I knew that the moment the words left my mouth, they'd be a lot to process. But Emma's reaction, well, it was something.
Her eyes went wide as saucers, and for a split second, I thought she might punch me in the face—or worse, give me one of those death stares that could freeze a man in his tracks. But no, instead, she just opened her mouth, her face turning a shade of red that could rival the most furious sunset.
"Don't tell me it's that bitch Jean from Xavier's place!" she exclaimed, her tone somewhere between incredulity and outright fury.
I raised my hands in defense, fully aware of how terrible this was going to sound. "Whoa, whoa! Okay, wait. I need to explain—"
Emma wasn't having it. She crossed her arms, tapping her foot in a way that told me this was not the fun kind of confrontation. "Oh, you need to explain. Yeah, I'm all ears for this one, David Faust."
I took a deep breath. This was going to be awkward. And possibly disastrous. But at least I could try to make it sound less like I'd been cheating on her across multiple universes.
"Alright, so, Jean... It's complicated—very complicated."
Emma raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Oh, really? 'Cause you know, multiversal relationships are always so simple, right?"
"Okay, okay. Maybe I made a few mistakes." I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. "Look, in the universe I was saving—Earth 2149, by the way—Jean was... well, she wasn't Jean in the traditional sense. She was possessed by a cosmic virus, alongside the phoenix, force, sure, but she was also, like, fighting it—at least part of the time."
Emma blinked at me, slowly processing the words. "So, you're telling me that you were involved with a woman who was literally half possessed by a cosmic entity when I was worried sick here? And you expect me to be okay with that?"
"Pretty much, yeah." I offered her an awkward smile. "Look, in my defense, we did save a whole universe. And we didn't exactly have a lot of options on the table when it came to, you know, emotional support."
She stared at me for a moment longer, and I could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she pieced together what I'd said. Then, finally, she let out a dramatic sigh, leaning back against the shuttle's wall like she needed a moment to process.
"You know what?" she muttered, shaking her head. "You really know how to make things complicated, don't you?"
I smiled sheepishly, feeling like the world's biggest idiot. "Hey, in my defense, this wasn't something I planned. It's not like I woke up one day and thought, 'Hey, I'm gonna have a multiverse love triangle while I'm saving the world.' It just... happened."
Emma snorted, her arms uncrossing as the initial tension seemed to lift. She leaned in slightly, giving me a playful yet exasperated look. "Yeah, you just happened to fall for a woman in a collapsing universe who's also half possessed, and you basically screwed both of them together. Totally makes sense."
"Exactly!" I said, relieved to find some humor in it. "It was practically destiny! Or, uh, poor decision-making, depending on how you look at it."
Her gaze softened, but she still looked conflicted, as if trying to wrestle with the emotion inside her. Finally, she sighed again, running her fingers through her hair as if to shake off the lingering discomfort.
"You're right," she said, her voice quieter now, but still tinged with a wry smile. "It's not about some cosmic love affair. It's about us. About what we are. And yeah, I can't say I'm thrilled about this Jean thing—but... I can understand, I guess. I'd rather not force you into choosing one of us, specially when you might just escape into another universe to avoid drama."
I grinned, grateful that she wasn't flipping out or throwing me out of the shuttle. "So, you're okay with it? I mean, it's not like we're going to go for a group date or anything."
She snorted. "God, no. That's the last thing I need. But... I get it. You're not... you're not with her now. You're mine, and I don't want you to be taken away by someone else. Just tell me this honestly: Will you keep loving me like now and never leave?"
I felt my heart swell. "Always, Emma. I'll be there for you."
She hesitated for a moment before her lips curled into a small, playful grin. "But I do need one thing from you, David."
"Anything," I said quickly, eager to make things right.
She leaned in, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Next time, try not to fall in love with someone every time you go on universal explorations. It's a bit of a mood killer."
I laughed, relieved and happy that we were, somehow, going to get through this. "Deal. No more drama, except yours."
Her smile softened, and she kissed me lightly on the lips. "Good. 'Cause that's the only drama I'm interested in."
As I leaned against the shuttle's controls, still trying to wrap my head around the whole Jean Gray thing—and the multiversal love triangle—I noticed Emma was grinning, clearly holding back something. I raised an eyebrow.
"What's going on?" I asked, bracing myself for whatever else was coming.
She bit her lip, clearly trying to stifle a laugh, but it didn't take long before the words tumbled out.
"Well, funny thing. You've kind of become a worldwide sensation."
I stared at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
Emma leaned in, her smile widening. "You know, your grand exit while flying into space?"
I winced. "You mean when I flew towards the sun? Yeah, I remember that."
Her eyes sparkled with amusement. "Well, the world remembers too. And they have a lot to say about it."
I groaned, pressing a hand to my forehead. "Please don't tell me they think I've become some kind of... hero? A symbol of hope and whatnot?"
"Oh, they don't just think you're a hero, David," she said, practically choking on her own laughter. "They think you're a hero. Like a Superman-level hero."
I blinked, then gaped at her. "Superman?! Are you kidding me?"
Emma nodded, trying to suppress the grin that was threatening to break out. "Yup. That 'S' symbol you've got on your suit? Yeah, the whole world's just run with that.
You flew straight towards the sun, like you were going to punch it in the face or something, and then... boom, you're the new Superman. Congratulations, honey. But Warner Bros might sue you for copyright," she winked.
"Just fucking great," I muttered, leaning back in my seat and staring out at the stars. "All I wanted was to escape the mob chasing me. Now I'm some celebrity flying around in space, with no idea what I'm doing."
Emma nudged me, her expression softening. "I mean, I'm sure there are worse things than being the new Superman. You could be stuck in a warehouse with a bunch of interdimensional weirdos.
Wait... scratch that. You kind of are stuck with interdimensional weirdos."
I rolled my eyes. "Very funny. I do know I'm stuck with you, right?"
She raised her hands in mock surrender. "Hey, don't act like you don't love it."
"True," I muttered, but then remembered something. "Wait, you said the whole world knows about this? Does that mean...?"
"Yup," Emma nodded. "It's gone viral. And to make it even more interesting, SHIELD's going to be contacting you once you get back to Earth. They're... very interested in your superhero status. Possibly some other forces too."
I groaned, sinking deeper into the seat. "Fantastic. Just what I needed. SHIELD, a bunch of government agencies, and who knows who else trying to recruit me."
Emma raised an eyebrow. "So, you don't think it's cool? The whole world thinking you're some kind of savior?"
"I didn't exactly ask for this attention," I said, exasperated. "I was just trying to figure out my own life, and all of a sudden, I'm a living, breathing meme. And now SHIELD wants to talk to me? Great. What's next, the Justice League?"
Emma chuckled. "Hey, look on the bright side. At least you're not being hunted by aliens."
I sighed. "Not yet, but that could be in the works, knowing my luck."
"You'll be fine," Emma said, her tone a little more serious now, though her smile never faded. "You've got this, honey. Whatever comes next, we'll handle it. Together."
"Yeah." I gave her a half-smile. "I just hope they don't want me to wear tights."
She snorted. "You're too good-looking for tights. Maybe a cape?"
"A cape?!" I shook my head. "I'm not some... flying circus performer."
"Well, that's disappointing," she said, mock pouting. "I thought you'd look great in a cape."
"Maybe I'll wear one just to annoy everyone," I muttered, trying to hold back my laughter. "You know, for the memes."
"Oh, absolutely. You'll be the meme king." She grinned wickedly. "But you'll have to sign the contract with SHIELD first. They'll want to brand you properly. Maybe a shampoo commercial or a photo shoot?"
I couldn't help but chuckle at the idea. "Yeah, I'm sure SHIELD has some fantastic branding opportunities for me. Can't wait to sign up for their 'new hero package.'"
Emma leaned against me, her laughter soft but genuine. "Well, get ready, David. Looks like you've got a real job now. Superhero and interdimensional heartthrob. What a career path."
I leaned back, rolling my eyes, but the weight of everything was starting to settle in. "Yeah, I'm gonna need a better PR team for this one. But scratch the hero gig off."
"Don't worry. I'll be your agent," Emma said, giving me a playful wink.
"I think I'd rather take on the aliens first," I said, laughing.
Emma sighed dramatically. "Don't tempt fate. We've got enough to handle without throwing in a full-on galactic war."
"Fair enough," I agreed, leaning into her. "But, really, if I have to put on a cape, it's all your fault."
She smiled, shaking her head. "Deal. But you'll be flying by the time SHIELD calls, so you better start practicing your superhero pose."
"Right after I figure out how to stop being a cosmic-level meme," I muttered, closing my eyes and trying to relax as we drifted through the vastness of space. At least I knew I had Emma by my side through all of this.