fuel the pyre (Johnny Storm x disabled!Reader) - I. 'til the bone crush
The summer was a chance for you to finally catch a breather, like it was for most people. It had been a couple of weeks since the 5 Years of the Fantastic 4 special on Ted Gilbert’s show. That meant it was the time of year that was relatively calm in your career.
Your career, of course, was being the Media Coordinator for the Fantastic 4. The only person you really had to answer to these days was Lynn. Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben, all innately trusted you at this point with their public image. That trust was earned through the five years it took for you to reach this position alongside the 4 rising to fame.
Five years ago, you had needed college credit and applied for a media internship at the newly formed Future Foundation. Back then, you had no idea what the organization would become and the family it would help you find.
But, now, you were in an elevator at the Baxter Building. Well, one of them.
It was at your college graduation, three years ago, that Reed gave you a gift, well, two gifts. The watch you always wore and the wheelchair you were, nearly, always in. The watch was simple-looking, a silver face and a plain blue band, but it was the furthest thing from simple. For one thing, it gave you access to the living quarters found at the top of the Baxter Building.
However, the watch also told time. It was 6:58, and the elevator was notoriously slow. It was probably faster to take the stairs and it was definitely faster to fly, which Johnny was always ready to attest to. But, you couldn’t fly, or take the stairs. So, you were stuck listening to soft classical music coming from the speakers as the metal box crept its way from the third floor, where the Media Department was located, to the 31st floor where one would find the dining room and the Fantasti-Kitchen.
You were going to be late to family dinner.
Johnny was going to be thrilled.
At the thought, you straightened your posture, along with your top. You had made the mistake of going home to change and check on your dog. Soon, the two hours you had to spare all but disappeared, and, now, here you were after forgetting to account for the speed, or lack thereof, of the elevator.
You picked at a piece of pleather that was about to fall off your cushion. Then you moved to messing with your seatbelt, anything to pass the time. Another glance at your watch, 7:00 on the dot. The number on the screen by the door showed a little golden 9. You groaned.
Your watch silently moved from second to second.
Soon enough, the elevator car settled onto the 31st floor before the door glided open.
You pushed your joystick forward, officially entering the room. Across the way, you noticed the most damning piece of evidence when it came to your tardiness, an opened box of Lucky Charms on the dining room table.
Johnny. Of course, it was Johnny. The chair to his left had been moved to make room for your own.
“It’s not my fault that the elevator’s slow.”
“Yeah, but,” he put his hand in the box of cereal, “your chair can levitate.”
You looked at him incredulously, “You and I both know that it can’t go that high.”
Reed took the moment to interject, “The elevator is on my list. As for your chair, Y/N, I am happy to make updates at our next maintenance appointment.”
“No!” you said a little too quickly.
Then, Johnny laughed and you shot him a glare. You had a fear of heights and he knew that.
“Let’s eat!” Ben announced.
That’s when the smells hit you, “Is that what I think it is?”
“Yep, lasagna, my mom’s recipe.”
“Oh, Benjamin. Oh, I could kiss you!”
“Well, when Johnny said you were coming, you know I had to make your favorite.”
Soon, an hour had passed, HERBIE had cleared away the dishes and stored the leftovers, but you were all still sitting at the table, talking. At some point, Franklin had been handed to you. You had a knack for making him fall asleep. You held him gently against your chest and shoulder while you listened to Sue talk about her latest meeting at the Future Foundation. It had been routine. One of your assistants had attended instead of you and took minutes that you then turned into an authorized PR release. It was still nice to get details. You also noticed how Reed was looking at her, as in love as ever. At times like these, as rare as they were, you could tell the smartest man alive’s mind was actually quieted.
However, you also felt eyes on you. You looked over, noticing Johnny smiling slightly. “What?” you mouthed, both to not interrupt the conversation or disturb Franklin.
He blinked a few times before shaking his head, “Nothing,” he whispered in return.
After Reed had said he was going to go to his lab and Ben and Sue agreed to move to the living room after putting Franklin down, you found yourself in Johnny’s room. You transferred from your chair to the one he had in the corner of his room as he set up the vinyl player. This is what you did every time after attending family dinner.
You clicked a button on your watch and your chair folded in on itself before disappearing into the watchface. A while back, Reed had explained nanotechnology to you, or he had tried to. Still, all that mattered was that it worked and you could leave your chair anywhere and not have to worry about it getting moved or damaged.
The voices of the Beatles started to fill the room as Johnny went to his closet.
“You don’t even like the Beatles, Johnny.”
“They’re fine! And, I mean, you love them, and you’re the guest… technically.”
He was right, you did love them. Johnny had even used his reputation to get you tickets to their first performance at Carnegie Hall last year as a birthday present. So much had happened since then.
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe
Johnny stepped out of his closet having changed into his spacesuit.
“Oh, god,” you muttered, trying to hold in a laugh.
“What? You know I look good.”
“I’m not going to encourage you… Have you even cleaned that thing since the last time you went to space?”
“It’s been decontaminated,” he assured.
You sighed, “Show me what you want to show me.”
He smiled brightly, “Okay! So-”
At some point, in the years you two had known one another, Johnny had figured out that you were basically the only one willing to listen to him ramble about space and not correct him or shut him down. You had seen each one of the books on the subject that were on his shelves and in the house, as well as every graph, chart, and blueprint he could get his hands on. Reed had quickly figured out that you were the one that encouraged him to talk to him about the new suits last year. What could you say? You liked seeing him excited.
About an hour in, HERBIE brought you a cup of coffee exactly as you liked it. You sipped quietly as Johnny went on, not noticing the little robot come or go.
Your mug was empty when he seemed to come out of his trance, sitting down on his bed, now eye level with you, “Sorry, I’ve barely let you get a word in.”
“It’s fine, Jonathan,” you assured, chuckling a bit and shaking your head as you sat the mug on the table beside you.
“No, it’s something. You’re doing that thing.”
“When you want to say something, but choose not to, you shake your head. You think no one notices, but I notice,” he said, pointing at himself.
You sighed, you’d been caught and it took everything in you not to blush, “Johnny-”
Unlike him, you didn’t say anything about his own tell, but you heard the shift in his tone. It gave away the fact that he was a youngest sibling and that he cared so deeply about what those around him thought about him, no matter how much he tried to convince the world that he was always happy to just go with the flow. He was getting defensive.
“Johnny,” you started again, a bit gentler this time, “I just- It’s a little surprising that after everything that happened, not even a year ago, you want to go back to space, again. That’s all.”
“That’s what this is, isn’t it?”
You gave him a knowing look.
He huffed, “Fine, yes. You know I love space.”
“I do know that, Jonathan.”
He stood back up, beginning to pace, “It just, after Galactus, I just- There is still so much out there that we don’t know about. I’m not just talking about threats, I mean, anything!”
“And, I don’t know, if anyone should go explore it’s me, right? I mean- Us. The Fantastic Four! How are we supposed to be fantastic if we just stay here?”
You looked at your lap and had to make an effort not to shake your head again, “You save people. Hell, you saved the world. You bring people joy and give people hope on a level most could only ever dream of. I- I think that’s pretty fantastic, if you ask me…”
You can feel him staring at you and, after a beat, you lift your head and look back at him.
“Yeah, well, you’re biased,” he said with a little smirk.
Another habit of Jonathan Storm: he didn’t like being serious for too long.
You conceded to him, “You sure you don’t want to go back to space so you can try and find your girlfriend?”
“The Herald or as you, so charmingly, called her ‘sexy alien,’ yes. I mean, you weren’t wrong, she was sexy.”
“She was, but she was also never my girlfriend.”
“Sure, Jonathan, whatever you say.”
He smiled, “Careful, Y/N, you almost sound jealous.”
“Oh, you would be so lucky.”
“A man can dream,” he replied without hesitation.
You couldn’t stop the blush from rising to your cheeks this time. You look away, then check your watch. “I should probably get home soon.”
“You could always stay over.”
Your head whipped so quickly it nearly hurt your neck.
“What? We have like seven guest rooms. And, I know your apartment is shitty.” There was a glint in his eyes that told you he completely understood what he had just implied.
“Well, Jonathan, as much as I appreciate the offer, someone made me take in a stray dog a couple years back, so I’ve got to go and take care of him.”
“Right, all I’m hearing is excuses.”
Johnny started to speak again but was interrupted by the sound of his own watch.
“Duty calls, Human Torch.”
It was then that Johnny processed that he was still in his spacesuit. “Shit.”
You clicked the same button on your watch as before and waited for your chair to materialize back in front of you before transferring, all while you heard Johnny make his way around his closet.
“Johnny, don’t forget you’ve got an interview tomorrow for the monthly Flaming Hearts Club newsletter.”
“10 a.m. Do not be late. You can fly, you can’t use the elevator as an excuse.”
“Yep! Yep! Yep! I’ll be there!”
After a second, he stumbled out of his closet, shoving one of his feet into a boot.
“Can you-?” He groaned, reaching around to his back, “Can you get my zipper, please?”
You moved towards him in your chair, “Turn around.”
He turned and knelt down.
You quickly zipped up the back of his suit, before giving him a pat on the back. “Go get ‘em, cowboy.”
He stood up and nodded before making his way to the balcony, turning to flame, taking off, and disappearing into the night.
You sighed as you watched him go before leaving his bedroom. You said goodnight to HERBIE, earning some pleasant beeps in response, before you found yourself back in the elevator. You didn’t mind how slow it was this time as you replayed the night in your head.
Taglist: @priincessmunson
