At Last (Part 3)
Catch up on this series here
Pairing: Johnny Storm x F!Soulmate!Reader
Word Count: 6.4k (whew)
Warnings: cursing, fluff, mentions of anxiety, an angsty cliffhanger (sryyyyy)
A/N: well folks, you asked for the press and I hope I delivered, but my brain went in a slightly different direction afterwards. the coma cannon, frightful four and bentley wittman are all comic accurate so do with that information what you will heheh. there will be a part 4!
Johnny mindlessly traced his fingers up and down your arm as he lay in bed across from you, his eyes flitting all around your face. Your legs were tangled together, his free hand entwined with yours.
“You’re staring again,” you said quietly with a smile, not yet ready to completely dissolve the quiet morning the two of you had been having for the last half hour.
He smirked, mirroring your quiet voice when he spoke. “I can’t help it, you’re so pretty.”
Butterflies swirled around your chest as you grinned and pulled him closer, his nose touching yours. “You are so pretty.” You kissed him, silencing whatever counter he was about to offer.
He pulled away first after a few seconds and looked at you again, his eyes narrowing in thought just slightly before resuming the tracing of your arm with his fingers.
You poked his stomach. “What are you thinking about?”
Johnny paused and captured your hand in his, the expression on his face suddenly more serious, his eyes vulnerable. “Move in with me.”
You raised your eyebrows in surprise. You had been with your soulmate for four months now, and though the two of you had been engaged basically the entire time, you’d never talked about moving in together. Truthfully, both of you had been too busy trying to hide your relationship from the public. And it was tricky.
Not only were reporters, paparazzi and the public constantly lingering around the Baxter building and pretty much every corner of NYC, but they were also constantly pestering Johnny in interviews about his latest relationships. Before Johnny had met you, the press had only mentioned his soulmate in interviews a handful of times due to the fact that he almost always had a different woman on his arm. But, obviously since he met you, he was no longer being photographed with droves of women. For the last four months, the only photographs taken of him were him alone or with the other members of the Fantastic Four. And the press was starting to notice.
The worst instance of pressure from the media was when Ted Gilbert, a popular late night television host, had Johnny on his show last month.
“So, Johnny, I can’t help but notice you haven’t been around as many women lately.”
You and Violet watched from your living room, your hands wringing together nervously in anticipation of the direction this interview was suddenly going in.
Johnny chuckled, looking at ease as he sat in the armchair across from Ted. “Ah, yeah, I’ve been a little too busy lately for the dating scene.”
Ted quirked his brow, flashing a smirk. “Are you sure it’s not because you’ve met a special someone?”
“Oohs” and “aahs” erupted from the live audience, and you shared a nervous look with Violet.
Johnny swallowed, a look of surprise briefly flashing across his face before he schooled his features into placidity. He forced out a chuckle. “Ah, I’m fairly certain, Ted.”
“Ehhhh, I’m not so sure…”
You rolled your eyes. Who does this guy think he is?
“Why’s that?”
Ted leaned in, folding his hands together. “Well, you haven’t been photographed with a single woman in the last few months. If I may be so bold, that seems very out of the ordinary for you. I just can’t help but wonder if it’s because of a little special someone, that’s all. Like a *soulmate* kind of special…”
You could see in Johnny’s eyes, even through the screen, that he was irritated. But the several years of PR training from your firm kept him calm and collected. “I’ve certainly dated my fair share of women, I’m not denying that. I’m just taking a break right now to focus on my family, my nephew. But when I do stumble across my soulmate, I’m sure you’ll have it figured out before I even do.”
Johnny had been lightly scolded by your boss afterwards for being “sassy,” but you had supported him. You’d personally been seeing the toll the press took on the Fantastic Four, and you couldn’t blame him for getting slightly argumentative with such invasive questions. The superhero group loved their fans, considered them a second family, but the constant prying certainly did a number on them.
Thankfully, you had yet to be spotted and identified. The only people who knew you were Johnny Storm’s soulmate was the Four and Violet. You and Johnny had done a very good job of being discrete, usually in the form of late night visits to your house with him wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses to avoid any recognition. And being with him was amazing, it really was. Half of you didn’t care that you were essentially having to sneak around with your soulmate because you were just thankful you’d found each other at all.
But the other half of you just wanted to be with him. In the daylight, on the street, in a restaurant, at the movies. You just wanted to be with him. Go on dates in public. And you knew that it would never be normal, it would never be two regular people out on a date being left alone, but you were okay with that. You had come to terms with the fact that you would be photographed wherever you went, that strangers would constantly talk about you and to you. The world would be watching. And at this point, you were ready, as long as it meant you were finally free to be with him.
“Really?” You sat up, and he followed. “You know that means we’ll have to tell the world about us, right? Keeping this a secret won’t really be doable anymore.”
Johnny nodded. “I’m getting a little tired of sneaking around.” He sighed, looking down and picking at his bedsheets with a furrowed brow. “I’ve loved getting to have you all to myself, but I also just want to be able to.. to be with you, you know?”
You smiled because of course you knew. “I completely agree.”
Johnny continued as if he hadn’t heard you. “And I want to be able to keep you safe. If you’re here with all of us, it would help me breathe easier, I think. And I know you wouldn’t just be moving in with me, obviously there’s my sister, and my brother in law, and my nephew, and Ben, but you’re my family now too, so it just—“
“Johnny,” you chuckled, taking his hand and bringing his focus back up to you. “I’m with you. 100%. I would love to move in with you.”
Johnny beamed, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “Really?”
“Duh.”
He immediately stood up on his bed, fists raised in the air. “MY SOULMATE IS MOVING IN WITH ME!”
Your laughter was interrupted by the sound of Sue yelling from the kitchen. “Johnny, can you please keep it down? It’s 8 in the morning! Your nephew is trying to sleep!”
Johnny remained standing on his bed as he faced his bedroom door. “I CAN’T KEEP IT DOWN BECAUSE Y/N IS MOVING IN WITH US.” He looked down at you with a grin as you both waited for her response.
“FINALLY!”
***
“We’re going to need some safety protocols for this, obviously.”
After you and Johnny had announced to the rest of the team that you were moving in, Reed had called you all in for an “emergency” family meeting in the lab.
Johnny sat beside you, one hand in your lap fiddling with the engagement ring on your finger and the other drumming an invisible tune on his thigh. He playfully rolled his eyes. “Aaand here we go.”
“Announcing Y/n’s existence to the world is automatically going to put her in danger, Johnny,” Reed said plainly. “We have a lot of enemies, enemies that could use her to get to us. We need to have some protocols in place to keep her protected. She doesn’t have powers like we do.”
Johnny swallowed harshly, sharing a look with you as he subconsciously squeezed your hand in his. “Protocols like what?”
“I’m glad you asked.”
Reed flipped over the chalkboard to reveal dozens of equations and drawings that had your eyes bugging out of your head. You couldn’t understand for the life of you what any of it meant, and his writing completely covered the entire board.
Reed went on to explain all of the added surveillance around the Baxter Building, along with newer ways to track their most notorious adversaries, and even some kind of…cannon?
“Sorry, did you say coma cannon?” You asked, finally speaking up.
Johnny chuckled aloud, shaking his head and ignoring the glare Reed was giving him.
Reed paused, looking uncomfortable before glancing at Sue. “Yes, I…well I originally created it to subdue Franklin during his nightmares. His powers are a bit…unpredictable as of late. But I thought it may be a good idea for you to keep on hand when we’re away, should anything happen.”
“And when were you going to tell me you created a cannon gun to put our son into a coma during nightmares?” Sue asked, arms crossed and brow quirked as she leaned against the wall.
“Probably don’t wanna know,” Ben said, bouncing Franklin on his knee.
Reed scratched his forehead awkwardly, clearing his throat. “Y/n, do you have any questions?”
All eyes were on you. To be honest, you really didn’t even know if you had any questions. You thought you had mentally prepared yourself for the massive publicity about to come your way, but you felt a little out of your element now. Knowing you’ll likely be in danger is one thing, but hearing it straight from Mister Fantastic’s mouth is quite another.
“I’m a little overwhelmed,” you admitted. Your nerves calmed just slightly when Johnny pressed a reassuring kiss to your knuckles.
“We’ll protect you,” Johnny said, looking into your eyes. “I promise.”
“Nerves are very understandable,” Reed said. “I’m sorry to overload you with all of this; I just want to make sure the two of you are prepared. And if it makes you feel better, I’m going to have HERBIE stay behind with you when we’re away on our first few missions after your announcement.”
You smiled and nodded. Honestly, it did make you feel better. Over the last few months, you had watched HERBIE help the Fantastic Four with countless tasks, and you had even started to understand him a little bit. A few weeks ago HERBIE told you he had spotted Johnny’s ring on your finger the night of the gala, and that’s why he had approached you, helping you onto the floor where Johnny was located. Who knew the little guy had set everything in motion that night?
“Thank you,” you said earnestly.
Ben piped up from his spot on the other side of you. “So, when are you two gonna make the big announcement?”
*
Two weeks and one move-in later, you were backstage at the Ted Gilbert show, heart racing and hand gripping Johnny’s in a vice.
“Hey,” Johnny muttered from beside you.
Your eyes were glued to the live television audience sitting in their seats mere yards away from your spot behind the curtain. You swallowed harshly, not even realizing Johnny had spoken to you until he stepped into your field of vision, his eyes looking at you with concern.
“Baby, you’re shaking.” He gently placed his hands on your cheeks. “Breathe with me, okay? In, and out.”
You followed his instructions, shutting your eyes and breathing on his count, but it did nothing to calm your pounding heart.
Johnny nervously glanced over at his sister, who was leaning on the hair and makeup counter backstage. She gave him a sympathetic expression and shrugged. He looked back to you. “You know we don’t have to do this, right? We can just go home, call it a day.”
You shook your head, opening your eyes. “No, we’re going to have to do this sometime. Might as well be now, right?”
His thumb stroked your cheek. “Only if you’re sure. Just say the word and we’re out of here, okay?”
You nodded, opening your mouth to respond when Ted Gilbert himself approached the two of you.
“Ah, so this is the soulmate that has won Johnny Storm’s heart!” He gave you a big grin, holding his hand out for you to shake. “Ted Gilbert, lovely to meet you.”
Forcing a smile onto your face that you hoped didn’t look petrified, you took his hand, shaking it. “I’m Y/n, it’s nice to meet you.”
Ted looked at Johnny knowingly, pointing a finger at him. “Didn’t I tell you I knew you’d found your someone?”
Johnny fought the urge to roll his eyes but acquiesced, only so Ted would walk away.
“Your boss lady should be here any second,” Ted spoke to you as the camera man on stage loudly started counting down. “Good luck out there!”
Ted moved the curtain aside and the audience went wild, standing up in their seats and clapping for their favorite television host. He seemed to bask in their attention, hands waving and a grin on his face. The countdown finally reached the 10-second mark, and you suddenly felt like you were about to vomit.
“Y/n!”
Your boss, Lynne, approached from behind, a warm hand on your shoulder and an excited smile on her face. Honestly, you weren’t close with her, but just seeing another familiar face that knew exactly how much this moment meant soothed your nerves slightly. “You really did need that gala ticket, didn’t you?”
That made you laugh out loud, grateful for the momentary distraction. “Had to meet my soulmate somehow.”
She chuckled, reaching out to shake Johnny’s hand in greeting. “Apparently so! How are you feeling?”
“3…2…1, you’re live!”
You turned around at the sound of the cameraman and saw the “ON AIR” sign suddenly glow red, and Ted Gilbert began his routine greeting. You gulped. “Terrified.”
Lynne gave you a sympathetic smile, ushering the two of you a few feet away from the curtain to avoid being heard. “I understand. But the world loves the Fantastic Four, they love Johnny Storm. It’s inevitable that they’ll love you, too.”
Johnny pulled you close, wrapping an arm around your waist. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her.”
You inhaled through your nose and out through your mouth in an attempt to steel yourself. “I hope you’re right.”
“Just be yourself. That’s what got you Johnny in the first place,” she said, giving you a wink.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we have got a major news story to break to you all today with some very special guests,” Ted began from the stage.
Lynne gestured for you and Johnny to step up onto a round platform behind the curtain. “Places, everyone,” she whispered.
“If you all remember, a few months ago I had the one and only Mr. Johnny Storm on our stage.” The audience whoop’d and hollered, and Ted waited for the audience to calm down before he resumed speaking. “And I told him I had my suspicions that he had found his special someone, his soulmate, do you all remember that?”
You interlocked your fingers with Johnny’s, knees shaking as you stood on the platform. You gave him a pleading look, but pleading for what, you didn’t know. You could barely form a coherent thought, you were so anxious.
Johnny squeezed your hand, taking your other in his as well. “I love you so much, you know that?” You nodded. “I’ve got you. I’m right here.”
“I love you too.” He snuck a quick kiss to your lips at that, giving you that signature grin that always made you swoon.
“Well, folks, it turns out I was correct. Johnny Storm has indeed met his soulmate, and the two of them are HERE TODAY!”
The audience sounded shocked, you swore you heard a couple of young girls yell out a desperate “Noooo!”, but then the surprise turned to excitement, and clapping and cheering erupted.
Johnny nudged your shoulder, smiling. “See? They love you already.”
“Ladies and Gentleman, let’s hear it for Johnny Storm and his lovely soulmate,
Y/n L/n!”
The curtains opened, and bright shining overhead lights burned your eyes. You squinted, your hand coming up to shield your eyes as you blinked furiously. Johnny kept his arm around your waist, his free hand up in the air to wave at the audience as he gave them a charming smile. The audience members were all cheering wildly, or so you were assuming, because you couldn’t hear anything over the sudden ringing in your ears.
Johnny helped you off the platform, his hand never leaving your lower back as he walked the two of you over to Ted. On the stage you could make out three cushioned chairs, where you were meant to sit down. I need to sit down, you thought suddenly. Your heart was in your throat, knees feeling weak, buzzing still in your ears, your eyes barely able to see as they still fought to adjust to the blindingly bright lights.
You faintly registered Johnny waving to all the audience members for a few more moments before taking your hand in his and helping you sit down. A muffled voice rang out from beside you, but it didn’t completely strike you until Ted Gilbert put his hand on your shoulder. The buzzing noise in your ears suddenly turned to silence as you blinked, your focus now on the television host to your left as Johnny remained on your right.
Ted was looking at you like he was waiting for you to respond, but you had no idea what he said. “I’m sorry?”
Ted chuckled, and the audience’s laughter followed. You flushed, embarrassment creeping up your neck. God, this is already going horribly, you thought.
“Looks like someone’s a little nervous,” Ted teased. You could feel Johnny’s hand squeeze your knee, grounding you. “How about we give Y/n another round of applause, yeah?”
Ted and the audience erupted in claps, Johnny giving you a reassuring smile from beside you, which you attempted to return.
Ted held his hand up after a few moments, silencing the crowd. “Y/n, I have to say, it is pretty incredible to have you here today. I think I speak for everyone when I say we really didn’t expect Johnny Storm to settle down anytime soon!”
It felt like all of your PR training and schooling had gone out the window. Your mind went blank. You had no idea what to say, honestly. You opened your mouth, searching for the words, blood pumping wildly in your ears as you searched for a response.
“I didn’t expect it either,” Johnny said from beside you. You exhaled in relief. “But as soon as I saw her, I was done for. I haven’t been the same since.”
The audience let out a collective Awwww at his words.
“Adorable! Can you tell us how you met? Y/n, I’d love to hear your perspective especially. It’s not every day you run into a superhero!”
1…Inhale through your nose…2…exhale through your mouth…
“I met him at a fundraiser,” you said, the steadiness in your voice shocking even you. “I work at the PR firm that represents the Fantastic Four. I had to beg my boss for a ticket.”
Several members of the audience chuckled, and you felt yourself relax just a tinge. Maybe they don’t hate me?
“Did you have any idea that Mr. Storm was your soulmate?”
You shook your head, placing your hand over Johnny’s. “I had no idea. I only knew that my soulmate had some kind of connection to the Fantastic Four.”
Ted leaned in, curious. “How do you mean?”
You looked over at Johnny, who gave you an encouraging nod. “Well, um, a couple of years ago on New Years I was sent an…interesting gift from my soulmate…” Johnny chuckled from beside you, and you found yourself mirroring his smile at the memory.
“Tell us what it was!” Ted exclaimed.
“It was a Johnny Storm collectible action figure.”
The audience erupted in laughter, and you couldn’t help but giggle. Your nerves were finally settling, your nervous system no longer on overload as you watched your soulmate laugh with ease from beside you.
Ted was eating this up. “An action figure of yourself, Johnny? A little on the nose, don’t you think?” he teased.
You took the opportunity of not having all eyes on you to look out at the audience, your eyes squinting again as they adjusted to the darkness out in the seated crowd. Your eyes landed on a man with dark hair and a goatee who staring at you like he knew something you didn’t, a smirk on his face that sent chills down your spine. You blinked, turning away from him to face your soulmate instead.
Johnny laughed again, his free hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Ah, yeaaaah…trust me, Ben and Sue did not let me hear the end of that one.”
Laughter continued to ring through the audience. “How long have you two been together now?” Ted asked.
“About 5 and a half months.”
“See!” Ted exclaimed, looking at the audience. “Didn’t I tell you I knew?”
Johnny let out a chuckle, one you knew immediately was fake. “That you did. But we wanted to get to know each other outside of the spotlight, y’know, without any pressure or outside opinions.”
Ted nodded solemnly. “You know, Y/n, I’m just dying to hear what this has been like for you. A regular person whose soulmate is not only a superhero but also a little bit of a heartbreaker. How did you feel when you realized he was the one?”
You gulped, feeling all eyes on you. You looked at Johnny, his sweet and encouraging expression grounding you. “Honestly, this has been the best time of my life,” you said, confidence growing as the audience aww’d once more. “Johnny did have a reputation as a ladies man, I knew that before I met him. But that’s not the Johnny I’ve come to know as my soulmate. He’s romantic, he’s funny, he’s kind and respectful. He’s been completely dedicated to our relationship and I could not be more thankful to have ended up with the best soulmate I could’ve asked for.”
Ted dramatically placed his hand over his heart as the audience clapped loudly at your response. Johnny was looking at you like you hung the moon and the stars, his smile brighter than the lights shining down on you.
“Is that not the sweetest thing you all have ever heard?” Ted asked the audience. “Johnny, what about you? What has it been like to finally settle down?”
Johnny’s eyes were glued to yours, his hand moving from your knee to interlock your fingers together. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He paused, waiting for the audience to calm down, eyes still flitting between yours. For a moment, you were able to drown out everything and everyone else. It was just you and him. “Meeting her changed everything for me, in the best way. She immediately fit in with the family. She’s perfect. It feels like I’ve known her my whole life.”
Your eyes turned glassy at his response, your heart soaring at his words. Truthfully, you were still getting used to being the Johnny Storm’s soulmate, and hearing him talk that way about you and your relationship meant everything to you. He meant everything to you. Without thinking, you leaned in for a sweet kiss, one he met you halfway for. His hand cradled your cheek as he kissed you back, butterflies exploding in your stomach while the audience cheered.
“Truly wonderful,” Ted replied with a grin. “When can I expect to see my wedding invitation in the mail?” He laughed along with the crowd.
Honestly, you and Johnny hadn’t even talked about it yet. You were still unpacking at the Baxter Building, and you’d spent all your time as of late preparing for this interview.
“We’re working on it,” Johnny replied. “Y/n’s getting settled in with us at home, so that’s what we’re focusing on for right now.”
Ted sat up a bit straighter at this admission. “Ah, so you two have moved in together? Big step!”
You and Johnny both nodded. “It is, but it’s one we are very excited about.”
“Well, I think I speak for everyone when I say, congratulations! It has been so wonderful to have you here and to hear your story. Everybody, let’s give one last round of applause for the future Mr. and Mrs. Storm!”
The three of you on stage stood up as the audience cheered and clapped. You tentatively waved at the crowd, a small smile on your face as you looked into the audience. Your eyes immediately found the man again, and he was still staring you down, clapping with that unsettling grin on his face. Uneasiness pooled in your belly and you frowned and looked away, taking a step closer to Johnny.
After waving your goodbyes, you, Johnny and Ted finally walked backstage past the curtain, the audience’s cheers growing muffled the further away you walked. You were about to speak up about the man you saw when Sue came running up to you, engulfing you in a hug.
“You did it! That went so well. How do you feel?”
Truthfully, you felt exhausted. A giant weight was now lifted off your shoulders, but you couldn’t ignore the feeling of dread lingering in the pit of your stomach. “I’m, uh, glad it’s over.”
Sue laughed, a reassuring hand on your upper arm. “I’m sure.”
“You did amazing, baby,” Johnny said, beaming with pride as he hugged you and lifted you off the ground in a twirl. “I told you they’d love you!”
You laughed, squeezing him back. “I guess so.”
“I know so,” Ted remarked from behind you, Johnny and Sue. He smiled as Johnny gently placed you back onto the ground, and you all turned around to face him. “You did wonderful. Anyone with eyes can see how in love you both are.”
Your boss, Lynne, walked over then with a warm expression. “I couldn’t agree more. That went better than I could’ve hoped.”
After several minutes of exchanging pleasantries, Johnny whisked you into the air and in his arms, bridal style. You squealed, wrapping your arms around his neck. “Well, if you’ll all excuse us, my future wife and I have some business to attend to.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Sue sighed and pinched the space between her brows as the others laughed. “Inappropriate!”
***
A few days later and you were adjusting to your new life in the spotlight. Honestly, it wasn’t as scary as you thought it might be. The public appeared to be pretty supportive, people smiling and waving at you on the street, a few strangers here and there asking for your autograph. It was incredibly strange, but also a bit exciting. Because now, you could be with Johnny wherever and whenever you wanted. Now, you were free.
You were currently lounging on the living room couch in the Baxter Building, legs crossed and resting on the coffee table. Johnny and Ben were bickering in the kitchen as per usual, Johnny pestering Ben as he attempted to make dinner. Sue and Reed were in the lab, apparently taking the opportunity of Franklin spending the night with a babysitter to discuss the infamous coma cannon.
You grabbed the remote, flipping through channels until you landed on The Sophia Culbert Show, another popular live television show. You were about to click past it until you heard your name, freezing you in place.
Sophia Culbert, the host, was sitting at her desk talking with another woman you didn’t recognize. “What do you think about Y/n? Has to hurt a little bit seeing your famous ex finally meet his soulmate.”
You paled, swallowing nervously as you took in the woman sitting across from Tessa. Johnny’s ex. She laughed, flipping her blonde hair behind her shoulder. “I’m not worried about it. I mean, do we seriously think *she* is his soulmate?”
Sophia raised her eyebrows, grinning at the drama evidently about to play out. Your heart dropped to your stomach, unable to look away.
“You don’t think Y/n is really Johnny’s soulmate?”
The woman, Johnny’s ex, you repeated to yourself, smirked. “I don’t.”
“Why not?”
“First of all, look at her, and then look at me. Clearly she is not Johnny’s type,” she laughed, and to your horror, so did the live audience. “But also, did you watch their interview? They haven’t even talked about a wedding date. It’s obvious he’s stalling.”
Tears burned at the back of your eyes, your hands clenched into fists. She was obviously jealous, the rational part of you knew that, but her words hit at your deepest insecurities.
“Whatcha watching?” Johnny asked from behind you with a box of cereal in his hand, jumping over the back of the sofa to sit beside you. He looked at the tv and grimaced. “Ew, why are you watching this?”
You were silent, still staring at the screen as the tears you fought back finally slipped down your cheeks.
He turned to you at your lack of response, and his face fell. Instantly he scooted closer to you, his fingers on your chin, gently turning your head towards him. “Hey, hey hey, what’s wrong?”
You shut your eyes, bottom lip trembling as the words continued from the screen.
“So you don’t think Johnny is going to marry her?”
“Not a chance. Like I said, Johnny is stalling this. I think this whole ‘soulmate’ thing is just a PR stunt.”
Johnny’s head whipped towards the television at the words, his worried expression turning angry as he grabbed the remote and turned the TV off, muttering a what the hell. “Sweetheart, look at me.”
You obeyed, glassy eyes looking up at him.
“Don’t you listen to that bullshit for even a second. I dated that girl for maybe a week, and now she’s using this to get her 15 minutes of fame.” You nodded, sniffing and wiping a tear away. Johnny looked heartbroken as he took in your sad state. He hated seeing you like this, hated that as soon as you were starting to adjust to the public, this happens. He took your hands in his. “I would marry you in a second, you know that, right?”
“Yeah,” you said quietly.
“I would,” he said with conviction. “I know we haven’t talked about it yet, but that’s only because I wanted you to get settled in here and get used to the public first. But I would marry you tomorrow, if that’s what you wanted. Hell, I’d marry you today. Do you want to get married right now? Seriously, because—“
“Johnny,” you interrupted, laughing despite yourself and wiping away your tears. “It’s okay. I would marry you today, too, but I want to have a real wedding.”
Johnny smiled at the sound and sight of your laughter, his shoulders sagging in relief. “Yeah?”
He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you against his chest. You took his hand, kissing his palm. “Yeah. It doesn’t have to be big or anything, just our families and friends.”
“You can have whatever you want, sweetheart. I think that sounds perfect.”
You looked up at him, leaning in to kiss him when an alarm on his watch started going off. Frowning, you sat up and heard Ben’s watch going off in the kitchen as well.
“Shit,” Johnny mumbled.
“Is that—?“
“Duty calls,” he replied with a nod, an apologetic look on his face.
Reed and Sue ran into the living room already wearing their suits, a worried expression on their faces. Johnny immediately stood at attention, and Ben jogged into the living room to join.
“I’ve got some bad news,” Reed began. “The Frightful Four have escaped from prison.”
“What?” Johnny exclaimed, his hands clenching into fists.
“That’s not possible,” Ben said, shaking his head.
Reed offered no explanation, instead simply saying, “We have to go. Now.”
You stood up, hands wringing together nervously as you looked to your soulmate.
Johnny turned to you, quickly pressing a kiss to your lips as he took your face in his hands. “It’s okay. HERBIE will stay with you, and I’ll be back before you know it, okay?”
Your heart was pounding. The Fantastic Four had had a few minor battles since you’d gotten together with Johnny, but for some reason this felt different. More urgent. And you couldn’t ignore the dread in the pit of your stomach.
“Who are the Frightful Four?” you asked.
“Johnny, let’s go!” Sue called. You saw her, Reed and Ben hovering by the front door, waiting for Johnny.
Johnny turned to you, a pleading look in his eyes. “I don’t have time to explain. But it’ll be alright, okay? I’ll be back soon. I promise.”
He turned and ran towards his family. “I love you,” you called out after him.
Johnny turned around and blew you a kiss, winking at you. “I love you more.”
And then they were gone.
HERBIE appeared from beside you, placing a little robotic hand on your arm and beeping quietly at you. You sighed, slumping back onto the couch. “Thanks buddy.”
**
An hour had passed, and there was still no sign of the Fantastic Four. Your mind had been spinning nonstop, and you had been sitting by the windows overlooking the city since they left, hoping for any glimpse of them. But there was nothing.
You sighed, looking over at HERBIE, who had been watching you. “How about some wine?”
HERBIE beeped in agreement, following you to the kitchen. You opened the cabinets in search of a wine glass, your back to the little robot in charge of watching over you.
“Where the hell are the wine glasses,” you muttered to yourself. There were so many collectible Fantastic Four dishes and glasses that you couldn’t get to the real glassware. Your eyes landed on a tiny Johnny Storm action figure in front, and you picked it up, pressing a little button on the side.
“Flame On!” The little figurine exclaimed.
You grinned, a chuckle escaping you before you put it back in the cabinet. “There you are,” you exclaimed, finally finding a wine glass in the very back.
A clang suddenly erupted from the living room then, and you whirled around, nearly dropping the wine glass you just picked up.
“Hello?” You called out. Peering from around the opened cabinet, you looked for HERBIE, but saw him nowhere. You swallowed, heart nervously skipping a beat. “HERBIE?”
You slowly walked out of the kitchen, leaning to the side to peek around the corner. “Johnny?”
Nothing.
You continued walking into the living room and gasped as you peeked over the sofa. HERBIE was on his side, his back panel opened with cut wires sticking out in all directions.
“Hello, Y/n.”
You dropped your wine glass with a yelp. You looked up, and standing in the shadows by the staircase in front of Johnny’s room, was…the man from the audience.
You were too shocked and terrified to even notice the shards of glass that cut your foot open when the wine glass landed on the ground. Your hands were shaking, adrenaline and fear pumping in your veins. “You,” you whispered. Suddenly you wished very much that you had listened to Reed and kept the coma cannon close to you. But it was unfortunately still in the lab.
The smirk that the man had worn the day of your interview only grew. He took a step towards you, out from the shadows. “You recognize me?”
You swallowed. “Yes. You were…in the audience.”
“I was,” the stranger replied, continuing to make his way closer to you. You took several steps back.
“Do you know who I am?” he asked.
You shook your head.
He smile was all teeth.
“That’s alright, dear. You will.”
***
Johnny landed on the balcony of the Baxter Building, putting his flames out as he waltzed into the living room. “False alarm,” he called out to you. “Turns out it was a bogus tip, so the Frightful Four have not broken out of prison—“
Johnny froze, his eyes landing on HERBIE on the ground. Immediately he looked up, scanning the living room for any sign of you or another threat. Instead, his eyes landed on shards of broken glass…and… “Blood,” he whimpered. He could feel bile rising up and catching in his throat, panic setting in. “Y/n?!”
Ben, Sue and Reed finally opened the front door, exhaustion and irritation lining their features. “I don’t get it,” Ben said. “We’ve never received a bogus tip.”
Johnny was suddenly in front of them, panting, a terrified expression on his face. “Y/n’s gone.”
“What?!”
All of them followed Johnny to the living room and took in the scene before them. Broken glass. Blood. HERBIE on the floor, wires disconnected, motionless.
“Look,” Sue exclaimed, pointing to a small piece of paper placed carefully on the coffee table.
Johnny ran over and grabbed it, scanning it. “It’s a set of coordinates.”
“Well then, let’s go get her,” Ben urged.
“Wait,” Reed called out. “We need to think about this, guys.”
Johnny scoffed in disbelief. “Think about what? Somebody took my soulmate, Reed, and they gave us the coordinates to go get her. We’re leaving. Now.” Johnny immediately began running towards the balcony.
“You don’t think this is a trap?” Reed asked, incredulous.
Johnny whirled around. “Of course it’s a trap!” He yelled, his arms out in frustration. “You think I don’t know that? I—“ Johnny stopped speaking suddenly, his eyes narrowing as realization set in.
“What is it?” Sue asked.
“God damn it,” Johnny yelled again, crumpling the piece of paper in his hands and kicking the leg of the coffee table. He paced, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. “I know who took her.”
“Who?” Reed, Ben and Sue demanded.
Johnny sunk onto the sofa, his head hanging low in his hands. “Who else would send a fake anonymous tip about the Frightful Four escaping prison, just to get us out of the house and take my soulmate?”
Johnny was met with a few seconds of silence before Sue gasped, realization setting in.
“Bentley Wittman.”