Two weeks living in Emma's room at the mansion, and I'm already forgetting what it felt like to have my own space. Not that I'm complaining. Her California queen bed is basically a cloud factory, and waking up next to her every morning beats the hell out of anything I've experienced before.
I rummage through the fridge, pushing past fancy cheeses with names I can't pronounce and bottled water. All I want is something that resembles normal food. The mansion's kitchen is huge, all gleaming stainless steel and marble countertops, but somehow there's never anything simple to eat.
"Jackpot," I mutter, spotting a package of deli meat. I grab the turkey and some bread, assembling a sad excuse for a sandwich while my stomach growls loud enough to wake the dead.
The New Year came and went without much fanfare. Emma and I stayed in and watched the ball drop on her massive TV. At midnight, she kissed me like she was trying to steal my soul.
I'm halfway through my sandwich when the door swings open. Four familiar faces file in. Magik leads the pack. Firestar follows, her copper-red hair literally glowing at the tips. Then comes Kitty, who's already eyeing the fridge like she's planning a heist. Bringing up the rear is Xorna, her massive helmet scraping the doorframe as she ducks to enter.
"Holy shit, you girls actually moved in," I say, my mouth still full of turkey sandwich.
Firestar beams at me, rushing forward like she might hug me before stopping awkwardly a few feet away. "Jack! We've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Just feeding the beast," I reply, gesturing to my stomach. "Emma's busy teaching the Stepford sisters how to properly invade people's minds or whatever."
Kitty phases through the kitchen island, and snags half of my sandwich. "Nice digs you got here," she says with a smirk. "Heard you're the queen's new pet."
"Very funny."
My gaze shifts to Magik, who's leaning against the counter with a half-smile that never quite reaches her eyes. There's something different about her today.
"Hey, Magik," I say, trying to sound casual despite the weird tension that's always between us now.
"Hey," she replies, her Russian accent making even that single syllable sound dangerous somehow. Her eyes flick to my neck where one of Emma's hickeys is still visible above my collar.
I clear my throat and turn to Xorna. Those eerie blue eye-slits seem to glow brighter when I look at her.
"How are you doing, Xorna? Settling in okay?"
Her helmet tilts slightly, and there's something almost accusatory in her metallic voice when she responds. "I thought you had abandoned me, Jack."
My chest tightens with guilt. I haven't exactly made time to check on her lately. "No, of course not," I say quickly, setting down my sandwich. "I've just been... adjusting to everything. But I'm still here for you."
"Good," she says simply, though the blue glow intensifies briefly.
Magik pushes off from the counter and moves closer, her soul sword clanking against her armor as she walks. "Hey, so you and Emma..." she trails off, studying my face with uncomfortable intensity. "How exclusive are you two actually?"
My eyebrows shoot up. That's not what I was expecting.
"I also wish to know this answer," Xorna chimes in immediately, stepping forward so quickly that Firestar has to jump out of her way.
Great. Now they're both staring at me like I'm holding the winning lottery numbers. I feel heat rising in my cheeks as I fumble for a response.
"Look, I…" I start to say, awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck. I'm not sure how to explain that Emma and I are definitely not open to outside arrangements without making this kitchen conversation even more uncomfortable than it already is.
"I see X-Factor has finally moved in."
The cool British accent slices through the tension like a knife. Emma stands in the doorway, looking like she just stepped off a runway in her pristine white outfit. Her eyes are narrowed, lips pressed into a thin line as she surveys the scene before her.
"Hey," I manage, feeling a weird mix of relief and dread at her arrival.
Emma glides into the kitchen. Her hand settles possessively on my shoulder.
"I leave you be for a few hours, Jack," she says, her voice dripping with disdain, "and I see you're already being hounded by bitches."
"I wasn't even hounding him!" Firestar protests, her hair igniting at the tips with indignation.
Kitty rolls her eyes so hard I'm surprised they don't fall out of her head. "Me neither. I don't want anything to do with Emma Frost's boyfriend." She phases her hand through the refrigerator door and pulls out a soda like she couldn't care less about this entire conversation.
Emma's eyes move to Firestar, her lips curving into that beautiful smile I've come to both love and fear. "I see your thoughts, Angelica," she says, her voice silky smooth but laced with venom. "And I want you to know, no, Jack didn't fuck you not because nice girls finish last, but because you were too cowardly to ask him at the opportune time."
Firestar's face turns as red as her hair. "That's not… I never…"
Emma ignores her sputtering and turns her attention to Magik, who's watching the exchange with amusement dancing in her eyes.
"And Jack and I are extremely exclusive," Emma states, her fingers digging slightly into my shoulder.
"Yeah," I agree, feeling like I'm watching a train wreck in slow motion.
Emma's gaze darts to Xorna, those ice-blue eyes narrowing as they lock onto the metal head. "And you," she says, her voice dropping to a lethal purr, "I can't read your mind through that thick helmet, but Jack told me all about you."
"I don't care if you have a star for a brain," Emma continues, pulling me closer against her side. "You can't have Jack. He's mine."
The blue glow from Xorna's eye-slits intensifies slightly, but she remains silent.
Magik steps forward, that half-smile playing on her lips. "Emma, be reasonable," she says, her Russian accent thicker than usual. "There's no way you can handle all he has to offer."
Emma's fingers dig into my shoulder, her smile turning glacial. "I'm not weak, Magik," she says, her British accent clipped and precise. "I'm all he'll ever need."
"Alright, let's not talk about that stuff," I interject, desperate to defuse the situation before it explodes. "I'm exclusive with Emma because I love her. No other reason."
The words hang in the air, and I realize it's the first time I've said it in front of anyone but Emma. It feels both terrifying and liberating.
Xorna's helmet shifts toward me, those blue eye-slits studying me for what feels like an eternity. "As long as we can stay friends," she finally says, her metallic voice surprisingly gentle, "I suppose that's fine."
"Of course," I say quickly, relief washing over me. "We're definitely friends."
Emma makes a face, her perfect features twisting into something between annoyance and disgust. I turn to her, giving her my best pleading eyes. I might be devoted to her, but Xorna needs friends. She's been isolated her entire life.
Emma holds my gaze for a long moment before sighing dramatically. "Fine," she concedes, her voice dripping with reluctance, "but don't make me regret it!"
I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Firestar is trembling slightly, those amber eyes fixed on Emma with an intensity that makes me nervous. The temperature in the kitchen seems to rise by several degrees as tiny flames dance along her fingertips.
Emma turns her head lazily toward Firestar, like a predator who's spotted something mildly interesting but not particularly threatening.
"Stop balling your fist," she says, her British accent making the command sound almost polite. "You didn't lose him." Her lips curve into that smile that's all teeth and no warmth. "One can't lose what one never had."
The flames around Firestar's hands flare higher for a split second before extinguishing completely. Her shoulders slump, the fight draining out of her as quickly as it came.
"I hate telepaths," she mutters, turning on her heel and storming toward the door.