Difference.
The difference between fire and ice.
Between Iceman and Pyro.
Between Bobby and John.
John remembered the night he turned eight.
The night that shattered his life.
The night that broke his family apart.
The night that his mom's eyes reflected fear.
The night his dad locked him in his room.
The night his parents nearly killed him.
The night the flame answered him for the fist time.
He remembered hearing his dad load the gun and make his way upstairs.
He remembered frantically searching the room for something- anything.
He remembered finding a silver lighter.
He remembered burning down his house with his parents in it.
"My parents are dead. And I killed them"
He remembered the night he slept under a bridge.
The night he realized what hunger was.
The night he wished he was dead.
Bobby remembered the day professor X walked in through the front door.
The day he realized he was not alone.
That it was a boon not a curse.
The day he decided to become someone.
The day he packed his bags and left.
The day he felt alive for the first time.
John Allerdyce.
The boy who burned.
That was all Bobby knew the first night.
He watched John fiddle with his lighter.
On. off. on. off. on. off. On.
And then he fell asleep.
Bobby Drake.
The boy who shone with brilliance he could never achieve.
That's all John cared to know.
He felt Bobby look curiously at him as he played with his Zippo and pretended not to notice.
On. off. on. off. on. off. On.
He thought about the nightmares and knew he won't be able to fall asleep.
Science class.
John hated it.
He flicked his Zippo on and off under the desk, wishing he was some place else.
Science class.
Bobby loved it.
He noted down every single thing his teacher said and knew this was his place.
"John? Can you repeat what I just said?" the teacher, glaring at the boy.
John shut his Zippo and stood up, taking his time.
He was about to say something that won't have anything related to oxidation reactions when Bobby quietly slid his notebook to him.
John repeated the last sentence of the page word to word and sat down, leaving the teacher gaping at him.
He blinked at Bobby wondering why he had helped.
"I'm Bobby," the other boy said putting out his hand, "John, right?"
John smirked and turned away, knowing they were never gonna be friends.
Bobby sighed and pulled his hand back.
He picked up his pen and turned back to his notebook, feeling they were gonna be best friends.
Bobby remembered the laughter, the pranks, the power, the attitude.
The leaping without looking and barging forward without caring.
John's working without plans and his confidence in himself.
His simple assumption that nothing could possibly go wrong.
John was what Bobby could never be.
John remembered the joy, the innocence, the naivety.
Bobby's all-inclusive hugs and his smiling without reason.
His trust in everyone and the kindness within.
His attitude that the world was perfect and that every cloud had a silver lining.
That there would be a rainbow after every downpour.
Bobby was what John could never be.
Most of all Bobby remembered John's faith in him.
His knowing that he always had Bobby to fall back on when he messed up.
That Bobby would cover up for him.
That Bobby would look out for him.
He knew John needed him.
Most of all John remembered his helplessness.
He never had anything he could give.
He was dishonest.
He was cold.
He was insecure.
He never understood.
He could not be all kind and caring and he sure as hell was not the person to be trusted.
And he was alone.
He knew he was not needed after all.
Bobby remembered the anger, the hurt, the hate, the madness, the rush.
The flames ready to smolder anything that came in its way.
Bobby felt John's killing intent for the first time and knew Pyro was not John.
John remembered the hesitation, the mercy, the pity, the softness.
The ice was never meant to kill.
Never even meant to hurt.
The need for support, need for reassurance.
John knew that Iceman couldn't be Bobby.
They were different.
But they were balanced.
They were a true team.
They were just fine.
But they knew they were never friends.
Because they were born enemies.
Because one was John and the other was Bobby.
Because one was fire and the other was ice.
Because one was Pyro and the other was Iceman.
Because one was hate and the other was love.
Because one had nothing and the other had everything.
Because one fell and the other survived.
A/N: okay, so I finally figured out how to use the divider thingy :D
all this while it was just a tiny little button I never looked at!
um, anyways, this is my first X-Men oneshot and I think it's one of my best works.
constructive criticism is always appreciated, but try not to flame.
really sensitive author here people :(
Thanks for reading! please review!
Disclaimer: if I did own X-men then I would have been rich and I'm not :(