Long Distance

by Fionny

Notes: Happy Birthday Dyce! I'm not sure if this is what you expected, but it's 1312 words just for you! It's a Jubilee's side of a phone call. Canonically, it's after Jubilee joined the X-Corps, but if it doesn't fit, don't flame me. Thanks to Mitai, Obie, and Drea for letting me torture them.

・Hello?・ Jubilee cradled the phone between her head and shoulder as she made her way around the kitchen.

・Hey Ange, it・s me.・ She took a box of Sugarbombs from the cabinet, balancing it on top of the white bowl in her hand.

・Yeah, I know, it・s been way too long. I・ve been busy and all that. I・m sorry.・ The spoon was removed from its place in the dishwasher and stuck into her belt.

・Yeah, I miss you too. Didn・t realize how much I was used to having you around.・ Her free hand grabbed the jug of milk from the fridge.

・Paige and Jono? Last I heard, they were fine.・ She looked around the kitchen for a free chair. There weren・t any.

・No, she・s not tree-hugging anymore.・ It would probably be nicer to eat up in her room.

・Enh, same old same old. Join the X-Corps, see the world, fight really ugly mothers in spandex.・ She glimpsed the bright blue sky through the window at the top of the stairs. It was such a nice day, she could even eat on the roof.

・Yes, I know we wear spandex too.・ Her usual method of climbing the trellis wasn・t go to work.

・I do not look hot in spandex!・ She・d have to take the stairs.

・Shut up!・ How was she going to open the door with her hands full? Oh, Sean was walking by. ・Can you open this door, I want to go up on the roof. Thanks.・

・What? No, not you. I know you・re not here, I was asking Mr. Cassidy.・ He was nice enough to go up to the roof with her, to hold the second door open.

・No, I am not going up on the roof to angst!・ She found a relatively comfy spot on the northern side of the building, facing the lake.

・No, silly, I just came up here to eat my breakfast. The kitchen・s too crowded.・ She poured the milk and cereal into the bowl and began munching. ・Sorry to eat in your ear.・

・I・m having Sugarbombs.・

・No, I haven・t been gorging on sweets. I actually had broccoli yesterday.・

・Very funny. I have to keep my girlish figure, you know.・

・We・re back on that again?・

・Okay, okay, I・ll admit to being cute in spandex.・

・Since when have you noticed my ass?・ Her hand went to her backside, self consciously.

・Yeah, well, yours wasn・t so bad either.・

・It was not droopy!・

・Yeah, yeah. So how are things in L.A.? You holding up okay?・

・Yes, I realize you・re the one with the normal, non-superhero life. Doesn・t mean I can・t worry about you.・

・Good, I・m glad things are going well. You know, anytime you want to come join the team...・

・Sheesh, smash the thought completely, why don・t you?・

・No, it・s okay. I should have known it was a touchy subject.・

・I miss him a lot, too.・ She dunked a few sugarbombs into the milking, over and over again, watching as they bounced back up to the surface.

・No, the unrequited love had simmered down to somewhat requited lust before....・ Her voice trailed off as she examined her reflection in the silver spoon.

・Don・t go all quiet on me, Ange.・ She took another bite as she waited for him to respond.

・All right. How ・bout them Lakers, eh?・ The cereal was getting rather soggy now, but the milk was chocolate-y sweet. Maybe she could go back down to the kitchen and get a cup for the cereal milk. Of course, she could just drink from the bowl - no one else was here to witness it.

・Or those Knicks, you liked them, right?・ She sipped the cereal milk, giggling as a bit dripped off her nose.

・Wow...um...that was unexpected. I don・t know, Ange. I like being part of a team again.・ She wiped hastily at her pajama pants. She hadn・t meant to spray milk like that, but then again, she hadn・t planned on being asked to move back to Los Angeles.

・Not anyone? There・s, like, nine million people in LA. You can・t be the only one who・s lonely.・ She wished she・d brought paper towels with her. In this heat, it was only a matter of time before the milk dried, leaving her sticky.

・No, I don・t know how you・d go about finding them. Join a book club.・

・I was serious.・

・Okay, you can quit laughing now.・

・No, I really can・t come to LA.・ A swallow had landed a few feet away from her. She tossed it the last few Sugarbombs.

・Can・t. I do want to, really, but there・s nothing for me there. Not anymore.・ The bird had flown up the chimney top, startled, but had soon returned to discover an unexpected, yet not unwelcome, meal.

・No! I didn・t mean you・re nothing! You・re the only thing there worth seeing, but, outside of you, there・s nothing else.・

・I・m sorry, Ange. Didn・t mean to hurt your feelings. You・re the one who took it that way. I really would like to see you. Maybe you could come out here?・

・Oh. That sucks. Bosses suck. And bosses who don・t give you time off suck Sinister・s pasty white lumpy balls.・

・ANGE! Of course I don・t know what color they are!・ Her shriek had scared away the swallow. Damn.

・I don・t know if I could come. Maybe I could, for a few days.・

・Slow down, my Spanish is horrible.・ She grinned as an excited stream of Spanish flowed into her ear.

・Somebody・s happy.・

・You know, that might be fun. I grew up there, but I never bothered doing all the touristy stuff.・

・Dinner?・ The swallow had returned, with a friend. She watched for a minute as they nibbled the remains of the Sugarbombs. ・I don・t know... that makes it sound suspiciously like a date.・

・That・s because it is a date. Oh.・ She shook some Sugarbomb dust from the near-empty box and sprinkled it near the birds.

・No, I・m flattered... I just don・t know if it・s a good idea.・ They were so cute, hopping around, eating sugar dust, not a care in the world.

・Why isn・t it a good idea?・ She threw the cereal box as the words caught up in her mouth, and the noise scared away the young birds. ・・Cause I like you.・

・And that・s great, requited like is great....・

・But... I still don・t know if it・s such a hot idea.・ She drummed the spoon nervously on her damp thigh.

・I like you too much. It wouldn・t be just one date. It・d spawn off into new dates, and holding hands, and snuggling on the couch...・

・No, those aren・t particularly bad things.・ She shrugged and sighed, before hopping off the ledge and beginning to pace.

・The problem is that it・d be -serious.- I・m only 16.・

・Yes, I know you・re only 19.・

・No, you・re not ready for serious. Yer too young to be thinking about finding the one.・

・That was... really sweet.・ She kicked the empty cereal box. This was not going well.

・Ange, if I am the one, I promise...・ She twisted her hands in the hem of her tank top. ・I promise I・m not going anywhere.・

・Yeah, I could die. So could you. What if you get in a car accident or something?・

・Okay, fine, that wasn・t the point. Did you even have a point?・

・I・m not snippy.・ She stomped her foot on the box, squishing it flat.

・Well, I・m not the one who suggested we date!・ She picked up the flattened cardboard box and began tearing off tiny pieces, tossing them off the roof and watching the wind take them.

・Someday, we can give it a try. But not today.・ She took the bowl and spoon and leaned back against the ledge. ・Not any day soon.・

・I・m sorry, Ange, that・s just how I feel.... Ange? Ange?・ She ran a hand through her short, dark hair. ・Angelo Espinosa, don・t you dare hang up like this.・

・....damn it.・