilation Lee. Still loyal, fierce, strong. Still normal, whatever that meant. She scoot in closer to Jono. “I need you.” She whispered.
He wrapped his arm around her and just lay beside her in silence for a while.
After what seemed like an eternity she finally spoke. “Life sure is full of lemons, Jono.” Her eyes were closed.
“So don't hold them near open wounds and you'll be fine. Or you could make a lemon meringue.”
“And put blood in it, right?”
“Something like that.” Was all he responded.
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Author's note: Did I just write a fluff piece? I think I did. Holy crap. Anyway, enjoy. Jubilee/Jono is totally my otp.
Also pic related
Author: Alicia "Kamitose" Guy
Summary: Jono offers some perspective on Jubilee's condition
Rating: T, for strong language.
Disclaimer: None of the characters in this piece of fiction belong to me. They belong to Marvel.
Distribution: As long as I am credited, and as long as you ask (and let me know once it's posted) then I don't care where it's distributed. BUT you have to ask.
Author's Note: This is my second ever X-men fanfiction.
______________________________________________________________________________________
“Stop right there before I get bitter
There's got to be a better way
There's got to be a way to make it sweeter
A little more like lemon meringue”
Lemon Meringue ~ Poe
__________________________________________________________________________________
The bag had sat beside her, unpacked, for the last three hours. She would have bothered to unpack if she felt compelled to move from where she sat on the bed. As it was, she barely had the will to turn her attention from the single dull spot on the wall in the small room she called home (for now). She was so distracted that she didn't hear the young man approach her door until he was already in the frame.
“They told me you got back hours ago. Almost didn't believe it, honestly. Had to see what happened for myself.” Came a voice from the door.
No, not the door. In her head.
Jubilee turned around abruptly and looked Jono up and down, her eyebrow quirking a tad as she caught a glimpse of his bandaged face. “I'm not going to ask, because I probably don't want to know. And what do you mean you had to see what happened? I left for awhile and came back. No big deal.”
Jono crossed his arms as he leaned against the door frame, studying her carefully. “You never could lie well to me. Can I come in?”
“Not all of us need to be invited in, you know.” Jubilee said bitterly.
Jono entered the room and stood beside her. “I know, just thought I'd be courteous. So... vampire, huh?”
Jubilee muttered an epitaph under her breath before answering him. “You going to give me hell about it too? Tell me I'm a monster? That I need to be locked up?”
Jono put his hands in his pockets and then sat carefully beside her. “I really don't have much room to be calling people monsters, now do I, luv?”
“You're not a monster, Jono.” Jubilee said softly.
“Neither are you. And at least you still have a mouth.” He would have smiled, if he could.
Jubilee let out a short, quasi-bitter laugh. “Oh yeah, this ol' thing? No one will ever get rid of these lips. Though now my mouth is a registered lethal weapon.” She gave Jono a side glance. “You might not want to sit too close there, bud. If you haven't heard, I'm dangerous.”
“Oh, I've heard. I'm just not worried.” Jono said, smiling with his eyes.
Jubilee smiled solemnly. “Why not?”
Jono raised an eyebrow mischievously at her and offered his wrist out to her. He watched her face turn a few shades whiter. She was honestly a bit afraid of herself. “Dun worry, luv. You can't hurt me.” He said reassuringly.
“Jono, I don't want to risk it. I could---”
“Here, listen for a pulse.” He said calmly.
She tentatively grabbed his arm and pulled his wrist towards her ear. She heard no pulse. It was no wonder she didn't hear him approaching earlier. Normally she felt overwhelmed by the abundance of heartbeats on Utopia. “It's quiet, Jono. It's---” She clasped her hand around his and smiled at him.
“And you were worried you'd hurt me.” He responded. “Though, honestly gel, most girls wouldn't smile if the boy sitting on their bed had no heartbeat.”
“Honestly,” She said, placing his hand over her chest.“you wouldn't be the only one with that problem.”
He looked down to where she laid his hand feeling her own lack of heartbeat. “It doesn't make you any less alive.”
Jubilee frowned. “Jono, I'm pretty much dead.”
“Not what I meant. I don't even have a heart. I'm still here. I soldier on. Sure I sulk sometimes. Okay, I sulk a lot, but I keep going. It's all we can do sometimes.”
“When did you become the optimistic one?” Jubilee asked incredulously.
Jono leaned back, resting on his free arm. “Around the time you became a bloody pessimist. Brooding isn't becoming on you, sunshine.”
“Oh, don't call me that. That was Paige's nickname.” Jubilee said nudging his arm.
“Well, we're not together anymore, so I can use the name as I bloody well please. And I feel like being ironic today.” Jono said.
“Hipster.” Jubilee leaned her head on Jono's shoulder. “So, I take it you want to hear all about what I've been up to, don't you?”
“You don't have to.” Jono said. “I could just sit here with you so you don't have to brood by yourself.”
“How sweet of you.” She said rolling her eyes. “Okay, so a few exciting things happened. I ended up in this weird gravitationally challenged dimension with pyramids and ships and space shuttles, and a giant guitar... oh and it was guarded by a dragon. I killed the fuck out of that dragon!” She said, a boastful smile gracing her face.
“You killed a dragon.” Jono said slowly, trying to process it. “Boy, we could have used that back at Cassidy Keep.”
“Oh, hush you. I also went to Paris, did some shopping, almost ate Laura, fought a bunch of mind controlled crazies in a subway station. Good times.” She said.
“Almost... ate... Laura?”
“To be fair, she was kind of being stupid, slitting her throat in front of me like that. I mean, what the hell?” Jubilee said ranting a bit.
“No, luv, I mean who is Laura? Is she okay?” Jono said, looking slightly alarmed. “Did you bite her?”
“Oh, right. Sorry, she's Logan's female teenage clone. We're totally buds though, so it's cool. And no, I didn't bite her. I almost did. Totally flipped my shit.” Jubilee said. “I did kind of, you know, lick her though. That was kind of awkward. I can't believe I'm even telling you this! Why am I telling you this?”
Jono just chuckled. “I'm sure you'd turn red right now if you could.”
“Oh har, har. Ass.” She said punching his arm lightly, minding her new found strength. “I'm sure you have better things to do than listen to your undead best friend lament about, like everything. I'm bet I'm an absolute sorry sight right now.”
“Eh, I'd put you at bearable... I'm kidding. Don't hit me. And honestly, if I had other things to do, I'd be putting them off right now. You need friends.” He said playfully.
“You're still an ass.” She leaned back on the bed, her hands behind her head as she looked up at the ceiling. “And yeah, I guess I do need friends. Especially ones I won't try to eat.” She looked to him and made a face. “And that's probably the worst part! I can't even eat normal food! Seriously, I have like the most mad craving for chili cheese fries right now and I can't have them! It's sad that I miss food the most, isn't it? I thought I'd miss the sun the most, but I can still kind of go out in it... if I wear my big floppy hat. But no remedy for this eternal craving for chili cheese fries. GAH! It's so unfair!”
“Have you tried putting blood in it?” Jono asked, raising an eyebrow.
“That is simultaneously gross and appetizing. Damn you.” She said.
“Well if it's any consolation, and I'm sure it is. You look great.” He said laying next to her.
She grimaced. “Oh yes, because pale skin, red eyes, and fangs are all the rage this season.”
“No, I mean it. And you really do pull off the red eyes well.” He said brushing his hand across her cheek.
“Jono, don't do this. I don't think I could handle that right now.” Jubilee said looking at his hand as he withdrew it.
“I just want you to know I'm here, if you need me.” Jono said calmly.
Jubilee sighed. She realized maybe she just wanted someone to keep her warm and not treat her like anything was wrong. Not treat her like some special project, or fragile flower, or anything. Someone to just treat her like she was still Jubilation Lee. Still loyal, fierce, strong. Still normal, whatever that meant. She scoot in closer to Jono. “I need you.” She whispered.
He wrapped his arm around her and just lay beside her in silence for a while.
After what seemed like an eternity she finally spoke. “Life sure is full of lemons, Jono.” Her eyes were closed.
“So don't hold them near open wounds and you'll be fine. Or you could make a lemon meringue.”
“And put blood in it, right?”
“Something like that.” Was all he responded.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Author's note: Did I just write a fluff piece? I think I did. Holy crap. Anyway, enjoy. Jubilee/Jono is totally my otp.
Also pic related