Old Faces
Well then time for Johnny and Merc to…kinda make up. Lol…yeah right like I'm gonna make them completely back together again with all forgiven.
Merc, looking slightly bored, stood between Ben and Johnny up a small stage as Reed was giving some kind of speech. She looked down at the table right up at the front where Alicia sat with Adrian and Natalie. Adrian looked just as bored as Merc felt. She crossed her eyes as Reed continued to talk. She didn't understand science babble and just about everyone knew that. She had about as much chance of understanding what Reed said as Adrian had of ever getting superpowers. It wasn't that small of a chance but it wasn't very likely to happen anytime soon.
How much longer? Merc thought, glancing over at Johnny.
Shouldn't be too much longer. He thought back. The speech is only about ten minutes and thirty-seven seconds long. Merc turned her head and looked at incredulously. Reed's actually timed it.
Oh. Merc thought. Ok well that explains it. He's only been talking for about nine minutes now so he should be done soon right? Please tell me he'll be done soon.
Yeah, he should be. Johnny thought. Merc looked back at her cousin and grinned at him. He smiled back. She looked around and spotted Mary Jane and Peter near the back. She waved slightly at them and they waved back. Merc heard clapping and looked around. Everyone in the hall was clapping and she smiled slightly as she looked at Johnny.
"It's over?" Merc asked.
"Yeah, it's over." Johnny said. Merc herself clapped. Johnny laughed slightly and shook his head. He was confused as to why she was acting like this since whenever they were near each other they seemed pretty tense now. Merc seemed as relaxed as she's ever been with him. The other three got off the stage and Merc grabbed Johnny's hand and led him over to where her friends were.
"Hey, Mary Jane, this is Johnny Storm." She said.
"Hi, nice to meet you." Mary Jane said, shaking Johnny's hand. Her engagement ring catching Johnny's eye and he smiled.
"I guess we're…sitting here then?" Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow at Merc.
"Yep." Merc said, almost forcing him into the chair next to Peter. She sat down and instantly leaned over to talk with Mary Jane.
"They spent the whole afternoon talking…what else could they possibly have to discuss?" Peter asked, looking from the girls to Johnny.
"You got me." Johnny said. "I'm stilling playing catch-up as to why Merc isn't so tense around me anymore."
"Mary Jane talked to her." Peter said. "Told her some stuff. Me and her have been through a rough patch as well recently."
"Oh." Johnny said.
"Hey!" Merc said, catching the boys' attention. "I'm gonna go get some drinks. You two want anything?"
"Umm…I'll just have the same as you." Johnny said. Peter shook his head. Merc nodded and stood up, she kissed Johnny's cheek quickly before heading over to the bar. Johnny looked at Mary Jane. "I don't know what you've told you but you are now one of my favourite people."
"Thanks." Mary Jane said, laughing.
"Hey, can I get a water and two cokes?" Merc asked.
"Sure thing." The bartender said. He handed over three glasses. "Can you carry those yourself?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Merc said, smiling. She handed over some money and then caused the glasses to levitate in front of her. She turned around carefully and almost walked into someone. "Oh…sorry."
"No, no it's my…Merc?" Merc looked at the guy she nearly walked into.
"Oh my god Max! Hi!" She said. "Oh…I'd hug ya but I kinda gotta focus on the glasses full of liquid. Umm...come with me to my table."
"Sure…you want some help?" Max asked.
"Nah, I'm good." Merc said. They walked back over to the table and Merc set the glasses down. Johnny looked up to say thanks but stopped when he saw Max. It took him a minute to recognise him.
"Max Simmons." Johnny said.
"Hey, Johnny Storm. Long time no see." Max said, smiling. Johnny only half-heartedly returned it. Max had been one of Merc's previous boyfriends but he had up and left for the peace corp. or something. Merc seemed perfectly fine with the break-up and Johnny guessed that she really was with the way she was acting now.
"So wow…you look good…how long have you been in town?" Merc asked.
"Oh about three weeks now." Max said. "And you gotta be kidding…with this scar, I don't look good."
"I was trying to overlook it." Merc said, smiling slightly. Max had a scar from his forehead, down across one eye and ended on his cheek. "How'd you get it?"
"It's a long boring story." Max said. "Tell me about you, what have you been up to…apart from being turned into a mind reading superhero."
"Well I've been with Johnny the last two years." Merc said. "Actually engaged the whole time." She held up her hand to show off the engagement ring she still wore.
"Still have that phobia huh?" Max asked.
"Still?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah." Merc said. Johnny wasn't sure how to react to that. He had never known that Merc had an odd phobia of being married until they started the wedding trials. But yet Max knew which made no sense because Johnny had been Merc's best friend when she had been dating Max and he had known everything…well maybe not everything but he surely should have known about this.
"So who are your friends?" Max asked.
"Oh this is Peter Parker, he's a photographer for the Daily Bugle." Merc said. "I myself do not read it but you might."
"Oh yeah." Max said. "Bunch of stuff on Spiderman in there."
"Yep." Peter said.
"And this is his fiancé Mary Jane Watson." Merc said. "She's an actress."
"I guess that's fun, huh?" Max asked. Mary Jane smiled and nodded. Merc finally resumed her seat between Johnny and Mary Jane. "Hey Merc, listen, I gotta jet but give me a call and we can have lunch or something and catch up, alright?"
"Sure." Merc said. "Here." She set up her cell phone to the phone book and handed it over so Max could put his info in. He handed it back and left. Merc looked carefully at Johnny as she put her phone away.
"I guess you guys really did break off on good terms." Johnny said.
"Yeah, I told you it was fine." Merc said. "If you think about it, I was the one that dumped him."
"Oh." Johnny said. "What does he mean though…about you still having the wedding phobia?"
"Didn't I tell you about not liking weddings when we were younger?" Merc asked.
"Apparently not." Johnny said.
"Oh…well it was just something that I had because I was afraid to wind up like my parents." Merc said. "Honest. I was too young to even be thinking about marrying Max. I couldn't even imagine myself with him after a year…maybe two tops."
"Oh." Johnny said, looking a bit happier. "So…no thoughts of…"
"No, I don't want to get back with him." Merc said. "I want to be with you, no one else. Do you finally understand that?"
"Yeah." Johnny said. "I'm sorry...for everything." Merc smiled.
She moved back in the next day. Reed and Sue took Natalie out for the day so Johnny and Merc were able to spend the whole day alone in the apartment. This involved taking many breaks between moving stuff around. Merc had decided that she wanted to move her furniture around so they had done some…experimenting on where the bed felt most comfortable. After all that was done, they sat down in the kitchen and Merc watched with a bemused expression as Johnny cooked up something for them to eat.
"Since when do you cook?" Merc asked.
"Sue started teaching me once you moved." Johnny said. "I burned a few things but that's only because I got mad at it and flamed everything. I'm pretty good at making hamburgers and stuff. Don't need a barbeque." Merc laughed and Johnny put a plate of food in front of it. "It's not gonna kill you."
"Hmm…I don't know about that." Merc said. "I mean…it wouldn't surprise me." Johnny shook his head and ate. Merc smiled and ate as well. "So…still think I'm trying to flirt with Pete?"
"Nope." Johnny said. "Guess I should tell you that while I was in your body I talked with him."
"Oh really." Merc said.
"Yeah." Johnny said. "And now seeing him last night with that Mary Jane…"
"They're cute." Merc said. They were quiet for a bit, eating.
"I still don't like Max." Johnny said.
"Johnny…" Merc said, grinning a bit.
"I'm serious." Johnny said. "There's still something about him that I just can't stand."
"It's been five years." Merc said.
"Yeah I know but that's not changing anything." Johnny said. "There's just something…I don't know what it is but I don't like it."
"I'm not gonna drop you for him." Merc said. "I think the ring here proves that very well."
"Still doesn't stop guys from trying to get with you." Johnny said.
"Do I ever notice those guys?" Merc asked. "Considering the fact that you've been my longest relationship ever, someone would think that you would figure that out by now." She got up, using her powers to pull Johnny's chair back, then plopped down on his lap. "What have you got to be so insecure about? You're super sweet, a really great guy and you're mega hot."
"I'm also, as you've pointed out numerous times, a jerk." Johnny said.
"I look past that." Merc said, kissing him. Johnny wrapped his arms around her. Merc pulled away after a while. "See, that's another reason. You're a great kisser."
"Any more reasons?" Johnny asked.
"Hmm…maybe." Merc said. "But we've already done that like five times today."
"So what? We have to even it out." Johnny said. Merc giggled.
Ok so I think I have another person to bring into this story but I'm not quite sure yet. I'll think about whether or not I should.