The good thing about Jono and Jubilee was that, Angelo reflected, unlike most madly mooky couples, you could ALWAYS hear them before you happened across them, and in a perfectly non-embarrassing way. Just now, for example, they were sprawled on the grass, Jubilee leaning against a tree, Jono with his head on her lap, and Jono was apparently regaling his object-of-quite-enthusiastic-liking with a story about a pony he'd had when he was eight that had had a passion for eating pencils. Jubilee was listening closely, smiling occasionally and winding the fingers of one hand in his thick hair.

Angelo smiled fondly. It was so cute how they talked to each other all the time. He didn't know if anyone else had noticed, but Jono *never* talked about his past, not even the most mundane of references. And Jubilee never got to finish any of her stories, because most people got bored with them. So it was nice for them that they had someone to talk to, who'd listen and not poke fun. Communication actually seemed to be the major basis for their continuing relationship, and while Angelo was sure that that contravened some deeply fundamental law of nature... hey, it was cute.

Too bad he had to interrupt, really.

"Guys? Hey, guys!" He trotted over, waving a hand.

<*Hi,*> Jono said lazily, not lifting his head. Instead, he caught Jubilee's free hand in one of his, rubbing his thumb over her small palm.

Jubilee smiled at Angelo. "What's up?" she asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft and relaxed.

Angelo sighed, wishing he didn't have to say what he'd come to say. The gentle, undemanding relationship had been good for both of them, draining them both of tensions even their teammates hadn't noticed until they were suddenly gone. Now here he was, preparing to wind them both up like springs again. "Nothing much... lunch'll be ready soon, I still don't get trigonometry, and Emma's lined up a couple more guest lecturers."

<*S'nice,*> Jono murmured, eyes half-closed. <*Anyone we know?*>

"Uh...yeah..." Angelo winced a bit. "Drake again, for more accounting crap, Cable's coming in disguise to do a lecture on basic legal awareness... hey, did you guys know he's a lawyer? An' I always thought Drake was the only X-Type who knew how to hold down a real job..."

"Nah. There's a few of them." Jubilee smiled softly, closing her little fingers around Jono's hand. "Is that all?"

Angelo took a deep breath. "Uh... no. Wolverine's coming down to do a wilderness survival course."

Jono sat up so fast that he narrowly missed cracking his head on Jubilee's chin. <*Wolverine? Here?*>

"And that reaction tells me that you guys haven't told him yet." Angelo sighed. "Not that that surprises me."

Jubilee gulped nervously. "Well.... it's only been a few wee... a month or so... okay, nearly two months. That's not long!"

Jono sighed, lifting the hand he still held to brush her fingertips over his cheek. <*It was nice while it lasted,*> he said mournfully. <*And after I'm gone, I want yer t' move on...*>

Jubilee chuckled, stroking his cheek gently. "Don't be silly. He's not gonna kill you." She thought about it. "Rough you up a bit, probably, but not actually KILL you."

<*Yeah, that's what *you* think,*> Jono said gloomily. He flopped onto the grass again, resting his head in her lap. <*Ah, well... yer more'n worth it.*> The corners of his eyes crinkled, and he pressed the tips of two fingers gently against her lips. <*Better kiss me now, though, while me 'ands still work.*>

Angelo sneaked away and left them to it.

* * *

Two days later, he was lurking around by the door to Emma's office, waiting for Wolverine to come out. Not that he particularly liked Wolverine, or hungered for his company, or wanted to be ANYWHERE near the man when he found out that his baby was seeing an Older Man, but he was Jono and Jubilee's friend. As the only friend so far who really approved of the relationship (Artie and Leech didn't count), it was his duty to... well, try and break it to Wolverine easy-like.

Cable came out first, and blinked, looking around for the source of the small cloud of anxiety that was hovering around the door. "Something wrong, kid?"

"No." Angelo did his best noncholant lean against the wall, and tried to untie the knots in his stomach through sheer force of will. "Just...uh... waiting for someone." A white eyebrow ascended, and the younger mutant sighed. "Okay, okay, I'm waiting for Wolverine."

Cable blinked again. "...Why?"

No point in trying to hide it. "Jubilee has a boyfriend. I'm sort of hoping to break the news easy before he sees them snuggling and tries to kill my poor amigo dead."

An expresssion of unholy glee settled on Cable's face. "Any chance you're going to videotape this? You could sell copies."

"Yeah? How many? Maybe I could..." Angelo shook his head. "No, no. Can't get distracted. You want tapes, you're gonna have to make them yourself. I got a friend's life to save."

Cable nodded seriously, and jerked his head towards the door. "Here he comes." Awkwardly, he patted the thin shoulder before melting away into the shadows. "Good luck, kid."

"Yeah, thanks..." he took a deep breath, squared his thin shoulders, and reminded himself that the happiness of two dear friends was at stake. When the short, crabby looking man hauled his massive shoulders through the door, Angelo was ready. "Uh... Senor Wolverine? Can I have a word? It's... uhm... about Jubilee."

Shrewd blue eyes focused on him and the faintest hint of a growl shaded the air.

"But it's nothing bad and I'm not in any way involved and I don't think of her in anything approaching a sexual way. Honest," Angelo babbled quickly. "This is a *good* thing that I want to talk to you about. A *happy* thing."

Wolverine's lips quirked, and his craggy face softened ever so slightly. "Okay, then. What is it?"

"Uhm... I think you should look first. But please don't get mad until I've had a chance to explain." Taking a deep breath, Angelo led the older man to the former Rec cottage, currently the 'Senior Student's Study Area'. Whatever you called it, Jono and Jubilee were in it, curled up together on the couch, watching 'Labyrinth'. Rather than risk going inside, Angelo took the safer route of pointing through a window. "Uh... that."

Jubilee was cradled tenderly in black-clad arms, a big hand stroking her hair gently as she rested her cheek on an simulated chest. She was watching the movie, her small face alight with amusement at the antics of the muppet-like creatures. Jono was watching her, his eyes gently wondering as he stroked her hair.

Wolverine made that little growling noise again. Angelo hastily interposed himself between wildman and window. "See? Did you see her face? When was the last time you saw her that happy?" He held up a cautionary hand. "And I give you my solemn word that what you saw is all there is. No wandering hands, no bad touching, he doesn't even *have* a tongue..."

"He's a little old for her, ain't he?" The hard blue eyes were still narrowed suspiciously.

"Well, maybe a little, but that's okay because this is mostly a, uh, friendly rebound-type relationship. You know, he's just been dumped, she's just given up on her unrequited crush, they need some emotional reinforcement. A little innocent affection to say hey, you're not a slime-creature from the deepest depths of unloveable ick." The shaggy eyebrows were still lowered. Angelo sighed, and when he spoke again it was in a quieter, more serious voice. "Look, I realize you probably don't like this. I know I wouldn't. But I've never seen them as happy as they are right now. It's not a serious relationship. Definitely an eight-pointer."

Wolverine managed to add puzzlement to his ferocious expression without looking the slightest bit less scary. "Eight pointer?"

"Sorry, my bad..." Angelo ran a nervous hand through his head. "Uh... you know Scrabble, right? Well, the K is worth one point more than the V, so the word 'like' is worth eight points, and the word 'love' is only worth seven. So an eight-pointer is a relationship-"

"Based on like, rather'n love. I get it." Wolverine grunted, looking rather thoughtful.

Angelo nodded. "I don't really think it's gonna last. There's no real steam, you know? No passion. They just need some no-pressure affection."

"Yeah..." Wolverine moved past him to rest a hand lightly on the window. "Ya sound like someone who knows the feeling."

Angelo shrugged. "Who doesn't? The important thing is that they're both happy and feeling emotionally validated."

Wolverine nodded slowly, then grinned, clapping Angelo hard enough on the back that the younger man nearly fell over. "Yer a good kid, Angelo. I 'preciate that yer trying t' keep Jubilee happy."

"Well..." Angelo grinned. "Actually, I just don't want you to kill my best bud. But it's nice to see them both happy, yeah."

Wolverine grinned. "That works too. Guess we should leave 'em to it... Tell ya what, you show me where th' kitchen is now that everything's been moved 'round, and I'll sneak ya a beer."

Angelo's eyes widened. "Beer? Real, actual, icy-cold intoxicating beer? For me?" He clutched dramatically at his chest. "It's been so long... so very long...I might cry..."

Chuckling, they left the snuggled-up couple and went in search of booze.

Inside, Jono closed his eyes, resting his cheek against the soft, silky hair. They were right. There wasn't any passion in his relationship with Jubilee. He didn't wake up sweating from dreams of her. He'd never so much as put his hand up her shirt. Well, of course not! She was only just sixteen, to his nearly twenty-one! That didn't mean he didn't like.... a lot... care for... okay, it didn't mean he didn't love her.

He did.

It was nothing like the way he'd felt about Gayle... or Paige, for that matter. To compare the two emotions was like comparing a gentle breeze to a raging hurricane. The hurricane might be a lot more exciting, but the breeze felt a lot nicer.

He cuddled her gently against him, running a hand gently over her slim back. She sighed softly in response, nestling against him, and he hugged a little tighter. Who needed passion? This made him happier than he'd ever been, and that was enough for him.

The End