GENRE: fluff
WARNINGS: none

NOTES: emil7y wanted a part 2 <33 i hope u like it!! hey guys im back! teehee. this was living in my head rent free so i decided to finish it! more stuff coming ofc xx

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For the next couple of weeks, you noticed how he didn't linger anymore. Instead, he was right by your side unabashedly. He appeared to be attending more classes (maybe only the ones you shared with him), and he sat with you and Rogue at your lunch table without fail.

For the first few days you were disconcerted, but you naturally allowed yourself to become comfortable around him. You knew boys like Johnny had the tendency to sometimes play the long game just to get what they wanted - but it decidedly felt like he wasn't doing that.

You hadn't ever really seen him try quite to the extent that he did when he was hoping to gain your favour. Always offering you a polite smile, asking how you were (everyone knew how he didn't usually bother with that kind of stuff), walking with you between classes when you didn't even have to ask - offering to carry your books despite the fact that you could lift them quite alright by your own. But with the way it was going, it didn't take very long for you to form a familiar comfort around him. You weren't one to push people away when they first showed affection, even if you were usually awkward in the beginning.

It was nice to be appreciated, after all.

You knew Rogue would keep an eye out for you, and you mainly allowed yourself to actually let him in. And you'd never seen him more smiley. It was really nice, and it didn't take long for you to forget that he might have alterior motives at all. To you, he was a friend you were beyond thankful for.

Although he'd stopped openly hitting on you, his affection spilled over in other ways. Johnny didn't think he'd ever thought about someone as much as he did with you. Every time he was with you he was lost in your glow, trying not to touch when he knew it would scare you off. When you weren't there, he felt like you were the only thing on his mind: pictures of your pretty face lighten up by the sun, or the way you'd blushed when he wrapped an arm around you, or how you smiled genuinely at his little off-handed jokes that others didn't even hear.

You were thoughtful, and kind, and returned his affection without a hitch. That only served to torture him more when school broke up for the Summer, and he wasn't going to see you for longer than he'd care to dwell on. Just when he felt like you were finally connecting in a way that surprisingly didn't make him as terrified as he thought it would.

All that the two of you could do was say your goodbyes and hope that ringing him from your home phone was enough. It was how you talked to most of your friends when you were away: and you swore you wasted all of your dad's money by speaking with Rogue for hours on end.

On that day, you were talking about him. Though, when weren't you? For the past few weeks you seemed to become fairly smitten with the side of him that he'd shown you. She wasn't necessarily opposed to it, because she knew he deserved a second chance as much as anyone - but she did have her worries. Both of you simply hoped for the best, and moved forward.

You were recalling something he'd said, and she was whining about how he was always on your lips lately. You couldn't seem to stop mentioning him - but you couldn't help it. You liked to gush, and Rogue was the only person you could do it with (you were just lucky she found it endearing).

"(Y/n) . . . I think he likes you. And by that - I mean hopelessly in love with you," Rogue told you over the receiver, voice echoey compared to how you'd usually like to hear it.

You knew you were turning pink, and you were just glad that no one was home to see your flusterment - knowing you wouldn't hear the ending of the teasing if they were. But you could barely help it when it came just as naturally as it did when he was right in front of you.

You had to admit that you missed him a little, even after only a short time being real friends. It had been a week since you'd seen any mutants your age, and it was putting a damper on your mood. You enjoyed having people like you around, even if you tended to stick to a smaller crowd.

It had been a week since he'd last held your hands in his unsurprisingly warm ones. A week since he'd shared a small smile with you, only reserved for those moments you had together - quick but still enough to make your hearts beat faster. You'd quite gotten used to him peering over your shoulder and being a momentary guiding light. Someone you could rely on. It was sad it all had to be taken away so soon - and you weren't sure if it would ever go back to that once you returned the next school year.

Hell - - at that point, you'd even pay to hear that annoying lighter click open and closed.

You remembered the way he'd leant down and pressed a kiss to your cheek, telling you that he'd see you soon. Making you promise to call him as his grey eyes told you how little he wanted to leave, too. Neither of you could bite back the butterflies that stayed in your stomach long after he'd departed.

This only served to make your face feel hot, letting out a nervous laugh as you replied to your friend: "What? No way, Rogue."

She laughed at you openly, and you hated how happy she sounded with herself, "Sure, (Y/N). . . you can believe whatever you want. I know you like him, too."

"Oh, so your reading minds now, too?" You asked, eyes rolling in a way that she could practically see. But you couldn't really deny her, because it was very much on the way to being true - no matter how much past you would deny it. Or how hard your brain was working to not accept it.

She didn't let you live it down, but soon moved on from the topic so that she could tell you about what had happened at her house that day. You didn't know if you were concentrating like you should have been, but you tried to absently reply to her while your mind drifted all over the place, thinking about what it would be like to see him again.

You'd called a few times since the break had started, and it was really easy to talk to him, even when you always felt weird on call with anyone. His voice was comforting for some reason, and the way he spoke, you could almost picture his little expressions and smiles. You guessed you just wanted to see them for real again.

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You were laying across your comforter, absently writing in your notebook by the light of your bedside lamp, while music blared from your tape player. It was late, but your parents were staying over at some relatives that you hardly knew. It was actually quite a nice night, and you had the curtains pulled open so that you could admire the bright moon, glowing, unobstructed by any clouds.

Humming lowly to the beat of the second track of an album, you barely heard the sound of a tapping on the pane of your window. You carried on writing, legs in the air as you lay on your stomach, head in your one hand.

It was a the sound of the sash window opening with a satisfying 'snnkt' that made you nearly jump from your spot. Blinking, you watched someone's figure come into focus with a thumping heart, adrenile only pumping through you more once you recognized his face.

"Johnny?" You asked (and he just adored the way you said his name), bewilderment in your wide eyes as you clambered off your bed and made your way towards him - not quite processing that it was real while you watched him huff, pulling himself up, and swinging a leg over the sill. "What the - -"

"I wanted to see you," He cut you off as his feet met the floor, explaining it as if it was the simplest thing in the world. A cool nighttime breeze trickled in, and you hardly noticed you were only in your silk shorts and a strappy vest. Johnny, however, definetly did: drinking you in for the first time in eight days, a subconcious grin pulling to his face because God, did he really miss seeing you. His eyes were as blue as ever, even in the soft light - and for some reason you found something more intense behind them than usual. Like he was just bursting with something he wanted to say or feel.

"We don't even live in the same state!" You exclaimed, a hand running through your hair as you began to wonder how he'd even made his way up to your second storey window. You were silently praying your mom's creepers on the side of the house were still intact.

"My family was passing through on holiday," He shrugged, fixing the collar of his jacket that was pulled over one of his long sleeve tops that fell over his hands, his thumb sticking through the cloth, "My aunt lives in the next town over, and I knew you were close," His voice was gentle despite it all, and you couldn't held but draw nearer as he explained himself. You knew he could've easily gotten your address from your best friend, or even Charles some how - but that was the last thing on your mind while he looked so agitated in front of you. Almost nervous, but he didn't go to touch his lighter like he usually would.

You raised an eyebrow, reaching for his hand because you didn't know what else to do. Your fingers slotted together, and it was warm like it usually was (something that became so familiar to you that you felt empty when you'd lost it). He looked like he was stuttering for something else to say at your action, but you spoke instead: "Where did you come from? What town?"

"Arland," He remarked off-handedly, smiling broadly at your continual state of shock, which was the only thing keeping his confidence together. He'd had to sneak out and liberate his dad's car from the driveway, but for you. . . it was endlessly worth it.

"Johnny, that's an hour away!" You were struggling to believe that he'd go out of his way for you like that - and you thought that maybe he was stuck on you just as much as you were with him. Only hopefully.

"I know," He shrugged again, and you could tell he was pretending not to care because that's how it'd always been for him. But you also knew you were one of the lucky few that knew it was all a damn lie: he cared more than anyone. "What, you have a problem with me wanting to see you?" He asked jokingly, but the way his eyes met yours told you just how real his feelings were.

"Well, no - - it's just a lot . . ." You knew you were blushing, and you'd usually be embarrassed, but he was looking down at you with so much fondness you couldn't bring yourself to care. "But I kinda missed you, so I don't really care right now," You admitted, tugging him closer by his hand so that you could finally bring him in for a hug.

You were sure he wasn't used to endearment like that, but it didn't stop him from returning it quite openly. Your head was buried in his chest, and your arms wrapped tightly around his back - bodies flush as he stumbled slightly from the sudden action. You cherished the way he emminated a low heat, his cheek resting against the top of your head as the two of you simply held each other. Johnny had always loved the smell of your shampoo, and he felt his senses get suddenly overwhelmed with how close you were.

When you pulled apart, you thought you could see a pink hue tinting his cheeks, his lips quirking as he instinctively teased you, "You missed me?"

"Well, yeah . . ." You crossed you arms over your chest, your words coming out surprisingly earnest when he didn't think you'd even dignify it with a reply.

Suddenly, his heart was thumping all over again. "It's only been a week," He replied, trying for a chuckle when he didn't sound enthused enough - vision drifting to anywhere but you.

"Oh, and you came here because you don't miss me," You rebutted, and that seemed to get his attention, because his eyes flickered up to meet yours, mouth closing as his jaw seemed to flutter. You'd seen him do so in thought, and it had always made you week at the knees. Right then was no different.

"Of course I did," He commented honestly, wanting you to know the truth, watching the way you flustered at his admittance, even though you'd said much the same, "But I didn't come just for that. . ."

"Oh? What did you come for?"

"Okay, well . . ." He took in a deep breath, and you saw the way his hand ghosted at his jacket pocket - perhaps to locate his Zippo. He seemed to decide against it, shaking his head slightly as he hyped himself up for what he was about to do. He knew he had to say it, and his damn lighter wasn't going to give him the courage, "I don't know if saying you looked nice that one day last week counted, but I don't recall hitting on you once last month."

"I guess not, but what does that mean, anyways?" You queried, eyebrows drawn together because you couldn't quite catch on to what he was implying.

"You don't remember what you promised me?" He seemed amused at the notion, eyes twinkling as he waiting for it to click in your head.

After a moment, it did, and he watched tenderly as your blush spread across the bridge of your nose, "Oh," You remarked, laughing nervously in that way you did, "You came all the way to talk about that?"

"Well, kind of . . ." He nodded, scratching the back of his neck because he couldn't begin to know how to express what he was feeling. Johnny was never good with that, but he was going to at least give it a shot, "I've always been such an asshole. And I know I hit on you way too much, and I should've just shut up, but the truth was - after a while . . . I really felt like I was falling for you . . . and I didn't know how to handle myself around you properly. And then you said you'd give me a shot and I spent a month trying to live up to everything you deserve in a friend - and I don't know if I did it. What I'm trying to say, is . . . you don't owe me anything - but I do want to try for you. Try and be better . . ." He paused, watching the way you smiled slightly at his sentimental words. Your chest was filled with a funny feeling, and you felt his familiar touch brush against your hand, "And - I wanted to ask you at least once, for real. (Y/n) . . . will you go out with me?"

"Johnny . . . I- I don't know what to say," You were practically shaking as he took your hands in his, reassuring you with his touch, eyes practically pleading. Hearing him ask that simply question was crossing all your wires, and you couldn't help but become simultaneously elated, and so Goddam flustered.

"Say yes," He told you, tone stark and desperate as he whispered, "Say yes and I swear to God I'll try my hardest to never let you down."

Although you knew he was promising that with every bone in his body, the smart part of you was hesitating like you'd been told to in those situations. Every other inch of you was screaming to kiss him until you couldn't breath. "That's a lot to promise, Pyro," You peered up at him through your lashes, and you knew he knew you were teasing. But that didn't make it any less hard to keep from closing the distance between the two of you.

"Not when it comes to you," He told you, breathless. The way he said it took you aback, tilting your head at how serious he seemed for once. "I'd do anything for you," He confessed.

Having Johnny across form you in such a vulnerable position was something you'd never pictured when he first approached you. But you supposed that also showed how much he'd grown in so little time. This open side of him was something you already admired and cared a lot for. Not to mention that his admittance was driving you crazy, your stomach bursting with butterflies at how sure he seemed.

"Yes. I'll go out with you," You decided to say it outright, knowing how hopeless he could be with social conventions and understanding emotions. "I think I really, really like you, Pyro," You added, watching the way his features shone with an unforgettable smile. You loved being the cause of that, especially when he was taking your hands and moving them to wrap around his neck and hold him close.

His touch rested against your back in return, and you could tell the way he was oozing with happiness. It was something you knew was rare, but was beautiful to see.

"I was hoping you'd say that," He mumbled, getting lost in the way you played with his dark hair, running your fingers through soft strands. His gaze was unabashedly on your lips, seeming content to just stare.

"Wanna kiss me, Pyro?" You asked, knocking him from his momentary reverie. He chuckled at your words, his chest vibrating against you in a way you could only describe as comforting. Of course, he nodded anyways.

In a matter of moments, his mouth was pressed to yours, caring hands running down your back as his lips moved in synch with yours. It was slower, and more loving than you'd imagined it would be - his tongue sweeping against your lower lip as he held the sides of your face. When your tongues brushed together you hummed, gloriously lost in your kiss, not caring about air - or anything besides each other for that matter. You tasted so good, and he wondered how long he could do this until you got annoyed with him. Because as of right then, he could go on forever, happy to finally have you in his arms when he'd actually earned your cherished attention and trust.

And you almost forgot that you'd left your music on as it flooded back to your consciousness - - who knows how many songs having passed since he had arrived to see you. You couldn't bring yourself to care you'd skipped half the tracks on your favourite album.

When you parted with heaving breaths, he was still holding your cheek, smiling like he was going to overflow with affection for you, "You know, I saw you singing before I came in - - it's cute. You should do it around me."

You were pink, but agreed softly. Anything to have him kiss you again just like he did.