Lily and John stopped at her door, and he slid his arms around her
shoulders, looking over her head into the room, kissing the back of her
head once.
"You gonna come in with me?" she asked. He shrugged, and glanced at her cheek.
"I don't know.what do you think?"
"I don't care," she said, and headed into her room. He followed her, and she dropped onto her bed, sighing. He sat beside her, and pressed his lips against her neck. She smiled. "John." she muttered, turning her head, stopping him. He looked up.
"What?" he asked, and his eyes moved to her nightstand, and paused. She turned her head, and saw the picture of the two of them she had. "I didn't know you had this." he said, picking it up.
"Wait.your dad wasn't there.was he?" he asked, looking at her. She giggled.
"No, silly. That was just one of the pictures I had of him, and I cut it out, and placed it here, because it just seemed like it belonged, you know?" she asked. He nodded.
"I had fun that day."
"I know.so did I." she said. Taking the picture back, she set it on her nightstand, and reached up, placing her hand against his cheek. "I missed you so much," she said softly. She leaned over, and kissed him, pulling him back with her on the bed. He ran his hands over her cheeks as he took her hands, and lifted his head up. She looked up at him, and took a deep breath. "I love you, Pyro."
"Love you too." he said softly, and kissed her again. They rolled over, and she sat on his waist, and pulled herself back up. Looking down, she ran her fingers over his chest, and unbuttoned his shirt, looking him in the eyes. He pulled himself up, and kissed her as she pushed his shirt off, to the pillow. His fingers gripped her shirt, yanking it over her head, and pressed his lips against hers again, running his hands over her back. He still held her shirt in his grasp, and her fingers fell to his waist. They fumbled against the belt of his jeans.and she suddenly cried out, pulling away and falling back. "What?" he asked. She looked down at her side, which had a hand mark burned against her skin. Lily lifted her eyes, and watched his hand open, dropping the burnt remains of her shirt to the floor.
"What.the hell.was that?" she asked quietly, looking up at him, confused. He pulled himself up to his knees, unsure. Reaching behind him, he lifted up his shirt and threw it over her shoulders. She slid her arms thru it, but avoided the touch of his hands. He reached out, to touch her cheek, but she jerked back, eyes still confused.
"Lily.why won't you let me touch you?" he asked.
"You burned me.but.how.?" she asked. They looked down at his hands, and she cautiously reached out, taking them. "You didn't do that on purpose.did you?"
"Of course not," he whispered, pulling her close to him. She slid her hands onto his shoulders, and sighed.
"Well, you know it's David's fault. He didn't have to start fighting.Oh! Hi." Rogue said, smiling. Lily looked over from John's shoulder, and looked away. "Don't worry.I'm just grabbing my jacket." she said, picked up the coat from her bed, and hurried out with Jubilee. Lily pulled back, and looked at John for a moment, before dropping her feet to the floor and pulling open her dresser.
"What are you doin?" he asked, keeping his hand against her back. She glanced over.
"Putting on another shirt.perhaps one you won't burn." she replied, smiling a little. She tossed him the one he'd been wearing, and dropped hers over her head. Lily pulled him up, and walked out of the room, sliding her jacket on, and headed down the hall.
"Wait, wait." She stopped as the doors closed and a wind began to blow.
"What?"
"Where are you going?" he asked. She turned, and pointed to the trees.
"Haven't been in there since you left, so I thought we'd go on in." she said, and smiled. "Is that alright?" He smiled, and slid his arm around her shoulder as they headed into the trees.
She looked up, and placed her hand against one of the trees.
"Do you remember this one?" she asked, dropping another hand against his shoulder. He lifted his head, and looked up at it.
"Of course.this is the tree where we first met." She nodded, tightened her hands around one of the branches, and began to pull herself up, climbing towards the top. John followed. Lily arrived at a branch, high up, and slapped her foot against it. "That the branch?"
"Yep.the only one on this whole tree that's been frozen, dried out, frozen, dried out, and continued to stay attached, solid as a rock, for as long as anyone can remember. Come on." she said, climbing out on it.
"Be careful, Lily." She giggled, and steadied herself as she walked out on it, and looked down, over the small pool, and the wall of the school. He carefully followed her, and slid his hands around her waist.
"Things seem smaller up here.don't they?" she asked, leaning back against him, touching his hands.
"Yea, they do." He kissed her neck lightly, and pulled away, walking back.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm getting hungry, so I thought I'd head inside, grab some lunch." He caught his foot in a knot on the branch, and stumbled into the trunk. But in the process, he slammed his feet hard into the branch, shaking it. Lily cried out as she fell backwards, off the branch. John spun about. "Lily!" She felt the tear on her face as her breath caught in her throat and she slammed into the ground.
John walked on up the steps, hands dug into his pockets, as Lily laid unconscious in the lab. Jean was watching over her, waiting for her to wake up. The kids had taken a field trip, leaving him alone in the school with Lily, Jean, Scott, Rogue, and Bobby. He slumped past whatever students were left behind, and pushed open his door, walking into the room, and laid down on his bed, on his back, staring up at the ceiling.
Lily widened her eyes, and looked up at Jean.
"Good to see you awake, Lily."
"What happened? Did anything break?"
"On you? Nope. Just a slight bruising on your back, from hitting the ground.by accident."
"What?"
"Bobby had been playing with Rogue, and iced the ground up for her to slide on, and when he saw you falling, he tried to pull it back. Logan ran out to catch you, and as you landed in his arms, he slipped, and you hit the ice." Lily nodded, and pushed herself up.
"Can I go lay down?"
"Yep. John thought that would be best, too.he's laying down as well." Lily nodded, and dropped her feet to the floor, walking out of the lab and into the elevator.
She dug her hands into her pockets, and sighed, walking down the hall, and pushed open the door.
"John?" she asked. He looked over, and smiled. He'd stood up, and pulled out a suitcase. John was folding up his clothes, placing them inside.
"Hey.how are you feeling?" he asked, dropping a pair of pants into the suitcase.
"Uh.fine.just a little bruise on my back.John?"
"Hm?" he asked. She walked over, and sat down beside the suitcase.
"What are you doing?"
"Packing."
"Why? You goin' somewhere?" He paused, taking a deep breath.
"Yea.I'm.movin' to Nevada." She looked up at him.
"But you hate Nevada.Your parents live there." He shook his head.
"I know.but I only hate Carson City. Anywhere else is fine." She looked up at him.
"You're leaving me again."
"No.I want you to come with." She looked up.
"John, I can't leave here.This is my home," she said, standing. John scoffed.
"This is not a home, Lily.this is a school.it's a prison."
"If it's a prison, then why did you come back?" she asked him. Lily placed her hands on her hips.
"Because I came to get you." She shook her head.
"John, I'm not leaving my friends, my home.This may just be a school or a prison to you, but this is my home. I don't have a family. My mother left me here when I was eight, you think I'm going to have a normal home?" she asked. She lowered her hands from near her face, and looked at him.
"This has been my home for nearly eleven years. I'm not going to leave until I'm done learning."
"Lily, according to you, people never stop learning. You'll never leave this building."
"What does it matter to you, John? You've always hated being here, even when you were with me."
"Yes, Lily, but don't you remember? We used to talk about leaving one day, just picking up during the night and going somewhere, anywhere else."
"John! It was three years ago! Since then, I've been able to step back a little and take perspective. Not much but.There were a few people here who were distraught when you took off.not counting me. When I thought about it, if I left, that number would be at least doubled.I love it here, John. I love these people. I couldn't leave them, you know this. You know me. I can't leave something I love. I don't want to leave, but I don't want you to leave, either."
"Then what do you want, Lily?" he asked, dropping the last piece of clothing into his suitcase. She dug her hands into her pockets, and pulled out a fist, glancing down at a slight glint that came from her hand as she held it at an angle to the window.
"I want you to stay.at least a year."
"But I want you to leave with me.now."
"Then we can't compromise, can we? I'm sorry John. I love you.but.If you aren't willing to stick around at least one more year.then I'm going to say goodbye to you now." She tugged at her thumb, removing the thick silver band she wore there, that bore an "A" licked in flames, and jamming it into her fist. Lily stuck out her hand, and turned it over, as it hovered over the suitcase.
"Bye, John," she said, and opened her hand. As the objects within her fist fell against the clothes, she turned, and rushed from the room, her hands up against her face. John looked down, to see what she'd put in the suitcase. It was the ring he'd given her only three months after they'd started dating, and the silver lighter he'd given her only three weeks before he'd taken off, for her birthday.
"You gonna come in with me?" she asked. He shrugged, and glanced at her cheek.
"I don't know.what do you think?"
"I don't care," she said, and headed into her room. He followed her, and she dropped onto her bed, sighing. He sat beside her, and pressed his lips against her neck. She smiled. "John." she muttered, turning her head, stopping him. He looked up.
"What?" he asked, and his eyes moved to her nightstand, and paused. She turned her head, and saw the picture of the two of them she had. "I didn't know you had this." he said, picking it up.
"Wait.your dad wasn't there.was he?" he asked, looking at her. She giggled.
"No, silly. That was just one of the pictures I had of him, and I cut it out, and placed it here, because it just seemed like it belonged, you know?" she asked. He nodded.
"I had fun that day."
"I know.so did I." she said. Taking the picture back, she set it on her nightstand, and reached up, placing her hand against his cheek. "I missed you so much," she said softly. She leaned over, and kissed him, pulling him back with her on the bed. He ran his hands over her cheeks as he took her hands, and lifted his head up. She looked up at him, and took a deep breath. "I love you, Pyro."
"Love you too." he said softly, and kissed her again. They rolled over, and she sat on his waist, and pulled herself back up. Looking down, she ran her fingers over his chest, and unbuttoned his shirt, looking him in the eyes. He pulled himself up, and kissed her as she pushed his shirt off, to the pillow. His fingers gripped her shirt, yanking it over her head, and pressed his lips against hers again, running his hands over her back. He still held her shirt in his grasp, and her fingers fell to his waist. They fumbled against the belt of his jeans.and she suddenly cried out, pulling away and falling back. "What?" he asked. She looked down at her side, which had a hand mark burned against her skin. Lily lifted her eyes, and watched his hand open, dropping the burnt remains of her shirt to the floor.
"What.the hell.was that?" she asked quietly, looking up at him, confused. He pulled himself up to his knees, unsure. Reaching behind him, he lifted up his shirt and threw it over her shoulders. She slid her arms thru it, but avoided the touch of his hands. He reached out, to touch her cheek, but she jerked back, eyes still confused.
"Lily.why won't you let me touch you?" he asked.
"You burned me.but.how.?" she asked. They looked down at his hands, and she cautiously reached out, taking them. "You didn't do that on purpose.did you?"
"Of course not," he whispered, pulling her close to him. She slid her hands onto his shoulders, and sighed.
"Well, you know it's David's fault. He didn't have to start fighting.Oh! Hi." Rogue said, smiling. Lily looked over from John's shoulder, and looked away. "Don't worry.I'm just grabbing my jacket." she said, picked up the coat from her bed, and hurried out with Jubilee. Lily pulled back, and looked at John for a moment, before dropping her feet to the floor and pulling open her dresser.
"What are you doin?" he asked, keeping his hand against her back. She glanced over.
"Putting on another shirt.perhaps one you won't burn." she replied, smiling a little. She tossed him the one he'd been wearing, and dropped hers over her head. Lily pulled him up, and walked out of the room, sliding her jacket on, and headed down the hall.
"Wait, wait." She stopped as the doors closed and a wind began to blow.
"What?"
"Where are you going?" he asked. She turned, and pointed to the trees.
"Haven't been in there since you left, so I thought we'd go on in." she said, and smiled. "Is that alright?" He smiled, and slid his arm around her shoulder as they headed into the trees.
She looked up, and placed her hand against one of the trees.
"Do you remember this one?" she asked, dropping another hand against his shoulder. He lifted his head, and looked up at it.
"Of course.this is the tree where we first met." She nodded, tightened her hands around one of the branches, and began to pull herself up, climbing towards the top. John followed. Lily arrived at a branch, high up, and slapped her foot against it. "That the branch?"
"Yep.the only one on this whole tree that's been frozen, dried out, frozen, dried out, and continued to stay attached, solid as a rock, for as long as anyone can remember. Come on." she said, climbing out on it.
"Be careful, Lily." She giggled, and steadied herself as she walked out on it, and looked down, over the small pool, and the wall of the school. He carefully followed her, and slid his hands around her waist.
"Things seem smaller up here.don't they?" she asked, leaning back against him, touching his hands.
"Yea, they do." He kissed her neck lightly, and pulled away, walking back.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm getting hungry, so I thought I'd head inside, grab some lunch." He caught his foot in a knot on the branch, and stumbled into the trunk. But in the process, he slammed his feet hard into the branch, shaking it. Lily cried out as she fell backwards, off the branch. John spun about. "Lily!" She felt the tear on her face as her breath caught in her throat and she slammed into the ground.
John walked on up the steps, hands dug into his pockets, as Lily laid unconscious in the lab. Jean was watching over her, waiting for her to wake up. The kids had taken a field trip, leaving him alone in the school with Lily, Jean, Scott, Rogue, and Bobby. He slumped past whatever students were left behind, and pushed open his door, walking into the room, and laid down on his bed, on his back, staring up at the ceiling.
Lily widened her eyes, and looked up at Jean.
"Good to see you awake, Lily."
"What happened? Did anything break?"
"On you? Nope. Just a slight bruising on your back, from hitting the ground.by accident."
"What?"
"Bobby had been playing with Rogue, and iced the ground up for her to slide on, and when he saw you falling, he tried to pull it back. Logan ran out to catch you, and as you landed in his arms, he slipped, and you hit the ice." Lily nodded, and pushed herself up.
"Can I go lay down?"
"Yep. John thought that would be best, too.he's laying down as well." Lily nodded, and dropped her feet to the floor, walking out of the lab and into the elevator.
She dug her hands into her pockets, and sighed, walking down the hall, and pushed open the door.
"John?" she asked. He looked over, and smiled. He'd stood up, and pulled out a suitcase. John was folding up his clothes, placing them inside.
"Hey.how are you feeling?" he asked, dropping a pair of pants into the suitcase.
"Uh.fine.just a little bruise on my back.John?"
"Hm?" he asked. She walked over, and sat down beside the suitcase.
"What are you doing?"
"Packing."
"Why? You goin' somewhere?" He paused, taking a deep breath.
"Yea.I'm.movin' to Nevada." She looked up at him.
"But you hate Nevada.Your parents live there." He shook his head.
"I know.but I only hate Carson City. Anywhere else is fine." She looked up at him.
"You're leaving me again."
"No.I want you to come with." She looked up.
"John, I can't leave here.This is my home," she said, standing. John scoffed.
"This is not a home, Lily.this is a school.it's a prison."
"If it's a prison, then why did you come back?" she asked him. Lily placed her hands on her hips.
"Because I came to get you." She shook her head.
"John, I'm not leaving my friends, my home.This may just be a school or a prison to you, but this is my home. I don't have a family. My mother left me here when I was eight, you think I'm going to have a normal home?" she asked. She lowered her hands from near her face, and looked at him.
"This has been my home for nearly eleven years. I'm not going to leave until I'm done learning."
"Lily, according to you, people never stop learning. You'll never leave this building."
"What does it matter to you, John? You've always hated being here, even when you were with me."
"Yes, Lily, but don't you remember? We used to talk about leaving one day, just picking up during the night and going somewhere, anywhere else."
"John! It was three years ago! Since then, I've been able to step back a little and take perspective. Not much but.There were a few people here who were distraught when you took off.not counting me. When I thought about it, if I left, that number would be at least doubled.I love it here, John. I love these people. I couldn't leave them, you know this. You know me. I can't leave something I love. I don't want to leave, but I don't want you to leave, either."
"Then what do you want, Lily?" he asked, dropping the last piece of clothing into his suitcase. She dug her hands into her pockets, and pulled out a fist, glancing down at a slight glint that came from her hand as she held it at an angle to the window.
"I want you to stay.at least a year."
"But I want you to leave with me.now."
"Then we can't compromise, can we? I'm sorry John. I love you.but.If you aren't willing to stick around at least one more year.then I'm going to say goodbye to you now." She tugged at her thumb, removing the thick silver band she wore there, that bore an "A" licked in flames, and jamming it into her fist. Lily stuck out her hand, and turned it over, as it hovered over the suitcase.
"Bye, John," she said, and opened her hand. As the objects within her fist fell against the clothes, she turned, and rushed from the room, her hands up against her face. John looked down, to see what she'd put in the suitcase. It was the ring he'd given her only three months after they'd started dating, and the silver lighter he'd given her only three weeks before he'd taken off, for her birthday.