Asgard Party: Manny & Jubilee log.

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Jubilee looked herself over in the floor length mirror, making sure the dress sat properly. It was one of her favorites; a rainbow of colour yet sophisticated enough to pass at a formal occasion. She ignored the slight feelings of anticipation and nerves, schooling her features as her family had taught her.

She wasn't normally one to indulge in introspection but Romany's comments a few days ago had made her make the effort. She'd realised that in the end, she didn't really care what others thought of her attitude. She liked being bubbly and overly 'American'. She still wanted to make the effort to be more adult but she wasn't about to give up what was essentially her nature in order to do that.

She turned at the knock at the door and walked over to open it.

Manuel was on the other side of the door, dressed up in a _very_ nice, _very_ expensive Italian suit. He was very happy to get out of his Asgardian garb and into more regular clothes. He smiled at Jubilee, eyeing her outfit with a grin that never reached his eyes. "You look wonderful. Ready to go mingle for a bit?"

"Thanks, you clean up pretty damn well yourself. Ready as I'll ever be, seriously can't wait to see Jamie and Doug in their beards again. Least this time I ain't 5 inches tall."

She waited till he offered his arm and then linked her hand through. "So, you been doin' okay? Haven't seen you a lot since we all got back."

Manuel took a deep breath and then released it. "It's been an interesting week or so since we got back." He said. "I'm still adjusting to what happened in Asgard, you know? But things are starting to look up." He said, admiring Jubilee on his arm. "Let's get going - we don't want to be late."

Later...

Jubilee grinned, her face flushed with laughter as she swung Manny around and pulled him towards the dancefloor. "Come on handsome, let's dance."

Manny grinned and let himself be pulled out onto the floor. "Sure." he said, laughing. The daggers Amanda was glaring him from the sidelines was just icing on the cake - after her little encounter with Angelo, he deserved his fun, and if it came at her expense - so much the better. It was petty and cruel of him, but he was feeling extraordinarily petty and cruel. He danced closely with Jubilee - trying to entice her, get her hormones working as best he could.

"So, should I ask why you've been so distracted tonight, or is it none of my business?" Jubilee asked, twirling herself back in towards Manny.

Manuel smiled charmingly, and waved off her question. "Ahhh, just some personal stuff. Nothing major. Spent some time looking in on Shinobi, too." he said honestly. He had done all of those things, and his current problems were of a personal nature. He kicked his flirting up a notch, hinting stronger, brushing himself across her a little more seriously.

She frowned for a second, realising that she wasn't being told everything. Obviously it was something Manny felt too personal to discuss with her but from the way Amanda had been glaring at them for the last few minutes, she'd have to be blind or stupid not to put two and two together. Something was amiss there but in the end, it wasn't really any of her business unless Manny chose to confide in her. Having decided, she moved closer to him, allowing her hands to wander downward. She knew it was somewhat nasty of her but being able to be close to Manny in this way was nice, and the fact that it made Amanda angry was a bonus.

Manny grinned as Jubilee got a little aggressive. Her mood suited his like a glove. He moved into her grope, moving himself against her hands, letting her get a nice good feel of him. He grinned at her, letting her know that he knew what the score was, and he was absolutely fine with it.

"Everyone is totally staring at us." She whispered, enjoying the moment. She hadn't been sure after they all got back from Asgard that Manny was still interested in her. The fact that she was close enough to him to feel his interest was certainly reassuring. Now she just had to figure out what exactly she wanted to do with the situation.

"So they are." he said with a wicked grin. "Does that bother you any?" he asked, voice pitched low and straight for the gonads. He knew this game well, and he was determined to play it to the conclusion.

Jubilee thought about it for a moment as she moved within the circle of Manny's arms, grinding against him at a particularly slow paced beat in the song. "You know, it really doesn't. I'm sick of thinkin' about what other people want. Tonight, it's all about me, and if you're really lucky, maybe it can be all about you." she said, the look she gave him at the end openly seductive.

If she got any more transparent, she would disappear from right in front of him. "Well then." he said with a truly evil grin. "Guess it's my lucky night after all." he said with a _very_ slow grind. "If you want it, it's right here." he leered with a grind so that she couldn't possibly mistake what he was referring to. "Any way, any time."

Taking his hand, she quietly led him off the dance floor and toward the doors at the back of the room. "Then I choose now." she said simply.

Manuel allowed himself to be led, grinning from ear to ear. He kept one empathic eye on Jubilee's emotions, and at the same time he swept all the barriers away from his link to Amanda - letting her feel everything he felt, and everything Jubilee felt.

It only served her right, he thought to himself. After what she did to him, it was only fair. He amused himself by thinking that it was just the threefold rule that she pratted on about endlessly come back to haunt her. With his help.

"Hell of a party." he said out loud to Jubilee. "One hell of a party, indeed."

Jubilee grinned, pulling him out into the hall and pushing him back against the wall before leaning up to kiss him. "Just a taste." she said, before backing up and running toward the stairs.

"Catch me if you can!" she said with a peal of laughter.

Manuel laughed as well, and chased after the Asian girl, admiring the play of the muscles in her back and the firm roundness of her ass. Oh yes, he was going to _enjoy_ breaking her in. He let her lead him where she wanted him to go, amused at her transparency but perfectly willing to play the game.

She quickly led him to the door of his room, and paused there, waiting for him.

"Manny, before we do this, I gotta talk to you about somethin'." she said, her expression suddenly serious.

Manny ran his fingertips down her jawline, starting at her ear and ending at the point of her chin. "What about?" he said, returning serious for serious.

Jubilee shifted uncomfortably, suddenly embarrassed. She hadn't been planning this and she wasn't on the pill. She blushed deeply but screwed up her courage and blurted out her question. "Um, I like, totally didn't expect this and I'm not on the pill so I'm seriously hoping you've got some condoms, Dude."

Finished, she ducked her head, hiding her embarrassment behind a curtain of hair.

Manny chuckled, and parted her hair that had fallen in front of her face. "Got it covered." he said with a smirk. "No fear on that score."

Jubilee nodded, quelling with effort her need to babble. She always got this way when she was nervous. "Okay. So, you gonna open the door, or do you just like making me wait?" she asked.

Manuel smiled, bowed, and opened the door. "Paradise awaits." he said with a grin.

She chuckled, walking into the room. Manny followed close behind, closing the door behind them.