This came after i had read Mornignhell's two stories of Reed and Johnny, and listened to Queen:
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The fight had been going on for an hour. Sue was battered and bruised, and barely able to throw up force fields to defend herself against Slockjaw – an enemy who had shown up without warning, and who had promptly made it his personal goal to annihilate the Fantastic Four, and it looked like a sizeable chunk of New York to the bargain. Ben was currently having a conversation with the floor, as one of Slockjaw's five metre arms repeatedly crushed him into the top of the Baxter Building, straining his big heart out to help his friends, and unable to. Another of Slockjaw's arms was battling with Reed – barely unable to move, covered in ghastly cuts, blood pouring from his entire body as he strained to stop Slockjaw. In fact the only person who wasn't about to fall to the floor in exhaustion was Johnny – who was wracked with tears as he realised that his friends and Reed were probably about to die, because he couldn't save them. Because he was trapped by Slockjaw's slime that was impervious to flame, he could only watch in horror as his friends were being destroyed. As Reed was being destroyed. As the person he loved…
There's no time, for us
There is no place for us
What is this thing that builds our dreams, and slips away from us?
"what on earth are you listening to Johnny?" asked Reed, a bemused look crossing his face as he heard unfamiliar lyrics wafting through the living room. Ben had taken Sue and Alicia out shopping, leaving the two of them alone – a rare occurrence. Johnny looked up at Reed's face as he laid on his lap, and grinned.
"Queen of course."
"I guessed that it's one of the few bands you listen to. I meant, what song?"
"Who wants to live forever. One of their last while Freddie was dying of AIDS."
A look of seriousness flitted across his face, and Reed stroked the hair away from Johnny's face, as if he was stroking away the worry.
"Reed… will this ever change? Us? I mean, what if…"
"Shh…don't worry, I promise we'll stay the same" gently leaning over as their lips met, and Ben burst in followed by an annoyed Sue. The two jumped apart, as if nothing had happened…
That had been one of the last times they kissed. It seemed like they never had time, ever. Even in the dead of night, when Reed would sneak from his room to Johnny's, Ben or Sue would be up and around in the kitchen or living room, and he would have to pretend he simply needed the loo, and hid till they left. Even when no one was even in the building, they would get close… and someone would walk in, or phone, or scream in distress. It was as though the world conspired against them having any kind of relationship.
Who wants to live forever?There's no chance for us,
It's all decided for us…
"I didn't decide to be like this Reed! Why can't you change it!" Johnny yelled furiously, smoke wafting from his t-shirt.
"How can I change what has happened? I can't change what we've become?" Reed yelled back equally as furiously.
"You're a freaking scientist for Pete's sake! You should be able to do something!"
"Well I can't, live with it! Stop resisting it Johnny!"
Who dares to love forever?Whoahh… I love my style
It was as though a light was switched on when the two were in the same room. The conversations were sarky, sarcastic, argumentative, and yet compassionate.
There was no doubt that they got on like… a house on fire. Literally for a couple of times when the heated arguments got the better of Johnny's self restraint, and Reed had to run and get the fire extinguisher before something important went up in flames. Those moments gave them a small chance to touch as Reed checked for damages, and Johnny promised him that he hadn't. The same secrecy followed them whenever they went outside, Johnny being hoarded by fan girls, and all Reed could do was to let it happen. He knew that Johnny's way with the girls was him, his style, but it didn't stop him feeling annoyed, even though he knew that they would love each other forever…
Touch my tears… with your lips…Touch my world… with your fingertips…
And we can have forever
And we can love forever…
Forever… is our today
"Johnny" Reed murmured as they lay together on Reed's bed, sheets tangled, clothes thrown to the four corners of the world, the scent of after sex hanging in the air along with various space mobiles from the ceiling.
"Where did you learn… to do that?" Johnny smirked, and whispered so that they wouldn't be heard – although, if the rest of the team hadn't heard the two earlier, they probably wouldn't hear the whispers being spoken in the room.
" With a great deal of practice… you wouldn't understand" laughing quietly. Reed made a half-hearted effort to push Johnny off the bed, but gave up when he lost the will to even bother.
"I give up… you're just annoying" Johnny laughed, and leaned closer, tracing languid circles on Reed's stomach.
"That's what makes me so irresistible Reed…" kissing him.
If only… Johnny heaved and struggled against the slime, trying desperately to reach Reed. Ben and Sue were motionless on the top of the roof, and Slockjaw crowed a disgusting screech that broke windows across the city. People down in the streets screamed as glass tumbled down, but Johnny didn't care. The slime surrounded him and pinned him against the roof of the Baxter building with no hope of escape…
A brainwave hit him. He punched as hard as he could against the roof, trying to gain a way through with which he could flame. The movement alerted Slockjaw, and he grinned all his three mouths, the same slime dripping from the three maws that pinned Johnny to the roof. Some dripped on Reed's face, and he tried faintly to move out of the way, but the arm that was holding him clenched so that he couldn't move an inch. Slockjaw lolloped to the edge of the building, and looked down at the screaming crowd in the streets below. An awful grin appeared on his face, and he threw Reed off the building.
Johnny roared an anguished roar, and somehow punched through the ceiling. Flaming up immediately, he screamed towards Slockjaw, turning him to cinders in an instant, the slime failing to protect him from the supernova heat that rushed from Johnny's body. He flew as fast as he could trying to reach Reed before the man hit the ground. Barely five feet off, he grabbed Reed's arm, and fell, unable to hold the heat any longer, rolling to avoid landing on Reed. He jumped up, covered in burns and bruises, and raced to where Reed's body was lying a few feet away. He barely noticed the crowd forming around him, as tears steamed on his cheeks. He crouched over, trying to find a heartbeat. It was there, faint, and hardly noticeable under the shuddering breaths that Reed was taking.
"Reed, dear God REED!" he screamed. "Don't you dare die on me, I can't face being alone you know that, I can't" – an arm raised slowly and cupped his cheek.
"Johnny, I…" and Reed fell, laying still. Johnny cried then, great swathes of tears that steamed as they came pouring out. He struggled hard against the ambulance crews that tried to hold him back, some of whom had ventured onto the roof and had brought down the bodies of Sue and Ben, laying them respectfully next to Reed's, covered with simple white blankets. Some ambulance men sprayed fire extinguishers against Johnny trying to get him cold so that he could go in the ambulance, but with a wave of his hand, Johnny set them alight. Flaming, he tore away from the scene, crying, but no tears showing, unable to stop forever…
Who is forever, anyway…?