Straight Up Typhoon – 12

Twelve. Damn I'm tired. Thanks for reviewing. I'm sorry I don't get to you all individually near often enough, but I have less and less time these days.

Stupid Reed. Johnny thought with a snort as he trudged down the sidewalk, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket and his head lowered between his shoulders. Stupid Reed and his stupid…ass! He kicked the cement a little and sighed, shaking his head. This was all Reed's fault. He was the one that started this stupid relationship in the first place. He was the one that cheated on his sister and made a move on Johnny—totally completely undeniably straight Johnny. Therefore, this whole media circus was Reed's fault too. So why was Johnny the one being screwed for it? .

He could already picture the headlines.

Human Torch: a Flaming Homosexual?

Mr. Fantastic: Flexible in More Ways than One?

Fantastic Four: Just One Big Orgy?

He growled and ground his teeth together as if convinced his problem was between his molars. Maybe Reed didn't have a problem being called gay when he wasn't, but Johnny sure as Hell did. If he had known that this little deal between him and Reed was going to be a public affair, he never would've signed up for it in the first place. So what now? Were people going to look at him funny? Point at him when he walked down the street, talk about him behind his back? Would he be able to go out alone at night without fear of being jumped by the Fab Five? This whole thing sucked. He needed a drink.

"Well if it isn't Johnny Storm."

Johnny quickly looked up, glancing around to try and locate the person addressing him. As his eyes drew up, they came across a petite brunette sizing him up from a few feet away, a large smile stretching across her pretty features. He blinked. "Hey, Vanessa." Oh God, he hoped that was Vanessa.

When she sauntered up to him without incident, he relaxed a bit in relief. "It's been a while." She offered.

"Yep, guess it has." He shrugged, forcing a grin. "What can I say? Super hero business really keeps ya busy."

Vanessa giggled slightly, flicking her curly shoulder-length locks once with a jingle of hanging earrings. "So I hear. I still can't believe it. One day I was thinking about you and the next you're on the front page of every magazine."

"Believe it, baby." He snickered in return, trying to keep light.

"You stud, you. My friends still don't believe me when I say I've slept with a super hero." She mused aloud. "Where've you been hiding these days, Johnny? You haven't been to the clubs in weeks. I mean what happened? You used to be out practically every night, burning up this town."

Johnny paused, thinking of an explanation. Somewhere in the background, sirens sounded. "Um, yeah. Well, the team and I've been real busy lately." He tried lamely.

"Oh yeah? Busy doing what? Or am I allowed to ask?" she teased.

"Sorry, top secret hero stuff. If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Johnny sought a way out quickly and moved to change the subject. "What've you been doing?"

Vanessa sighed and fluttered her lashes. "Same old same old. Workaholic by day, alcoholic by night. But things aren't the same without you there to liven 'em up."

"Oh." Johnny looked down. "Yeah."

"Why don't you come out with me and have a little fun tonight, huh?" she nudged him playfully. "We should catch up. I mean that's why you're out here, right? To grab a drink?"

Johnny hesitated for a long moment in uncertainty. "Er…I-I'm not really…up for it right now." He barely muttered.

"Not up for it?" Vanessa gaped slightly. "You're always up for it."

"Yeah, well, not so much tonight…"

"Okay, well, we don't have to go to the club." She shrugged, reaching out a slender hand about his wrist.

"Huh?" Johnny replied numbly, looking down as she regarded him with a pair of enticing green eyes. She was wearing red eye shadow. How he loved red eye shadow.

"Come on, we can just go back to my place and…decompress." She smiled, and he was instantly turned on by such an open offer. Who was he to refuse something like that? And why should he have to? It had been a long time since he'd been laid—much longer than he was used to, anyway.

"I-I…" he swallowed thickly. "…Look, 'Ness…I can't." he sighed.

With a small pout, she let go of him, crooking an eyebrow suspiciously. "What gives, Johnny?" she demanded.

"It's just…I'm um…" Oh God, how was he supposed to get himself out of this one? There was no logical reason he should turn a girl like her down. He wasn't even positive exactly why he was.

"You just what?" she waited impatiently. After a moment, she grew a sudden look on her face, as if she'd just figured something out. "…Those rumors on T.V. aren't true, are they?"

"What?" he nearly yelped, his heart leaping up into his throat.

"They're saying you're gay. I have to say, if you are, you did a damn good job fooling me."

"No!" Johnny grunted out, holding a hand to his head. "Look, that's a total lie. I'm not gay. I-It's just that I, I'm seeing someone!" Wait, that was perfect. Why didn't he think of that before? He was seeing someone, that's why he couldn't take her up on her offer.

Vanessa stopped, her expression turning to surprise. "…Johnny Storm settling down? …I don't believe that." She laughed.

"Hey, why can't I find someone?" he defended, holding up his hands. "We've been together for a while now. That's why I haven't been out. I've been with h-her."

"Well what's her name?" Vanessa suddenly gushed. "I mean seriously, I have to know all about the future Mrs. Storm here. And how she managed to sink her claws into a catch like you."

"Sally." Johnny thought up quickly. It wasn't a complete lie at least. He did love a Sally, even if she wasn't a woman.

"Sally who?"

"Uh…Kawasaki?" Johnny gulped.

"Sally Kawasaki? Is she Japanese or something?"

"Um, sure. Well, her parents are. She was born…here…I guess."

"Oh." Vanessa chuckled. "Wow. I had no idea. So I guess that rumor about you and Mr. Fantastic is just crap, huh?"

"Yep." He muttered. He knew damn well why that reply caused a mildly sick sensation in the pit of his stomach, but he pushed it aside. "They'll say anything for a story."

"That's stupid." She scoffed lightly. "You should sue them or something. Or just, you know, tell them all about Sally."

"Yeah. Guess I could." He nodded, rubbing the back of his head.

"Alright, well I guess I'd better get going." She replied, reaching up a hand and slightly swiping his cheek as she walked by him. "See you around, Torch."

"Yeah…see ya…" he bit his tongue and watch her walk away, groaning inwardly as he noted her painfully short skirt before turning back. Stupid Reed…Johnny continued on, just hoping that he didn't run into any more old friends.

He sighed yet again and stopped near a newspaper dispenser, eying down at the front headline in paranoia to assure that it wasn't about him. He knew it was ridiculous, but everything else had just been going so wonderfully that it may as well…be…

Unfortunately, his irrational fear was actually grounded. His jaw dropped.

Local Heroes Out of the Closet

Damnit! Johnny snarled and dug through his pockets for some coins, intent on destroying every last one of those lying articles. The bastards. The nosy, lying, stupid, ignorant bastards. He needed to punch someone. However, as he leaned forward over the dispenser, he caught an odd reflection in the glass. He momentarily forgot his rage and peered closer before turning around and gazing up over the top of the buildings next to him. It was rather far off, but it looked like…smoke?

"Check it out." Said a voice from a few feet away. Johnny turned to see a number of people on the sidewalk that he hadn't noticed, also with eyes up at the winding smoke.

"Yeah," said another man to the first. "There's this big fire up town. I heard they even called in the Fantastic Four."

"Huh." Huffed another.

Johnny's eyes widened. The sirens. He had heard sirens before. In a flash of fire and fragments of burnt clothing, he was airborne, leaving a line of confused and awed spectators in his wake.