This may be the dumbest thing I have ever written. It just annoyed me that the episode made Jubilee out to be unreasonable for wanting a fun birthday, so I had Gambit and Rogue give her one. It's inspired by Marie Liu's depiction of Gambit with Laura, but so much dumber.

I'm working on a much longer piece about what I actually think is going on between Magneto and Rogue, and it should be done soon! Also, I have the next chapter of Queen of Assassins and Queen of Thieves in rough draft.

Pizza and Arcades

Jubilee's 18th birthday had been hella depressing. The day had started with Jean serving up her infamous box-mix muffins and Magneto being a buzzkill about his dead parents, and continued with her and Roberto fighting for lives against a nipped and tucked Mojo. If it hadn't been for her epic make-out session with Roberto, it would have been worse than her 12th birthday when her foster parents had stuck a candle in a Twinkie and given her a second-hand copy of Vanilla Ice's "Extremely Live," because she, quote unquote, loved music.

"Ugh," she flopped backwards onto her bed and put her pillow over her face, "All I wanted was a mega birthday with video games and pizza and a little appreciation."

She heard a knock on her door, slightly muffled by the pillow. Climbing off the bed and opening it, she saw Gambit standing there, poured into a grey t-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans.

"You up for some fun, petite?"

She looked at Gambit, wrinkling her nose. He was a hottie, lean and dangerous and straight-up sexual in a way that would have gotten him banned from Tiger Beat. But it was majorly gross that he had apparently been counting down to her 18th birthday. He'd never given her those kind of creepazoid vibes before.

"Uh, Big G, appreciate the thought, but I'm going to pass."

He looked confused, "You don't want to go the arcade? Did Rogue already ask?"

Puzzled, "The arcade?"

He stared at her for a moment, and a look of absolute horror passed over his face, "You didn't think I wanted to…"

"What? Hahaha, no," she cut him off, her face flaming. Could this birthday get any worse? "You'd-never-want-that. You're-in-love-with-Rogue. Anywho, the arcade! Sounds great! Let's go!"

"Oui," he said slowly, "You grab Roberto. I'll tell Rogue you're on your way, so she can get her car. And then we all pray she gets us there alive."

Jubilee's embarrassment had almost subsided by the time she and Roberto reached the garage, talking excitedly about what games they'd play (Time Crisis, Turtles in Time) and what toppings they'd have on their pizza (pepperoni, boiled eggs?). Rogue was sitting in the driver's seat of her red Miata, laughing at something Gambit was telling her. He was smiling back at her in a way she'd almost never seen, an open, genuine smile that went all the way to his eyes. They were clearly disgustingly in love. Rogue just needed to wake up and smell the coffee… preferably some that wasn't served by Magneto.

"Hey kids," Rogue called out when they approached, "Hop on in. Remy reminded me that I promised you surprises. I know the arcade ain't much of one, but it's a start."

"Won't Magneto wig out when he finds out we're gone?" she asked, climbing into the back seat.

"Erik's not our boss," Rogue dismissed her concerns with a wave of her gloved hand, "And he's wrong about taking time to celebrate. No point saving a world that despises us if we can't live in it a little. The professor taught me that."

"Besides, petite, the night's on me. All the quarters you can waste," Gambit spread his hands.

"Sweet! We're going to beat Dragon's Lair tonight, Roberto!" she paused, "Except you're heir to the Da Costa fortune rich, so you've probably already beaten it."

"Several times. I have many of the sequences memorized."

"Well, don't tell me them, dork. I want to figure it out myself if Gambit's paying."

"Regretting your choices yet, Remy?" Rogue said cheerfully.

He shrugged, "Got bigger worries than money, chere. I might not survive this drive."

"Hey!" Rogue thumped him playfully on the arm, "We'll all be just fine."

Jubilee laughed. Yes, they would be fine. She'd have the awesome eighteenth birthday she'd always imagined, with two of her friends and the unexpected addition of a hot Brazilian guy who was an amazing kisser. And Gambit and Rogue would figure everything out too. Maybe she should go easy on Remy tonight. He might have a wedding to save up for soon.

Nah, she thought, he'd probably end up stealing it.