Chapter 5. The fire within

Disclaimer: I don't own the x-men, wish I did but don't.

XXX

Amara did not get much sleep that nigh. She would almost get to sleep, when she would remember that she had written something very personal in her book. It probably would not have mattered to her that much if a person like Bobby got hold of her book, because Bobby was rather doughy, and he would have no idea what to make of her poems, but John seemed to be articulate enough to understand the meanings behind all of her writing. And because of her confession to herself earlier, that she did find the pyromaniac attractive, only helped to increase her worries. Compared to drawing and diary entries, the poems in her book were very little, but a good majority of her poems were about how lonely she was. Amara would never admit it but she missed her country, and her people. She was happy at the institute, she liked the fact that she was surrounded by people who knew what she was and didn't care, but there always seemed to be this part of her that craved companionship. Perhaps it was just that fact that she was a teenage, who had hormones running amuck through her system, affecting her brain, like hormones seem to do. And the worst thing about hormones is when the reach your head they seem to be able to turn on a switch. And in Amara's case, cause her to see the opposite sex in a whole new different light.

That sort of attraction was not new to Amara she had had plenty of crushes in her life time, but none had ever given way to anything, and perhaps now at seventeen she was starting to get depressed at the lack of attention from the males of the species.

In the end Amara just gave up on trying to sleep and went down to the kitchen, to wait for the morning to come and bring with it the conscious state of the rest of the x-men.

"Damn kid you look like you got hit by a bus"

Amara looked up from her coffee, placed in front of her, as Logan walk in and took his place at the table.

"Didn't get much sleep?", hes asked, unfolding the morning paper, he had brought in.

Amara didn't answer, she let out a aggravated moan instead. Logan smiled, "Don't worry kid, the morning danger room session will have you chirpy again in no time"

Amara let out another moan as she lowered her head onto the table, "your cynical, you know that", she said in slurred words. Logan only smiled as he continued reading his paper.

XXX

That night John wrote more of he novel, than he had managed to in the two months that he had started. And he knew why he had been able to do so, while writing he had also been flicking through 'The fire within', and the only words he could use to describe its content was "Wow, this is some deep shit" (sorry if swearing offends you). Amara it seemed was capable of more emotions than John thought was humanely possible. She spoke of her homeland, and her family, she rote diary entries of how her mutation was progressing, which John found incredibly interesting, as she spoke of the sensation of flames bursting from her skin and how good it felt to be surrounded by such a powerful element. Of course if John had just read the files on the x-men that magneto had, he would have known that the girl turned into flame , but he was lazy and the thought of reading those files never seemed to be on his to do list. (as I said before, Pyro has not seen Amara in her flame form because Xavier told her never to flame up while around him in battle). And John found it incredibly stimulating the way that Amara descried the fire burning inside her. He could feel himself relating to her more. He knew he found her attractive, but she was starting to become irresistible to him.

But there were also some more depressing sides of the book. One poem in particular struck a cord in him that made rethink this girl totally, she was not as happy as she appeared to be. He reread the poem many times:

The Hole of Loneliness

I say I will vagabond
but I am not used to the wandering life who knows
I say I will go far away
but I want to be back home who knows
Who knows behind silence there's a wound
Who knows behind indifference there's a weakness
I smile and say that I'm not afraid of loneliness
but I hold back the tears who knows
How I wish that someone could light a lamp for me
warm the hole of loneliness in my heart
Are you lonesome
I think everyone is the same
However
we don't know since when this world became colder and colder
After being hurt again and again
you learn to hide
I learn to be silent
no longer willing to tell others our own stories
not willing to express warmth to others either
We would rather make ourselves lonely and make the others lonesome too
However
actually, lonely human beings must keep each other warm
No one is absolutely strong
At the bottom of our heart
we all have weaknesses, empty places
Maybe in the rainy evening
maybe on the street at dusk
it becomes a wound without a reason
Don't say you aren't afraid of loneliness
don't pretend to be indifferent any more
because everyone has loneliness
every one has loneliness

It made him think. She was right in many aspects, and the poem in his opinion was one of the best he had ever read. And the poem also mad him want to be with her, to comfort her, to hold her. He wanted to light the lamp in her lonely heart. He wanted Amara.

Her writing stimulated him and he incorporated her thoughts and emotions into his character Michele. He had never had incite like this before. John was getting a peak at what it was like to be a teenage girl, and it was very useful.

When morning came John had written three chapters, and had had three hours of sleep. Deciding he had plenty of time till it reached one o'clock, he saved his work and crawled into bed, looking forward to meeting the living flame that inspired him.

XXX

Amara made her way through the park, trying hard not to winch from the pain in her limbs. Training session with Logan did not go well at all for her. Because of her lack of rest she was much slower on her feet today and she had paid for it big time. Logan was right about one thing she was well ant truly awake now, how could she not be. Pain like this would not let her rest.

Reaching the tree she had in counted Pyro at yesterday. She let her legs give out under her and practically flopped to the ground. Leaning back on the tree she closed her eyes "Just a little rest", she said out loud, coming closer to the state of unconsciousness in her fatigue.

"Wow, Sheila, you look like shit"

she didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was. She felt anger cause through her throbbing limbs. "Well thanks to you I was up all night", she spat out before she could think about what she was saying.

"Really now, do tell"

Amara opened her eyes and glared at the smirking Australian. "The thought that you had my book kept me up all night", she said viciously. Mentally kicking herself for letting the truth slip out in the first place, and for being so cold to him.

"Oh, what I shame. An' hear I was hopein' to have kept you up for other reasons"

"What sort of other reasons?", Amara asked, only to be answered by suggestive grin that was now in place on John's face.

Amara felt heat rising to her face, and knew she must be blushing. Now when a person managed to get Amara to blush, it was much different form say a normal person blushing. Heat seemed to dance under the surface of her skin. And john could feel that change in her.

Looking down, Amara concentrated and managed to subdue it pretty quickly, but John still felt it. she looked back up at john who was now staring at her. A slow smile creped on to his face.

"You look beautiful when you blush Sheila"

It took all of Amara's self-control not to blush again. "So, where's your story? I want to get this over with so I can get my book back".

John handed her his lap top, and sat beside her. Amara was not comfortable with how close he was, but made no move to get away. Reaching over onto her lap he opened the laptop and brought up the file with his story on. read these three chapters and tell me what you think. He leaned back on to the tree, as she read waiting for her to finish.

As Amara read she became rather enthralled with what she was reading, it was good. Things in the writing rang faint bells in her head but she could not decipher what the bells meant. When she stopped reading, she realized that she had gotten closer and closer to the screen. She quickly righted her self , catching Johns eye.

"Well?", he asked

"Umm, the only word that comes to mind is wow", she said truthfully.

"So you don't think it needs any changes?"

"No, but I want to know-"

"Yes", John said looking intrigued

"Are the character going to...you know", she asked looking down, as if the grass had become incredibly interesting suddenly.

"Are they going to what?", John asked looking genuinely confused.

Amara eyes slowly met John's green ones. A huge grin broke out on johns face as he realized what she was implying, the grin was followed by hysterical laughter. "Well, I normally don't write those sorts of scenes in my books I just hint that it took place". "Why Sheila, do you want them to?"

"well-um...no it's your book after all", she said trying her best not to blush.

"That's a yes then?"

"well.."

"Just tell me Sheila, it could be useful to the story"

"yes"

A wicked grin creped on to the pyromaniac's face. "Ok then, then they will do 'it'"

"Well, it won't be very interesting if you just hint that they did it, why don't you go into a little....um.."

"More detail", John finished for her, finding this all rather unbelievable and hysterical at the same time.

"Stop laughing at me", said angrilym, as Pyro had burst into another wave of laughter.

"Sorry Sheila...., but I never thought ....such a innocent girl, ...could have such a naughty side berried in that pretty head of yours", pyro said between deep breaths recovering from his fit.

The words seemed to hit a nerve in the princess, "Well, maybe I'm not as innocent as you think", she said defensively

"Oh yeah, Sheila you kiddin' yourself, trust me"

"yeah, I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you", she said glaring at him

John crocked his head to the side as a wicked grin came into place, "Was that a threat... 'mara?", he said purposely saying her name with his accent to egg her on.

Her glare now hardened to the point that Rogue would not have proud of. "And what if it was Pyro?"

With his wicked grin still in place he lent over so that their faces were barely an inch apart, "Then I would have to punish you", he said accent thick.

Amara's glare melted from her face his words sunk in. her eyes locked with his, and she could fell the heat coming into her face. John felt that heat jut behind her skin, and his grin faded as he concentrated on that heat, pulling on it. Amara felt it, an her eyes widened as she realized he was pulling on flames with in her. She suddenly became incredibly aware of how close he was, and she could fell the fire come closer to the surface. John felt the heat increase, and gave a strong pull on it. Amara gasped at the strange sensation . looking into his yes again she concentrated on the pull, and feed more fire into it. this was very stimulating for John. He moved closer to her face, placing both hands on the side of her face he pulled harder on the fire that her had before. Amara let out another gasp at the feeling as John brought his lips down to hers. The sensation spread like rapid fire through her body, as she started to respond to it. John pulled on her powers again and Amara could hold it in no longer. Flames bust out from her skin. Shocked at how it had effected her, Amara quickly broke the kiss, and buried the flame back into her body.

She couldn't think of anything to say as she looked at the pyromaniac in front of her. A flash of light in the corner of her eye mad her look behind her. It seemed that in her moment of lost control she had set fire to the tree. Her eyes widened as she looked at the tree.

"Don't worry luv.", John said extending his had, "That can be easily fixed". The flames died away from the tree, leaving only scorched marks.

This was all to much for Amara, the kiss, the fire, John, the heat inside, the fact that he called her luv. Standing up she made to leave, but John saw this coming, and grabbed her had puling her back down.

"Not so fast Sheila, before you leave I would like to know when I'll see you again"

Amara turned to face John, and that was when it hit her. All her feelings suddenly gave way to fear. This was all going to fast, and it was clear to her that John affected her like no other person had been able to in her whole life, which was probably why she gave the answer she did.

"On the battlefield"

The color of Johns eyes darkened as the words sunk in, "Ok, Sheila". There were both silent for a while. "What about your book?"

"Keep it, you probably have read it any way", she answered. Amara really did not want to let a possession such as that go, but this whole experience had taught her that no good came of keeping such a detailed record of your self.

Unable to meet his eyes Amara stood, this time John did not pull her down. And headed back to the institute.

XXX

Amara must of hurt Johns feelings. Oh well, don't worry to much. She'll warm up to him, she just needs time.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

SperryDee

DYNOMITE- I like you. You seem to be a very bubbly person

EmeraldKatsEye

Angel of The Fallen Stars

Sliz