SYNOPISâ what happens when bob says something that leads to a prank war.
TAGSâ established relationship. platonic relationship w/ joaquin, yelena, kate and bob.
PAIRINGSâ johnny storm x fem!reader (hero)
WCâ shortie.. 1.8k
The day had been simple enough. A couple missions done, a quick debrief, Joaquin and Johnny arguing about something minimal. That was until Bob had a made a comment.
You, Yelena and Kate all sprawled on the couch, their legs both on your lap with a couple of fluffy blankets wrapped around them as they sipped on some hot chocolate. The boys were all playing around on a new Nintendo console that Sam gifted them after they broke the last one.
âAll Iâm saying is the girls couldnât handle a prank war.â
Immediate silence. The girls stopped sipping their drinks, Joaquin snorted. âAinât that the truth.â
Kate sat up, âExcuse me.â
Yelena turned to Bob, âBob. Stop talking.â
âPranks require precision, strategy and execution. You three jump at the smallest thing like when someone knocked on a door a little too loudly.â
Yelena got up, âThat person knocked like he wanted to die. Which couldâve happened if it was for this one.â
Yelena gave you a look. âIt was the delivery guy.â
âAnd also, I donât jump. I kill..â
Joaquin tsked, âSee. Not prank worthy.â
Johnny was silent. Too silent.
He opened his mouth, âI mean they do have a point.. they are soft..â
You turned to look at him, like he physically hurt you. He mightâve. You opened your mouth in disbelief. Johnny widened his eyes.
He froze, âI mean, no. No. Thatâs not what I meant.â Stammering his words.
Yelena and Kate shook their heads.
âSoft? Iâm sorry.â
Johnny chuckled nervously. âI donât know what Iâm saying.â
Kate scoffed, âHe agrees.â
âA trained assassin, a skilled archer and this one who can move things with her mind. But we are too soft?â Yelena leaned forward.
âHeâs bout to be in the dog house..â Kate whispered.
Johnny shook his head, âNo, no. I did not say that. Just mean that pranks are..â
âJohnny..â
Johnny stared at you, âPlease. They were peer pressuring me! Donât hurt me.â
The boys both rolled their eyes.
âSo, you think Iâm weak and I canât handle this little contest.â
âI think.. you are so pretty.â Johnny nodded.
Joaquin smirked, âDigging himself an early grave.â
Kate jumped up, âPrank war!â
Joaquin cheered, âLetâs go. Itâs on.â
Johnny who was still looking at you with pleading eyes, âBaby. I love you. Okay?â
You just glared at him, Yelena leaned over and whispered, âKill him.â
You answered with looking away, âLater.â
The prank war had commenced and just like everyone would think, the boys definitely underestimated the girls. But they paid for it. Yelena, Kate and you all inflated many balloons filled with a mysterious liquid.
Kate had used her bow and arrow to set off the balloons while Yelena triggered a sensor so when Joaquin entered the room itâd set off, exploding all over his floor.
They simply waited.
Joaquin screamed from the hall.
âDude! What is this?â He started before gagging at the smell.
Yelena cackled before running away.
15 minutes later. Johnny entered the bathroom for his usual pee break when a loud explosion occured. Yelena, Kate and you all stood outside giggling, Johnny came out as he triggered a glitter bomb.
He stood covered in glitter, his hair sparkling and shirt all pink.
He stayed still and silent.
âBabe. This is definitely your look.â You grinned as you all walked away.
The boys decided to get you all back.
You went over to lay down on your bed after a long day. As you laid, you saw cockroaches all over your pillow. You let out a scream.
âAh! Johnny!â Yelled, you tried to run but slipped and hit your head.
All was heard was laughter from the boys. You grunted and stomped your way to the males, âI hate you guys.â
Glaring at them. Joaquin shrugged, âWill survive. Still effective.â
Johnny tried to stifle a laugh but he let out a loud laugh. âIâm sorry. Are you okay?â Trying to hide a smile.
âI hate you.â
Johnny stepped forward, âWill a kiss make you forgive me?â
Yelena threw a throw pillow, âHey, no flirting during war.â
Many more pranks happened. Yelena and Kate both poured down fake blood down to shower head. Bob screamed when he saw blood coming down his body.
âWhat the. Yelena!â
âHa.â She snickered with Kate.
Pulling his head out, âYelena, is this fake?â
No reply.
Kate paused, âYou scare me.â
âThank you.â
Joaquin set up a bucket with a gallon of melted butter, the bad kind. And white feathers he found from Sam, asking if he could have them. She stepped over a the sensor and looked like a white chicken. She gave him a glare.
âUh. I regret it.â
She whispered, âGood.â
Later that night, close to midnight. You were sitting on top of the washer, legs crossed. Johnny entered seeing you giving the âlookâ.
He sighed, âHey..â
You hopped off, âCome.â
âUh, I donât want to. Donât hurt me.. remember I love you.â He bit his lip walking over to you slowly.
âIâm not going to hurt you.â
He walked to you. You lifted your hand using your powers and grabbed some laundry scent beads and flicked them over his face, he flinched when it came into contact.
âThatâs for putting cockroaches in my bed.â
Johnny nodded, âI deserved that.â
âYou still think I canât handle it?â
âNope.â
He paused.
âBut you are adorable.â He stepped closer and whispered close to your ear.
Kate gasped. âHey. No flirting!â
Yelena groaned, âGross.. we need to destroy them not make out with them.â
Johnny sighed, âI hate you guys.â
You leaned and planted a kiss on his cheek. âLove you too.â
Johnny sighed softly.
By Monday, the boys witched all the sugar with salt. Kate had coffee but it didnât end well. She had a coughing fit. Then every hour, the girls made sure to put a series of heavy metal songs together everytime theyâd enter the locker room.
The boys triggered air horn in the living room, Kate screamed, you screamed.
Johnny screamed because he was laughing.
And by the evening, Sam came to the tower and told them to meet him for an urgent meeting. They all grunted.
âIâve heard about this little war. Knock it off. All of you.â
âThey started it.â Kate immediately blamed glaring at the boys, Joaquin glared back.
âNot true!â
Sam sighed. âI donât care who started it. I donât care who is winning. I swear, if one more prank happens god so help me.â
Yelena raised her hand, âWho is winning?â
He gave her a look, âYelena. Donât piss me off.â
He left seconds later when Kate hummed looking at the boys, âTruce?â
âGuess so.â
Later that night, you were snuggled on the couch watching a tv show when Johnny came in. Holding your favorite drink.
âAm I allowed to sit?â
You shrugged, âUnless you try to prank me.â
He raised his hands in the air to show he didnât want any trouble, âNo pranks. Promise.â
You then moved aside, âCome then.â
Taking your blanket off, he soon took you in his arms laying next to you. You nuzzled your head onto his chest, âCuddles are included in this truce.â
He chuckled, âOf course.â
âYou still have glitter. On your face.â Trailing a finger across his cheek, holding up her finger which had pink glitter.
âI took like five showers. The glitter is inevitable.â
Resting his head on your shoulder, he hummed. âI missed you.â
âI miss you.â
Kate and Yelena saw you two cuddling on the couch, Kate gasped. âDude!â
You looked up, âWhat..â
Yelena scoffed, âI knew it. You two would break the truce..â
Bob who came strolling in with a granola bar and Joaquin who had plopped onto the couch, âDamn it. Now I owe Kate 5 bucks.â
The next day. Bob was somehow bored at the tower, he did the dishes, did laundry, read some books but he needed something to do. He landed near a box of miscellaneous objects in the attic, no one knows why he was in the attic. He grabbed a mask.
It was a Halloween mask obviously. Bob was planning on scaring someone and that someone was no one other than you. He knew youâd get spooked easily, interesting that being very powerful youâd just not have any fears. But somehow seeing clowns kinda of scared you. Joaquin took to you a haunted maze one day and was a jerk and left you alone to freak out.
You were just a girl. You saw clowns and they chased you down until you got to the exit, you immediately made him pay for leaving you. He never did it again. Fast forward to now, Joaquin told everyone about that moment and you glared at them all.
So Bob, did exactly that. He wore the mask and hid behind any place you went, the laundry room, he was there. The kitchen, yup. The end of the hallway.. also there. The parking lot, he was there.
He made sure you saw him or the clown and immediately ducked when you did a double take. You were absolutely going crazy. You saw a clown, you couldâve sworn.
So that night, you looked around and saw nothing and wanted a snack so you went through the fridge, opening the door and bending down to grab a container of fruit. You hummed in delight biting into the melon, you got up and went to shut the door.
You saw the clown right there from the other side of the fridge door and let out a scream. Throwing the fruit onto the floor and falling onto the floor.
Bob let out a huge laugh, whining and covering your ears as he continued to laugh.
âIâm sorry. Why do you always fall when you get scared?â He hummed, smiling at you.
âYou jerk.â You glared at him.
Joaquin shook his head, âWhy is that your signature move? To fall like a possum..â
You grunted, âListen jerks. You did this first.. now you!â Remembering the clown situation.
Kate sighed, âDonât scare her. Her body just reacts that way..â
Yelena smiled, âAh, yes. Like a sack of flour.â
Johnny came into the view, seeing you still on the floor. Giving you a look, âDid you get scared?â
You glared. âShut up. You, three are on my dead to me list. Donât ever talk to me again.â
Kate shook her head and tried not to smile. âNot the DTM list.â
You whipped your head, âWanna be on it?â
âNo ma'am."
Johnny nodded, âIâm sorry. I love you. But why do you just fall everytime you get scared..â
âI donât know. I donât tell my body it just does it.â
Johnny held his arm out, âCome.â
You took it and he pulled you in his arms and held you. âBob, say sorry.â
Bob shrugged, âSorry. But we won right?â
âNo. You did not.â Yelena grunted.
âYuh huh.â Joaquin rolled his eyes.
âYouâre such a child.â Kate told him.
âAm not!â He yelled back.
âThis all your fault. Hope you know that.â You mumbled to Johnnyâs chest.
whoever put joseph quinn in those white jeans, i wish them merry christmas, the happiest new year, the greatest birthday, all the best for all and every holiday cuz HOLY HELL IS HE LOOKING HOT
Johnny storm with a reader thats like artsy and crafty? Like the reader just gifts like handmade thing to him all the time? (ex: coasters, dream catchers, paintings/drawings, pottery type stuff?) And like you can tell that they put a lot of effort into the things they make for Johnny and some are even like personalized just for him?
Crafty
Johnny Storm x fem!reader
Word count: 1.1k Masterlist
You have always been like this, as long as you could remember. Picking up hobby after hobby, fully committing yourself to it until you were onto the next. You considered yourself a master craftsman, picking up a new hobby and embracing it. Johnny embraces each hobby you took on in full support, which only fueled you more. It started out with pottery classes at a local place you found in the city.
You had only been dating for a few months, and when you presented him with the wonky mug that said â#1 BFâ painted on it he nearly cried. It was more of a joke than anything, but his reaction made your heart crack open. And he has been the receiver of all your arts and crafts ever since. He reaches for his mug every morning like clock work, and it makes you smile every time.
Then, came the needle point. Since he took your mug so seriously, you waited until you had more practice under your belt to give him one of your pieces. When you presented him with the intricate flames in the shape of a heart you had created, he jumped with joy. It sits in a frame on his night stand so that he can look at it every night.
Next came painting classes, various landscapes and sunsets as you embraced your inner Bob Ross for a few months. Johnny would sit next to you and watch you practice in awe. When you gifted him a painting of the New York City skyline, he proudly displayed it right next to your needle point work. Then came knitting, this was arguably his favorite, he proudly wears his sweaters that you made, even if the flaws are very visible.
When you had given him the first sweater you made, he put it on over the shirt he was wearing and walked around the Baxter Building telling everyone you made it just for him. It was a soft yarn of different hues of blue to match his bright eyes. Sue laughed when he waltzed up to her with both hands on her his hips and a grin from ear to ear. âYouâre really smitten, arenât you?â She asked, bouncing Franklin on her hip, his grin didn't falter, âcan you believe she made me this? I mean itâs almost as perfect as her,â you stood behind him, blushing. He planted a kiss on your cheek, âI love it, I canât wait for my next gift.â
He took care of that sweater like it was worth a million bucks, handwashing in cold water only, laying flat to dry, and folding it neatly, only to wear it immediately the next day.
When you presented the second sweater to him, your technique had advanced and it showed. The stitching on this sweater was much cleaner, you even stitched a small tag inside that said âmade with loveâ and he nearly burst on the spot. âWow, babe practice really does make perfect. Now I have a new one to add to my rotation,â He looked the sweater over and ran his fingers across the little tag with the slanted words on it. âI love that you love my gifts so much, it makes the process all the more worth itâ you said softly, watching him admire the sweater, âbut this one comes with a bonus.â
He looked up at you, and you pulled an exact version of the sweater in his hands from your tote, but much smaller. âSo Franklin can match with his favorite uncle,â you said proudly.
Johnnyâs jaw went slack and he grabbed the matching sweater from your hands. You made sure to use extra soft yarn for these sweaters and a light beige color perfect for winter. Johnny grabbed your hand and pulled you to the living room where he knew Franklin and Sue would be planted this time of day. You were nearly running trying to keep up with his long strides. His eagerness makes you all the more excited to see them both in their sweaters.
When he stopped in the living room in front of Sue, she looked up at you both. Franklin was stacking his blocks with extreme concentration on the ground. Johnny didnât say a word, only held up the tiny sweater meant for Franklin. Sue gasped with excitement, âgive it to me right nowâ she reached her hand out and Johnny handed it over to her. Silently, Johnny slipped his sweater over his head and Sue changed Franklin into his.
Johnny sat on the couch and placed Franklin into his lap. Your heart swelled in your chest at the sight in front of you. Franklin was sitting in Johnnyâs arms clapping and squealing. Sue lifted her phone immediately, snapping pictures before the moment could slip away. âOkay, this might actually be the cutest thing Iâve ever seen,â she said, laughing as Johnny helped Franklin fix the sleeve that had folded under his arm.
Johnny looked up at you, his grin softer now, his usual playful spark traded for something gentler. âYou see this?â he said, gesturing between himself and the toddler in the matching sweaters. âWeâre twins now. You basically just made him a mini Johnny. You even have Sue laughing, youâre family official now.â
Your stomach flipped and you felt the heat rise to your cheeks.
Sue snorted. âJohnny, shes been family official since the first time you brought her over and wouldnât stop introducing her as your âbetter half.ââ
You could feel your cheeks warming, but you didnât look away. Johnnyâs eyes were still on you, his thumb absentmindedly tracing the little tag inside his sleeve â made with love.
He shifted Franklin a bit so the baby could rest against his chest, both of them looking impossibly content. âYou know,â he said, quieter now, âI think this might be my favorite thing youâve ever made.â
You smiled, stepping closer. âEven more than the â#1 BFâ mug?â
He laughed, reaching for your hand. âThat mug was what made me fall for you. But thisâŠâ He nodded toward Franklin, who had now started clapping again, delighted by all the attention. âThis is the best gift Iâve ever gotten.â
Sue rolled her eyes affectionately and scooped Franklin back into her arms. âOkay, lovebirds, before my son starts thinking Johnnyâs his actual dad, Iâm cutting this off.â
Johnny stood, stretching his arm around your shoulders. âFine, fine. But you better send me those pictures, Sue.â
As the two of you left the room, his fingers found yours, warm and sure. âYou know,â he said softly, âyou donât have to keep making me things to prove how much you care.â
You tilted your head toward him. âI know. But I like doing it. And you make it easy to want to.â
He smiled at that, the kind of smile that reached all the way to his eyes, and pulled you in for a kiss right there in the hallway.
âThen I guess Iâll just keep making room for whatever you do next,â he murmured against your lips.
You laughed, heart full, already thinking about the next project, not because you needed another hobby, but because loving Johnny Storm had somehow become your favorite one of all.
johnny storm x readerâsleepy time oneshot (tried to be gender neutral!!) đ
son đđđđđđđ im crine đđđđđđ
Even on the brink of sleep, Johnny was relentless in his energy. No matter what time it was, you could probably find him doing something in order to satisfy all the thousand-and-one thoughts inside his head. It was cuteâthe way his mind workedâuntil you realized that the clock was creeping close to midnight, and he was still up and about doing God knows what. That meant getting up to search for him, abandoning the warmth his bed and comforter provided for you.
God, the patience you had.
âJohnny?â your voice was hushed so as to not to disturb the others, not counting Reed because he was most likely wide awake in his lab.
Once the hall opened up to the commons, you huffed. Nowhere to be seen. However, the light in the kitchen was left on, draping the counter and the living room in a soft, warm glow. It wasnât uncommon for him to be midnight snacking, possibly nursing some bowl of dry cereal or a cup of water. And yet, still not found.
You let out a small groan. âJohnny, where the hell are you?â you whisper-shouted at particularly nothing.
He wasnât even on the damn balcony. Part of you was convinced that he was purposefully hiding just to avoid you catching him.
Although, in just a second, your shoulders hunched up, and the back of your neck tingled, like how one could feel someoneâs hand hovering over their skin. Your head whipped around just to find your loving ass of a partner standing there with a smirk carved in his lips. He was holding a glass of water in one hand, the other illuminated in small flames.
âHi.â
You clicked your tongue, arms crossed over your chest. âYou ass. You were trying to scare me, werenât you?â
âMm,â he looked away with a fake innocence and a bat of his lashes. âNo.â
If it werenât for the pull on your eyelids from sleepiness taking over your will to keep them open, you wouldâve argued back. But, you simply let your arms fall to your sides before walking over, hand reaching out to splay on the small of his back.
âYou wanna, I donât know, go to bed?â you offered as you cocked a brow at him with your question.
Johnny dramatically leaned his head against your shoulder. âDo I have to?â
âItâs basically past midnight.â
âI think better in the late hours.â
âOkay, Socrates, your life-altering thoughts can wait for tomorrow.â
A faux gasp. âWow, you hold me up to such high standards.â
With one finger poking his spine, you shushed him, which made him let out a small hiss and flinch.
As you dragged him back into your shared bedroomâtechnically his, bur whateverâyou gently shut the door behind you. Johnny placed the now-empty glass cup down on his nightstand while you walked over to your side of the bed, sheets already untucked from a missing presence. Yet he walked into the bathroom, which you assumed was so he could get ready for bed judged on the sound of the faucet running.
Rolling over, you now faced the door that was cracked open, light spilling through on the carpet floor. Your back was covered by the moonlight that came in through the large windows. There, you thought for a moment.
Yes, it wasnât insane for your lover to do stuff like this. But with how common itâs recently grown to, it started to turn into a matter of interest for you. Johnny thinksâa lot. And you wondered how much of that he held back from you and ruminated about later. You knew, oh how you knew, about the depths of his wonderful brain that was sometimes overlooked by the others. He genuinely was smart in some ways that left you staring at him like he painted the blue skies. The talks of stars made that small smile of his appear, especially when it was with you.
But even then, you were left in the dark. You wanted to know more past his words.
âCould feel you staring from a mile away.â
You blinked. Coming out of the bathroom, Johnny lifted the sheets, motioning you to come closer as he settled down against the mattress. Once you were basically nose-to-nose with him, he pushed the duvet away in place of his extremely warmed body.
âI wasnât staring,â exhausted eyes looked into his blue ones. âHow do you even know when you couldnât see from the doorway?â
He shrugged, peering down to your own gaze. âJust do. I have an amazing Johnny sense.â
âNo, no,â you pointed a finger at him. âNo. Donât start.. that.â
âI thought you were supportive of my self-expression.â he pouted, which dug up some urge deep within yourself to punch him. He had that sort of very pleasing-to-the-eye, punchable face. And yes, you love him.
âFine, then answer this for me.â
As his hands sneaked up to wrap around your torso to share his body heat, an inquiring look took over his expression. Playful, teasing.
âWhy were you up?â
Your voice had seemed to make something inside of Johnny snap, with the way his face faltered being the most obvious sign. Then, there was his weak attempt to act like he didnât know basic English.
âWhat do you mean?â he raised a brow at you, leaning his head back to really look into you.
âWhat do you mean âwhat do I meanâ?â You huffed. âBe honest with me.â
âI already told you, babe,â his hand on your torso moved to your head. âThinking about stuff. Nothing important.â
âAll your thoughts are important to me, Johnny.â
âI know thatâI know.â
You expectantly tilted your head, as if urging for him to continue.
Nothing.
âAre you sure itâs nothing?â the tone in your voice had shifted over to worry,
A nod. âIâm always sure.â
You look at him for a bit more before letting out a breathless laugh. âAlright.â
The absurdity. How silly was he, this man you loved so earnestly?
The night went on with quiet bickering, the streets of Times Square still buzzing with activity and cars honking so much that it could be heard from your guysâ shared room. Faint but there.
Johnnyâs sentences eventually melted down into short phrases, with his voice smooth like honey as sleep overrides each of his senses. You noticed the transition, slow, but carefully hidden in order to keep the conversation before you. Sacrificing himself for others seemed to be quite the common archetype in his book of life.
As soon as you spoke up, on the verge of words leaving your mouth, you caught his eyes slipping closed. Right.
âGoodnight, my love.â this time, it was you who put your hand on his face, additionally kissing him with a small peck on the head.
His nose scrunched at the contact before he hummed. âNight.â
Pairing: Johnny Storm x F!Reader
WC: 1.7k
Summary: You were both certain you'd kept it under wraps. You're sneaky kisses, hidden glances, and nights slept in the same bed. Initially, it had just been because you were uncertain of where it would go, but then, despite the depth of your feelings for one another, it just felt easier that way. It was blissful, just as your complete unawareness of the team's knowledge of your relationship was.
Warnings: No significant Fantastic Four: First Steps spoilers. Established relationship, insinuated/beginning of smut, fluff, steamy kisses, lovesick Johnny, slightly protective Reed, reader is described to have the ability to manipulate shadows, use of Y/N.
A/N: I started this in August but got too depressed to finish sooooo
______________________________________________
Masterlist | REQUESTS OPEN ______________________________________________
YOU PULLED JOHNNY'S ARMS TIGHTER AROUND YOU, PUSHING YOUR BACK FURTHER AGAINST HIS CHEST DESPERATE TO FEEL HIS WARMTH. "You know you've got a bed warmer in your room, right?" He teased despite knowing he wouldn't have it any other way. You sighed playfully, pushing away the blanket draped on top of you both as you dramatically sat up.
"Whatever." You bantered, one foot hitting the cold floor when you were dragged back, Johnny's warm hands planted onto your thighs as he sat you on top of him. Your laughter filled the room, looking down at your boyfriend through squinted eyes, your smile wide.
"Funny." He muttered beneath his breath as he pulled you down. His lips felt like fire against yours - no pun intended - his hands grasping tightly at your skin as though you'd disappear. He felt your hips squirm on top of him as he reached one hand beneath your shirt, or better known as his shirt that you stole, whilst your hands remained flat against his bare chest.
You pulled away for only a moment, lips swollen as you stared at one another, Johnny looking at you as if you were the only thing in the world. "I told Ben I'd go to the bakery with him..." You muttered against his lips as you pulled him in for another kiss, a yelp escaping your throat when he flipped you. His arms caged you in as he pulled you in for swift pecks that quickly turned into steamy makeouts. "Johnny, I'm serious." You laughed between kisses.
Reluctantly, you pulled away, pushing away his face as you stood up, slipping off his shirt to replace it with your own. Johnny shamelessly watched you change from where he lay, his fingers interlaced behind his head as a slight smirk painted his lips. You couldn't hide the smile on your face as you turned to him, the look in his eyes telling you all you needed to know. You took a few strides to the boy, leaning down closer to his face as you held a hand to his cheek. "Bye, Johnny." You sang against his lips before walking out of his room, quietly pulling the door closed behind you.
__________
YOU WALKED SIDE BY SIDE WITH BEN, HANDING HIM A BLACK AND WHITE COOKIE FROM THE BROWN PAPER BAG BEFORE TAKING ONE FOR YOURSELF, MOANING AT THE TASTE AS IT HIT YOUR TONGUE. You swatted away Ben's hand as he reached for another, pulling the bag away from his reach. "Nuh-uh, I told Johnny I'd give him some." You said, mouth still full of food. You kept walking side by side, unaware of the look Ben was sending you.
"You'd give him some, huh?" He grumbled with a smirk. Your brows furrowed, looking up at him out of confusion, muttering a quick 'yeah'. The man almost enjoyed it. Being able to poke fun at you and Johnny without you even realising it. Obviously, he meant no harm, but it was free game until either of you finally admitted it or slipped up in the least.
He recalled the moment he'd found out about you and Johnny, walking in on the two of you moments away from a makeout session in the middle of the Baxter Building's living room. You'd both been certain that the floor was empty when Ben walked in, leaving both of your faces flushed at the sight of the man. You and Johnny had stammered out jumbled-up excuses, quickly rushing away whilst giggling like school kids, believing you'd been so slick that Ben had no idea. You and Johnny were both smart, but you could've definitely improved at scanning your surroundings before jumping right into a steamy kissing sesh. That and your impromptu excuse-making abilities.
"You gonna help cook tonight?" He questioned bringing up a change of topic.
You pondered for a moment. "Maybe, depends on what Reed needs me for."
__________
REED WATCHED ON CURIOUSLY AS YOU GRASPED THE EGG, YOUR EYES SCANNING IT FOR A MOMENT BEFORE SLOWLY REACHING FOR THE DARK SHADOW MANIPULATED TO SIT IN THE CENTER OF THE WORKTOP. "And you don't... do- anything to make it work?" Reed questioned, looking at your hand along with the egg poking out of another shadow on the completely other side of the room, your skin just as dark as the shadows surrounding them, the egg unchanged.
You shrugged, looking over at the egg before pulling your hand away from the shadow, observing the unaltered object. "Not really, I just... do it." You muttered, jumping up to sit on the bench. You yawned softly as Reed jotted down some notes in his own technical jabber you struggled to understand, his eyes jumping up for a moment to read the filled-out page he'd noted over the previous couple of hours you'd sat in the lab together for. You peeked over his shoulder for a moment before jumping off the bench, patting his shoulder before walking towards the elevator. "Send me up if ya need anything else; I'll prolly be with Johnny." You called out as the elevator rang, the doors slowly shutting, leaving Reed in silence.
That is, until Sue appeared, the woman finally speaking up after having kept silent for the past hour, simply watching you and Reed. "How long you wanna bet until they spill?" She questioned as she leaned against the cabinet, Reed sending her a look before turning back to his notes. It wasn't the fact that you'd said you'd be with Johnny; in fact, it was normal even before you took your relationship further. Instead, yet again, it was simply due to your and Johnny's complete obliviousness to how obvious the two of you had been. Reed hummed in response to his wife.
Initially, he hadn't been all that fond of you and Johnny, the man believing that, with Johnny's reputation, it was nothing but a fling that would leave you hurt. He'd always been slightly protective of you, having been friends with you well before the solar flare and even before he'd really gotten to know Johnny. It had taken a while - along with hours of conversing with his wife - to convince him that, at least from what Sue could see, it was more than a fling. It was something real. "Let's just hope I don't have to keep up this unknowing act." He grumbled. Sue chuckled, walking up to her husband to place a hand on his chest, the two facing one another for a few moments before Sue pressed a soft kiss against her husband's lips.
Their attention was diverted by the sound of the elevator dinging, Johnny letting out a 'whoop' as he saw his sister and brother-in-law. "I'm not walking in on any baby-making activities, am I?" He teased with a smug smirk. Sue rolled her eyes at her brother whilst Reed simply shook his head, turning back to his work. "Have you guys seen Y/N?" He asked, remaining next to the elevator.
The husband and wife shared a sly look before Sue responded. "Yeah, she just went downstairs, Johnny." She said, trying to hide the small smile she wore.
__________
YOU AND JOHNNY SAT PRACTICALLY ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER ON THE SOFA, THE MAN'S HAND RESTING COMFORTABLY ON THE CURVE OF YOUR HIP AS HE MOVED TO PRESS HIS HOT LIPS AGAINST YOURS. The building was quiet, Ben in his room with Sue and Reed presumably out in the city on a date night. "C'mon, Ben's definitely in his room this time, I made sure of it. Who's it gonna hurt..." Johnny spoke against your lips. You couldn't help but chuckle, one hand pressed against his chest.
"Us, Johnny. We agreed we'd wait until we told them before risking it... again." You muttered, betraying your own words as your lips embraced, the man's hand coming up to cradle the back of your head, yours pulling at his shirt to bring him closer - if it were even possible. "Okay, seriously. We have our own rooms." You spoke, unsure of whether you were trying to convince Johnny or yourself.
"And we also have a living room." He said, too lust drunk to really pull away, the man pulling you in yet again for another heated kiss. Your ears rang, your skin hot against Johnny's, unaware of what was happening around you - though, even if you had been aware, you still wouldn't have seen her coming.
"Try to keep it in the bedrooms at least, please." Reed practically pleaded as he and Sue made their way through the living room, up to their bedroom. You and Johnny jumped apart wide-eyed, the man accidentally finding himself hitting his ass on the floor with a groan as he slipped off the sofa. Sue chuckled, watching the two of you attempting to collect yourselves,
"W- uh, you guys were out- we just, uhm." You muttered, blinking as you tried to come up with an excuse as to what Sue had walked in on. Despite your shock after the surprise intrusion, you found yourself confused by the couple's nonchalant attitudes.
Johnny stared, his mouth open, catching flies as the two began walking up the stairs. "You knew?" He questioned as he shot up from the floor, his voice coming out more high-pitched than he'd meant for it. Reed simply hummed as he rounded the corner, you and Johnny sharing a look before he called out once more. "Could you not tell Ben?" He called, Sue yelling out before landing out of earshot.
"He already knows!" As the living room grew silent yet again, you and Johnny stared at one another in shock. You blinked absentmindedly, mouth agape as you stammered out your words.
"They know? They... knew?" You'd both been certain you were slick, hiding your relationship from the other residents of the Baxter Building, sure that they'd had no idea. You watched as Johnny's shock turned into a sly smile, the man wandering close to you before suddenly pulling you up from the sofa; a giggle escaped your lips as you yelped out at the sudden movement.
His lips pressed up against yours, his hand tightly grasping the back of your head as his other hand roamed your waist, travelling beneath your shirt. You chuckled his name under your breath as you pulled away for air. "Maybe we should listen to Reed and keep it in the bedrooms." He breathed out, his eyes delving into yours, hands hot against your skin.
Summary: The Fantastic Four thought they were done dealing with cosmic threats after the defeat of Galactus. That is, until you crash-landed in Gramercy Park. Except, you aren't a threat, and Johnny Storm might be head over heels in love with a woman who couldn't care less for his flirting...again.
Warnings: little steamy but nothing major, making out, so much god damn fluff, some angst, some adult themes mentioned, strangers to friends to lovers, Johnny is a massive flirt, star-crossed lovers, slow burn, bittersweet ending but there will be a sequel, SPOILERS! for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, MCU spoilers, female reader but no characteristics described, reader kind of has PTSD, maybe some incorrect stuff regarding the 60s and how it worked but it's a fantasy world, VERY lightly edited so apologies for any mistakes
Word Count: 24,720 words
Requests are open! : ÌÌâ Find my masterlist here
READ PART 2: Irrevocably : ÌÌâ Johnny Storm x Reader
Johnny Storm was barely paying attention to the conversation happening around the dining room table of the Baxter Building. Instead, he dug his hand even further into the Lucky Charms box, popping another handful of the cereal into his mouth.
Sue shot him a look across the table, half of the bits of cereal falling from the side of his mouth to the table. His only response was an incredulous look her way, which was met with an affectionate eye roll from his sister.
âHe probably just got caught up with something,â Sue tried to calm Benâs nerves, bouncing little Franklin in her arms as he babbled out nonsense of some kind. That was enough to bring a smile to Sueâs face, her lips pressing a kiss to the side of his little head. âYou know how Reed is.â
âBenâs got a point, though,â Johnny chimed in, as the giant rock hand of his friend swiped his cereal box from his hands. With a defeated sigh, he decided he wasnât going to start a fight over it, turning his gaze back to his sister and nephew. âLast time he was late for Sunday dinner itâs because you were pregnant and he was having an existential crisis. As much as I enjoyed that crisis, I think weâve dealt with enough in the last few months.â
He wasnât wrong, and he knew it. They all knew it. A year later and the aftermath of Galactus and Shalla-Bal still hung in the air. The implications of intelligent, threatening life out there in the universe casting a shadow over every news broadcast across the globe.
âThatâs exactly my point,â Ben high fived Johnny from across the table, turning his gaze to Sue as well. âIf heâs this caught up with something to miss family dinner, that means he found something.â
âAnd we all know when your husband finds something, that spells trouble for the rest of us,â Johnny lit his hand on fire for added effect, lips pursed as he waved the burning flames around gently in the air. âFor exampleâŠcosmic radiation.â
It was clear that Sue wanted to argue with the pair, but Johnny knew there was no arguing with them. Their point was made, and that smirk on his face creeped in as Sue sighed, rising to her feet with Franklin situated on her hip.
âAlright, fine. Letâs go see what heâs up to,â
The chorus of cheers shared between Ben and Johnny from behind was surely making Sue roll her eyes once again. Any moments that Johnny was given to bother his brother in law in the lab was a win in his book.
Following his sister into the elevator, Johnny snapped his fingers in Benâs direction as they descended toward the lab floor.
â10 bucks says itâs another alien woman,â
Benâs groan sounded through the elevator, bouncing off the walls. Short laughter from Sue mixed in with it, even as she shook her head in response.
âJohnny, just because the first one dumped you, doesnât mean you can go chasing after any alien woman in existence,â
âShe never dumped me, for your information. She heroically sacrificed herself to save me because of her deep, profound love for me,â the shove Ben gave Johnnyâs shoulder pushed him into the wall of the elevator. All he could do was shoot the rock man a glare, following his family out of the elevator and onto the lab floor, but not before pretending to grab at little Franklinâs nose to make the baby laugh. âPlus, I think itâs about time little Franklin got an auntie. A cool one.â
None of them were prepared for the mess of a lab they were stepping into.
Papers scattered the entire floor, from the workstation to the chalkboards. Those chalkboards had a thousand equations scattered across them: some scribbled out, others circled over a hundred times. Poor Herbie was frantically moving throughout the room, trying and failing to pick up every piece of paper that he could and bring some form of organization to the room.
âUh, Suze,â it was Benâs voice that cut in first, the trio stood just outside the elevator doors in mild shock at the state of the lab that was usually pristine. âI think your husband may have finally lost it.â
âThat or he bought some drugs and tried them for the first time,â Johnny tacked on in a mumble that still got him an unimpressed look from his sister.
Johnny wasnât wrong, though, and neither was Ben. Reed Richards looked like a certified mess.
He stood at the far end of the lab, moving between workstations at the deep blue tables lining the area in a half circle. He typed viciously, new data points mapped upon the screens adorning the walls. The middle screen, the largest, held a map to the entirety of New York City, markings appearing every so often in certain sections of the city before disappearing.
Even as the group approached, Reed never moved from his place, still typing away as he mumbled to himself.
âReed,â Sue spoke up, just as her husband stalked across the floor once more.
The freshly written upon papers in his hands fell to the ground the second he laid eyes on them. Hair slightly disheveled, tie almost entirely undone, Reed Richards looked as if he had been rocked by a hurricane.
âSomething is coming,â
Those were all the words he had to say. Johnny felt as if the air had been knocked from his lungs, as if all the oxygen in the room had been sucked straight out. He heard the sharp intake of breath from his sister first, before Ben stepped forward.
âReed, what are you talking about?â
Ben quickly had multiple papers shoved into his hands as Reed gestured to the large screen showing the map of New York. One of the workstations beeped as the scientist quickly logged whatever data his system had just mapped out, another blip appearing on the screen that Reed pointed to desperately.
âFor the last fifteen minutes, Iâve been tracking these energy signatures,â the map zoomed in on a focused location of the city. âTheyâre appearing at strange intervals. They started just a minute or two apart, but have grown to be just seconds apart now. All contained in an area between 24th and 17th street, in conjunction with Park Ave and 3rd Ave.â
âGramercy Park?â Johnny chimed in, crossing his arms over his chest. He cocked his head slightly, looking at the map and the park that lay directly between the streets his brother-in-law had just named off. Honestly, he was still trying to understand what it was he was looking at, or just understand Reedâs mental state as a whole. âMaybe your baby proofing didnât work and the Wizard is just out of prison.â
âThat was my first thought as well, but the energy signatures proved me incorrect,â Johnny only rolled his eyes, running a hand down his face at Reedâs inability to take a joke. âThese energy signatures are different, even more so than those of the Herald. Itâs a culmination of dimensional energyâenergy thatâs being pulled from the fabric of the universe itselfâit matches with energies given off by planets, or even stars themselves. But thereâs another component to it, something so inherently not scientifically explainable that I canât understand.â
Johnny shared a look with his sister and Ben, and even a look with confused little Franklin, before Sue chimed in.
âOkay, so thereâs some weird space energy in the area-â
âEnergy that has organic life woven into it,â Reed emphasized for those standing in front of him. He crossed the room back to his desk, pulling up a clear imaging of the energy itself from a nearby street camera that happened to catch the pulse. It was like a burst of blue strands, interwoven, pulsing and dousing the surrounding area in color, before it blinked away. âThis energy beats, like a heartbeat. It moves organically, as if being pushed and pulled by someone. Compare these scans with a simple energy scan of any one of us, anyone in New York for that matter, and the fundamentals match perfectly. This isnât some cosmic energy seeping into our earth for a moment, thereâs something attached to it, something causing it. Itâs forewarning somethingâsomeone.â
The lab grew quiet, the weight of Reedâs words hung in the air. For Johnny, they hung a little harder.
The last time somethingâsomeoneâshowed up on this Earth, heâd almost lost his family, lost his nephew. He had lost his sister, even for just a brief moment, but that was enough. Enough to never want to be put through this again. Johnnyâs jaw clenched at the memory, his gaze flickering back to the screens.
âWhyâs the park empty?â he questioned, gesturing to the live feed of the park from security cameras placed around light poles. âItâs not even 8 at night.â
âSuspicious activity in the area over the last week. I spoke to the mayor and had a curfew put in place out of an abundance of caution,â Sue chimed in.
âOkay, so another space alien is coming,â Ben clapped his hands together, the sound echoing as it drew everyoneâs attention to him. âWe threw the devourer of worlds through a portal to deep spaceâŠletâs just do that again.â
âThis isnât Galactus,â Reed muttered, voice just loud enough to be heard by everyone in the room as he turned back to the screens before him. âThis is something else.â
Before anyone else could speak again, another pulsation of blue energy directly in the center of the park this time. Bigger than the others, strands of energy moving and beating in the air. Growing brighter, bathing the park in light.
The power of the building flickered for half a second before the live feed into the park cut off suddenly. Reed tapped incessantly, trying to bring it back, but it was no use.
âReedâŠwhat is that?â
On the main screen, right in the center of the park on the New York City map, was one single blip of energy. Unlike the other blips, this one didnât leave. It held steady.
âJohnny-â his name had barely left Reedâs mouth before Johnny was at the windows of the lab, swinging them open before streaking through the air in a blaze of red and orange.
No one was threatening his family again.
Gramercy Park wasnât far away from the Baxter Building, especially not for a man who could light himself on fire and streak through the air at speeds humans couldnât comprehend.
The park and every surrounding street was quiet the second his feet touched down on the pavement, flames dissipating from his body with a single thought.
The trees rustled above him in the night time breeze, stray leaves breaking off of the branches and falling to the ground. In the distance Johnny could faintly hear the usual sound of New York traffic, the muffled sound of sirens streets and streets away.
Straight ahead of him, down the path, laid the circle of greenery and flowers planted around the statue that sat in the middle of the park.
When he approached the center of the park apprehensively, flaming fist at his side ready to attack, the last thing he expected to see was you.
Pacing back and forth until the point he was sure youâd burn lines into the ground under your feet, you were glancing up at the sky over and over, muttering something to yourself. He cocked his head as he creeped closer, taking in the clothes that adorned your body: a pain of jeans adorned with so many tears and holes he couldnât comprehend why you were still wearing them, and a tight fitting shirt that plunged way too far down your sternum to be considered decent to wearâŠanywhere. He wasnât sure heâd even seen a woman wearing a shirt quite that revealing before.
His foot hit a single branch littering the pavement, ten feet from you now, before you froze and spun on your heels to face him. Johnny was pretty sure every bit of oxygen in the air was ripped away the second his eyes locked with yours.
Well, fuck, you are the prettiest fucking woman Iâve ever laid my eyes on.
It was the only thought capable of filtering through Johnnyâs head. Reed must have gotten something wrong in his data, been tracking something that didnât really exist, because there was no way that you were the blip that had appeared on the map. You were just another New Yorkerâa drop dead gorgeous one, at thatâwho was out past the mandatory curfewâŠeven if the clothing you bore threw him for a loop.
You didnât look scared of him, his hand still burning with flames at his side. He could see the way your eyes drifted to the fire, head almost tilting in curiosity, before you glanced back at his face. Your hands were held out at your sides, fingers flexing as if you were prepared to defend yourself if the need arose.Â
Johnny wasnât going to hurt you. You were a civilian, one who should be in her home during this curfew. Just another normal civilian that he would definitely be coming back to this area for the following day so he could figure out where you worked, or which cafe you visited most often so he could orchestrate a way to run into you again-
His watch beeped, that familiar alert sound. Johnnyâs eyes tore themselves away from you for just a second to glance down: an energy reading, matching the same one from Reedâs lab, pointed directly at you.
Way to go, Johnny. Get the hots for yet another alien woman thatâs probably here to destroy your world and kill your family. Nice job. Way to go. Ben totally isnât going to make fun of you for this.
âIâm not usually one for telling strong, pretty women what to do,â Johnny quipped, flames igniting on his other hands, both now burning bright at his sides. âBut youâre out after curfew.â
âCurfew?â you had practically barked out a laugh, and fuck Johnny hated the fact that even your voice was pretty. Even as it was dripping in disbelief. âYeah, right. I havenât seen a single curfew ever go into effect in this city through the multiple alien incursions itâs seen.â
Johnny cocked his head immediately: multiple alien incursions? Given that Shalla-Bal was the only alien heâd watched descend into Times Square, he was utterly confused.
âMakes senseâgiven that youâre another one of those alien incursionsâthat you donât know about the curfew,â flames burning just a tad bit brighter, crawling up his forearms, Johnny raised his hands in your direction as he took a cautious step forward. âIâd prefer not to hurt you, doll, so why donât we do this peacefully and you just come with me?â
It happened in the blink of an eye. Johnnyâs eyes never left you as your head tilted just slightly, a flash of blue crossing your eyes as your fingers twitched at your sides, before suddenly his arms were enveloped.
Like a casing of blue tinted energy, pulsing around his hands and up his forearms, the flames that ignited Johnnyâs skin were extinguished in moments. Blue eyes shooting wide open, he shook his hands frantically. Willing himself in his head, telling his flames to ignite, but they wouldnât. Every wave of his arms did nothing, the blue energy unmoving and shifting with him.
âNo use trying, pretty boy. Thereâs not a single ounce of oxygen in the air around your arms right now, so I suggest you keep the flames at bay because Iâd prefer not to do that to your entire body,â you shot back at him. With a single wave of your hand, the casing of energy dropped from around his arms. Johnny let the fires reignite for just a moment, confirming that he could indeed use his power again, before his wide eyes shot back to you.
â...Iâm going to be so honest, I canât tell if Iâm terrified or completely turned on right now,â
âIâm, also, not an alien. I grew up upstate. And, why does Gramercy Park look soâŠweird?â Johnnyâs comment was ignored, even though it was a valid question that he was trying to work out in his head. He instead watched you spin around on your heels, pointing around the park and up toward the surrounding buildings. âI know I havenât left the Sanctum in a few days, but I feel like I wouldâve heard construction. That building was never white, that oneâwait, how did they build an above ground subway system? That wasnât there three days ago when I got in, and I know for a fact the city doesnât have the budget for this.â
In all of his life, Johnny Storm had never been more confused. Heâd sat through countless lectures from Reed about matters of organic chemistry that he didnât understand in the slightest, or cooking lessons from Ben that ended in him shoving his hand deep into a box of cereal, and this was more confusing then all of those combined.
Your clothing, something just about the way you talked and looked, whatever the hell this blue energy was it looked like you were controllingâand what the hell was a Sanctum?
âBack upâŠthe Sanctum?â Johnny chose to start there as you turned back to him. He chose to keep his flames at bay, having a gut feeling that if you really did want to cut off the oxygen around him you could, and he wasnât in the mood to deal with that. âIsnât that, like, some type of Church thing? Are you from some weird alien cult?â
âI literally just told you I wasnât an alien. The Sanctum Sanctorum, over on Bleeker street? You knowâŠWong, Stephen Strange, the Masters of the Mystic Arts?â you must have seen the confusion on his face grow, because Johnny could see the moment your back seemed to straighten. âWait, you have no clue who they are? Actuallyâbeyond thatâyou have powers. How do I not know who you are?â
âGreat question, sweetheart. The Fantastic Four kind of just saved the world a year ago, so Iâm about as lost as you are,â
Johnny wanted to be apprehensive, wanted not to trust a word you were saying. He wanted to be cautious, to put his walls up, because the last time someone had come down into his world like this, heâd almost lost everything.
But you werenât Shalla-Bal. You werenât standing on a silver surfboard, speaking with confidence and heralding the end of the world.
No, when Johnny looked at you now, he saw pieces of himself. Of little him, hugging Sue, losing their mother forever. Of the version of him that came back to Earth over four years ago forever changed: confused and scared. The version of him that locked himself away in Building Q, charring the sheets and everything around him as he cried, trying to understand what was happening.
âI meant what I said, by the way,â Johnny cut in, that usual charm infiltrating his words. You were still the prettiest thing heâd ever seen, and he was curious, more curious then he was the moment a woman coated in silver appeared in the air. You had his full attention, even if he was still trying to figure out who the hell you were, but he hoped showing off his charm would ease the tensions a bit. âYouâre a very pretty womanâŠand I might be turned on right now, the jury is definitely still out on that one. Took my breath away when I first saw you, and you could literally do that if you wanted to. Thatâs hot.â
He watched as you huffed out the semblance of a laugh, still teetering back and forth on if he was a danger to you. Given the fact that you had demonstrated your ability to cut off his oxygenâŠhe was hoping you wouldnât see him as a threat anymore.
âAh, a charmer, arenât you? Knew someone like that, been awhile since Iâve seen someone so brazenly flirt with a woman,â
âOh darling, thatâs my whole brand,â
You hummed across from him, but he caught your body language. Slightly more at ease, not as rigid anymore.
âThe Fantastic Four?â your eyebrow shot up, eyes still wide with confusion, but slightly less apprehensive than before, as you brought the conversation back to that name heâd dropped. âBit of a pretentious name to give yourselves.â
âThat was all the fans,â Johnny shot back with a hint of a grin. A ghost of a smile seemed to find your mouth as well, and Johnny mentally cheered to himself that it seemed he was able to convince you he wasnât a threat to your life.
âFair enough. The Avengers was chosen for usâŠI feel like I wouldâve heard about another new superhero team being formed in our absence, though,â
Johnnyâs confusion was back again as he mulled over your words.
âAvengers? What are they, some superpowered band?â
It was your turn to mull over his words.
âYouâŠyou donât know who the Avengers are?â
There was a whirl through the air as Johnny watched you glance behind him. He turned too, eyes landing on the familiar blue of the Fantasti-Car landing behind him on the pavement, Sue, Reed and Ben stepping out just moments later, practically running down the pavement toward him.
âJohnny-!â
âNo, no, wait!â he called out frantically, glancing back at you again. Your hands were rigid at your sides again, fingers flexing, eyes narrowed in a terrified glare in their direction. He glanced back at his family, holding out a hand for them to stop just behind him. âSheâs not a threat, I swear!â
Benâs thunderous steps came to a halt, his head thrown back to the sky as he let out the loudest sigh in the world. âJohnny, seriously, you canât keep falling for every alien woman you meet-â
Johnny didnât let him finish, spinning back around to face you. His eyes pleaded with you, hoping you would see his hesitance to hurt you, feet shuffling forward a few steps. You took one back for each step he made forward, that same blue energy dancing around your hands once again.
âI really donât want to hurt you,â you spoke, voice steady and loud enough to carry through the air. Your eyes glanced past Johnny, to his family. âAny of you. Itâs not who I am, thatâs not what I do. But if I have to, I will.â
âWe wonât,â Johnny promised, taking a glance back at his family. Ben seemed unsure, Reed apprehensive, but Sue watched him. Curious, unsure of what he might do next. He glanced back at you. âI wonât. Weâre just as confused as you are right now.â
You laughed. âI really doubt that.â
Reed brought a device out from his pocket, that same alert that came from Johnnyâs watch ringing through the air as he pointed it in your direction.
âItâs coming from her,â Reed announced. Johnny tried desperately not to roll his eyes and make a comment of âobviouslyâ toward his brother-in-law. âThese readings are coming from her. I was right: sheâs controlling this dimensional energy, bending it to her will.â
Johnny hung his head with a sigh, still mulling over making a comment as he turned his gaze back to you. It was apologetic, accented with an eyeroll, one that brought a hint of a smirk back to your face. It worked, though, as you dropped your hands, body relaxing once more as Johnny confirmed for you once again that they didnât want to hurt you.
With a single flick of your wrist, the device in Reedâs hands was enveloped in that same energy, wrapping around it and carrying it over to your hands before their very eyes. Johnny froze, along with the three directly behind him, as they watched it happen.
âNot energyâwell, not technicallyâitâs magic,â you explained, never taking your eyes off the device in your hands as you fiddled with the controls. âThis thing isâŠso strange. It looks like such a primitive piece of tech but functions so modernly. Did you get this from Stark Industries? Is this some old prototype of Tonyâs that Pepper sold you?â
âI designed it,â Reed answered after a moment. You hummed, flicking your hand again as the device made its way through the air and back to Reedâs hands. âStark Industries, are they a foreign company? Do you work for them?â
Johnny watched that confusion bubble up in your features again, tinged with nerves now. He caught it, the way your leg began to shake as the pacing youâd been doing when he first showed up resumed once again. All he could do was watch.
âT-This doesnât make any sense. Iâve never heard of you guys, everything about New York looks different, you donât know the Avengers, hell you donât even know who Tony is!â you laughed, incredulously this time, as your eyes locked with Johnnyâs again. âThis has to be a joke, right? A-Are one of you Wong in disguise, trying to teach me a lesson for opening a book to perform a spell that I wasnât supposed to touch-â
You stopped in the middle of your sentence.
Johnny took another step forward the second you cut your own words off with a gasp. Hand flying up to cover your mouth, your wide eyes never left him as he took a cautious step forward.
âWe just want to help you. What are you talking about? Help us understand,â
âThe Book of Vishanti,â you said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, like the four standing in front of you were supposed to understand it. âWong thought I was ready for powerful light magic, h-he invited me so that he could show it to me, so that I could learn from it. I shouldâve listened to him, I shouldnât have snuck down there-â
Sue stepped up to Johnnyâs side. He watched his sister, the easy look on her face, the understanding in her eyes, as she spoke softly to you.
âWhat happened before you showed up in this park?â
âI touched the book without him, I thought I could teach myself things without him,â you spoke quickly, shaking your head frantically. âI could barely read the spell and yet I performed it anyway. Either I fucked it up, or I did it right and I didnât know what I was doing becauseâŠthis isnât my earth. It canât be, not with all the differences.â
Reed and Ben joined either side of Johnny and Sue now, all four of them staring down at you in front of them as you came to a realization of what had truly happened.
Through it all, Johnny just couldnât take his eyes off of you. Curiosity pulled at him, more than it ever had before.
âWhat are you saying?â Reed chimed in.
âIâm saying this isnât my universeâŠI think I accidentally traveled the multiverse, and I have no idea how to get back,â
â€ïž
Performing a spell from the Book of Vishanti that you couldnât yet read was, in hindsight, probably the worst idea that you had ever had in your entire young adult life.
When the Sorcerer Supreme believes that youâre ready to handle a book such as that, lined with the most powerful magic and spells and knowledge of light magic that have ever existedâŠitâs not hard to get an ego about it and jump the gun. You could already hear the berating youâd get from Wong, the things that Steve wouldâve said to you if he was still around, the things that Sam most definitely would say to you when you got back to Washington.
If you ever got home, that is.
It was a thought you tried not to dwell on. Every night, as you closed your eyes, you saw them. The ones still here, the ones taken from you even as you fought with every ounce of you to save them all. The final look in your best friendâs eyes before she destroyed the version of herself that she had become, destroying what felt like a piece of you in the process. All so you could wind up in a world without any of them, a universe so far away from your own, nursing what felt like a shattered heart as you tried to find a way home.
You cried enough every time your head hit the pillow of the bed that wasnât yours, you wouldnât let the tears find you during the day too.
To their credit, the Fantastic Four were the most welcoming and kind group of people youâd ever met. If a strange woman basically crash landed in your universe, claiming to be a witch, you too would probably have hesitated. But here you were, a week later, having taken up the space on the unused guest floor of the Baxter Building at the insistence of Susan Storm. Trapped in a universe so similar to your own, but so different.
You werenât alive in the 60s of your Earth, but now you got the chance to experience it firsthandâŠwith a twist. It was strange how retro and yet futuristic this Earth was. The technology was advanced, sometimes more advanced than anything you had seen in your own universe, and that was all thanks to Dr. Reed Richards. You had thought that Bruce Banner and his 7 PhDs was the smartest person you would ever meet, but Reed and his 18 Doctorate degrees blew him out of the water by miles. But beyond the advanced technology of the world, everything else was still so primitive.
The clothing was different, more modest and brightly colored than anything you were used to seeing before. The hairstyles were different, sometimes shorter, almost always poofier than they were in the 2020s. They talked differently, the music was different, everything felt so familiar and yet so wrong at the same time.
This little team, this family you had stumbled upon, had been nothing but helpful, even if they were still wrapping their minds around the idea of the multiverse. The protectors of their Earth, the only superheroes this universe had compared to the plethora yours seemed to have, but some of the most down to earth people you had ever met. Reed Richards was abrasive sometimes, but curious, asking a thousand questions when you would venture out of the guest floor about your magic and the scientific properties surrounding it and its composition. Ben Grimm was kind, giving you space, but always dropping off something to eat on the guest floor for you every day. Sue Storm was kind and bright, strolling in with confidence and her son, Franklin, perched on her hip, filling your closet with an array of clothing to wear so that you would be comfortable.
Johnny Storm followed you like a puppy dog, hanging off every word you spoke and popping up in every corner of the building you found yourself in, much like he was now.
âFind anything in there?â
You rolled your eyes, tossing the book borrowed from the city library onto the coffee table of the guest floor living room. It landed with a thud on the multiple other books that Sue had picked up for you before you glanced over your shoulder, seeing Johnny stalking toward the couch you were sitting upon from the elevator.
âJust more confirmation that witches donât seem to exist in your universe, except in the fairy tales," you shot back with a sigh. Your gaze turned to the floor to ceiling windows adorning the wall before you, giving you a glimpse of the New York skyline as night crept in on it, the sun dipping below the horizon line in the distance. âWhich leaves me with exactly what I started with: nothing.â
Johnny hummed, hands grasping the back of the couch from beside you as he too glanced out over the skyline. The record player in the corner played some Elvis tune, something to fill the silence.
âCanât you just, like, do the spell again to get home?â
âIf I knew what spell I did, probably,â came your answer as you glanced over to him, finding his blue eyes already watching you. âNo clue what spell I did, so without that I have no means of traversing the multiverse.â
Your gaze watched him as he left the couch, stalking across the room toward the record player. Another eye roll left you as he plucked the Elvis record off the turntable in seconds, muttering something about how that record âwasnât good enough,â before combing the collection beside it for another one.
This wasnât the first time heâd done this over the course of the week. It felt like Johnny Storm practically lived on this guest floor with you: heâd brought his dinner down every night to eat with you, lounged around the living room while you searched through book after book, and had gone through every bit of clothing his sister had procured for you and made comments about which ones he thought youâd look best in (spoiler alert: it was every single item).
You didnât entirely mind. His presence felt like a soothing balm over the pain that still sat within you, his ability to joke and make anyone around him smile, able to slap a bandaid over what felt like a gunshot.
âWhatâs music like in the 2020s?â he called out from across the room, settling on a Bob Dylan record instead that he dropped the needle down onto. âDoes everyone have giant record collections now, ones that would rival my own?â
âMusic isâŠmuch different than what youâre used to now,â was the response you settled on, chuckling slightly as you tried to imagine the man across the room listening to the likes of Eminem or even Taylor Swift. Taking a sip of your drink settled on the table in front of you, you dug your now dead cell phone out of your pocket, waving it around. âWe listen off our phones, can connect headphones to them wirelessly. Vinyl collections are usually just collections now, not typically used to play music.â
Your cell phone was plucked straight out of your hands by Johnny himself, who had crossed the room with impressive speed. With a chuckle, you shook your head at his antics, leaning your head against your hand as you watched him inspect the dead device.
âI should tell Reed to invent this thing. Have to use that big brain for something useful,â
âAnd somewhere in Chicago, I can hear Martin Cooper crying that his invention is about to be stolen,â
Johnny tossed your phone back onto the cushion next to you without another thought, plopping down right next to it. Head thrown back against the back of the couch, he turned to look at you again with a giddy grin.
âIgnore the little talking box device for now, can you show me more of your magic?â
That was the question Johnny had asked at least three times a day in the week you had been on his earth. It was cute, the way his eyes would light up with excitement like a little kid every single time you showed him something new. That sparkle in them, the grin that lit up his face every single time, as heâd beg you to show him again.
You tried not to focus too much on how cute it actually was.
âWhat havenât I shown you at this point?â you laughed, smile bright, though you already knew the answer. There was a neverending stream of things you could show him.
âThere has to be something,â he sat up a little straighter, leaning even more into your personal space now. âCome on, I have a witch sitting in front of me. I thought those only existed in movies and books. You canât blame a guy for being interested, baby.â
Ignoring that pet name that so easily fell from Johnnyâs lips, you took a quick glance around the room. Acting as the centerpiece of the table sat a fresh bouquet of wildflowers, curated by Sue herself and brought up as a gift. Leaning forward, you plucked a single daisy from the bunch, leaning back and holding it in the space between you and Johnny.
Your eyes never stopped watching him as that familiar swirl of blue magic seeped from you, enveloping the delicate flower. The thin, white petals merged together into five beautiful petals, the white coloring fading into an enchanting ombre of orange and pink. Then, as fast as it started, your magic dissipated and the blue hue that lit up Johnnyâs face disappeared.
He took the new flower from you with the brightest of grins, a sight that stirred something deep within your chest you were keen to ignore. He took a single sniff, eyes glancing back to you as his smile slipped into a charming little smirk.
âWhat did that poor daisy ever do to you?â
âIt wasnât a Plumeria,â you shot back with a slight laugh, plucking the flower from his hand and slipping it back into the vase. âTheyâre my favorite flower.â
âNoted,â he casually stretched his arm over the back of the couch, resting it over the portion directly behind your head, as that charming smirk grew even more. âWant them incorporated into the wedding decor, or should I pin one to my suit jacket so you can see it while we stand together at the altar?â
With a bright laugh, your hand met his face, pushing him back slightly as you rose from the couch, sauntering over into the kitchen with your empty glass. You could feel his eyes on you with every step.
âI have to hand it to you, Johnny, your flirting this past week has definitely gotten more brazen with each passing hour. Be careful, you might fall in love,â
âToo late, that happened when you first turned around,â shooting a glance back at him on the couch, he dramatically flopped backward on the cushions, pretending an arrow had just struck him in the chest. It was impossible not to shake your head and laugh at the sight. âI took one look at you and thoughtâŠwow, thatâs the prettiest woman Iâve ever seen.â
You hummed in response, pouring yourself another glass.
âDoes your charm and your flattery typically get you places with the ladies?â
âDepends, is it working right now?â
Ben had warned you about Johnnyâs charming personality and what would surely be incessant attempts at flirting, but you hadnât thought the man would be as persistent as he had been this past week.
Youâd taken to keeping a running list in your head of some of your favorite lines of Johnnyâs that heâd thrown your way.
Are love spells a thing? You could put one on me and I wouldnât even notice: Iâm already too far gone for you, baby.
Do you think you fell into our universe because you and I were made to find each other?
Before you head back to your universe eventually, we should send you back with the last name Storm. I think it fits you nicely.
Each one had made you laugh, and you begrudgingly had to admit that most of them were quite cute. It helped that Johnny Storm was as charming as they came.
From the moment you had laid eyes on him in that park that night youâd known it. This man was a heartbreaker, a face that girls across the world surely had hanging on their bedroom walls and were fawning over. Magazines called him a playboy, his personal fan club, The Flaming Hearts, swooned at his feet over how he was the ideal man women should strive for. You saw why they fawned: Johnny was attractive, anyone with eyes could see it. Perfectly swept to the side blonde hair, blue eyes that felt deeper than the ocean, and the charm and wit to have you laughing into the night.
He could flirt all he wanted, but it was going to take more than a flirty comment and a pretty smile to make you feel a thing. Johnny Storm wasnât the first charming man youâd ever encountered, and he surely wouldnât be the last.
âSorry, pretty boy,â you shook your head, finishing off your glass that youâd just poured before dumping it into the sink for later. âTakes a little more than superficial flattery to butter me up.â
âIâm pretty sure you just called me pretty, that has to count for something,â
âIt doesnât,â you shot back, leaning against the island counter as you looked across the room toward him. Johnny was rolling off the couch in the most unelegant way, hopping back up to his feet to lean against the other side of the counter from you, shooting you a wink.
âYou know what they sayâdenial is the first step to falling in love,â
âAcceptance. The quote ends in acceptance,â you barked out another laugh, shaking your head as the man as you stood up straighter. âNow, what did you actually come up here for, or was it just to bother me?â
Johnny clapped, eyes going wide as he seemed to remember exactly why heâd come upstairs in the first place.
âRight! Itâs Sunday, family dinner night. Youâre invited, and I was volun-told to come and get you,â
âOf course, because Iâm sure you really protested being given that job,â
As charming as ever, he shot you another wink as he banged his hands on the table.
âYou already know me so well, darling,â
âAre the pet names necessary?â
âWhy, are they making you swoon?â yet another wink was shot at you.
âJohnny, Iâm sure your charm works on just about every other woman in this universe. You want me to swoon? Itâs going to take a lot more than that,â you pointed toward the shirt on his body, the bright blue logo over his chest shining in the light. âPlus, wearing your own team merch all the time? How superficial of you.â
He feigned hurt over your comment, looking down at the logo himself.
âIâm just representing the team. Plus, itâs comfortable, like our suits are too,â Johnny instantly snapped his fingers, eyes wide again as he giddily smiled toward you across the counter. âYour suit! Youâve never shown me your superhero suit! Come on, Iâm dying with anticipation here, baby.â
Even as you rolled your eyes, you indulged his request. With a single flick of your wrist, your clothing shimmered in blue tendrils of magics, transforming it into the suit you knew like it was a second skin. Reinforced black and blue fabric that trailed high up your neck and down to your wrists, down your waist and finally tucked into the black boots that sat directly below your knees. That shimmering silver âAâ still sat on your belt, something you were never able to part with.
Johnny let out a low whistle, teeth biting into his bottom lip as his eyes scanned you up and down over and over again.
âHot damnâŠremember that comment I made about being turned on? Yeah, yeah this is doing it for me,â
With yet another eye roll, something you were learning you did quite frequently around him, you waved off the magic and dissipated the suit once again. The look you shot at him was anything but impressed, even if you were trying to hold back laughter.
âWhy are you like this?â
Before some other flirty comment could fall from his lips, the elevator dinged across the room, its large doors sliding open. Neither of you were expecting it to be little Franklin Richards stumbling out on his tiny, wobbly legs.
Tufts of blonde hair on his head, blue eyes wide as could be, a happy little smile overtook his face as he spotted the two of you in the kitchen. His little hands clapped together, incoherent but otherwise happy babbles falling from his lips.
âFrankie! What has your mom told you about playing with the elevator, little guy?â
Johnny was across the room in seconds, sweeping Franklin into his arm with a single swipe. The laughter of little Franklin echoed through the room as Johnny dipped him, practically holding the little guy upside down, before spinning him upright. The little boy wearing a matching grin to his uncle, the man he could practically be a twin of, continued to laugh as Johnny pulled his shirt up, blowing a raspberry directly into his stomach and muttering something about how âmagic babies never listen to their mothers.â
The skip your heart did at the sight was enough to have the beginnings of a flush crawling up your skin. Maybe his charm didnât work on you, not his flirty jokes, but this? Seeing the side of Johnny Storm that the media didnât see, the part that wasnât the persona he played up for the world, was enough to bring a soft smile to your face and to fully understand why people across the world fell for him so easily.
Willing the blush to go away, desperate to hide the evidence that you did, in fact, find this man cute, you stalked across the room until you came to stand beside the man and his laughing nephew. They both turned to look at you, looking like twins with their bright smiles and blue eyes. Another round of giggles fell from Franklin as you swiped your finger over the edge of his nose slightly, pushing past them both toward the waiting elevator.
âWell, come on then. Guess I shouldnât be late for my first family dinner with the Fantastic Four,â
In all honesty, you needed Johnny to put Franklin down. He looked too adorable, making faces at the little boy as he pressed the button for the main living area on the elevator. Franklin just continued to clap, babbling nonsense.
âYouâre good with him,â you cut through the silence after a moment, smile still soft as you watched the two of them beside you in the confined space.
Johnny glanced up, an air of sheepishness finding him as he laughed lightly, looking back at Franklin. The little boy was watching you once again.
âYeah, well, what can I say? Always loved kids,â
Bringing your hand up between the two of you, with a single thought you let a little ball of blue magic appear along your fingertips. Franklinâs eyes widened, following the movement of the little ball of magic as you rolled it around your fingertips, dancing it around his head and back to your hand.
Your eyes flickered to Johnny after a moment. His head rested against the wall of the elevator still slowly moving its way down. His smile was soft, softer than youâd seen it look at you before this week, his eyes holding a gentle pensiveness as they watched you.
âWhat?â you questioned lightly. He shrugged, adjusting Franklin on his hip.
âNothing. Youâre just good with him, too,â
âWell, heâs not the first baby in my life,â you answered, the edges of your smile dropping just a fraction as you thought about her. The little girl that was only, what, 6 years old now? Brown hair and eyes just like her fatherâs, the wit and sass to match it. Universes away from you, a little piece of someone you used to hold so dear that you may never see again.
âWhoever youâre thinking about,â Johnny was more observant than you gave him credit for, picking up immediately on the thoughts that seemed to plague your mind, even if he didnât know the full extent of them. His fingers lightly grazed your cheek, an action that you so wished didnât feel so nice. Comforting, warm with the heat that burned within him, brushing a strand piece of hair back behind your ear, tucking it there. You met his gaze, burning with a quiet determination. âYouâll see them again. Weâll get you home.â
Ignoring the slight flutter behind your ribcage, you raised an eyebrow at him.
âOh, youâre suddenly content with letting me go? I remember Ben telling me yesterday that you were planning to keep me trapped here forever,â
His laughter echoed into the living room as the doors to the elevator pushed open, allowing the three of you to step out into the room fully. Ben was hard at work in the kitchen, calling out things to their little helper robot, Herbie, who zoomed around the kitchen at his command. Reedâs arm stretched out across the room, setting the table without ever leaving the kitchen, his other arm wrapped around his wife as Sue laughed at something he said.
âOh Iâll help get you home, but there are conditions to your departure,â Johnny shot back, walking alongside you toward the dining room. âThe one non-negotiable is that you have to leave unequivocally in love with me-â
âWhoa, thatâs a big word for you, Johnny-â
âYou also have to leave admitting that Iâm the most charming man that youâve ever met-â he cut back in, cutting you off after you had cut him off.
âI mean, youâre definitely on your way to joining the ranks of Tony, Quill, and Joaquin-â
âYou also have to leave with the last name Storm,â Johnny spun, back facing the kitchen, as he shot you a wink. âWe can negotiate that one. I donât want to rush our wedding, but Iâd prefer you go back home with it. A little something to remember me by.â
Sue Storm was quick to slap Johnny on the shoulder as he dipped into the kitchen, practically tossing the laughing baby into his sisterâs arms, before ducking around her to dip his hand into the pot of sauce that Ben was working to season. His rocky hand whacked Johnny on the shoulder, who pretended to crumble to the ground in pain as Ben cried out âyou havenât even washed your hands!â. Reedâs arm stretched across the room, coming between the two and pushing his brother-in-law to the other side of the kitchen without a word, trying to maintain a semblance of peace.
Sue sighed, pressing a kiss to her sonâs head, before she turned to you: still standing still, frozen in place by the dining room table, watching the events before you unfold with a smile you couldnât hide if you tried.
âWelcome to family dinners,â she told you with a laugh, Ben once again yelling at Johnny in the background as he dipped his hand into a cereal box. âBefore you ask: yes, it is always this chaotic.â
The chaos was nice, it almost felt like home. A home you hadnât known for years now. Watching them, you could almost picture them all, the family you used to have: a flash of Natashaâs red hair in your head, the sound of Steveâs laughter, Tonyâs quips that Sam always met back just as quick, Wanda muttering to you about how you worked with idiots.
Johnnyâs eyes met yours again, a soft smile and a playful wink sent your way before he ducked out of the way of Benâs arm again, and that was somehow enough to soothe that ache in your heart for just one night
â€ïž
âI know people usually look exhausted after leaving Reedâs labâŠbut you were down there for two hours. Iâm surprised youâre alive,â
Stalking across the room into the kitchen of the Baxter Building, you faked a laugh in Benâs direction, dipping into the fridge for a bottle of water to nurse the headache you could feel approaching. The man let out a laugh at your actions, shaking off his oversized trench coat and tossing it over toward the dining room as he placed the multiple paper bags in his hands down on the counter.
âI am, too,â you shot back at him, hopping up onto the island counter beside him to sit. Ben just laughed at your antics, rifling through the bags on the counter from the market down the street. âHe asked for more blood tests, so I consented even though I told him heâs not going to find any answers to why I have magic in my blood.â
âAnd did he?â
âNO!â
Benâs laugh thundered through the room as he put some of the groceries away in the cupboards. Returning to the island counter, he dipped into a smaller, white paper bag, producing a small sleeve of paper holding a warm cookie within. The headache you felt coming on almost completely dissipated the second the sweet smell filled the air.
âGood thing I grabbed some of these, then. Eat, before you pass out from blood loss,â you didnât argue, taking the gooey chocolate chip cookie from him with a smile and sinking your teeth in. âItâs from Maisieâs. Figured it was about time I showed you the best cookies in town, not sure how I held off for two months.â
Two months. It was a time period you tried not to dwell on. If you thought too long about how long youâd been stuck in another universe with no way back home, you were sure youâd start spiraling more than you did every night that your head hit the pillow of the guest floor. The guest floor that was slowly just becoming your floor.
If you thought about it too long, youâd remember how you were starting to forget the sound of Samâs laugh. How this was the longest youâd gone without visiting Pepper, how Morgan was probably asking where you were. You hadnât put flowers at Natâs grave in so long, you could only hope her sister had gone and changed the flowers.
âWell, itâs quite good,â with a slight shake of your head, you sent Ben a strained grin, enjoying the taste of the cookie. It wasnât a lie, it was quite possibly the best cookie youâd ever had.Â
Ben hummed, holding your gaze for a moment, before he smiled. It was soft, but you could see it woven in: the pity.
âThinking about home?â
You swallowed, both the bite of the cookie youâd taken and the lump that formed in your throat.
âYeahâŠalways am. I hate how good you are at reading me, by the way,â Ben chuckled at your comment, returning to putting the rest of the groceries away in their designated spots. âReed offered to invent multidimensional travel again today.â
âDid you say yes?â
âNo, I turned him down like I do every time,â Ben returned as you shook your head with a wry laugh. âIt sucks because I know he could do it, heâd have me home within a week. But multiverse traversal spells exist, they have for a very long time, which means they obviously donât blow a hole in the space-time continuum. I donât need Reed to accidentally blow a hole in the entire multiverse just to get me home.â
Ben hummed. Placing one hand on the counter, his other rocky hand laid across both of your legs, delivering the slightest of squeezes in comfort that he was able to. You looked up, meeting his eyes, and practically melted under the kindness and comfort in them.
âYouâre going to go home, I promise you that. Youâre homesick: itâs where you belong, itâs full of the people you love, and weâll get you back there. But think of it like this: youâre in a different universe, how many people get to experience that? Take it in, enjoy it, learn from it, eat all the Maisieâs cookies this world has to offer. The people you love will still be waiting for you back home, no matter how long it takes to get there,â
He moved away, his hand sliding back down to his side and he returned to the groceries. But his words stuck with you, hung in the air, settled deep within you.
The quiet hung there in the room for a moment as you just watched him, placing cereal box after cereal box on a shelf near the fridge. He met your gaze again when he turned around, rocky brow raising in question as you let a sigh slip past your smiling lips.
âYou remind me a lot of Steve,â Ben waited, letting you collect your thoughts, never pushing. âHe always knew what to say, especially to me. Thatâs how it feels talking to you a lot, like Iâm talking to him again. IâŠI miss being able to talk to him.â
âWell, you can talk to me anytime,â he motioned his hand toward the cupboards of the island counter blocked by your legs. Sliding off the countertop, you stepped to the side as he bent down to put another bag away. âWho do the others remind you of?â
You mulled the question over in your head, grabbing a bag from the counter and helping Ben place the rest of the groceries away across the kitchen.
âI think Reed has to be Bruce, simply because theyâre both too smart of their own good. Sue reminds me a lot of Natasha, with the way she takes care of everyone. Nat was quiet about it, but she was always picking up after the boys. JohnnyâŠunfortunately reminds me of Tony. Heâs got his same sass, wit, charm and flirtatious nature,â
Ben waved his hand in the air, a grimace on his face.
âPlease, no, I donât want to think about there being another Johnny out there in the multiverse,â you laughed, catching the bottle he threw in your direction to slot into the fridge. âSpeaking of matchstick, whereâs he at? Heâs usually attached to your hip, what with his whole plan of whatever he calls it-â
âAh, you mean Johnny Stormâs Complete Guide to the 60s?â
It was the dumbest name in the world, but given that Johnny had named it, you werenât surprised. Heâd taken it upon himself to give you a complete guide to what the 60s were like, with the added footnote that the weirdly futuristic 60s they lived in was bound to be different than the 60s of your own universe. Johnny had claimed you were too âcooped upâ on your floor of the building, and it was time you got out and âlived a littleâ since you were here.
Johnnyâs guide to the 60s began with bowling. Heâd been so excited, sliding into those custom shoes for the alleyways, that you didnât have the heart to tell him until you were beating him by 70 points in the 8th frame that bowling was very much the same game in the 2020s.
âNo, thatâs unfair!â Johnny had called out, mouth dropped open as he pointed an accusatory finger in your direction. The manual scoresheet in his hand was all but crumpled at this point. âYou didnât tell me bowling was still a thing!â
âTo be fair, Johnny, you didnât ask,â was the only response you could manage through your laughter, grabbing your ball once more and aligning yourself with the lane in front of you. âBowling is very much still around, and very much the same game. I guess you just arenât as good at it as you think you are.â
You werenât laughing long, a spark of heat igniting along the back of your hand just as you let go of your ball. Your hand jerked immediately at the feeling, sending your ball rolling straight into the gutter. Mouth dropped open, it was your turn to point an accusatory finger in Johnnyâs direction.
âHey!â
âLeveling the playing field here, baby,â he teased, skirting by you as his fingers bumped your chin slightly, before he grabbed his own ball as his body was racked with laughter. âNow, let me show you how good I really am at this game.â
Johnnyâs own laughter was short-lived. His ball made it halfway down the lane before coming to a sudden stop along the slick surface, surrounded by a hum of blue magic that flicked it off into the gutter. His betrayed face turned to face you, met with your smirk and hand held out toward the ball. You only batted your eyelashes at him.
âHey, if youâre going to level the playing field with powers, then I am too. Itâs only fair,â
âOh, Iâm going to show you fair-â
The laughter that poured out of you mixed with a shriek the second Johnny practically tackled you, throwing your body over his shoulder like it was nothing and parading you down the alley, highfiving little kids along the way as you could do nothing but laugh, smile never slipping for a second.
Go-Karting, on the other hand, was definitely a little different in the 60s. The karts themselves were much different, a lot less structurally sound at times and incapable of doing the speeds that you knew Johnny really had wanted to drive them at. He had claimed to win the race fair and square, even as you pointed out that heâd gone as far as to melt one of your tires right before you crossed the finish line.
Record stores, golfing, roller-skating, you named it and Johnny dragged you off to do it. He filled every moment with vibrant stories: the record store was one that Sue liked to take him to when they were growing up, golf was something he fell in love with after coming back from space with powers, and how roller skating was something he swore heâd never do, but the smile on your face the entire time had been well worth it.
The diner had been your favorite. Griddles & Waffles, nestled deep in the heart of Queens. A 24/7 joint that sold breakfast and breakfast only, a beloved place by locals. Johnny had been awake into the early hours of the morning that night, the only one still up, diving into a box of cereal buried in the kitchen when you screamed. The next thing you knew, he was practically diving out of the elevator onto your floor as you shakily grabbed a glass of water in the kitchen, eyes wide and panicked as he informed you that he could hear you scream floors away. One look at the state you were in and he was shoving you into the hoodie he was wearing and shoving you out of the building and into his car.
âYou took me to a place with waffles in the name, and you ordered pancakes?â
Johnnyâs eyebrow shot up, half of the stack of pancakes in front of him practically shoved into his mouth as he pointed the fork in his hand in your direction.
âDonât you ever diss these pancakes, you hear me? Best flat pieces of dough in the entire state of New York,â
You couldnât help but laugh lightly under your breath as he barely got his words out through the food in his mouth. Taking another bite of your own waffle, it was easy to get lost in the decor of the diner. Bright colors, shiny metal gleaming under the lights, it looked exactly like the recreations that existed in your own universe. The simple thought of home brought your frown back in seconds, and Johnny was instantly snapping his fingers.
âNo, thereâs no frowning in Griddles & Waffles, you hear me?â you rolled your eyes, but that simple thought weighed heavy on you, lips still pulled into a frown. Johnny made some motion toward the waitress before he leaned into the table toward you, drawing your gaze to him and his waiting, patient, gentle eyes. âHoney, Iâm surprised that scream didnât wake anyone else up. Whatâs wrong?â
âIt was nothing. Just a nightmareâŠa memory of a day I donât like thinking about,â you tried to deflect, shoving your fork around your plate, scraping it against the ceramic. Johnnyâs hand caught yours, his eyes still soft and gentle, as he gave your hand a gentle squeeze until you relented. âItâsâŠI donât like talking about it. I donât get nightmares about it often anymore, but when I do, it feels like Iâm there again: in that forest full of nothing but blood and dust.â
The blonde hummed, fingers gently rubbing small circles into your knuckles. His skin was warm, unusually warm from the heat that coursed through him, the feel of it on your skin bringing a sense of comfort. Then, he took his hand away, holding both his hands out like he was presenting something, that dazzling smirk of his lighting up his face.
âHave no fear, because Griddles & Waffles has the perfect cure for sadness!â
The waitress came back, sliding a single tall glass onto the table between the two of you with two straws tossed down onto the tabletop. You glanced at it: one large, over the top, classic chocolate milkshake with a large cherry resting right on top. You looked back up at him, your eyebrow raised this time.
âA milkshake? At two in the morning?â
âHave some faith in me, baby,â Johnny teased, slipping the two straws into the shake with ease. He took the cherry between his fingers, easily biting off the majority of the fruit as he twirled the stem between his teeth. Your eyes flicked down for just a second, to the stem between his lips and the hint of red juice that covered them, before your skin flushed and your eyes were back on his. âThis is about to be the best milkshake youâve ever had, and itâs going to cure every bit of sadness in your body.â
Johnny was known for exaggerating, but you indulged him anyway. With a short eyeroll you leaned in, taking a single sip from the straw pointed in your direction. Johnny waited, his smile wide and bright as his fingers tapped against the table, the sound echoing through the mostly empty diner in the middle of the night.
â...alright, itâs pretty damn good,â
His cheer echoed through the diner, the waitress shooting him an unimpressed look as his hands banged down on the table. Another round of laughter slipped past your lips as you shook your head at his antics.
âSee? You have to trust me more often,â Johnny teased, leaning in to take a sip of the shake from his own straw. âThese milkshakes are the cure to sadness.â
You didnât have the guts in that moment to tell him the shake didnât cure anything. No, you felt lighter simply from that boyish grin and the laughter that fell from Johnny Stormâs lips, something you werenât keen to admit quite yet.
âTalking about me, baby? I leave you alone in the lab for a few hours and you miss me that much?â
As if hearing his name from floors away, Johnny Storm himself came strutting straight into the kitchen, charm rolling off him with every step he took. That smile of his was as bright as ever, eyes wide and full of mirth.
He practically skipped up to your side, tossing the box of food in your hand somewhere onto the counter. Cradling your hand in his, he brought it to his lips without another thought, pressing a featherlight kiss to your knuckles. His gaze never wavered from you the entire time.
With a roll of your eyes, though paired with a smile full of affection, you shoved him off, placing the box of food heâd just tossed away into its rightful place as you shot him a look over your shoulder.
âDonât flatter yourself, Johnny. Contrary to what you think, you are not the only thing Iâm thinking about,â
âYou see, but that implies that I am one of the things youâre thinking about,â his response came easily as he made his way over to Ben, stealing one of Maisieâs cookies from the bag before he could be stopped. Ben only let out a sigh that could probably be heard from the other side of the city. âNevermind that, though, I came here on a mission. The sun is setting and weâve got a 40 minute drive, so get upstairs and attempt to look even cuter than you already do, if thatâs possible.â
Exchanging a quick look with Ben as Johnny walked backwards out of the kitchen and back into the living room, you both looked back at the blonde moments later.
âGet ready for what?â you questioned. âTo go where?â
âLong Island, sweetheart. Your guide to the 60s continues tonight,â he paused at the stairway, one hand on the railing and the other pointing across the room toward you. âMeet me in the lobby in ten minutes, got it?â
You considered arguing, but the truth was, you didnât want to. Every one of these excursions with Johnny so far had been fun, had been enough to fill that little hole in your chest for a fleeting moment, and right now you wanted that more than anything.
âAlright, ten minutes,â
He clapped, beginning to move up the stairs as he practically shouted across the room.
âGood girl. Itâs a date-â
âIt is not a date-â your words fell on deaf ears as he went sprinting up the stairs, yelling out a distant âIt very much is a date!â from the next floor. It was impossible to ignore the heat spreading in your cheeks at his words, though.
The silence of the room only hung there for a minute before Benâs laughter filled it, echoing off the walls. Shutting your eyes for a moment, you let out a deep breath, trying to understand the enigma that was Johnny Storm sometimes, before patting Ben on the shoulder as you moved toward the elevator.
âWell, wish me luck on whatever this next excursion is. Hopefully it doesnât involve him almost whacking me in the head with a golf club again,â
âYouâll be just fine,â Ben called out from the kitchen, speaking through his laughter. You could clearly hear the underlying teasing tone to his words. âHave fun on your date-â
âBenjamin, donât start with me!â
It might not have been a date, but that didnât mean you werenât going to try. There really was no reason to, though: Johnny had seen you at your worst over the last two months. Always arriving on your floor sometimes at the crack of dawn with an idea for the day, startling you before you even had a chance to wipe away the mess of tears streaking across your cheeks from yet another nightmare youâd just awoken from.
It wasnât a date. Just because you chose the cutest pair of pants and a sweater that the closet full of 60s style clothes offered didnât mean anything. Not a damn thing.
You hated to admit how good Johnny looked in just a simple grey sweater and some slacks. Strutting toward you through the lobby of the Baxter Building, employees already sent home for the day and leaving the lobby bathed in silence, he let out a short whistle as he came to a stop in front of you.
âYou say itâs not a date, but you sure do look nice,â
âThatâs because your sister filled my closet with all nice clothing,â you shot back.
Johnny hummed, eyes still scanning you up and down. Eyes finding yours again, he held out his arm to you, just as he typically did on these little excursions.
âCome on,â
Hand resting in the crook of his elbow, the cool night air sank deep into your bones as you stepped outside. Johnnyâs hand was quick to find the handle to the passenger side door of his custom blue Corvette, swinging it open and taking your hand in his to help you into the leather seat, just as he always did.Â
The leather made a noise as you shifted, buckling yourself into place as Johnny cooly slid into the driverâs seat. One hand rested on the wheel, the other drumming along the knob of the gearshift as his foot hit the gas, sending you speeding out of the drive of the Baxter Building and onto the roads of New York.
âWhatâs todayâs adventure?â you asked after a few moments of silence. Johnnyâs grin simply brightened, his glance finding you beside him for a second before his fingers turned the knobs of the radio on, filling the call with music as he continued to cruise down the streets he knew like the back of his hand.
âThatâs a surprise, sweetheart. Just enjoy the drive,â
It was easy to enjoy it. The same city youâd grown up in, yet so different at the same time. Every building looked new, the atmosphere felt lighter than New York had for you in years, everything about the city you knew so well felt different. The lights, the skyline, everything still felt like home as you crossed the East River, flying through the streets of Brooklyn and eventually Queens.
The heaviness eventually found you, though, just like it had every day for the last two months. As city lights shone off the windows of the Corvette, bathing you in its light, your mind still wandered back to memories. The first time Tony had driven you upstate to the new compound in the passenger seat of the god awful orange Audi. The quietness that came with the blip, the way the entire city fell still. The sweeter moments, like dragging your best friend from the compound late one night and sneaking into the city, sitting along the Brooklyn Bridge to admire the lights.
âHey,â those memories came to a halt, Johnnyâs hand brushing across your knee, settling there with a gentle squeeze. âYouâre thinking hard over there.â
You hummed, head still resting on your hand as your elbow sat against the window of the car door. You let your eyes settle on his hand, just watching the way his thumb drew circles into the side of your knee.
âReminiscing on my New York, thatâs all,â
âAh, getting homesick,â the sight of Johnny nodding was just barely visible out of the side of your eyes, His hand slid from you, joining his other hand on the wheel. âYouâll go home, back to your futuristic universe eventually, I know it. Then you can forget all about us in this little universe.â
The radio was blaring a Frank Sinatra song, something much too slow for the night time around you. The song crackled through the speakers as you glanced over, observing the side of Johnnyâs face. For a man that hid behind such an extravagant persona for the media and the fans, you could see right through it. That hint of sadness in his own features, woven into the creases of his eyes and the lines around his lips, at the thought of you leaving.
I fall in love too easily, I fall in love too fast. I fall in love too terribly hard.
âI think youâre underestimating how much I will miss you guys when I go home,â you told him simply, the music playing lightly through the speakers. It really was that simple, it was the truth. âIâll miss you guys a lot. Iâll miss you.â
Johnnyâs hand seemed to tighten along the steering wheel for just a second, so quick you almost missed it. Those blue eyes glanced over at you, catching your gaze. His features were riddled with something you couldnât understand, but could see how gentle it was, until his charming smile was back, wiping away any trace of the strange emotion you had seen.
âCareful there, little witch. Itâs starting to sound like youâre falling unequivocally in love with me-â
His laughter filled the car, overtaking the sound from the radio as your hand reached out and shoved his shoulder, your own laughter mixing in with his own.
âYouâre fucking impossible, Johnny Storm,â
Of everywhere that you couldâve thought Johnny would be dragging you to, a drive-in theater was the last place you wouldâve imagined.Â
The entire stretch of lawn buried deep within the heart of Long Island was packed with cars of all different kinds, vintage ones you had never seen in person. There was a group of teenagers crowded around one of the cars, hugging their friends and talking animatedly between each other. Some couples walked through the lines of vehicles, giggling together under their breath as they carried their food from the little stand off to the side.
Johnny pulled the car to a stop in one of the last remaining spots, side windows immediately rolling down to allow the sound from the mounted speakers to infiltrate the car. Night had set in, an announcement projected onto the large screen that the movie would begin soon, as you turned to find Johnny already watching you with a wide grin.
âCome on, donât tell me youâve been to drive-in theaters too?â
âTheyâre still a thing, but Iâve never been,â was the response you gave, a small laugh falling from your lips as he excitedly punched the air. âI have always wanted to go to one, thoughâ
âThen your wish, princess,â in his usual dramatic fashion, Johnny stole your hand in his. With a kiss placed to your knuckles, he was already halfway out of the car before you could truly process the moment. âIs my command. Be right back with the snacks.â
You watched him the entire time he was gone. From the moment he slipped out of the car to ordering something from the snack stand, you watched. Even as the young girl working behind the counter seemed to fangirl at the sight of the Human Torch in front of her.
His charm was stupid most of the time. Little one liners, flirtatious jokes, touches that were all but friendly in nature. You didnât care for a single one of those moments. It had been awhile, but youâd seen Tony use the same tricks. In the briefest of time you had known Peter Quill even he had tried it. Those moments meant nothing to you, but these did.
Bringing you breakfast in the morning just so you didnât have to be alone. Dragging you around the city to participate in a thousand activities on the off chance that you hadnât done them before, once again so that you wouldnât feel alone and left with your thoughts. Hearing a single scream from you, seeing a single tear, and dragging you through New York in the middle of the night just to see you smile again. Those moments worked on youâmeant something to youâmore than you wanted them to.
The moment he was swarmed by a bunch of little kids trying to leave the snack stand didnât help the turmoil you felt inside either. Johnny didnât complain, not once, simply balanced the food in one arm so he could lean down and high five one of the girls, ruffling the hair of another little boy standing right next to her. He smiled wide, you could see the shake of his chest as he threw his head back in laughter, igniting his hand quickly as the kids all clapped and gasped in awe at the sight of their own personal superhero. There was a news reporter nearby, calling out for a photo that Johnny happily posed for with the kids, leaving them with one last story that had them all looking up at him in awe and adoration.
You hated the stutter that occurred in your heart. You werenât dumbâyou knew what it meant. Johnny Storm was charming, handsome, a literal superhero that had captured the hearts of the entire world. He, also, was the most down to earth man you had ever met sometimes, more observant than you gave him credit for, and too sweet for his own good.
If you thought hard enough, you could almost hear Wongâs voice in your head, scolding you for slowly falling for a man from an entirely different universe. The definition of a man you could never have, never meant to be yours.
âGot swarmed by some little kids, had to make sure I showed off the flames,â Johnnyâs voice broke through your thoughts as he slid back into the car, passing a bag of popcorn over the console and into your hands. Just as he did, the large screen in the lot changed, the beginnings of the movie beginning to play as some of those teenagers from earlier began to clap and holler. âJust in time.â
Shaking those thoughts from your head, trying to will them away, you brought your gaze back to the screen. The opening shots of the credits, directors names and actors names plastered across the screen as it dove into the first scene without hesitation, situated on some mountain with hoards of people who were dressed for an even more vastly different time period than now.
âSpartacus?â a questioning glance was thrown Johnnyâs way from you as you took a quick bite of your popcorn. âAn action/adventure movie was your choice for a drive-in movie date?â
âHey, youâre the one who said this wasnât a date,â Johnny retorted, meeting your glance as he took in another handful of popcorn himself with a cheeky grin. âBesides, I didnât peg you to be a romance movie kind of girl.â
âOn some occasions I can be,â you gave back with a shrug. âA good action movie is definitely more my speed, though, so good choice.â
âWhat can I say, I know you,â
He did. He really did.
It was barely an hour into this three hour movie when your mind finally began to drift off again. Legs curled up on the seat under you, your own popcorn bag finished off and discarded at your feet as you reached over to steal from Johnnyâs own bag, you found your thoughts leaving the movie once more. But instead of thinking about home, about the people you lost or the ones waiting for you to come back, you found them on Johnny once again.
Watching the side of his face quietly, you couldnât help but smile as you watched him mouth some of the words to the movie under his breath, almost mimicking the accents of the actors themselves. It was enough to elicit a small giggle from your lips, bringing his gaze from the movie over to you instead.
âAre you quoting this movie word for word?â
âHey, donât knock it. I happen to really like this movie,â your giggles persisted, even as Johnny reached into his bag and tossed a handful of popcorn in your direction. âYou should see Ben watching Breakfast at Tiffanyâs, he could probably act that entire movie out for you. Donât tell him I told you that.â
âYouâre both such dorks,â
âCome on, donât you have a movie you can quote?â
You hummed, letting the question sit with you for a moment, memories rushing back over you.
âNot a movie, but a show. Full House,â Johnnyâs gaze never left you, the movie long abandoned in his eyes for a moment. An idea sprang to mind, your head tilting ever so slightly as you shot him a grin. âWant to see it?â
Excitement crawled into Johnnyâs eyes immediately, his head nodding as he sat up straighter in the driverâs side seat.
You took a deep breath. Holding up your hand to the door beside you, that familiar blue magic seeped from your fingertips as that same color glowed in the irises of your eyes, crawling along the interior of the car until it reached the windshield. Your eyes were watching Johnny once again, the absolute wonder in his eyes as his windshield shimmered in blue, before the screen through the windshield changed before your very eyes: gone were Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier, replaced instead by John Stamos and Bob Saget in that iconic kitchen of their San Francisco home.
With another flick of your hand, the speaker at your car switched, playing the sound of the show you were now broadcasting instead of the movie.
âDonât worry, no one else can see or hear this. Just us,â
Johnny was barely paying attention to what you said, too busy dipping his head in and out of the window in shock and awe, the screen beyond the windshield still playing Spartacus while within the confines of the car your tv show was playing.
âYouâŠI donât know how you do it, but you somehow get hotter every time you use your magic,â
Laughing, you reached into his popcorn bag and threw an unpopped kernel at the side of his head. Resting back into your seat, arms wound around your knees, you found yourself lost in the scene before you on the screen.
âThis was one of Wandaâs favorite shows,â after a minute of silence, engrossed in the scene, you told him. You could feel Johnnyâs eyes watching you instead of the show. âShe always liked older shows, like Bewitched or I Love Lucy. We used to watch this one all the time in the compound, whenever Steve didnât have us training constantly.â
Johnny didnât say anything for a moment, just watched you.
âShe was your best friend, wasnât she? I donât think youâve ever said her name,â
âThatâs because itâs hard to talk about her,â finding his gaze again, the gentle comfort shining in his gaze washed over you, as if draping you in a blanket. Swallowing the lump in your throat that always formed when you thought too hard about her, you offered him the smallest smile you could muster. âJust a few weeks before I wound up in your universe, I lost her. She lost herself to dark magic, let it consume her, so like the brave woman she was, she chose to protect the world from herself.â
Your words hung in the air, neither of you speaking for a moment. The scene from the show continued to play out before you swiped your hand through the air, dissipating the magic and letting the picture and sound of the movie return to the screen and the little speaker. It hurt too much to relive those moments.
âHey, do you think by showing me a show that hasnât come out yet in my universe, this will mess up, like, space and time? Like, what if I go pitch this show to Hollywood real quick and get it made a whole decade before itâs supposed to get made?â
The car got quiet, the only sound being the audio from the movie still playing through the speakers. Raising an eyebrow, entire face contorted in confusion, soft laughter sputtered out of your lips at the simple comment.
âIâŠwhat? Johnny thatâŠâ his smile grew, as did your laughter as you struggled to get your words out. âJohnny, that doesnât make any sense?â
âIâm aware,â his hand reached out, thumb and index finger pinching your chin between the soft pads of his fingers. Your breath caught, laughter dying down as you just stared at him, as he drew small circles into your skin, heat blooming under his touch. âYou were getting sad. I just donât like seeing you sad.â
Johnnyâs words were so sincere. Not a hint of his usual charm, not a single signature Storm smirk in sight, just genuine affection. Genuine care for you, for your thoughts, for the way your memories made you feel.
The idea of never going home again hurt, but the idea of leaving the Fantastic Four? Of never seeing Johnny Storm again? That was starting to hurt even more.
Even as his blue Corvette was parked in front of the Baxter Building again late that night, headlights flickering off and plunging the car into darkness except for the street lights around the building, your eyes kept flickering back to him.
Driving through Queens, you no longer thought back on the memories of walking through the city one night with Steve when you were younger. Now, you thought about the diner, about the smile on Johnnyâs face as he watched you try that milkshake in the dead of night. As you crossed over the bridge into the city, you didnât think of the nights you and Wanda would sit on the edge and watch the city lights, you instead watched the way the lights danced over Johnnyâs skin through the glass.
The elevator of the Baxter Building popped open on the floor of the main living room. The building was quiet, just a lamp in the corner by the staircase to the bedrooms lit up, everyone else fast asleep.
Johnny stepped out of the elevator, pausing just barely still in the doorway. One arm leaning on doors, keeping them open, you both just stood still and watched one another for a moment.
âFor a not date, this very much felt like a date,â you threw at him after a moment. Those blue eyes of his lit up, smile lines etching themselves into his skin as his little grin grew immediately.
âOh sweetheart, this definitely wasnât a date. Our first date would be a lot different, trust me,â
You hummed, taking a step forward in the elevator, eyes never leaving his. There was barely space left between the two of you now. Johnny's sharp intake of breath was evident, the smile on your lips growing as you ignored every little voice in your head telling you this was a terrible idea.
âWhat would our first date be like?â
Surprise crawled into his expression. Eyes wide and bright, the smile on his face warped into something you couldnât quite place. The hand tucked into the pocket of his slacks crawled forward, gingerly placing itself against your waist. Not pulling you closer, just lying there: steady, grounding, present. You didnât push him away.
âThe Regent,â he spoke softly but certainly, eyes never straying from yours. âExclusive little dance hall just a few blocks away. Live band every night. Youâd look just as beautiful as you always do, and Iâd get to spend the entire night spinning you around in circles. Making you smile, watching you laugh, holding you close. That would be our first date.â
You hummed, stepping just a hair closer to him. His fingers flexed along your waist, squeezing ever so slightly, as one of your hands came to rest on his chest, looking up at him through your lashes.
âSounds like youâve thought about this,â
âEvery night since the moment I realized you werenât a threat that was coming to destroy my entire worldâŠagain,â
âI donât know,â you teased, hand curling into the fabric of his shirt. âAccording to Sue, youâre kind of into that thing. I could always coat myself in some shiny silver paint if that does it for you.â
He huffed out a puff of air in laughter, tugging you in until you were pressed to his chest in the doorway of the elevator.
âNo, you just have to be you. The pretty little witch that could cut off my oxygen supply with a flick of her wrist is all I need. All I want,â
Your eyes trailed down, along the bridge of his nose, until they settled on the pink of his lips. As you spoke, you never looked away from them.
âWhen would this date be?â
âTomorrow night, 8 on the dot,â
âThatâs so soon, eager?â
âExtremely, Iâve only been thinking about this for two months,â
Your laughter was soft as your eyes finally trailed back to his, only to find them settled on your lips in turn.
âItâs a date, then,â
His blue eyes found yours, shining with an affection that made your knees week. The hand gripping your waist trailed up, fingers dancing along every curve of your body, until it curled around your cheek to cup it within his hand. The heat of his skin bloomed through yours, sending a single shiver down your spine.
âYou know,â his voice was low, eyes blown slightly wider than they had been before, as his eyes quickly darted back down to your lips for a moment. âThis would be the moment during the date where Iâd probably try and kiss you.â
Even with the flutter of butterflies through your chest, head feeling lighter than it ever had before, your lips curled into a wide grin. Eyes glowing blue for just a moment, a small burst of magic left the hand resting on his chest, pushing him backward and out of the elevator doors.
Johnnyâs wide eyes watched you as he caught himself, steadying himself on the ground as he stared at you with a dumbfounded smile. You only returned the look, pressing the button for the guest floor without ever breaking eye contact.
âGuess youâll have to try your luck tomorrow night,â
Even with the amount of bravado laced into your words as the elevator doors swung shut, cutting you off from Johnnyâs captivating gaze, nothing could quell the swell of emotion building behind your chest at the simple thought of the blonde man whoâd managed to capture your heart without even really trying.
â€ïž
âIâm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you want to go on a date with matchstick. I mean, heâs my buddy, he's a great kid, but come on. Thereâs no one waiting for you back in your universe?â
Benâs comment earned him another affectionate eyeroll from you, along with a deadpan look shot across the kitchen island counter.
He was deep into making a fresh batch of cookies that he had been given the recipe for, the little old woman heâd met claiming they could match the quality of Maisieâs cookies. Reed was skeptical of the recipe, trying to offer advice from further down the counter, but Ben waved him off every single time.
Little Franklin was sitting in his highchair at the counter between you and Sue, babbling incoherently as he played with the little pieces of cereal laid on the counter in front of him. You were simply flicking the little pieces around with little tendrils of blue magic, Sue laughing every single time Franklin tried to catch a piece and you yanked it away.
âNo, Ben, thereâs no one waiting for me back home,â was the answer you gave the man, never looking up once as you continued to toy with the food on the counter. âBeing a superhero for most of your life kind of makes dating an impossible situation.â
âI, for one, fully support this,â Sue chimed in, rising from her chair to refill Franklinâs bottle on the counter. She passed behind you, reaching out to help smooth down the white long sleeve blouse along your shoulders, forcing you to adjust it along your waist where it was tucked into the navy blue slacks she had helped you pick out earlier on. âThis is the first time Iâve seen Johnny so head over heels for a woman in a way that might just stick. He worships the ground that you walk on, I love to see it.â
âIt helps that you could kill him if you really wanted to,â Ben threw in for good measure, ducking the slap that Sue tried to land on his shoulder. âSometimes I think itâs a secret kink of his-â
âOkay, I donât want to hear about what kinks my little brother may or may not have,â
You laughed at the antics you had grown so used to from the group in front of you. Franklin got upset with the constant moving of his little cereal bits, grabbing a handful and tossing them toward you. Wide eyed at his antics, you grabbed onto his tiny hand, blowing a raspberry into the palm of his hand as his shrieks and giggles sounded throughout the room.
âReed, Iâm surprised you donât have any comments to add in,â you threw in the super geniusâ direction. âNothing about how weâre from two different universes, or how this could blow up the entire multiverse?â
âIâve been taking notes regarding it, actually,â Benâs groan sounded through the room the second Reed said it, pulling a notebook out of his back pocket and flipping it open. âYour genetic makeup, based on previous tests, seemed to align with ours, but that doesnât mean that fundamentally there isnât something woven into your DNA that doesnât match with ours. Thereâs also the idea that, given youâre from two different universes, you were never supposed to meet, so if you managed to fall in love there could be an unforeseen breakdown of the fabric of the-â
Sueâs hand immediately clamped over her husbandâs mouth, giving him an unimpressed look, as she shot you the brightest smile she could manage. She slid the now refilled cup for Franklin across the counter to you as you caught it, laughing under your breath at the entire situation as you handed it over to the little boy beside you who made grabby hands in its direction.
âWhat Reed means to say is that youâre good for him, and honestly, we havenât seen you as happy as youâve been the last few weeks since you started spending more time with him. Since you got here he hasnât done a single PR nightmare worthy thing. I think Lynne might want to get you the keys to the city for it,â
âWhat are we getting my girl keys to the city for?â
Maybe his charm never worked on you, his endless flirtatious moves and jokes. But in this moment, as he descended the stairs into the living room and your heart stuttered over several beats, you finally understood the hoards of women across the universe that had Johnny Storm plastered across their walls and their hearts.
The navy blue button up he adorned clung to him, almost slightly too tight on him as the fabric pulled in the creases under his arms and by his waist. It was tucked into a pair of white chino pants, accented with navy blue dress shoes. His smile was bright, cheeky as it always was, his hands clasped together behind his back as he made his way across the living room.
Taking a semi-shaky stand on the strappy heels that Sue had helped you into before, you met him halfway across the room, a hush having fallen over the kitchen as you felt their eyes watching every movement both of you made.
Johnnyâs eyes trailed up and down your body the second you came to a stop in front of him, taking in the navy blue of your pants and the white of your blouse, before he cheekily shot you a wink.
âTwinning on the first date? Whatâs the slang they use in your time for that? Couple goals, wasn't it?â
âCouple?â your eyebrow shot up. âLetâs not get ahead of ourselves, Storm. You have to earn that.â
âOh, Iâll earn it,â his hands finally unclasped from behind his back, thrusting out toward you. âFor you, gorgeous.â
A beautiful bouquet of flowers: Plumeria flowers. Glittering in an ombre of pinks and oranges, taking you back to one of those first nights on that couch just a few floors away.Â
You took the bouquet in your hands, eyes never leaving Johnnyâs as you inhaled the sweet scent that wafted from the petals. The adoration that shone in his blue eyes sent your heart into another flutter.
âMy favorite,â you responded.
âWhat, did you think Iâd forget?â
âKind of,â
âGive me a little more credit, darling,â he lifted one of your hands from the bouquet, cradling it in his as he left a kiss along your knuckles. âWhen it comes to you, I donât think I could forget even if I tried.â
âCan you two leave for your date and go flirt elsewhere? My god, this is painful to watch,â
Sue laughed at Benâs comment, and you joined in. Johnny shot the man a look, flipping him the bird that you were sure was being shot right back at him from behind your back.
Sue saddled up to your side seconds later, plucking the bouquet from your hands with a soft smile.
âIâll put these in water for you and leave them upstairs,â she shot her eyes to Johnny, narrowing them. âTreat her well or I will cover for her when she drags your lifeless body back later tonight.â
Too busy laughing, you never even noticed Johnnyâs eye roll toward his sister. The only thing you could comprehend as he pulled you into the awaiting elevator was the feeling of his fingers slipping into the empty spaces between yours, intertwining your hand with his.
It felt right. Too right for two people who should have never met one another.
The Regent was situated just a few blocks away from the Baxter Building, the perfect distance to walk straight there. You werenât complaining, not with the way Johnny gripped your hand like he was afraid youâd pull it away, every so often tugging it gently so that your body fell into his, arm brushing against his arm.
âWe fought with Molemanâwell, I guess he prefers to be called Harveyâright here,â he pointed out just a few blocks from the Baxter Building, gesturing toward the blocked off area right beside a small park. There were fences up around what looked like a giant hole in the ground with just the very top of a building sticking out of it, signs indicating âkeep outâ to everyone that walked past. âHe runs Subterranea, the whole civilization under New York.â
âThereâs an entire city under this city?â you questioned, looking up at him in alarm.
âOh yeah, you guys donât have that?â he quirked an eyebrow toward you as you shook your head in response. âHe stole the entire Pan Am building, sinking it down into the ground before we could stop him. Been years and theyâre still working on what to do with it.â
You took a single glance around: 45th Street and Park Avenue. The familiar intersection made you smile, one that Johnny seemed to understand all too well. Taking a quick glance around to ensure that there werenât too many people watching, you slipped your hand from Johnnyâs in order to tilt his head to look at where the building used to stand. With a single wave of your fingertips toward his temples, blue seeping into his eyes, you could see the moment they widened at the sight you were projecting to him.
âIn my world, this was the site of the Avengers tower,â you could see the glamour you were showing him, but you knew it like the back of your hand. The tower that hung high above the skyline of the city, the shining âAâ that matched the one hanging from the belt of your suit. âIt was Stark Tower, until Tony decided to fashion it into a base of operations for the team after the battle of New York.â
The vision faded, the traces of your magic leaving Johnnyâs eyes, as they turned back to look at you. His hand found yours again without hesitation, fingers tangling with yours again as if it was the most natural thing in the world for him.
âHow do you possibly get cooler and more interesting with every passing thing you tell me and show me? Itâs not fair,â
Johnny filled every second of the walk with story after story. A diner on the corner that heâd rescued a little girl from during another fight in the city, and the way sheâd hid behind her father shyly the second heâd dropped her back down on the ground. Another diner just a block away that heâd dragged Reed to after heâd locked himself in his lab for upwards of 48 hours, not having eaten a single thing to the point where Sue was concerned heâd just pass out on the floor in front of his chalkboard. The bakery that sat underneath a row of apartments that Johnny was convinced had the best pie in the world, but Ben still argued there wasnât a single bakery in the world that could compare to Maisieâs over on Yancy Street.
Before you knew it, you were standing before The Regent. Elegant, sign shimmering and lighting up the darkened sidewalk before it. One single man stood at the door, surveying the area. With one look to Johnny, he nodded his head toward the door to grant him access.
Stepping into that room felt like entering an entirely new world. Light wooden floors that matched the light wood of the walls, which were decorated themselves with photographs upon photographs of couples and celebrities dancing and performing on the stage. The stage itself was beautiful, shining bright at the end of the room as the lights illuminated the band that was currently engrossed in some Elvis song that you couldnât quite put your finger on. The walls were all draped with velvety red curtains from the ceiling to the floor, accenting the dimly lit room, dance floor, stage and bar in color. Couples, friends, groups all mingled about, dining at the tables elevated at the back of the room, mingling along the walls, and dancing together in front of the stage.
âOf everything youâve dragged me to these last few months,â you spoke up, voice rising to be heard over the music as the band switched songs, playing a cover of River Deep - Mountain High now. âThis is the most 60s feeling thing yet.â
âAnd that, sweetheart, is why I saved it for a proper date,â Johnny appeared in front of you, your hand still clasped in his, as he tugged you forward. âCome on!â
Your laughter rang through the room as Johnny pulled you into the throws of people, finding an open spot among the crowd on the floor.
He spun you, that smile never dropping from his lips as you twirled in circles. Each twirl left you dizzy as the song played on in the background, the groups of people around you clapping along to the beat from the band. It was inevitable that youâd eventually stumble in the heels you werenât accustomed to. Johnnyâs arm was there, like you somehow knew it would be, curling around your waist. He dipped you, cheekily pretending as if it was all meant to happen, before spinning you back up onto your heels and pulling you into his chest.
âCome on, I canât have you tripping and falling for me just yet,â he teased, hands holding yours as he spun you out once again just to pull you right back in.
âYou try dancing in heels!â you shot back at him, earning a bright laugh from the man still dancing you around in circles. âWe never danced like this at Tonyâs parties.â
âI thought you said he threw a lot of those,â
âYeah, but they were more stand around, drink, and talk parties than dancing,â you took a single glance around the room, at every woman being danced around by their friends and their partners. Swishing skirts, some almost touching the floor, loosely hanging from their bodies. âNot that the dresses I was forced to wear would've allowed for dancing. Too tight fittingâthe one had a slit almost the entire way up my thigh.â
Johnnyâs hand tugged you in at that moment, your chest flush against his. His lips skimmed over the edge of your ear, voice husky as he whispered into it just loudly enough for you to hear.
âI need you to not give me a mental image of your 21st century clothing while weâre in public, honey,â
A laugh bubbled from your throat as you pulled back to see him fully. The ways his eyes had darkened just slightly, the blue of his eyes almost completely overtaken, had your stomach doing a flip. But it wasnât enough to stop the slightly sadistic smile that overtook your lips.
âWhy? Itâs so much fun, seeing you all worked up,â you let your fingers touch his jaw gently, nails dragging down the expanse of his neck and to the small bit of skin just barely visible along his collarbone, before you pushed away from him. âCome on, letâs get drinks!â
You could just barely hear his groan of âYouâre going to be the death of me,â behind you as he followed you diligently through the crowd, his hand finding the small of your back within seconds so that you were never quite far from him.
Seated on one of the barstools, sipping gingerly at the drink Johnny had procured for you, it was impossible not to watch Johnny.Â
The way he animatedly retold a story about how theyâd been invited to a fundraiser years ago in a dance hall, how heâd talked Ben into getting up onto the stage to dance. The way he so enthusiastically greeted those around the bar that did recognize him, as they slid in little comments about if you were the âmystery womanâ that the papers had begun to pick up on over the last two months. He deflected them with ease, remembering many of those that said hello to him, asking such personal things about their families, their jobs, as if they were his best friends.
Your laughter spilled into your drink as the band played their own version of The Twist, and Johnny chose to demonstrate his moves directly in front of you. He smiled wide, eyes never leaving you, as he mouthed the words in your direction, following along with the dance every other person in the club was doing along with him.
âJohnny Storm: a superhero, an avid golfer, a lover of space, and now we can add dancer to that extensive list,â you teased, taking the final sip of your drink before leaving the empty glass on the counter behind you. âDo you frequent these dance halls a lot?â
âWhen I was a teenager I found my way here pretty often,â he answered easily as the song came to an end, the room cheering out and erupting in applause for the band. With one arm, he leaned against the counter beside you, looking up at you. âI wouldn't call myself a dancer, though. Just had enough practice to be semi-decent.â
âPractice, huh?â you questioned, just as the band started back up again. âHow many girls have you taken dancing before?â
The band kicked back up, their next song already ready to go. You recognized it immediately: that same Frank Sinatra song that had played in the car through Long Island barely 24 hours prior. Johnny only smiled softly, standing out in front of you with his hand outstretched toward you.
âNone. Promised myself that only one woman would ever have the pleasure of seeing me dance. Now, will you do me the honor?â
It wasnât a line, not one of his usually charming, flirtatious lines. Not the way in which he said it: so genuinely, so vulnerably. You slipped your hand into his without a second thought.
Johnny guided you back out onto the dance floor, finding another open space among the couples around with ease. His arm slid around your waist, resting there as if it was the most natural thing in the world. You didnât want to dwell on the fact that it really did feel so right, in a way you had never felt before.
His hand pressed firmly into your lower back, holding your body close to his. You could feel that unnatural heat that radiated off of his skin through the layers of clothing that adorned your body. One of your arms found its place around his shoulder, hand curled around the back of his neck and tangling just slightly with the hairs that laid there. Your other hand was clasped in his, taking in every bit of warmth that seeped from his palm into yours.
I fall in love too easily, I fall in love too fast. I fall in love too terribly hard for love to ever last.
âCan I ask you something?â you asked him quietly, nose just barely brushing along the edge of his jawline as you danced together, swayed back and forth across the floor with him.
âAnything,â
âYou didnât have to trust me that day in the park. You couldâve assumed I was a threat, taken me out. Instead, you took me in,â you closed your eyes, leaning in just slightly as your nose brushed over his jawline once again. âThen, you took it upon yourself to make me feel comfortable, to not let me feel alone in a universe that isnât mineâŠwhy?â
âI mean, from the moment I saw you I thought you were pretty, but it was because I felt like I was looking at me,â Johnnyâs answer was simple. No charm, no jokes, just the truth. âI saw myself for a moment, the me I was when we came home from space with powers. Confused, angry, terrified of what I had become. I didnât know what to do. You looked so lost, so alone, and you continued to look that way every day. I didnâtâŠI didnât want you to feel alone. I didnât want you to feel like I did when I came home that day, when I felt like I had to lock myself away. It didnât help thatâŠI kind of fell for you along the way.â
Any hesitation in your heart, any thought in your brain still telling you that this was a terrible idea, that it could never work, melted away in that single second.
My heart should be well schooled âcause I've been fooled in the past. And still I fall in love too easily, I fall in love too fast.
âCan I ask you something?â he tacked on as your brain and heart still searched for a way to respond to him. All you could give him was a nod, one he could feel from where your skin touched his. âIâve been flirting with you every day since we met. What made you finally say yes to a date?â
âBecause I wasnât saying yes to Jonathan Storm, the Human Torch, one of the four protectors of this Earth,â you told him simply, leaning back just slightly so that you could catch his gaze as you spoke, bodies still swaying back and forth to the swell of the violin. âI was saying yes to Johnny. The flame boy who decided to trust me. The guy that does the dumbest shit just to make his nephew laugh. The only one whoâs made the pain of what Iâve lost lessen these last few months. I didnât fall for all the bravado, or the charming lines, I just fell for him.â
Your confession was laid bare, as was his. He didnât say a single word. Johnny simply smiled, leaning forward to press a kiss to the crown of your head, before letting his eyes close and his forehead rest against yours. You followed suit, mirroring him, simply existing in the space within his arms.
My heart should be well schooled âcause I've been fooled in the past. And still I fall in love too easily, I fall in love too fast.
What felt like hours later, while also feeling like no time had passed at all, you found your hand clasped in Johnnyâs once more. Roaming the streets of New York in the cool air of the night, a giddiness present in each of you that could only be compared to the feeling of pure childlike wonder and joy.
All you could think about was how right it felt, being with him. Having his hand in yours. Being in his arms. Universes separated you, but in this moment, you felt as if you had never belonged somewhere more than you did right now.
âOkay, okay,â Johnny forced out through his laughter, leaning into you as you turned another street corner, trying to find the next question to ask in the long line of questions you had been throwing back and forth. âFavorite fight that you had with the Avengers?â
âOh god, I donât know if I can answer that,â you responded easily with a laugh, shaking your head at the thought. âNone of them were really fun, they all kind of left immense damage in their wake. One ended with me locked in a high security prison in the middle of the ocean for a short period of time, so, I guess that was fun.â
âThatâŠthat sounds like the opposite of fun,â
âOh, it was. It sucked immensely,â he shoved his shoulder into yours for the comment. âOkay, my turn. Favorite memory with Reed?â
âWhen he asked me permission to marry Sue. I thought he was going to piss himself, Iâve never seen the man look so nervous,â Johnny laughed, tugging on your hand to bring you in closer to his side again. âOkay, how about your favorite thing you can do with your magic?â
Now that was a show instead of a tell question. Dropping his hand, you slid into the space in front of Johnny on the side walk, shuffling backwards against the pavement. He cocked an eyebrow as you shot him a tiny grin, before your hands at your sides began to glow in that familiar blue as your body lifted off of the grow by just a few feet, uncaring for anyone that could possibly see you in the area.
Johnny stopped in his tracks, dumbfounded as his wide eyes looked up at you. He sputtered for a moment, trying to find his words.
âWaitâyou could fly this entire time, and you didnât tell me?â
âYou never asked!â
Johnnyâs body ignited in flames, a sight youâd sparingly seen over your time in their world. From the chest down, every bit of him burned in those bright orange and red licks of fire as he, too, flew above the ground before you, back to being level with you once more.
âWe couldâve been flying everywhere instead of driving!â
âWell, letâs just have some fun with it now,â you shot back with a wink, before propelling yourself upward. âKeep up, flame boy!â
The chill in the New York breeze was a familiar feeling, beating against your face as you propelled yourself up into the air, flying along the edge of the buildings. Johnny followed along right beside you, the heat of his flames fanning out over you and cancelling out the chill that night air brought with it.
His eyes never left yours as you spun around a corner of the building, propelling yourself further up into the air. You looked down, watching him with a smile as you hung there high above the buildings and the city of New York. Johnny joined you in seconds, hovering just in front of you. The clouds practically kissed your body, the city so far down below you both, leaving you alone together among the clouds.
You could see it, the glint in his eyes, the way they flickered down to your lips for just a second before glancing back up, pretending as if theyâd never strayed away. He leaned in, and you let him for just a moment, before letting your body fall backward and freefall through the air back toward the city.
His laughter echoed through the sky as he flew down after you, following the sound of your own laughter. He saddled up to your side, flying down alongside you once again before you took a sudden turn, propelling yourself toward the rooftop of a building just barely in the distance.
Your feet touched down on the private rooftop moments later, magic dissipating from your fingertips as you landed, taking in a deep breath as the rush of flying left your body in one fell swoop. The rooftop garden youâd landed in was clearly one for a private residence, somewhere you probably shouldnât have been, but you didnât care. Not with the smell of the flowers invading your senses, the glint of the dim fairy lights strung around the roof bathing you in their light, and the view of the Baxter Building dead ahead.
Johnnyâs feet touched the ground just moments after you, the sound of his shoes hitting the flooring alerting you. Spinning, he was standing just a few feet away, watching you with a little smile as he shook his head with laughter.
âYou might be insane,â
âSorry,â your giggles fell into the mix with his own laughter. âItâs been a minute since Iâve flown. Iâve missed it.â
âCanât say Iâve ever flown with someone on a first date,â Johnny countered, taking just a few steps forward toward you. âUnless you count Shalla-Bal throwing me off her surfboard in space, but that wasnât really a date.â
âGuess this was a first for both of us, then,â
You matched his steps, barely a few feet between the two of you now. Johnny didnât make another step forward, though, didnât close the space separating you.Â
His Adamâs apple bobbed, his foot tapped against the ground, and his hands clearly didnât know what to do with themselves.
âWhatâs wrong?â you asked gently, even though you could practically see the nerves rolling off of him. He laughed, shaking his head as he glanced to the ground for just a moment, before back to you.
âIâŠIâm kind of nervous, if you can believe it,â
You hummed, taking the initiative to step up into his space, barely a few inches separating the two of you now. Your eyes never left him.
âWhy? I thought the charming Johnny Storm had been on a bunch of first dates?â you teased.
He laughed breathily, eyes darting to your lips for just a second.
âNot ones that matteredâŠnot like you do,â
You barely let him finish his sentence before you curled your hands around the back of his neck, tugging him down to you and slotting your lips against his.
It was short, but poured every bit of passion into it that swarmed through your heart and your head. Your lips moved against his just slightly, still testing the waters as the heat that coursed through his skin and into yours felt as if it was sinking straight down into your bones. Johnnyâs lips were soft, supple, a shaky breath leaving his lips and fanning out over yours the second that they touched for the first time. Something in your head clicked at the feeling, something that you couldnât quite put your finger on, making you light-headed as your fingers just barely curled into the hair kissing the nape of his neck.
It was you that pulled away first. Barely a few inches away, the heat of his body still filling the air between you. His blue eyes bore down into your, wide and full of awe, lips slightly parted. A smile stretched across his face first, a matching once crawling across your own as you let your hands fully dive into his hair.
Johnny moved first, hands enveloping your waist and tugging you until your body was almost one with his, his mouth devouring yours in a kiss that had your knees almost crumbling to the ground.
Those heated hands swarmed your body desperate to touch every single expanse of you that they could in the way you were sure heâd thought about, in the way you never wanted to admit you sometimes dreamed about. Goosebumps crawled across your skin with every move of his hands, with every flex of his fingers and they pressed into you. His lips moved against yours like a starved man, slick with spit as your mouth opened to him, letting him invade every bit of you that you could, his tongue slipping just barely in and grazing over your bottom lip. A moan fellâfrom you or Johnny, neither of you knewâbut the sound only spurred you both on.
His hands tightened their grip around your waist, holding him to you like a possession, one he couldnât bear to lose. Claiming you. Your hand wound into his hair, tugging to elicit a groan from him, as you let your other trail down to rest over the patch of skin just barely visible under the single unbuttoned part of his shirt.
When your lips finally broke, soft pants filling the air between you, neither of you dared to look away. You couldnât. It was like being in a trance, being pulled to the man in front of you almost magnetically. He leaned in, pressing a series of soft pecks against your lips, hands still flexing across your hips with each little peck that sent the butterflies in your stomach into a frenzy.
âThis is crazy, right?â he muttered out between kisses. You hummed in response, matching each kiss of his with your own through your grin, hands still carding through his hair.
âWhat, falling for each other when we come from completely different universes?â
âExactly that,â he responded, pressing a kiss to the tip of your nose, before his forehead rested against yours. Those blue eyes bore down into yours, a soft smile over taking his kiss bitten lips again. âI donât care much, though. Not when it justâŠfeels so right.â
Your smile matched his in seconds as you leaned forward, stealing yet another kiss that flooded your body with warmth.
âMe too,â
Maybe, just maybe, it wasnât so crazy: falling for someone universes away from you. Even universes away, maybe Johnny Storm was always meant to be yours, always meant to be the missing piece to your incomplete puzzle.
â€ïž
Johnny Storm had been called many things over the years by the media. A playboy, a womanizer, noncommittal. They were all wrong.
He preferred the term hopeless romantic, especially when it came to you.
Especially in this exact moment, leaning against the doorway of his bedroom in the early hours of the afternoon to see you sprawled out, tangled in the covers that were halfway off his bed. You looked as if you belonged there, and in Johnnyâs eyes, you did. There was nowhere else that you belonged than right by his side.
Crossing the room quietly, trying not to disturb you, he gently placed the glass of water heâd ventured into the kitchen for down on the bedside table. He got distracted, as he typically did, at the sight of the polaroids splayed out across the wooden table. Taking them gingerly in his hands, terrified to ruin them, the smile that crossed his face couldnât be wiped away.
You wrapped in his arms along the Coney Island beach in the early hours of the morning. One of just you, sprawled out in his bed in nothing but one of his button downs that fell down to your thighs. You on the couch, Franklin curled into your lap as you read him a book. His favorite one, sneakily taken by Sue late one night, wrapped in his arms on the balcony of the Baxter Building, lips pressed together through smiles.
He loved you. Johnny loved you more than he ever believed he could love someone in life. Multiverse be damned, you were it for him. You were meant to be his and his alone, and he was hell bent on loving you to the fullest extent every single day that he could, knowing someone could come along and rip you away at any moment.
But the universe had given him a year. An entire year to love you in every way that he could, to prove to you that you were it for him. He thanked whatever being out there in the multiverse he needed to every single day for the time heâd been given with you.
Johnny crawled onto the bed, tugging the comforter down from around your shoulders so he could fully see you. His pillow was clutched between your arms, the space in which he usually occupied. His white t-shirt, bearing the 4 logo that youâd made fun of him for months ago, covered your body, falling to the middle of your bare thighs.
He leaned in with a smile, pressing kiss after kiss to the bare skin of your arms he could see, trailing down to leave heat filled kisses to the bare skin of your thighs. Heâd barely left three there before he could hear your giggle, body flipping over onto your back so that you could look down on him with a raised eyebrow and a grin.
âYou left me,â you teased with a fake little pout. âI had nothing to hold but a pillow.â
âIâm so sorry, princess,â Johnny mumbled through his smirk, pressing yet another kiss into your thighs. His hands traveled up the sides of your legs, pushing his t-shirt with them as his kisses trailed further up the expanse of your skin. âHow could I ever make it up to you?â
âI-I donât knowâŠround three doesnât sound that bad,â
Johnny hummed through his laughter, mumbling a quiet âI love youâ into your skin. He knew you could hear it, though, he knew that you knew it.
He reveled in every little noise that left your lips, every puff of air that was on the cusp of being a moan as he lavished every inch of your skin in a kiss.
âLook, youâre both adults so I try not to tell you what to do, but itâs the middle of the afternoon andâJESUS CHRIST, JOHNNY!â
Heâd never sprang away so fast, throwing himself so hard to the side of the bed that he fell straight off of it to the floor with a thud. Your laughter filled the room as he crawled back up the side of the bed, your hand covering your mouth to conceal your laughter and the comforter pulled back up your legs.
Johnny immediately shot a glare at his sister, standing in the doorway of his room with her eyes covered by her hand.
âSue, you have no one to blame but yourself for thisââ
âYou could have closed the door! I donât need to see you doing all of that, my god,â Sue shook her head, peaking between her fingers to finally see that there was nothing happening, before dropping her hand. âReed wants you in the lab for a few more tests, okay, he promised those would be the last ones this week. JustâŠlook decent and meet us down there, okay?â
She grumbled the entire way out of the room, muttering comments about scarring her for life.
Johnny only rolled his eyes, throwing himself back onto the bed to hover above you. Nothing could ruin his mood, not when you looked up at him like that, smile bright and eyes full of adoration.
âThatâs the third time this month sheâs done that,â you managed to speak through giggles, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. âSheâs going to kill us one of these days.â
Johnny only hummed, ignoring the comment. Instead, his fingers trailed down your neck, grasping the chain of the necklace that rested against your chest, a little charm of a Plumeria dangling off the end. His Christmas gift to you, one of the many you received as you were showered in them by his entire family. He pressed a kiss to the flower, looking up to you, only to see that same soft look in your eyes.
âI love you,â he whispered out, leaning in to capture your lips in his before you could speak back. He could feel you sigh into the feeling, your fingers dancing over his cheek lightly as you kissed him back just as softly.
âI love you, too,â you whispered back against his lips, before your hand rested on his chest with a little push. âBut weâre going to go down to that lab because if we stay here another second, Sue is going to be walking in on a sight that she really doesnât want to see.â
Johnny groaned, but relented. Falling back to his knees, his hands wound under the covers to your hips, pulling you up to your knees quickly on the bed. His mouth found yours in an instant, cementing another kiss there just for good measure.
âRound three after, right?â
It was your magic this time that pushed him, sending him tumbling back off the bed as your laughter rang out through the room.
âIf you can behave, then maybe,â
Still clad in his t-shirt, having thrown on the old pair of ripped jeans youâd arrived in this universe in over a year ago, Johnny tucked you under his arm the second you stepped out of his bedroom, unable to go a second without touching you in any way shape or form. You never complained, even leaned into him as he pressed a kiss to your hairline.
âLynne was able to get us reservations at that one restaurant youâve been wanting to try for tonight, by the way,â he told you as you stepped into the elevator, hitting the button for Reedâs lab instantly. He grinned at the way your smile brightened, eyes turning to look up at him.
âOh my god, that new one in Times Square?â
âThatâs the one,â Johnny shot back. He let his arm fall from your shoulders, letting it wrap around your waist. His hand found the edge of his shirt, dipping beneath it so that his hand could press against the skin of your bare back. âThinking maybe afterward we could go for a little fly around the city, sit down on the Brooklyn Bridge for a little while.â
Your hands cupped his cheeks almost instantly after he spoke, pulling him into a kiss. A feeling Johnny was sure he would never grow tired of, never get enough of.
âItâs a date,â
Stepping out into Reedâs lab, the entire team was gathered around. Reed was fussing over a machine, just as he normally was, with Sue trying desperately to calm him down. Ben was entertaining Franklin over on the couch, reading to him one of his favorite books.
âOh, good, youâre here,â Reed called out, ignoring the doting of Johnnyâs sister as he waved you over frantically. âI just want to run a few more tests for this week. I changed some of the parameters, I just want to make sure that we have all of our bases covered.â
You gave Johnnyâs hand a quick squeeze before crossing the room, sliding into the same chair you always sat in for Reedâs tests, presenting your arm for the usual blood draw. Reed was convinced that it was necessary to test your blood, to do weekly scans of your body, to ensure that there were no lasting effects on your from staying in the wrong universe for an extended period of time like you had.
Johnny joined Ben and Franklin over on the couch, leaning down to leave a little kiss on his little nephewâs forehead, one that left the boy smiling and giggling.
âJohnny,â Franklin was barely able to say his name, stumbling over most of the letters, but he heard him loud and clear. He ruffled the boy's hair with a laugh, kneeling down in front of the couch.
âHey buddy,â Johnny glanced over at Ben, at the smirk on the manâs rocky mouth, and raised an eyebrow in question. âWhat?â
âNothing, nothing. Love just looks good on you, kid,â Ben teased.
Johnny shot a look over his shoulder, straight toward you. Smiling in that chair, laughing at something Sue said, as Reed drew the blood from your arm with a practiced ease for his various tests.
âNah, itâs just loving her,â Johnny glanced back at Ben, a hint of a sheepish grin on his lips as he shrugged. âI donât know how to describe it, man. Sheâs justâŠI think sheâs just it.â
Ben smiled, that knowing one that he always had, as his rocky hand came down to pat Johnnyâs back.
âI think so too. You deserve this, matchstick. You were practically made for each other,â
Johnny agreed. He was trying to decide mentally if one year was too soon to officially make your last name Storm like he had promised months ago.
The quiet, the lightheartedness that filled the lab, couldnât stay forever. Not when the alarms across the room began to blare.
Every head shot up at once, turning to look down the length of the lab to the computers where the alarm was blaring. Reed shot to his feet, taking a step in front of Sue as you ripped the needle from your arm in seconds to join them.
âJohnny-â
âOn it!â
Heâd practically sprinted halfway down the lab at that point, pulling up the alarm system at the designated workstation. That same map that had foreshadowed your arrival blinked on the screen, the same blip that showed your arrival in Gramercy Park blinking on the screenâright on the Baxter Building.
âItâs the same readings as when she got here,â Johnny called out down the lab, eyes frantically darting back and forth between you and Reed. âThe blip, though, itâs right here on the building-â
There was sound from right beside him, startling him. Johnny whipped around, little sparks of yellow and gold flashing in the air beside him.
He instantly took steps back, shuffling backward and away from the growing sparks until his legs hit the back of the couch. Ben stood somewhere behind him, holding Franklin protectively in his arms. Reed held onto Sue across the room from where Johnny stood, keeping her at his side, as you stepped up in front of them: eyes glowing, magic dancing at your finger tips.
Until those sparks of energy grew, larger and larger, until they formed the makings of a small circle. Johnny could hear the second your breath caught, that glow in your eyes fading and the magic at your fingertips vanishing in seconds as you took another step forward.
âO-Oh my godâŠâ
The sparking circle grew, almost the size of an entire person, before it stabilized, and out of what Johnny could only assume was a portal stepped a man. Older, tired, short hair and the remnants of cuts along his face. Body draped in elegant robes of purple and yellow heâd never seen before. His eyes darted around the room, before they landed on you, and he let out the loudest sigh Johnny had ever heard.
âOh, thank god-â
âWONG!â
Youâd practically flown across the room and into the manâs arms. Wong hadnât wasted a second, hugging you back just as tightly as you cried, holding onto the man for dear life.
Johnny froze: Wong. Heâd heard that name before. You talked about him all the time. The Sorcerer Supreme, the man you were supposed to wait for before you performed the spell that had landed you here in the first place. Johnny felt his heart break at the realization. He could feel the eyes of his sister on him from across the room.
His time had finally run out. Home had finally come to take you back from him.
âWhen I tell you that you arenât to touch the Book of Vishanti without me, it is not a suggestion,â Wong scolded, hands clasping your shoulders as you violently wiped your tears across the room. âI already had to deal with Stephen breaking into the restricted section years ago, I do not want a repeat of that again. Do you know how difficult it is to find your energy signature through the vast multiverse?â
âI know, I know,â you nodded your head, before shaking it back and forth. âNo performing any spells from an ancient book without your supervision. I got it.â
Wong nodded once, before his eyes finally glanced over the rest of the room. They settled on Reed and Sue, Ben and Franklin, and finally on Johnny.
âDo I need to worry about-â
âNo, no, theyâre friends. Theyâre practically family,â you assured the man, turning and gesturing out to the room. âThis is the Fantastic Four. Theyâre essentially the Avengers of their universeâŠâ
Your words trailed off as you finally met Johnnyâs eyes again. He could see it, the moment that the realization seemed to settle in over you like it already had for him, and he thought his heart was going to break all over again.
From the corner of his eyes, he could see the glance that Wong sent between both you and him. A knowing one, one that spoke volumes without having to speak at all. He sighed, the sound ringing through the otherwise quiet lab, as he squeezed your shoulder.
âFive minutes,â Wong told you gently, his gaze drifting back to Johnny for just a minute. âThereâs no telling if your time here has done any damage to the time streams. We need to get you homeâŠI can give you five minutes.â
You only nodded, tearing your eyes away from Johnny. There was no arguing.
He knew this day would come, even if selfishly he wished it never would.
His eyes never left you as you crossed the room, practically flying into Sueâs arms. Johnny felt as if his head was under water. He could see your lips moved, Sueâs lips moving, but he couldnât hear a word either of you said.Â
In his head, Johnny could guess what you were saying. A thank you for taking you in, for taking care of you, for all the times Sue had helped you dress for a date or taken you out into the city with her. He was sure Sue was thanking you for simply loving her little brother.
Reed pulled you into a tentative hug, short but still sweet. You didnât exchange many words, but he could make out a âthank youâ on his brother-in-law's lips.A thank you that simply encompassed everything, everything that he was sure Reed struggled to say.
Johnny saw your tears again when you stepped into Benâs arms finally. A conversation that he was sure detailed the many early morning trips youâd made to Maisieâs together, or the late night talks that happened on the couch over drinks as some movie played on TV.
Franklinâs cries pierced the air, his hands making grabby motions toward you as he cried. You placed a single kiss to his head, walking away before you broke down.
Finally, you stood before him. Mascara running just slightly, tear stains littering your cheeks and down to your chin. You mustered the smallest of smiles that you could for him, albeit watery. Johnny tried to do the same, feeling the lump in his throat beginning to form.
âI thought I had three rules for you before you went home,â he managed to say, trying to swallow back the burning need to cry. You laughed, though the sound almost sounded like a sob, as you nodded your head.
âIâm leaving having accomplished two of those things. I guess that counts as a win,â
Johnny nodded, the beginnings of a sob almost bubbling out of his throat. Like two magnets pulled together, you fell into his arms. Head buried into his neck, Johnnyâs one hand curled into your hair, tears slipping down his cheeks and soaking into the skin of the side of your head as your own tears soaked into his neck, your cries muffled by his skin.
âI love you,â he muttered into the side of your head, pressing kiss after kiss to your skin. âI donât care. I love you. I love you more than anything.â
You pulled away, those red rimmed and watery eyes finding him, as you cupped his cheeks in your shaking hands.
âI love you too,â you whispered, stealing a kiss from his lips that took every bit of breath out of him. Your next words were whispered against his mouth. âThis isnât goodbye. I promise.â
Johnny managed a laugh, stealing another kiss as he gripped you as tightly as possible, hoping if he held on tight enough you wouldnât slip away.
âWhat, youâre going to find a way to defy the multiverse to see me again? Abandon your home?â
âFor you? Yeah,â you answer was short, meaningful, determined, definitive. Johnny believed every word. âIâll see you again. And next time, I wonât have to leave. Because youâre my home, too.â
Johnny managed a smile, hoping it was as comforting as he wanted it to be, as he stole one last kiss. Not a goodbye, he wasnât sure he could handle a goodbye. He wasnât sure he could handle the idea of never seeing you again. This kiss was a promise. To what? He wasnât sure. Maybe just a simple promise that he was yours.
âIâll be counting the days,â
He couldnât bear to look down at you again, afraid if he kissed you again heâd shove Wong back through that portal and find a way to hold you here forever. Johnny settled for a single kiss to your forehead, accented with the tears that were still running silently down his cheeks, before he let you go.
You slotted yourself back to Wongâs side, wiping at the tears that stained your cheeks. He placed a hand on your shoulder, and even Johnny could see how much it pained him to do this to you. He caught the slight flick of your hand, though, the slight burst of your magic, so small he wasnât sure at first if heâd seen it correctly.
The room was silent as you and Wong stepped back through the glittering gold portal and onto the floor of the other side. Your eyes met his one last time, a watery smile crossing your lips, before it closed.
And in the blink of an eye, you were gone. Gone as if youâd never been there in the first place.
Franklinâs cries were still the only thing he could hear in the room, No one dared to speak, dared to break through the air, as Johnnyâs eyes stayed locked on the last spot you had stood in.
âJohnnyâŠâ
He turned, tear filled eyes meeting with his family. The heartbroken look on Benâs face, the conflicted look on Reedâs, and the absolute pity that shone through on Sueâs. She took a single step forward, but Johnny waved her off immediately, shaking his head as he wiped at his tears, forcing a smile.
âI-Iâm fine. I justâŠI just need a minute,â
No one rushed after him, and he was thankful for it.
The entire elevator ride back up to his room was done in a daze, in a haze of emotions. His vision was blurry the entire time, but no more tears fell. He wasnât sure he had more to cry.
Stepping into his room again, he felt like he could muster a few more tears. The bed was still unmade. The scent of your perfume, one youâd picked a few months ago with Sue, lingered in the air. Your clothes from the night before were strewn over a chair by his record player.
It was the only sign that you had, in fact, existed here in his universe. You werenât a figment of his imagination.
Approaching his bed, wanting to bury himself in the lingering scent of you, his breath caught.
Lying there, on the unmade sheets, was a single flower. A single little Plumeria, remnants of blue magic dancing over and around its petals. Right below it? That same Polaroid Johnny loved so dearly.
He clutched it in his hands, willing himself to be back in the moment: holding you on the balcony that night, kissing you, telling you he loved you. As he did, your magic seeped across the bottom white edge of the photo, scrawling your handwriting across the bottom.
Unequivocally yours.
That, alone, was enough to bring a smile back to his lips.
Multiverse be damned: you were his. There was no one in this life or the next that Johnny Storm was convinced he could love more, just as there was no one that could love you the way he could.
In that moment, he knew for a fact heâd see you again. And next time, he was never letting you go.
Śâ°â€ prompt two of my kinktober schedule. 2k words.
Śâ°â€ INCLUDES: yearning Johnny, weird and undefined relationship, themes of reader being kind of insecure, a bit of dubcon at the end, oral (fem!receiving), smallest hint of pussy pronouns (couldn't help myself sorry </3)
Johnny Storm wasnât your boyfriend.
Not for lack of trying - far from it, actually - rather, a lack of acceptance. Human Torch, brother, uncle, flame-drenched king of the sky. He wore all these titles with ease, donning them smoother than he donned the skin covering his ivory bones.Â
Never yours, though. That was the only one he couldnât seem to acquire. Â
You and him had a thing going. Something endlessly devoted to shapeshifting and never being tangible, never being definable. One day heâd be on a mission, and you were simply a ghost he carried, no different than the weight of his suit. Youâd be fucking the next, heâd sleep in your bed, heâd kiss you like it meant something. Like you meant something. Like you were consumption embodied, like your presence was pure gluttony.Â
In those little molten moments after the peak of eruption, heâd ask if you were done dancing yet. If the two of you could be more than a bipolar force, a warm bed after a cold mission. You wouldnât refuse, but youâd yet to accept it, either. It was a familiar routine, one laced with the needy rush of touching something that simultaneously was and wasnât yours.Â
He didnât want it that way. He wanted to plant his hands on something that was proudly his. Someone who would be waiting for him, someone he could wait for. He wanted love.Â
And, truthfully, you wanted it, too.Â
Heâd had your heart for years, beating small and skittish in his heated palms. You just couldnât acknowledge it. You were terrified to acknowledge it. Johnny was an enigma. He was one of the four shiny beacons of hope that your scarred world had to offer, someone that nearly everyone looked up to. He was the dream man of about half the women in the nation. How were you someone that could handle that? Being his companion would mean being known, being seen.Â
That was petrifying. That was why you couldnât be the woman waiting for him.Â
A couple of boozy drinks and the too crisp air of early Autumn brought these grievances to the surface, the admission of fear tumbling out of your lips like a gymnast failing to stick the landing. The fear of being judged, the fear of being hated, the fear of being his. You loathed how weak it made you feel, not being able to take the strain of it. But you just couldnât.Â
He listened, and nodded, and stared at you so heartbreakingly soft that it nearly cut the words straight off your tongue. You told him the pure depth of your shared interest. How you were already together, as far as you were concerned. You didnât look at others, you didnât bring others back, you didnât let others touch you like he did. You watched him save the world; and then, you watched him have a meal and a quiet night in with you when it was all over.
He told you he didnât care about the opinions of the globe he was constantly saving. That he did it because it needed doing, because he was capable. He cared about you and him. He cared about what happened here and now. Not about the desires of the people who depended on him, the people who wanted to be loved by him. You were loved by him. No question, no doubt. That was what mattered. That was the only thing that mattered.Â
âYouâre more important than them.âÂ
His eyes burned sickeningly blue, proudly holding every ounce of affection and loyalty you could hope for within the mighty circles.Â
âFor now, maybe.â You fidgeted from inside the grip of intensity, feeling his gaze like a sniper taking aim. âBut you want to be liked, Johnny. I see it in the way you talk to people. And thatâs not bad. âs just not realistic if Iâm the one youâre being seen with.âÂ
He shook his head. âYou think theyâll turn against me just because Iâve gotâŠâ He struggled with the words. A girlfriend felt entirely too trivial to be accurate. You were deeper than that. You were what his arms searched for on the nights he was alone in bed, the beat his heart synced to whenever you were near. He didnât know what you were, but it wasnât something juvenile. It wasnât something pliable. âYou know - cause Iâve got someone?âÂ
âI justâŠI donât know. I donât think itâll make sense to people.â Your intention truly wasn't to host your own pity party. You didnât even necessarily see it as a bad thing, just something inevitable. Something true. âYouâre The Human Torch, you know? Who am I to be next to that?âÂ
He stared at you for a long, heavy moment that stretched far too wide to remain comfortable.
 You thought he would say something, instead he stood up. He beckoned you to mimic his actions, waving his fingers and uttering a quiet âcome on.â His movement through your space was absentminded, knowing the place as well as he knew his own. He pulled you to the homely four walls of your bedroom, getting you close enough to him that you could feel the abnormal abundance of heat he radiated.Â
Then, he kissed you like the world was ending. Like the thoughts youâd voiced were crushing enough to end everything and everyone.Â
Your feet moved back as his crept forward, eventually ending with your back laying on the padded pristineness of the bed you often shared with him, the man in question taking his designated place on top of you. You liked it when he didnât have to go, when heâd stay so long that the scent of his cologne stained the sheets.Â
It was such a stupid yet incredibly significant thing. You couldnât suppress the tiny quirk of your lips at the notion, involuntarily breaking the seal of your connected mouths. He couldnât help but follow suit, feeling your happiness like it belonged to him.Â
âWhatâs the smile for, sweetheart?â
âJust smells like you in here. Itâs nice.â
He hummed, trailing dedicated pecks down the expanse of your neck. âCould be like that all the time if youâd stop running from me.â
You slid your hands beneath his shirt, groping the sturdy plane of his stomach. You felt the muscles contract a bit, stiffening at the gentleness.
âI donât mean to.âÂ
âSure you donât.âÂ
Johnny was a teaser. Even to his family, that looming need to satirize ran deep and inherent. It was something about being close to him, unavoidable and completely signature. Something that only he held.
Tonight felt different, somehow electric. His contextual frustration hummed with a newfound sentience. You swore if you listened hard enough, you could hear it shouting profanities, cursing the eyes of arrogant interlopers. Cursing those who kept you wobbling in the confines of privacy, those who were the reason he couldnât take you out properly. It was his driving force currently. He was vibrating with it.Â
He seemed displeased that he couldnât get down further than your collarbones, bringing his hands up to pull off the fabric hindering his path. The motion bared your torso to the room, the feeling still making you inhale stiffly, even after years of the same illegitimate sanctity.Â
âHate that you still tense up.â You felt the individual impact of each kiss he laid on your chest, moving down the softness of your stomach. ââs just me.âÂ
He said it like the knowledge was supposed to heal something, like the insecure wounds of your mortal skin could be purified by the superhuman love that pooled in every one of his touches. Like he could melt all that kept you frozen, like that was the true meaning of his powers.Â
Your pants came next, being lovingly dragged down the pudge of your thighs by his worldly hands, scuffed up and calloused from endless war. Your underwear went along with them, the man before you not having shed an inch of his own coverings. Just you, indecent and exposed and somehow completely his without ever claiming the spot as your own.Â
He stills with his face against your stomach, the sight of you still nearly stopping his heart even after knowing you so thoroughly for so long.
âPrettiest girl in the whole fuckinâ universe.â
His words made your ribcage ache, your hands shaky. Heâd spoken like it was an irrefutable fact, as true as anything could be. Heâd seen the universe. Heâd coasted on the hazy atmosphere of the planet you lived on, marked the stars with his footsteps. He was the only one who could say something like that. He was the only one with the experience to prove it, and that made it so dizzying to hear.Â
The first glide of his fingertips through the abundant arousal spilling out of you is enough to make your jaw clench, a tight noise launching itâs way out of your dry throat. His thumb nudges your clit, just enough to give your nerves a jolt without lulling you into the build of full stimulation. His name scrapes your lips as itâs expelled, the harrowing burden of going so long without him gripping like a vice to the word.Â
âMiss this more than anything when Iâm on missions. Hear you in my fuckinâ dreams most nights.âÂ
The slide of his finger into you is met with essentially no resistance. It makes you keen, your back arching up and your eyes shutting. His thumb fully commits to circling your clit, resulting in the most painfully pleasant sensation you could fathom. It shouldnât have been as disarming as it was, shouldnât have subdued you as easily as it did. It wasnât what he was doing, it was just him. Just what his attention did for you.Â
âTheeere she is.âÂ
âJohnny-âÂ
âCan feel youâre close, baby. Need to feel it. Please.âÂ
The Human Torch was a breathing symbol of power, of light aloofness, of unwavering protection. But, in these moments, he was just Johnny. Begging, needy, and ravenous after having to abstain. He wasnât usually a desperate man, but that steel-strong ego of his deteriorated rapidly when he took his place between your legs. In the times when he was nothing but the person who lived to please you.   Â
The straight locks of his blonde hair curled around the base of your fingers as you gripped it. It was that contact that shoved you over the edge, infiltrating the empty corners of your brain and filling it with nothing but him. Nothing but the sliver of infinity the two of you existed in when you were together. You tasted the curses on your tongue as they fell, barely being able to keep air in your lungs from how much you felt it.Â
You expected him to wean you off the high, to gradually bring you back to the ground, but he wasnât stopping. Your rushed questioning left your body in barely audible breaths, asking him what was happening, what he was doing.Â
âI think youâve got another in you, yeah?âÂ
The searing warmth of his mouth replaced his thumbâs position on your clit, eliciting a borderline pained noise from your parted lips. The immediate introduction of an entirely new kind of pleasure on parts that were already too sensitive was too much, was too fast. You hadnât been given time to recover, hadnât had time to prepare for it. It was simultaneously a bucket of ice water dumped right on your spine and the hottest flame eating you alive.Â
Your next orgasm was the sweetest and most torturous feeling. You held the sheets like they could save you from drowning in it.Â
And, still, he just continued. He disregards the climbing and crashing all in favor of pushing you to the absolute brink. Youâre seeing that sentient frustration again, that bittersweet plotting he does when he knows his way wonât be followed.Â
âWait - please -âÂ
âOh, but sheâs begging me for it, sweetheart.â He pushes another finger into you, the second one joining his pace effortlessly. As if emphasizing his point, he grazes that padded spot inside you, making your hips buck involuntarily. âYou feel it?âÂ
You nod your head a little, slurring out something like an âmhmâ in mindless agreement.Â
âHow about,â He starts, planting open and smeared kisses against your thighs, wetting the malleable flesh with a mix of his saliva and the messy evidence of what heâd made of you. âI make you cum once for every time you stopped us from happening, hm?âÂ
The sharpness of constant stimulation ripped through you like a current, diving off a cliff and pulling you right over with it. You came for the third time in minutes, stomach tight and will crumbling by the second. A single, glaring truth became evident as he kept at his attempts to see you unravel.Â
Iâm sorry all I can think about is oblivious best friend! Johnny who doesnât realize heâs in love with you but canât understand why heâs so upset that youâve been hanging out with another guy for like two weeks and distancing yourself from him. Unknown to him that youâre trying to stop being in love with your best friend.
Ah yes âšidiots in loveâš This is Johnnyâs âWhat is this feeling?â moment. But instead of loathing, itâs just pure, unadulterated love.
Ruin the friendship.
Johnny Storm x reader | Wc: 0.6k
Johnny Storm was not a subtle person. If he liked someone, everyone and their mother knew it. Except you, of course, because you were idiots in love cosplaying as best friends.
But he was getting frustrated because he only saw you twice this week. All because youâd been playing dates with this guy, who, in Johnnyâs very humble opinion, wasnât even your type. Spoiler alert: the guy wasnât blonde. He shouldnât have been mad, really, he had no reason to, no right too. So why did it sting so much?
But then again, the guy wasnât even blonde! Come onâŠ
His wake up call was when heâd been rude at Herbert earlier that morning. The poor droid had just wanted to take the empty cereal box from Johnnyâs hand to toss it away, but was met with an uncommon monotone voice from his friend Johnathan saying he wasnât done yet. No pet. No nothing.
Johnny knew it was bad when he managed to make a robot sad. Herbert, of all of them. Family. Thatâs when he decided to ambush you about it.
That night you sat down on the couch, barely reaching for the tvâs remote when Johnny dropped beside you, manspreading like he always did, with open elbows crowding the cushions.
âSo,â he said, âyouâve been busy.â
He was direct, but went for a casual tone, borderline smug. Made it seem like it was teasing, not accusing.
âA bit.â You nodded, eyes fixed on a toy Franklin had left forgotten on the carpet.
He nudged your knee with his fingers, trying to get your attention. âToo busy for me?â
You looked at him then. He was joking, obviously. Johnny was always joking. But his eyes lingered, watching you too closely for someone who didnât even know he set your heart on fire on the daily.
âNot really.â You said. âI justâŠneeded a break from the tower.â
He frowned. âA break from the towerâŠâ he repeated, like it didnât quite land to him. âAnd what exactly did the tower do to you that made you want to run for the hills?â
You huffed, crossing your arms. âThatâs the problem, Johnny. The tower doesnât do a single fucking thing.â
He looked at you confused.
Johnny was an intelligent man, no doubt about that. Heâd always been sharp. But when it came to love, to seeing it was right in front of him, the brain under that blonde hair just didnât cooperate.
So he sat up straighter, narrowing his eyes. âIs this about that guy? The brunette youâve been hanging out with?â
Right, that guy. The brunette. The one being used as a distraction to forget about the very oblivious guy in front of you.
âGod Johnnyâno. Forget about Peter.â You rolled your eyes, almost groaning. âIâm justâŠIâm tired of wanting things that arenât gonna happen. Not when the Tower is this blind.â
âWhy do you keep mentioning the Tower!?â He asked exasperated, running a hand through his hair. âIt doesnât do anything? Itâs blind? The Tower is not a person! Youâre not making any sense.â
You just rolled your eyes and exhaled, getting up to ârun for the hillsâ, but he grabbed your wrist before you could leave.
âWaitâis this about me?â
You just turned halfway, sighed, and gave him a soft, sad smile.
âItâs always been about you, Johnny.â
And before he could speak, before the realization could bloom in those wide opalite eyes of his, you freed yourself softly from his grasp and walked away. Because you couldnât stand there and watch him not love you back for one more second.
Summary: Tending to Johnnyâs wounds after an unpleasant mission leads to an intimate conversation regarding his feelings.
Wrote this at work.
Super Quick blurb. Short. Enjoy!
You found yourself in Johnnyâs room, he sat with his leg propped up, leaning against the headboard in exhaustion. The first aid kit was sprawled about, and while you werenât exactly a nurse, youâd picked up a few things during your many times cleaning him up after missions.
The whole team was tired and beaten down and although everyone was sore, bruised up and in need of rest, Johnny took to worst of it. He always did lately or so it seemed. He was stubborn, and ready to sacrifice himself. He just couldnât see how badly that hurt you, seeing him like this. He could barely walk, blood dripped down his forehead, scrapes, bruises he was battered. This was the worst youâve ever seen him.
The thought of losing him was unbearable. It make you squirm. You loved how kind of was, how heroic and brave he could be, but the reality of the situation was severe. The planet was safe, the threat taken care of, but it left him in terrible condition.
Each time you gently dabbed at his wounds, he winced, which made you feel terrible,
âSorry,â youâd mutter.
âSâokay.â He said quietly. His face was drained of its usual grin, and the cockiness was nowhere to be found at the moment.
âThank you for doing this.â He said with a sigh.
âYou always know just how to patch me up.â He said.
You nodded. âI wish I didnât have to,â you said, your shaky hands were upset. Everytime he came home like this you were thankful he wasnât hurt worse, until you became scared that one day he wouldnât come home. You knew his job was important, not just to him but to the safety of the city as a whole and even the planet sometimes. You couldnât behave selfishly.
âI do it to keep you safe,â he says.
He placed his warm hand over yours. Your sleeves were rolled up, and your hands were covered in dirt, blood and disinfectant from tending to his wounds. His warmth was calming.
âIâm scared Johnny.â You said admitted. âIâm terrified that one day you wonât make it back.â
He turned his head towards you. âIâll always come home to you.â He said.
âI donât know what Iâd do if I lost you..â you trailed off.
âHey.â He said softly, sitting up with a wince of pain and placing his warm hands on your cheeks, holding you tenderly. You leaned into his touch.
âIâm not going anywhere. I promise,â he said. âI love you, and I canât imagine a life without you in it. I do what I do to keep you safe, and sometimes Iâll fall short- but you mean too much to me for me to stop trying.â
You smiled softly. âI love you, Johnny.â
That was the first time either of you had said that. Youâd danced around his flirtatious nature, tended to his wounds, and avoided the feeling for months now, but he loved you and you couldnât be happier.
He placed a gentle kiss on your lips, softly, tenderly.
âYouâve never said that before.â You said gently as he leaned back with a wince, you adjusted the pillows so he could lean back again.
âI have for a while.â He said, you smiled softly, enjoying the moment.
âAnd wait⊠you love me?â He asked, his sarcasm was back in full swing.
âYou have a crush on me that is so embarassingâŠâ he cooed, you laughed at his foolishness, he attempted to laugh but he was sure he had nearly broken a rib, so nothing could be funny anymore.
âFuck,â he winced.
âEasy now,â you insisted, finishing bandaging him up. You felt better now, but it still was upsetting seeing him in pain.
âPlease donât make it worse,â you plead.
âYes Mâam.â He said promptly with a fake salute that made you roll your eyes.
Tags: no use of y/n, afab!reader (mention of clit), pet names (baby), first "I love you", coming in pants, dry humping, teasing!reader, mild sub!johnny, playful banter
A/N: My very first Johnny fic, please be kind! This is part of my kinktober, it is also a fill for @julybreakbingo "Don't stop.". Thank you to @deadwizzardlover and @syellavvalleys for sending me asks that encouraged me to work on this wip and finally complete it!
Navigation | AO3
His grin is stretched wide as he ducks his head to mouth at your neck. Lips trailing a line of kisses to that one soft spot just behind your ear, the one Johnny knows will make you shiver against him. One hand traces idle patterns along your hip, the other finding purchase on the full curve of your stomach. Fingertips digging into the ample flesh, just to feel that shiver go through you.
âJohnny,â you breathe, your voice a mere whisper that ghosts over his cheek. A quiet, pleased laugh twists his name pleasantly, the sound delicate and warm as it falls between you.
His head drops back against the couch, blue eyes finding yours. For someone whose gaze usually holds a playful mirth, he surprises you- as he often does- with a look so tender you feel your insides melt, your body unconsciously sinking further against his.
You find yourself almost lost in the clear, unbridled adoration on his face. Your thighs should ache from how long they've been spread over his lap, but any pain you may feel falls from your mind as three words escape your lips in a whispered exhale.
âI love you.â
It's rare to see Johnny speechless, mouth gaping as though trying to connect his brain to his lips, trying to formulate the correct response- or any response for that matter. For a moment, you half-expect him to come out with something cocky, something obnoxious like âI knowâ, but instead what comes out is a breathless plea.
âSay it again,â his eyes are wide, almost wild with his desire to confirm your words. âPlease,â he murmurs.
The smile that curves your lips is soft and private- just for him. His light blonde hair is silk between your fingers as you brush it back ever so gently, your eyes never leaving his.
âI love you, Johnny Storm.â
Something in his expression cracks. Thereâs a tender glisten to his eyes, and his smile is small, vulnerable and struck with awe. His fingers reach for you, tracing along your cheek, your jaw. He touches you with incredible gentleness, as though you might vanish right before his eyes. His thumb rests on the corner of your mouth, delicately pressing on your bottom lip as he stares up at you.
âYou love me?â He asks, voice raw with emotion, insecurity seeping into his words.
âI do,â you murmur, your lips moving over the soft skin of his thumb. The pressure of your mouth on him has him swallowing hard, throat bobbing as his Adamâs apple jolts.
Thereâs a tease to the way you smile now, bringing your hand up to stroke softly down the side of his face. He turns his head into your touch, pressing a kiss onto the sensitive skin of your wrist as your palm settles against his cheek. His hand comes up to cover yours, effectively trapping you against him.
His eyes are glistening, unable to look away from you for even a moment.
âYou donât have to say it back, Johnny. Thatâs not what this is about.â Your thumb sweeps tenderly along his jaw, a deliberate, soothing motion.
âHey, no,â he pulls you in, guiding your forehead to rest against his. âThatâs not-â he hesitates, his hands falling softly to the curve of your shoulders. He breathes sharply against you.
âI love you. Whether youâre ready to say it back or not,â your words brush over his face in a delicate breath, a shiver creeping up his spine. âMy love for you is not conditional.â
The noise he makes is half-whine, half-groan, all wrapped up with an almost incredulous laugh. His hands drift down to you waist, gripping tightly.
âYou canât just say things like that, baby.â
âLike what?â you ask, faux innocence twisting knots through your teasing smile. His head drops back against the couch, bottom lip caught between his teeth as he gently shakes his head.
âDonât tease,â he murmurs, voice soft and cracked.
You trace a finger along his jaw, smoothing over his bitten lip until he releases it. A shuddering breath falls from his mouth, and you can feel the effect youâre having on him. His sinful trousers, stark white against the calming blue of the couch, leave little to the imagination. Even more damning, is the way his body pushes against yours, openly begging for your attention.
Not that your relationship with Johnny thus far has been, letâs say, vanilla, but feeling the way he goes soft under you- pliant and more than a little desperate- well, it leaves you feeling nothing short of exhilarated by how he seems to submit so easily.
Leaning forwards, your lips brush over his jaw, climbing a path up to his ear. âI love you,â you whisper, feeling him shudder under you. His fingers tighten on your hips, squeezing at your soft flesh.
He swallows, his heart suddenly feeling too big for his chest. Your words are gentle, honest and raw. They hit him like a freight train and he's powerless to stop it.
âGod, youâre perfect,â he mutters quietly, eyes fluttering closed as you press kiss after kiss to his throat. âYou deserve so much more than me.â
âDonât you speak about the love of my life that way,â your voice is soft, teasing but with an underlying beat of honesty as you nudge your forehead against his cheek, almost nuzzling into the man beneath you.
He canât help the soft laugh bubbling from his lips, the sound wet and on the verge of breaking.
The love of my life.
His arms are locked tightly around your waist, holding you in place as he looks up at you, his gaze a heady mix of tender and hungry. It sends shivers down your spine just to look at him.
âYou canât keep saying things like that,â he groans, thumbs slipping under the back of your shirt, skimming a burning heat over your flesh. âIâll get used to it, and then Iâll get spoiled,â he teases softly, his voice holding a vulnerability you've never heard from him before.
âYou are spoiled,â you laugh lightly, your body shaking with it in his lap.
âRude,â he protests, his mouth pulling into a mock-offended frown as you grin down at him.
He retaliates by pressing forwards, attaching his lips to the line of your collarbone where he knows you're ridiculously sensitive. And because heâs not playing fair, he adds in a sharp little bite, just to make you squirm in his lap.
âI am not spoiled,â he mutters against your skin, lips brushing over you with each word. âI am the pinnacle of male perfection.â
âOh god,â you laugh harder, gasping between chuckles as he nips at your sensitive skin and rocks up into you, the hard line of him dragging over your clothed centre with each move.
âHush,â he teases, smirking against your neck. He finds another tender spot, just beneath your jawline, and nips at it again, a little rougher this time as he groans into your flesh.
âGod, I am so in love with you,â you murmur against his hair.
His hands slide down your back to splay out possessively against your skin, a whine breaking free.
âYou really like it when I say things like that, huh?â You ask almost tauntingly, pointedly rolling your hips against his.
Johnny lets out a low curse as he bucks up against you involuntarily.
âJesus christ, donât-â He grips your hips in a vice, trying to still the movement but itâs a lost cause. You're driving him crazy without even trying, grinding against him like itâs the most natural thing in the world.
âYou started it, Johnny,â you tease, enjoying the flush snaking up from under his shirt, making a home for itself on his cheeks. âRutting against me like you just couldn't help it.â
A strangled moan claws itself from his throat. Heâs trying to think about literally anything but the feel of your lips on his skin, the press of your body against his, the way your hips are moving, pressing him harder against the couch with every roll, the fact that he can feel how hot you are against him.
Jesus christ, heâs going to burst into flames if you keep this up.
âBaby,â he gasps, his hands pawing at your waist desperately. âYou need to stop.â
You pause your movements, and he groans loudly under you. His fingers twitch against your sides as he's both relieved for the reprieve and eager for you to push him over the edge.
âAm I wrong? It doesn't turn you on when I tell you how much I love you, how good you are for me?â You whisper in his ear, words spoken between featherlight kisses to his jaw, âTell me again, and Iâll stop.â
He keens, body arching under you as he lets out a stuttered whine. And this time itâs him who rocks up into you, he canât resist the pull anymore.
âBaby, please. Iâm- donât stop.â
A huff of pleased laughter falls from your lips, hips circling his again. Johnny drags you down to his lips, kissing you with desperate hunger. It's messy and eager and unrestrained. It has you mewling into his mouth as you ride his lap, damp underwear clinging to you as you feel his clothed cock catch against your clit with each roll.
All it takes is one more long grind of your hips and a breathy whisper of âI love you, Johnny,â in his ear and you feel his hips stutter under yours, his cock pulsing within his pants, a wet patch quickly forming between you.
âFuck,â he gasps out, hips twitching through the aftershocks beneath you.
Johnny drags his body forward, dropping his face into your shoulder, hiding his red face from you. He canât believe that just happened. Can't believe you made him cum in his pants like a teenager. Youâre going be so smug about it.
âDid you just-â
He cuts you off with an embarrassed groan that has you smiling softly, carding your fingers through his hair. He mumbles something unintelligible into your skin, motification flooding through him.
âBaby,â you breath, âthatâs so damn hot.â
âYouâre never gonna let me live this down are you?â He lifts his head from your shoulder, face flaming and hair mused. He looks like the very picture of sin and it has your thighs clenching around him again.
âOh love, Iâm gonna make you do it again. Now I know how easy it is,â you taunt, lips brushing teasingly against his.
"Jesus Christ," he mutters, his face somehow glowing an even brighter shade of red. "You're a menace, I hope you know that."
It's a weak protest, though, and the way his arms tighten around you tells you exactly how pleased he is with your words.
|| ao3 || Johnny Storm Masterlist || flufftober masterlist || requests are open!! || flufftober day 28 !! prompt: âis that my hoodie?â ânoâ <3 ||
Summary: Johnny finds you wearing his hoodie (wc: 617)
The heater in the Baxter Building was broken, making the building far too cold for your liking, which made Johnny quick on the task to call a repairman so your comforts would be met. Thatâs why you were currently bundled up in one of his hoodies, your favorite of his, with baby Franklin carefully cradled in your arms and a pile of blankets surrounding you both as the repairman was somewhere in the building doing his job, while Johnny, Sue, Reed, and Ben were all off doing their own job of saving the world.Â
The first to come home from the team was Johnny, flying and landing in the balcony before making his way inside with a wide smile on his face, the minute his eyes landed on you.Â
âHey, gorgeous,â Johnny said, kissing the top of your head before plopping down directly next to you on the couch. He reached for his nephew, taking him in his arms as he greeted the baby as well.Â
Thatâs when you heard the rest of the team enter the building, Reed already speaking with the repairman as Sue entered the living room, taking her son from her brother, causing Johnny to frown and you to laugh at his pout.Â
âNot funny,â he muttered, fighting a smile as he wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you closer to his side. âMissed you,â he whispered, punctuating his sentence with a kiss to your temple.Â
âI missed you too,â you replied, moving for a proper kiss, one he happily reciprocated. It couldnât have been more than an hour since the team left for their mission, and yet your words still rang true. You did miss Johnny, you always did, even if he was just in the other room, and something told you he felt the same way.Â
Johnnyâs hand squeezed your side when the kiss broke, toying with the end of the hoodie you were wearing, his hoodie, as he looked at you with those blue eyes you loved so much. âIs that my hoodie?â He quietly questioned with a knowing smile. Still, you liked to give him a hard time and mess with him every now and then.Â
âNo,â you quietly replied, a smile of your own playing on your lips.Â
Johnnyâs hand moved to pull the blanket off you, proving that yes, you were in fact wearing his hoodie. His smile only grew at that, wide and boyish. âThatâs definitely my hoodie,â he murmured, kissing your forehead as he laughed against it, the sound reverberating through your body and making your heart stutter slightly.Â
âItâs not,â you repeated, laughing as your boyfriend only pulled you closer to him, his arms tightening around your waist as he held you right up against him with no space for you to move.Â
âIt is, I know what my clothes look like, honey,â he said, voice muffled as he began kissing at your neck. âAdmit it and Iâll let you go.â
Before you could even open your mouth to respond and tell him that that would only make you want to not admit to anything, Johnny starts tickling at your sides, laughing at your own laughter and squirming. âJohnny, stop-â you manage to get out through a fit of giggles.Â
âAdmit it,â he repeats.Â
âAlright, alright, it is,â you confess, his tickling finally subsiding as you catch your breath.Â
After youâve caught your breath and manage to somewhat shoot your boyfriend a glare, he only shrugs at you, silently telling you your glares donât scare him. âKnew it,â he finally replies, as he kisses your shoulder, then your cheek, then your nose, and finally your lips, stealing your breath away once again.Â
Summary: Johnny "borrowed" your hoodie while you were out of town because he missed you
Word Count: 0.7k
Warnings: fluff (obviously), established relationship
âWhere the hell is it?â You muttered to yourself as you tore apart your room. Your hoodie was missing; you had searched everywhere, your closet, the hamper, out on the couch, the bathroom, you even checked the kitchen, but it was nowhere to be found. The last time you remembered having it was just before you had gone out of town for work, you and Johnny had gone to your place after a date to hang out and watch a movie, it had been cold so you put your hoodie on. That was all you could remember though, and you knew you hadnât brought the hoodie with you on your trip, so it had to be somewhere around your apartment, right?
You tossed your comforter to the foot of your bed, just to make sure it hadnât somehow gotten lost in your sheets, but still, nothing. You let out a frustrated sigh and checked the time; you were officially running late for your date with Johnny.
âGuess Iâll find it later.â You mumbled as you grabbed your bag and headed out the door.
The Baxter Building had almost become like a second home to you. You were practically there just as much as much your apartment with how much time you and Johnny spent together. You stepped onto the elevator and went up to the apartment living quarters, greeting Reed and Sue as you entered the den, and waving at Ben in the kitchen when you made your way to Johnnyâs room.
You knocked on Johnnyâs door and within seconds you could hear him running to answer it. He threw it open and wrapped you into a tight embrace.
âHello.â
âHi,â you laughed, as he pulled you in tighter.
He placed a quick, soft kiss to your lips and your forehead, âI hope you noticed that all your plants are still in tip-top shape. Told you could trust me to water them.â
âI never doubted you,â you smiled and kissed the tip of his nose, âYou ready to go?â
âYeah, I just need to grab my keys.â
Johnny sauntered over to his bedside table, but he lost the jaunt in his step when the keys werenât there, âI could have sworn I put them right here.â
âIâll help you look.â You chuckled softly as you started to help him search the room.
This happened a lot; Johnny always seemed to lose track of his keys. You were starting to think he needed to place a tracker on them. And the most baffling part was that he kept his room so tidy, it was almost impressive that he was able to lose things in it.
You walked over to the small table by the large bay window and found them underneath a vinyl record, âFound them,â you grabbed the keys then paused, your brows furrowing together in question when you noticed something familiar hanging off the back of the chair next to the table, âIs that my hoodie?â
Johnny quickly turned towards you with a slightly guilty expression, like a kid who got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, ââŠNo?â
You picked it up to inspect the garment closer, and sure enough it was your hoodie, âThis is my hoodie. I had been going crazy trying to find it,â you looked up at him with a quirked brow, âWhy do you have it?â
âUhâŠâ Johnnyâs face contorted into a multitude of expressions as he tried to think of an excuse, but he came up empty, âNo reason, justâŠyou knowâŠireallymissedyouâ
He rushed out the last part in a mumble, you werenât entirely sure what he said, âWhat?â
âI really missed you, okay? When I went over to water your plants the day you left, I saw your hoodie on the couch, so I decided to borrow it.â Johnny confessed; he kept his eyes on the ground and his hands in his pockets.
You held back a giggle, âSo, youâve been wearing it while I was gone?â
âNoâŠI just held itâŠand possibly slept with it so it felt like you were here.â His cheeks had gone red.
âThatâs so cute,â you walked up to Johnny and kissed his furiously red cheek, âA little weird, but mostly cute.â
âYeah?â
âYeah.â
Johnny gave a bashful smile then took you by the hand, âLetâs go.â
âAlright,â you handed him his keys, âNext time I have to go out of town, would you like to borrow my hoodie again?â
âYes, please.â Johnny lifted your hand to his lips, placing a gently kiss to your knuckles as you walked out the door.
Summary:Â Itâs your birthday and the people at the Baxter Building make it special.
A/N: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!! Probably the most selfindulgent thing that Iâve ever written, but it is a present to myself so...not sorry. Taking inspiration from when I was five and would imagine myself as part of the fantastic family, funny how playing pretend evolved into writing fanfiction.
Navigation
You woke up without your usual alarm, but also without your boyfriend, his side of the bed unusually cold. The door opened and the cute robot assistant of the family walked bringing a tray with a warm coffee for you.
âMorning H.E.R.B.I.Eâ you smiled sitting up on the bed âis that for me?â
H.E.R.B.I.E replied with a few beeps, his characteristic sound. âYes it isâ you understood âhappy birthday!â
âThank you so much H.E.R.B.I.Eâ you said, taking the coffee in your hands âyou don't happen to know where Johnny is, do you?â
The robot shook his head ânoâ a faint noise coming out of him, also answering your question. He left your room and you smiled at him. You loved H.E.R.B.I.E and everyone at the Baxter Building so much.
You got up and made your way to the kitchen nursing your cup of coffee in both hands, Ben's loud voice and Franklin's giggling became louder with each step.
âGood morning!â You greeted.
Franklin's head turned into your direction, almost vibrating with excitement. He was 6 years old and already wise beyond his years, however, a childhood charm still shone in his eyes.
âAunt Y/N!â Franklin ran towards you, almost tackling you with a hug âhappy birthday!â
âThank you so muchâ you laughed.
âLet her breathe little manâ Ben chuckled âwhy don't you go get her that drawing you made?â
Franklin ran to get his drawing out of his school bag. Ben continued cooking breakfast for everyone, but first he prepared a plate for you.
âSorry âbout thatâ Ben told you âJohnny said you'd be sleeping in today.â
âWhere is he anyways?â You asked, taking a seat in front of him, while he focused on getting breakfast ready for everyone.
âI don't knowâ Ben said honestly âhe ran out of here earlier today. It was weird seeing him up and running that early to be honest.â
Franklin ran back to the kitchen, a piece of paper on his hand
âI made this in my art class for youâ Franklin excitedly said showing you his drawing âit's all of us on your birthday!â
The drawing had you in the middle and Franklin right next to you. Ben, Sue, Reed and even H.E.R.B.I.E and an orange man up in the sky, you didn't need an explanation to know that he was supposed to be Johnny.
âIt says happy birthday in orange cause Johnny wrote it in the sky for you!â Franklin explained.
âIt's lovely. My favorite birthday gift everâ you hugged him.
âI'm glad I got to see you before schoolâ Franklin continued talking âJohnny said you wouldn't wake up early cause he turned off your alarm.â
Ben laughed at the boy's sincerity and lack of filter, he placed plates full of food in front of you and Franklin.
âIs that so?â You asked him.
The boy nodded âI wanted to give you my drawing before school, but he said he made sure you'd wake up later.â
The elevator doors opened. You could see Johnny with a paper bag on one hand and your favorite flowers on the other, he was looking down so he couldn't see you were already up.
âBen! Do you have her breakfast ready?â Johnny asked, still not paying attention to the kitchen âI want to surprise her withâŠbreakfastâŠin bed.â
âMorning my loveâ you smiled âare those for me?â
âYou're supposed to be asleepâ Johnny said as Ben laughed at his reaction âI evenâŠâ
âTurned off my alarm?â You finished âyep Franklin here got me up to date on that.â
âDude, come on!â Johnny almost whined âthat was meant to be a secret.
Sue and Reed entered the kitchen to check on their son and make sure he was ready for school.
âHey sweetheartâ Sue greeted you âhappy birthday, I hope Johnny hasn't given you trouble today.â
âI did wake up alone today so Iâd say that was my first birthday giftâ you teased.
âHey!â Johnny said, almost offended.
âHope you have a great dayâ Reed said quickly hugging you âwe'll see you later. Say goodbye to Y/N, little man. We have to go.â
âBye Y/Nâ one last hug and he was on his way to school.
Ben busied himself with cleaning up the kitchen while Johnny sat next to you.
âSo what were your plans?â
âFirst let you sleep in, then surprise you with your favorite cookies, flowers and breakfast in bedâ Johnny explained âI woke up extra early to get to the bakery as soon as it was openedâŠyou ruined it all by waking up.â
âWell it's hard to sleep without you nowâ you told him âI got used to your unusual heat by my side.â
âJust for that you are forgivenâ Johnny said booing your nose.
âŠ
Johnny also had a day planned at Coney Island. He took you there for your first day and you loved every second of it. Johnny had charmed you that day, you started seeing him in a different light and flash forward three years later you fell in love with him and moved into the Baxter Building.
The day had been perfect. He wasn't trying to recreate your first date, at least not on purpose yet you felt the exact same feelings you had that day.
âCome on, let's go homeâ Johnny said once the sun started to set.Â
âYou aren't proposing today, are you?â You teased.
âWhat-what makes you think that?â Johnny stammered, stopping on his tracks.
âWell, today's my birthday and the day has been a bit too perfectâ you explained pulling his hand âthe perfect ending might be a proposal.â
âWhile I do want to marry youâ Johnny started âit's not happening today doll.â
âNo?â you asked, not disappointed just surprised.
âNopeâ Johnny confirmed âlike you said this was a perfect day, I planned it for you and proposing today? Well that might be too predictable.â
He leaned to get a kiss from you âI assure you that when I get you that ring you won't see it comingâŠnow let's go home Franklin really wanted to see you before his bedtime.â
Now it was your turn to follow him to the car, expecting nothing waiting for you at the Baxter Building, maybe changing into your pajamas and cuddling to Johnny's side and watching movies until you fell asleep, that sounded right.
The last thing you expected was a full Sunday dinnerâŠon a Wednesday night.
âRight on time!â Ben said once he saw you walk out the elevator âbirthday girl is here!â
âWhat's this?â You laughed âit's not SundayâŠâ
âJohnny here mentioned that your favorite moment of the week is family dinnerâ Sue said âwe figured we could do one special dinner just for you today.â
Johnny grabbed your hand and guided you towards your seat, Franklin rushed to get the seat right next to yours.
âFranklin insisted on sitting next to you todayâ Reed told you âwe have all your favorite dishes as well.â
âAnd for dessert cake!â Franklin said excitedly.
âI-I don't know what to sayâ you whispered a sudden wave of emotion hitting you âthank you so much.â.
Johnny sat in the other chair next to you, giving you a huge kiss on the side of your head. It was a nice day, and you couldn't have asked for more from your family.
A/N 2: Shout out to @anaevanss, cause she told me her birthday is also today so happy birthday!
Extra tags: @folkloure
Konichiwa ~ Kawaii-sans @alylu1999 - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag