The taste of victory lingers on my tongue like the world's best whiskey as I trudge down the hallway toward my bedroom.
I round the corner and stop dead in my tracks. Jubilee is leaning against my door, yellow coat slightly singed, dark circles under her eyes betraying her exhaustion. When she spots me, her face transforms from worried to relieved to angry in the span of a heartbeat.
"Hey," I say, trying for casual despite the way my pulse quickens at the sight of her.
Her eyes are filled with a mix of concern and irritation as she straightens up. "Jack, I told you to go down into the bunker! What happened?"
Instead of answering immediately, I unlock my door and gesture for her to follow me inside. Once we're both in, I close the door behind us.
"Well," I begin, running a hand through my hair, "I saw Scotty and got nervous because her leg was sticking out." The memory flashes through my mind, white bone, red blood, the sickening angle. "Like, literally sticking out."
Jubilee winces, her anger softening slightly. "So you decided to play hero?"
"Something like that." I pull my shirt over my head in one fluid motion, tossing it onto the floor like I'm just getting ready for bed. The rush of adrenaline still coursing through my veins makes me bold in ways I've never been before.
Her eyes go wide, tracking the movement of the discarded shirt before snapping back to my bare chest. "What are you doing?"
I step closer to her, close enough that I can smell the faint scent of smoke and ozone clinging to her clothes. "We almost died tonight," I say, my voice lower than usual. "And then I got made into an X-Woman... we deserve to celebrate, don't we?"
Her breath catches audibly as I reach for her hands, slowly peeling off one yellow glove and then the other. The fabric slides away to reveal skin that's surprisingly soft for someone who creates explosions with her fingertips.
"We were in the middle of something, weren't we?" I continue, holding her gaze as I toss the gloves aside. The memory of our interrupted moment before the Sentinel attack hangs between us like electricity.
Jubilee's cheeks flush a deep crimson, her eyes darting between my face and my bare chest. She looks simultaneously terrified and thrilled, like she can't quite believe this is happening.
"No strings, right?" I add, giving her a chance to back out, to shut this down before we cross a line we can't uncross.
"Y-yeah. No strings," Jubilee stammers, her eyes still fixed on my chest like she's memorizing every detail.
I take another step closer, emboldened by her reaction. My heart's hammering against my ribs, but for once, it's not from fear. It's anticipation, excitement, desire, all these new emotions I'm still learning how to process.
"Is that a yes?" I ask, my voice steadier than I feel.
She swallows hard, then nods, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Definitely a yes."
That's all the confirmation I need. I reach for her, hands finding her waist and pulling her against me. The contact sends electricity shooting through my body, and for a wild second, I wonder if she's accidentally using her powers.
Our lips crash together, awkward and desperate at first. I've never actually kissed anyone before, and I'm pretty sure I'm doing it wrong, but Jubilee doesn't seem to care. Her hands slide up my bare back, fingertips tracing patterns that make me shiver.
I back her toward my bed, careful to keep myself positioned above her as we tumble onto the mattress. True to her word, she doesn't try to flip our positions, seems to understand instinctively how important this is to me.
We're tearing at each other's clothes like they've personally offended us. I barely register the sound of her coat hitting the floor, too mesmerized by the sight of her body being revealed inch by inch. When she's finally naked beneath me, I freeze, overwhelmed by how beautiful she is.
"You're gorgeous," I breathe, drinking in the curves of her body, the soft glow of her skin in the dim light of my bedroom.
Her hands fumble with my belt, yanking it open with surprising force. "Less talking, more naked," she pants, her voice husky with need.
As I shed the last of my clothes, a sudden thought breaks through the haze of desire. "Wait… Should we get a condom or something?"
Jubilee shakes her head impatiently, reaching between us to guide me toward her. "No time," she whispers urgently. "Just don't come inside me, okay?"
"Alright," I manage, my voice barely working as I feel her heat against me.
I position myself at her entrance, throbbing with anticipation. Slowly, I push forward, and the sensation is so intense I have to bite my lip to keep from making embarrassing noises. Nothing could have prepared me for this feeling. Warm, tight, perfect.
"Oh god," I groan, overwhelmed by pleasure unlike anything I've ever experienced.
I'm about to push deeper when I notice something, a small trickle of blood. I freeze immediately, panic rising in my chest.
"Are you alright?" I ask, suddenly terrified I've hurt her.
Jubilee's expression is dazed, almost transcendent. "Just... give me a second," she whispers, her hands gripping my shoulders.
Before I can respond, she pulls me deeper, her legs wrapping around my waist. "Yeah," she sighs, her eyes fluttering closed. "It's okay. It's more than okay."
The feeling of being fully inside her is indescribable. I have to stop moving for a moment, worried I'll embarrass myself if I don't. Her body adjusts around me, and when she begins to rock her hips, I follow her lead.
"This okay?" I whisper, still worried about hurting her.
Her answer is a breathy moan that sends shivers down my spine. "Don't stop."
I establish a rhythm, clumsy at first but growing more confident with each movement. Her fingers dig into my back, not painfully but urgently, pulling me closer as if she can't get enough. I watch her face, fascinated by the way pleasure transforms her features, how her lips part and her eyes glaze over when I hit a particularly good spot.
"Jack," she gasps.
The way she says my name drives me wild. I dip my head down, drawn to her chest like a magnet. My lips close around her nipple, tongue swirling as I thrust deeper, harder.
Jubilee gasps, her body arching beneath me. "Don't…" she starts, then breaks off with a moan that vibrates through her entire body. "Ahhh!"
I start to pull back, worried I've crossed a line, but her hand tangles in my hair, keeping me firmly in place.
"Actually... stay right there," she breathes, her voice trembling with need.
Encouraged, I pump my hips with renewed intensity, finding a rhythm that has her writhing beneath me. My free hand finds her other breast, kneading gently as I continue to lavish attention with my mouth. The softness of her skin against my tongue, the way she responds to every touch, it's intoxicating.
Jubilee moans louder now, her body moving in perfect counterpoint to mine. Her fingers tighten in my hair, pulling me up toward her face with surprising strength. Our mouths crash together in a sloppy, desperate kiss that's all tongue teeth, and hunger.
When we break apart, she's panting, eyes half-lidded with pleasure. "You feel so fucking good, Jack," she gasps against my lips.
I try to respond, to tell her how amazing she feels too, but all that comes out is a guttural grunt. Words are beyond me now. All I can do is feel. Feel her heat surrounding me, her skin against mine, the thundering of my heart that's somehow both terrifying and perfect.
The intensity builds between us, a rising tide I can't control. Her legs wrap tighter around my waist, pulling me impossibly deeper. I break our kiss to bury my face against her neck, breathing in her scent as we move together. Something's building inside me, a pressure that demands release.
"Jack," she whispers in my ear, her voice breaking. "I'm close."
I redouble my efforts, thrusting harder as Jubilee's body tenses beneath me. Her fingers dig into my shoulders, and suddenly she's shuddering, her inner walls pulsing around me as she comes undone. The sight of her, head thrown back, eyes squeezed shut, mouth open in a silent scream—is almost enough to push me over the edge too.
As her orgasm crashes through her, something incredible happens. Tiny sparks begin dancing from her fingertips, cascading around us like miniature fireworks. They pop and crackle in the air, casting us in a kaleidoscope of colors that illuminates her face in the most beautiful way.
"Keep going," she gasps, and I do, keeping my rhythm steady as I slide my hand between us. I find that sensitive spot and circle it with my thumb, determined to make this last for her.
The pressure in my groin builds to an unbearable point, and I know I can't hold back much longer. Remembering her earlier warning, I quickly pull out, wrapping my hand around myself to finish the job.
"Oh god," I groan as my release hits me like a freight train. I erupt in thick pulses, the first shot landing across her eyebrow while the rest splashes across her stomach and between her legs.
My hand keeps working between her thighs, wanting to prolong her pleasure as she writhes beneath me. The fireworks intensify around us, growing brighter, larger, more chaotic as her second orgasm builds.
"Oh fuck!" she screams, her back arching off the bed.
That's when it happens. A massive burst of energy, not a spark but a full-blown firework, explodes right in my face. There's a blinding flash, a deafening bang, and then searing pain unlike anything I've ever felt.
The world goes silent except for a high-pitched ringing in my ears. I try to speak, to ask what happened, but my mouth won't cooperate. Something feels terribly wrong.
Jubilee's eyes fly open, and the look of horror that crosses her face tells me everything I need to know. She's screaming. I can see her mouth forming my name over and over, but I can't hear a word.
I reach up to touch my face and my fingers meet something warm and wet. When I look at my hand, it's covered in blood. So much blood. With growing terror, I explore further and feel something that makes my stomach lurch, my jaw is hanging by just a thin strip of flesh on one side. The other side is... gone.
The realization hits me with nauseating clarity. Half my face has been blown off.
Jubilee is scrambling beneath me, her eyes wild with panic. Her mouth keeps forming my name as she reaches for me, but the edges of my vision are already growing dark. The room tilts sideways as a wave of dizziness crashes over me.
The ringing becomes my whole world as the darkness envelopes me.