#luisjon

[ctesiphus]

happy halloween

[ctesiphus]

luisjon 12...

12. winking at them

jon hates to say she’s fallen into a routine, with luis and xir husband. but perhaps it’s the only word for the cycle of trying to kill the vampire, failing, and then staying for dinner, or lunch, or whatever little event they make up to keep her there.

she stands to take her leave, at the end of one of these cycles. there’s an almost-pleasant warmth in her chest from the wine and the steak. it’s almost repulsive. “goodbye, acevedo, clark.”

“it’s cold outside,” luis points out. there’s snow sticking to the windows, even, blurring the view outside to hazy dusk and unrecognizable silhouettes. “it’s warm in here, you know! you barely wear any layers, i don’t know how you manage to get back home.”

“halifax has a scarf,” tot says, before jon can argue. she doesn’t know how to read hir like she’s learning how to read luis, but ze seems almost amused. “that’s good enough.”

“it is not and you know it!”

“it’s plenty,” jon cuts in. luis and tot both turn to look at her, the smallest of arguments interrupted before it could begin. “and i don’t want to be colder, so i’m leaving.”

the two of them exchange a glance, something shared, but neither of them move to stop her when she slips out the door. it takes a moment for it to creak closed—years of paranoia and instinct have her glance back, but it’s just the door.

hm.

jon does not go home. not yet. she winds through alleyways and backroads, one hand tucked into her coat. the dusk is pretty, at least, oranges winding into purples and dark blues across the clouds. when she glances up to watch, she feels a prickling across her back. something is watching her.

“i don’t need an escort,” she says, aloud. testing.

“of course not,” comes the reply. amused, almost offended. jon turns on her heel at the dull thump of someone landing behind her. luis seems unphased by the stake suddenly at xir throat. “you could kill anything that isn’t me.”

jon narrows her eyes, but her hand drops, stake sliding neatly back into its place. she sighs. “is that a compliment, or hubris?”

“a healthy amount of both, i’d say!!”

“so the latter.” luis rolls xir eyes, but jon continues before they can reply. “why are you following me, then?”

“like i said, it’s cold! a-n-nd it’s not fair that you know where my house is when i don’t know yours.”

“you could stand to be more subtle.”

“i could,” xe says, and it should be conceding but xe has a way of making it sound like xe knows something jon doesn’t. “do you want me to be?”

jon turns so that her back is almost to them, glancing at their grin out of the corner of her eye. “i don’t want you following me home. that’d make me an easy meal.”

“hey!” luis has no right to sound as offended as xe does. xe darts in front of her, poking her in the shoulder. “i would never drink your blood without permission!!”

something unknits in xir expression, then, the easy grin returning as xe winks. “you look too delicious to eat asleep, anyways.”

“there is something very wrong with you,” jon states, a little too loud, cold keeping her ears red and nothing else. “i’m definitely not leading you back to where i’m staying now. how many victims have you used that line on?”

“none! what’d i just say about permission?”

“because i’m supposed to trust the vampire, now?”

luis cocks their head to the side, close to pulling off the confused puppy look if they didn’t have that familiar glint in their eyes. “don’t you?”

“never.”

they laugh. “good!” the hand poking into their shoulder jerks up, brushing a thumb carefully over her neck, before they dart back and into the shadows of the alley. “stay safe, darling!”

“don’t follow me,” jon throws back. she won’t be headed back to her place tonight at this rate, anyway. too many risks.

the only response is another laugh, and the rustle of clothes as luis leaps back up to the rooftops.

[ctesiphus]

uhhhhh luisjon 41

41. kisses to shut them up

“are you sure you don’t wanna come on the sickass ghost spaceship with us?”

jon sighs, opening his eyes and looking up at luis. xir lap was a comfortable pillow, sometimes, if you ignored the staticky-electric feeling it left in your hair—and if you ignored the luis. unfortunately that last bit is kind of hard, especially when you’re jon halifax and xe knows all the little buttons to get you paying attention.

might as well push right back. “what, are you going to miss me that bad?”

“i would never,” xe retorts, frown exaggerated as xe places a hand over xir chest. “if you wanna spend time with all the boring mints, well... i’m just a little concerned!”

jon snorts, rolling his eyes. “oh, like i’d want to third-wheel you and your husband on your way to the boring crabs?”

“don’t “third wheel” me, halifax!!” a sly grin crosses xir face. “you know, there are plenty of not-crab ghosts coming! we could always set you up—”

“i have every reason to believe you’d be an abysmal wingman.”

luis gasps, swatting at his shoulder. “rude!! i’d be wonderful, thank you. i know everything you like, y’know. like hot vampires!!”

“oh, i do not—”

“and pink-haired cute guys,” luis cuts off, playfully smug. “and hologr—”

it’s so, so satisfying to cut xir off, jon’s hand tangled in xir collar from where he pulled them down for a kiss. the surprise is a muffled hum against his lips, before xe relaxes. the static-tingling is familiar against jon’s lips, and it’s warm against his wrist as xe tugs his hand away, leaning back.

“kind of a tall order to find another acevedo,” jon murmurs, leaning up so he’s close to xir ear. “you underestimate my type in men.”

“i have a clone,” luis replies, a lilt to xir voice that means xe’s not quite lying. jon knocks his head into xirs in reply, completely unwilling to engage with that line of thought. xe frowns. “ow- hey!! i wanna know all about it, though!! what’s a little gossip between rivals?”

“it being my taste in men?”

“yep!!” xir expression returns to the usual bright grin, hands readjusting until xe can maneuver jon into laying next to xir on the bed. xe props xir head up on xir elbow, waggling xir eyebrows. “c’mon, spill!! who’s entranced the great jon halifax so far?”

jon considers the benefits and downsides to just rolling off the bed and walking off into the ocean just outside the hall. he decides against it just barely with a sigh, and rolls onto his side to face xir instead, eyebrows raised. “fine, i’ll... spill. just this once. you have to explain the clone thing, though.”

“deal!!”

at least no amount of... whatever this is will get him to go see the crabs willingly. still, he has to admit: xe’s still pretty good at getting him to talk, even if it’s hard not to lean over and kiss xir stupid again when xe makes another offhand comment about the clone midway through xir explanation.

it happens. he can... deal.

[ctesiphus]

jon & luis + closet

(crime au. jon & luis are rival hitmen both sent separately to kill the same guy. they’re teaming up about it.)

jon’s been on a lot of missions involving luis—which is why she barely blinks when luis loops xir arm around her waist, xir expression as casual as always as xe murmurs to her. “follow me, i’ve got us somewhat of an in.”

“cerveza isn’t down and around? mingling with the crowds?”

“he has a date tonight,” luis explains, smile curling up further. “a shame of a time to pick it, right?”

jon snorts, placing one hand on luis’ back as they continue to walk towards a side hallway they certainly shouldn’t be in. it’s late enough into the night that none of the other guests pay them a second glace; that is, all except one lone security guard near the door. “a shame,” she replies, flatly, “and a shame we’re going to be followed. well, acevedo?”

she knows she isn’t imagining the way xe giggles under xir breath, gently guiding jon closer to one of the walls. “you of such little faith! there’s a closet, nearby,” xe says, somehow managing to sound even more hushed. a wink seals it. “if you’ll join me to throw off our little friend.”

“and,” jon manages, composed as always, “you want us to…”

“kiss, if you’re okay with that! i’m good at pretending, too.” luis’ expression is serious, for once in xir life, eyes locked onto jon’s as xe tilts xir head to the side. “up to you, really.”

“because the security guard will see us and think we’re just a pair of errant lovers who got very lost.”

“exactly! you get me.”

“they’re probably used to these things,” she continues, tearing her eyes from luis’ to glance behind them. “i wouldn’t be opposed to kissing, to make it more convincing.”

“and you’re okay with it?”

“yes, acevedo. you’re the one who should be second-guessing this.” at xir questioning look, jon raises an eyebrow. “your husband?”

“oh, that!” luis snickers, facing fully forward as xir expression smooths out. answering nothing. typical. “we’re almost there. please don’t let your hate for me get in the way of our delightful little lovers’ escape.”

“i would never. don’t get carried away, acevedo.”

“me? never!”

they slip into the closet quietly, leaving the door open a crack in their “rush.” luis pulls jon down by the collar to kiss her, half-grinning against her mouth when she reaches up to thread her fingers through xir hair. they’re both good at the performance together, when they try to be.

it’s a shame they don’t team up more often. it’s more of a shame tonight won’t be followed by their usual chase.

the security guard gets there quick. their stammers of apology before regaining composure and telling them this is a “restricted area” make jon bite back a smirk. luis dips into her side, pretends to be tipsy, and assures the guard they’ll be back in the main hall as soon as they can make themselves presentable.

“they just left,” jon says after the guard is out of sight, almost incredulous. “the security here is awful. i was fully prepared to kill them and shove them in there.”

“wouldn’t have tried for a con we couldn’t win.” luis regains their balance, grinning when they look up at jon. “you’ve got a little… nevermind.”

her eyes dart down to xir lipstick, and xir grin widens just a hair. dammit. “of course. and you’ve got a little…” jon tilts her head up towards xir hair, smirking when luis immediately frowns and pats at it. “we’re disguised, at the very least.”

“my hair… at least you look good like this.”

“might i remind you you are still married?”

luis wraps xir arm back around jon, steps quickening as they begin towards their route to cerveza. “my darling husband is fine with this, actually! don’t make assumptions about my affairs.”

“... fine with this,” jon repeats. somehow she’s both shocked and utterly unsurprised. “did you discuss kissing me with him before you came here?”

“not before this! long before that.” before she can nudge luis to continue, xe elaborates. “a good assassin’s ready for anything, y’know! ze understands.”

“anything including ‘kissing your rival’?”

“especially that.”

jon keeps her voice to a quiet, quiet murmur. “are you sure you didn’t just want to kiss me, acevedo?”

“well,” xe starts, expression all-too-delighted, “that’s for us to know, and you to find out, isn’t it?”

another challenge. jon huffs a laugh. “i suppose it is, then. conniving of you.”

“for you? forever and always!”

“wouldn’t expect anything less.”