Eddie, this is for you! @xxladymjxx - Tumblr Blog

𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢 𝔬𝔣 𝔉𝔦𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔰

Summary: Due to an incident at the Baxter Building you had contact with radiation, and that resulted in you getting pyrokenesis. The struggle to control your abilities reach the Fantastic Four, and they offer to help you. Under the teaching expertise of Johnny Storm, will you master your powers or will you crash and burn?

Warnings: NO MINORS 18+ Reader has pyrokenesis, swearing, revenge plot, attempted murder, reader describes her father's murder, reader confronts her fathers murderer, references to ptsd in the form of nightmares, sparring with Johnny, Johnny being a flirt, mutual flirting, teasing under the table, mutual pining, oral sex fem receiving, reader on top, doggy style, missionary (we get folded bitches!), titty slapping, ass slapping, nipple play.

AN: Thank you to the lovely @hellfire--cult for giving me this idea and encouraging me in Discord to write Johnny Storm! Beta reading with @littlesubbyflower. Thank you so much!

Support Divider made by @saradika-graphics

WC: 20k (what is going on with me?)

"Flame on!" you hear the advertisement for the Johnny Storm toy on your television, rolling your eyes at its silliness. The Fantastic Four are heroes, and they have received the recognition they deserve. You, on the other hand, were not so fortunate. Getting your abilities through a not-so-miraculous way, in fact, it was rather dull, though you received them through radiation like the Fantastic Four. You despised this power; any normal contact with normal people was gone now. The pictures of your normal life had burned to ashes without your meaning to, dozens of memories gone. Human contact, gone. The possibility of having a family, gone. Hell, even the idea of meeting new people slowly burns away. Clothes, ones you loved so much, turned to ash, and everything you touched disappeared. All your clothes were gone, so you had to resort to being naked in your apartment to prevent further damage. You barely slept, barely ate, living in such a state of hyper vigilance was exhausting, and you had no moment of respite.

Hearing rapping at your apartment door, you shut off your TV, the commercial for the toy disappearing. "I'm coming!" You announce, standing up from your flooring and walking to your apartment door and peeking through the peephole. "What the fuck?" What is Reed Richards doing outside your door? Opening it halfway and hiding behind it, the man smiles at you.

"Good afternoon," he says, a polite smile on his face. But something beneath the surface of his eyes speaks to you, almost like guilt.

"Uh, hello?" An eyebrow lifts; it's not every day you meet a superhero, let alone Mr. Fantastic.

"I'm Reed Richards," he introduces himself. You notice he has something in his hands, almost like clothing.

Though you knew who he was, honestly, who didn't know? You take his hand and shake it. "Nice to meet you, though I can't exactly show myself to you, I'm not decent."

"Please take these, they're fire-resistant." You see the articles of clothing being shown to you from the small opening in the door. How would he know your size? And how would he know to bring fire-resistant clothes AND a pair of matching gloves? Was he responsible for this mess you're in? Anger builds inside you as you take them, yet you make the mistake of brushing your fingers against his.

"Hot!" He instantly retracts his hand, shaking it with a groan as though he'd just gotten burned. "Your body temperature is abnormally hot. I guess you are what they say you are." He chuckles awkwardly.

"They?" You snarl, putting on the clothes. Who the fuck is in your business? The thought of people watching you angers you further.

"Rumors, I'm afraid, have reached The Baxter Building," he explains, "if you don't mind, I'd like to take a closer look at your abilities."

"Do I fucking have to?" You weren't fond of being a "lab rat".

"I must insist," Reed says, an urgent tone in his voice.

"Ugh! Fine!" You surrender with an eyeroll, fully dressed, and you open your door, showing yourself to Reed. You moved passed him out the door, and he made sure your apartment was secure, locking it from the outside with his elastic abilities.

On your way to the building, you think back to how all this happened.

♡

Some "genius" at The Baxter Building had disposed of a radioactive mosquito improperly, taking a wild guess with no real proof; you assume it was Reed Richards. Walking to work, your shift at a local cafe called the Hearth & Bean, of all the people, of all the times, the mosquito flew its merry way onto your neck, sucking your blood once it made contact. You, feeling the sensation of a bug on you, swat the creature, killing it instantly. Its remains were still on your hand, so you washed them once you arrived at work, careful not to touch anything with the mosquito on your hand. The next few days, you felt oddly hot; you weren't sick by any means, but you felt hot, your skin felt feverish, yet you didn't break a sweat.

Visiting the doctor didn't help at all; they merely brushed it off as exhaustion or possibly coming down with an illness.

Then you found yourself waking up to the pungent smell of something burning, the direction coming from your hands, along with something painful you'd rather not acknowledge. Glancing down, you see you'd burned holes in your sheets; the panic that gave you was something else entirely. Thinking you were crazy, you called in sick; you were in no shape to work. If you were crazy, you might as well go all the way.

Taking a sheet of paper from the desk in your apartment, you tried to focus, imagining the paper going up into flames. To your shock and utter horror, the paper bursts into flames, turning to ashes, falling to the floor as though it were dust. Testing this madness further, you think, 'Oh, maybe I can just make fire from my mind.' Absentmindedly, thinking nothing of it, the ridiculous thought turned into reality. Thankfully, it was a tiny flame that you could stomp out, barely a threat. 'What the fuck is going on?!' you thought, this phenomenon unheard of, at least in your perception of reality.

Days turn into weeks, and eventually, rumors of your oddities and behavior reach the Fantastic Four, including Reed Richards himself.

♡

And now, here you are, in a car on your way to The Baxter Building with the man you suspect is responsible for your being in this position; a wildfire burning on the edges of your mind. Your fingers tingle, your body is tense, and your jaw is tight.

"Relax," Reed attempts to reassure you, seeing you in a state of distress, "nothing I do will bring you harm."

"I see." You say with a calm anger, glaring at the man driving, considering the possibility of him being the culprit.

"We're here," He says, gesturing toward the building. You'd seen it before, not so close up.

"Whoa." You hate to admit it, but you're impressed; the large '4' at the top catches your eye the most, and your heart flutters in excitement. Reed chuckles at your child-like expression, marveling at the Baxter Building.

Reed exits the vehicle and moves over to your side of the car, and like a gentleman, he opens your door; his hand reaches out to you. "Ma'am."

"Thank you." You take his hand; he doesn't flinch. In fact, he looks to be completely expecting a burn, yet it doesn't come.

Now it was Reed's turn to be surprised. "My goodness," he said, his eyebrows shooting up, as he pulled you out of the car.

Reed releases your hand, you unconsciously look down at it, "The gloves work." You say.

Reed suddenly lit up, the scientist part of his mind finding this information fascinating. He remained kind as he escorted you inside the large building. Once security was passed, Reed gave you a brief tour of the building, saying who does what and how in the simplest terms. "I appreciate your cooperation," He says, thanking you once you both enter the elevator, the highest floor awaiting you.

"You're welcome, though I have questions of my own." Very I-wanna-set-your-building-on-fire kind of questions.

"I'm sure you do," He grins, his eyes carrying an oddly frantic energy, very fidgety.

DING

The top-floor button rings clearly in your ear. Reed stepped out first, "This way." He gestures a particular direction, and you follow him, Herbie the small robot startling you.

"Oh!" you say, nearly tripping over the robot. Reed quickly catches you with an outstretched arm.

"Herbie, we have a guest, remember? You need to be careful." He gently scolds the tiny robot.

Herbie looks down, making the noise that resembles an apology, "Uh, Herbie?" You call out to him, making his head perk up, "It's quite all right, accidents happen." Even though he was just a bucket of bolts, you couldn't help but pity the poor thing. He seemed to hold real emotions, to your surprise.

Herbie makes beeping noises that make it seem like he's happy. "Anyway," Reed says, continuing down the hall to your destination. You and Herbie follow behind him. "I need to confirm something, that's partially why I came to your residence."

"Okay?" Your brows furrow in confusion.

"In here," He leads you to a large door, different from the ones previously passed. Typing in a code, the door unlocks, and the once dark room lights up.

Stepping inside, the clean scent of rubbing alcohol enters your nostrils. All sorts of equipment, test tubes, and Bunsen burners are held with utmost care inside. You comment, "How scientific… reminds me of a doctor's office." You don't know why you made that comparison, but it came to you. The fuckers you went to did next to nothing to help you.

Reed chuckles, the sound ringing almost neverous to you, "Good, you made that comparison, I have to take your blood."

Son of a bitch…

You cringe, outwardly and inwardly, "I despise needles." The thought nearly made you faint. You're in an unfamiliar place with the man who potentially ruined your life, and you have to give this fucker blood?

"Please sit," He smiles, his head nudging toward a somewhat comfortable chair, "I promise it won't hurt."

That's what YOU think.

Heaving out an exhausted sigh, you take a seat on the chair, not looking forward to this at all, "Can you knock my ass out?"

"You're being quite dramatic." Reed chuckles.

You have NO idea, fucking nerd.

"Maybe," you agree, keeping things civil. With heavy reluctance, you roll up your arm sleeve, the left arm being the one that isn't your dominant arm.

"Thank you," Reed says, putting on a pair of surgical gloves. He examines your arm first, looking for active veins to insert the needle. "Has anything unusual happened to you before these abilities came to be?" He asks, wrapping a tourniquet tightly around your arm.

"No, nothing particularly unusual, just a theory I've had since I've gotten them." If you were going to kill him, you might as well tell him the truth.

"Please go on," He pushes you to continue, moving to get cleaning supplies, blood tubes, a tube holder, some sterile needles, iodine, tape, and a bandage. He cleans your arms with an iodine-soaked cotton pad, rubbing where he will place the needle.

"I was on my way to work, and I felt something on me, a m— holy mother of fuck! Are you sticking THAT in my arm?!" You cut your sentence short, distracted by the seemingly large needle Reed was brandishing. Though, to be fair, ALL needles looked huge to you.

"It isn't that big, and I already promised it wouldn't hurt. Please try to trust me." Reed attempts to reason with you, not wanting you to get hysterical and possibly burn everything in sight.

Feeling your nerves being shaken up, you squeeze your eyes shut. If this had to be done, you don't want to see it. "Fine," you relent.

Without a moment's hesitation, Reed pushes the needle into your skin, piercing the vein, but like he told you, it wouldn't hurt, only a short but sharp pinch. "Go on,"

"I got bit by a mosquito, disgusting fuckers." You watch as the scene replays in your mind's eye. "Some of the blood got on my hands, and I was extremely careful not to touch anyone with it still on me." Why were you talking like a child who's confessing to a parent? You didn't know this man, not personally anyway.

"I'm sure you were, dear." You didn't like his tone; it reeked of nervous condescension, as though he were trying not to think of something, something he's trying to avoid. With one vial of blood filled, he quickly replaces it with another one.

"I washed it off." If you could pat yourself on the back, you would; you never had this level of self-control in your life. "I got my hands as clean as possible before my shift. That day was normal, I guess."

"I see." Did he?

"I went home, made dinner, took a shower, and went to bed. I woke up the next morning feeling like shit, like I was getting a cold."

Another vial filled, he decided to take a third. "That doesn't sound good."

"It wasn't, I felt fine, just really hot." Reed cleared his throat; your intuition flickered. He knew something. You ignored it and continued. "I tried going to see a doctor after I called off work, who told me I had nothing to worry about. I didn't buy that, of course. The day passed normally, but I stayed in bed. Then, the next morning came."

"What happened?" he removes the third vial of blood, taking out the needle with expertise, and cleans your blood.

"Are you finished with the needle?" You wanted to see this man's face.

He wraps a bandage on your arm after removing the tourniquet, "All done."

Opening your eyes, you look at his face, and now it has an eerie calmness that gives you the creeps. "I woke up to the smell of burning. Turns out I burned a hole in my sheets, the burns were the shape of my hands." Wanting to make a point, you remove a glove to free one of your hands, raising a palm in front of his face, and the heat radiates off your skin. "I thought I was going insane." You place it back down, setting it in your lap. "Can you imagine that?"

Reed's face turns pale, gradually sinking deeper into something that resembles remorse. "Sounds awful."

"Waking up to the fact that somehow I have pyrokenisis or that the party responsible is—" You point your index finger at him, narrowing your eyes, making the accusation clear.

"I'm sorry." He apologizes, his voice trembling with guilt.

"Are you confirming it was you or someone working here?" You needed to be certain, as angry as you feel, you don't want to attack him without just cause.

"I-It," He hesitates, his face somehow becoming paler, "I-it was me," he confesses, the guilt written all over his face. He swallows heavily like he's attempting to dry-swallow a pill.

That settled it. You got your answer. Reed is responsible for all this happening. He's the reason your life is ruined. You stood up, your eyes ablaze with fury, you stalked slowly toward him, "You son of a bitch…" Your voice sounded menacing, like the sanity within you was being snuffed out.

Reed holds his hands up and begins to back away, his face looking panicked. "It was an accident! I never meant for this to happen!" He says his weak attempts to placate you only angered you further.

"YOU THINK THAT MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE TO ME?!" You screeched, the sound resembling a wild animal, angry sparks of flame began to break glass, and more sparks mess with the electrical breakers, making the lights flash.

Herbie, as fast as he could, rushes out of the room. Getting help is his top priority.

Reed continues to back away, getting closer to the wall behind him, "You have every right in the world to be angry! I messed up! I should've disposed of the specimen properly! I screwed your life up!" This admission of guilt made you manifest a full fire behind you; the glow combined with the shadows of the flames made you look deranged.

The smile that slowly pulled at your cheeks resembled something out of a nightmare. Maniacal, sadistic, and almost evil. Suddenly, you rush him, grabbing his neck; he yells out in pain, "Now, don't you worry, Reed Richards, I'll make damn sure it never happens again." It wasn't a threat; it was a promise. Your hold on his neck tightens.

Bursting onto the scene first is Ben Grimm, also known as The Thing. The second your eyes met his, he was pushed back by a torrent of flame; clearly, you were in no mood for idle conversation.

Seeing their large friend knocked back made Sue and Johnny enter the room. Johnny rushes you, pinning you onto the ground without missing a beat, being the first to speak after seeing all the damage you've done, "Holy shit! Is this the superstar we've been hearing about? You're hot as fuck!" You struggle to move freely, still very angry. "Oh no, you don't!" Johnny pins your arms to the floor, and you still struggle to break free, squirming against Johnny's lower body. His face pulls up into a grin, "Relax! Take me to dinner first!" He jokes.

"That's enough, Johnny, she's down." Sue says, walking to her husband, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah," he rubs his neck, "could've been a lot worse."

Still struggling against Johnny, you were livid. Your one chance for revenge was taken from you in an instant. You hear a cooing noise coming from what or whom Sue is carrying in her arms, stopping your futile attempts at breaking free.

Sue turns to face you, and that's when you see him, the little bundle of joy, no older than four, that widens your eyes.

A child? Is Reed a father?

The blues of the child meet your eyes, your eyes soften, and your struggle ceases, much to the annoyance of Johnny. "Damn, I was enjoying that!" He pouts.

All of the chaos around you became background noise as you stared at the baby, the child warping your sense of justice. You see a familiar vision, yourself in the child's place, only the worst outcome happened. No matter how much you hate him, can you really kill Reed and leave this child without a father? You bit your lip. Of course, you couldn't do that. You would never do such a thing.

Sue walks toward you, cradling her child protectively in her arms, "Welcome to the Baxter Building, I'm Sue Storm or— Richards. The man on top of you is my brother, Johnny." You glance up at Johnny, who waves at you flirtatiously, giving you a wink. "The man you knocked out the door is Ben Grimm." He enters the room with a groan. You did a number on him.

"And this," Sue moves her child to her other side, "is Franklin. The newest addition to our family."

He IS a father… fuck.

You let out a sigh, "Shit." All this information, plus the whiplash of emotions, ones you kept repressed, overwhelmed you. You suddenly felt hot, hotter than normal, black dots lined your vision, and you blacked out.

Feeling you slump on the floor, Johnny says with heavy admiration, "Hell of a woman."

Sue rolls her eyes, "You could get off her; she needs a cold cloth."

Johnny, doing what his sister says, gets off of you but scoops your unconscious body in his arms, carrying you bridal-style.

♡

As you feel your consciousness returning, you groan. Your senses first noticed a rather strange fabric you were lying on; it was comfortable, but the unfamiliarity made you cringe. Next, your senses picked up smells, the sanitary scent of iodine invading your nostrils. Opening your heavy eyelids, you're greeted by a white ceiling, along with something cool on your forehead. You attempt to sit up, only for a forearm to gently push you back down, "Rest, Superstar, the power you unleashed wore you out." Johnny says softly.

"J-Johnny?" You turn your head to face him, and the blonde smiles at you.

"I thought you'd sleep longer than you did." He takes your hand, and that's when you notice something odd; he didn't get burned, not even a flinch.

"Excellent, Johnny," Reed says, like he's concluded without inputting Johnny.

"What?" He looks at his brother-in-law, his face etched in confusion.

"She didn't burn you," Reed states matter-of-factly, Sue and Franklin next to him.

"Oh," Johnny looks down at his hand on yours, both of you comfortable. "I'll be damned."

"I filled them in on what happened… and what I did." Reed comments, looking at you full of remorse.

Your gaze darts between all of the Fantastic Four, their eyes looking back at you sadly like they pity you, or more so, pity the situation you found yourself in because of Reed. "Great." You groan, the pitious attention irritating you. "How long was I out?" you ask.

"A couple of hours," Sue answers your question, Franklin babbling in her arms.

"So now, you know everything and what Reed did." You said, a sigh escaping your mouth, "What happens now? Can I be cured?"

All of the Fantastic Four look amongst themselves, not sure how to answer that question or even if that's a possibility. Reed is the first to offer, "You will stay here with us, under our tutelage. I am already responsible for this happening. Look at this as an opportunity for me to try to make amends and perhaps find a cure. No promises on that end, though. I couldn't find a cure for us."

As much as you couldn't stand the idea of living in closer proximity to Reed, you wonder what other choice you have? You doubt you could return home and fend for yourself, but the logical side of your brain knew that would be a mistake. Then you think maybe they could be of some help to you; if they can't cure you, they can at least help you control your powers. Heaving out another sigh, you relent, "Where will my room be?"

"Hopefully next to mine." Johnny flirts, wiggling his eyebrows.

Is this man for real?

Reed smiles, happy you're accepting his offer, "You will be next to Johnny."

"Yes!" Johnny fist bumps the air.

"But only because he is the only one that can somewhat relate to your abilities, your pyrokneisis is a unique ability," Reed states.

That made logical sense. Johnny, being the Human Torch, can help you, but you wanted to make one thing clear: "This does not mean I forgive you, Reed."

"Of course, you don't even have to like me." Reed shrugs.

Thank fuck.

"Alright," You make another attempt to sit up, this time Johnny assists you.

"I got you." He says, his arm around your waist.

"T-thanks," Your face warms up, the proximity embarrassing you.

"You're welcome." Once you were fully upright, Johnny made no motion to remove his hands.

You look at the Fantastic Four, the family that overcame such adversities and still managed to pull through. And live somewhat normally, if they can, maybe you could too. "Thank you all."

What felt like a bubble being popped, by putting a voice to your gratitude, all the tension leaves the room, and even amongst your new comrades, something new is born inside of your heart that you don't recognize.

"Johnny, will you help her get settled into her new room? The rest of us will get her stuff from her apartment. I'll call her job." Reed asks.

Suddenly, you feel yourself being hoisted up and over Johnny's shoulder. You squeal in surprise, "I'll happily do so!" He begins his journey to your new bedroom, as the rest of the team heads back to your apartment.

"Uh, Johnny? I can walk," You said.

"I know, I just want my hands on you." You look at the back of the blonde's head.

Was he serious? You knew Johnny loved women, but for him to flirt with you after you'd just gotten your powers left you perplexed. You instead brushed it off as Johnny being Johnny. With a swift kick of the door, he enters a clean bedroom, one that looks as though it hadn't been lived in at all.

"We're here!" Johnny exclaims happily, moving your body slowly; he enjoys every second of the contact.

"Thank you?" You still didn't understand his motives, but thanked him nonetheless.

"How 'bout a kiss? That's thanks enough for me." He asks, puckering his lips.

"What?!" You feel heat in your cheeks; you didn't expect that at all. "A k-kiss?" you repeat his question quietly, your mouth agape.

He bursts out into laughter, "Relax, I'm teasing you! You'll get used to it!"

You roll your eyes. Of course, he's teasing. "Right," you murmured. You got flustered for nothing; you hope this doesn't become a common occurrence.

Johnny gently pats your shoulder, attempting to relax you, "You'll get used to everyone here, including Reed."

I doubt that.

Johnny plops down on your bed, his body fully reclined, "It's comfortable. That's good, right?" He asks with a more serious expression on his face. Maybe he was trying to make this transition as comfortable as possible. "A lot has happened, hasn't it?"

You sit down on your new bed, the fabric beneath you feels clean, smelling the fresh laundry detergent, reminding you of what you lost but also of what you could gain. It also feels soft, as though it were made of the softest thing you could imagine, a cloud, maybe? You heave out a sigh, "That's an understatement. My whole life changed in an instant because of Reed." You unconsciously rub the back of your neck where you were bitten. The bite is long gone, but the mark seeped deep into your body, possibly down to your molecular structure. "I'm so angry at him."

Johnny sits up, his brows furrow with question, "But you didn't kill him. Even when you were struggling against me, you wanted him dead… what stopped you?"

"B-because," You look at Johnny, for some reason, you want him to see your face. "It's because of his son. No matter how much I hate him for what he did, I can't— I won't be responsible for taking Franklin's father away." A flame of pain burned in your stomach; this was something you were familiar with. "I won't have Franklin be… like me…" You confessed, the memories being brought to the surface of your mind, your voice breaking on the verge of tears.

"What do you mean?" Johnny asks, his eyes soft and caring. He wants you to continue.

"My dad was murdered… in an instant, his life was gone… I was only two when it happened, so I don't remember it happening all that well. I do remember two things from that day: my mother screaming, and the gunshot… her haunting screams tear me open and make me bleed every time I hear them or think I do, and no matter how much I try to confront them, I feel more pain." Hot tears stream down your face as a sob wracks through your body. Johnny quickly embraces you; he doesn't like it when women cry; it breaks his heart.

"You don't need to say anymore." He says, his voice a calm whisper.

You shake your head, "N-no, I-I need to say it." Why did you need to? You had no idea, but once the floodgates opened, they couldn't be stopped. "I think I remember his body, lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood." You weren't sure if the memory you conjured up was real or not, but it still affected you deeply. Another sob escapes your lips, and sheer despair engulfs your body. "My mom told me what happened to him when I was seventeen, old enough to hear it… Elias Thornwood, the man who did it, is incarcerated…" You explained through your sobs. "I always asked her, 'Where's my daddy, mommy?' when I was little, and I remember always seeing her face fall; her eyes would look like crystals because of the tears. How could she tell her child that her father was shot in cold blood… over something as stupid as money? She told me Elias said, holding a gun aimed at my dad, 'You took my money, you bastard. My life is gone because of you, and now you gotta pay…' In a second, he was gone… the worst part being that Elias murdered the wrong man, my daddy didn't take his money." You sniffle, the wounds from your past bleeding into the present, and in your own rage, you almost committed one of the worst atrocities known to mankind.

The more you told Johnny, the more he understood. The look on his face speaks sadness, no room for anything in between.

Looking a mess, you wipe your eyes, trying to erase the pain the trails left behind, "I'm sorry, Johnny."

"Don't be." Pulling away, Johnny looks into your eyes, your pain-stricken face imprinted into his mind. Since his contact with radiation, he hasn't felt the pain fire can bring to an unfortunate soul in a long time, until now. Even though you'd just met hours prior, you'd left an impact on him.

"Thanks." Sniffling, you look away from his chocolate button eyes, embarrassment flooding through you. "Everything is…" How would you describe today's events? You hadn't gotten a moment of normalcy since you'd gotten your powers, and the events that followed hadn't been easy either. "Crazy." It was the only word you could come up with, your mind a mess, yet your body is calm.

Johnny takes hold of your chin, moving your face to look at his once more, "I'm here for you." You've been alone in this for long enough, "all of us are," he adds.

For the first time in what felt like ages, you smile— the pain is still there, yet it feels marginally more distant than it did before.

"I'm grateful." Your voice reflected your emotions. Closing your eyes, you allow yourself this moment of comfort, even just a moment.

The tiny sounds of metallic rolling enter your room, making beeping noises. Herbie had entered your room, "Oh, hey, Herbie!" you say, the robot greeting you with melodic sounding beeps.

"Herbie, what is it?" Johnny, sounding rather cross with Herbie, asks.

Herbie "talks" to Johnny, gesturing further to the living room of the Baxter Building, "We're back, Johnny! Come help!" He hears his sister call out.

"Already?" Johnny sighs, feeling a twinge of annoyance.

"They can't have all my things so soon." You say. Great, you'll have to tolerate Reed.

"Maybe," His hand drops from your chin. Both of you are feeling your own feelings of irritation. "Stay here, or at least rest on the couch in the living room. It's been a day."

More like weeks.

"I should at least help with where things go; I don't necessarily have to move."

"That's fair, it is your stuff," Johnny said.

Back and forth, the Fantastic Four traveled from your apartment back to the Baxter Building. With four people, all your things got moved into where your room is, and with your guidance, everything looks similar to your apartment bedroom. The day passes with relative comfort.

♡

The first night you spent there, you hadn't eaten much. The new environment, Reed, all the knowledge you gained that brought nothing but pain, had greatly decreased your appetite. Of course, you also didn't sit at the dinner table with them; you felt as though you were intruding on their family, and you didn't want to be where you didn't belong.

Later, you retired to your bedroom, announcing your departure. Sue, being the kind woman she is, tells Herbie to escort you to your bedroom.

"Rise and shine, Superstar!" Johnny beams, knocking gently on your doorframe.

"Johnny?" You ask with a yawn. What time is it? Too early for you. To the best of your half-awake abilities, you glance at your clock, eight thirty am.

"Time to get to work. We've got to get your powers under control." He says he didn't wake you up for nothing; he had a plan.

"Oh, right." Shit, you were sleeping so soundly, you'd forgotten you had pyrokenesis. But like clockwork, the familiar feeling of an electric current buzzing in your body brought you back to reality, the heat, the wanting to explode everything you come in contact with, and the effort it takes to hold all of that back rears its ugly head.

You sit up, your body halfway up your bed. "Take your time. I'm sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep. I can't stand when mine gets interrupted." Johnny says.

You wave your hand with a soft giggle, thinking nothing of it, "It's fine." A yawn escapes you. "What did you have in mind?"

"Basic control. I'll tell you to start something on fire, when to increase the intensity, and when to pull it back, even if it's me." It sounded easy enough. But can you do it? Something that sounds easy doesn't mean it will be easy. Wait, what did he mean by him?

You swing your legs to the side of your bed, Johnny getting a partial glimpse of your nightgown; even in the morning glow, you looked radiant. He has to pull himself together; if he has to help you with your powers, he needs some self-control, room to breathe where you don't look so sexy; he clears his throat, "Anyway, we'll eat first. You must be hungry." Johnny heads to the kitchen in a hurry; you wonder why he was so quick to leave.

A rumble indicating you were hungry makes itself known in your stomach. You could stand to eat a little more, even just a little. Climbing out of your bed, you enter your bathroom and do your daily routine that consists of washing your face and brushing your teeth. Then, you dress yourself for the day, a vibrant pink mini skirt with a sleeveless top, decorated with white flowers. Slipping into white go-go boots, you take your leave. Herbie wheels into your room and fixes your bed. "Thanks, Herbie!" You'd already grown fond of the robot.

Herbie makes various beeps, a melodic sound that sounds like he's saying, "You're welcome."

Feeling like you need some sort of escort to take you around, you wait for Herbie to finish. Once that was done, you ask him, "Is it okay if I follow you to the kitchen?" Assuming that's where he's going, he whirrs in delight.

Herbie whirrs ahead of you, and you follow suit. With the aid of the robot, you easily find yourself in the kitchen, where you're greeted by the team, Ben Grimm cooking breakfast. Each of them greeted you with friendly smiles, like they'd forgotten just yesterday you'd almost killed Reed; honestly, a little bit of hostility you expected, not grins like they welcome you here.

"Uh, hi." You wave, your shoulders hunch up in awkwardness.

Ben speaks up first, from behind the wide stove, "Made pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, and oatmeal."

"For everyone?" You ask, walking over to the food. "You made this much?" Did anyone help him?

"Figured you were hungry, you didn't eat a lot last night," Ben remarks, and your stomach growls. You clutch it. Why did it have to growl now?

Were ALL of them watching me like a hawk?

A twinge of irritation flares up in your body, "I see, thank you."

Ben smiles, not a single iota of a clue that your body is at war with itself, "You're welcome, help yourself."

Grabbing a plate that was set out, you fill it to the amount you think you can stomach. Were they going to watch you eat, too? God, the thought magnified your previous irritation. Johnny pats the seat next to him, a smirk on his face. "Come sit."

Is it too late to go back to bed?

You walk over and take a seat. Johnny throws an arm over the back of your chair, his eyes not leaving your form. Waiting until everyone gathers to eat, you say, "Thank you, everyone."

"No need to thank us, we look out for each other, plus I owe you." Reed, holding Franklin while he gently fusses, says.

You nod, not finding the right words to address Reed.

"Johnny, you're going to take her to The Sanctuary. You won't make too much mess in there, being that it's heat-resistant." Reed orders.

"Yeah, I figured that one out myself." Johnny rolls his eyes.

"Are you going to eat?" You ask Johnny, taking a bite of eggs.

"Oh, right." Johnny lifts a fork to his mouth, one full of pancake; you wouldn't know it, but you're distracting him.

"As far as it being heat-resistant, what do you use The Sanctuary for?" You ask.

"Johnny uses it to let off some steam, pun intended." Sue pipes up from her plate of food across the table. "I know all of this isn't easy. Reed called your work and explained your new residency here with us. Do you want to go back to the Hearth and Bean? If so, we can arrange rides for you there." She offers a small way back to your normal life. You perk up, your heart flutters in excitement; you could go back to work!

"Wow…" It hadn't been long, but you missed the Hearth and Bean, your coworkers, the smell of coffee and tea, the pastries, the kind customers, and even your boss. "I…" you didn't know what to say, the pull to go back, and the obvious worry that you'll harm someone are fighting like war veterans inside your mind.

"Perhaps it's too soon," Sue says, guessing by your hesitation. "Make this your drive to fully master your powers. In the meantime, we'll cover whatever you need. Need a shopping trip? Consider it done and paid for."

"That's… incredibly generous." You couldn't help but wonder why. Stunned by the offer.

"Gee whizz, sis, you think that'll make up for what happened?" Johnny's eyes narrow; he can't believe his sister would think so shallowly.

"Not at all, Johnny. Her life has been altered like her DNA; we need to be there for her as much as we can." Reed nods at his wife, fully supporting her words. After all, his screw ups were hers.

"How come I don't get a shopping trip?" Johnny pouts, his thumb coming into contact with your back. He rubs small circles, but his words irritate his sister.

"You hate shopping." Sue shot back, knowing her brother better than everyone else, "Why would you want to do something you hate?"

"That's not the point, Sue," Johnny argues, his voice irritated.

"What is the point, Johnny? Last I saw you were doing just fine; in fact, you love your abilities. And the way you flirt with women is just ridiculous." She snaps, though her last comment had nothing to do with the initial issue; it was growing into something bigger.

This sibling argument was making you uncomfortable; you hardly noticed Johnny's thumb. "I can decline the offer." The tension at the table you attempted to cut, you find it hard to eat once it's set.

"She can, Johnny. It was just a suggestion, a way for us to make her more comfortable." She explains, exhaling in annoyance.

"Oh," Johnny's ears turn red. The misunderstanding flustered him. "'M sorry." He mumbles out an apology.

"Apology accepted. So anyway, the offer is there, it's up to you if you want to take it." Sue continues.

You managed to finish your plate of food, underestimating how hungry you were, and you made a note to repay Ben somehow.

"Would it be fine with you if we came to see your training?" Reed asks in a polite tone, his voice calm.

"Sure." You shrug, "It's your house— or building." You didn't make the rules, and the thought of being watched irritated you.

"Excellent!" Reed beams, "Is everyone ready?" He glances around the table, seeing everyone's mostly clear plates.

"Oh!" You didn't know you were starting so soon. Wiping your mouth with the napkin given to you, you stand up Johnny retracts his hand.

"Easy, there, Superstar. Don't be so tense." Johnny says, leisurely standing from the table as though there weren't pressing matters to attend to.

"Johnny." Sue starts, "Be serious."

Johnny's relaxed and happy composure morphs into a serious one, comedically. Sue rolls her eyes; that's not what she meant at all.

Reed takes the lead, "Please come this way." Shifting Franklin over to Sue, he walks in a direction you don't recognize.

Johnny places a hand on your shoulder, "Let's go."

♡

The team walks to a room vacant of things around it, as though it were a room inside an empty one. With Johnny's abilities, you suppose it was smart, just in case something were to happen, no damage to their home or the others in the building. "Here we are," Reed announces, the destination far and short at the same time.

This is The Sanctuary? Why were you so nervous suddenly? Was the reality of your situation, once again, going to crush you? You feel the air tightening in your windpipes. Christ, if you didn't have enough problems.

Reed gestures to Johnny, "This is your room. Or the room you use the most, is it fine if we come inside to?"

"Go ahead, I can't promise you, you won't get hurt," Johnny says.

Sue, using her abilities, puts an invisible shield over her, Reed, Ben, and Franklin. "I got the team covered."

You were grateful they were going to be protected; you didn't want to hurt them, even Reed. That made you breathe easier.

Reed enters a code, opening the secure door, stepping out of the way, "Here," he says

Johnny takes the lead, stepping into the heat-resistant room first. You follow suit. Once inside, you felt a cool shift, the freezing temperatures making you see the breath in your mouth. "Cold." was the first thing that exited your mouth, your breath making vapors in the air.

"We like to keep this room as cold as possible. Less electricity, less worry for things catching flames." Reed explains.

You huddle yourself by instinct, the cold barely touching your skin, though it's noticeably cooler. "I see."

Johnny pats your shoulder, "Let's go, Superstar!" he says, super pumped up and excited.

"Huh?" Your face morphs into confusion, your brows furrowed.

"Set something in this room on fire, even if it's the floor!" He says, the smile not leaving his face.

You glance at the team; they're still protected by Sue's shield. Franklin is babbling without a care in the world in the arms of his mother. All of them are giving you looks of encouragement. "It's okay, let loose!" Ben cheers.

Though their probing stares made it difficult to fully concentrate, you were happy to set something a blaze, and this room was perfect for it. "Fine." With a hard stare, you focus the heat from your body to manifest in the frigid room. Taking several deep breaths you fuel the power inside of you. You think of what you told Johnny, your already difficult introduction into the world, how cruel humanity can be, the thought infuriates you; the room gets noticeably warmer.

"Atta girl! Bring the heat!" Johnny cheers; you were on the right track.

One final thought, the one that pushes you to the limit, is the potential of stopping men who ruin people's lives; a flame bursts from your hands, engulfing your palm. Without much thought, you throw the flame into a corner of the room, the fire explodes, and it travels up following the trail of the interior corner to the ceiling; it goes out before it reaches the top.

Taking a deep breath, your body relaxes, your mind running a mile a minute, fast and with the precision of a sniper; the room gets hotter, Johnny taunts you, "You call that heat? I've seen embers glow brighter! Come on!"

Your head snaps toward him, sending a fist of flame in his direction, which he easily blocks, brushing it aside like it's dust, a smirk playing at his lips; this cocky son of a bitch was laughing at you.

That smirk infuriated you. With a growl, you threw another fireball at him, or in this new case, it was more like a flamethrower, "YES! THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! I GAVE YOU THE PUSH YOU NEEDED!" Johnny shouts victoriously; his plan worked.

"What?!" In your disbelief with underlying rage, more powerful flames manifest, bursting out of your hands. The amplified strength pushed Johnny back; his shoes skidded across the hard flooring; some of the flames got directed at the team. Luckily, the shield Sue put up protected them; in fact, they don't seem phased by it at all. They looked on, fascinated by your display of power; Franklin laughed happily, thinking the flames were pretty.

"Pull back! Decrease the intensity!" Johnny shouts, fully blocking your relentless attacks.

Hearing the order, you focus on the flames coming out of your fists, willing them to calm down; you're in control of those at least. Calm down you tell yourself. To your will, the flames' intensity died down, but still on the offensive toward Johnny.

"Good!" He laughs joyfully like a boy in a toy store, happy that you've made even just a little progress. "That's enough!"

With a flick of your wrist and all the force you can muster, you cease all fire, the flames dying out in your palms. You drop to your knees, catching your breath, the physical exertion more intense than you expected.

Johnny jogs over to you, "Great job! Now rest up for a few minutes, you're doing that again."

"W-what?" You look up at him. He couldn't be serious.

"Johnny!" Sue warns from the sidelines, "This is her first day, take it easy on her!"

Thank you, Sue.

"Fine, on one condition. Make one flame in the palm of your hand, a small one." He raises a singular finger, his index.

The request seemed reasonable enough. Upturning your left hand because your right one felt feeble, you focus once more, making a mental image of a tiny flame, no bigger than you'd see on a candle. You visualize the heat, cozy, bringing a small amount of light. You imagine the comfort, making you sigh contentedly. Soon enough, a flame appeared in your palm, as Johnny requested, the flame dancing in the dead center of your palm. In your mind's eye, you see yourself sitting by a fireplace, calm, warm, and bright.

"Beautiful." Johnny praised, not referring to the flame you produced.

"Thanks," You pant, feeling heat in your cheeks.

Sue lets down her shield, assessing that the training was successful. All of them jog over to you, offering their own words of praise, the attention slightly embarrassing you.

"I'd call that a great start!" Reed beams; you were too tired to be irritated with him.

"Naturally, she's under my tutelage; she's going to be a powerhouse!" Johnny boasts, feeling confident in his guidance.

Standing up on wobbly legs, you say, "The encouragement is helpful. Thanks, everyone." Johnny puts one of your arms around his shoulders, and he can feel the heat radiating off your skin.

Reed glances at his watch; two hours have already passed, making the time eleven am, as it took an hour to eat. "Goodness! That was longer than I expected! Training's over. We don't want to push you beyond what you can take."

You look up at Reed, "I appreciate it." You did, and you were angry that you felt that way.

"Let's get some rest, Superstar," Johnny said.

"Sounds like a plan," You chuckle weakly.

With Johnny's help, you exit The Sanctuary to relax in the living room, leaving the rest of the team to analyze the damage you've done, which wasn't much from what they gathered. Through your training, they can't help but wonder what else you're capable of; each of them thinks your potential is striking. As a group, excluding Johnny, they discuss your possibilities. The day passes more comfortably than the last.

♡

Five months passed with rigorous training and bonding with the rest of the team. Thanks to them, you are more efficient with your abilities, and even the near-constant irritation and heat in your body ceases, only happening on occasion. Once that happened, you took up Sue's offer and went back to your job at the Hearth and Bean. Your coworkers were happy to see you but understandably anxious about your newfound powers. Once you assured them that you got them under control and that you would never hurt them, that put them at ease. Your boss was happy to see you, even hugging you, which honestly weirded you out, being that he was never that nice to you, at least to that extent. Falling back into the familiar routine after so long felt great; Sue was right, you just needed time to control your powers.

You called your mother every week, and you even informed her of everything that transpired, including helping the team often with potential threats. You expected her to be shocked by what happened; maybe she was, but she'd never let you know it. Instead, she was pleased to hear you were working with the Fantastic Four, saying the opportunity was the American Dream, you couldn't help but snort at that. You told her you have to be asleep to dream. She told you she was proud of you and happy about the changes that have happened, reminding you that change is a constant that was never easy. You always made sure to tell her you love her; you never knew if it would be the last time you'd hear from her.

Life is but a vapor in the grand scheme of things.

You often talk with Sue about her powers and what happened after Galactus was defeated. She had died, clinically speaking, but her extraordinary child, Franklin, resuscitated her heart, bringing her back to life, adding yet another layer to the choice you almost made. The story blew your mind. It was one thing to hear it on the news or from a person second hand, but to hear from Sue's perspective, the verbal confirmation surprised you; you could see the damage the colossal left behind, yet to hear it as fact was another matter entirely. Your bond with her deepens, even going on shopping trips with her, and making custom casual clothing suited to your powers.

You found joy in those trips.

Offering to help Ben with the cooking, he was immensely grateful for. He only wanted you to prep the food, chopping vegetables, onions, and garlic, or whatever was needed for the meals he was preparing. You felt like you weren't doing much to help, but with a smile from his stone face, he promised you it was a big help; meals were getting done sooner. Johnny interfered numerous times, sticking his fingers in the meals Ben was preparing. He called it "Taste testing." Ben looked peeved whenever Johnny did that, but the interaction made you laugh; Johnny started doing it more now that he knew it amused you. Even though you found the family you always wanted with the Fantastic Four, they'll never replace your mother.

Reed was a challenge for you, given the circumstances, but you saw him work diligently, studying the blood vials he collected from you, looking for something, anything that might cure you. You saw him work late into the night, sometimes falling asleep at his work station; Sue had covered him with a blanket whenever that happened. She didn't have the heart to wake him. One day, you asked why he was doing all of this; if he couldn't find a cure for his family, why was he fighting so hard to find one for you?

You didn't get an answer, but you saw his efforts. If nothing comes from it, so be it. You'd accepted these powers as yours; it's a part of you, like an extension of your arm.

Of course, you'd gotten closer to Johnny, him being your teacher and all. He was easy-going, patient, and flirtatious, which often blurred the line between teasing and seriousness; honestly, it was hard to tell at times, leaving you confused. Sometimes you would have nightmares, a portal to the past where you saw your father's murder. Johnny, who always heard your screams, woke up every time, and you'd find yourself easily comforted by him. He smelt of mint, sandalwood, and the faint scent of fire. Telling him your story left an impact on him, one that he hadn't felt before; he continued his flirtatious ways with other women, but for some reason, it rang shallow to you, like it was just for show.

It made no sense, Johnny being who he is. Why would what usually came naturally to him suddenly shift into something that felt, from your perception, empty? You wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't seen it firsthand; though you had a feeling it was off, you couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy shoot into your body.

You wondered what would happen if you flirted with Johnny, and how he would react, if he would react at all. Well, you chose to flirt with him on a Saturday night.

Johnny is perched on a couch with one arm stretched on top, relaxing in front of a TV. Perfect timing, "Hey, Johnny." You trail your index and middle finger along his bare arm; his skin elicits goosebumps from your touch. "Are you playing hard to get, or are you just that good at hiding your sparks? Because I'm starting to feel the heat, and I'm not sure if I want to catch fire or just be drawn in by the warmth."

Johnny's head snaps up and over to yours, meeting your gaze with a smirk playing at your lips; he hadn't expected you to flirt back. It caught him for a loop; all he could do was sit there with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

Good.

"Sleep well, sweetheart." You playfully boop his nose; his face turns a faint shade of pink.

Turning in for the night, you feel Johnny's eyes follow you until you can't be seen; a heated tension burns to life between you.

Walking into the kitchen the next morning, dressed in a yellow sundress with a matching hat and cream-colored kitten heels, you lock eyes with Johnny for a split second; it's like the entire room lit up with tension. It might have been because the moment Reed cleared his throat, the tension cleared. "Good morning. Rough night?"

You turn your attention to Reed, while you still haven't quite forgiven him, your attitude toward him has shifted. It's more pleasant and relaxed, "I think so. I haven't even burned anything in my room in like— a week, I want to say?" It was a guess, honestly; you couldn't remember the last time you burned something out of your control.

"Fantastic!" Reed shouts in jubilation, making the team around him chuckle in laughter. He looks around, confused, "What?" he asks.

"Just forget it, honey. It's okay." Shifting Franklin, the four-year-old to her right, his face clean of food, Sue pats her husband's arm, which is placed on the table. He turns to face her, and his face visibly relaxes.

Smiling, your gaze turns back to Johnny, sending him a flirtatious wink. It was then that something you hadn't anticipated happened; he pokes out his tongue and licks his lips at a snail's pace, his gaze not leaving yours. It was your turn to blush, feeling the warmth spread across your face. "A-anyway, how was everyone's night?" In an attempt to cover your flustered emotions, you feebly ask the team.

"I slept fine." Ben expresses, "No nightmares of how the radiation affected me." He had told you that he often dreamt the very thing he explained. It was difficult for you to imagine going up into space looking like a man, then coming home looking so drastically different that it was as though his human appearance and arguably experience died due to radiation exposure.

Your face falls, morphing into a melancholic one. Ben made it aware to you that he is very self-conscious of how he looks, "I'm sorry— I didn't mean—" you began to panic.

Ben holds up his hand, halting your words, "It's fine, I still have my moments, but I've made my peace with how I look, just like you did with your powers and everyone else here." he smiles at you, conveying that he is content, bringing you peace of mind.

"Okay," you let out a sigh of relief, "I'm glad for you, Ben." You sincerely are, his words and expression warm your heart.

"So am I," Ben said, his eyes shining in contentment.

"Reed and I slept well, all things considered—" Franklin babbles loudly, indicating that he keeps his parents awake. "I love your outfit, I'm glad we were able to change your wardrobe to be cute and fire-resistant. Our shopping trips paid off, and you doubted you would look good in it." She subtly gestures to Johnny, who's looking at you as though he has X-ray vision, picturing what's beneath your clothes.

With a shy giggle, you maneuver to get breakfast; today it consisted of Fruit Salad, Cream of Wheat, and bacon strips. Knowing Ben, he covers all food groups, making sure the team gets their nutrition, if Johnny hasn't had several fistfuls of dry cereal first.

Deciding to have Cream of Wheat with a mixture of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries for your breakfast, you make your way to the table, sitting next to Johnny, whose eyes follow each of your subtle movements, not bothering to hide it in front of the group. Johnny's never hid his flirtatious ways from anyone.

He leans to whisper in your ear, his lips ghosting over your ear, his breath hot traveling down your ear canal, evoking goosebumps up your body. "Good morning," he whispers, the delightful sound made you feel a swooping sensation in your stomach. So he wants it that way, huh? You can play that game too.

"Morning," you say, your voice even and controlled, contrary to the spark of emotions fluttering inside you. Taking a bite of your breakfast, you look at Johnny, his gaze flickers to your lips, both of you staring at each other like the rest of the team isn't sitting at the table, the heated gaze lasting longer than you expected.

It wasn't until Johnny was the one who broke away first that you continued to eat your food. You beam. This was gonna be fun.

Ben, sitting at the table, asks to break the tension, "I'd like your help preparing dinner tonight, if that's okay?" he addresses you.

You perk up, your head turns toward Ben, "O-Of course, I'll help, I'd be happy to. What are you making?"

"Spaghetti, I'll need you to boil the noodles while I make the sauce," Ben explains, eating his serving of breakfast.

Boiling noodles was easy, easier now with your abilities. "I'd be happy to," you smile, "Johnny, don't even think about having another 'taste test' in Ben's sauce."

"I won't, I won't," He holds his hands up in surrender, "Besides," he spoke lowly, enough so that only you can hear. "I'd rather stick my fingers in you."

You were fortunate to have barely lifted your spoon before dropping it back into the bowl of hot cereal, your cheeks burning in both shock and arousal. Did he really just say that?

Hearing the clutter of your spoon, the team looks at you in concern, "Are you okay?" Sue asks, seeing your face, a picture of fluster.

"I'm fine!" you said rather quickly, your voice cracking slightly. Oh, this man is going to pay… picking back up your spoon, you eat a bite of cereal, the sweet taste of berries in your mouth, you hope it hides your flustered state.

Johnny can't help but smirk; he knew his words affected you, which was evident during your training sessions. As he got closer to you, he felt something different with you than he did with other women; he felt the need to be near you, something he hadn't experienced before. He quietly takes a bite of his breakfast, humming at how good it is, the sound coming deep in his abdomen.

Eventually, everyone finished their meals, and the familiar familial comfort returned.

"So what are we working on today, Johnny?" you ask.

He finishes his breakfast with a gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, "We will be sparring, Superstar."

"Wait, wha-?" Why a sparring session? You'd had dozens of them with Johnny, some of them you came out victorious.

"Come on, it'll be fun! Show off those skills of yours!" Johnny encourages with a grin, finding amusement in your distress, playfully punching your shoulder, though you see something unfamiliar lurking in the depths of his brown irises.

Leaning back into your chair, you cross your arms and stare at the ceiling, pondering what your choices are. You had denied training sessions before due to ailments; frankly, you were surprised you could still get sick with your enhanced DNA. You guessed you couldn't escape being a human. "Will the rest of you be joining us?"

"No. I have to study your blood more. I must find out what it contains." Reed says.

"And I have to help Ben prepare lunch," Sue said.

"No, you do—" Ben interjects, but halts his sentence when Sue gives him a pointed look. "I mean, of course you do."

Huh?

"Well, okay, I guess you and I are sparring, Johnny." It's not like you had anything better to do.

Johnny grins as bright and dangerous as a supernova, hurdling towards earth. "Well, let's get to it. You may want to put the rest of your dress on, just in case," he sends you a wink.

The implication made you blush, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks as the blood rushed to the affected areas. "Okay then."

Johnny slams his hand on the table, "Alright! Let's do this!" He hastily stands and marches toward your training destination: The Sanctuary.

Furrowing your brows, you wonder what Johnny has in store for you. You stand up slowly, "Do you need me to clean up after myself, Ben?" you ask.

"No need. I have help." He gestures to Sue and Reed, and the latter glanced around to see if there was someone else. His experiments will have to wait.

"Okay, thanks, you guys." You thank your newfound family. Being well-versed in their section of the building, you found it easy to navigate.

"Good luck with training!" Sue smiles.

♡

Entering the Sanctuary, the frigid cold temperatures greet you once more, you see your breath, and you inhale your power and focus. Finding Johnny waiting for you, your eyes locked with his. His body engulfed in flames, he "Flamed on", he was ready to go, but you were too.

"Get ready, Superstar!" He says the flames crackle a little when he speaks.

Inhaling deeply, you focus your fire into your fists, and they also get engulfed in flames, "I'm coming for you, Johnny…" you warn.

"I hope you are, honey." He flicks his tongue several times, the perverted action throwing you off. In your embarrassment, however, you somehow manifest more fire traveling up your arms, lighting your nerves, giving your arms a glow like you've been lit on fire from the inside.

You rush toward him, sending him a left hook. Johnny's shoes pivot, easily dodging your attack, which he counters with a right karate chop-like attack, aiming for the back of your neck. Sensing the flames behind you, you duck into the splits, surprising Johnny, you took the oppurtunity to send a blow to his shins, your compensated for lack of pshysical strength to your mental ability; Johnny whinces in pain but with great haste moves out of your attack range, "Good one, baby!" he flirts, getting into an offensive stance; it was his turn to come at you.

Picking yourself up from the floor, you hold your arms in front of your face, preparing yourself for whatever Johnny has planned, ignoring the fact that he called you "baby". You remained silent, keeping your concentration fully on Johnny.

Johnny, in a flash, charges at you, sending a fist. In your months of training with him, you'd come to learn that with him, the best offense is an even better defense. With how fast he is, you'd never keep up with him; instead, you opted for keeping your guard up and waiting for an opening. Most of the time, it worked; that's how you were victorious numerous times, lots of trial and error, but you improved. Raising your right arm, you catch his left arm in your elbow, and with the fight of a champ, you use all the strength you have in your core to send him over your shoulder and onto the floor.

Once he was down, you take several strides back, knowing he's not finished yet.

You'd long seen that coming, he was up in a second, "Damn! Look at how far you've come, Superstar! Look at the things you can do now! God, it's hot!" Johnny was getting turned on by how you improved your abilities, and to think it was his guidance, well, mostly his guidance that brought you this far, inflated his ego immensely.

With a quick dash, you had your move played out beforehand, and you executed it almost to near perfection. First, predict Johnny's speed, aim for a particular vital bodily function that dulls it down; if you can get his mind distracted enough, that'll be an ample opportunity to take him down and pin him. You aim a jab at his forehead, which Johnny catches with a smirk, shit, "No, no, no, that's not how this is going to go down this time. I'd rather go down on you."

Remember how you said "almost to near perfection"? His sexual comments throw you off, yet you still don't know if he's serious or not. In your vulnerability, he sends you his own quick jabs to your abdomen, not at his full strength, but enough to have you fall to your knees from the force. He took that opportunity to pin your arms down on the floor, his body straddling you. You struggled and writhed to get free, but they were futile attempts; Johnny had won.

"Nicely done." He praises, leaning down closer to your lips, the room temperature heating up. His lips brush against yours, your breath caught in your throat. His handsome face is in such proximity that you feel hotter than you ever have, with or without your pyrokenesis. You'd begun to panic slightly, not enough for Johnny to notice, but enough to know your inner self is screaming in excitement, loud like a banshee. The moment you'd longed for was coming at last. Johnny's lips crash down onto yours, and you, with joyful exuberance, kiss him back; your lips and the clashing of teeth were like heaven on earth.

If someone had told Johnny Storm five months ago that his dream girl would come with pyrokinetic abilities due to radiation like his, he'd laugh in their face. But when you came along and tried to kill his brother-in-law, he felt an instant attraction to you; it wouldn't be the first time he'd thought about killing Reed Richards, and there you were, your hands around Reed's throat, looking like a serial killer; he swore he popped a boner. He had tried over and over to get you to notice him through his fliratious ways, finding your response to them adorable. Yet when he felt the situation was hopeless, he tried to move on, flirt with other women like he used to, but it wasn't the same; none of them were you.

It was you he wanted. Now that he finally has you underneath him, he wasn't going to let this chance pass up. He wanted you. No, he needed you.

Once you both broke apart for air, you were both panting messes, your cheeks hot, and Johnny's face pink itself. "Damn, you're gorgeous." He says, looking down at your blissful form. He wants to go further than this; he wants to be as close to you as humanly possible.

"Johnny I—" You want this, you want him possibly more than he does. He interrupts you by placing his index finger against your lips; an electric current passes between the two of you.

"I do too, Superstar. Just not now. You deserve a proper fucking on a mattress." It's like he read your mind.

Though you were still turned on, you couldn't help but feel your heart flutter. That was so sweet. You agreed with a nod, "I'd like that."

"Though we may still have to be in here, we don't want anything anywhere else to catch flames," he says.

A reasonable solution. Between you and Johnny, fire is bound to happen, and who knows how intense it'll be. "Good idea."

He kisses you once more, stands, pulling you to your feet, "This dress of yours drives me nuts. I thought I was going to pounce on you at breakfast."

You broke out into short fits of giggles, "I honestly thought you were going to, you looked feral." Even recalling his face nearly made you crack up.

Johnny smiles mischievously, "I saw something I wanted," he leans into you, his warm breath ghosting over your ear, "I intend to take it," he whispers, eliciting a shiver from you.

"I see." You feel your face heat up once more. What was this man doing to you?

Bursting onto the scene was Herbie and the rest of the team, their eyes honing in on you, Reed, as the leader speaks first, "He escaped confinement, Elias Thornwood escaped." Reed's face resembles someone carefully walking a tightrope.

The name alone sent more shivers down your spine, filling you with a sense of dread. That man can't be out on the loose, not after what he did. Johnny, who senses your distress, anchors you by putting an arm around your shoulder, the feeling almost completely dissipating. You look at him with a nod, a silent 'Thank you'.

"What should we do?" Reed asks. Even though he's the leader, he knows this is ultimately your fight and your choice to make.

Even though he scared you, you knew he was just a normal, ordinary man. Nothing great about him, but he was still a danger. "We need to catch him and send him back to prison. He can't be out; innocent lives are at stake."

Sue speaks up next, her eyes shine with concern, "What do you need from us?"

"First, we need to find out where he is; we can plan from there," you said.

Reed nods, "Johnny, take to the skies, the news report said he was last seen on 8th avenue. Dark hair, striped jump suit, you can't miss him."

Without another word, Johnny reluctantly releases his hold on you, but he has a dangerous man to find. Exiting the room to the nearest window, he takes off into the air, the sun overlooking the city's landscapes.

Without Johnny's warmth, you sigh, the anxiety creeping up on you. Sue took notice, shifting Franklin to her left and patting you on your arm. "He'll be back, and Elias is going back to prison."

You nod, yet a thought is nagging at you, pestering you to say, "I want to confront him." The team looks at you with concern.

"Are you sure?" Ben asks, "We don't know what will happen." Ben is right, you can handle yourself physically. The trauma you suffered from that man was an entirely different matter. "We'll wait for Johnny to come back for a heads up, and he'll go with you." He suggests that knowing Johnny has a calming effect on you.

"Good idea," Sue says without bothering to know your input; she knows you and Johnny have a connection. "In the meantime, we'll wait and keep watch in the living room; the news will keep us updated."

With Sue's supportive arm on your shoulder, you're led out in a semi-daze out the door. A ghost from the past, a familiar one, makes itself known, only this time you're not helpless to do anything about it. You can fight.

A couple of hours pass, and Johnny returns, giving you all updates on Elia's location. He was on the move toward the harbor, wanting to escape. That thought angered you; he wasn't going anywhere unless you had something to say about it. You told Johnny what you wanted to happen; you needed to face this man. If it got physical, you could handle yourself.

Johnny knew you were more than capable, but he was adamant in letting you go, "Absolutely not." he shakes his head with an irritated expression.

You felt your eye twitch, "Johnny, I know you just want to keep me safe, but this is not your decision to make. He's the one who murdered my father!" You shouted.

"Which is why you should let me or Sue take him on!" He shouts back. Franklin lets out a cry in Sue's arms, not liking the intense energy.

You glance at Franklin, calming down instantly, you didn't want to frighten him. You turn your attention back to Johnny, "Johnny, I appreciate you wanting me safe, but I can take care of myself. You taught me how to utilize my powers, to control them, not to hurt anyone. I don't want to hurt him… I have to know…"

Johnny calms down, too, his eyes softening, and his face relaxes, "Know what?"

"If he regrets it… murdering an innocent man…" You feel your body trembling. You know this is what has to happen because it was a question you've been asking yourself since your mom told you what happened. Did he feel remorse? Is there a chance for him? You had the desire to confront him sooner, but always chickened out, barely making it to the prison where he was held.

Johnny lets out a sigh, and the team exchanges glances, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

Of course, you told them what happened to your family. Reed seemed to feel even more guilty for the situation you're in now, even though he had nothing to do with your father's murder. Sue and Ben gave you hugs of comfort, all of them imagining the pain you've had to deal with since childhood. Because he was the one you told first, and that made you closest to him, Johnny was glad your trust expanded to his family.

He knew telling them wasn't going to be easy; hell, it wasn't easy for you to tell him, but it was necessary. They needed to know the depth of the pain inflicted on you.

"What's the plan?" Reed asks.

"What?" Your neck whips over to Reed, your gaze confused.

"What do you want to do? This is your call, we'll follow it." Reed clarifies, his eyes shining with trust in you, trust in your abilities. He believes in you.

Now you understand, "Right," you nod, appreciating this opportunity. Taking a deep breath, you think, doing your best to formulate a plan, making a note of where he's headed, wracking your brain as quickly as you can. Suddenly, an idea springs to life in your head, "We need to block off all ports. If he plans to get away by boat or ship, we need to make sure he doesn't get a chance. We're faster than he is." That you were certain, he was just an ordinary man. "We also have to put the innocent lives nearby at a safe distance, if they aren't on high alert already. I suggest the nearby underground train station, it's a high-traffic area where people come and go from that area every day, so there is plenty of room. I want him to have limited places to go." If it came to it that you or the team had to use your abilities, so be it; at least innocent lives will have shelter.

Reed smiles, a glimmer of happiness in his proud expression, "That sounds like a plan. Herbie will watch Franklin. Sue will lead the civilians to safety. Ben will block the harbors. And Johnny will follow you."

You glance at Johnny, who nods at you, approving of your plan, and will be there if you need him; that gave you strength.

"If this plan has any holes, I'm open to suggestions." Even though you were confident you'd never led a team before, even if it's just this one time, you were understandably self-conscious.

"We have faith in you, we watched you grow into this woman we see before us, one we consider family. Believe in your capabilities, you can do this." Reed reassures you with a confidence you'd never heard from him before, not directed at you. With this, your face hardened in determination, and you gave each of them nods. You were not going to screw this up, no matter what.

♡

With your help and some of the team patrolling the harbor, your plan ran smoothly, lasting well into the evening. Reed told you to give them at most 2 and a half hours to finish the plan, including making sure the area was clear in case combat ensued. You waited in the dark alley where your dad's murder took place for either Reed or Elias to show up; you didn't care either way, you wanted this matter taken care of. Reed with his elastic-like powers stretched inhumanely, arriving next to you in an instant. The time is almost midnight. "This area is clear. Sue is still directing civilians underground just to be safe."

Good.

You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding in, "That's a relief."

"How do you feel?" Reed asks, his brows furrowing in concern.

"I-" You couldn't pinpoint just one feeling; you were experiencing multiple things at once, all of them on the negative spectrum.

"Forget I asked. You must be feeling numerous things." He correctly assumes.

"Reed, I want you to k— you need to know…" You glance down at your palms, then to the alley, pitch dark like that night. You bite your lip as you feel it tremble, "I forgive you…with all my might I forgive you." A singular tear falls from your eye. The magnitude of your situation has changed since you first got your powers.

Reed's eyebrows shoot up in shock, like he misheard you, "W-what?" He hadn't expected you to say that; an enormous weight lifted off of him, like he was finally able to breathe a full breath of air without the strain.

"I forgive you." You say, your voice firm with finality, yet your eyes are glazed over with unshed tears.

Reed takes a closer look at your face, seeing the untamed animal waiting to be unleashed in its cage. "W-what do you need?" he asks, his voice trembling with joy and fear.

"Get Johnny, I don't think I can face Elias without him." You held a hand to your heart, its pounding wildly in your chest. You wanted Elias dead, far more than you did Reed, now that you think back on it. You need Johnny with you; he is an anchor to your sanity.

"At once! Of course!" Reed rushes off at a faster speed than when he arrived, determined to bring Johnny to you.

"Okay.." You take deep breaths, both as a calming agent, a way to focus, and to keep you light on your feet in case you needed to fight. You didn't know how much time passed until you felt a hand on your shoulder, instantly calming you.

"You miss me, baby?" Johnny smiles, face full of dimples, the face you'd gotten to know and love so well…wait…what?

"I-I missed you terribly." You smile despite your nerves. His thumb wipes away more tears from your eyes.

"Ben and Reed are leading Elias here; I'll be nearby." Johnny points behind you, and you breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Johnny. I don't know where I'd be without you." It was God's truth that this man had helped you so much. Not just him, but the rest of the Fantastic Four.

"I knew you were special, Superstar. I took a shine to that." He says as though it were the simplest thing.

"Well, well, well, love birds at this hour? Mind getting out of my way, I'm in a hurry." That voice, there was no mistaking it; you'd heard it in your nightmares for decades, along with a loud and resounding fire of a pistol. You turn to face him. The man has all-white teeth and dark hair in a black and white jumpsuit.

Elias Thornwood.

For a moment, you froze, the trauma unfolding inside you like a flower blooming. Then you speak, "Do you know who I am?" Yes, your voice is shaking, but there is something else beyond that, a deep rage that has been dormant since that night, flame sparks from your hands.

Elias looks at you, squinting his eyes like he's trying to assess you. "No."

"LOOK AT ME, YOU BASTARD! YOU'D BETTER REMEMBER ME!!" You yelled. Your eyes themselves felt like they were on fire with how much you were feeling.

"Ahhh, so you're the girl who got powers," he notes, seeing the fire. He's not even remotely afraid. "Must be nice." Elias purses his lips in thought. Suddenly, his eyes widen as he takes in his surroundings: the familiar alley, the night, the couple with their child, and finally himself with a gun. "It's you… The girl's face I can't escape. You and your mother's expressions haunt me to this day."

"Tell me," You were speaking through clenched teeth, "my father, the man you murdered right here, do you regret it? Murdering him in cold blood for an offence he didn't commit?" Your fingernails dug into your skin, enough to draw blood.

Elias' eyes widened, "Yes, of course I do. He didn't deserve it. I wish an apology were enough."

You'd had enough. This man was about to pay for what he did. In a blind rage, you lunge at him with full intent on killing him. With a palm of flame, you knock the knife out of his hand. Using your body combined with the heat, you knock him to the ground, and you lean over him, his face broken and hopeless, "DO YOU FEEL WHAT WE FELT THAT NIGHT?" You hold up your index finger, aiming it at his head, the fire focused in your finger resembling a bullet, your intent clear.

Elias closes his eyes, giving up, perhaps thinking he deserves this.

Johnny, without missing a beat, grabs your arm and twists it back, causing you to yelp in pain, "He's down!" he shouts, desperate to get through to you, "Enough is enough!" Johnny snaps, his own fire surrounding him to protect him. No, you didn't want to hurt Johnny; you'd never hurt him. Despite your emotions being in a frenzy, you force yourself to calm down, your flames dissipating at the same time as his. "Hear what he has to say, baby." Johnny's eyes darken with fear, not just for you but for what you can do.

Elias sits up, groaning from the pain you inflicted, "I deserved that… there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you, your father, and your mother. I've regretted it since I pulled the trigger…"

You calm down further, your eyes becoming less murderous and more calm, "Y-you do?"

"I wanted— no, I needed to make it up to you somehow." Elias explains, "I've tried breaking out countless times just to find you, to see how you were doing… I needed to see how you've been living your life."

"Living my life?" You ask, tears fall from your eyes.

"You lived with your mother all this time? She gave you a stable home?" Elias asks, his voice breaking with grief.

"S-she did." You couldn't believe he thought about this, all these years.

"You went to school, made friends, got an education? All that good shit you deserve?" He continues, shedding his own tears.

You recall back to your school days, the friends you made, the movie nights, the sleepovers, and the pranks you pulled on each other. You think of your mother, who worked so hard for you to get the things you needed, helped you when it mattered most, and prepared the home-cooked meals you never took for granted. "Yes," More tears escape you. You truly have had a great life so far.

Elias rises to his feet, sniffling, "I'm glad you did so well. I wanted you to do well, live the life that shouldn't have been marred by my actions."

"Elias…" You didn't know what to say to that; frankly, you were stunned he thought of your family so much, even in prison. Thoughts rushed through your mind but floated away before you could pin them down with words.

"I'm truly sorry for what I did. Your father didn't deserve it, no one deserves that, least of all over something as meaningless as money…" Elias spoke with utmost sincerity, the honesty punching you in the gut, leaving no room for doubt. "I'll go back to prison, or you can kill me, I still have to repent for what I did… that's why I managed to escape this time, I had to make sure I found you and tell you how much my actions pain me to this day." Elias's eyes spoke to you; this was a man in searing pain, as though he were in hell, constantly burning.

You finally understood. With your notoriety with the Fantastic Four, Elias heard about you and wanted to see you after so many years, even before that. Now that he has said what he needed to say, he needs to repent, not with his death but with his life, "Go back to prison, Elias. Johnny and I will escort you." Johnny nods, supporting your decision.

Elias takes a deep breath and sighs, "If that's what you see fit for me, I'll do it."

You see the familiar red and blue lights flashing in the distance, police cars. You take hold of Elias' right arm as Johnny takes his left, "Let's go," your voice breaking slightly, this event overwhelming.

Elias's arrest goes smoothly; he's cooperative and calm. Johnny wraps his arm around you as you lean your head against his shoulder. Staring at Elias in the cop car, a thought crosses your mind, "Johnny, I want to visit him often. Will you come with me?"

Johnny responds by kissing your forehead, "I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." Butterflies erupt in your stomach.

"Thank you." You didn't know why you wanted to see Elias more, perhaps to update him on how your life is going, but something inside you was telling you to do this. "I can't believe I almost killed him… I was about to make the worst mistake a person could ever make… Johnny, I can't thank you enough for being here for me. I needed you." The thought of being without him in any aspect of your life terrifies you.

"I've got you, I'm not going anywhere. Where you go, I go." Johnny whispers against your forehead.

"Same for me. Where you go, I go." You mirror his words; both of you know you're on the same page.

♡

Hours pass, and it's late into the morning as you and the team return home to the Baxter Building. You bid the team goodnight, yet you gesture for Johnny to follow you, indicating you wanted him close to you. After tonight's events, you weren't sure you could sleep without him. Johnny nods and tells everyone goodnight as well. He dresses in his night clothes in his room, and you do the same in your room.

Johnny knocks on your door, "You decent?"

You couldn't help but smile, snuggled comfortably in your bed, "I am. Come in, Johnny."

He enters your room as he's done before, he takes in the view of you in your bed, relaxed from the day, "I'm proud of you, Superstar."

"You are?" He walks over and lies down next to you on your bed.

"Yeah. You could've overpowered me, knocked me out, or shoved me out of the way. You wanted to kill Elias, but you held back, gave him a chance to talk." He explains, his brown eyes shine with respect.

"I never want to hurt you, Johnny. I love you." You admit at last, the feelings you discovered not long ago came to light.

Johnny's eyes widen, turning his head to look at you, seeing your eyes full of love and admiration for him, "You love me?"

"With all my heart and then some." You smile a radiant smile, Johnny's heart flutters in his chest.

Johnny closes in on you, his breath against your lips, "I love you too, Superstar." he seals that love with a kiss, one that lifts you high like you could take on the world. Breaking the kiss, you snuggle up to him, his warmth making you elated. "Sleep well, Johnny."

"Goodnight, Superstar." He says, a plan formulating in the recesses of his sleepy mind. With a smile, he falls asleep, eagerly awaiting the next day.

By the time you both wake up, it's almost noon. "Morning, baby." Johnny flirts with his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Oh," You yawn, "morning. How did you sleep?"

"I slept fine," He shrugs, "what about you? You had no nightmares, I noticed."

"Really?" You said.

"Yeah, you normally scream when you have them. I can hear you, that's how I rush over to comfort you all those times." He said.

"I see." Yikes, that's embarrassing, even though you knew he did this countless times, but something else caught your mind, "I thought for sure I would have a nightmare, but I didn't, I'm pretty sure that has everything to do with you."

"I'm sure it does." He replies with a cocky smirk.

You roll your eyes with a smile. "Don't let it get to your head. Do you think the team is up?"

"Probably." Johnny's hold on you tightens, "but I wanna lie here with you a while."

"Sounds like a plan," You lie your head against Johnny's chest, the steady beating of his heart

Nothing can be heard but the quiet whirring of your ceiling fan and the steady beating of Johnny's heart. It was peaceful until you heard a knock at your door. Both of you groan, "Hey, what is it?" You call out gently.

"You two decent?" Ben remarks, with an amused undertone in his voice.

"Yes, we are." Johnny pipes up.

"Well, breakfast is ready— or lunch now." You hear his large footsteps walk away.

Reluctantly, you sit up, "Wanna go get food? We don't have to get dressed."

"I'd rather us get naked, but I'm hungry." He shrugs with a smile.

Feeling your face warm up, you say, "I'm hungry for you… and food." God, that flirt attempt was weak. You knew you could do better than that.

Johnny smiles, "Let's get our bellies full." Thankfully, the attempt didn't faze him.

You both get up and get dressed in your respective rooms.

♡

Entering the kitchen, sporting a grey puff dress with matching heels, and Johnny close behind, the team applauds you, making you tuck your hair behind your ear in shyness, "W-whats going on?" you stammer.

"You did it! You captured an escaped convict and got him back into prison! One that has a massive impact on your upbringing." Reed beams, Franklin tries to resemble the rest of the team's cheering; the attempt is adorable.

"Thank you, guys." You smile, warmth spreading through your body.

"Your mom called while you were sleeping. Be sure to call her back sometime today," Sue informs you.

"Oh, okay. She's probably proud of me, too." The thought generates more warmth throughout your body.

Johnny rolls his eyes and says, "Okay, okay, everyone is proud of my woman, we get it," he voices with a hint of irritation.

What did he say?

Did he admit it out loud?

Reed and Benn blush, looking around the kitchen awkwardly

"It's about damn time," Sue remarks, smiling a smug grin, "you sure you want my annoying brother?" She asks, a teasing lilt in her voice.

"Yes, more than anything." You reply, the answer as easy as breathing, second nature.

Johnny throws his arm around your shoulder, whispering in your ear, "Last night I prepared something just for us in The Sanctuary. After we eat, let's go."

Your stomach did a flip, you had an inkling of what Johnny was planning, to say you weren't excited would be a lie, "O-okay." You whisper back.

He lets go of you as though nothing happened, grabbing his breakfast or lunch, in this case, of hashbrowns, eggs, toast, and bacon. Benn made sure to keep the food warm.

You soon follow suit, getting your own breakfast, feeling hungry but not for food. You got eggs, fruit salad, and toast. The most you could eat from your stomach, fluttering the way it is. Sitting down next to Johnny, he sends you a wink, hooking a finger under your chair and scooting you closer to him.

Reed comments, "That was quite the eventful night we had. How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Reed," Johnny warns, not wanting to ruin the pleasant mood you're in.

"It's okay, Johnny," you say. "I feel," you pause, carefully thinking it over, "I think I feel free, like nothing is clouding me anymore. I still have things I feel like I have to do, but I feel better than I ever have in my life." Your current state is content. Yes, you still have the scars of your past; nothing will ever change that. But for once, you look forward to the future, not just taking days one at a time. You're allowing yourself to enjoy life that's brighter than it was. You're more optimistic.

Glancing at Johnny, you beam at him, happy that you found someone who's helped you so much. Johnny returns your smile with one of his own, leaning more on the flirtatious side. His hand, coming to rest on your knee, elicited goosebumps on your leg.

"How did yesterday's events affect you guys? It got pretty intense for me; if not for Johnny, I would've done something terrible." You began eating your food. Judging by the tone of your voice, they gathered the worst possible outcome, yet they were relieved Johnny was there for you.

"Honestly, we were more worried about you and how you would come out of this." Reed glances at Sue and Benn, both of them nodding in agreement.

"It's one of those things when you see someone you care about deal with something that you can't interfere with. I felt a little helpless, and that frustrated me," Ben explains his feelings and the conflicting emotions that came with them.

"I felt the same way," Sue nods in agreement, "you're part of this family, now, if you haven't figured it out yet."

Johnny squeezes your knee in agreement. Something new blossomed in your heart, something warm that invokes happiness; you hadn't anticipated this. "Thank you, guys. I'm very grateful to you all."

By the time everyone finishes eating, the conversation flows easily and without any awkwardness. An hour passes, Johnny hikes his hand higher and higher up your thigh, bunching up the skirt of your dress; he was getting impatient. Looking at him with a silent warning, you squeeze your thighs together, hoping to stop his movements. With a smirk, he pinches you, and you react instinctively, opening your thighs from the pain. He continues up to his destination: your panties.

One there, he feels the delicate fabric on the rough pads of his fingers. God, they felt better than he thought, a soft a silky feeling rubbing against him, a low rumble escapes his mouth, only you can hear.

"I meant to ask you." Reed starts.

"Yeah?" Johnny's fingers make contact with your clit, and you willed your voice to remain steady.

"What did Elias say to you?" Sue asks.

Dammit, Johnny, why are you doing this now?

"Well," you clear your throat, warmth spreading through your body, "he said, he was sorry, s-sincerely sorry." fuck, you hope they didn't question that.

All of them nodded, thinking that you were in disbelief, prompting your stammer.

"He said he's attempted to break out several times in prison," Johnny's fingers tease your clit through the fabric of your panties, a smirk on his face. "He explained he wanted to check on me because he felt guilty and wanted to make sure I was living a life I deserved." How you managed to keep a straight face and somewhat even tone, you'll never know.

"Really?" Reed's face morphs into shock, yet his eyes convey a deep understanding because he, too, felt like he needed to atone for the mistake he made.

Johnny's fingers dip into your panties, rubbing your bare clit with heated fingers. You glance at him, and he has the most nonchalant expression, but you know better; his eyes shine with amusement, and he wonders how long you can keep this up. "Y-yeah, completely shocked me." You clear your throat once more.

"I would imagine so," Sue said.

Predicting you would make some obscene noise, you dabbed your mouth with the napkin given to you, swallowed a small moan you made, only for Johnny to double his efforts, causing your cheeks to heat up. But you redoubled your efforts to remain unfazed. "So, Johnny and I took him to the police." Your brows twitch, a subtle yet effective reaction.

Johnny feels taller than a skyscraper, feeling your cunt react so perfectly for him, the way it pulsates, and how wet it is. God, he wanted to be inside you. His fingers will have to do for now. He had purposefully heated his fingers, adding sensory contact to your growing pleasure.

"So, do you two have plans?" Sue asks.

"We are using The Sanctuary today," Johnny says.

"Training? More?" Sue questions with a brow raised.

"A specific kind of training," Johnny smirks, wiggling his fingers toward your cunt, barely touching your entrance.

You cleared your throat once more to cover your moan.

"Are you alright? You getting sick?" Benn asks, his stone face showing concern.

"N-no, not at all," you say, smiling, praying Benn doesn't ask you more questions.

Johnny decided he's going to put you out of your misery. "We should probably get to it. Come on, Superstar." Johnny withdraws his fingers from your pussy.

"Y-yeah, good idea." Your voice bordered on a whine from the lack of contact. You were annoyed, but you stood up and started walking to The Sanctuary, with Johnny taking your hand. Once you were out of sight from the others, he takes his fingers that were in your cunt and sucks them in front of you.

"Johnny!" You chastise, slapping his shoulder.

"Delicious." He hums, the taste immaculate on his tongue.

"Are you crazy?"

"Crazy for you," He winks, "your body too." he meant it, he was going to have you at last. It was remarkable how he could hide his excitement.

"Ugh! You're impossible!" You roll your eyes with a smile, playfully slapping his shoulder.

♡

With flirting, teasing, touching with sexual comments, you made it to The Sanctuary. You've come here so often that the location became second nature to you, "What did you do, Johnny?" you ask, curiosity heavy in your voice.

"You'll see," he smirks, his eyebrows wiggling mischievously.

Opening the door like he's done so many times before, you step inside, glancing around to see what Johnny did. Your jaw drops, "Wow." There are candles everywhere, none of them lit. At the center is a mattress, covered in what appears to be rose petals, or that's what it looked like. In your state of shock, Johnny lights the candles with an expert outstretched arm, the cold room dimly lit. "Johnny, this is beautiful!"

"I knew you'd like it," he says. As he got to know you, he formed a good sense of what you prefer.

"So," you start, your body trembling in anticipation, "w-what are we going to do?" Though you knew exactly what it was, you asked coyly, batting your eyelashes seductively at him.

Johnny answers you by tilting your head up with his hand under your chin and kissing you passionately, his intentions clear. His hands move to your baby, groping whatever he could grab until he landed on your ass, giving you a light spank, making you moan into the kiss. He takes that opportunity to wiggle his tongue against yours, making contact. You moan unabashedly, both of your wet appendages twisting around each other as though they were fighting.

"Johnny," You moan. Johnny walks you back to the mattress at the center of the lit candles until your feet hit the back of the mattress. Breaking the kiss, he takes hold of your shoulders, gently pushing you down on your back, which meets with cool sheets.

"These are fireproof." He says.

"When did you have time to do all this?" you ask, your eyes expressing amazement.

"Last night," he shrugs, "since you were asleep, I took the time to do it. With Herbie helping me, it didn't take long."

"Oh." You feel your face heat up; you knew Herbie was a robot, but you couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. "I see." You nod.

Johnny removes his shoes and, since he was down there, he took yours off as well and climbed on top of you. "I wanted this to be special for you." his brown eyes met yours; you could see the sincerity in them.

"Johnny…" you whisper his name in a needy way.

He kisses you once more, this one full of love and affection, cupping your face as he does it. "I love you."

"I love you too," you breathe, your heart pounding in your chest. The mutual feelings elating you.

He kisses your jaw and down your neck until he finds your sensitive spot. He knew this because you gave a particularly loud moan. Assaulting that spot with his tongue and teeth, you can't help but moan his name over and over again. The sounds you make along with his name travel straight to his cock, which is getting harder and harder by the minute as his hands worship your curves, playing with your breasts over your dress as if he's trying to get each curve memorized, creating a map of your body. Johnny stops kissing to look at your neck. He made a hickey, "Beautiful," he says, his voice a few octaves lower than normal as he admires his work.

You ball your hands into fists, the sheets beneath you crumbling up as you feel fire in your palms, "Johnny," you whine.

"Is your dress fireproof?" He asks suddenly.

"Uh," Many of your clothes were, but you couldn't remember about this one. In your hesitation, Johnny sets your dress ablaze until it's ashes on the bed; he oddly left your panties untouched. "Johnny!" You cover your breasts with your arm. "How am I going to get out of here without any clothes?"

Johnny's face winces, his eyes widening. He knew he screwed up there, but then an idea came to him as quickly as your dress got destroyed, "I can call Herbie and have him get more." He gently pushes your arm out of the way, your breasts in view for his hungry eyes. He licks his lips as he takes one in his mouth, suckling, biting, and squeezing your mounds. "Shit, your tits are perfect," he mumbles, his mouth full of your nipple, his teeth lightly scraping the areola.

"J-Johnny," you moan, rubbing your thighs together to try and get friction. Johnny's teasing at the table made you wet quickly, yet this was producing more arousal than ever.

"I know, Superstar," he says, switching to your other breast while fondling and slapping your other one, causing you to yelp in surprise, "you like that, baby?" he chuckles, not expecting that reaction.

More arousal gushed out of you; you liked it more than you expected. "Y-yes, Johnny." You bit your lip as your hands moved to the back of Johnny's shirt, trying to use your powers to burn it off to no avail; you'd forgotten he also has fireproof clothing. "Please take off your shirt," you plead pathetically.

"I can't deny you, baby." He removes his shirt and tosses it aside, revealing his slim yet toned body. His alabaster skin flexing slightly, "Very nice, Johnny. You've been working out?" you flirt, grabbing your tits to play with them, twisting your nipples that are hardening by the minute.

"I'm about to do some cardio." He bites his lip, his eyes getting darker with arousal. Hooking his fingers to the waistline of your panties, and slowly peels them off. Once the article of clothing was removed, he shoves your panties into his nose and deeply inhales, "Fuck, you smell like honey fresh from the hive," he says, licking the wet patch formed from his teasing.

Jesus Christ.

"Johnny." Your body trembled; you were naked in front of him, yet he had done nothing to you. You were desperate for release, "I-I need you, please." You plead once more, causing him to smirk a nasty smirk, one full of perverted thoughts.

Before removing his trousers, he tucks your panties into his back pocket, "I'm keeping these." Once he freed himself from his trousers, he was left in his boxers. His hands take your knees to spread you open, his eyes feasting on your glistening pussy, "my dessert." he drops to his knees, making a small thud, and dives in, his tongue eating your pussy like a man starved, slurping, suckling, and flicking your pussy.

"F-f-f-fuck, Johnny." Your voice trembled like your thighs on either side of his head, "feels so good."

That's just what he wanted to hear, redoubling his efforts as he fists his cock through his boxers, "Fuck, baby," he groans, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

Your thighs clamp around his head, squeezing him, "OH JOHNNY!" The sensation of floating overtakes you, and you feel his tongue enter your cunt, pointing it like a sword and moving it in and out fucking you with it. "AH!" you start screaming once more, each time you feel his tongue in your walls, it elicits a cry.

Johnny doesn't falter, your screams giving him goosebumps, and blood rushes to cock. He was desperate to make you cum, he needed it so he could fuck you. "Cum, Superstar!" he demands, replacing his tongue with his fingers inside your heavily stimulated pussy. He didn't need to find your G-spot, and his tongue flicks your clit.

A high-pitched yet distant whistle you hear as you cum, your body convulsing so hard Johnny had to push your hips back down on the mattress, riding you through your orgasm. Without you knowing, the candles in the room lit further, casting a beautiful glow around you both; you almost took Johnny's breath away, "Shit, you're gorgeous when you cum."

"H-uh?" You were still coming down, yet you heard the compliment; it was as though he sounded like an echo in a dark tunnel.

"It's alright, baby." Johnny stands to fully remove his boxers, his erect cock standing angrily at attention, his tip red and leaking pre cum. He climbs on top of you, looking you in your eyes, "You better, baby?" he kisses your forehead.

"Y-yeah." You smile, Johnny's brown eyes sparkle with joy. He has the woman he loves on a mattress, and he's about to fuck her.

Suddenly, you found yourself on top of Johnny, and he smiles, "Ride me, baby. I wanna see your tits bounce while you fuck me."

You could melt from arousal alone. "O-okay." You reach down, with your legs on either side of him, straddling him, your hand hovering over his cock. You look at him, asking silently for consent.

"Touch me, baby, it won't bite." He winks, giving you the go-ahead to touch him. He found it sweet that you were asking permission.

You place your dainty yet heated hand over his cock you give it a few pumps, spreading his pre cum around his shaft, causing him to groan, and you guide it to your entrance. Lifting your hips, you slowly sink on it, making you both suck in a gasp in unison, "F-fuck, Johnny." Your walls stretch to accommodate him, the feeling delightful, the flames of the candles flare up, melting the wax beneath them, and dripping to the floor.

"I knew you'd feel good but sh-i-i-i-t, baby," he drawls out, his cock enveloped by your warm walls, the velvety softness welcoming him inside. He was glad he teased you at the table and ate you out first. Christ, you were everything he needed and more.

Finally, your lower body met his, your aching clit brushing against his coarse pubic hair, causing you to shiver. Gently, you grind your hips in a circular motion, your moans mingling with each other. "Johnny," you moan, your eyes black with lust.

"Superstar," he grunted in strain, trying his best not to buck his hips up. Copious amounts of sweat are forming on each of your bodies, his eyes fully darkened with lust.

You begin to bounce, a steady yet effective rhythm, and your breasts also bounce. You cup Johnny's face, looking him in the eye, "Feels good?" you cooed, your smile a knowing grin.

"Shit, you feel amazing." His eyes are mesmerized by your bouncing tits. Without wasting another second, he slaps your left tit, making you cry out.

Alternating between slapping your left and right breast, you gradually increase your pace, feeling beads of sweat dripping down your face. "Johnny! Fuck! Don't stop! Keep slapping my tits!" You look down, watching his cock disappear into your body and reappear nearly made drool dribble out of your mouth.

"You little whore." He smirks with a groan, slapping your tits and giving your sensitive nipples a harder slap alternating between a slap and a pinch on your nipples, your pussy clamps down on him like a bear trap. "fuck yes!" He grunted out, bucking his hips to meet yours with every bounce you make.

Your clit meets his pubic hair with every bounce of your hips, causing further waves of pleasure to shoot through you. "AH!" You feel your blood rushing through your veins.

Johnny can't get enough of you; the sight of you is something he's imagined so many times on the nights he was lonely. He would touch himself to the thought of you, the image looking a lot like you do right now, but even that didn't come close to the real thing. His cock buried inside you, your mouth a constant 'O' shape, the moans you're singing, there was no place he'd rather be right now. "I— never wanna stop, baby— fuck you feel so good."

You nod your head, "I don't want t-to stop either," you mewled. Johnny took notice of the slight faltering of your hips; you were getting tired. He flips you over, ass up and head down, and fucks you harder with such animalistic vigor you felt your eyes cross from pleasure, his cock plunged deeper in this position than it was before, pounding your G-spot.

"J-johnny!" You cry out pathetically. You are a slut for this man; you needed his cock like you needed air to breathe. "Don't stop!" You plead, your words almost incomprehensible.

Johnny, with a heated hand, slaps your ass, leaving a red mark in its wake, "I won't, now shut up!" He punctuates his words with every thrust of his hips, the sounds of skin slapping against skin echoing through the room.

"J-Johnny— feels— so— good!" You blurted, drool leaking out of your mouth and onto the sheets, beneath you.

Reaching around you, Johnny finds your clit and rubs it with urgency, "That's right, baby." His tone conveys cockiness. "Now, you're gonna cum on my cock, and then, I'm taking you again with your feet around my neck!" There was no arguing with this man; if he was going to make you cum again, you were going to do just that. He rubs your clit harder, his fingertips hot around the bud. "Do it!" he barks out like a command. Feeling the familiar pressure in your lower stomach burst, white hot ecstasy bursts to life inside you, your mind blanking of all thought, only feeling the sensation of pleasure and Johnny slowly dragging his cock in and out of your pussy. Your pyrokenesis melted several candles down to the wick, some of them exploding with wax melted onto the cool floor. In your state of bliss, Johnny moved you on your back; now you're in the missionary position. Above you, he gently cups your face with his right hand, rubbing your cheekbone with his thumb with tenderness, "Come back to me, baby."

Eventually, you feel yourself return to your body. What felt like minutes was only a few seconds. Looking up, you see Johnny grinning wickedly down at you, "I'm okay." You reassure him, though you weren't sure he needed it.

"Remember what I told you?" He asks, his eyebrow raised in question.

"Um," you think, "…Oh!" You remembered almost instantly. With your legs feeling like jelly, you place them on Johnny's shoulders. Then you hook them around his neck, and he chuckles devilishly, peering into your eyes, intoxicated by your mutual ecstacy.

Leaning forward, Johnny folds you in half until your forehead meets his. "You, ready, sweetheart?"

With hearts in your eyes, you nod, "I'm ready, Johnny." You lick your lips, as if you could ever tire of him.

He surges forward, pushing his cock further into your pussy, swallowing your moans by kissing you fiercely. His hips motioning back and forth, his ass cheeks clench with every thrust, he's impossibly deeper inside you.

At this angle, you're seeing stars before you can comprehend a thought, the pleasure coursing through your body, catching every nerve, every cell, down to a molecular level as though it were in your DNA. "J-J-Johnny!" moaning his name, his fingers press into the skin of your hips, his nails digging into the tender flesh. If you could think a normal thought, you'd say that would hurt. You were going to have bruises in a day or two.

"Superstar, your pussy was made to be mine!" He growls, nibbling against your earlobe as your sweaty bodies come together over and over again. "Next time, I'll drip wax on you, o-or iceplay, huh?" Dozens upon dozens of filthy things enter Johnny's mind, the positions he wants you in, the faces you'll make, and the sounds— oh God, the sounds, he had to bite his lip to stop himself from letting out a guttural moan, he was getting carried away, balls deep inside you.

Weakly, you move your hips up to meet his, though Johnny is mostly in control, you were desperate for more, your pleasure climbing up once more. "I love you!" The pleasurable haze made you remember you are in love with this man who is simultaneously melting you and bringing you back for more. And you could spend an eternity beneath Johnny, on top of Johnny, Johnny behind you. As long as you were with Johnny, you could succumb to the fires of pleasure wherever and whenever.

Johnny.

Johnny

Johnny.

He could feel his balls tighten, slapping against your ass with every drag of his hips. He could feel how your heart raced in your chest, "Fuck baby! I love you too," he hisses through clenched teeth, "I'm gonna cum, pump you full of my seed!" Reaching down between your sweaty and sticky bodies, he rubs your sensitive clit. Your hips make a futile attempt to break away. "Cum! I'm right behind you!" With a weak yet arousing cry, he feels you cum, he immediately follows suit, his balls tightening as spurt after spurt of his hot seed enters your womb; if he gets you pregnant, he'll marry you in a heartbeat, fuck, he'll marry you now after you both recover. Johnny collapses on top of you on the bed, his chest, like yours, heaving, rising up and down.

"I love you…" You whisper, "Thank you for making that so special to me, Johnny." You spoke between pants, but your breathing was becoming steadier.

"Anything for you, baby." Turning his head, he grins happily at you, like a man in love. Reluctantly, he pulls out of you, both of you missing the warmth of your bodies together. "Speaking of," he stands to put his boxers on, his hair raggidy and unkempt. Walking to the door, he spots Herbie, "Get Superstar a new set of clothes, ones that match the heels she wore this afternoon."

Herbie, giving the directive, rushes to your room. "He's such a kind robot." You sit up on your elbows, noticing that the first time you came here.

"He's nice." Johnny smiles, taking your new clothes from herbie. He walks back over to you, sitting back down on the mattress. "Sit up," he says.

Not thinking about it, you sit up fully, furrowing your eyebrows at Johnny. "What is it?" you ask in concern.

Johnny takes a deep breath, flexing his fingers in concentration. With heated palms, he places his hands on your shoulders, massaging you effectively, "Just a little aftercare."

"O-oh." You nod, leaning into his touch, relaxing your body. His thumbs press into your atlas with the perfect amount of pressure. He continuously presses into the area until you hum, "damn, that feels amazing."

"You want another round, sweetheart?" He'd happily fuck you again. The mattress isn't destroyed; he'll have to clean up the melted wax later, of course—barely an inconvenience.

"How much stamina do you have, Johnny?" You laugh, though you can barely feel your body due to the relaxation.

"For you, limitless," He remarks with a grin, his thumbs move up to the muscles in your neck, working out the small tension, "but I think you need a break. Not to say I don't, but my concern is you."

"Johnny," you inwardly swoon, "you're so sweet. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Superstar. Do you need me to rub your back some more? I don't mind." His hands travel to your waist to make a point.

"I would love that, but do you think the team will be looking for us? We've been gone a while." You ask.

"No, unless it was an emergency like when Elias broke out." He knew that for certain, they would never intrude on something important unless necessary. If anyone came in now, he'd throw them out with his powers; no one gets the good graces of seeing your naked skin but him. "We should dress."

That made sense. The team is very family-oriented and respectful of boundaries. You're thankful that Johnny has them and that you have Johnny and, by extension, them as well. "Okie dokie," you agree.

♡

With both of you dressed like nothing had happened, you entered the living room, making the assumption that's where everyone was, but they were nowhere to be found. "Huh, how strange," you said.

"Yeah," Even Johnny is confused; clearly, this wasn't normal.

"Maybe they're in Reed's lab?" You suggest. However, you wonder why everyone would be present there.

"Good idea. He's probably looking at your blood, yet again." Johnny says with you at his side, heading toward the lab.

"Oh! There you two are, it's about time!" Reed's head pops out from the door to his lab, hearing you and Johnny walk in the hallway. His face giddy with excitement, and you get the odd sense that he's relieved about something. "Come with me! I've made a fantastic discovery."

You exchange a glance with Johnny, and he takes your hand and squeezes it in reassurance as he leads you inside Reed's lab. You notice the whole team is there, sharing smiles.

"What's going on?" You inquire.

"Reed found a cure for you!" Sue beams, proud of her husband's discovery.

Your eyes widen in disbelief.

A cure?

That stunned Johnny, the grin on his face dropping, replaced with worry. "A what?"

"I can finally make this right, correct my mistake!" Reed beams, his countenance free of worry that was once marred by shame.

With many questions buzzing in your mind, one is the most glaring: "How?"

"This component in your blood— oh, it's fascinating!" Reed says with joyful exuberance, "It can alter the effects of radiation, specifically yours! So, it could, in theory, reverse the radiation in your body, you'd be back to how you were!"

Johnny holds your hand a little tighter, "Theory? It's not certain?" He asks.

"I'm almost one hundred percent certain it will work." Reed sounds confident enough to reflect his words.

"I-I'm shocked." That was an understatement; you didn't think a cure was possible. Johnny's hold on your hand tightens.

"But, you have a choice now," Reed continues, "I can administer the cure through IV, or you remain as you are. I can only apologize that it's taken so long."

You were taken aback, but you thought of all the things that have happened since you were bitten. The bonds you formed with the team, the newfound strength you have that you'd grown accustomed to, and Johnny, the love of your life. Could you really abandon all that and go back to the life you once had? "No," you answer yourself and Reed simultaneously. "I'm staying as I am."

The Fantastic Four look flabbergasted; they expected you would go back; they thought you'd jump at the chance of being free from your powers. "May I ask why? Not that I mind, I'm curious to know what you're thinking." Reed asks, gently pressing you for answers.

"Well," you start, glancing down at your palms, "I've grown because of these abilities, I think I would've remained in such a bubble of pain that I don't think I could've escaped on my own." You were sure of that; you've changed so much because of your pyrokenesis that you can't imagine your life without it now.

The team exchanges glances; they, too, have seen the change in how you carry yourself. Even before you confronted Elias, you were starting to see the world in a brighter sense, like you were finding the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.

"I've even come to love you guys, including you, Reed." You smile a real smile, one that isn't contaminated by your past pain, "especially, Johnny." You feel heat rush into your cheeks. "I'm starting to think this wasn't just an accident, I was meant for these abilities somehow or another."

"B-but don't you want your old life back? You're own space?" Johnny asks, his face tinted pink.

"Johnny," You step toward him, "my life, my space, my everything is you, and all of you." There was heavy conviction in your voice as you looked at the team. "I want to spend the rest of my days with my new family. I love you all so much."

Sue smiles, happiness radiating in her form as she shifts Franklin to her other hip, "That settles it, then."

Johnny couldn't help but grin. The nagging worry has been eviscerated from his mind. He thought you would go back; he was certain you would, but no, you were staying where you belonged, with him and The Fantastic Four.

"Just dispose of the cure. Properly this time, Reed." You give him a playful wink, laughing at the incident that once haunted you.

"Oh, come on!" Reed blushes in embarrassment, the rest of your family laughing alongside you as Johnny's warm hand relaxes in yours. And it remained that way for days to come.

Warm.

♡

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