Log: Jake and Jubilee

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Jake runs into Jubilee pilfering from Wanda's fridge.




Jubilee had finished the last touches on what other people might have called a hero sandwich, but what she called a late night snack. She made a note in her mind to buy Wanda some new groceries next time she was out. She might regularly steal from the refrigerators of those that lived in the same building as her, although she'd yet to figure out how to bypass the wards on Amanda's apartment, but that didn't make her a thief. Well, it did, but not that kind of thief.

"I'm going to eat you little sandwich." she sung to her midnight snack in a slightly off-key voice.

"Do you always sing to your food?" a tired voice asked from behind her. Jubilee took her time turning, only to see Jake sitting on the couch behind her, rubbing his face with one hand.

"Only when it's this good." Jubilee noted, placing her sandwich back on her plate and giving Jake a rather thorough going over, eyes pausing but not stopping on his lack of a limb. "Not bad, slim. Although, there's something different...new boxers, right?"

Jake snorted at that, shaking his head. Waking to find someone sneaking into the apartment had kicked his adrenaline into high gear. Oh well. It's not like he'd been sleeping that well lately anyway.

"Yeah. New boxers. The rubber duckie ones finally gave up the ghost." He stood and crossed to the fridge, rubbing absently at the shoulder where his arm should have been. "You didn't get into the good stuff, did you? Wanda made me promise to keep you out of it if I found you raiding the fridge."

"Hmm, depends on what you mean by 'good stuff'" Jubilee noted, making little air quotes with her fingers, before she turned to pick up her sandwich and take a bite. "How're you settling in?" she asked through a mouthful of food, making it come out garbled and barely recognisable as a question.

"I believe she meant the things labeled 'good stuff, Jubilee and Jake keep out,'" he said dryly as he surveyed the empty fridge. "Also known as the ingredients of your sandwich." He closed the fridge with a sigh. "Also known as the ingredients of my midnight snack," he said, gazing forlornly at Jubilee's meal.

Jubilee looked at the sandwich she'd half finished, and then back up at Jake's forlorn gaze and sighed. She needed to learn not to be a pushover to puppy eyes. They were like, her kyptonite or something. Only, less with the weakness leading to death and more with the weakness leading to situations where she was having to explain why they couldn't stay the night.

"What's your stance on getting dressed and going out at weird hours of the night?" she asked after a moment, taking another bite of her sandwich.

"If there's food involved, then I'm all for it," he replied, dragging his eyes from her sandwich. "Give me a few minutes to figure out how to put pants on?"

"One leg at a time is the preferred method, I'm told." Jubilee noted with a teasing lilt to her voice. "Although, you could try this interesting method, it's fairly new so I'm not sure how well it'll actually work now. But it's called asking the girl eating the sandwich to help you."

She took another bite, savouring the sharp tang of the cheese, and noted that she would need to hide from Wanda for a few hours in the morning. Least until she'd gone shopping to replace the woman's groceries.

"Yeah, yeah," Jake waved dismissively, sitting down on the couch and pulling his slacks out of the small pile of clothes on the floor. "Wouldn't want to impose. Besides, I should probably--" he paused, wriggling into the pants "--figure out how to do this, on the off chance that this is permanent, or someone breaks into the apartment to kill me in my sleep or something." Sometimes being a shapeshifter had its perks, although he'd never expected one of them to be making it easier to button his pants one-handed. After fumbling for a moment, he managed to slide the button through the hole. "There," he said, oddly proud.

Jubilee had been chewing thoughtfully as she watched his struggle with the pants. She was glad that he was obviously still able to look after himself, if a little slower then would be normal. "Pride goweth, but yeah...Anyway, you'll like the place we're going to. All night bakery, it's a bit of a slog but it's good when you've got a lot of time to kill at weird hours. It's got wifi to, so we can bug the others to come join us when they drag their lazy asses out of bed."

"Sounds good," Jake said, although it came out a bit muffled as he wrestled a sweater over his head. "It's not the kind of place that's going to remember me as the one-armed man, is it?" he asked as his head poked through the sweater's neck, his hair sticking up wildly. "I'd hate to fall in love with a place and then find out I can never go back unless I'm crippled."

"Not that I know of, not this time of night anyhow. Guy that runs it seems to cater to the pot head crowd for the most part." Jubilee noted, finishing the last bite of her sandwich. She was still hungry, but then she always was. Most of the time her visits weren't about the food at all. More the company, or simply a way to pass a night that would otherwise be filled with little sleep, and a lot of infomercial.

She gave him another searching look, taking in the sweater and just the look of Jake in general. He wouldn't stand out all that much, not even with only one arm, this was New York afterall.

"You're not planning on killing any doctor's wives, are you?" she asked idly as she cleaned up the bench she'd made her sandwich on. No sense in leaving a mess for Wanda to clean up.

He didn't say anything for a moment, staring at his shoes, then looked up. "Hmm? No, I don't know any doctors in New York," he said absently. He frowned at the offending footwear, then looked back at Jubilee. "Tie my shoes?" he asked hopefully.

"But what would you do if assassins attacked and I wasn't here?" Jubilee asked, placing her dish in the sink before walking over. "You sure you want me to tie your shoes? It could be the difference between life and death."

"I'll have to buy loafers or those trainers without laces," he smirked at her as he held out one foot. "But it's probably a good thing you're here to defend me in case the assassins track me down." He rubbed at his mouth, frowning as he realized his lips were tingling slightly. "So, what's the story behind you breaking into everyone's apartments? I mean, the security's good here, but I can't see how it would be much of a challenge after a while."

"It's not, a challange that is." Jubilee noted, kneeling down to tie the shoelace of the foot he pointed toward her before putting it down and tapping his other leg. She looked up at him, her face slightly shadowed from her position on the floor, the light blocked by Jake's body. "It's easier to be doing something then to be alone. Gives me less time to remember things."

He lifted his other foot dutifully. "Gotcha," he said quietly. He waited until she was done tying his other shoe, then stood, offering a hand to Jubilee. "Thank you," he said with utter sincerity in his voice. "And hey, if I ever get my own place around here, you're welcome to break in any time."

Jubilee took his hand, pulling herself up and then stepping back but there was a smile in her eyes. "I'm always up for a new challenge. Now, shall we go find this bakery? I'll even let you play 'Guess the illegal substance' game with me. It's awesome."

"You may have met your match," Jake grinned. "After all, I went to prep school. Kids with drug problems are my forte." He held the door for the younger woman. "After you, m'lady."

"See, there you go casting aspersions on my good name." Jubilee noted, preceding him out the door. "I am not now, nor ever was a lady."