The human torch's flame

Chapter 18

Once Johnny had gotten dressed, you both left the apartment and called a taxi. You put your luggage in the boot while Johnny gave the taxi-driver, the instruction to Reed's place.

You joined Johnny in the back of the cab: "Let's get going."

You strapped yourself in. The taxi lurched forwards. You gave Johnny a sideways smile than looked at the time until arrival:

1 hour 23 minutes. We could totally have made it work yesterday night! We could have been there by now.

"Johnny!" You gave him a sideways glance that basically said: What the hell?

"Okay I can explain!" Johnny raised his hands up in the air.

"Explain then." You raised an eyebrow as Johnny arms slowly went down.

"I can't."

"Right." You sighed in frustration. There was a long pause before Johnny actually spoke up:

"But I got to see your appartement."

"In what way does that count?" I whispered but then added loud enough for Johnny to hear: "You're weird."

"Say the person who wakes up in the middle of the night to fiddle with metal parts."

"That's not to true!" was the first thing that came out of your mouth. You got used to denying facts about your work or bombs to the people around you that it was more of a reflex than something your brain has to process. 

You could practically hear Johnny smirking from a mile away.

"Okay, I did it. And it's a little weird but if everyone was 'normal' than life would be boring."

"Many things can describe you, (y/n)." Johnny said "Boring will never be one of them."

During the ride you played lots of games from I spy (really activating because johnny would only choose you. When you asked him why he said "You're the only thing I see") to choose a colour and count the number of cars that colour you see.( Johnny got 0 because I quote "You're the only thing I see."

When you finally arrived in front of the building where Reed Richards lived, you got out of the car and payed the driver. A man walked up to you and raised an eyebrow than asked: "You're (y/n) (l/n)? Like the zap woman?"

"The 'zap woman'? What?" You turned to Johnny and said simply but with a tone of authority: " I will not be called the zap woman."

Johnny just smiled, took you by the arm and led you inside the building. Another man came up to you but this time he was in uniform. His tag reads: O'HOOLIHAN. You guessed that Johnny hadn't thought of getting the floor number from Reed before he left and you didn't remember what was written on his file. Four? Six? Five and a half?( just kidding)

"Mr. O'Hoolihan. How are you? We're going to Reed Richards appartement. Could please give us the floor number."

"I don't believe we've met. I'll have to give Mr. Richards a call before I can let you up."

Johnny stepped up: "That won't be necessary. I'm Sue's brother and we're together." He gave me a kiss on the check just to prove his point.

The employee looked us over once more than exclaimed : " Oh, Sue! She came over a day ago. Yes, they will be expecting you. Twentieth floor."

"Thank you sir!" You said with your sweetest voice ( that wasn't used much) than as soon as Mr. O'Hoolihan was out of sight you shoved Johnny in the elevator angrily and pushed the '20' button.

 "What have I done?" Asked Johnny putting his hands to his heart as though pretending to be hurt. You turned around and looked at him straight in the eyes. Johnny seemed to directly loose most of his confidence.

" 'What have I done?', for a start 'we're together' than 'we' " You said angrily

"Touchy." Johnny said.

"Don't" You said slowly, breathing in breathing out: "I, for one will never be dating a womaniser so you can get that out of your mind."

"Jeez, okay. You can be my sister."

"You already have a sister."

"Not a twin. And everybody knows you are just as hot as me. But they only thing that because they haven't seen you in that tight suit from space." As soon as johnny finishes his sentence the elevator does it's usual noise [ding].

You knock at the door and it's approximately ten seconds when a hand without it's owner opens the door. 

You walk out to find the whole place covered with anything a scientist could want. There is even a huge microscope across the room.

"Reed." You whisper under your breath " I got some stuff."

"You're late." says a voice just above you. A feminine one so unless Reed voice has durasstically changed you guessed it was the other woman who had to live with them; Susan.

"Sorry I missed curfew, Sue. I popped by (y/n)'s place and had a fun time." Johnny said. Susan raises her eyebrow at me. I guess it runs in the family (eyebrow raising that is).

"And by that, Johnny means that I got my stuff from my appartement and he got to sleep in my bed and I stayed up late fixing stuff."

Susan didn't seem convinced but she left it there and said: "Reed's in the dinning room. You should go ahead and get lunch or brunch."

You followed Johnny who seemed to know his way around pretty well. Ben was trying to eat his food but was chewing off the spoon he was using in the process. While  Reed was encouraging him and said that maybe he could make rubber utensils just for Ben.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just be more careful."

"Okay" Reed replied and stared down at his own food obviously not too pleased Ben couldn't eat because (indirectly) of him.

You sat next to Reed as Johnny sat in front of you. You exchanged pleasantries than ate in silence. It felt a little awkward but whenever it was too much Johnny just cracked a joke and Reed commented on its scientific probability (witch was hilarious).

Finally at the end of the meal, you faced Reed and said in a totally movie-like moment: "Now, for the tests."