Author Note: Sorry for my long absence. I fell into a writers block and then got caught up with my new job.
You voted (well some people did) and here is the newest chapter to A JUBBY Chronicle.
Credit to midnight-lady123123 for the word suggestion. I hope it somehow meets your amusement.
BIG THANKS TO: sugarstar222, x-men-rocks, abbs of the faeries, Rose Gilmore, nehimasgift, midnite requiem, TitansRule, midnight-lady123123, and Some people say Im Crazy I am. Thank you all for taking the time to review and give me your suggestions I'm sorry I couldn't use it all but maybe in the future.
A one shot chapter but it does make reference to B – Breakdown. It may be a little off but I was tired of trying to jump out of this writers block for letter C so this is what I got. I hope you enjoy. Sorry in advance for grammar errors or spelling errors.
ENJOY.
C – Celebration
Celebration – the festivities engaged in to celebrate something (dictonary. com)
"There's a big celebration downstairs. You are aware of that aren't you?" Ray asked as he popped his head in Bobby's room.
Rolling his eyes Bobby returned his gaze to his ceiling as he laid in his bed. "Really Ray? I wasn't aware." Sarcasm inked in his voice.
Throwing the door fully open Ray walked right in and stood at the foot of Bobby's bed. "Look I know it's almost a year since you've left and only a couple months since you've returned. But seriously dude are you still going to remain cold and brooding? I thought that's the reason why you left."
Bobby sat open slowly and glared. Hand it to Ray to voice his opinions so openly. Glaring still he watched as Ray clenched his jaw apparent tension showing in his face.
It's no secret that Bobby left the mansion bitter and messed up for over a year. Even upon returning things didn't go back to it's original pace. For Bobby and Ray their friendship resumed but tension still sat in the corner creeping back into place for moments like this.
Letting out a mental sigh Bobby pushed his self off the mattress of his bed and stood. "Cold man. I can't change the fact I'm cold. I'm Iceman." Bobby replied lightly as he slapped his hand on Ray's back.
"But I'll try to be brood less." Bobby commented as he pushed Ray out of his room.
Ray laughed out loud, "Thank God, I was tired of you acting like a sitcom teenager girl."
"Shut up Ray." Bobby groaned as he playfully shoved his best friend forward.
It's a beautiful night in August. Summer is coming to a near end and thus brings the start of the new school year. Which means new enrollment of mutants at the mansion.
It's a celebration that Bobby has become very familiar with for almost 10 years now. He is very closely considered a new comer for the year though he's been with Xavier's School for almost half his life. Technically it will be the first of a new year since he's returned. Granted he's not enrolled in school he will be reevaluated to be a part of the x-man. This was formality of coarse, Professor Xavier had voiced his official re admittance to the team the very month he returned.
Letting out a sigh Bobby walks down the staircase that leads to the backyard garden where the celebration is being held. Lit lanterns hang across the yard and the black night shines brightly. Tables and chairs are scattered all over the grass. There's even a dance floor and a stage. The festivities have already begun and majority of the crowd seems to be socializing.
"It use to be more exciting when it meant more girls around our age joining us."
Bobby let's out a smirk as Ray appears next to him a drink in hand. He silently agrees to Ray's statement and then laughs.
"From what I heard there are a couple girls in their early 20s here tonight. I think transfers from a different state or was it country?" Bobby shares, a fact he has learned by eavesdropping on Scott after training in the danger room earlier that day.
Ray's smirk grows in a large goofy grin and soon the drink he's holding is being pushed into Bobby's hand. "You my man have made my night. I'll call upon you when I need a wing man." He says in a hurried voice as he begins to scan the garden and makes his way to girls that could be their age and faces Bobby has never seen before.
Bringing Ray's drink to his lips he takes a sip and scowls as he realizes it's beer inside the cup. Leave it to Ray to pour his beer into a discreet looking cup. Even if its okay for them to be drinking alcohol with minors around.
Letting out a sigh Bobby sat carelessly on a bench along side of the festivities. Not to far away to be 'not' a part of the social. But not close enough to be bothered or to bother others.
There was a time he enjoyed himself at parties, at celebrations. He left the mansion to find himself, to regain his control over his powers, and in Ray's words to brood over the turmoil of it all.
Bobby left the mansion bitter. A year gone away from the only place he ever called home and he realized just how much that meant to him. Even despite the pain and bitterness he faced in the months before he left, it ultimately could not erase the fact it was home. So he returned in control of his powers and remorseful for the attitude he had given to the people that had accepted for what he was.
He let out a sigh bothered that his thoughts still often drifted to his recent past. It's the reason to his lack of excitement to celebrate something tonight.
A giggle filled the air right beside him and Bobby jumped in his thoughts. His gray eyes watched as Jubilee swirled the cup in her hand. He glared wondering how she appeared of no where why she was suddenly next to him instead of with the others.
"I'll tell you a secret." Jubilee leans down towards him. Her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Bobby silently raised his eyebrow waiting for her to continue.
"I spiked the punch." Jubilee giggled once more as she took a seat right next to him.
Bobby silently watched. Since his return to the mansion he has barely seen Jubilee. In some ways its relieving because he still doesn't know how to approach her since the time she was there during his breakdown. Other times its unnerving because a part of him wants to seek her company.
Bumping shoulders with him she playfully asks him as she winks, "So what do you think? Pretty good huh?"
Smirking Bobby shrugs his shoulders, the thoughts in his head about the mansion and his return suddenly gone. "I don't know Jubilee I did that I think the second year that I was here."
Jubilee scowled as she brought the cup of juice to her lips. "Well Drake why don't you show me up then?" Her scowl faded and a spark fills her eyes challenging him.
Bobby let out a laugh. He hadn't thought of a prank since his mutant powers went out of whack. Even now after regaining control and finding himself and returning, the idea a prank was something in the deep crevices of his mind. It now seemed like a distant part of him he had lost or forgotten.
His laughing softened and soon came to a stop. His thoughts now about the last time he's even felt that desire or passion to prank someone.
"Okay that." Jubilee spoke out loud interrupting his thoughts once more. "You really need to stop doing that."
"What?" Bobby asks honestly confused at what she was trying to tell him.
Throwing her free hand in the air Jubilee waved it around as she spoke. "The brooding Bobby. You need to stop brooding."
Surprised at her direct approach Bobby leaned back gawking at her. They weren't friends. They haven't ever really been friends. But yet from all their interactions with him she has always been direct and sarcastic. Her approach to everyone. It still doesn't give him a real explanation to why she's here with him keeping him company.
He ponders and then recalls the key word in her statement, brooding. "Ray. You talked to Ray." He mumbled once he regained himself from the shock.
"Maybe." Jubilee smiles, she gives him a small wink and he knows its true.
He isn't surprise. It isn't a secret in the mansion that Jubilation Lee was the mutant to directly approach him when his powers were out of control when his sanity was. So it isn't a secret that Ray would voice his concern to her, even if Bobby isn't her responsibility in any way.
Letting out a loud sigh, Jubilee places the now empty cup onto the empty space beside her. "Walk with me." It isn't a question and there isn't a choice as Jubilee stands up she pauses her sapphire eyes staring directly at him, waiting for him..
They walk silently through the garden of flowers. The celebration now several feet away from them. It's been minutes now and Bobby remain quiet as he walks slightly behind Jubilee allowing her to guide the way.
"I never said thank you." Bobby finally says quietly, breaking the silence between the two.
Jubilee pauses for a second to look at him before continuing to walk. "Thank you for what?" She asks over her shoulder.
"The night I left the mansion. After the mission. In the loading dock." Bobby mumbles out loud. He doesn't know how to say it, without saying everything and he's hoping those vague three sentences will make sense to her.
Jubilee nods silently understanding now what he was referring to. Again she pauses in her steps and this time she smiles weakly at him and shrugs her shoulders as if uncertain and it's so not of her character. "You're welcome. But I didn't do anything."
Bobby's mouth opens ready to argue. He wants to tell her she did do something for him. He wants to tell her how much he thought about her words and her actions after he left. How it help ease the bitterness and coldness. But he doesn't know how to. He doesn't know the words to. So instead he closes his mouth and watches as she continues to walk once more.
Silence fills the air once more and he follows her. Bothered that even now after all that he's been through he's still can't seem to find himself or who he fully was.
"The brooding Bobby." Jubilee's voice fills the air and he can hear the light seriousness in her voice. "It really doesn't suite you." She finishes and she sneaks a glimpse of him from the corner of her eyes.
"I -" Bobby stammers and mumbles. There she goes again. Her direct blunt approach. He isn't use to this. Used to someone directly attacking his behavior. Because even Ray does, there's a dance of hesitation and tension follows right after.
Stopping in her steps Jubilee let's out a short laugh as she turns to him. "I-" she repeats, as her sapphire eyes meet his gaze. "You, Bobby Drake if I recalled can be incredibly annoying and yet charismatic with charm. You, should never be the brooding type."
Bobby let's out a huff. He's flattered by her compliment because it only reminds him of the words she has told him before. And it means she truly meant by repeating it now.
"The brooding type is who I was for over a year now." He shares out loud his gaze still staring directly at her. He's struggling because he wants to look away from her anywhere except at the sapphire orbs that feels like can see into his soul.
Smirking Jubilee shrugged her shoulders, "I thought that's why you left, aren't you done brooding. It may not seem like it or it may be hard to believe. But no one's whispering behind your back about it. No one sees you any less because of it. You're back aren't you? So why not celebrate?"
She has a point. A major point. He's been brooding, brooding for maybe too long. But in some way he's forgotten how carefree he use to be. Or the feeling of how to be carefree.
Bumping shoulders with him, she whispers, "You know some people don't even come back from that. So there is reason to celebrate."
The whispered truth is too real and Bobby knows it for a fact. He feels guilty now because he's some how inadvertently gained her company. Her company that he isn't sure he's really worthy of deserving. And he has offered nothing positive or anything he can say proudly that's worth something. Instead they're standing away from the celebration seriousness in their tones about fallen mutants and brooding.
Suddenly the idea of that bothers him. That he can bring such seriousness or coldness into her world when Jubilee is normally so cheerful. He doesn't want to do that to her.
Letting out a sigh Bobby brings his eyes towards the lit lanterns and where the music is blaring. "You know I'm considered one of those newbies that they're welcoming." He says with distastes but a playful dramatic sigh.
A huge smile spreads across Jubilee's lips and she lets a laugh much more different from the one that he's heard that night. It causes his heart to feel something, pride or pleasure that he can make her laugh like that.
Bumping shoulders with again this time more playfully than the first. "Isn't that more reason to celebrate." Jubilee teases.
Bobby stinks out his tongue. "I rather not." He replies adamantly. If he remembers correctly they welcome all the mutants on the stage with a nice summary about them in the middle of the program. He isn't looking forward to that glory of that.
Laughing once more Jubilee leans in and her laugh softens as she looks into his eyes. "I'll let you in a little secret then." She whispers.
Bobby finds himself leaning in to hear what she has to share and he's finding himself more intrigued at the way he's attracted to how she laughs, how she talks and the way she is around him.
"It's my birthday tomorrow." Jubilee whispers so softly as if it really is the biggest secret that she wants no one in the world to know. Winking she let spins around. "Maybe that's a better reason for you to celebrate something." She says nonchalantly, as it means no difference to her, Jubilee begins to walk away back towards the crowds of people and blaring music.
Bobby eyes watch as Jubilee's hips sway as she walks away. There's a shrug of her shoulder and he knows that she's just letting him know there's another reason to celebrate something tonight. Yet permission for him to not have to care about this now new fact.
Without realizing it his lips curl into a smile at the thought of it. He really cannot describe the way he is attracted and now suddenly drawn to her even more. His eyes are glued on her and within seconds he's chasing after her.
He really doesn't want to celebrate him being welcomed back or the welcoming of new mutants (even if he should). But Bobby now really wants to celebrate Jubilee's birthday or at least something with her if it means more time in her presence or company because he was to investigate the feelings he's getting by just being with her.
So when he finally catches up to her he's smiling a huge smile. Jubilee looks at him questioningly but smiles back non the less.
"How about I meet you up in that challenge, but how about you join in on me on this?" Bobby blurts out. It's refreshing the feeling he's having now and it reminds him of how he was before the brooding and realizes he really isn't meant to be the brooding type.
"Oh?" It's Jubilee's only response and she stops walking, waiting for him to continue.
Bobby let's out a chuckle and his eyes are sparked with excitement. "Sprinklers."
"Sprinklers?" Jubilee repeats not catching on immediately.
Again he let's out a laugh and lets her in on what he's thinking, "Let's get some sprinklers on for this party."
Sapphire eyes widen at the thought. The sprinklers would immediately leave every single person and thing in the celebration wet and soaking. It would piss off Scott for the childishness of it and frustrate Kitty who spent hours on decorations. But it would be too good to pass up on a Summer Night like this.
"They'll kill us." Jubilee replies seriously and he knows that she's right. And there's a silent second as if both young adults should reconsider the idea. The silence is vanished as quickly as it appears and Jubilee is grabbing Bobby's hand, "I'm in." She laughs as she begins tugging him towards the water system.
Jubilee's laughter fills the air and Bobby can't help it but again feel that feeling in his chest as he hears it. He follows her allowing her to hold his hand as she pulls him and he knows now a moment like this is definitely worth celebrating.
Author Note: Again, sorry if this chapter was off. I did realize it did a weird kind of twist in the middle of it but I couldn't seem to muse up a different story line for celebration or any other C words in fact. But I hope it was some what amusing.
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