The human torch's flame

Chapter 17

As soon as you see Johnny you froze, not knowing what else to do, you covered the metal scrapes with the tablecloth in a not-so-discreet attempt to cover up your art.

"I thought I wasn't making any noise. Sorry." was the first thing you said  when you faced him once again.

"You weren't. I couldn't sleep. Woke up and found a girl in the room. A really hot girl. So yeah, I'm still trying to figure out if I am dreaming."

"Well, do you want me to pinch you. Honestly, it would be my pleasure." You grinned

"I think I can handle being in a dream a little longer." He said with a mischievous grin.

"If the couch is uncomfortable, you can sleep in my room for tonight. I'm not even sure I'll get some sleep soo... I guess you can have my bed."

"Now getting invited in her bed. I am most definitely in a dream." He said , raising an eyebrow. He stood up. You noticed that he was only wearing boxers; black boxer shorts. Of course, what else would he be wearing? You tried to swallow down a blush but that didn't help the heat in your cheeks. Johnny walked towards you, eyeing what was behind you. You, not really wanting to let him see it, stood up fast, almost knocked your chair over. Almost

"What you making'?" He asked.

"Just stuff, It helps me relax. You know what? I'm going to clean this up." You said so fast that it was barely comprehensible. You grabbed the load, wrapped in the tablecloth and stuffed it in the closet. Not the best place to put an unfinished bomb but still. You turned around and quickly locked the door.

"I can't sleep either. Maybe it' sustain what happened on the bridge. That was scary." You walked over to your fridge.

"Want anything to drink?"

" A cold beer?" You grabbed a beer and finished (fav non-alcohol drink) for you.

You handed him the beer and while doing so you couldn't help but notice, that this guy, Johnny, was fit. There was no doubt that he worked out and his abs... Um let's just stop there.You averted you gaze to your drink.

"You know alcohol may help you dose off but it takes its tool later in the night. In fact, if anything it causes more damage than good." You said to him while sipping from your own drink.

"Ummm. Thanks Smarty Pants but that's not gonna stop me."
You pulled out a chair and sat on it, Johnny mimicked you.

"Are you motivated by your own self-destruction or simply seeking the admiration of those who don't have a brain? You know, In Norse mythology, there's an eagle and a snake and a squirrel...." Johnny pressed his bear bottle against your mouth a clear sign of shut up.

He removed his bottle as soon as he realized you'd caught the message: "I like you." He said. Those three simple words took you aback. You looked at him and narrowed your eyes.

"Are you trying to trick me into something here?" You asked. "I don't understand."

Johnny gave you a confident smirk and repeated his previous sentence. "I like you. There's nothing too understand. After all when a bad-ass clever girl... Sorry woman... that can do your job fourteen times better than you, that's just plane hot comes walking your way, what's not to like?"

"Thanks?" You asked raising an eyebrow. "You should probably get to sleep."

"Only if you join me." He said with a cocky smile.

"I'm not going to sleep." You said simply.

"That's not gonna be a problem." He the winked at you as you fought furiously to hide you're blush. Then you took a sip from your drink to cool off and also avoiding Johnny's gaze.

"Just go. Before I change my mind." Realizing what you said you quickly added "about letting you have the bed."

He gave you one last croaked grin before he walked over to your room.

You sat in the kitchen for about an hour, doing nothing. Thinking mostly. About stuff. More specifically someone. More specifically a huge flirt that was sleeping in your bedroom. When two o'clock rolled by you took out the scraps of metal and continued the bomb.

It was completed around half past five when you finished it. You decided you'd take a shower. You took one cold shower and then, wrapping a dozen towels (Am I the only one who does like: one for my hair, one for my chest, one for my legs and one for my feet?) around yourself.

You checked the time. Six. You were already starting to regret your decision to not sleep. You were feeling a little week in your legs but the shower had definitely helped. 

You got dressed and packed what you thought you might need for a week or two weeks stay at Reed's place. You also grabbed a few things that could help analyse your DNA and whatever else you could think of. You had just finished wrapping the equipment in bubble wrap when a half asleep Johnny walked out of your room.

He was still dressed in black boxer shorts, so you avoided staring at him, forcing yourself to look neck and up. You closed up your bag as two warm arms wrapped around you. You jumped a bit, surprised but you could hear Johnny's sleepy chuckle in your ear.

"Don't do that. You scared me." You scolded as you unwrapped his arms from around your waist. "Slept well?"

"I slept great. That's only one thing your bed didn't have."

"What's that?" You said as you turned around, peering into his sky blue eyes. 

"You." He said and kissed you on the nose. 

You took a deep breath. "You should really stop. I told you I wasn't gonna sleep with you. Go chase some prettier bimbo." What you didn't say was that your heart was pumping blood twice as fast as usual as Johnny's eyes brushed across your face.

"Can a man hope?" He asked. You gave him a look like really? that cheesy line?

You coughed uncontrollably. "As if. Now go get dressed. We'll go get pancakes and whatever okay?"

"Sure."