the-ladies-call-me-torch:

iamthefirechild:

Her hand shook a little against his back as she muttered, “I don’t now. Most people don’t have my gifts, though.” Her voice strengthened as she went on. “They can’t see your motives, Mr Storm, all they can see are your actions.” She summoned a soft smile.

“Maybe you should think about proving them wrong.”

He shook his head and pulled them from the dance floor. This was not a conversation to be had out in the open.

“I don’t see why I have to prove them wrong,” he said, and it was like deja vu since he’d had the same conversation with his sister that morning, “Why should I have to do anything? They don’t like the way I save people? Fine. But you know what? I get the job done. And that’s what’s important. Saving people. Why do I have to act like someone better than what I am just to please the unhappy people in the mob?”

“That’s not what I said at all. It’s nothing to do with your saving people, it’s to do with the way you feel about how people see you.” Summer added, “Especially women. It hurt you, that — that I thought you were playing with me.” She moved to where she could see his face, lifting a hand. “I only meant about that. That maybe you would hurt less if you let yourself be more serious about the things that matter to you.”

the-ladies-call-me-torch:

iamthefirechild:

the-ladies-call-me-torch:

iamthefirechild:

Close. Oh god, so close, too close. Summer sucked in a few shallow breaths, eyes fixed to his, and tried to find her voice again. “Yes,” she whispered, and squashed a mad desire to close that narrow space.

This wasn’t going to last. Johnny Storm was a flirt even more notorious, if that was possible, than Tony Stark. He was just playing until someone better caught his eye, and then she’d be picking herself up off the floor.

She bit her lip, and tried, hopelessly, to look demure. “You’re very good at this, Mr Storm.”

He smiled at her, knowing she wouldn’t fall for his bait so easily. That’s why he liked her so much. She would be more of a challenge – but most were unaware of the amount of patience he actually possessed.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of practice, as I’m sure you’ve read about,” he said, with only the slightest hint of bitterness. Tabloids – whether truthful or not – made it very difficult for him to form any serious relationships. He had a reputation to uphold, it would seem.

“What was /that/?” Something else, something sharp and a little ugly, had slashed a hole in the flirtatiousness there for just a second. She stumbled, distracted by it, and her smile faded into something concerned and sympathetic.

“Johnny — Mr Storm, why does it seem like saying that hurt you?” she asked softly.

He rolled his eyes at that, a bit of his charm waning. 

“That’s what you think, isn’t it?” he asked. It wasn’t harsh or bitter, just a little disappointed, “That’s what everyone thinks, isn’t it? That I’ve been around a lot. That I can’t do anything serious. I just make everything a game don’t I?”

He didn’t stop dancing, but the smile fell from his face as he stared at her intently.

Her hand shook a little against his back as she muttered, “I don’t now. Most people don’t have my gifts, though.” Her voice strengthened as she went on. “They can’t see your motives, Mr Storm, all they can see are your actions.” She summoned a soft smile.

“Maybe you should think about proving them wrong.”

the-ladies-call-me-torch:

iamthefirechild:

Close. Oh god, so close, too close. Summer sucked in a few shallow breaths, eyes fixed to his, and tried to find her voice again. “Yes,” she whispered, and squashed a mad desire to close that narrow space.

This wasn’t going to last. Johnny Storm was a flirt even more notorious, if that was possible, than Tony Stark. He was just playing until someone better caught his eye, and then she’d be picking herself up off the floor.

She bit her lip, and tried, hopelessly, to look demure. “You’re very good at this, Mr Storm.”

He smiled at her, knowing she wouldn’t fall for his bait so easily. That’s why he liked her so much. She would be more of a challenge – but most were unaware of the amount of patience he actually possessed.

“Well, I’ve had a lot of practice, as I’m sure you’ve read about,” he said, with only the slightest hint of bitterness. Tabloids – whether truthful or not – made it very difficult for him to form any serious relationships. He had a reputation to uphold, it would seem.

“What was /that/?” Something else, something sharp and a little ugly, had slashed a hole in the flirtatiousness there for just a second. She stumbled, distracted by it, and her smile faded into something concerned and sympathetic.

“Johnny — Mr Storm, why does it seem like saying that hurt you?” she asked softly.

the-ladies-call-me-torch:

iamthefirechild:

“You and me both.” Johnny didn’t get his wish, only because his emotions gave her a moment’s warning of mild mischief, and she laughed up at him from the nadir of the dip. “Oh, do that again!”

He grinned devilishly, and dipped her again, before bringing her back up hard against his chest. He heard the air rush out of her and suddenly was just centimetres away from her face, looking intently into her eyes.

“Like that?” he asked in a husky voice.

Close. Oh god, so close, too close. Summer sucked in a few shallow breaths, eyes fixed to his, and tried to find her voice again. “Yes,” she whispered, and squashed a mad desire to close that narrow space.

This wasn’t going to last. Johnny Storm was a flirt even more notorious, if that was possible, than Tony Stark. He was just playing until someone better caught his eye, and then she’d be picking herself up off the floor.

She bit her lip, and tried, hopelessly, to look demure. “You’re very good at this, Mr Storm.”

the-ladies-call-me-torch:

iamthefirechild:

the-ladies-call-me-torch:

“Oh, much better.” Summer would have succumbed to him far more quickly if he had begun by asking her to dance. He was a good dancer. “Are you always this warm?” Oooh, that smile was dangerous. And contagious. She smiled back up at him, wondering what made him smile so.

“Glad to know I’m improving,” he said sardonically, “And yeah. You know being the Human Torch and all. I do run a little hotter than everybody else.”

Even though he knew he had a biased opinion, he thought she looked far prettier when she wasn’t refusing his advances. It could be just him.

“Now don’t be like that. You’re getting what you want, remember?” She tapped her fingertips against his back sharply, admonishing. “I like heat. I like fire, too.”

“That’s good, cos as you know I’ve got fire to spare,” he smirked down at her, and dipped her down and back up again as quickly as possible, just so that he could get that surprised yet indignant look on her face etched into his memory.

“You and me both.” Johnny didn’t get his wish, only because his emotions gave her a moment’s warning of mild mischief, and she laughed up at him from the nadir of the dip. “Oh, do that again!”