Paige and Jono | Arseholes
Dec. 29th, 2024 01:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsPaige and Jono arrive at his friend's place, where they'll be staying during their trip to England.
It was weird having to knock at his mates’ door. They all used to have keys to each others’ places. It certainly would have been more convenient, especially with Paige leaning on him heavily as if she might fall asleep standing up.
Finally Rhys opened the door, pulling both Jono and Paige into a warm hug. “Fucking finally arsehole! We’ve all been waiting for you and your girl to show up.”
Jono rolled his eyes and shrugged Rhys’ arm off his shoulders before pulling his and Paige’s luggage into the flat.
When Jono’s friend opened the door, Paige did her best to stand up straight. A 10 hour overnight flight might not have been the best idea in retrospect, especially since she had never flown before and the turbulence had made her nervous enough that she couldn’t sleep. Still, she did her best “I’m awake” face and hugged Rhys back in greeting.
“I know, can’t believe we haven’t met over phone call or something.” From what Jono had told her, Paige had been a little nervous that things between him and his friends would be awkward. This was a welcome surprise.
Jono waved at the chorus of his name from the living room and dropped his and Paige’s bags down next to the pull out couch they’d be sharing.
“Still not talking eh?” A voice called from the kitchen.
“Fuck off Cait….weren’t you and Lyds on the outs?” Jono thought back instantly.
At the sound of his voice another cheer went up and Jono shook his head fondly, even when Lyds draped herself over him. “Alright, get off- yes I’m very impressive now. Do you have anything for Paige to eat, she was insistent on coming straight here and wouldn’t stop at a chippy on our way over.”
Rhys kept an arm draped over Paige’s shoulders and led her into the kitchen. “Got plenty to eat, if she can stay awake for it.”
“We had some food on the plane, it’s ok. Jono’s just a worrier.” She probably should take a nap, but Paige had heard that the best way to beat jet lag was to stay awake and she wanted to meet Jono’s friends. Especially the one that was draped over him on the couch.
“Angel, that was seven hours ago. You need to eat.” Jono said. “It won’t be anything like the food at your mum’s but it’s still something.”
Lyds snickered and made an “ooooh” sound when Jono used the pet name and he quickly elbowed her off of him. “Get off you wanker.”
She laughed, falling back against another friend, “I don’t even have anything to wank!”
Jono laughed and turned to her quickly with his middle finger raised.
“Ignore them.” Rhys said lowly, guiding Paige to the kitchen to get her a plate of food. “They used to be flatmates and fight like siblings.”
“Flatmates? That’s it?” Paige wasn’t trying to pry, Jono just hadn’t told her much about his life before she met him. “Uh…what’s easy to make? Grilled cheese is fine, if that works.” They had grilled cheese here, right? Of course they did, it was just bread and cheese. She was more tired than she thought.
“Well given Lyds and I have been fucking off and on since before they moved in together?” Cait said, grinning. “Yeah, pretty sure Lyds is a lesbian. You sure you just want a cheese toastie, luv? We’ve got other things too.”
“Wait, you’re back on?” Jono asked, sitting up and leaning over to look at Cait. “Last I heard you were done done.”
“Oh yeah….meant to tell you, she never moved out so we….got back together.” Lyds said sheepishly. “Surprise?”
Jono shook his head and laughed. “That makes sense for the lot of you. What else have I missed?”
Rhys coughed awkwardly. “So, Paige- you’re sure we can’t get you anything else to eat? Tea? Coffee? Cake? I’m sure there’s jaffa cakes around here somewhere……Jono’s hand in marriage, I’m sure we could arrange that.”
Paige felt some tension in her chest ease at Cait’s explanation, a completely normal reaction. Then her face went bright red at Rhys’s last comment. She coughed and tried for a casual laugh that came out a little awkward. “Coffee and cake might be nice? I’ve never had Jaffa cake.”
“Cake and a nap.” Jono said, probably more sternly than he should have as just Paige’s friend….despite them spending the last week pretending to be nearly engaged.
“You’re sure we can’t give you his hand in marriage? We hear you’ve spent the past week rolling in the hay- OW!” Rhys teased before jumping where he’d been hit with a book Jono threw from the couch.
“Cut it out. Bullying me is fine but leave her out of it, yeah?” Jono rolled his eyes. “Also you avoided the question, what else did I miss?”
Mingze, another friend, sitting across from Jono tapped his foot anxiously. “We uh……we’re in talks to sign for a record deal…..”
Paige was thankful for Jono’s distraction since her face somehow managed to get even redder. She knew they were only teasingunlike her siblings, but damn did they hit close to home. “A record deal? That’s pretty big! Jono didn’t mention that.”
Jono hadn’t mentioned it, because he hadn’t known.
He felt….conflicted, on the one hand he was elated. He knew they were still taking the music as seriously as they always had, they hadn’t changed their sound much, they were doing what they’d always done and were finally getting recognition for it. On the other hand……they’d finally gotten that recognition starting after he’d had to stop….
“Just a small one.” Georgie, sitting next to Mingze, promised.
“One album and then see how it does sort of thing.” Rhys added quickly. “We….wanted to ask if you’d help us choose what songs to put out…..since you wrote most of them….”
“Yeah….of course. I’m- I’m real happy for you all. This is…great news..”
Jono had noticeably deflated, so Paige reached out and grabbed his hand. Who cared what his friends would say later? Jono was clearly blindsided by the news, he needed a bit of comfort. “Hey, what’s a girl gotta do to get a cheese toastie around here?”
“It’s cooking!” Cait called from the kitchen. “Takes a minute luv.”
Jono squeezed Paige’s hand back and tugged her closer until she was practically sitting in his lap, one arm wrapped tightly around her. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see you all, but we really ought to at least take a nap before we do much else today…we can meet you at the pub round the corner for dinner?”
Lyds knocked his shoulder with hers in understanding. “Sure thing mate, the rest of us can hang around mine and Cait’s till then. Rhys, leave him a key?”
Rhys fumbled around on his keychain until he pulled off a key that he left on the coffee table with an awkward smile, loudly thinking about how he’d managed to fuck up their friendship right at the start of the trip. Jono shut his eyes tightly and tried to ignore it.
Cait brought Paige a plate with her sandwich and then shot her a cheeky wink, and pointed at her left ring finger while waggling her eyebrows before pointing to Jono. A less than subtle reminder of the offer Rhys has made on Jono’s behalf. “Just down the hall if you need us.”
Once they’d filed out, Jono did his best not to sigh. “Alright Angel, can I pull out the couch? So we can rest some? I’ll get you some proper food at the pub later…”
With Jono’s friends gone, Paige fully said onto Jono’s lap, set the sandwich down, and pulled him into a hug. “Anything you want, hon. You ok? Anything I can do?”
“I’m fine. I really am happy for them, promise. Just…..a lot to take in.” Even still he burrowed his face into her neck. “Eat your sandwich and I’ll grab linens? I think a nap might do us both some good.”
“Yeah, sounds good to me.” Despite her agreement, Paige stayed on his lap. She didn’t mention the way Jono was clinging to her, or how it reminded her of how she held Fluppy when she told Jono about her mom, she just sat on his lap for as long as he needed her to.
It was weird having to knock at his mates’ door. They all used to have keys to each others’ places. It certainly would have been more convenient, especially with Paige leaning on him heavily as if she might fall asleep standing up.
Finally Rhys opened the door, pulling both Jono and Paige into a warm hug. “Fucking finally arsehole! We’ve all been waiting for you and your girl to show up.”
Jono rolled his eyes and shrugged Rhys’ arm off his shoulders before pulling his and Paige’s luggage into the flat.
When Jono’s friend opened the door, Paige did her best to stand up straight. A 10 hour overnight flight might not have been the best idea in retrospect, especially since she had never flown before and the turbulence had made her nervous enough that she couldn’t sleep. Still, she did her best “I’m awake” face and hugged Rhys back in greeting.
“I know, can’t believe we haven’t met over phone call or something.” From what Jono had told her, Paige had been a little nervous that things between him and his friends would be awkward. This was a welcome surprise.
Jono waved at the chorus of his name from the living room and dropped his and Paige’s bags down next to the pull out couch they’d be sharing.
“Still not talking eh?” A voice called from the kitchen.
“Fuck off Cait….weren’t you and Lyds on the outs?” Jono thought back instantly.
At the sound of his voice another cheer went up and Jono shook his head fondly, even when Lyds draped herself over him. “Alright, get off- yes I’m very impressive now. Do you have anything for Paige to eat, she was insistent on coming straight here and wouldn’t stop at a chippy on our way over.”
Rhys kept an arm draped over Paige’s shoulders and led her into the kitchen. “Got plenty to eat, if she can stay awake for it.”
“We had some food on the plane, it’s ok. Jono’s just a worrier.” She probably should take a nap, but Paige had heard that the best way to beat jet lag was to stay awake and she wanted to meet Jono’s friends. Especially the one that was draped over him on the couch.
“Angel, that was seven hours ago. You need to eat.” Jono said. “It won’t be anything like the food at your mum’s but it’s still something.”
Lyds snickered and made an “ooooh” sound when Jono used the pet name and he quickly elbowed her off of him. “Get off you wanker.”
She laughed, falling back against another friend, “I don’t even have anything to wank!”
Jono laughed and turned to her quickly with his middle finger raised.
“Ignore them.” Rhys said lowly, guiding Paige to the kitchen to get her a plate of food. “They used to be flatmates and fight like siblings.”
“Flatmates? That’s it?” Paige wasn’t trying to pry, Jono just hadn’t told her much about his life before she met him. “Uh…what’s easy to make? Grilled cheese is fine, if that works.” They had grilled cheese here, right? Of course they did, it was just bread and cheese. She was more tired than she thought.
“Well given Lyds and I have been fucking off and on since before they moved in together?” Cait said, grinning. “Yeah, pretty sure Lyds is a lesbian. You sure you just want a cheese toastie, luv? We’ve got other things too.”
“Wait, you’re back on?” Jono asked, sitting up and leaning over to look at Cait. “Last I heard you were done done.”
“Oh yeah….meant to tell you, she never moved out so we….got back together.” Lyds said sheepishly. “Surprise?”
Jono shook his head and laughed. “That makes sense for the lot of you. What else have I missed?”
Rhys coughed awkwardly. “So, Paige- you’re sure we can’t get you anything else to eat? Tea? Coffee? Cake? I’m sure there’s jaffa cakes around here somewhere……Jono’s hand in marriage, I’m sure we could arrange that.”
Paige felt some tension in her chest ease at Cait’s explanation, a completely normal reaction. Then her face went bright red at Rhys’s last comment. She coughed and tried for a casual laugh that came out a little awkward. “Coffee and cake might be nice? I’ve never had Jaffa cake.”
“Cake and a nap.” Jono said, probably more sternly than he should have as just Paige’s friend….despite them spending the last week pretending to be nearly engaged.
“You’re sure we can’t give you his hand in marriage? We hear you’ve spent the past week rolling in the hay- OW!” Rhys teased before jumping where he’d been hit with a book Jono threw from the couch.
“Cut it out. Bullying me is fine but leave her out of it, yeah?” Jono rolled his eyes. “Also you avoided the question, what else did I miss?”
Mingze, another friend, sitting across from Jono tapped his foot anxiously. “We uh……we’re in talks to sign for a record deal…..”
Paige was thankful for Jono’s distraction since her face somehow managed to get even redder. She knew they were only teasing
Jono hadn’t mentioned it, because he hadn’t known.
He felt….conflicted, on the one hand he was elated. He knew they were still taking the music as seriously as they always had, they hadn’t changed their sound much, they were doing what they’d always done and were finally getting recognition for it. On the other hand……they’d finally gotten that recognition starting after he’d had to stop….
“Just a small one.” Georgie, sitting next to Mingze, promised.
“One album and then see how it does sort of thing.” Rhys added quickly. “We….wanted to ask if you’d help us choose what songs to put out…..since you wrote most of them….”
“Yeah….of course. I’m- I’m real happy for you all. This is…great news..”
Jono had noticeably deflated, so Paige reached out and grabbed his hand. Who cared what his friends would say later? Jono was clearly blindsided by the news, he needed a bit of comfort. “Hey, what’s a girl gotta do to get a cheese toastie around here?”
“It’s cooking!” Cait called from the kitchen. “Takes a minute luv.”
Jono squeezed Paige’s hand back and tugged her closer until she was practically sitting in his lap, one arm wrapped tightly around her. “Not that I’m not thrilled to see you all, but we really ought to at least take a nap before we do much else today…we can meet you at the pub round the corner for dinner?”
Lyds knocked his shoulder with hers in understanding. “Sure thing mate, the rest of us can hang around mine and Cait’s till then. Rhys, leave him a key?”
Rhys fumbled around on his keychain until he pulled off a key that he left on the coffee table with an awkward smile, loudly thinking about how he’d managed to fuck up their friendship right at the start of the trip. Jono shut his eyes tightly and tried to ignore it.
Cait brought Paige a plate with her sandwich and then shot her a cheeky wink, and pointed at her left ring finger while waggling her eyebrows before pointing to Jono. A less than subtle reminder of the offer Rhys has made on Jono’s behalf. “Just down the hall if you need us.”
Once they’d filed out, Jono did his best not to sigh. “Alright Angel, can I pull out the couch? So we can rest some? I’ll get you some proper food at the pub later…”
With Jono’s friends gone, Paige fully said onto Jono’s lap, set the sandwich down, and pulled him into a hug. “Anything you want, hon. You ok? Anything I can do?”
“I’m fine. I really am happy for them, promise. Just…..a lot to take in.” Even still he burrowed his face into her neck. “Eat your sandwich and I’ll grab linens? I think a nap might do us both some good.”
“Yeah, sounds good to me.” Despite her agreement, Paige stayed on his lap. She didn’t mention the way Jono was clinging to her, or how it reminded her of how she held Fluppy when she told Jono about her mom, she just sat on his lap for as long as he needed her to.
