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Characters & Pairings: JQ!Johnny Storm x Earth-828!reader & Earth-616!reader
Content Warnings: A LOT of angst in this part, fluff, sad ending in this but eventual happy ending, best fiends to lovers, mentions of violence, spoilers for FF:FS, speculation for A:DD, reader has powers like Static from DC | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 2.7k
Premise: It was never meant to be forever, something they both knew and accepted. That didn't stop the friendship from blossoming, the connection to strengthen, and the love Johnny held for a dear someone back home to surface as he fought hand and hand with her variant every day for a year. And when the inevitable arrives, they don't fight it, they come to terms with the bittersweet reality as they etch their mark in the surface as evidence that everything they experienced existed.
Note: This will have one last part and I'm about 50% done with it!! I've literally been rewatching Fantastic Four First Steps everyday on my days off and it's helping me get inspo again! Part 2 to Midas Touch will also be coming!
“Yo, give me some,” Johnny whispered as he elbowed Y/n, who was invested in a bag of sour patch kids rather than paying attention. The two were seated next to each other in the conference room while Sam, Bucky, Professor X, and Reed debriefed and talked strategy. Everyone else was spread around the room, watching the scene unfold or engaging in their own silent conversations. As the meeting was like every other one involving wasted time as they had no leads on Doom.
“Get your own,” she retorted like a child, pivoting the chair slightly so his grabby hands couldn’t snatch the candy. All meeting he’d been eyeing them, pleading with those gemstone eyes of his for her to share. After all, she claimed the last bag in the pantry, much to his displeasure.
“Dude, you took the last bag--c’mon give me at least a handful,” he cups his hands together, awaiting the sugary goodness.
With a huff and roll of the eyes, Y/n pops a sour patch kid in her mouth and turns the chair so she can face him, turning the bag upside down to pour several candies in his hands. Once satisfied she leaned back in her chair, sighing through her nose with a dramatic flair, “There, don’t ask me again.”
Johnny smiles in victory, placing a yellow one in his mouth, “Appreciate it, Stat.”
“Yeah, yeah,” she moans mid chew, wiping sugar coated fingers on her pants. Returning her ‘attention’ to Sam.
In the weeks following the arrival of the Fantastic Four as they trailed the green cape, metal masked, Doom into a parallel universe, the adjustment had been nothing short of intense. Going from a team of four enhanced individuals with a familiar tie, to a multimember team of heroes with their own history and bonds left the Four feeling like outcasts at times. They were coming up on their tenth anniversary as a superhero team. The Avengers? They were coming up on twenty.
Well, if one combines Sam’s Avengers with Bucky’s Thunderbolt’s. Or New Avengers, depending on who won the copyright battle.
Regardless, all the members of the team had been around for years. Decades. For Bucky? Nearly a century--thanks to being cryogenically frozen for ¾ of his life.
The X-Men, however, did share the Four’s experience to an extent. They’d been pulled from their universe into Earth-616, but like the Avengers, they’d had decades of experience and were not shy about dealing with unprecedented threats.
Yet one thing all three teams had in common, which did initially cause some tension in the beginning, was that in their respective universes, only one team existed.
Earth-616: The Avengers. Earth-828: The Fantastic Four. Earth-10005: The X-Men.
Two did not exist where one did. And the one that did exist in said universe was responsible for the protection of its Earth’s citizens. So yeah, it did result in the leaders of their respective teams to butt heads. Honestly, it was a miracle they managed to get along.
In terms of the friendship between Y/n—Static—and Johnny Storm, it felt as natural as they come. Considering the variant of the former is the latter’s best friend back in his native world, they should’ve predicted as much. A lot of Static’s personality paralleled Y/n’s. Intelligent. Hilarious. Driven. A champion for the greater good.
It only took three days after their first meeting for Johnny to be like, “Yo, we get each other.” And for Static to reply, “I see why we’re ride or die.”
Now nearly a year had passed and the teams were cracking down on Doom. Every time they got close to putting an end to his madness, he slipped through their fingers. A sighting in Montreal. A signal transmitted from Ukraine. People from agencies across the globe calling multiple times an hour to claim he was seen in their countries.
The reality? He could be anywhere.
After the meeting, Johnny and Static headed to the training room for their daily sparing session. As they walked the woman was currently in the process of licking her fingers clean of sugar, the bag of sour patch kids empty and tossed in the garbage, causing the blonde beside her to pout.
“Oh stop it,” she rolled her eyes, pushing open the gym door, “like you need more sugar with the amount of cereal you eat daily.” That earned her an offended gasp.
“Says the one who can’t eat pancakes or waffles unless it’s soaking in maple syrup!”
“That’s perfectly normal pancake consuming behavior!”
“No, it’s not!! It’s diabolical!!”
The back and forth could last for hours, a scene witnessed by several members of the team to the point Ben or Bucky will step in and shout, “Will you two shut the fuck up and take your nonsense bickering outside!” which in turns leads the two to gang up on them.
“Whatever,” her childlike huff was paid with the stomping of her feet toward the mat in the center of the facility. “Let’s hurry this up--I’ve got things to do.” Tossing her windbreaker onto the bench, she’s left in a gray tanktop bearing the Avengers logo and black Adidas joggers.
Johnny follows, removing his own jacket and Y/n snickers at the sight of the Fantastic Four logo on his t-shirt. The team had shirts on the ship when they arrived on Earth-616, but Static gave him shit when she found out he had more made because he said quote, “We might be Avengers now that we are all on the same team and are playing house in this tower….but at the end of the day, I gotta remind you all who I am.”
“And who exactly are you, Johnny Storm?”
“Fantastic, duh.”
“God, you and Tony would’ve been a headache together.”
Johnny took his place on the mat, “What, you got a date or something? What’s more important than being ready to stop Doom?”
Y/n glared, readying her stance opposite him, “Yeah, with my therapist. And she doesn’t like to be kept waiting.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. Static did see a therapist weekly--as would anyone after all the shit she’s lived through--but her session wasn’t until the following day. Her plans to cut their training short today, however, involved paying a visit to the cemetery. A venture in which she preferred to do alone. Away from the chaos and a chance to have some quiet while she cleaned up her friends headstones.
She didn’t miss the way his face flickered when she initially agreed to his question, which vanished as quick as it came. Something pooled in her stomach, but she brushed it off and used his distracted nature to her advantage, initiating an attack and ensuing the sparring session.
Now usually their fights go on for hours until Sue or Sam bust through the gym doors to wrangle the duo to a meeting, a lead, or dinner if they’ve put off consuming food. Or when Johnny gets bodied to the point he’s like, “Alright, I’m done--I can’t go on anymore.” Sometimes they use their powers, mostly to throw each other off. Which then results in someone shouting, “foul play!”
By the time they were done the two were panting and drenched with sweat, Johnny tossing a towel in Static’s direction while she passed him his water bottle. As they made their way out of the gym, Johnny snuck a glance at her, clocking the distant look in her eyes.
“Are you sure you’re ok?”
“Yeah,” it sounded forced, causing him to frown.
“After your session, if you need someone to talk to, you know you can always come to me.”
That earned him a small smile, “Thanks, Flame, but I don’t actually have therapy today.”
“What? But you said earlier--.”
“That’s tomorrow,” came the truth paired with an apologetic shrug.
“So what are you doing today then?”
She contemplated telling him her plans, knowing he’d offer to accompany her so she wasn’t alone. And although part of her wanted him to, she also felt the need to be by herself so she could get the current thoughts and feelings off her chest without any prying eyes to hear.
Not to mention he’s the reason for those current thoughts and feelings.
Since her universe had welcomed the superheroes from different worlds, Static knew there would come the day they’d have to say goodbye to them. Whether that be they met their end in the face of battle--the worst outcome possible--or with them finally defeating Doom and they find their ways back home.
She wasn’t stupid. She knew their stakes and that eventually the X-Men and the Fantastic Four would return to their respective worlds. The worlds that needed them. Who were likely stuck in a constant state of confusion and fear that their protectors disappeared. Their families and friends.
Her variant, Static kept thinking of. Johnny’s best friend and, although he had yet to admit it, the woman he loved. She was waiting for him to come home. And Static was going to make sure he and the others returned safe.
But that didn’t mean her chest did not ache when thinking about saying goodbye to the new teammates she’d come to admire.
And saying goodbye to Johnny.
She tried to not let it consume her as time passed. Focusing on the mission and just enjoying the time she did have with him.
But like all good things, they eventually come to an end.
It was both expected and unexpected, the exact moment Strange announced he and Wong with the help of Reed and Hank developed a multidimensional transportation portal. Expected because they finally defeated Doom and saved the multiverse from chaos and destruction. Unexpected as it had only been less than 24 hours. Meaning they’d been working on it for a long time and finished without telling the rest of the team.
It struck everyone simultaneously. Smiles and cheers soon diminished into silence as the realization. Kurt and Remy immediately were pulled into an embrace with Shuri, M’baku, and Shang-Chi. Bucky and Sam shaking hands with Scott Summers. They all moved with solemn purpose.
And that’s when it hit Johnny. Like a fireball straight to his chest as he watched his sister hug Yelena and Ava while Ben exchanged goodbyes with Scott Lang and Thor.
The blonde was spinning on his heel. Distress coating his visage as it landed on the girl who’d granted him a beam of light in an otherwise darkened time.
“Hey, Flame,” she gently cut him off when he started stuttering, eyes glossy but smiling at him as she fought to contain her emotion. “We always knew this was going to happen.” Johnny pursed his lips, swallowing thickly as his own eyes welled.
“But….I---,” he struggled to find the words. “I’m not--I don’t want--,” his chest started to hurt, cheeks bright red as his bottom lip quivered. Glancing to the side, unable to meet her gaze, he caught Ben now with Banner and Wong exchanging goodbyes. Sue in a group hug with Kate and Shuri. And Reed shaking hands with Hank, Professor X, and Sam. Others gathered around to take turns, but Johnny stayed where he stood, voice going low as he forced his tone to be steady. “I don’t want to say goodbye. Not yet---I thought we had more time. I thought I--,” he swallowed thickly. “I had more time.”
Her face softened further, understanding what he was trying to say and reached out to take his hand in hers. The heat radiated off of him, making her powers surge. “I don’t want to say goodbye either,” the sad smile never left as she spoke, “but you have a whole world waiting for you to come home. You have her,” he finally looked back at her, face filled with emotion, “waiting for you, Johnny. And if she is anything like how you’ve told me the last year, then I know she’s been dying on the inside wondering where you are. She probably worked out every equation, every theory, every possibility to explain why you disappeared. And has been desperately trying to find a way to find you. Endlessly waiting for your return despite what people have told her--because I too,” she squeezed his hand, “wouldn’t give up hope.”
Those sapphire-like eyes blinked with tears, one slowly leaking down the length of his cheek as he nodded, bringing a gloved hand up to her face. Barely brushing the length of her jaw as he told her everything he needed with his eyes. “You know how I feel,” he croaked, the unspoken words causing her breath to hitch. “Don’t you?”
You know how I feel about you. You know how I feel about her.
It was her turn to let a tear fall, “I do. And I’m confident that if she and I are anything alike,” she paused to swallow, gaze full of tenderness. “She feels the exact same way.”
The sob threatening to escape the both of them was muffled by Johnny pulling her into his arms, hugging her tightly to which she offered the same in return as neither wanted to let go.
“I’ll never forget you,” the whisper kissed her ear, allowing more tears to fall.
“You better not,” She squeezed him tighter. “Otherwise I’ll figure out this teleportation shit and remind you how I won all those sparring sessions.”
“I let you win,” he let out a wet laugh followed by a sniff.
A playful smack hit his shoulderblade with her scoff, “Sure you did, Torch.”
As their hug came to an untimely end, Static took a leap of courage and leaned forward, feeling him still as her lips met the soft skin of his reddened cheek. Pressing it a second longer to let it linger before eventually pulling away.
“See you on the flip side, Flame,” she met his gaze one last time, willing herself not to cry or kiss him. “Try not to do anything stupid when you get home. My variant doesn’t need any more stress when it comes to you.”
“Believe me Static,” he chuckled, though it was full of bittersweet sadness. “I’m going to be spending the rest of my life making sure she never has to experience it again.”
“Good,” they glanced over to see everyone finishing up their goodbyes. “Then let’s get you back so you can start.” Throwing an arm over her shoulder, the two approached their teammates to say their goodbyes. Tears were shed. Praises were said. Everyone held onto those precious minutes before Reed, Strange, and Hank turned on the dials and ignited sparks into the room that encompassed the wall until two large portals stood before them.
One blue. One yellow.
The X-Men gave one last wave and salute. Then together they all crossed the threshold of the yellow portal, disappearing from their view. The yellow closed on its own, signalling a successful transfer of multiversal beings back to the right universe.
Static felt her heart race, a new wave of tears threatening to release but she held them back as her attention turned to the Fantastic Four, who were eyeing the blue portal with hope. Ben walked first, saluting to the Avengers with a smile. Reed took Sue’s free hand that wasn’t holding Franklin. Granting a wave to the team as he led them through the portal, leaving only Johnny, who lingered a second longer to look over his shoulder, meeting Static’s tearfilled eyes.
They shared a knowing smile, her lips quivering while his hand lifted to send a two-finger salute to which she returned. She kept her strong stance the entire time, watching him face the portal once more and begin his journey home. Crossing over to let the blue hue of cosmic energy consume him until it left nothing but the wall of Avengers tower.
For Static, the only evidence Johnny Storm ever existed in Earth-616 was the hollow ache in her chest.
Premise: A peek into the domesticated life of America's once most infamous bachelor and his blood drinking, daywalking, half-vampire lover who has the tendency to go feral when she's too distracted to keep up with her feedings. Not to mention he's so down bad that he can't help but prematurely grieve her absence when she's sent on a ten-day mission without him.
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“Babe!” Johnny, who was currently laid on the bed nose deep in the recent NatGeo magazine, surged to his feet upon hearing his darling half-human/half-vampire’s muffled voice. The magazine was long forgotten as the blonde tossed it onto the mattress and sped in the direction of their kitchen, where Y/n was prepping breakfast and her snacks to take to the gym.
“Yes, my darling?” He steps through the threshold to find her half bent over into the open fridge, unable to stop his eyes from wondering down her delicious figure.
Feeling his gaze, she huffs and turns to look over her shoulder, “Did you move my blood bags?" That snaps him out of oogling, brow raising with confusion.
“Your blood bags? No, babe, I didn’t move them--you know I’d never touch them without telling you first.”
She knows he’s telling the truth and all it does is make her let out a frustrated sigh as she stands to her full height, bringing a hand to rub down the length of her face. “Fuck.”
“What is it?”
“I’m out, Johnny,” the fridge closes with a little force from her hand. “I didn’t realize I was getting low and finished off the last one on Monday.” It was currently the Sunday, Y/n often drank her weekly intake of blood on Mondays to get her through the week.
Before meeting Johnny, the dhampir was known to go weeks--even months--without feeding to the point she damn near went feral. It drove Sam and Bucky mad, the two heroes at their ends wit with her when they’ve had to use physical force to prevent Y/n from hurting innocent people because the need for blood became too strong. The last time being the day she met the Fantastic Four….where she nearly killed the man who’d go on to be the love of her semi-immortal life.
Since that little incident, Y/n maintained a routine feeding schedule. Every Monday morning, instead of coffee like a normal human, she’d consume a quart of blood graciously provided from the Red Cross and local blood banks. Before their relationship and becoming permanent residents of the WatchTower, Bucky would make sure they had blood bags stocked and Sam kept one on him at hand. When out on solo travels or missions with Blade, Y/n either went herself to get bags, or she’d hunt a human who was planning on committing not so benevolent activities at night.
Yeah, no one besides her fellow vampire hunter and Johnny knew that information.
But since they became a couple, Johnny took it upon himself to ensure his love never missed a feeding. He did the pickups at the blood banks, or made calls to the hospitals if the banks were low. He had an area in the fridge strictly to store the bags. He kept track of her schedule. Johnny would never move the bags from their respected place without notice. Especially close to a Monday.
The revelation that she drained the last one sparked concern for the blonde, but the worry of her going feral was dim knowing it’d take weeks for that to happen. “That’s okay, babe,” he waved like it was nothing. “I’ll make a call to the bank--or I can just fly down there later today and pick some up. No biggie.”
Y/n still looked annoyed. Not with Johnny, just with her lack of keeping track of how many bags she had. She blamed the back-to-back missions. “Well it has to be today,” grabbing her protein shake and water bottle, she threw the two in her gym bag on the counter, “I leave tomorrow and there’s no way in hell I’m getting on that jet without having one bag in my system and another two in my duffle.”
Hearing she was leaving again for a mission resulted in Johnny to pout, “How long will you be gone for?”
“Ten days.” A groan escaped him, leaning onto the counter while she chuckled, “Baby, that’s shorter than the last one I went on.” Which had been well for almost a month. Johnny went crazy not having her with him to the point his fellow teammates were calling Y/n to get her ass back to New York as soon as possible. “You’ll survive. And besides, Reed has you guys heading to Austria for the UN conference on Wednesday.” Another groan, this time louder at the news she just dropped.
“That’s so boring,” his eyes watched her grab a banana and apple to put in the bag before pushing off the counter to come beside her. His hands met her waist, itching toward the back pockets of her pants “Why can’t I just come with you?”
“You know why, Torch.”
She was referring to the few times he’d been distracted by her presence whenever they were on missions together. Not to mention the constant flirting through the comms annoyed their fellow Avengers.
The accusation made him scoff, “Look, we both know--take that back everyone knows I’m just going to be complaining the entirety of the ten days and they’ll realize that maybe it’s beneficial in the end to have me with you.” Hands in her back pockets, he could see her fighting the smirk with how he gave a teasing squeeze. “You know, to ultimately save them from the nuisance I’ll be.”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she gently ran through the blonde locks on the back of his neck. “I don’t know if that’ll make a good case for the team, babe. Especially for Sam and Reed.” She brought one hand down to rub his chest. “But….there’s no harm in trying. And I’m sure I can convince them I’ll keep a tight leash on you.”
“Tight leash--!” Y/n cuts him off with a kiss he easily accepts, hands gripping her tight as he thanks the higher power for blessing him. A light moan escapes, sighing when she pulls away but keeps their distance close, “See, baby, you can’t leave me. I’ll physically die without your kisses.” He steals another one, then two. Completely forgetting why he was offended in the first place.
“Such a sap.”
“Only for you.”
“Gosh, what are you going to do if Reed says no to your plan?”
“Probably mope around until he caves and lets me fly out to you,” he doesn’t miss a beat, causing her to chuckle. Their noses rub, lips locking once more before the timer on the toaster oven interrupts. They break away and Johnny moves to grab the hot honey and sriracha from the fridge while Y/n removes the bagels and spreads the avocado on top followed by a slice of tomato and fried egg. Johnny takes over to layer the honey and sriracha, sprinkle some salt and pepper and pour himself a glass of juice before filling Y/n’s cup with a fresh thing of coffee.
Johnny takes the plates over to the bar counter and the two sit down to enjoy the morning. Y/n sipping her coffee while Johnny types up an email to the local blood bank on his phone to schedule a pick up time for her bags. Once it’s done he hits send before digging in while she watches him with a soft smile.
Wondering just how in the universe did she get lucky to have a flaming hot space boy be so devoted to her, that he’d happily drop everything to get her bags full of blood. If only Dracula could see her now.
~~~~
Johnny’s tongue battled against Y/n’s in a passionate dispute, fighting for dominance as he gripped her as close to him as possible despite him literally laying on top of her on the couch in their living room. Her hands making a mess of his hair, her legs tangled with his and the heat of his body warming hers that naturally felt cold in comparison.
“You’re needing tonight, Torch,” she giggled between kisses, fangs on display as she felt his hands glide down her clothed body in a desperate attempt to mold them together.
“I missed you,” was his only response, capturing her mouth again.
It’d been a long, exhausting ten-days following a lead and gathering intel for the half-vampire. She barely got any sleep between scouting the streets and fighting assholes who got in her way. Not to mention her golden-retriever like partner managing to stow away on the mission because he, as promised, moped and complained until Reed and Sam basically told him to fuck off and go. The Fantastic Four had attended a four-day conference in Austria, which happened to be not far from where Y/n was stationed and therefore Johnny high-tailed it in the blink of an eye once given the green light.
Did they get everything they needed done? Hell yeah they did. But there was no denying some things took…a bit longer due to certain distractions.
“Baby,” she struggled against his raging kisses, “Baby, let me take a breath,” a laugh escaped when she felt him pout, giving her the chance to pull away and look him in the eyes. “One day,” the palm of her hands were warm as she cradled his face. “Twenty-four hours we were apart and you act like it was years.” Johnny got called back by Sue the prior morning much to his displeasure even though they were scheduled back to the WatchTower the following day.
“Because it feels like it, babe,” comes his argument, kissing her palm with puppy eyes, grinning when it makes her chuckle.
Letting out a playful sigh, Y/n strokes the apple of his cheek, “You’re not gonna let me out of your sight tonight. Aren’t you?”
“You’re damn right I'm not.”
“Not even to let me shower? I’m still in my suit, Johnny--if you think any funny business is happening when I smell like shit--.” She yelps when he stuffs his face in the crook of her neck, a dramatic inhale as he takes in her scent.
“I quite find your smell..alluring,” teeth gently nip at the skin. “My favorite if I’m being honest.”
A playful smack to his shoulder, the woman squirms against his grip. “Johnny--.”
“And bold of you to assume I’m not joining,” his tongue traces the area below her ear, feeling her shudder beneath him. “I haven’t held you in twenty-four hours. I need to make up for lost time before Sam sends you off again to God knows where.”
With one last kiss to her neck, Johnny lifts off Y/n to pull her up to her feet. Then before she could protest, the superhero swings her over his shoulder and bounds down the hall to their shared bedroom. “Johnny!!”
Steam consumes the bathroom. Clothes are removed. The hot water cascades down their bodies in a constant stream while Johnny takes the time to properly wash Y/n’s hair. Fingers soft and light as they run shampoo through her scalp, nearly lulling her to sleep. It wasn’t the first time they’d shower together and boy was it far from the last. A true display of intimacy and love the two had for each other. With Johnny’s caring touch clearing away the build up of stress Y/n held from the mission.
Every few minutes he’d press his lips to her shoulder or temple, trailing over her cheek while his hands massaged the soap down the length of her body. Taking his sweet time in certain areas. Paying close attention to the curves he adored and the scars he worshiped. Once all the suds were removed he took the facewash off the shelf to lather up before working it through her visage, careful to not get any in her eyes or mouth. Once rinsed, Johnny shut off the water and grabbed the towel hanging on the side, drying Y/n from head to toe before doing the same to himself.
The mirror was fogged from the hot steam as the two stepped out of the shower, Johnny wrapping the towel low on his waist while Y/n tied on her silk robe. While he brushed his teeth she did the remaining steps to her skincare--as if she really needed it--before completing her hair care. Afterwards they left the bathroom to dress in comfy night clothes before Johnny practically flung her into bed, crawling in after.
“Dude!” she huffed, bouncing against the mattress, “A little warning next time.” That was a lie, she anticipated he’d do that. His warm body attached itself, arm going around her waist while his face made home in the area between her neck and shoulder. “What am I going to do with you, Johnny Storm?”
A kiss is pressed to her skin, full of devotion, “Love me for eternity.”
people who use chatgpt to write fics will never know what it's like to have The Idea™️ appear in your head like a prophetic vision when you're half asleep at 3am and write it down only to wake up the next day disorientated and confused at the words you don't even remember writing but you continue trying to put them together because otherwise the itch in your brain will never be scratched and The Idea™️ will keep haunting your narrative and they will never experience the absolute flow state you reach once the words start flowing effortlessly on a random afternoon when you're waiting on a dentist appointment
Hi friends! It's been a long time since I've posted (work has been putting me through it) but I've gotten that spark of inspo again from listening to songs and rereading some of my work! Currently I'm finishing up writing part 2 to this little Johnny Storm imagine from a couple months ago and I hope to get it out before this weekend! I have inspo for part to of Midas Touch and possible another blurb for Love At First Bite! stay tuned and thank you to everyone who still likes, comments, and reblogs! kisses to all of you 😘😘😘
Characters & Pairings: Johnny Storm x tattooed!reader
Content Warnings: fluff, suggestive content, tattoo culture in the 60s, mentions of needles. | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 2k
Premise: Johnny Storm appreciated all the art life has to offer. And that certainly stays true in a way he never imagined when his heart is captured by someone who appreciates art in a way that becomes permanent to one's skin.
Note: I'm alive everyone I know it's been a hell of a long time, but life has just been a rollercoaster. It's taking me so long to finally sit down and write with some inspo and I'm not going to lie....this inspo comes from the fact that last Tuesday I got my ninth tattoo and I just thought "Johnny would so be down bad for someone with tattoos." So yes this is a little self-indulgent of me, but I needed the inspo and I missed my man 😭
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Johnny Storm remembered the first time he laid eyes on a person with multicolored ink permanently embedded onto their skin. Only eight and out strolling the streets of New York with his sister as they ran errands for their parents, it stopped him dead in his tracks as he’d never seen something so peculiar. Thick bold lines from a needle taking shape with dimensions shaded to perfection to bring life to the art it was leaving behind. Animals, flowers, lettering combined to form quotes.
“Those are tattoos,” Sue explained to the young boy when asked what it was, while gently bringing his hand down from where it was pointing at a man seated at the cafe across the street.
“Tad--ooes,” he tested the unfamiliar word on his lips, his mispronunciation making her chuckle.
“Tat-toos,” She emphasized the t in each syllable. “Something you’re too young for,” with a light tug she guided him back down the sidewalk towards their home. “And something mom and dad will surely lose their marbles over if you ever got one.”
Johnny, unable to shake his curiosity, snuck another glance over his shoulder where the man was sitting. Blue eyes cascading along the bold artwork of birds, skulls, and flowers traveling down the length of his arms displayed by the leather vest he wore. “They’re pretty.”
And Sue, who at her progressive young age dismissed the taboo nature surrounding tattoos where it was generally associated with sailors and criminals, smiled at her younger brother. Noting the sparkling curiosity filling his eyes whenever he found interest in something, knowing the rest of their journey was going to involve him asking every question known to man about tattoos and what they were, replied, “Yes. They are pretty.”
Years later and a space expedition gone awry, Johnny Storm smiled at the memory that could not help but surface as his finger traced over the raised ink along her left shoulder. Beautiful vines with flowers trailing onto her collarbone and the area above her breast exposed by her tank top.
He loved tracing her tattoos. With his eyes to admire the colorful patterns. With his fingers to feel the textured skin. With his mouth to hear the way it made her breath hitched and got her legs shaking.
He couldn’t choose a favorite, no matter how many times she’d ask him. He could say the sword and snake on her legs that were accentuated when she wore dresses or skirts paired with his favorite pair of heels she owned. He could say the full arm sleeve and patchwork designs displayed when she had on her coveralls. The small birds behind her ear that caught his attention when she’d pull her hair back. Or the sun and moon on her lower back he’d stare at when he had her on all fours.
“What’s got you smiling like that,” she mused, fingers tangling in his blonde locks.
“Just thinking about the first time I saw someone with these,” his warm breath fawned over the writing etched onto her right collarbone.
“Oh. And what all did that entail?”
His smile widened, lips brushing over the words, “What usually happens when something catches my attention.”
He remembered talking Sue’s head off, questions spewing from his mouth and happy she had an answer for every one. He remembered noticing more and more people with inked artwork on their arms whenever they went out. Not by a lot as tattoos were still uncommon and those with them caught unimpressed reactions from the general public. Johnny’s eyes, however, were full of awe. When he did see them, it was usually men unafraid to show off their ink. Yes there were a lot of bikers and sailors. Men who’d done time, etc.
But there were also the outliers. People who one wouldn’t expect to have gone under the needle and permanently etch their skin. He thought of the math teacher of his high school who bore an anchor on his wrist. A great white shark on the leg of the owner at his favorite bagel place down the street from his house. Then there was the lady at the salon with a portrait of Rosie the Riveter on her arm.
He had to admit, seeing a woman with tattoos not only intimidated Johnny but also caused a certain heat to pool in his chest. Intimidating because he knew with tattoos came a level of pain considering it was a literal needle going into the second layer of the epidermis and Johnny felt he was too chicken shit to experience. But It was insanely attractive to him. Something about not being afraid to go against social norms and just being oneself. Not giving a flying fuck what others think and embracing your individuality.
That was truly inspiring.
With that in mind Johnny’s thoughts traced back to the previous summer when Sue introduced him to her and Reed’s recent hire.
“Johnny, this is Y/n,” the two approached a woman donning a labcoat that concealed her black button down and dress slacks. “She’s one of the engineers from MIT we met at the conference this past spring. She’ll be assisting and doing the final reports on our latest project with the foundation.”
Upon hearing Sue, her head lifted from the file she was currently nose deep in and addressed the siblings with a small smile, sending Johnny near comatose when he got a clear view of her. Often a pretty girl brought on that bravado personality he’d play into for PR purposes. But right now Johnny was at a loss of words.
She was a beauty unlike anything he’d ever seen. The type that made one do a double take when passing on the sidewalk or secretly let their eyes wander over when spotted in a cafe. His own did just that, cascading over her features to commit to memory from the color of her eyes to the tiny details of her visage. And when she extended a hand to him, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Storm,” Johnny’s caught the tiniest bit of black and red lines sneaking past the seam of her labcoat.
Oh. Now he was even more intrigued.
“Please, call me Johnny.”
It wasn’t long before he discovered what truly laid beneath the seam of white material. Only two months later in August when Y/n ditched the coat in the lab and entered the lounge space to pour a cup of coffee and retrieve a muffin. Having been stuck in a lab all day and the summer heat pouring through the building, she had rolled up the sleeves of her button down just beneath her elbow revealing forearms painted with color. The right completely covered from the wrist upward to disappear under the blouse. The left with only a few small designs allowing some space of skin.
“Woah,” Johnny stilled, unable to contain the reaction as he gawked at the various tattoos along her arms. He’d been speculating for a while since catching the ink the first time they met, but seeing it in the flesh sent a heat to his chest. A sudden urge to reach out and touch them. To run a finger along the lines and shapes. To feel the texture on his lips as he pressed kisses to each pattern.
He needed to fucking relax.
Y/n jolted, coffee spilling slightly onto the countertop, which made her let out a curse and rush to wipe with a paper towel.
“Sorry,” he apologized with a wince, yet his gaze remained on her arms. Licking his lips that all of a sudden were dry, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s alright,” she waved a hand, unaware of his attention glued to said limb, occupied with cleaning the surface of the countertop. After throwing away the coffee-infused towel and washing her hands in the sink, Y/n patted them dry with a clean one and turned to face the superhero. “Just wasn’t expecting to have any company down here. Sue mentioned you all had a press conference today.”
He stepped closer, flicking his eyes to meet hers and praying the blush on his face was not noticeable. “We did. That was this morning---managed to wrap things up early.”
“Oh, that’s good news I assume.”
“Yeah,” a hand came up to scratch the back of his neck, pulling the collar slightly to get some airflow to his suddenly tight t-shirt. “Honestly Sue and Reed were the ones they really wanted to see. Ben and I could’ve just stayed back. Not like they needed all four of us there.”
Y/n raised a brow, lips curling up in a small smirk as she assessed him. The nervousness in his demeanor which was completely opposite to the reputation he held. Pink cheeks from the moment she caught him staring at her arms. Then of course how he desperately tried to make it look like he wasn’t staring by intently looking at her face or anywhere other than where he really wanted to.
The realization made her chuckle. She knew the effect her tattoos had on people when they saw them. Especially when she dressed the way she did with her office button downs and slacks. Occasionally she’d put on a skirt and show off the sword on her left calf and snake wrapped around her right leg. It threw people for a loop even though tattoos were becoming more and more popular with musicians and sports players getting them done. Not to mention the percentage of women having tattoos was still slim compared to men.
It worried her the first time Sue and Reed caught sight of her tattoos. She’d been working on repairing a piece of equipment involving her using a blowtorch and face protection helmet so to make things easier she wore her lucky short sleeved coveralls. When they arrived unannounced, she immediately saw the way both their gazes fell on her full sleeve and patchworked covered arms. They were obviously surprised to see she was what one would call tatted. And for a moment the engineer felt a wave of dread. Fearing they’d want to part ways in their collaborative efforts and find someone more socially acceptable to work with.
But Reed and Sue were not those types of people. They knew better than to believe a person’s physical appearance or how they expressed themselves influenced their work. They simply asked her how things were going and if they could be of any help.
Now here was Johnny. The man who’d make flirty comments anytime they were in proximity that made her roll her eyes despite the warmth it brought to her chest, in stunned disbelief. Clearly fascinated by the awe-struck expression he displayed, causing a slight boost in her self-esteem.
“Well, I’m sure your fan club will be pleased to have new Human Torch content rolling in soon,” she winked, turning back to making her beverage. That made his cheeks flare even more, his own smile threatening to form.
He watched her silently as finished up, coffee mug and muffin in her hands as she made her way towards the lab. But before she disappeared around the corner, she stopped and glanced over her shoulder, sending him a smirk that nearly sent him to his knees.
“If you have any questions about them, I’d be happy to answer,” Another wink made his heart skip a beat, followed by a hot wave of fire down his spine when she added, “And just know, there’s several others you just can’t see.”
Quiet as a Cat, Sneaky as a Spider🕷 | Spider-Man No Way Home MASTERLIST
Contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home
Pairings: Tobey!Spider-Man x female!Reader /Black Cat (Romantic) , Andrew!Spider-Man (Platonic/flirtatious), Tom!Spider-Man (Platonic), Michele Jones-Watson (Platonic), Ned Leeds (Platonic). Dr. Otto Octavious (Platonic/Flirtatious).
Premise: Having been pulled into another universe where an alternate version of her once on-again/off-again lover and occasional nemesis/ally exists, Y/N L/N finds herself having to suit up again as her long retried anti-hero persona in order to help three SpiderMen face off against some familiar faces causing trouble in New York City.
Content Warnings: Fluff, Angst, spoilers for SMNWH, profanity, violence, implications of sex through innuendoes, flirtatious banter, references to past SA trauma, mentions of death. Slight nsfw in p.5
Black Cat theme from the Spider-Man PS4 game | original black cat comic suit | NWH suit (my interpretation) | My Pinterest Board | Spotify playlist
Note: For this series, it will be told in third person POV and although it is a reader insert it will be as though the reader is a version of Felicia Hardy/Black Cat from Tobey’s universe. I’ll also be taking inspiration from her in the Spider-Man game as well as her comic persona. Think of it like she is Tobey!Peter love interest instead of Mary Jane (although Mary Jane still plays her same role from Spider-Man because Peter doesn’t know Y/N is black cat till the events of Spider-Man 2). I plan to write both a prequel series and possibly a post NWH series so let me know if you’d like to be tagged in future works.
I do not own any characters from Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios and all affiliated with them. All rights belong to the owners and this is just fan-fiction for fans pleasure. This series contains MAJOR spoilers for Spider-Man No Way Home, so if you have not seen it then please do not read this yet.
Series Chapter List (Completed 💌):
Quiet As A Cat: On the hunt for multiversal beings that were pulled into his universe after a botched spell gone wrong, young Peter Parker falls into a game of cat & mouse when a woman in black with a grappling hook manages to escape his every move.
The Spiders Chit-Chat: While crafting the cures for the five villains, the three Peters get to talking which leads to the youngest of the bunch learning the identity of the mystery woman, and the oldest discovering why he hadn’t heard from a certain someone all day.
Sneaky As A Spider: The three Peters come face-to-face with the master escape artist donned in a new suit, who happens to have a very personal connection with the older Spider-Man in their group.
Trying To Do Better, Yet Brilliant But Lazy: The Spider-Men are up against the fight of their lives when former enemies from the past work together to destroy the ritual box needed to sent them back home. With a little help from two high school students, and a escape artist with a knack of bad luck behind her, familiar faces are reacquainted. Some for better, and some for worse.
3 Is The Magic Number: Goodbyes are hard, but necessary for the greater good. In an emotional conclusion to a day turned upside down, young Peter Peter makes a decision that alters his life forever. A life-long connection is born, and a certain cat has one last piece of advice not just for him, but the for Peter still haunted by his greatest mistake.
Extras & Outtakes
Lost In...New York?
The Heart Of The Spiders: Michele Jones had one important job, keep the ritual box safe and away from the multiversal villains. While the three Spider-Mans are off being the hero, MJ takes her chance to flee the lab in hopes of finding a safe place for the box when Ned fails to close the portal. They get separated in the school and to the teenagers surprise, she comes face-to-face with two other worldly visitors—who are quite familiar with Spider-Man themselves.
Series In Association
Family Of Cats & Spiders 🕷 🤍 | Sequel (completed 💌)
In honor of Black Cat coming to Marvel Rivals and her being one my fav comic characters ever, I’m bringing this old gem back from when NWH came out and I was in deep on Spider-Man fics 🐈⬛💍
Set during the events of Twilight Breaking Dawn P.2
Twilight Masterlist
This goes with 'The Doctor's Wife' & "Don't Mess With The Doctor's Wife'
Characters & Pairings: Carlisle Cullen x female!vampire!reader (romantic), Bella Swan x Edward Cullen, Edward Cullen x reader (platonic)
Content warnings: so much fluff, suggestive/implied themes. Mother/son bond | female reader (she/her) | wc: 2.1k
requested 📥 yes/no
Premise: As Bella endures the transformation into her immortal life, Mrs. Cullen gets to work on crafting the perfect home for her son's family. Even if it means embarrassing him a little bit with stocking him on specific furniture vampires tend to go through in the heat of the moment.
Note: I missed writing for Carlisle and Mrs. Cullen 🥹 got a spout of inspo this morning and pumped this out in record time. Hope y'all enjoy! ❤️
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“No, no, no!”
Edward stopped hammering the wood into place, turning around to see his mother staring at him aghast. “What?”
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Uh,” he gestured like it was obvious, “Assembling the crib….for my daughter….in her soon to be room.”
Y/n placed her hands on her hips, “first of all, this is not Renesemee’s room,” her hand lifted to point across the hall, “her room is that one adjacent to the master. Second of all, you should not be here, Edward, you should be back at the house watching Bella.”
It’d been two days since the fateful night Bella went into labor and nearly died on the table if it wasn’t for Edward injecting the girl with his venom at the last second. Now she was entering the final stage of transforming into the immortal, undead being that was a vampire like the rest of the Cullens.
In that time, Y/n had been finishing up her project of building and furnishing a cottage not far from the Cullen house that was supposed to be a post honeymoon/birthday gift for Bella. Following the announcement she was pregnant causing absolute shock and concern for the family, for they had no fucking clue what to expect with a human carrying the child of a vampire, Y/n had to make some adjustments for the house. Enlisting Carlisle, Jasper, and Emmett to help her construct the building while Alice, Rosalie, and Edward stayed behind caring for Bella.
Unfortunately they had to put it on pause once the wolves discovered Bella’s predicament, but---thanks to not having to sleep and possessing speed rivaling a F-18--the family finished their build and were onto the interior design. And Mrs. Cullen was very adamant that Edward was to remain at home with his wife and daughter while she and his family handled everything else.
But here he was. In the cottage. Building the crib.
Letting out a sigh that would’ve had the average human on the verge of sleeping for days on out, Edward dropped the wood panel and screwdriver, “I checked on her and Renesmee this morning--they’re both fine and Rosalie is watching them.” A hand came up to run through his hair, “I needed to get out of the house. Alright? Just let me do this at least, please?”
Expression softening at the obvious distress in her son’s face, Y/n dropped her arms and relented. “Alright, but--,” she moved forward, gathering the toolbox and wood panels he had yet to assemble in her arms. “Let’s move this to the correct room, yeah? This is the guest room and I need it clear for when I start on it.”
“Why the hell do we have a guest room, Y/n?” Edward pinched his brows, picking up the constructed portion of the crib he managed to finish. “Do we really need one--it’s not like we actually sleep or will have people staying ‘over night.’”
“No,” she agreed, already on the move to the nursery without him. “But in the event you annoy my daughter-in-law and she needs to get away from you, then there is a space in this house available to her.” She heard his sound of offense from behind, causing a smirk to curl at her lips.
They finished the crib together in record time. Afterwards they hung up the curtains, stocked the shelves, and stored away the endless amount of clothes Renesmee already had thanks to her aunties and grandma. Y/n made a mental note to finish the mural she’d been painting later that day, but decided to get the guest room in order as promised.
Edward, adamant about helping her despite her objections, moved the boxes from the garage labeled ‘guest room essentials,’ dropping them on the floor before beginning to remove the contents. When he got the last box and went back to the garage to see if there were more, he was visibly confused by the nearly dozen mattresses, wrapped in plastic, stored against the corner of the wall beside two large boxes from Ashley Furniture.
“Uh, Y/n,” he appeared in the doorway, finding her hanging up picture frames and artwork.
“Yes?”
“Any reason why you purchased a dozen mattresses and two beds…” the sentence trailed off upon her turning around to face him with a look that read, ‘you being serious right now?’ He shook his head, “Oh my God, you didn’t?” If it were possible to blush Edward would’ve been red as a tomato.
“I did,” Her tone was unapologetic, matching her amused expression. “Look, you had to have known I’d stock up on necessities for the house.”
“Necessities?” He practically choked.
“Edward, have you forgotten what we went through when Rosalie and Emmett first wedded? They were menaces,” she shuddered just thinking about it. “At least Carlisle and I were, and still are, kind enough to leave the house when those urges become too much.” Edward grimaced, second hand embarrassment flooding through him. “I just made sure that when you and Bella ultimately find yourselves in need of another bedframe or mattress---.”
“Okay, okay I get it!” He cut her off before she could finish, her laugh echoing against the walls. “I’m leaving now,” turning on his heel, Edward hurried out of the room and out the front door, Y/n’s laugh trailing him until it muffled out with the slam of the door shut.
Yeah, he wasn’t helping her ever again.
Later on that day, Y/n sat at her work desk in front of an array of color palettes and designs for the mural she’d planned to do in Renesmee’s room. Sitting on her lap was the baby girl herself, babbling as she clapped her hands and reached out to grab the piece of paper with the different shades of light pink. Despite being only two days old, Renesemee’s physique grew rapidly. Appearing and mentally on track for a baby reaching six months rather than the newborn she was.
“Excellent choice, my darling,” Y/n inspected the paper, holding it up to the light with an approved nod. “Pink it is. Now do you want flowers and butterflies or stars and fairies?” Renesmee cooed, shuffling in the woman’s lap to reach her tiny hand out, Y/n’s hand on her stomach and back to hold her in place so she does not accidently fall forward.
“Oh,” she hummed with surprise, eyes on the design the baby’s little finger landed on. “Fairies and flowers?” Renesmee clapped with a giggle. “I can make that work. For you,” her knee lightly bounced, sending the girl into a heap of giggles. “I shall paint the most perfect mural of fairies and flowers.”
Pulling out a piece of parchment paper, Y/n pushed aside the designs and palettes to lay it on the large desk, propping it up at an angle. With a pencil in hand and the baby perched comfortably in her lap, she started sketching. Black charcoal moving against the parchment with expertise, drawing various flowers with little fairies intertwined. Hardly did she have to erase areas, as the decades of practice embodied her with expert precision of getting her design right on the first try.
“I see this is where you’ve been hiding the little one,” a honeyed voice called from the doorway, enlisting a smile upon her lips while Renesmee began to coo in the direction of the sound. Setting down her pencil, Y/n held the baby close as she gently swung the chair around to face Carlisle, arms crossed and leaning against the doorframe with a face bearing what only could be described as pure adoration.
“I finally got Rosalie to let me have a turn. It’s only fitting I run and hide while I have who knows how much time before she demands her back,” she defended nonchalant.
Carlisle strolled into the studio, watching his wife adjust Renesmee’s position by holding her upright in her arms rather than sitting in her lap, allowing the woman to press an array of kisses to her tiny forehead. Pulling up a chair next to them, Carlisle leaned into her space to whisper, “Edward told me what you did,” he followed with a chuckle, “Clever work, darling.”
She gave a playful roll of the eyes, “Oh is he still embarrassed?”
“Can you blame him?”
“All I did was think a few steps ahead. Saved him and Bella the hassle of buying more furniture they’re evidently going to destroy.”
“I agree,” he placed a hand on the area where his unbeaten heart laid, “but maybe…you could’ve given him a warning?”
“Possibly,” she mused, stroking a hand down the length of Renesmee’s back, the girl relaxing which meant she was likely about to fall asleep. “But then he’d have tried to stop me. And I needed to get the upper hand while I had it.”
A light laugh escaped him, hand moving to brush Renesemee’s hair which caused her eyes to flutter shut. Golden eyes flickered between her and Y/n, “Never thought our lives would turn out like this.”
“What,” she teased, voice lowering so as to not disturb the baby, “you didn’t think we’d take in five teenage vampires and ultimately have our first be the reason we have a hybrid granddaughter?” Her brows raised, “because I sure did.”
Carlisle gave her a knowing look at the sarcasm in her words. “More like I thought we’d have at least ten under our roof before impossible things happen that have us battling more than we’ve ever in our centuries alive.”
Y/n chuckled, patting the now sleeping Renesmee gently on the back. “We’ve got six now,” she reminded him, “seven if you count this little one. Who knows, maybe we’ll get ten after all.”
“Oh no,” he shook his head, leaning back in his seat, “I think we’ve got enough under our belt. Anymore and I fear Aro will be at his wits end.”
“Please,” she scoffed, “The Volturi have over thirty members, we’ve got a total of nine. He has nothing to worry about--I do not understand his fascination with you and our family.”
Carlisle sighed with light distress, “Darling, you know why he keeps an eye on us. We’re the second largest vampire coven. Not to mention we have Alice and Edward--Renesemee is gifted,” his expression softens as his gaze lands on her, “We’ve yet to discover if Bella will possess any. It makes us a threat in his eyes.”
Again Y/n let out a light scoff, “Then that’s his problem. He should focus on maintaining his coven rather than worrying about ours. You know what,” she muses suddenly, the thought crossing her like a lightbulb going off. “I think deep down he’s jealous that our kids choose to stay with us. They are not emotionally bonded against their will,” she tilts her head, “unlike some in his hold.”
“Believe me, love, the assumption you make is no stranger to me,” Carlisle raises from his chair, leaning forward to kiss her forehead and then again to capture her lips. “But enough talk of Aro and his ambitions against us, you are working and this little one,” he gently coaxes her to give Renesmee to him, strong arms encasing the tiny baby until she is against his chest, “needs to nap in her crib. She can’t always be sleeping in yours and Rosalie’s arms,” his tone is teasing, “She’ll never learn to sleep in her own bed.”
Y/n’s hand adjusts the onesie Renesmee’s wearing, pulling it down before stroking her back with a soft smile. “You're just using that as an excuse to hold her.”
“Can you blame me?” He sways side to side, smile full of mischief, “You lot are always hogging her. She needs grandpa time.”
A laugh rivaling windchimes escapes the woman, nodding towards the door to usher him out. “On with you then. Go have some grandpa time so I can get back to this drawing and then head on to the cottage before our newest member finally awakes.”
Leaning down once again to bestow a sweet kiss to her lips, Carlisle makes his way out the door with little Renesmee sleeping soundly in his arms. Leaving Y/n alone in her studio with nothing but the bright light of her desk lamp, the sun setting in the distance, and the gentle patter of rain hitting the windows outside.
And as she picked up the pencil to begin sketching the finishing touches on her granddaughter's mural, the vampire couldn’t help but chuckle to herself of how crazy her life--alive and undead--turned out to be.
Characters & Pairings: Johnny Storm x X-Men/Mutant!reader
Content Warnings: fluff, angst, hurt/comfort, talks of discrimination towards mutants, unintentional child death, PSTD and the Genosha Massacre from X-Men '97, talks of trauma and healing, speculation for Avengers:DD, suggestive content and contains soft!smut (p in v unprotected sex, implied F receiving oral) MDNI | sunshine!johnny x grumpy!reader, no physical descriptions or use of Y/n, | Female!reader (she/her) | wc: 13.1k (holy shit look at me back on my long fic grind--kid you not this took me a whole ass month to write.)
Premise: The story of a King whose touch turned to gold hit close to home for a member of the esteemed X-Men. Johnny Storm radiated gold from the color of his hair to the color of his supernova flames. When universes collide and the threat of a multiversal being brings three teams from across the cosmos together, Johnny learns the true meaning behind, 'The Midas Touch.'
Note: before the MCU, the Fantastic Four & Fox X-Men movies were on repeat for me and I recently watched X-Men 97 and immediately had the idea of Johnny with a mutant reader who has powers like Colossus except she turns to gold, and then remembered the story of King Midas and thought, 'This, this could be something.' Also, I'm obsessed with Marvel Rivals and think Johnny would be head over heels for a tank/vanguard hero who could easily bring him to his knees 😏😏 ALSO! I haven't written smut IN YEARS so bear with me--I tend to just do suggestive/implied sex, but this man has me attempting something I've never done before I apologize if it sucks.
additional note: this brings elements from the Fox X-Men Universe, X-Men '97 (referencing episode 5) & the comic storyline of Casandra Nova's attack on Genosha.
Also I'm keeping the damn spelling and grammatical errors in if I didn't already catch them so y'all know first hand that I WRITE ALL MY FICS WITH MY OWN TIME, ENERGY, AND IMAGINATION!! I DO NOT USE AI AND I NEVER FUCKING WILL BECAUSE GUESS WHAT, IF YOU USE AI TO GENERATE/WRITE YOUR FICS YOU'RE NOT A WRITER FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!
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On the periodic table, 79 represents the atomic number for the chemical element gold. Notable for its reddish-yellow metallic color, compared to that of silver, platinum, and titanium, gold has driven humanity through wars, trades, and alliances over history for thousands of years. Starting from the prehistoric age to modern day.
Gold also has embedded itself in myths and legends. A symbol of perfection. A token of riches. Just look at the legend of El Dorado, a city constructed purely of gold. And in some cultures, it is viewed as a sign of immortality and power.
In ancient Greece, there is a story of a King named Midas, who loved gold so much that when the God Dionysus offered a gift in reward for his generous hospitality of his foster father, Midas requested the power of making anything he touched turn to gold. At first, he was elated, however, that soon shifted to regret and disdain.
For everything he touched, including his own daughter, turned to gold.
And for a certain human mutant, member of the X-Men, and current ally of Earth-616’s Avengers, she both loved and hated the story of King Midas.
Loved because she related to the gold king and hated because she was the gold king. Literally. And it didn’t help when the media dubbed her Midas as her superhero alias following her debut in the renowned team of mutants, the X-Men. Although to many critics across the globe of her home world, calling a hero was a far cry to the reality her abilities made her out to be. If anything, she was a danger to the average human, even if not intentional.
“I wish I knew you when it happened,” Johnny’s breath fawned against her skin, warming it against the cool air as they laid in bed basking in the afterglow of recent activities. His head tucked in the space between her neck and shoulder while one of her hands carded through his hair and the other stroked the length of his shirtless back. One of his arms secured over her waist, hand settled on her hip where it fiddled with the hem of her silver silked robe. One of the many gifts from him that left her amused.
All things considered.
“I would’ve been there for you,” pausing, he pressed his lips to her shoulder. “I would’ve raised hell against those people for what they did to you.” Another kiss to her shoulder, voice dropping an octave as the emotion seeped out of him. “I hate that you went through that alone.”
Closing her eyes, she focused on the feeling of his breath on her skin, the softness of his hair against her fingers, the tense muscles of his back she worked to smooth. Willing the painful memories to remain at surface level and not consume her entire being. “Unfortunately, my experience is not uncommon for mutants in my world,” she sighed, trailing her hand to the nape of his neck as his hand gripped her hip. “People fear what they don’t understand. It’s something I’ve had to accept the hard way, but….” her voice was steady, yet carried the weight of each word. “You learn with time.”
“That doesn’t excuse their shitty behavior.”
“No, it doesn’t,” she agreed, leaning an inch to kiss his hairline to calm him down. He always got worked up when talking about the subject. Evident by the rise in temperature on his back. “But it does explain why my kind has had to deal with those kinds of people since scientists first discovered our gene.” For anyone who knew the woman and her past, her words were a far change from the perspective she had on humanity years prior. She’d come a long way from the angered teenager and young adult who simply upheld Xavier’s dream to self-serve her safety rather than play into it on her own devices.
Who was she kidding? It was the man in her arms responsible for her new outlook on life.
Despite coming from different universes, it didn’t matter how many times they’ve had the same conversation, Johnny always felt a deep heaviness when thinking about her past. The origin of her mutation that brought her to the X-Men and eventually to him.
At age eleven, her golden touch mutant gene unveiled in an unfortunate circumstance involving a childhood bully on a school trip to a water park. The bully, a rich boy with an eye for mischief and need for torment, dragged the girl to the top of a tower the dive board was after hearing she had a fear of heights and the deep end of the massive Olympic-sized pool. Several of their classmates, his friends, egged him on and laughed at the tears streaming down her face. She thrashed and pulled against his hold as he got her to the top and maneuvered her so her back was toward the end of the board. The ten foot drop ahead leading to 20 feet deep waters below.
It all happened so fast, no one could’ve predicted that when her fear morphed to anger, and her hands gripped his shoulders, that melted gold would pour from her eye sockets, leaving no trace of her pupils and consuming her entire body until it slipped through her fingertips to spread along every inch of his skin. Until a living boy no longer stood in his place…but a golden statue frozen in time.
And when she let go of him, her pupils returned, as did the rest of her body. But he did not. Altering the life as she knew it into something she never could have imagined.
She didn’t know she’d be a mutant. No one did. Like every other mutant in existence, the gene surfaced in response to stress and trauma. All she wanted was to pry him off her. However the reality was clear as day. She’d been born with the X-Gene, granting her the ability to transform her body into pure solid gold that gave her superhuman strength and durability, in addition to turning everything she touched into the mental substance.
And in the discovery, took the life of a child.
The aftermath of what occurred that fateful spring day had been catastrophic. She became a target of media outlets across the globe. News stations broadcasted the story on repeat. Journals and newspapers ran press 24/7. Then because of the mere fact that objects she touched turned to pure solid gold, it didn’t take long for people to attempt to get their hands on the few things she managed to transform in the short time following the incident.
A big thanks to certified metallurgists for confirming the gold she produced was in fact real gold.
Clothes, her shoes. The beach towel, the bench she sat on. Hell, even the diving board the water park cut down once they removed the golden boy’s body, was sought by greedy men and auctioneers.
At lightning speed she became a liability. Her safety was threatened by those who saw her as a gold producing mine, and not the eleven year old girl carrying a trauma no other person could understand.
On top of it all, her family was ostracized--her father losing his job and mother facing scrutiny from their peers. For they did not want to be associated with someone whose child committed an unthinkable act. The family of the boy demanded justice for their son, as the young girl could not reverse the effects of her power. Screaming things like, “Send her to the Vault!” and “Our son deserved to live and not die the way he did by the hands of a mutant!!”
Mutant. They hissed and spat as though the word was cursed.
She felt cursed. Mind straying to the story of King Midas and his golden touch he came to view as a misfortune. To her, her powers fell under the same category.
The family, as well as their supporters and haters of mutants, believed the act was intentional. That she chose to turn him into gold. Disregarding that she too, was a child, and was put in a place of immense stress. They chose to ignore the detail that the boy intended to push her off the diving board into the pool despite her objections. Witnesses to the event made statements, they included the facts, but the media pushed the narrative it was her fault.
Charles Xavier knew the truth. It was why he offered to take in the young mutant when the government went undecided on what to do with her. “I believe the best possible route for her is to remain with people like her,” he told them at the congressional hearing. “What good is a young mutant just discovering their abilities, if they are not with those who can relate and be the support system to help them control it. Rest assured, my staff and I will do everything possible to make sure what happened never occurs again.”
Despite their weariness and concerns, they agreed on the condition Xavier kept them informed on her progress. And so for the remainder of her childhood, well into her teenage years and ultimately into adulthood, she remained at the X-Mansion. Learning to control her abilities with the help of Professor X, Dr. Hank McCoy, Scott Summers, Jean Grey, Logan Howlett, and Ororo Munroe.
It took time, but eventually turning an object she touched into gold happened by her own will and not automatically like when her powers first emerged. In the beginning her body transforming into its golden form often happened during moments of stress and fear. Uncontrollable at first, but soon with the help of her fellow X-Men mentors—including the organic steel transforming mutant Colossus, she learned to bring forth the metal form upon her own command.
Scott, Logan, and Ororo focused her training on hand-to-hand combat on an offense approach for when it came time to be in the field. They taught her to fight. How to go by an attack and to catch the enemy off guard. “Listen, Goldilocks,” Logan would say with a cigar attached to his lips, smoke in the air, “just because you’ve got a mean swing when you go metal doesn’t mean you only rely on your fists. Anything you grab can become a wicked fastball to throw the enemy off from a distance.”
Jean and Professor X, on the other hand, prioritized her wellbeing. Using a defensive tactic, they taught her how to control her powers so they may not risk hurting innocent people. As for Hank, he used his genius mind to study her powers and report progress. Not to mention creating an entire wardrobe for her when she first moved in that wouldn’t turn to gold when she put them on. And once she got the green light from Scott and Charles, Hank designed her signature X-Men suit consisting of black and yellow with a plated red belt.
Hence, the X-Men Midas was born.
Together with her fellow mutants, Midas battled Sentinels, the Friends of Humanity, Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants as well as Apocalypse and his Horsemen. She narrowly survived the destruction of Genosha, lost more friends than she could count, and dealt with the repercussions of her past daily.
It’s no wonder she built a wall around her heart. Thick like a block of 24 karat gold. And why she carried a boatload of anger everywhere she went. Often complaining about humans who put their lives at risk that they have to save and get no appreciation for. Keeping her thoughts and opinions of Magneto and Charles to herself, because if she were being honest, part of her understood Magneto’s mindset.
With each passing year, and each attempt on her life, Midas felt that anger grow. She did well of masking it, but there was a reason she didn’t bother with human-mutant relations like Xavier, Scott, and Jean. Why she trusted no one other than the X-Men. Who in the universe could relate to all she went through?
Johnny Storm loved gold. Gold jewelry, gold accessories. Gold paint on walls and detailing. He was even dubbed America’s golden boy by media outlets after he and his family got their powers from their space exploration trip gone awry. Blonde hair, sun-kissed skin, flames of bright orange and yellow. He was golden.
But when the Fantastic Four raced to save Franklin from the malicious Dr. Doom, trailing him across the multiverse until they reached Earth-616, the man made of fire met his match with the woman made of gold.
He probably should’ve predicted it. After all, he did get the hots for a silver surfing alien four years prior. Least to say, the moment his eyes laid on the golden goddess before him, he was captivated.
Now, let’s be real, they say first impressions mean everything and theirs was unlike anything they could’ve imagined. Having allied themselves with the Avengers—new and old, depending on who asks--the last thing on the Fantastic Four’s mind was running into more enhanced heroes pulled into the sacred timeline. And it was all thanks to Reed’s multiversal tracking device.
“I’m picking up a signal in the East Canadian region,” he announced, “A cluster of points not far from the border. Their readings suggest,” the area between his brows pinched, “that they're not from here.” It was his glance upward to look at Sue, worry in his gaze before flickering to Sam. “Like us.”
There was no hesitation from the Captain, “Let’s go.”
The team responding to the signal consisted of Johnny, Ben, Reed, Sam, Joaquin, Yelena, Ava, and Walker. Sue stayed behind with the others, tracking Doom and stressing to pinpoint where he took Franklin.
“Two miles out,” came Ben’s voice from the cockpit, causing Johnny to look away from his tablet to glance out the window, spotting a remote location in the middle of nowhere. Appearing to be an abandoned warehouse near a lake surrounded by the woods. “Doesn’t look like much if I’m being honest. Reed, you sure this is it?”
“Positive,” the genius replied, checking the coordinates before coming up beside the rocked man. “The multiversal energy levels coming from here are staggering.”
“Well, whoever you’re picking up is obviously hiding.”
Johnny put the tablet down, leaning over Ben’s chair to see the view, resulting in his eyes to squint when he caught a dark blob in the distance. “What the hell is that?” Upon the words leaving his mouth, he felt the presence of Sam and Yelena approach beside him, the former’s gaze following Johnny’s where he ordered Ben to get closer.
“Aye, aye, Captain.”
Landing, the blob formed into the clear image of an unusual aircraft with little to no markings indicating who it might’ve belonged to. No flag, no insignia. Just sleek black metal with large engines that thinned towards the cockpit.
‘Weird,’ Johnny thought to himself as he stepped off the ramp of the Quinjet, scouting the area. What was an odd-looking jet doing in the middle of the Canadian woods? And where were the ones who put it there?
He’d find out soon enough.
The owners of the jet, in fact, were a group of multiversal travelers from another world. And where Johnny and his fellow Avengers got their powers through accidents and lab mishaps, this team of enhanced heroes were born with theirs. They were mutants.
While Johnny was occupied battling a guy with a Cajun accent and playing cards he made go boom, Reed got caught dealing with a blue teleporter and teeth sharp like vampire fangs. Then you had Sam and Joaquin fighting a man wearing a visor matching his bright blue and yellow suit. Yelena in a 1v1 with another blue individual, who nearly made her shit her pants when they shapeshifted into Natasha. Ava and Ben against, yet again, a blue man this time with fur all over his body. And finally, Walker engaged in a heated exchange with…a woman made of gold?
At first, she looked normal. And Johnny would be lying if he said he didn’t do a double take when his eyes landed on her in the 30 seconds prior to the fight breaking out. Her black and bright yellow suit, similar to her peers, caught his immediate attention. As did the red plated belt barreling a distinct ‘X’, however, his focus shifted rather quickly by the sudden battle when neither side stood down and presented immediate threats to each other. But when Johnny managed to get the upper hand over the purple suited, pole swinging man, he caught the exact moment the mystery woman’s skin transformed.
Walker swung his shield, hoping to knock her off her feet, surprised she kept up with him in the first place, only for his eyes to widen in absolute astonishment upon her bare hands gripping the edge of the shield. But when his eyes landed on said hands…they reflected against the light in a golden shine.
“What the fu…” his voice echoed, causing Johnny to snap his head in their direction, where his own eyes grew in size as he watched in real time as the metal ran up her arms, encased her neck before swallowing her visage whole. Almost in slow motion, like an intense scene from a movie, the way the gold seemed to pour out of her like liquid until it solidified, turning her into a walking statue. No trace of whites or pupils in her eyes. The color of her hair molding into a sleek shape. The only remaining untouched was her suit.
Only it didn’t end there. Once the immediate shock barely wore off, it returned tenfold when they noticed the gold continued to pour from her fingertips. Walker’s shield transforming before their eyes.
“Oh shit!” The super soldier’s shout bounced off the walls, removing his hold off the object to take several steps back and see the last bit of red and black vanish. Before he could react, however, she launched forward, grabbed a hold of his neck, lifting him off the ground and sent him flying toward the wall, causing a loud groan to escape him. He got up, ready for the next attack, but Walker dropped to his knees in a haste as she spun 360 and flung the now pure gold shield in his direction. Embedding it into the brick wall with a rumbling crack that shook the foundation of the building, causing everyone to stop what they were doing. Freezing mid-battle.
“Well that’s not something you see every day,” Joaquin panted with a wince, having met the harsh ground moments prior from dodging an optic blast.
Everything slowed down. Sam and Scott talked on behalf of their teams, as did Reed, who explained they tracked the group by the trans-dimensional energy they produced. That’s where the Avengers and Fantastic Four officially learned the name of their new guests.
“We’re the X-Men.”
“Why the X,” Johnny asked before he could stop himself, noting the distinct X on all their suits, not just hers. Just like he and his family had the large 4 splattered across their chests.
“Because we carry the X-Gene,” the man they called Beast declared. And when he caught their confusion, he added with uncertainty of how their reaction was going to go. “Our powers come from a mutation in our DNA--a mutation we’re born with. In our world, we call it the X-Gene. Hence,” a blue hand motioned at his fellow mutants. “The X-Men.”
‘Fitting,’ Johnny thought, nodding to the man. “That’s cool.” The compliment didn’t really have its effect, as he heard the light scoff from the woman as well as some pinched expressions from the rest of them.
“Cool,” she repeated with distaste, like the word physically stung her. She then lifted her gaze from the floor to land on Johnny, who tilted his head perplexed by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. “I take it neither in this world—nor yours as your friend,” she lifted a lazy finger at Reed, “has mentioned—have people like us?”
While Johnny shook his head, Sam answered along the same lines, “No, we do not.”
“So all of you,” a golden hand flickered at the crowd, specifically the ones with obvious powers as her voice rose an octave. “Got what makes you special by some flux. Freak accidents—lab experiments gone wrong—or just by the grace of some God?”
No one answered. The question itself rhetorical and able to answer itself by their expressions and shuffle of body language indicating they felt the unease flood the space. That was enough for her to scoff, louder this time, and click her tongue. Beside her the teleported, a man calling himself Kurt Wagner, gave her a knowing look.
“Wow,” she exasperated, arms crossed tight around her chest as she stood tall and guarded, clearly vexed by the silence. Though her eyes were still encapsulated by metal, it was obvious had her pupils been visible, they would’ve been narrowed into slits. “How nice you all must have it.”
What was that supposed to mean?
“Midas,” Scott scolded the woman, who’d now shifted back to her normal physique and sent a scowl, stopping Johnny from asking the question on his mind as he processed the name Scott addressed her as.
“I’m just making an observation, Scott.”
“You know exactly what you’re doing.”
“And?” she hissed, throwing her arms out in frustration. “So what if I am?”
Scott stepped closer to her, voice dropping like a stern father reprimanding his daughter. The others couldn’t hear what was said, but by the way she tensed up and glared at the man, they could only guess. As Scott stepped away, she simply huffed, crossing her arms back over her chest and pivoting so her side was facing the Avengers. Not wanting to look at them any longer.
Eventually, after much debate and deliberation from each side, the X-Men agreed to follow the Avengers and Fantastic Four to the WatchTower where they would continue the pursuit against Doom, who they linked was responsible for the mutants for dropping into Earth-616, much like the Four. It was unclear why Doom targeted the X-Men, but they were determined to find out.
Now joined together on a race against time to save Franklin Richards and the multiverse, the teams exhausted their resources from all angles. They spent time learning about each other, drawing strategy, splitting up on multiple coverts when they got a lead. Sure there were times where they butt heads--specifically Sam, Bucky, Reed, and Scott--but they worked well together. And most of them were welcoming toward one another.
Key word: most.
“So like….” Johnny shuffled on his feet, arms crossed as he stood beside Midas--ignoring Ben’s warning look--who mirrored his position, the two off to the side while the leaders of the teams paced around the middle of the lounge to discuss tactics. Except that while Johnny’s demeanor resembled his usual, suave self, she stood cold and reserved. “Is the name Midas in reference to--.”
“The King who could turn anything he touched into gold,” she cut him off with a deadpan tone while continuing to stare ahead. “Yes, it is.”
Johnny assessed her profile, giving a short nod. He didn’t compliment it, despite finding the name clever and interesting. Learning his lesson from earlier when he found the X-Men’s origin of powers cool. “And you can--.”
“Turn anything I want into gold. Including my whole body.”
“Does it feel weird when you do it?”
“Does it feel weird when you set yourself on fire?” Annoyance laced her tone, but Johnny didn’t falter.
“At first, yeah it’s sorta ticklish,” if he heard the way she breathed heavily though her nose, he chose to ignore it and continued, “Now it just feels part of me.” No response followed, but he did notice how her shoulders dropped slightly, face losing the pinched expression as though she understood the statement. “Is it like that for you?”
“Yes,” she finally said after a moment, but still refused to look at him.
There had to be some sort of irony in the fact Johnny Storm found yet another metallic woman insanely attractive that he wanted to get to know even though it was painfully obvious she wanted nothing to do with him. He wanted to melt down her cold, metal walls and discover the heart of gold she probably was hiding.
Holding back his smile, Johnny saw the shift in body language as his first step to victory. And he adjusted his own position, turning back to the scene in front of them.
If there was one thing Johnny Storm enjoyed, it was a challenge. He thrived in the adrenaline and thrill of succeeding and he saw that with Midas. ‘I’ll get through to her,’ was the final thought before he accepted his new mission. ‘I know I will.’
Hours later Johnny was walking back to his assigned room when his ears picked up on voices in the nearby corridor. Unable to ignore his curiosity, Johnny paused and headed toward the direction of the noise. Light on his feet, he pressed his back against the wall adjacent and listened closely.
“Look, I’m as clueless as you on how long this is going to last,” Scott drawled in a low voice to whoever he addressed. “It could be days, weeks, months--hell we might even be here for years. So whatever you have against them, Midas--,” Johnny stiffened at the reveal, rethinking his decision as he knew what he was doing was morally wrong, but the blonde couldn’t help himself. “You need to put it away. Otherwise you can sit this out.”
“I don’t have anything against them, Scott,” the lie fell flat that even Johnny caught it.
“And the sky is red,” Scott scoffed, “You’re fooling no one and we can’t afford to have any tension amongst ourselves with what’s to come. As far as I can see, we can trust them.”
“Did you already forget this morning?”
“That was a mutual attack on both sides. They were doing their job as protectors of this world--like us, Midas. If we were back home and the roles were reversed, we would’ve done the same.”
She huffed, clearly not impressed by the defense despite the man being right. “Forgive me for not jumping for joy at the idea of us working together. For Christ’s sake, Scott--mutants don’t exist here! How are we supposed to trust they won’t turn on us--or-or suddenly feel threatened by our existence and want us gone?”
Johnny heard the frustration combined with the underlying fear in her tone. As though the assumption was layered with experience, causing the blonde to frown. What exactly did she mean? That they’d be threatened by their existence--enough to want to betray them? In their world were super powered people not worshiped like he and his family were? From the sound of it, he suspected the reality was far from his own experience.
Suddenly it all made sense why she reacted angrily to his remark. And why the others looked uncomfortable.
“They’re not going to do that--.”
“You don’t know that, Scott!”
“It’s not sunshine and rainbows for them like you think--they’ve dealt with horrible things because of who they are and what they do.”
“I highly doubt they’ve had to fight machines built with the sole reason to exterminate them.”
The air around Johnny seemed to disappear, his breath hitching so fast he had to rush a hand to his mouth to stop the sound from escaping. His entire face consorting to absolute horror. Machines? Exterminate mutants? He couldn’t believe what he’d heard--unable to even picture what she was describing. Attempting so brought a chill down his spine, a rare feeling given his blood boiled like lava.
Barely processing the revelation, the shock continued as he listened to the conversation, thankful they had yet to discover he was there.
“Midas,” Scott’s sigh was full of tiredness, mixed with dejection. “I understand your anger, believe me, I do. You’ve gone through things not many mutants have or will ever experience. And after Genosha--.”
“Don’t,” she hissed, and Johnny picked up the tremor she held.
“You have every right to be,” Scott fought his own emotions, the memories of that fateful evening clear in his mind. “We all lost a piece of ourselves that day--some more than others.” Some meaning her. The period of darkness that swallowed her whole following the tragedy lasted months. “But this--this blame you’re unfairly putting on these people is not going to help you heal or benefit this team. I need to know that I can count on you.”
“You can,” her insistence sounded strained.
“Can I, Midas?”
There was a pause from the woman, and Johnny assumed the question was a slap in the face coming from the man she looked up to. “Scott, when have I ever let you down?” she finally found her voice, unable to hide the defeat, causing Johnny to feel a tightness in his chest. He waited with anticipation for Scott’s answer.
“You never have,” there was pride in the response, and Johnny pictured the visor wearing man offering a small smile despite their heated exchange still lingering.
“Exactly. I’ve never let you down. I didn’t with Apocalypse, I didn’t with Trask,” a slight pause before she finished, “and I didn’t after Genosha. So, I’ll do what I have to do, because our team,” the X-Men she was referring to. Johnny didn’t have to be a genius to get the implication. “Is what matters to me. I’ll put my…differences aside. But don’t expect me to be buddy-buddy and pretend we’re all best friends, alright?”
“I’m not asking you to be best friends, Midas,” Scott sighed, “But I am asking you to be civilized.”
“Fine,” she huffed like a full blown child. “I’ll be civilized. Have some fucking faith in me, Scott.” Letting out another sound that came off as a huff mixed with a grunt, Johnny heard her stomp away from Scott.
“Midas--!” He tried to stop her from leaving, but the golden mutant sped off in the opposite direction, her footsteps growing faint.
Johnny finally let out the breath he was holding, careful to muffle the sound as best he could as he processed all the information he discovered. Talk about bombshells dropped. Extermination machines? Genosha? What was Scott talking about, and why did it bring an unsettling pit to Johnny’s stomach. Part of him didn’t want to find out.
And just when he thought he could relax, he heard footsteps heading in his direction, Scott coming down the hall after failing to stop Midas. Panicked and with no way to escape without giving himself away, Johnny shuffled on his feet like a maniac and contemplated his options only to freeze when Scott turned the corner.
“Jesus,” a gloved hand clamped to his chest, heart racing with adrenaline as Johnny started to stutter, hands raised in defense and face flamed red from embarrassment and shame for getting caught red handed.
“I-I-I--.”
“Have you been there this whole time?”
Johnny swallowed thickly, offering a hesitant nod, “I promise--I didn’t intend to--I was-was heading to my room and I…overheard you two,” Johnny lowered his hands, expression apologetic as his own heart rate increased. “I’m sorry, Scott--I know it was wrong--.”
“Johnny, It’s okay,” Scott waved a hand to calm him down. “I’m not mad, you just caught me off guard.” Letting out an exhale, Scott lowered his hand and assessed the blonde. “What all did you--.”
“Enough to understand why I offended you guys early.”
“No, Johnny, you didn’t…” Scott tried to say, but gave up as the words fell flat. Clearly Johnny heard the climax of the argument between the two mutants, and there wasn’t anything Scott could say that would try to brush the tension off. So instead he followed it up with, “Midas is...I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“Scott, I should be the one apologizing--I’m the one who eavesdropped!”
The older man let out a low chuckle, “Well, we weren’t exactly being quiet. If it wasn’t you it was going to be someone else.”
“Still it was a private conversation, I should’ve kept walking…I was just--.”
“Curious?” Scott finished for him with a knowing smirk, causing Johnny’s face to redden once more as he sent a slow nod. Not bothering to deny the accusation. “I don’t blame you. But if I’m being honest, you’re lucky it was me who caught you and not Midas.”
“I take it she’d have kicked my ass?”
“More like she’d be tempted to turn you into gold,” Scott retorted with a clap to the blonde’s back, gently pushing him to start walking down the hallway. “Something she hasn’t done to a living person in years.” The emphasis brought a chill down Johnny’s spine. Realizing the extent of Midas’ powers go beyond what he initially thought. It wasn’t just her body she had the ability to transform, as well as objects, into gold.
She could do it to humans.
Johnny had so many questions on his mind, his expression unable to mask the interest that Scott saw right through and took it upon himself to explain to Johnny the depth of he and Midas’ conversation. Filling in the holes as to why she perceived the Avengers a certain way. Scott told him about the Sentinels--the machines created by Dr. Bolivar Trask to hunt down mutants, including his chief Master Mold. How the X-Men have been fighting the Sentinels for decades as they keep reemerging despite the superheroes defeating them time and time again.
Johnny had trouble swallowing that pill, only to feel the bile rise in his throat when Scott relayed the destruction of Genosha. “And she was there when it happened?” he whispered, voice cracking at the end as the emotion was too much to contain. How was one supposed to when they hear an entire island was wiped off the planet by wild machines programmed to exterminate a species.
“Midas never agreed with the forming of Genosha,” Scott explained, leaning his arms on the railing of the balcony the two stood on. “She had her opinions and thoughts. The country already had a dark history, and then you had Magneto rallying for it to be a mutant-only nation.” He paused slightly, feeling the familiar grief pool in his stomach. “When they asked for representatives for the X-Men to attend a gala after the U.N. formally recognized Genosha, I told her to go--even though I knew she didn’t want to.”
Johnny heard the regret in his voice. The sadness, the pain. It pooled out of him like lava from a volcano.
“I was supposed to be with them, but there was another commitment at the mansion they needed me for. I…” he let out a shaky breath, swallowing thickly, “nothing could’ve prepared us for what happened that day. Midas and Kurt were part of the lucky ones.”
The Human Torch walked away with a newfound respect for the golden mutant. As well as a deep found compassion for her and her fellow X-Men. They’d gone through unimaginable events. Survived inexplicable chaos. It’s no wonder Midas is distrusting of anyone who’s not like them.
As the days drew into weeks, Johnny thought about that day on the balcony. It appeared in his mind each time he got close to Midas. Whether that be the two standing next to each other or tasked together on expeditions with their teammates. And as the two interacted more, that curiosity in Midas turned into a full-blown crush that had the once most eligible bachelor in America acting like a teenage boy wanting to impress a girl for the first time.
Holding the elevator door open when he caught her heading toward it. Taking the open seat next to her in the conference room or simply shuffling over to the corner she’d taken claim to. He’d offer to get her coffee, or volunteer to join her when she’d go to the training rooms. And unbeknownst to Midas, Johnny picked up on cues that made him fall for her even more. Like how she stared out the windows of the WatchTower to watch the citizens below, holding back a smile when she saw a school bus full of kids peering up at the building in wonder. How she’d leave the last pastry for Gambit or Sue when she likely wanted it for herself. Sarcastic remarks under her breath that left Joaquin and Shuri stifling a giggle. Or the way she picked up after people’s trash when they were too distracted to notice.
But Johnny noticed. He saw everything. The softened features. The hidden interest. The mask she bore to protect her heart.
It was painfully obvious to everyone besides Midas that Johnny Storm was smitten with her. From the, “Good morning, Midas,” every day to, “I saved you a plate of Ben’s homemade ravioli,” there was no question about his feelings. Then there was the fact whenever she addressed him by a name other than his own--which was pretty much everyday--he’d blush like a schoolboy.
Flame. Torch. Hot-Head. Supernova. Star-Boy (his personal favorite). All spoken with sarcasm, but it did nothing to deter him.
Sue and Ben clocked it from the first day when Johnny strategically maneuvered himself to stand next to her during the first debrief as a conjoined team. Scott and Hank got their suspicions from Johnny’s lingering gazes when she entered a room, plus the many questions he had regarding her. Gambit and Kurt, her closest friends, made slick comments like, “I did not know you adopted a golden retriever puppy, mon ami,” or, “Schatz, you seem to be glowing brighter than the sun lately.”
For Midas, however, the behavior Johnny exhibited left her confused. And it didn’t help that she initially found the walking fire hazard annoying. Like a bug she was unable to swat away--or a stain too stubborn to be removed. His boyish charm and sharp wit combined with his constant flirtatious remarks paired with winks told her everything she needed about what he was like in his home universe.
A playboy, with an ego the size of a supernova.
“What’s your deal, Torch?” She finally confronted him after weeks of him following her like a shadow. Continuing his pursuit despite her jabs and attempts to shake him off.
“What do you mean?” He played dumb, leaning against the wall she shoved him into after she dragged his ass out of the lounge to get away from prying ears.
“The compliments? The winks--the suave lines you keep trying to pull on me,” her eyes narrowed, practically hissing the words out. “Why are you so determined to get a rise out of me?” She didn’t miss the way his expression, once playful, softened at the accusation.
“I’m not--I’m not trying to get a rise out of you, Midas.”
“Then why does it feel like you are!”
“I--I,” he stuttered, ears pink but thankfully the flush of his neck was hidden by the turtleneck of his suit. “Look, I promise I’m not trying to be an asshole or piss you off. I just…” The confession was on the tip of his tongue. Screaming at him to cave in and tell her what he’d been feeling the past couple weeks. And with the way she was staring at him, the fire he held ignited so deep he ended up blurting out, “Go out with me,” without thinking, earning a wide-eyed, gaping reaction.
“Have you lost your damn mind?” Well that certainly wasn’t the response he usually garnished, but there was no going back now.
“Far from it actually---although when this whole multiversal excursion started I did start to think so..”
She breathed hard through her nose, eyes closing as she focused on calming her heartrate, “There--there’s no way you’re serious--.”
“Is it so hard to believe I might have feelings for you, Midas?” Johnny offered a small smile, aware it was a lot for her to process and therefore he needed to be patient with her. After all, the confession came out of left field, at least from her point of view.
“Considering I’ve done nothing remotely warm and inviting to warrant this…” she waves a dramatic hand, “Affection…yeah, I am a little surprised.” Did he really observe her cold-hearted bitch behavior and think, ‘Damn, I want that,’ or was he breathing in one too many fossil fuels from the jet engines of the Excelsior and X-Jet?
Turns out, he did want that.
“Let me prove to you I’m serious.”
“And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” her hands rested on her hips, assessing him with a raised brow.
“Go on a date with me,” he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which in his eyes, it was.
“Johnny, we are in the middle of tracking a madman from your universe. I don’t see how we’re supposed to put a pause on that and go on a date.”
“We don’t. We wait until we beat Doom, and then we go on a date. Until then I flirt with you and you pretend you don’t enjoy it when secretly you find me irresistible and are just too prideful to admit it.” He finished with a grin, the complete opposite to her absolute stunned expression. “Simple as that.”
“Simple?” She repeated with an exaggerated tone, like she couldn’t process what he was saying despite the words being straight forward and not embedded with riddles. “We are way past simple with everything you just said.” The fact she didn’t deny his claim of finding him irresistible was telling, but Johnny didn’t comment on it.
She was about to turn on her heel and leave him right there in the hallway when he stopped her. “Then how about this,” he gently offered, bringing her attention back to him with a light touch to her forearm. “My prediction after we defeat Doom--which we will--they’re obviously going to plan some kind of celebration to honor us for our achievement.”
He was met with a slow nod and roll of the eyes, indicating she knew where he was heading, “Your point?”
Johnny’s grin burned brighter. Teeth flashing as he mentally applauded himself for succeeding in the goal he set out weeks prior that started with an annoyed huff and eyeroll. He finally melted those golden walls.
“What do you say about being my date to our expected ‘Congrats on defeating Dr. Doom and saving the multiverse,’ celebratory gala?”
~~~~~~~~~~
The ability to breath completely vanished the moment Johnny laid eyes on Midas as she descended the spiral staircase alongside Ava, donned in a mesmerizing gold dress sparkling like a million stars in the galaxy. Tight around her chest, which was accented by the deep neckline trailing her sternum, it had long sleeves and flowed out as it went down past her knees, paired with matching heels. Her hair was styled and her makeup was simple yet elegant. Little to no jewelry save for some stud earrings and a few rings on her fingers.
“Yo, Matchstick, you good there?” Ben nudged the blonde when he suddenly stomped rambling, following his gaze to which the rocked hero uttered, “Oh.” The rest of the group the two were huddled with by the bar, Walker, Joaquin, and M’baku, all started chuckling at the lovesick expression on Johnny’s face.
“Did it suddenly get hot in here?”
“Yeah,” Walker mused, “It does feel a bit warm now that I think about it.”
“Hey, Johnny, think you can tone down the heat? I’m sweating through my suit.”
“Yeah, yeah, sure buddy,” Johnny waved off, downing the remaining of his glass before pushing it into Ben’s hand and hurrying toward the bar where she stood. Bypassing Sue and Shuri, the former giving him an odd look reading, ‘What the hell?’ which quickly shifted to understanding when she caught Midas at the bar.
“Finally,” she muttered with a pleased smile around the rim of her glass, but not before clicking in with Shuri’s, who mirrored her expression.
At the bar and unaware of the hot-headed blonde speeding toward her, Midas greeted the bartender and gave off her order, “Hendricks gin martini, extra dirty with three olives please.”
“Coming right up.”
Thanking him, she leaned her forearms onto the smooth white quartz bar top and scanned her surroundings. It was a stellar sight to behold, the WatchTower loft lounge decorated with fairy lights and chandeliers. Packed to the brim with superheroes, family members, and politicians. Everywhere she looked she saw people engaging in conversation over cocktails and finger foods. The DJ, booked by Alexei, had his own booth near the makeshift dancefloor where Gambit, Kurt, and Shang-Chi had already taken claim to.
“You know, I always gravitated toward silver,” the teasing voice brought her out of her thoughts, heart skipping a beat as she turned to be greeted with the charming smile that was Jonathan Lowell Spencer Storm. “Thought it brought out my eyes more. But I have to say…” said sapphire eyes traveled down the length of her figure unapologetically, “there’s just something so bewitching about gold when it hits the light.”
Straightening her posture as she faced him, Midas controlled her expression from showing that his words did in fact affect her. Heat flaring her body like the sun on a summer day. “Well don’t you clean up nice, Star-Boy.”
Johnny’s hand went to the collar of his suit blazer, adjusting it while never straying his gaze, “I can say the same ‘bout you, Midas. Was gold always your color before your mutation surfaced?”
“Considering I was eleven years old when it surfaced, I doubt it.”
When the bartender placed her drink down, Johnny quickly went, “Bulliet, neat my friend,” and the bartender quickly went to work, leaving the two.
“Didn’t pay you to be a bourbon guy,” she observed nonchalantly.
“What did you pay me to be?”
“On the line of a basic vodka soda,” Johnny made a sound of offense, grin widening as he thanked the bartender and accepted the glass. Her own lips curled up, eyes drawing with curiosity as she watched him lift his glass toward her and gently tapped them together. “We toasting or something?”
“Yes we are,” they both raised their drinks to take a sip, not wincing at all when the burn of the alcohol hit the back of their throats. “You owe me a date.”
“Is that so?” she mused, maintaining the intense eye contact he refused to break. “Please remind me where I agreed to that.”
“When I asked you to accompany me to this,” he motioned to their surroundings. “I initially asked that after we defeated Doom--which we have successfully done--we’d go on a proper date. I’ve kept up my promise of charming you every chance I get,” he winked, “and you’ve kept up pretending it doesn’t phase you. But let’s be real, we both know you secretly find me irresistible.” She scoffed lightly paired with a light roll of the eyes which only amused Johnny. “Am I wrong?”
Quiet for a moment as she sipped her martini, Midas pivoted on her heel to press her back against the counter of the bar. Breaking away from his gaze to glance out to the center of the gala. “I will neither agree nor disagree to that assumption, Storm.”
Johnny went to speak, but was interrupted by none other than the Cajun card master himself, cocktail in hand “well well well, looks like Rogue and I are not the only ones fashionably late to this fais do-do.”
Midas lowered her martini, letting out an amused scoff, “please, I was only ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes is enough to think you were skipping out on us tonight, mon ami. Ain’t that right, Johnny Boy?”
Johnny sipped his drink, lips curling in a smirk as he answered, “Oh I was confident our dear Midas would show.” His eyes flickered between the two, before settling on the woman. “After all, she never breaks her word.”
“No, Midas does not,” Gambit mused, proudly clapping Johnny on the shoulder. Understanding the context of Johnny’s words paired with his smug smile. “Well then, I’ll leave you two to it. Better find my other half before the Sazerac starts flowing too strong.” Raising a hand in salute, Gambit went on his way, “Laissez les bon temps rouler.”
“Bye, Remy,” Midas rolled her eyes, albeit playfully as she raised her glass back to her lips, watching him leave to find Scott and Kurt to mess with.
Downing the rest of his glass, Johnny placed it on the bar top and stepped beside her, slipping an arm around her waist. “Dance with me.” A semi-slow song began to play, the mutant recognizing it as an old favorite of hers. Before she could refuse, Johnny grabbed her martini to sit on the bar top and guided her toward the dancefloor, where he positioned them with one hand on her mid back and the other interlacing their fingers.
She rested her freehand on his shoulder, aware of the drawn gazes they gathered from their fellow teammates, some of whom sent the mutant a cheeky grin and thumbs up. She ignored it for the first couple songs, before the constant accidental eye contact between her and several of the team became overwhelming for her own good. Like they were in on a secret she didn’t know about.
“Why do I get the feeling our colleagues are getting a kick out of this?”
Johnny smirked, leading her into a soft sway in beat with the music. “Maybe because they all know I’ve been waiting for this moment for months.”
Midas looked up at him with surprise at the unexpected confession, heart skipping once more as heat boiled in her chest. “Johnny--.”
“C’mon, Midas,” his chuckle was low and laced with nerves despite his beaming smile, “I’ve been chasing after you like a kicked puppy since you gave me the glare of a lifetime the first time we met. I haven’t exactly been shy about it.” He presses his hand on her lower back to inch her closer. “Everyone knows I’m…” he paused, tongue tracing his bottom lip as heat reached his ears. “I’m head over heels for you.”
There it was. The confession he’d been holding onto for months. The one which consumed his mind and had his family wondering what the hell happened to the once most desired bachelor who had no time for romance and relationships when he had the fate of the world in his hands. Who flirted with men and women alike, but always kept interest at arms length.
That all seemed to change the moment the man of fire met the woman made of gold.
Suddenly the air became hot, and not just because Johnny was emitting a bit of heat due to the anxiety he felt as he waited for her response. Midas herself felt a bubbling volcano in her stomach that erupted along her skin until her palms started to sweat. Unable to find her voice despite her mouth parting slightly from the gasp she released.
Johnny waited, his own palms feeling clammy against the fabric of her dress and the one holding her own. For a moment they just stared at each other. The noise around them dampened, as though they were the only two in the room.
“Midas,” he coughed, full of nerves. Realizing maybe it wasn’t a good idea to admit his feelings in the middle of the damn dance floor where their teammates surrounded them, causing his blush to deepen. “I should’ve waited ti’ll after--fuck I’m sorry. I-I get it if you don’t feel the same--.” His sentence was caught off when he felt her grip on his hand tighten followed by a gentle pull, coating him to follow as she led them off the dance floor and away from prying eyes.
Johnny kept his eyes on the back of her head as they ascended the spiral staircase, only peering behind his shoulder to see if any of their friends were watching them escape the gala. Much to his relief, it appeared the only one noticing their Irish goodbye was his own sister, who caught the worried expression he wore and immediately mirrored it, but relaxed when he shook his head as if to say, “I’ll be fine, trust me.”
They reached the top of the stairs to the overlooking floor, where Midas turned a corner where she knew a private balcony resided. The noise of the party soon became background noise, completely muffled by the sliding glass doors as the cool air hit Johnny the moment he stepped onto the terrace.
She released his hand, feet carrying her to the edge of the balcony where she steadied herself on the railing, keeping her back toward him. For Johnny, all it did was intensify his nerves, fearing he ruined his chances as he took in her stiffened demeanor.
Softly, he called out her name, “Please talk to me. If you don’t feel the same, tell me and I’ll turn around and we can pretend this never happened. I won’t pressure you--or-or bother you and give you all the space. Just please, don’t shut me out.”
A moment passed and then, “It’s not that I don’t feel the same, Johnny,” she finally breathed, and Johnny felt his heart skip, eyes widening slightly. “I…” peering over her shoulder, he caught the worry pooling in her beautiful face. “I’m scared.”
“Scared of what, baby?” The pet name fell naturally as he moved closer until he was directly beside her. She turned back to the overlooking city, glittering like stars from the array of lights.
“This. Us. Me. The world,” she blinked, voice beginning to waver. “I don’t….I don’t know how to--,” the words were a struggle to find. “Since my powers triggered it’s been one fight after another. Not just against bad guys, but a battle within myself. I’ve always kept people--even my teammates--at arms length because relationships of any kind are not permanent. My own parents…” she trailed off, the painful memory lingering in the air. Still, Johnny remained quiet, heart breaking when she whispered, “I don’t know how to let someone in.”
He understood this was Midas being vulnerable, a rarity considering she’s always come off with a cold, no-nonsense exterior. Vulnerability was scary. Something she kept hidden and as a fellow superhero with expectations, Johnny related to the feeling of fear one gets when they expose themself. That doing so would only be dismissed.
“Letting someone in is scary,” he agreed, tone gentle and comforting. “But we can take it slow,” he assured. “I know our lives are fast paced and hectic, but we don’t have to be that way. I care about you, Midas, and I want you to feel comfortable. Above all else, your feelings matter to me.”
“I’m too complicated, Johnny,” she tried to argue.
“So am I,” was his rebuttal, “let’s be complicated together.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I never said it was simple, Midas. Look at us,” he gestured with a gentle smile, “Who we are. What we do. I never thought when I got my powers that I’d be pulled into a whole different universe and meet people who I could finally relate to. I met you,” he inched closer, “and everything I once thought wasn’t possible, suddenly made sense.”
His words affected her, teetering the edge of a love confession, sending another wave of heat in her chest as her heart began to pump rapidly. As much as she didn’t want to push him away, her mind was on overdrive. The hyperindependence she accustomed herself to since childhood kicking in and overriding her heart that called out to him.
“Johnny, you have to understand that I am…” she let out a shuddered exhale, hands trembling which were soothed when he gently laid his own on top. “I am not someone who's easy to be with. I wake up at night in a panic--I-I shut down when I’m overwhelmed or I lash out--and I’ll lash out at you even when I don’t mean to.” Water brimmed her eyes, coated in a shine that was enhanced by the moonlight cascading down on them. “You got your powers by external factors out of your control,” she hated herself for going this route, but she had to get it off her chest, “and were well received. I was born this way, and have been scrutinized, discriminated against, and hunted for it. It’s shaped the way I am--it’s not all golden like your sister and Reed--or-or Gambit and Rogue. I’m consumed with rage half the time, Johnny. I am a mess,” the crack in her voice shattered Johnny. “You’d be saving yourself the difficulty and hurt you’ll get from dealing with me.”
Deal with her? That alone hurt Johnny, for he did not view his feelings toward Midas and all the walls she built for herself he wanted to guard as dealing with her. Would it be difficult? Maybe. But that’s what one does when they love someone. When they want to not break down the walls but simply hold them together as a unit. Earning their trust, guarding it. No one ever said love was easy, but when it’s with the right person, it’s as peaceful as the gentle waves of the ocean kissing the sand as it makes it to shore.
Johnny wanted to be the one to bring her to the shore whenever the waves became too much. Even when her mind acted like a riptide and pulled her out at sea. She’d been through so much, it’s no surprise to him she’d attempt to push him away when he could see the conflict pooling in her eyes.
Sensing this, Johnny took one hand in hers to pull her closer, the other cupping her cheek. His soft smile remained as his eyes filled with determination and warmth. “I’ll wake up with you to hold and remind you where you are. When you’re overwhelmed, I’ll be that calm presence. If you lash out then I’ll take it while you get it out of your system until you feel better.” Her bottom lip trembled; Johnny gently let his thumb brush over it.
“I may not understand the full extent of everything you and your family have gone through, and God I probably never will,” The cold breeze disappeared as a comforting warmth spread across the terrace. “But I know one thing for sure: I will never, ever, let anyone hurt you like that again. So long as I breathe, anyone who thinks they can treat you differently because you were born different from them, born with gifts, will be given a healthy dose of flames.” The giggle mixed with her light sniffle was a reward in itself, Johnny bringing one of her hands up to his mouth to press a soft kiss to her knuckles, causing her to shudder. “I mean it, Midas. I want this--I want you. I’ll prove it every day if I have to, just give me a chance.”
The seconds felt like a lifetime waiting for her answer. The golden mutant stared up at him with tear stained cheeks, unable to keep them contained when he let his heart speak the words he’d been waiting months for. And right when Johnny began to accept the silent rejection, his chest tightened, and warmth exploded within him from the way Midas tilted her head slightly to mold her lips to his palm still cradling her cheek.
One kiss. The two, before she withdrew and met his gaze once more. “You terrify me, Johnny Storm,” she admitted with a whisper, her breath heating his hand. “But I don’t want to hide away anymore, not when it comes to you.” Fingers trailed up his suit-cladded forearm, all the way up to his shoulder. “I want this, too,” she nuzzled against his touch, causing him to melt and hold her against him. “Just promise to be patient with me, please? I’m not as strong as I come off to be.”
The grin on Johnny’s lips could not be suppressed, beaming bright like the sun as the sheer happiness soared within his veins. “Patience is my middle name,” he teased, earning a playful scowl. His tone then turned serious, “and baby, you don’t always have to be strong around me. I want to be the shoulder you cry on, the person you lean on when things get rough.” It took everything in him not to surge forward and bring Midas into a passionate kiss, but he held himself back, opting for a light peck to her forehead. “We take this slow like I promised, okay?”
She nodded against his hand, matching his awed expression as another wave of tears pooled in her eyes. “Okay.”
Okay. It was a promise. Hope for the future. For Johnny, it was everything.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” was his only warning before he sealed his lips onto hers, the mutant accepting it wholeheartedly with a light gasp followed by a chuckle. Arms moving to wrap around his heated neck while his hands stayed splayed on her cheek and lower back.
Midas felt his smile against her lips, resulting in her own. The two remained like that on the terrace, tangled in each other's embrace while exchanging sweet, soft kisses while the rest of the world vanished around them. The party continued, several of their friends catching on to their disappearance, to which Gambit and Ben clinked their glasses together while Scott, Reed and Sue gave knowing looks.
“About damn time,” Ben smiled around the rim of his glass. “Thought Matchstick was going to cop out tonight and miss his chance all together.”
Gambit hummed, lips curling in a smirk, “Johnny Boy just needed a little push to get the ball rollin’. Not to mention the cards were in his favor,” for an added flare, the mutant spawned an Ace of Spades car from thin air. “After all,” his red irises twinkled, “Once you make contact, no one can resist the Midas Touch.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Look at me,” The demand earned him her breathless gasp, eyes peeling open to lock on his, which were filled with absolute devotion. “I’ve got you,” one hand cradled her face, brushing over the bottom of her lip as another whimper left her from the gentle rock of his hips. Johnny drew back only to press forward again, pleasure erupting from both as the temperature in the room continued to rise with their lovemaking. Praising her with the gentle words, “You’re perfect--absolutely perfect.”
Usually when Johnny awoke to Midas thrashing against the covers from the nightmare plaguing her sleep, he’d quickly pull her out and proceed to hold her in his arms until she managed to fall back into a peaceful slumber. Pressing soft kisses against her hairline while he rubbed her back, shortly falling asleep on his own accord not long after. It’s been nearly two years since they took the leap and made their relationship official, and thankfully the terrors she faced in her sleep slowly became less frequent. Almost rare.
Tonight, however, the battle raging in her mind had been too much. Sending her back in time to the destruction of Genosha that left her shaken to the core. All the bodies. All the death. Blood seeping down her temples. Her suit tarnished and torn, covered with dirt and blood. Not just her own, but that of fellow mutants she failed to save. Green light beams shooting down from the sky. Buildings up in flames. Screams. The awful, blood-curling screams of those cowering to safety only to meet their end.
She saw herself calling out to Rogue. To Gambit. Praying to whatever higher power may exist they were okay. Then everything went dark. And she lifted her head to find the silhouette of mayhem in all its metal glory. The Sentinel staring down at her as she stood frozen. Eyes completely void until they glowed brighter and brighter until the last thing she saw before she woke up was a green glow consuming her vision.
Screams filled the darkened room, abruptly waking Johnny with a gasp where he turned to see his partner fling up from the mattress and nearly fall off the edge of the bed, Johnny reaching out in a flash to grab hold of her.
“Baby! Baby, wake up--It’s okay!” He tried to calm her down as she fought against his hold. “It’s all a dream--you’re dreaming, honey--.”
“They’re all dead!” she wailed, nails biting into his forearm, before she quickly removed them. Fearing her powers would unleash to their own accord if she touched him. “They killed them--they-they-they lied to us!! And they killed them!”
Immediately Johnny understood what she was referring to, his hold tightening as he attached his lips to her temple. “Look at me, Midas,” one hand came to her jaw, gently encouraging her to turn her head even though she still thrashed to get away, preventing their skin from making contact. “Honey, focus on my voice. Listen to me--I’m right here with you. You’re home. You’re safe.”
He felt relieved when she finally opened her eyes, but it broke him to see the utter despair in them.
“They lied, Johnny.”
“I know they did, baby,” he cooed, thumb smoothing the skin of her jaw in hopes to calm her down, happy she allowed the touch.
“They promised peace to us--ev-everything was supposed to be okay…and they lied to us,” her voice was hoarse from how dried her throat became from the screaming. “There were too many of them.” The sentinels. “We couldn’t do anything--I couldn’t do anything.” Her bottom lip trembled with a sob.
Johnny’s breath fawned her cheek, blinking away his own tears that threatened to fall. “You were dreaming, baby. It wasn’t real--.”
“But it was, Johnny!” her wail cut him off and bounced off the walls, hands clutching the sheets as a means to ground herself. “It was real! It happened--an--and they knew it would happen and they did nothing. They did nothing to stop it! They let us pick up the pieces on our own--I had to bury my friends.” The last sentence trailed into a wave of sobs, impossible to keep in.
Johnny pressed her face into his chest, one hand cradling the back of her neck while murmuring sweet nothings into her ear. Lips trailing all over her hairline and cheeks, tasting salt from the tears she released. A few of his own fell, for he felt the pain she poured out and wished nothing more than to take it away.
“Hey, hey,” he shushed when her sobs turned to hiccups, coaxing her back down. “Breath with me--you’re going to hurt yourself if you don’t take some deep breaths. With me, okay? In--.” He inhaled deeply, waiting for her to follow his lead. Once she did, he exhaled, “and out.” Again, she copied.
They repeated the action a few times until her hiccups subsided, letting her breath at a normal pace. She still shivered, and Johnny was quick to light the candle on her nightstand with a flick of his finger, bringing a dim glow to the room, and returned his tight hold around her.
“There you go,” he cooed, planting a kiss on her forehead. He kept rubbing her back until she evened out, relaxing against him which in turn relaxed Johnny.
The clock ticked by, seconds turning into minutes, and Johnny looked down to find her already staring back at him in a way that caused the air to catch in the back of his throat. An intense stare, pinning him in place and sent heat down his spine for he knew what she was thinking at that moment.
“What do you need from me?” His voice lowered as the atmosphere became thick.
She reached for him, drawing him close until their breaths mingled and the heat of his skin collided with her. “Make me forget,” came her plea. “Remind me it’s all in the past and they’ll never hurt me again. Please, Johnny,” he internally groaned at the desperation in her voice, heightened by the intensity behind her eyes. “I need you.”
That was all Johnny needed to hear before he was smashing his lips to hers, maneuvering their position, “I’ll give you everything to you, baby. You don’t have to beg--I got you.”
Raising them both to their knees so he could tug away the satin nightgown off her body, laying kisses to the expanse of her throat and chest while she grasped at his t-shirt, begging him to remove it to which he did in an instant. Laying his hands on her hips, he guided her to the mattress, pressing her down so he could hover above and resume his worshiping down her body. Teasing the trim of her underwear with his mouth as down the skin of her thighs, leaving her an absolute mess.
The remaining pieces of clothes peeled away, his mouth never leaving the area she needed him most until she leapt over the edge twice before Johnny removed himself and crawled up the bed, shedding his boxers and guiding himself between her legs.
He shuddered with each trace of her hands down his back.
She gasped with every kiss he left to her pulse point.
They moved as one and everything about it was transcending. The feel of their skin on one another. The heat he produced, pouring into the open space causing sweat to coat their skin. Her moans and soft sounds, each combined with his grunts and the gentle creak of the bed. Hands gripping shoulders and hips, hard enough to leave bruises, and marks of love across their necks and collarbones.
She looked heavenly under the dim glow of the candle beside their bed. The only light in the room--save for what peaked through the windows from the moon. And Johnny swore he lost the ability to breathe when she cupped his cheeks in her hands, maintaining the eye contact he yearned for.
It sent his heart soaring. Unable to stop himself from leaning down to capture her lips in a searing kiss. Pushing his nose against hers as he swallowed her moan, thrusts never ceasing their pace. Bringing them closer to release with each pump.
“I love you,” saliva coated his mouth, leaving a glistening sheen as he pulled away, but kept his arms by her head so that he was practically cradling her. “So much. God, I can’t get enough of you.” The words left her a whimpering mess, her body reacting as well it caused his hips to falter. “You’re the love of my life, sweetheart. Never fucking forget that--you hear me? Never.”
How could she really? When he spent every living breathing moment worshiping the ground she walked on. Gazing at her like some walking Goddess sent to make him forget everything else existed until only she remained. Touching her as though she were a priceless artifact that belonged in the Louvre.
“I love you,” she panted back, breath fawning his mouth, their gazes locked with so much intensity it made them hazy. “Oh, Johnny, I love you.” Hands trailed from his cheeks to the back of his neck, keeping him held close as she could not stand having him away from her.
As they neared their end, Johnny lifted her up and onto his lap, cradling her as one hand tangled in her hair and the other wrapped around her lower back. The heat intensified, the atmosphere spellbinding and Johnny tucked his face in the crook of her neck.
She choked on the air, squeezing her eyes shut as she felt the coil unravel and that familiar smoothness of metal forming at her fingertips, causing panic to quickly rise as it always did when she felt herself starting to lose control in the middle of their lovemaking. “Jo-Johnny--.”
“I got you,” his hold tightened, keeping her pressed to him as he slowed his movements and removed his face from her neck to see the area below her eyelids beginning to turn. “Open your eyes, baby. Look at me.” The hand in her hair moved to cradle her cheek, thumb brushing the soft skin turning beneath his touch. When she finally opened them after another sound of encouragement, they were consumed by solid gold.
It spread to her cheekbones and temples, over her eyebrows and the bridge of her nose. Covering her complexion in a way that made it look like she was wearing a masquerade mask. And Johnny caught his reflection staring back at him on the smooth, shiny surface.
She was close, he felt it in the way her body began to stiffen and her breathing faltered. Rocking against the slow pace of his hips to chase it while fighting against the fear of her powers taking over. It wasn’t the first time it had happened--evident by their golden headboard that was once a deep brown oak.
And her nightstand…..
“Come back to me,” Johnny’s eyes never left hers, easing his pace as he encouraged her with a gentle voice. Her shuddered breath had him lean closer so their foreheads were touching, holding the back of her head when she tried to move away fearing she’d hurt him. “You’re right here, baby. Just relax and breathe for me.”
She leaned into his touch, welcoming it this time instead of running from it, nodding as she inhaled deeply only to let it release it and allow herself to let go of the fear and just feel. Feel his heat, his touch, his love.
The coil in her stomach rose again, fast and powerful until it consumed every inch of her body and washed over like a tidal wave, releasing a sound from her lips that bounced off every wall and sent chills up Johnny’s spine. He continued to move, eyes planted firmly on her face to drink in every sound and flash of pleasure that poured out until his own climax seeped out before he had the chance to realize it was happening. Clutching her so tight it stole the air from her throat.
“God,” he groaned her name, sweat trailing his temple as he pressed his forehead to her chest, lips barely brushing her sternum. “You did so good, baby. So good.” He kissed the area between her breasts, hands caressing her lower back until he felt her relax against him.
Together, they came down from the high and back to Earth. Panting and holding one another as though it was the only thing they knew how to do. Johnny continued to kiss along her chest, murmuring soft praises that pressed into her skin until he finally glanced up to meet her eye. Relieved to see the gold retreating, her cheeks and temples returning to their natural complexion. The color of her eyes meeting his, no longer swallowed by metal. Leaving only sweat along her glistening hairline.
“That was an intense one, huh,” Johnny smiled, hand reaching to cup her jaw. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I just traveled at light speed for the first time,” catching her breath, she swallowed the saliva that had built in the back of her throat. Fingers moving to cup the back of his neck where they softly carded through his blonde locks. “For a moment there, I thought our bed was going to match the bedframe.”
Johnny laughed, pressing a soft kiss to her jaw, “Not going to lie, I thought so too.” Adjusting her in his lap, Johnny maneuvered them so they were back laying on the mattress. He removed himself with a hiss, planting one last kiss on her forehead before going to the bathroom to retrieve a warm cloth and her silk robe. Returning to the bed, he gently cleaned her up, lips brushing her knee and thigh which earned him a giggle and helped her into her robe, tying it with a secure knot. Then he approached her dresser to grab a clean pair of underwear, which he also assisted her into before he finally slipped into a clean boxers then into the sheets on his side of the bed. Flopping half on top of her.
“You need some water?”
“No, I’m good,” she replied, adjusting herself against the mattress. Once comfortable she wrapped her arms around his naked torso, head pressing onto the soft pillow with a soft sigh as her breathing finally evened out. “Thank you.”
He pressed his mouth to her cleavage exposed by the robe. The action speaking louder than any words could. It said, ‘I’ll always be here for you,’ and “I’ll always give you what you need.”
It said, “I love you,” which he whispered into her skin, shuddering at the way her hands trailed the expanse of his back. Soft lingering touches he melted into, completely spent and full of love.
“I love you,” she whispered back, the last waves of the high coming down causing her to sigh in content, “so much it hurts.” Another kiss, one with pressure, was laid to her chest. Feeling Johnny squeeze her hip as he nuzzled his nose into the area above her collarbone.
Together they basked in the afterglow, the cool air colliding with the heat left behind. Sweat lingering on their bodies, giving them both a dewy complexing that radiated against the candlelight. And sweet touches that left them dreamy.
Johnny, like he often did when her past came back to haunt her, voiced his frustration at the people responsible. “I wish I knew you when it happened--I hate that you went through that alone.”
Midas, as she always counted, calmed him down with kisses and words of understanding. “People fear what they don’t understand. It’s something I’ve had to accept the hard way, but…you learn with time.”
“That doesn’t excuse their shitty behavior.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
Eventually, the fatigue hit. The two heroes were unable to fight it as they positioned themselves on their respective sides of the bed. Johnny extinguished the candle, sending them into darkness and Midas rested her head leveled with his chest.
Johnny brushed one last kiss to her hairline, tilting her chin up with a thumb to lay one on her lips. “I’ll be here when you wake up. Always will be.”
Her hand caught his, interlacing their fingers to bring his knuckles to her mouth, “I know.”
When the darkness settled over them and with the heat of her love blanketed over her, Midas succumbed to a dreamy slumber filled with love and happiness rather than chaos and destruction. Johnny’s laugh echoed, his smile shining behind her eyelids. Reminding her of the light she found in a universe far far away from her own.
She may have had the power to turn anything into gold, but Johnny Storm’s love truly held the Midas touch.
"this fic uses em dashes, so it must be ai-generated" real humans use em dashes.
"this fic has long paragraphs with overly described details and scenes, so it must be ai-generated" real humans can write like this.
"this fic has inconsistencies, so it must be ai-generated" real humans make errors and mistakes. that's why we have this thing called plot holes. sometimes writers are tired and they don't remember what they wrote in the last sentences or paragraphs, let alone chapters.
"this fic sounds robotic and unnatural, so it must be ai-generated" not every writer writes in their native language. sometimes they can sound 'robotic and unnatural' if they wrote in their second or third or fourth language (and kudos to them).
"this fic has a prompt left in it that the author forgot to delete, so it must be ai-generated" the 'prompt' the author accidentally left in their fic could actually be a part of an outline that was meant only for them, so they could keep track of what they would write.
"this author posts too often, no human writes this fast, so they must use ai" 1.) you don't know how fast someone can or can't write, how much time a person has in a day or how motivated/skilled they are. 2.) the frequent updates you see could be something that has already been finished and sitting in the author's drafts for god knows how long. just because it's recently posted doesn't always mean it's recently written.
my point? no, you can never know if a fanfic is 'ai-generated'. unless the author says they use ai, you're just assuming, suspecting and witch hunting. chances are that you're not going to 'stop ai fics from being created', you're just going to wrongly accuse genuine writers of using ai and ruin their day at best, make them want to quit writing or sharing their works at worst.
After going to Volterra with your sister and learning that Alec is your mate, you go home to Forks. You buy Alec a ticket for your violin recital. What happens when he shows up?
Am I Good Enough | @/lunajay33
You were on a solo trip to Italy taking a tour of an old castle when everything changes, but will this random guy accept you for who’s and what you are?
Carlisle Cullen
The Doctor’s Wife | @averagewriter-inthedark
Emmett Cullen
The Other Sister | @/lunajay33
Being the younger sister of Bella had it perks but most of the time she was overlooked feeling alone, but when she returns to forks her life changes when a certain buff guy named Emmett takes a liking to her but will tragedy still follow her here
Quil Ateara
Boundaries and Blessings | @forkshighschooler
Sam Uley has always been more than your brother—he’s been your father figure, your protector, and the one constant in your life. When fate makes Quil your imprint, everything Sam built around you threatens to crack. Torn between loyalty to Sam and the pull of the imprint, you’re forced to navigate family, love, and the meaning of trust.
Hey 👋 is there any more Love At First Bite planned? I love it 😀
Hello love!
So happy to hear you are loving Love At First Bite!! ❤️🥰 I love writing that little series and I do have plans to continue with a few more short blurbs! I'm currently working on a fic that should be posted in the next day or two and then I'll likely upload another part to LAFB!! thank you for the love and support on that fic!! ❤️❤️
Characters & Pairings: JQ!Johnny Storm x Dhampir!reader
Content Warnings: lots of fluff, they fucking love each other man, injury, canon divergence, suggestive content (18+ MDNI) Johnny matches her freak and loves dangerous women | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 2.k
Premise: If there was one thing Johnny and his blood-drinking, day-walking, half-vamp/half-human loving partner loved to do it was flirt and show the world how down bad they had it for one another...even in the midst of fighting against a group of thieves causing their long-awaited date-night to be put on hold.
note: thank you to everyone for the feedback and inbox messages showing the love for this little series!! I love writing it and honestly didn't think it'd get much attention 🥹❤️ hope you enjoy this continuation of our favorite hothead and his badass dhampir 😏
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“This wasn’t how I envisioned date night to go, hotshot.”
Johnny soared through the air, letting the wind kiss his flames as he became a physical shooting star in the night sky. Her voice filled his com, causing a chuckle to leave his lips, “When duty calls, darling, you can’t just let it go to voicemail.” He received a light scoff.
“One can try.”
Below on the ground, Johnny scanned the streets lit by the array of buildings and businesses still operating in the dark hours. The hours in which one sees a plethora of various characters if they decide to take a midnight stroll. Shop owners closing down. Drunks stumbling out the bars. College kids on the hunt for the next party. Couples on first, second, and twentieth dates.
Nightwalkers on the prowl.
Johnny flew downward, landing light on his feet in an alley two blocks from the location the call came in from. Cracking his knuckles as he eyed the shadow of his silhouette, casted thanks to the full moon above, mirroring his movements. And when a second shadow appeared in a blink, a smirk etched his face. “I’ll make it up to you, Bats.”
“I know you will,” the reply didn’t hide her amusement, Johnny turning his head to see it coating her expression, enhanced by the blue hue of the moon’s glow cast over her. It made her already dark eyes look like pure obsidian. And Johnny didn’t shy from letting his gaze drift low, taking in her attire consisting of a black turtle neck tucked into cargo pants and leather trench coat. Tactical vest over her chest and combat boots. Sword holstered on her back, knives and guns strapped to thighs.
Blade always teased her for copying his style. But let’s be real, she wore it better.
Whistling, Johnny let his tongue run across his bottom lip, “Damn, baby. Could’ve given me a warning--new look you’re trying out?”
“Oh this thing?” She casually gave herself a once over, “actually you’re looking at the OG, Torch. Before that fancy suit you like so much, I donned this get up for years--slaying nightwalkers and chasing bad guys.”
Johnny eyed her, not hiding his delight, “I love it, doll. Reminds me of that sci-fi movie we watched with Bob and Joaquin the other night.” Snapping his fingers, he fought to recall the name. “The one with that actor you love. Where they’re trapped in a simulation--.”
“The Matrix?”
“Yes!” he shouted, jumping lightly resulting in a stare of amusement from her. “The Matrix--that’s the one! You look like the main guy.” The comparison earned him a chuckle.
“You know that ain’t the first time that analogy has been made,” the comment made him laugh with her. “Heard it quite a lot when I first joined the Avengers. God, Walker used to give me a headache--called me Neo on every mission.”
Johnny made a face, “Well….” her narrowed eyes cut him off before he could finish the sentence. “No, no, I won’t call you that, darling. You have my word.”
“Good.” Focusing back on the task at hand, she withdrew her sword when the sound of footsteps in the distance filled her ears. Johnny followed the movement, mesmerized by the way she handled the blade and took a defensive stance, his own enhanced senses picking up on the approaching threat. “You ready, Torch?”
“Always when I have the best partner by my side,” he flirted, adjusting his gloves before leaning forward with puckered lips. “Good luck kiss?”
As if she could resist him.
Taking his chin with a gentle touch, she met him halfway, offering a sweet kiss that brought warmth to both their chests, noses barely brushing together as they pulled away. Not satisfied, however, Johnny stole one more causing a laugh to escape her.
“Try not to get greedy,” she warned with a playful edge, knowing how he got when it came to running missions with her. Always trying to show off despite her constant caution to prevent him from doing something stupid.
Johnny’s response was a knowing smirk, tempted to steal another kiss but refrained. “Try to keep up, baby.”
“Oh, Torch,” the moonlight hit her face at the right angle, a princess of darkness staring back at him. “You know better than to challenge me.” She was gone in a flash, speeding toward the threat leaving a gush of wind to smack Johnny in the face, body instinctively jolting from the sudden action.
Huffing, smirk still plastered on his face, Johnny shook his head, “Gotta love date night,” and ignited the alley in an explosion of fire, soaring into the sky.
The mission didn’t last too long--they usually never did when you have a half-human/half-vampire hybrid and a sun in the shape of a human fighting side by side. Whereas Johnny lit up the night and made his presence known to throw an enemy off, Y/n stalked the shadows to strike where they least expect it.
Despite their teammates complaining of their constant flirting during missions and trying to one up the other, they had to admit the couple worked better together. The few times Sam or Reed split them up led to mistakes and distraction. Johnny felt antsy, unable to stop the thoughts from pooling in his mind. Worried Y/n go feral, something he always got onto her about, or she’d get hurt on the job.
Then there were the times Johnny got reckless when she wasn’t there which led to injuries. For example, the previous mission involved a flying piece of debris and bruises on 40% of his body.
So yeah, he liked to avoid missions that kept them separate.
“Johnny, baby,” her voice sing-songed, the heat on his already flamed cheeks increasing, “You going to catch that stray beelining to the ferry or do I have to do it?” Turning his body toward the docks from his position in the sky, Johnny caught the figure racing to the vessel before looking back down to where his partner was currently occupied fighting three others. The ones he dealt with unconscious to the side thanks to his blasts of fire sending them into walls.
“Well since you’ve got your hands full, I guess I can spare my own,” she could hear his smile, picturing the cocky expression he bore causing her eyes to roll.
“Clock is ticking, Torch,” she swung the handle of a knife against the temple of her assailant, knocking him out cold. “You promised to make it up to me. And my patience..,” Her leg extended to kick another to the chest. “Is wearing thin.”
Johnny was moving, soaring to the docks in record speed, “Don’t worry, darling, we’ll be out of here in no time. Then it’s you, me, the dance floor at O’Grady’s….,” cutting downward, Johnny grabbed the guy by his collar, resulting in a scream to pierce the air, and returned to the area she was waiting for him, where he flung the man onto the gravel allowing her to finish him off by deploying her taser.
He dropped down next to her, admiring their handwork consisting of twenty or so dudes unconscious, letting out low groans, before finishing his sentence with, “A strawberry milkshake--one straw,” he held up a finger, “a basket of fries, and a nice hot bath to finish the night.”
Her expression was full of amusement, the corner of her lips lifting as she hummed while collecting the briefcase of stolen nuclear codes they were tasked to retrieve, “One straw, huh?”
“That’s correct.”
“You trying to show me off, Storm? I heard that was a common display of affection back in the day.”
Stepping forward, his arm went across her waist, pulling their bodies close, “I’m always trying to show you off, baby. How could I not?” Once again, his gaze traveled the length of her body, gloved hands running along the smooth leather covering her lower back. “I’ve got the most beautiful woman in the universe in my arms. It’d be a crime to not show the people you’re mine.”
She can’t stop the chuckle from leaving her, hand stroking the length of his arm before migrating up cup his neck. “We still have to report back to Sam and Reed,” she tells him, fingers tangling in his soft, blonde hair. “And get out of these suits,” her tone shifts, low and sensual, “not to mention freshen up. And it’s…” she flicked her arm up to check her watch, “nearly eleven on the dot and O’Grady’s closes at two. You sure we got time to do all that, Torch?”
“Report can wait ‘til morning,” he leans down to capture her lips in a kiss, “We can share a shower,” another kiss, this one hungrier. “And you can wear that pretty little dress you wore to last month’s gala.” She knew exactly which one he was referring to, causing heat to rise along her cheeks.
“The gold one with the deep neckline…”
“That sparkled like the night sky,” he finished, joining their lips together once more before pulling away. “What do you say, Bats?”
“I say,” she trailed off, leaning close to his ear. It caused him to shiver as he felt her breath fawn over the skin. “Race you there, hotshot.”
The couple did in fact make it to O’Grady’s--skipping the mandatory post-mission report they reserved for the morning and sharing a long shower that included more than just freshening up--,where they spent the last three business hours on the dance floor before finishing the night off with a strawberry milkshake and basket of fries. Stolen kisses between bites and sips, neither able to keep their hands to themselves, and ignoring the constant baffled looks of patrons who couldn’t believe they were in the presence of the most iconic couple on the planet.
“You need to feed?” Johnny asked as they made their way to the WatchTower, hands entwined and her head on his shoulder. It’d been a while since she had blood, and Johnny made it a point to keep track of when she did as to not have her go feral or become weakened during a mission.
“Not tonight,” she replied, lifting her head off his shoulder, “I will soon though, within the next week.”
Johnny made a note in his head, “You need me to get--.”
“Already stocked,” she assured, gently squeezing his hand. “I think after the last time I know better than to put it off.” The tone of her voice held a slight edge, scolding herself for her own actions that nearly caused severe consequences. And before she could stop herself, her gaze drifted to his forearm, where the bite mark laid beneath his denim jacket sleeve. “I don’t want that to ever happen again.”
His hand squeezed her back, head tilting to press his lips to her temple and draw her thoughts away. “You’re doing it again,” his face softened, pulling her chin up so they were looking into each other's eyes, thumb stroking the edge of her jaw. “Where you get inside your head--start blaming yourself for something long forgiven.”
She smiled, albeit small and sad. He knew her too well. “Can’t help it sometimes, Torch.”
“I know,” he didn’t brush off her feelings. He didn’t scold her. He didn’t spew a whole monologue about how she needs to not feel guilty for something that was out of her hands and how it was his choice to offer her his blood to save her. He’s said that one too many times to count after it happened.
No, she just needed reassurance. To feel safe with her thoughts and feelings around him. To know he’d support her, hold her when she felt down, listen to her words. That was what love was about.
Gently bringing her lips to his, the kiss was short but full of all the love he stored for her. And when he pulled away, he kept his fingers on the edge of her jaw, admiring the way the moon cast a beautiful glow on her mesmerizing features. “You ready for that hot bath I promised you?”
She leaned into his touch, letting out a sigh full of content and brushed her lips against his in one final kiss. “I’ve been waiting all night, hotshot.”
Another Lap Around The Sun 🎂 | Johnny Storm Imagine
Marvel Masterlist
Characters & Pairings: JQ!Johnny Storm x female!reader
Content Warnings: super duper fluffy! no use of Y/n or physical descriptions. | female!reader (she/her) | wc: 2.0k
Premise: For the rest of the world, it was a normal day, but for Johnny Storm, it was one of the most special days of the year. The love of his life's birthday, and what better way to celebrate than to begin the day with a comfy breakfast in bed….and praying he doesn't set the building on fire.
Note: It's my birthday tomorrow!! Happy Virgo season to my fellow Virgos and happy birthday to anyone else celebrating their special day on the 31st of August! 🥳🥳 I got this little inspo today and thought it was fitting since I will be celebrating my birthday by going to see Fantastic Four again 💀💀 Hope you enjoy this little fluffy blurb!! ❤️❤️
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To others, it was an ordinary day, but to Johnny Storm it was the day the love of his life entered the world. A perfect morning to a perfect celebration, Johnny stood in the kitchen in his typical pajamas, smooth jazz playing from the record player and an open cookbook displaying the recipe for his love’s favorite dessert on the counter. Herbie moved through the kitchen gathering ingredients and passing the time by preparing a breakfast tray for Johnny to add with the baked goods.
Pinching his brows, he concentrated on adding the correct amount of flour, vanilla extract, sugar, and all things sweet and good. By no means was Johnny Storm, world class superhero and occasional golfer, a baker by any means. Ben kicks him out of the kitchen, Sue scolds him for burning food, and Herbie does his best to do damage control if his love is busy to do it herself. But today, Johnny Storm put aside his fire and space loving ways to learn a new skill.
Baking her favorite sweets.
Coffee brewed, igniting the smell of roast to the already aroma of bacon grease and French toast. Eggs frying on the skillet, a flight of jam spreads and butter for a stack of bread waiting to be toasted. Johnny kept checking the time in between whisking the batter, making sure his love remained in her slumber while he orchestrated the perfect birthday breakfast for her.
He woke up at the crack of dawn. A rarity considering it was his day off and he usually spent those in bed for a few more hours snuggling her until she had to leave for work or they got the chance to be lazy all day. But today was different. Sue gave him the day, knowing it was a special one and assured him she along with Reed and Ben would handle any city-saving situation should it happen and they’d meet for dinner and presents later that night.
The sun was barely off the horizon when Johnny placed the baking pan in the oven, Herbie finished cutting an assortment of fruits to plate on the French toast, leaving the remainder in a bowl to pick on. Setting a timer, he busied himself cleaning what he could and setting up the tray, sneaking pieces of fruits in between and checking the clock again because at any moment the delivery guy would arrive with a bouquet of her favorite flowers.
He raced to the elevator doors when they sounded, signing off on the flowers and thanking the guy with a beaming smile, who gave a salute and went on his way. Johnny carried the bouquet to the kitchen, setting them on the counter and proceeded to quietly enter the bedroom towards his side of the wardrobe. He sneaked a glance to the bed, pleased to find her still asleep, and a soft smile etched his face at the sight of her cuddling his pillow, nuzzling her nose into the fabric as she let out a content sigh.
The smile never left as he kneeled to open the bottom drawer where he kept his golf attire, lifting the pile of polos and reaching until he found the envelope containing her card and one of the many birthday gifts he hid in their shared suite. Clutching the envelope in his fingers, Johnny reached further into the drawer until he hit the backboard and then inched his fingers to the left where they met a velvet box. He didn’t remove it, no, that was for a later date, the memory of her comment to a friend when she thought he wasn’t listening that she despises when people propose on birthdays and holidays.
Johnny already had a date set for when that little velvet box would get its moment to shine. It was on the horizon, a few weeks to be exact. He needed to finish up a few details with the help of his sister and then everything would be perfect.
Taping the box twice, Johnny retracted his hand and put the polos back in their place. Closing the drawer as quietly as he could, he stood from his kneeling position and tiptoed his way out of the room. Back in the kitchen, the timer counted down two minutes and so Johnny positioned the card on the flowers and began platting the finished food. He scooped the fried eggs on a plate, the strips of bacon beside it, next to that was a few pieces of toast. He put the plate on the tray first, then put the bowl of mixed fruit, some napkins, and two forks.
He grabbed their favorite coffee mugs and placed them in front of the pot, right as the buzzer sounded and he carefully removed the pan to place on the stovetop. Letting it cool, he prepared their coffee while Herbie plated the French toast, topping it with syrup, whip cream, and several of the fruits. The little flight of jams added to the tray, and finally Johnny plated the baked goods and placed them in the center of the tray, topped with a large candle. There were still some leftovers in the baking sheet, but those were reserved for his family knowing she’d be upset for them to miss out on some homemade goodies.
“I think we did pretty good, Herbert,” he beamed, hands on his hips as he took in the final product. Herbie let out an agreeing sound, the blonde extending his fist for the robot to bump and they shared a laugh. “Alright, big man,” he placed the mugs on a separate, smaller tray, “you take the flowers and coffee, I’ll handle the main event.”
Passing the two things over, Johnny gathered the tray in his hands, balancing it carefully so as to not let his hard work get ruined and left the kitchen. Herbie followed behind, Johnny light on his feet as they approached the bedroom where the door was still slightly ajar from where he left it. Once he got in front of the door he heard rustling and peaked inside to see her beginning to rouse, her hand coming to her face to rub her eyes.
Not needing a lighter, Johnny lit a flame with the snap of his fingers and brought it to the candle, the glow of orange and yellow lighting the hallway, and he gave a gentle knock before pushing the door open. Right on time too, as his gaze landed on his beautiful partner beginning to remove the comforter.
“Not so fast, darling,” he watched her jump in surprise, head snapping to his direction which led to a gasp. “You aren’t leaving that bed anytime soon.” Now usually when Johnny Storm spoke those words, he referred to something else that kept her in bed.
Her expression softened, adjusting her body to sit up on the mattress, “Johnny, you shouldn’t have.” Pressing her back to the headboard, she watched with adoration as he came around the bed, carefully placing the tray on her lap and laid a kiss on her forehead.
“You didn’t think I’d skip out on showing my love and devotion to you on the day you came into this world, now did you?” He teased, leaning down to now kiss her lips. He pressed, one, two, three kisses before pulling away, grabbing the flowers from Herbie to which earned him another gasp.
“Wow, breakfast in bed and flowers.” The smile she wore was wide, matching the sparkling wonder of her eyes as she watched him place the vase on the nightstand. “What did I do to deserve such treatment on my birthday?”
Johnny grinned, scratching Herbie on the head before taking the steaming mugs held out to him. “Oh you know, just putting up with the most hotheaded man on the planet and being the most wonderful person in the entire universe.” Walking around to his side of the bed, he handed her the mug and crawled into the space beside her, offering a nonchalant shrug. “Not because I love you or would move heaven and Earth for you.”
“Oh of course not,” she hummed, eyes full of mischief as she brought the cup to her mouth. Inhaling the scent before taking a sip, which resulted in a content sigh. “Johnny Storm in love? Devoted to his partner? Your fan club would go up in flames.” She couldn’t help but chuckle at her own remark, which Johnny also found humorous.
Herbie let out a whizzing sound, gaining the attention of the woman, who grinned and patted his head. “Thank you, Herbs. I know he couldn’t have prepared this on his own.” Johnny gasped in offense.
“Excuse me, I’ll have you know I baked this all on my own!” He pointed to his masterpiece, the candle still burning. “Speaking of, make a wish, my love.”
She let out a squeak, handing the mug to Herbie, who happily held it for her while she leaned into Johnny and closed her eyes. A second passed, then two before she opened them and leaned forward, blowing the candle out with a puff of air. Light smoke released and she gave a clap of her hands while Johnny kissed the side of her head.
“Happy birthday, baby.”
“Thank you, Johnny,” hands came up to cradle his face, kissing his lips so softly it made him melt. “This is beautiful. It’s everything I could’ve wished for to start the day. You truly outdid yourself.” Herbie hummed, causing her to laugh when Johnny went in for another kiss. She pulled away to look at the robot, “And thank you for all your hard work and supervision, Herbie.” She took the mug back, kissing her fingers to then press onto his head. The robot let out a series of hummed giggles, telling her happy birthday once more before taking his cue to leave.
Once Herbie was gone, Johnny extended his hand holding the mug, "Cheers, babe, to another lap around the sun."
Clinking her mug with his, she grinned, "to another lap around the sun." They both brought the steaming cups to their mouths, sipping the liquid gold as it the heat hit their face.
“Well, darling, where do you want to start?” Johnny handed her a fork, putting his mug on his nightstand before moving the tray so it was more on his lap than hers to give her room.
“I don’t know,” she flickered between the assortment of breakfast foods in front of her. Debating on whether to dig into the French toast or start with a piece of crispy bacon. “Everything smells and looks so good.”
Johnny cut some of the French toast with his fork, making the decision for her after he saw the way she was eyeing it. “Open wide,” he held it toward her mouth, laughing when the blob of whip cream got on her nose. She shrieked before falling into laughter while she chewed, humming with content as she gave him a thumbs up, “that’s some good French toast, Storm.”
“Glad I got it right,” he brought his own forkful to his mouth, making the same sound of approval. “It was either this or waffles, but I thought you’d prefer this since we had waffles last week.”
“You were right to assume,” she went for the bacon next, munching on it between sips of coffee.
The atmosphere of the room was peaceful as they sat in their shared bed, feeding each other fruits and sneaking kisses in between bites. They devoured the eggs and bacon, took turns on the French toast and treated themselves to a slice of toast. When it came time to have the baked goods as dessert, she gave him a knowing look, “you saved some for the others?”
Johnny threw back the last gulp of his coffee, setting the empty mug on the nightstand, “I sure did. Enough for everyone---and for Franklin to have a little extra if my sister allows it.”
“Good,” her tone was pleased, beginning to dive into the sweet treat. “I’d hate for them to miss out on your creation.” Before she took a bite, her gaze turned soft again, eyes filled with love at the man beside her who captured her heart and soul. “Thank you again, Johnny. This meant everything to me--and I know you put a lot of dedication into doing this.”
Johnny cradled the back of her neck with his hand, bringing her forward until their foreheads touched, “Anything for you, my darling darling girl.” He kissed her gently, placing one more on her forehead. “I know you mentioned not wanting to do a lot for your birthday, but you deserve getting special treatment today.”
She made a face, “you give me special treatment everyday, Johnny.”
been seeing a lot of posts recently about people using AI to write fics, and i’ve said this before through tags and reblogs but decided to make an actual post about it: i don’t use any kind of AI for my writing. not for prompts, not for correcting my mistakes, not for any descriptions, not for anything. it takes me time and research and sometimes it messes up my sleeping schedule but i do it gladly because i love writing. i think it’s miserably sad that we have to do these kinds of disclaimers nowadays, but i’m adding one to my navigation post too, just in case.
Idk did you show your support? Did you comment? Did you reblog? Did you tell them you appreciate what they do for free? Or did you just lurk in the shadows while the writer decided to stop sharing free work with you?
Like, comment, and reblog people!! It costs nothing, and you can just say “thank you for writing this.” It makes every writer’s day! We're literally not asking for money; we're just asking for support.
