Chapter 5

I slowly started drifting awake some time later. I felt a hand stroking gently through my hair and instinctively pushed up to seek more stimulation. There was a chuckle from behind me. I blinked sleepily and opened my eyes. The hand started pushing down harder. I moaned in approval and practically melted into the bed.

"I take back what I said the other day," John whispered in my ear. "You are very easy."

"OK, OK," I sighed. "You mind?"

"Not if I'm the one with you but otherwise. . ." He let the sentence hang.

"You'll get all possessive on me?"

"Hell yeah." He flipped me onto my back and placed a possessive kiss on my lips. I fought back hungrily. John pulled back, "That'll teach you."

I smiled, "Did you get any sleep last night or did you watch over me the whole time?"

"I've all ready talked to Piotr. He told me something about macaroni and cheese at five in the morning."

I giggled a true giggle. God, I had a lot of energy to burn off, but John didn't seem to notice. I looked into his slightly sleep-deprived eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Horny," he admitted, grinding his hips against mine.

"Aren't you always?" I asked innocently even as my hips bucked at the attention.

"No, only around you." He caught my wrists and pinned them to the mattress.

I squirmed, "Oh, so this is my fault, is it, Sparky?"

John growled at the name. He took my wrists in one hand and cupped my groin with the other. He gave it a slight squeeze; I gasped and he smirked. John pulled me up before he rose to his feet.

"All right, kid. Hit the shower, a cold shower."

I rose to my feet unsteadily. "Tease."

"I know. Now get," he smiled and smacked my ass.

"Do I at least get clean clothes?"

"I don't know. The way I see it, if I leave you in your dirty, torn boxers, you won't even think about leaving."

"I won't leave," I promised pleadingly.

John cupped the side of my face and kissed me lightly. "I know you won't."

The look in his eyes made it evident that he was joking, but his voice still sent chills down my spine. I looked up at him desperately. John laughed and enveloped me in a hug. I gave in to his warmth before rubbing my cheek against his stubble-covered jaw fondly.

John traced his finger down my jaw. "You're looking a little shaggy there yourself, kid."

I burned a kiss into his memory before asking, "Aren't you going to join me?"

"It's tempting," he panted, checking me out. "God, it's tempting, but I'm going to order a pizza and take care of some other stuff first."

"You don't want to be with me?" I asked in mock hurt.

John chuckled, "Exactly."

He knew me too well to fall for that and I knew that did. I huffed but headed to the shower. John gave me a pair of his boxers and a well-used tee shirt. He caught my wrist just before I went into the bathroom and kissed his spot lightly. "I wouldn't look into the mirror until after you get Remy's stuff off you."

I just nodded and went in. John shut the door behind me. I avoided the mirror as suggested. Then I set to work at the hard task of cleaning myself up. I really looked bad, but hopefully a shower would help that.

I emerged from the bathroom about twenty minutes later and headed into the living room. I paused in the doorway; John was having a fox-shaped fireball chase a rabbit-shaped one around the mat. Suddenly the fox pounced on the rabbit and emerged as a cantering horse. I stood still, completely mesmerized by his skill. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw John beckon me over now that he had one hand free. I kept watch on the horse as I walked over to my lover. He patted my knee invitingly and I took him up on the offer. A hand wove its way around my chest before stroking through my towel-dried hair.

"God, I love your hair," he whispered as his other hand made the horse disappear.

"Burning off energy?"

His free hand wrapped around my waist and pulled me against him. "The mat was out and you took so long in the shower that I just got the urge to play around some."

I leaned against him. "Just remind me to keep you away from Amara."

"A fire starter?"

I nodded and looked up at him.

John had that mischievous look in his eyes again. "So how is your body? Not like that!"

I smiled a little and looked down, "I've quit bleeding."

John kissed my forehead. Suddenly he caught my wrist and placed a gentle kiss in the center of my palm. I looked up at him again as he started stroking my side lightly. "You owe me a story."

I curled closer to him. "I know."

"And?"

I sighed and slowly the tale unfolded. I paused after I told him about the beating we'd received. John kissed away the few tears I'd let loose. One of his hands continued up and down my side while the other played across my face. "How did you escape?"

"Ray let loose his electricity. Somehow, it temporarily blinded the FOHs but allowed us to still see. We split up and ran for our lives."

I was shaking faintly now. John was trying to calm me down. I just tucked head under his chin submissively. He started to rock us a little. "We had to talk about it."

I just clung to him. We sat there for a long time. John was one of the few people who could make me feel safe. He let his fingers and lips touch any of my bare skin he could find. I didn't move or say anything but let his protective possessiveness allow me to consider myself safe.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. I felt John tense. He looked down at me, probably thinking I didn't want to move.

"Pizza's here," I whispered, moving my head a bit.

"I thought you were asleep," John returned, obviously amused.

"Just enjoying the fact that you can hold me. Normally we have to run as soon as we have sex."

"I know what you mean, kid." There was another knock. "Just a minute!"

I climbed off John, just enough for him to be able to stand up. Then I slid back into the seat of the chair. John kissed my cheek reassuringly before throwing a blanket over me. "John?"

"Just in case the pizza man is a FOH or something," he whispered.

I nodded and pulled the blanket over my head. John went to the door and got the pizzas. As soon as he shut the door, I pulled down the blanket. He set the pizzas on the table before addressing me.

"Do you mind if Remy and Piotr eat with us? I mean, they don't have to or anything."

I smiled, "It's okay. We could use some company."

"OK." John smiled happily and knocked on the adjoining door. Remy and Piotr came in a few minutes later. They each settled in a chair by the table. John came over to me and led me over to the table.

"I can walk by myself," I protested even as my arm went around his waist and a little lower.

John didn't reply. He sat in a chair and pulled me onto his knee. I shot him a look. "I can also sit by myself, Johnny."

"Just because you can," he whispered in my ear, "doesn't mean I want you to."

I shivered a bit when he used that voice. It was weird to actually be able to display "us" in front of someone. We were so used to having to hide everything and move fast. John ran a hand down my leg before getting a slice of pizza. I grabbed one as well. I listened as John and his friends talked about normal things. It was kind of odd to be in this environment.

About twenty or thirty minutes later, John's hand left contact with me. I shifted from foot to foot to try to draw his attention back to me. John didn't move. I squirmed a bit more.

"Still," his voice grated in my ear. I froze, realizing that he was testing me. He did this from time to time just to see if I was getting any less dependent. I never did; I always panicked when he was so near yet didn't want me to touch him. I tried to relax and stay calm but was still panicking. Fresh, hot tears pricked at my eyes, but I didn't want them to fall over. I felt Remy's eyes on me and glanced at him.

"John, what are y' doin' t'him?" There was definitely some anger in his voice and I couldn't fight down the chills.

"Nothing," John replied innocently. I wanted to scream at the neglect.

"Then do something, homme, or he'll 'ave a breakdown!" Remy was definitely pissed about something. John reached out and pulled me against his chest. I buried my head in his shirt and just stayed there. John ran his hand up and down my spine soothingly.

"I still don't get it," John whispered as he dropped a kiss on my hairline.

I shrugged and tried to calm down. He was referring to the fact that I panicked if he didn't touch me but could go weeks without seeing him. It didn't make much sense to me either, except that I needed his touch when he was near.

"What just happened?" Piotr asked.

I peeked at him from my protective spot against John. No one said anything, but he seemed to understand everything well enough. John placed another sweet kiss on my lips before letting me up a little bit. I stayed against him comfortably and resisted the urge to ask why Remy had just snapped at John. I wanted to know but assumed it just involved bad memories.

"You're mine, aren't you?" John whispered huskily.

I resisted the shudder but nodded.

"I could never hurt you." I knew the sincerity that was evident in his voice and it made me want to stay in this apartment forever. I knew I couldn't but John just. . . he knew how to give me what I needed. I caught his hand in mine and gave it a squeeze. John would be perfect if only Xavier had gotten to him first.

TBC