The porn selection on my phone is a disappointment of epic proportions. I scroll past image after image of women with sharp jawlines, bulging muscles, and aggressive poses, all apparently the height of sexiness in this world. Nothing against buff women, but I'm starting to realize just how deep the gender flip goes in this universe. Even the "male-oriented" content feels like it was created by someone who's never met an actual guy from my world. Probably because they haven't.
A knock at my door sends me frantically closing tabs. I slam the phone face-down on my nightstand, heart racing like I've been caught by my mom again.
"Come in," I call, trying to sound casual.
The door creaks open, and Jubilee slips inside, closing it behind her with an uncharacteristic quietness. Her usual bouncy energy seems dimmed, replaced by something more hesitant.
"What's up, Jube?" I ask, sitting up straighter.
She hovers near the door, fingers fidgeting with the sleeve of her yellow jacket. "I, uhh..." She takes a deep breath. "Since I'm on the main team, I was talking with some of the girls earlier..."
I raise an eyebrow. "Okay?"
"Well, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I overheard Scotty and Gene talking about you." She steps closer, lowering her voice like we might be overheard despite being alone in my room. "They said you're from another world."
The directness of her statement catches me off guard. After a week of training, classes, and slowly adjusting to this bizarre reality, I've gotten pretty good at deflecting questions about my background. But something about Jubilee's earnest expression makes lying feel pointless.
"Yeah," I admit with a shrug. "I am."
Her eyes widen like I've just confirmed aliens exist. "So it's true? You're actually from, like, a parallel universe or something?"
"Something like that."
Jubilee edges closer, perching on the very corner of my bed like she's afraid to fully commit to sitting. "Is it true that in your world..." She leans forward, her voice dropping to a scandalized whisper. "Men are all sluts?"
"What?" I choke out, nearly falling off the other side of the bed. "Where did you hear that?"
"Well, that's what I heard Gene saying to Scotty yesterday," Jubilee explains, leaning even closer with her eyes practically sparkling with curiosity.
I run a hand through my hair, trying to figure out how to explain an entire cultural paradigm shift. "It's not that simple. In my world, gender roles are different, yeah. Men are expected to be more... I don't know, assertive? Dominant? We're the ones who typically make the first move in relationships."
"So you all just walk around with your shirts off, hitting on women?" Her eyes widen with each word.
"No, it's not…" I stop myself, reconsidering. "Well, some guys do, I guess. But that's considered kind of douchey. It's more that men are expected to be the pursuers in relationships. Women are supposed to be more reserved, more selective."
"That's so wild," she breathes, eyes wide. "So Gene was right? It really is a world of slutty men?"
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. "That's oversimplifying it a lot. We're not all 'slutty.' It's just a different set of social norms."
She's quiet for a moment, processing this information with an intensity I find both amusing and slightly unnerving. Then a sly smile spreads across her face.
"So does that mean you're, like, horny all the time?" she asks, her voice dropping to what I assume is meant to be a seductive tone.
I laugh despite myself, shaking my head. "Of course not. I'm probably about as horny as you are, to be honest."
Her eyes go wide, mouth falling open in shock. "Really? Sometimes I'm horny literally all day long."
"That... tracks, I guess," I say, suddenly feeling like I've wandered into dangerous territory. The way she's looking at me right now is making my pulse quicken.
She scoots a little closer on the bed, her knee now touching mine. "So, uhh... would you be down to, you know..." Her voice trails off, but her meaning couldn't be clearer.
I'm about to tell her off, explain all the reasons this is a terrible idea, we barely know each other, we live in the same mansion, there's probably some rule against it, when I pause to actually think about it. Jubilee is objectively attractive. Those bright, curious eyes. That playful smile. The way her entire face lights up when she laughs.
And yeah, I would absolutely love to see her naked.
I clear my throat, the weight of her proposition hanging in the air between us. "I have some reservations about this."
"Like what?" She leans forward, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"Well, first of all, I'm not looking for a relationship right now." The words come out more bluntly than I intended, but it's the truth. "My parents fucked me up pretty badly, and this place is the closest I've ever felt to being accepted somewhere. I don't want to complicate that."
Jubilee's face softens, but her smile doesn't falter. "I'm not looking for a relationship either, Jack." She shrugs one shoulder, the fabric of her yellow jacket catching the light. "Just some fun."
"I want us to stay friends too," I add, feeling like I need to make this point crystal clear. "No matter what happens."
"I do too." Her voice drops to almost a whisper. "Friends first, always."
I consider her offer more carefully, my eyes lingering on her face. She's practically drooling, leaning toward me with such obvious want that it makes something warm unfurl in my chest. It's a heady feeling, being desired this openly.
"Is it against the rules?" I ask, suddenly concerned about getting kicked out of the only safe place I've ever known.
Jubilee snorts, rolling her eyes. "When I first joined when I was sixteen, I used to hear Gene wailing like a ghost whenever she'd sleep with Scotty. So I'm assuming not."
"Alright, alright," I concede, my pulse picking up speed. "But I can't let you pin me down or anything."
Her eyebrows draw together in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I want to be on top," I clarify, my voice firm despite the heat rising to my face.
"Why?" she asks, genuine curiosity in her expression.
I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "I spent my entire life being controlled, being hurt by people stronger than me. I can't... I can't handle feeling trapped." The admission makes me feel raw, exposed in a way that has nothing to do with physical nakedness.
Understanding dawns in her eyes. "Oh." She reaches out slowly, giving me plenty of time to pull away, and places her hand over mine. "That makes sense. You can be on top."
The gentleness in her voice nearly undoes me. It's so different from what I'm used to, this careful consideration of my boundaries.
"Thank you," I murmur, not trusting myself to say more.
Jubilee's smile turns predatory as she shrugs off her yellow trench coat, letting it slide down her arms and onto my bed. The crop top underneath leaves little to the imagination, her skin practically glowing under my room's soft lighting.
"So," she purrs, fingers moving to the edge of one yellow glove, "should we get started?"
My mouth goes dry as she begins to peel the glove off, inch by tantalizing inch. But before it can drop completely, a thunderous crash from outside makes us both freeze.
Another explosion rocks the mansion, followed by a third that sends vibrations through my entire room.
"What the hell?" I leap off the bed, rushing to the window with Jubilee close behind.
Outside on the mansion grounds, massive purple robots are smashing through the tree line. They're at least twenty feet tall, humanoid but with glowing eyes.
"What the fuck are those things?" I press my palm against the glass, heart hammering in my chest.
Jubilee's playful demeanor vanishes instantly, her face hardening into something I've never seen before. Pure, focused rage. "Sentinels."