(A/N: Yami, you rock! I luv you! Jk, I don't mean it like that, but
thanks for helping me!)
The next morning, Spark woke up alone. She looked at her alarm clock. It was almost noon. She sat up. She was still in her clothes from yesterday. She changed into jean flares and a black shirt and went to go get a bite to eat, never forgetting her glove. As she was walking to the kitchen, she saw the boy from last night coming out of Xavier's office. When he saw her he smiled. "Hey," he said. "How are ya doin'?" he asked. "I'm a lot better than last night," she answered and smiled back. "I was about to go get some breakfa- er. brunch. Care to join me?" He nodded. She turned to keep walking.
Pyro followed her, with the professor's words still clear in his head. We're glad you're back, John. You're always welcome here. Don't forget that. He didn't want to forget it. "Hey, Spark," he called to her. "Yeah?" she asked. "How long have you been here?" he asked, catching up to her. "Hmmm, about two months," she answered as they rounded the corner into the kitchen.
Jake was sitting at the table eating a slice of pizza when they walked in. "Heya, Superman," Spark greeted him. "Hey, Sparky," he replied, grinning. "Wanna piece?" he asked, waving his slice around. "Sure," she said, grabbing a piece from the box on the table. She sat down and held up the box to Pyro. "Have a piece. It's pepperoni." Pyro took a piece and took a huge bite. Spark laughed. "Ever heard the expression, 'Don't bite off more than you can chew'?" With his mouth full, he said, "What's that supposed to mean?" She and Jake laughed. Spark finished her piece of pizza and stood up. Pyro stood up, too.
"Wanna go on a walk around outside?" Pyro asked Spark. "Yeah, that'd be great! C'mon Jake! Let's go!" said Spark enthusiastically. "Uh. I'll pass. You two go ahead. I'll see ya later." He waved and went to his room.
Pyro stood there for a second, then looked at Spark. "Well, c'mon then. Let's go," he said, taking her hand in his, leading her outside. She followed, not at all reluctant. He led her outside. When they got outside, he slowed his pace and let go of her hand. They were walking a nice, slow pace. "So, Spark, what's your real name?" he asked. "It's Kimberly. What's yours Pyro?" "John." "That's a nice name," she said. "I have a friend back home named John. But then, after they found out I was a mutant, he, along with the rest of them, didn't talk to me."
Spark saw a bench under a tree, and sat down. "Come here," she said, patting the spot next to her. He sat down and said, "So, where are you from?" That question started a great friendship.
They talked for a while each day, and got to know each other pretty well. They learned about each other's favorite things, what they liked to do, and their mutation. They were both psyched about having the same mutation. For the next few weeks they took a walk, once or twice a day.
One day, however, Spark missed their daily walk. Pyro knew her well enough by now, that if she wasn't going to be there, she would have told him. He went up to her room and knocked softly. When he got no answer, he tried the door. There was no resistance. He opened the door. All the beds were empty, except Spark's. Oh yeah, he thought. The other girls are probably at the late-night movie thing. It is Saturday, after all.
Pyro stopped by her bed. Spark was tossing and turning. He guessed she was having a nightmare.
* * *
"Yeah, whatever Kim. We believe you," Bryan said tauntingly. "It's not true! I didn't do it!" she shouted at him. "Like I said Kim, we believe you." He left to go stand by the drink table. He winked at her. She glared at him. He pulled a guy out of the crowed and whispered to him something Kim couldn't hear. He pointed at her. The random guy walked over to her, slowly. When he got to her, he started circling her. Bryan was laughing the whole time. When the guy got behind her, he grabbed her waist and pulled her into him. She struggled against him, but he was too strong. He was laughing along with Bryan. Bryan pulled out his lighter and a cigarette. He clicked it on, bringing out a small flame. She stopped moving, willing something bad to happen to Bryan. She hated him. There! The fire. She willed it to be bigger. It obeyed her. She could see it, getting bigger. "Now!" she screamed. The fire instantly crawled up his face and torso. She gasped. It had worked. But now there was fire crawling all over his body, scorching him, burning his skin. Someone behind him dumped the punch bowl over his head, quenching the fire. Bryan looked at her, his face charred and black. There was a look mixed with fear and anger. The music died down. Eventually so did the chatter. Everyone was staring at her. She looked around, and ran.
* * *
Pyro still stood there, debating whether or not to wake her up. His final decision was made when she screamed. He tapped her shoulder and he said, "Please wake up, it's a dream, it's just a dream." She wasn't waking up, she he grabbed her shoulder and shook her awake.
Her eyes shot open, and her breathing was heavy. She looked around the room and saw him, standing over her. She sat up and hugged his chest. "It was just a nightmare," he comforted her, patting her head. She started crying into his chest. "It wasn't a nightmare," she sobbed. He sat down next to her, and held her. "It's okay. I'm here. You're safe. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I'll protect you." She kept hugging him, crying. Pyro rocked her back and forth, still patting her, stroking her hair. She slowly stopped crying, and just sat there, arms around him, breathing into his chest. He tilted her head up to look at him. He looked straight into her eyes. "It's okay. I'm here. You've got nothing to be afraid of." She kept his stare, looking into his eyes. "I know." She smiled at him.
John kept staring into those big, blue eyes. He lent forward, ever so slightly until their lips met. They stayed there for a moment, kissing. Pyro pulled away first and gently laid her down. He pulled the sheets up around her and tucked them around the edges of her body. Spark smiled at him. "Goodnight, Sparky," he whispered in her ear. Her eyes got wide and she looked scared. "Please don't go," she pleaded. "I don't want to have another nightmare." Pyro knelt down by her bed and took her hand. "I won't leave you alone. Not now." He rested his head on her stomach and arranged himself so he was more comfortable, sitting by her bed. He was soon snoring lightly. She played with his hair until she fell asleep, still holding his hand.
The next morning, Spark woke up alone. She looked at her alarm clock. It was almost noon. She sat up. She was still in her clothes from yesterday. She changed into jean flares and a black shirt and went to go get a bite to eat, never forgetting her glove. As she was walking to the kitchen, she saw the boy from last night coming out of Xavier's office. When he saw her he smiled. "Hey," he said. "How are ya doin'?" he asked. "I'm a lot better than last night," she answered and smiled back. "I was about to go get some breakfa- er. brunch. Care to join me?" He nodded. She turned to keep walking.
Pyro followed her, with the professor's words still clear in his head. We're glad you're back, John. You're always welcome here. Don't forget that. He didn't want to forget it. "Hey, Spark," he called to her. "Yeah?" she asked. "How long have you been here?" he asked, catching up to her. "Hmmm, about two months," she answered as they rounded the corner into the kitchen.
Jake was sitting at the table eating a slice of pizza when they walked in. "Heya, Superman," Spark greeted him. "Hey, Sparky," he replied, grinning. "Wanna piece?" he asked, waving his slice around. "Sure," she said, grabbing a piece from the box on the table. She sat down and held up the box to Pyro. "Have a piece. It's pepperoni." Pyro took a piece and took a huge bite. Spark laughed. "Ever heard the expression, 'Don't bite off more than you can chew'?" With his mouth full, he said, "What's that supposed to mean?" She and Jake laughed. Spark finished her piece of pizza and stood up. Pyro stood up, too.
"Wanna go on a walk around outside?" Pyro asked Spark. "Yeah, that'd be great! C'mon Jake! Let's go!" said Spark enthusiastically. "Uh. I'll pass. You two go ahead. I'll see ya later." He waved and went to his room.
Pyro stood there for a second, then looked at Spark. "Well, c'mon then. Let's go," he said, taking her hand in his, leading her outside. She followed, not at all reluctant. He led her outside. When they got outside, he slowed his pace and let go of her hand. They were walking a nice, slow pace. "So, Spark, what's your real name?" he asked. "It's Kimberly. What's yours Pyro?" "John." "That's a nice name," she said. "I have a friend back home named John. But then, after they found out I was a mutant, he, along with the rest of them, didn't talk to me."
Spark saw a bench under a tree, and sat down. "Come here," she said, patting the spot next to her. He sat down and said, "So, where are you from?" That question started a great friendship.
They talked for a while each day, and got to know each other pretty well. They learned about each other's favorite things, what they liked to do, and their mutation. They were both psyched about having the same mutation. For the next few weeks they took a walk, once or twice a day.
One day, however, Spark missed their daily walk. Pyro knew her well enough by now, that if she wasn't going to be there, she would have told him. He went up to her room and knocked softly. When he got no answer, he tried the door. There was no resistance. He opened the door. All the beds were empty, except Spark's. Oh yeah, he thought. The other girls are probably at the late-night movie thing. It is Saturday, after all.
Pyro stopped by her bed. Spark was tossing and turning. He guessed she was having a nightmare.
* * *
"Yeah, whatever Kim. We believe you," Bryan said tauntingly. "It's not true! I didn't do it!" she shouted at him. "Like I said Kim, we believe you." He left to go stand by the drink table. He winked at her. She glared at him. He pulled a guy out of the crowed and whispered to him something Kim couldn't hear. He pointed at her. The random guy walked over to her, slowly. When he got to her, he started circling her. Bryan was laughing the whole time. When the guy got behind her, he grabbed her waist and pulled her into him. She struggled against him, but he was too strong. He was laughing along with Bryan. Bryan pulled out his lighter and a cigarette. He clicked it on, bringing out a small flame. She stopped moving, willing something bad to happen to Bryan. She hated him. There! The fire. She willed it to be bigger. It obeyed her. She could see it, getting bigger. "Now!" she screamed. The fire instantly crawled up his face and torso. She gasped. It had worked. But now there was fire crawling all over his body, scorching him, burning his skin. Someone behind him dumped the punch bowl over his head, quenching the fire. Bryan looked at her, his face charred and black. There was a look mixed with fear and anger. The music died down. Eventually so did the chatter. Everyone was staring at her. She looked around, and ran.
* * *
Pyro still stood there, debating whether or not to wake her up. His final decision was made when she screamed. He tapped her shoulder and he said, "Please wake up, it's a dream, it's just a dream." She wasn't waking up, she he grabbed her shoulder and shook her awake.
Her eyes shot open, and her breathing was heavy. She looked around the room and saw him, standing over her. She sat up and hugged his chest. "It was just a nightmare," he comforted her, patting her head. She started crying into his chest. "It wasn't a nightmare," she sobbed. He sat down next to her, and held her. "It's okay. I'm here. You're safe. I won't let anything bad happen to you. I'll protect you." She kept hugging him, crying. Pyro rocked her back and forth, still patting her, stroking her hair. She slowly stopped crying, and just sat there, arms around him, breathing into his chest. He tilted her head up to look at him. He looked straight into her eyes. "It's okay. I'm here. You've got nothing to be afraid of." She kept his stare, looking into his eyes. "I know." She smiled at him.
John kept staring into those big, blue eyes. He lent forward, ever so slightly until their lips met. They stayed there for a moment, kissing. Pyro pulled away first and gently laid her down. He pulled the sheets up around her and tucked them around the edges of her body. Spark smiled at him. "Goodnight, Sparky," he whispered in her ear. Her eyes got wide and she looked scared. "Please don't go," she pleaded. "I don't want to have another nightmare." Pyro knelt down by her bed and took her hand. "I won't leave you alone. Not now." He rested his head on her stomach and arranged himself so he was more comfortable, sitting by her bed. He was soon snoring lightly. She played with his hair until she fell asleep, still holding his hand.
