2012-11-18 "I Got a Date!" - Part 2

"I do see," Jubilation replies, blushing at the memory. "I remember I wanted to help you, but you got him so fast I barely got out the door of that store! Which was probably for the best anyway," she adds, recalling another detail that sends her into a giggling blush. "At least this time I'm wearing pants!"

She looks up at the billboard. "Wow... I'll bet that /would/ be a great place to see the city from. Pity it's so public right now."

A blush runs over his face too as Ben presumes why Jubilee is giggling. "I gave a model a roof-top tour of the city," he wants to add more but stops himself. Jubilee does have a nice set of legs, "You're not weirded out that I'm a mutant too, right?" He has to be sure Jubilee is okay with such a revelation. Sure, she is a mutant but some people couldn't handle such a dynamic shift in a friendship.

"Weirded out? I /was/ a little surprised when you decided to take me roof-hopping," Jubilee admits, stifling giggles. "I would've been fine with just saying 'I'm a mutant, too'. But I'm guessing you don't go for subtle. And you seem like you're the very honest type. So I'm adjusting." She lets go of him, steadier on her feet now. "So, who was the model? Did she take it well?"

"Well...she's kind of woozy but seems okay with it. And usually I'm subtle but sometimes it's good just to cut loose." Ben shrugs and just watches Jubilee gain her bearings. All in all today is starting to look up.

"That's a pretty brave model," Jubilation observes, smiling a little. She takes a few experimental steps and stops at the edge of the roof, whirling to face him again, her unfastened jacket furling around her like an underlength cape. Despite her earlier shakiness, she has impressive balance, not stumbling a bit despite the dizzying height of the building. "So, what do you do to cut loose, Ben? On those occasions when you can?" she asks, holding her arms out like a tightrope walker and stepping up onto the cornice of the building.

Smiling big Ben lies, "Oh you know...I put on my Spider-Man costume like the rest of us mutants that have powers and feel like they should do something. What do you become when the world needs a hero or defender?" the question is serious as he asks the question. With a grin, "I'm a mutant...sometimes it's hard to have a normal life y'know? Honestly," Ben points down to one of the art museums, "They're having an opening for one of the latest flavors of the month. He's a bit bland in my opinion. A lot of truly great artist are out there but a lot of the dealers can't see past their own arrogance to find the next Warhol. They wish to peddle people that aren't like the old greats, but are too heavily influence by them. I'd love to just enjoy somethings like that but between fears about being called out along with a lack of a fine suit...I don't."

"Not much different," Jubilee replies, quite sincerely. "When the grown-ups let me, I put on my armored bodysuit and go kick supervillain butt. It's fun!" She holds her hands up, flexing her fingers jazz-style, and summons a few plasmoids, juggling them effortlessly. "Which isn't exactly a normal life, but when you're a mutant, normal can have some interesting definitions."

She absorbs the glowing spheres back into her catching hand and clasps her hands behind her back, leaning down to talk to Ben at eye level. "I'm a lousy art critic, but going and seeing a show like that could be fun. At least it wouldn't be for a school project, for once. Think there's a cover charge?"

"Donations usually. You just get enough rich people to donate A LOT," an eyebrow quirks upward, "Do you really put on an armored body suit? What's your hero name then?"

"Of course! If I didn't, some of those nasty supervillainy powers would turn me into a super-splat," Jubilation replies, grimacing faintly. "I just have to remember to keep it with me. And I'm called Jubilee! I know, I know, kind of obvious with the name Jubilation Lee, but it's easy to remember," she adds, holding up both hands and clenching them together, as if shortening them.

She looks down again, turning in place and leaning over to look. "So a lot of donations... wouldn't the gallery be open to pretty much anybody, then?" she asks, glancing back over her shoulder (and hip).

Ben gives a nod, "I want to see a picture. It's not every day you meet a Victoria Secret model by day and hero by night. And I would be honored if you would come with me to an art show like that. Question is do we go as friends, people trying out their first date, poor guy that has a underwear model on his arm, or heroes?" A smirk is on his face. He didn't expect the hero thing to be true. Especially since Jubilee isn't worried about a secret identity.

Jubilation blushes. "I'd suggest as friends... and I was totally kidding about the underwear model thing," she replies, much more quietly, stepping down from the cornice. And then she notices the look on his face. "You don't believe me!" she says, blue eyes widening in surprise. "Why not?"

Smiling, "You're saying I'm not datable?" he asks half kidding and half not. Mostly on the former though. His eyes look Jubilee over, "Because you're not all worried about someone finding out your secret identity. Saturday Morning Cartoons 101, always worry about your secret identity."

"I'd never say that," Jubilation protests. "Why? Are you saying I'm not because I don't get my picture taken in my undies for money?" Conversational tactics 101: Turnabout's fair play.

She frowns at that logic. "Not every hero has a secret identity, and it's just us here. And we're both mutants who could easily be heroes outside of costume..."

Sighing Ben looks at her, "And I call you a model becuase in my mind you're pretty enough to be one." Seeing the diversion, "You're very datable...if you weren't I wouldn't have made the suggestion."

Looking at her, "As for the heroics talk. I would need to know I could trust you before I share with you all my Spider-Man secrets," he winks telling half-truths.

I'll prove I am," Jubilation says, her jaw set. "I'll just need a second..." She steps away from the edge of the roof, shrugging out of her coat, then the borrowed hoodie. She toes off her boots, kicking them aside, then unbuttons her jeans and starts to pull them down...

And, when she catches sight of powder blue panties and bare thighs beneath, blushes brightly and quickly pulls the jeans back up. "Or maybe I won't..."

Smiles enjoying the show, "And yet you don't touch the dating comments I made, but I do appreciate the view?" another wink is given to Jubilee. "I'll model my underwear if it will make you feel better." Pausing for a moment, "Do you work for a team or something?"

"I totally forgot to put the thing on under my clothes," Jubilation mutters, ready to kick herself. "Um, no, no need for that. It's cold up here, after all. I'm glad the team's not with me to see this." She can imagine the ribbing now.

She shakes her head, recalling those comments. "You made me mad," she replies. "Not that I don't appreciate what you said."

Sighing, "If I show you something...You owe me a date, and sworn secrecy. And by date I mean not as friends," he says firmly yet feeling bad for Jubilee. She really is telling the truth about something. Everything between the anger, the muttering, and blushing says to Ben that she is.

"I already swore secrecy, and I don't mind swearing a little more," Jubilation replies, holding her jeans up as she steps closer. "And I was gonna ask you out after we got done talking. Consider us committed." She glances around. "Should I turn around, or something?"

"No but button up," a finger points to the pants, then another points to her coat, "Buckle up," and finally he points to anything else that's scattered, "Pull yourself together. The next ride is going to be a little quicker than the last. The ride after that," he stops before blushing, "There's no way to say this and it not to sound dirty. The ride after that will be faster and wilder...I promise. And I'll be a gentleman, I swear."

"Oh... right. And you're right, that does sound dirty," Jubilation returns teasingly, turning her back to do up her buttons and put her boots back on. Next, the hoodie and her jacket. This all takes a minute or so, so it'll be a bit before she turns back around, time for Ben to make his own changes.

Instead of changing Ben grabs Jubilee then just begins jumping again. "Hang on!" he says showing that he is moving with intent. They end up going from Soho back into queens. Back into the apartments of a less than pleasant looking neighborhood. A type of place that isn't the worse but far from the greatest. When Ben lands on top of the building he opens up the door entrance to the roof. Giving Jubilee a few moments to gain her balance because they just went across the city he waits until she slips inside.

Stepping inside the building he shuts the door leading her to 8H, an apartment on the top floor. Pulling out his keys, Ben pushes inside his home. "Grab a seat," he gestures to the green hand-me-down seventies couch that looked attrocious, but is really comfortable. The kitchenette area isn't much. A plastic trashbin near the door has a lot of pizza boxes, Craft Mac n' Cheese blue boxes, and other signs that shows a teenager that can barely cook. A foremen grill rest near a microwave on a cabinet showing the oven probably doesn't get used too often, if at all.

On the back of his door is a poster of Einstein's photo where he is sticking out his tongue. Ben kicks aside his shoes before dropping his backpack, "You can watch so you can have your own show or turn around for suspense...Your choice. I'll give you the tour of the place when we come back."

Jubilation barely turns around before she's scooped up again! She gives a startled little squeak and obeys the terse instruction instantly. "Okay!" And off they go again, on another dizzying ride across the rooftops!

Finally, in Queens, the Ben Express pulls into the station on an unfamiliar rooftop. Jubilation peers quizzically around the roof until Ben gets the door open, then precedes him into the building, then lets him lead her on to a top-floor apartment.

Inside screams 'young bachelor with no cookbook', but Jubilation isn't one to judge. She nods and pulls off her too-warm double layer of jackets, moving over to the window to lean on the frame and resist the temptation to look back over her shoulder. "I won't peek, I promise," she says, without turning around.

His backpack opens up and the sound of clothes hitting the floor can be hear. Somthing is being slipped on, the sound of fabric rustling against flesh tells her that. Another noise, metal, like something is getting set is heard next. Quietly Ben moves behind her then wraps both arms around her waist. Red clad arms with black fingers come into view. "I wasn't exactly lying when I said I was Spider-Man." A black spider-man like head with red eyes keeps talking, "Thoughts?"

Jubilation does keep her word, crossing her ankles and humming softly to block out the sounds of Ben changing behind her. Then, unexpectedly, arms wrap around her waist from behind! She starts, then relaxes when Ben's voice speaks up. In the reflection of the window, she sees two bright red eyes in a black, otherwise-featureless face, and her own blue eyes widen in astonishment. "Kinda creepy," she says at last, straightening and resting her hands on top of his. "But there's nothing wrong with this introduction..."

Pulling open the window, "I know...this opens up a nexus of relationship talks consider we both run around in costumes. For starters, I don't say what happens in the mask stays in the mask. You're dating the mask and the guy behind it," he says before slipping in front of her. "You gotta piggy back this one and hold on -very- tightly. Don't forget you'll need your shades too."

Jubilation giggles, turning around in Ben's arms and gently peeling back the mask from his face. "I'd never ask for that. I /know/ the guy behind the mask," she replies, leaning forward and kissing the tip of his nose, then pulling the mask down again. Then, as he slips around in front of her, she tips down her shades and climbs carefully onto his back, crossing her ankles as best she can and looping her arms over his shoulders. "I'm ready." Her voice does tremble a little, but she steadies it. "And, on with the leap of faith..."

Smiling brightly behind the mask, Ben is happy she doesn't see the blush the kiss caused. "Thwp," cuts through the silence and Jubilee feels webbing hold her ankles in place. Thanks to the starting point of his waist, Jubilee is now a cute backpack for Ben. "Here we go," he declares before climbing out the window, up the wall for a second.

Giving his newly crowned girlfriend a moment to take in what is happening, Ben waits before pushing off the building. Wind whips by both of them before his hand extends outward, "Thwp," webbing streams out. A tug happens then Ben pulls them both forward. The rush matches that of a roller coaster.

Eventually they are moving through the air as one web stream is done before Ben "thwps" pushing them forward with another. Swinging through the city, Jubilee now sees why her boyfriend doesn't have a car. Before long they are back in Soho. Pulling upward, Ben swings toward one of the highest buildings in this area in the city. He lands with her on the rooftop, "Ready for more?" Again he waits for Jubilee to gain her bearings, "Real leap of faith in three...two...," although Ben does wait a good time before giving a giant leap off the buidling. Midway through the jump he does a slip, everything feels like a rollercoaster moving down a giant ramp that has a loop-de-loop built midway down.

A familiar tug of Ben swinging around the buildings show Jubilee he's not new to this. Ben really is some type of real hero deal. After several minutes of swinging Ben leaps to a wall before clmbing up it with ease. He then jumps on a building that's being built then climbs upside down on a few beams before pushing off, lightly, into a backflip the pulling upward to a different builing thanks to the webbing. Once on this building he leaps across one block then another and one more for safe measure before coming to a stop. "That's how I really cut loose," he pulls off the webbing that keeps her in place. "Thoughts?" he asks with both arms out in case she needs to be caught."

"Wha... huh?" Jubilation feels the webbing take hold, and then finds she can't separate her feet. And then they're going up the wall! "Whoa... when we're like this, I can really see how high we are!" And that might be a trace of fright in her voice. She /is/ hanging onto someone hanging onto the wall, after all, in what looks like a very precarious position!

But it doesn't last long. In an instant they're in freefall! Fright silences Jubilee's voice, and she falls into silence as Ben stops the fall with his webbing and swings across the city. Faster than she would've thought possible, they're back in SoHo!

But the ride doesn't stop there. Good thing for Jubilee that she's regained her voice and her courage, because the next part is even more dizzying! "Whoooaaa-woohoo! Wow!"

At last they come to rest on a rooftop, and she feels Ben slow to a stop. A tug on her feet frees them, and she drops almost bonelessly from his back, fortunately caught by his outstretched arms. "Wow..." she whispers, drawing herself up against his back so she can regain her balance. "That was... amazing!"

Chuckling, "When I said wild ride, I meant it. Again, no way to say that without sounding dirty." Amusement fills his voice before turning to hold her, "Now is the time for me to be completely honest. I'm not quite a mutant...my powers were created to match Spider-Man's. That part of me is a science expiriment gone wrong or right. Viewpoint dictates how you see it. My codename is Scarlet Spider, but the papers confuse me for the Spider-Man that flipped someone the bird."

Sighing Ben lays it all out on the table, "The cut on my wrist came from me trying to catch two thieves. I kind of liked one...but...between you and her, I'd rather pick you. You'd not only look better in the black leather like that, but i'm not exactly sharing with her all of my secrets. If I run into them again I will tell them, Golden Spider is waiting for me and I gotta behave." Breathing out again he keeps talking, "I'll do my best not to miss dates, duty calls. However, if we team up in the hero sense...know we'll do pizza or something every time after. Promise."

"So you're part mutant, part genetic engineering... I didn't know that was possible," Jubilation says, frowning thoughtfully. "But /what/ you are doesn't matter to me. /Who/ you are, that's the important thing. And I like that you've been so candid with me. I like that very much."

She draws herself in a little closer, resting against him comfortably. "Not every part of my life's under my control, either. But when we can get together and do some heroing, I'll be more than happy to go out someplace fun after that. After all, what fun is just going out and working?" She looks up and smiles. "Besides, it'll make our time together a lot more precious if it's not every day."

Looking at her, "Yeah...but I don't want you to think I'm picking the costume over you, Golden Spider." Black costume clade fingers stroke her face. Pulling up his mask he kisses her lips after holding her close to him. Thanks to the costume Jubilee could feel and see Ben's muscle definition.

He has the body of a runner, leaner, but Ben looks and feels like he has very little body fat even though he eats a lot of bad food.

"Jubilee..." the teen corrects unconsciously. And then their lips meet, softly, but not without feeling. She wraps her arms a little more tightly about him, running a hand slowly down his back. Under his hands, the several layers of upper clothing mask her body from his touch, but what he's seen before would tell him that she's long and lean like a gymnast, with just enough softness to give her a pleasantly feminine shape.

She draws away slowly, sighing softly, and looks up into his face again. "Brush your teeth next time, Spider. I tasted onions!" she teases, with a nose-wrinkling impish grin.