Of Fire and Ice
By Geek Squared 1307
Chapter Two:
A Strange Summer
One of the characteristics of humans that is interesting to observe is the search for camaraderie with one's companions - a feeling of silent understanding and common purpose. This search sometimes causes people to congregate in groups that demand the ultimate uniformity and conformity. In seeking companionship, one can lose oneself to the will of others who desire nothing but to make more like themselves. This is not true camaraderie. True companionship is friendship. It does not destroy the individual, but strengthens his individuality.
In one another, Bobby and John had found companionship and closeness that felt right. Just seeing one another-even when they were fighting-made them both feel that everything was going to be okay. In Logan and Scott, Bobby and John had found friends who they could talk to honestly without fear of rejection.
Both Bobby and John realized that it was easier to be "out of the closet", as some might say, because they knew they had at least some friends who would always be there for them, no matter how much others hated them-although John maintained, "I was never 'in the closet.' Who the hell would want to hide in a closet?"
#
John, an avid reader, had taken to spending long hours in the public library. One day, in the beginning of summer, he found some interesting books and went to the front desk to check them out. The elderly woman behind the counter gave him a strange look as she handed him the two books with the due dates stamped inside the front covers.
"Thank you," said John.
The lady librarian just looked him up and down and shook her head.
Perplexed, John walked out of the library. She'd probably seen him on the numerous news reports about mutants, which were currently focusing on Professor Xavier and his school.
He decided to cut through the park, which was almost completely deserted since most people were at the beach, on his way home. He hadn't walked one-fourth of the way across the park when something sharp hit his back. John spun around and felt another sharp pain in his side. He looked down to the ground to see the rock that had struck him.
"Hey, faggot, stay out of our park," said a voice. John looked up to see a trio of boys. John recognized them as students at the local high school. The skinny, red-haired one standing in the middle was Jacob, the leader. The dark-haired, muscular twins on either side of him were Timothy and Thomas. They flanked Jacob like body guards. The trio stopped a few paces away.
"Didn't you hear me, fag," said Jacob. "Get out."
"No. Leave me alone," said John. He bit back the swears he wanted to hurl at the three and clenched his hand into a fist to stop himself from getting out his lighter.
"'Leave me alone,'" Jacob mocked in a high, sing-song voice. "What're you going to do? Get your boyfriend to beat us up?"
John clamped his teeth together, not wanting to say anything that he'd regret. He recalled the times when these three had seen Bobby holding hands or kissing in public and had tried to provoke them into a fight. It had never ended well, because the public had always blamed John and Bobby, saying that the two had used their powers against good, defenseless kids.
John spun around and began walking faster, but he felt a hand on his shoulder hold him back and push him off balance. He dropped his books while catching his balance.
The three boys were surrounding him now.
Jacob grabbed John's collar and said, "Listen, fag, we don't like damn queers around here." He added a few more phrases with stronger expletives.
"Get off me," said Pyro.
"I'd like to see you try to make me, faggot." Jacob drew his hand back and aimed a punch at John's jaw, but John blocked him and kicked him in the stomach. The wind knocked out of him, Jacob sprawled backwards.
The two lackeys went for John at once, one punching him in the stomach, the other kneeing him in the groin. John fell to his knees as the second boy's knee met its target.
When one of the twins pulled John to his feet to resume the pummeling, John kicked a leg out and knocked the other one off his feet. By now, Jacob was up again. He punched John while the other boy held him. Then, the twins pushed [him] down to his knees, one standing on his legs and the other holding his hands behind his back.
Jacob reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade, which he held to John's neck. "Ready to burn in Hell, faggot?"
John tried desperately to reach his lighter, but he couldn't wrench his hands from Timothy's grip. Thomas, who was standing on his legs, held John's hair and pulled his head back.
John felt the cold metal of the blade against his neck. Suddenly, Jacob swung his arm down and across, creating a big slash across John's chest. John cried out in pain. He could feel the blood running down his front, soaking his clothes. His three attackers laughed.
I'm still breathing, he thought. My heart is still beating. He hasn't cut anything major-yet. He glanced around the park, hoping someone-anyone-would see and call the police, but this was a remote corner of the park. The sound of the few kids playing in the park were distant.
Jacob made a small cut in John's neck so close to his trachea that John was terrified. John looked up at Jacob's face, searching for any sign of decency or kindness. All he saw was hatred.
Jacob placed the knife on the right side of John's throat and was about to make the fatal slash.
Oh, God, thought John. Please, God, I don't want to die.
Jacob laughed. "Afraid, faggot? Are you gonna cry?"
John gathered all the courage he could and said, "I'm not afraid of you." I will not beg for my life, he ordered himself. I won't let him think that he can scare me.
Jacob kicked John in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "How dare you, you goddamned queer? How dare you try to stand up to me? I'll teach you to be afraid of me." He slashed John a few more times across the chest, legs, and arms, each cut bringing new levels of pain and agony to Pyro.
Jacob said, with malice in his voice, "Enjoying the pain, cocksucker?"
John told Jacob just what he could go do to himself.
Jacob shifted the blade in his hand to stab Pyro in the chest.
Oh, God, thought John.
Suddenly, the boy seemed to be frozen, unable to move. He cursed and looked at his arm. The three boys began howling in pain while the rest of their surroundings seemed to be frozen. The three ran off across the park.
No longer held by the twins and feeling dizzy and numb from his injuries, John felt himself fall forward. He tried to catch himself on his hands, but his elbows buckled. His head hit the ground hard. He struggled to push himself up, finally reaching his feet. He tried to walk forward, but his steps were slow and he kept stumbling from dizziness and pain.
"John," said a familiar voice, and he felt a hand on his shoulder, steadying him. John saw Scott's red-shaded glasses as the man helped him walk.
"What-how...?"
"The Professor," said Scott. "Don't talk. Let's get you home."
#
A few hours later, John was bandaged up and laying on one of the beds in the Institute's infirmary. Jean had given him an exam so thorough that he felt he should have taken her out to dinner. When he told her this, she laughed and said she was just concerned about him. "Although I wouldn't mind dinner," she added.
When John felt he could move around a little, he asked if he could go to his room.
"Well, okay," said Jean. "Come on." She began to lead him out of the room.
"It's okay, really," insisted John. "I'm fine." He tried to walk by himself, but he was too sore.
Jean gave him a look that said, "I told you so," and lead him upstairs to his room-the new room he'd moved into since he and Bobby could no longer be roommates.
"I have to go teach a Danger Room session," said Jean. "Logan's teaching, too, but Scott should be around here somewhere if you need anything."
"Okay. Thanks, Jean."
"Not a problem." Jean added, "I'm sorry about what happened to you, John. Some people are just, well, prejudiced and mean."
"Yeah, I know," said Pyro. "It's fine."
Jean looked like she didn't believe him, but decided not to bother him about it. "I'll see you later," she said, and left.
Pyro leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes. He wished he could talk to Bobby, but his boyfriend had to attend the Danger Room session. John felt tears coming to his eyes. Why do people hate others just for being different? If he'd killed me, would I have gone to Hell? John didn't think that being gay was evil, but no one could be absolutely sure about the afterlife. Is there even a God listening when I pray? He always wanted to believe that people were good and that God was good, but this experience had shaken him.
"John?"
John opened his eyes to see Scott standing in the doorway.
"Can I come in," asked Scott.
"Yeah, sure."
Scott came in and sat on John's bed, pretending not to notice John wiping his tears. "I picked these up in the park." He put John's library books on the bedside table.
"Thanks."
"How do you feel?"
"A little better," said John. "Thanks. You saved me."
"The Professor saved you," said Scott, sensing that John was upset. After a pause, he continued, "I know. It sucks."
"Yeah," said John. "Do you ever wonder why people hate people so much?"
"All the time. It hurts, I know, when you know that people hate you for no good reason. You just have to tell yourself it doesn't matter what they think, because it doesn't."
"That's hard when people try to kill you," said John. "I mean, first the mutant thing and now the gay thing." He laughed, surprising Scott and even himself. "I think sometimes that we're destined to be hated by everyone. It's turned into some weird hobby with me."
Scott smiled and laughed a little. "You're not angry?"
"Not really angry," John said. "More sad."
"It's a strange world we live in."
"I wonder sometimes if it's supposed to be like this, you know? If they're supposed to hate us, and if we're supposed to defend ourselves somehow, then we can't really hope for peace, can we? If it's supposed to be like this, then there's not supposed to be peace maybe."
"You sound like you've lost all hope in humanity."
Pyro laughed again. "Not all hope-just most of it."
Scott smiled and put his arm around John's shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "Just hold onto whatever hope you still have, okay? The world's even scarier without it."
John hugged back and said, "I will."
#
That night, it was Scott who couldn't sleep. Laying the darkness of his and Logan's bedroom, he thought of what John had said. I think sometimes that we're destined to be hated by everyone...If it's supposed to be like this, then there's not supposed to be peace maybe. It disturbed him to hear these words, especially from John, who always seemed so lighthearted-a bit of a troublemaker, sure, but mostly good-hearted.
"Scott?"
Logan's voice brought Scott out of his thoughts. "Yeah?"
"You okay?"
"Yeah," said Scott. Realizing that he'd been tossing and turning for the past hour, he added, "Did I wake you?"
"Nah, can't sleep either." Logan put his arms around Scott, hugging him from behind. "What's bothering you."
Scott told Logan about his conversation with John, ending with, "Do you ever wonder if this all some kind of divine test?"
"You mean from God?"
"Yeah, I guess-from whatever higher power there is."
"Don't worry about it-if anybody's going to pass, it'll be you."
Scott laughed and turned around to face Logan. "Recently, I'm not so sure if I want to pass."
"Great," replied Logan. "You can join me in Hell."
"Logan, please."
"Sorry."
"Maybe I'm being-I don't know-morbid? Pessimistic? Sometimes I just think that God has fun watching us try to survive against all the hatred in the world. Maybe He just finds it entertaining."
"Scott, that's not true."
"How do you know?"
Logan sighed and ran his hand through Scott's hair. "Because there's no way that God enjoys seeing us suffer if He made me fall in love with you."
Scott snuggled against Logan. "I love you, too."
#
The next day, John and Bobby were sitting on John's bed trying to understand their calculus homework after classes were over for the day.
"You know," said Bobby, pushing his textbook away, "I think anyone who actually gets this stuff is a bit mental."
"Yeah, probably," said John, closing his notebook.
"How do you feel?"
"Bobby, you've asked me that five hundred times today. I'm fine."
"Well, I'm sorry I care about you."
"I just don't want you to worry."
"Well, I'll worry anyway-so there."
John laughed. "Thanks. You're the closest thing I have to a concerned mother."
"Should I make you soup," asked Bobby, laughing.
"I don't like soup. Really, Bobby, Jean says I'll be fine."
"It's not just the injuries, John. It's something else I'm worried about."
"What?"
Bobby looked down, as if fascinated by the bedspread. "I don't want you to leave again."
"Why would I leave?"
"It's just-this is the kind of thing that Magneto always says is going to happen to mutants-that humans will try to exterminate us. I was thinking about it, and a part of me feels like maybe he's right, but then I remember that he wants to take over. He thinks we're better than everyone else, and I don't agree with that. I just think everyone should be themselves-different as people, but equal under the law. I'm angry about what happened to you, and a part of me wants revenge, but I don't want to join the Brotherhood-and I don't want you to join either."
"Bobby, I made a mistake when I joined them. I'll never do it again. I want to stay here, with people who care about me and who I care about-with you," said John, remembering his brief time with the Brotherhood. A group that he thought would help him deal with his anger just made him more angry and asked him to do things he knew were wrong. He recalled the realization of his mistake, sneaking out of the Brotherhood headquarters, and his embarrassed apologies to Professor Xavier. Thankfully, the Professor was a forgiving and understanding man, who saw that John realized his error.
Unable to think of anything to say, Bobby just wrapped his arms around John as tight as he could.
"Bobby, I can't breathe," said John, hugging his boyfriend back.
"Sorry," said Bobby, not letting go for about five minutes.
When they finally did separate, John commented, "You're cute when you worry about me."
Bobby rolled his eyes and said, "I just worry because I love you."
John kissed Bobby and said, "I love you, too."
#
There were some rainy days in late July and early August, which meant that the students at the Institute-those who were not visiting family and friends during the summer holiday-were inside, watching movies, playing games, or just enjoying doing nothing. Professor Xavier had suggested, of course, that they use this time constructively to work on summer assignments, but he didn't expect them to listen. He had to admit to himself that he sometimes just said some things that students would expect a teacher to say, even if he didn't really expect anyone to listen.
Although the rain didn't continue for long, the general attitude of making the most of summer vacation did. Logan, who had never experienced summer vacation-and, if he had, didn't remember it-decided that enough was enough. He'd wanted to ask the Professor if they could start having more training sessions, but Scott had explained to him the necessity of summer vacation. Not wanting to be completely beaten, Wolverine had challenged Scott to fight him, and the two had starting spending many hours in the Danger Room, unceremoniously beating each other up just for the fun of it.
Many of the students found this absurd, but Bobby and John found it rather amusing; the two boys sometimes snuck a peak in the Danger Room while Scott and Logan were pummeling each other.
As a result of these fights, Logan's training sessions became more difficult, and they'd been hell on Earth to begin with. The students went to bed every night feeling sore all over. Some speculated that perhaps Logan was being especially tough because Scott won their fights, although no one had the guts to ask him outright.
One day in the middle of summer, all of the students were outside. It was one of those glorious days when staying inside is near impossible. Scott and Bobby were sitting under a tree. Logan had gone to a Congress meeting about mutants with Ororo, Beast, and the Professor, leaving Scott to watch the kids. John, who felt hyper now that his injuries were almost healed and he could finally walk around, was trying to learn how to play tennis from Rogue and Kitty, with hilarious results.
"Hey, Scott, can I ask you something," asked Bobby.
"Sure. What?"
"I know it's none of my business, but-well-are you and Logan-you know-okay?"
"We're fine," said Scott, not completely understanding Bobby's question. "What d'you mean?"
Bobby confessed that he and John had been following them down to the Danger Room. "Did you guys break up or something?"
Scott laughed. "No. It's just something we do for fun."
"You love each other, so you beat each other up?"
"We don't hurt each other. It's just-I don't know-Logan thinks he's tougher than everyone else and I consider it my responsibility to remind him that he's not."
"And then he tries to kill us during training sessions," said Bobby, half-laughing and half-accusing
Scott grinned. "He does not try to kill you."
"Okay, maybe not, but he's crazy. Can't you tell him to lighten up?"
"Afraid not."
Bobby rolled his eyes. "Well, I guess you can't have everything." Suddenly, Bobby felt dizzy, like the world was spinning around him. His skin felt like he was on fire. Bobby closed his eyes and put his head in his hands.
"Bobby, are you alright?" Scott put an arm around Bobby's shoulder.
As quickly as the feeling had come, it passed. "Yeah. I just felt dizzy for a minute."
"Maybe you should go lie down."
"No. I'm fine. Really," said Bobby, although there was still a strange tingling feeling in his hands.
#
Later that day, Bobby and John were sitting on Bobby's bed talking.
"It was weird," Bobby said. "I felt like I was melting."
"Melting," asked John.
"Yeah. I know it sounds crazy, but that's what it felt like."
John put an arm around Bobby and held him close. "Maybe its something to do with your powers-you know, like ice melting. Maybe we should ask Jean."
"Maybe," said Bobby, "but it just went away in a few seconds."
"Tell me if it happens again, okay?"
"What are you going to do?"
John kissed Bobby on the cheek and said, "I'll make you feel better.
#
As the summer raced onward, the Institute began to prepare for the upcoming fall semester with a mixture of reluctance and expectation. The students had finished their summer assignments, some just in time, which were due on the first day of classes. Bobby and John were in one of the classrooms organizing textbooks and various other school supplies that Professor Xavier had bought for his students.
Bobby had been experiencing what John called "episodes" more frequently; it was almost a constant feeling now, but was not as intense as it had been before. He felt like everything he touched was hot. He thought that either everything had gotten hotter or else his body was getting colder.
John encouraged him to go see Jean, just in case, but Bobby insisted that he didn't feel sick. Besides, he didn't want to sound worried like a little kid.
John's voice broke his train of thought.
"Tell me again why we agreed to do this," said John, putting a bright pink notebook in Rogue's package just to see the look on her face when she opened it.
"Because we're trying to be helpful," said Bobby.
"Oh, yeah," commented John. "What great fun."
Bobby laughed.
"Is it me, or is it really cold in here," asked Pyro.
"Johnny, it's the middle of summer."
"First of all, don't call me Johnny, or else -"
"Or else what?"
"Second of all, I know it's summer, but I swear to God, it's freezing in here." He hugged himself and shivered.
Bobby put his arms around John to warm him, but both of them yelled in pain and leg go of each other immediately.
When they looked at the skin where there arms had touched, there were red burn marks.
#
Author's Note: I tried to make the ending suspenseful. Did I succeed in this? Are you curious to read more? Please review. Reviews make me happy.