Finally Found (18+)

[Olivia Storm]

[size=9]((The following contains a scene of an adult nature. You have been warned. ;-) ))[/size]
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The storm had passed over fully some time before dawn, leaving the sky clear to paint itself in sun-drenched gold and red as the city woke up once again. The tenement was quiet, but one apartment, at least, held the sounds of someone up and about. Liv had slept surprisingly well given the circumstances of the night before, and woken up with a burning ambition to make coffee and breakfast for Johnny. He would obviously need it, she thought, after his exhausting day yesterday.

Carefully keeping her mind away from the curtailed conversation of the night before, she'd risen, not bothering to dress, and was now dancing around Johnny's kitchen singing along to the radio with her eyes closed, waiting for the coffee pot to do its thing.

Johnny had slept like the dead, exhausted from the day's events, so exhausted he'd practically passed out, hardly making a peep all night. It wasn't that Liv wasn't a distraction; it was just that he was so exhausted, he couldn't have kept his eyes open if he'd tried. Come morning, it wasn't the sunrise that had woken him, or the smell of coffee perking, but the sound of a woman's voice singing along to the radio, her voice crisp and clear and chipper.

Johnny rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he sat up in bed, stretching his arms over his head before climbing out of bed, realizing with a start that he was completely naked. How'd that happen? He tried to remember, his memory slow in returning as his brain slowly awoke. Oh my God, he thought, noticing the pile of discarded clothes on the floor, suddenly remembering that Liv had undressed him - all of him - before climbing into bed with him. He seemed to recall something else, too. Had she told him she loved him or had he dreamed that part?

There was only one way to find out and that was to ask the woman who was singing along with the radio in the kitchen, but not without his pants. He pulled a pair of boxers from his dresser and yanked them on over his legs, shoving a hand through his hair and yawning as he stepped out of the bedroom and shuffled toward the kitchen, not quite awake yet, and still a little worn out from his adventure the previous day.

The closer he got to the kitchen, the louder the sound of the coffee pot became as a strange counter-point to Liv's clear voice as she sang along to the radio still. She was utterly oblivious to his approach, eyes closed and hair flopping over her face, waving her hands in the air as she danced around, clearly in her own world. What was the phrase? Dance like no one's watching. Liv certainly was doing that this morning.

A smirk touched his lips as he arrived in the doorway to find her singing and dancing along with the radio in his kitchen while waiting for the coffee to perk. Instead of announcing his arrival, he took a lean in the doorway, arms crossed against his chest to quietly watch her boogie around the kitchen in just his shirt and a pair of her pink panties.

It was just as well she was oblivious for the time being. She'd not been this undressed with him before - at least, not when he was conscious. It was asking for one of those incandescent blushes to make an appearance. As the coffee perked, she stilled, nut-brown eyes opening to let her see what she was doing as her hands reached for cups, her back to the man watching her from the doorway.

Amused that she had yet to notice him, and thinking about all the things he could do if he had his sister's ability to turn invisible, he merely stood there watching her move about the kitchen, admiring the way she filled out his shirt, the hem just short enough that he got an occasional peek at her panties. He admired the way she moved, far more graceful than she gave herself credit for; the way her hair gently fell against her shoulders and back; the long, shapely legs that he couldn't help but imagine wrapped around his waist. Down, boy. You're gonna need a cold shower if you keep this up.

Coffee, black, as full on and undoctored as he was ... Liv remembered that detail very clearly, having learned it that last morning he'd been at her old apartment. Still with her back to him, she set Johnny's mug aside, her singing quieter now as she focused on her task, bending to fish a tray out of the cupboard in front of her.

Oh, a tray. He smirked. Was she planning on bringing him breakfast in bed? In that case, he should probably get back in bed. He pushed off his lean, backing into the hallway as quietly as he could, peeking his head around the corner to see what she was up to.

His kitchen hadn't been as unstocked as he'd told her, and a quick trip the afternoon before while he'd been out had added to it. With coffee on the tray, Liv opened up the fridge and pulled out a couple of bowls filled with natural yogurt and fresh fruit - strawberries, cubes of peach and mango, thin slices of apple. The bowls went onto the tray with the coffee cups, and Liv turned to rummage around for spoons, still blissfully unaware of her audience.

Worried she'd catch him and ruin her surprise, he backed away from the doorway and turned to creep back into the bedroom and climb into bed, keeping the boxers on, and hoping she'd think he was still sleeping. He pulled the blankets up over himself and settled himself on his side, closing his eyes and pretending to still be asleep, perking an ear to listen for her approach.

Tray in hand, she flicked the radio off, finally turning toward the door to make her way toward the bedroom. She came to a halt in the doorway, taking full advantage of the opportunity to watch him as he slept (or so she thought), still not quite able to believe that the superhero in the bed was hers.

Pulling herself together with a sharp intake of breath, she moved into the room, putting the tray down on the bedside table before crawling up onto the bed beside him. Her knuckles stroked tenderly down his cheek. "Johnny? Rise and shine, sweetheart."

Sweetheart, he thought. She called me sweetheart. He tried not to smile at the thought of that. Feigning sleep, he rolled onto his back and slowly opened his eyes, smiling up at her as she thought she awoke him. He feigned a small yawn and a soft sigh of breath, reaching up to brush her hair back from her face. "Morning, beautiful. What time is it?"

Beautiful. If her smile had been soft before, it was positively glowing at that unthinking compliment, and for once, he had a perfect view of the loving warmth in her eyes. There were no glasses to get in the way this morning; those were still in the living room. Liv had put her contacts in. "About half past eight, I think," she told him, leaning down to gently touch a kiss to his cheek. "I made you breakfast, I hope you don't mind."

He smiled at the show of affection, as well as her thoughtfulness. He couldn't remember when someone had made him breakfast in bed before, if ever, and his memory turned back to that fateful morning when they'd talked over coffee and toast in her kitchen while Lucy slept. "We have to stop meeting like this," he said, his smiling softening, blue eyes warm with affection.

"Oh, I hope not," was her unthinking, uncalculated reply, the tip of her nose stroking his affectionately before she moved to sit back, patting his chest gently. "Sit up, your coffee will get cold if you don't." Despite knowing who he was and what he could do, Liv hadn't quite put two and two together when it came to Johnny in his own domestic environment.

[Olivia Storm]

He had to chuckle a little at her warning. He might still have to perk it, but his coffee never got cold. He wasn't sure if she just hadn't realized it yet or if she had just forgotten, but he found it amusing. The blankets slid off him as he sat up, though he tugged at them to make them he stayed covered to the waist, otherwise she'd wonder how his boxers had found their way onto him if he'd been asleep all this time. "You made me breakfast?" he asked, stating the obvious.

Settling beside him, she crossed her legs comfortably, pulling the tray over to lay it on the bed with them. "Well, it's not exactly gourmet, but it should help you get some of your energy back," she said quietly, offering him his cup of coffee as she leaned against him. "You were so tired last night."

He was still smiling, enjoying her companionship and the quiet start to his morning."Yeah, I got caught in the storm and..." His smile faded and he frowned a little. "I didn't mean to worry you." He seemed to recall her being more than a little worried when he'd arrived home last night. He reached for the cup and took a sip, savoring the taste of it as it helped wake him up.

"You didn't worry me, not so much," she lied unconvincingly over the rim of her own cup, reaching for the bowls on the tray to offer one to him. "Scared me a little, with your big entrance. I don't think I've ever felt an entire building shake before." She giggled softly, taking her courage in both hands as her chilled fingers stroked against his cheek again. "I didn't know the man I loved was so heavy."

"Scared myself, to be honest." He frowned. Okay, shouldn't have said that. He reached for her hand to warm it, though it wasn't really necessary. Just stroking his cheek and sitting close should warm her up in a jiffy. "You really mean that?" he asked, blue eyes searching brown, needing to know how she really felt about him now that he was lucid enough to understand and remember.

Her frown echoed his as he mentioned scaring himself, not wanting to hear that from her always calm and capable Johnny. Her fingers curled around his as he caught her hand, her gaze holding his with sincere warmth as he searched her expression. "Yes," she said, her tone fervent, needing him to believe her. "I've been in love with you for ages, Johnny."

He still had the coffee mug in his hand or he probably would have taken her in his arms and had his way with her right then and there. But she'd gone to a lot of trouble to make him breakfast and he didn't want it to be a wasted effort. Besides, he was famished. Instead, his expression softened again, turning serious. "I think I'm falling in love with you, Liv." He'd already said it once, on a whim as he was rushing out the window, but now that he had the chance, he wanted to do it right.

She wouldn't have minded him having his way right then and there, her smiling lips caught between her teeth as he answered her in kind. It wasn't the unthinking, reckless declaration he had thrown over his shoulder the day before, but it meant more to hear him say it this way. "Then you really do need to eat your breakfast," she answered him in a gently teasing tone. "I'd hate to wear you out all over again before you're completely recovered."

He chuckled at her response. She was going to wear him out? He thought it was more likely to be the other way around. "Yes, dear," he replied, eyes twinkling with amusement as he took up a bowl of yogurt and a spoon. "Where'd you get this?" he asked, glancing at what was in his bowl. He didn't remember having any yogurt in the fridge. "Did you go shopping?"

"Dear?" Liv burst into quiet giggles as she took up her own bowl and spoon, setting her coffee down beside his. "That makes me sound about forty!" Grinning, she dipped her spoon for a moment, looking up at him as he questioned the contents of his bowl. Her tongue slipped out to lick the spoon clean before she answered. "I, um ... I got bored," she admitted ruefully. "And you were right, there really wasn't much here."

He smirked playfully as he scooped up a bit of yogurt onto his spoon. "So healthy, too. I usually just grab something out on the way to work." Work, meaning his show at the Metroplex. "You should come watch me sometime. It would be nice to have a fan in the audience."

She blinked, her brows rising as she looked at him in quiet amusement. "You usually sleep that late?" A mouthful later, and she pushed back until she was nestled close against his side atop the covers. "I'd like to see the show, but I refuse to believe I'd be the only fan of yours in the audience."

Of course, he probably had plenty of fans in the audience, but no one he really knew very well. He shrugged his shoulders. "Depends on how late I was up." He was sort of juggling two jobs - the stunt show and his patrols around the city, the latter being the one that took more of his time and effort. He smiled at her remark, knowing he had a few fans. He'd been asked to sign a few autographs, but as yet, he wasn't really much of a celebrity. "Okay, but it would be nice to have my biggest fan there once in a while."

"I think I can manage that," she smiled to him, quite content to rest against him as she ate, revelling in the heat that radiated from his skin. It was such a comfortable feeling, to be sat on his bed with him and not expecting to be kissed or held or ... anything else ... she could finally see why her friends at school had always gone out of their way to be coupled up. "I'm free until Lucy gives me the all-clear to go back to work, too."

He swallowed a few spoonfuls of yogurt, frowning a little at the mention of Lucy. They hadn't really talked since the night they'd both held a vigil over Liv in the hospital, the night their apartment building had burned down and he'd come close to losing her.

Had it been Lucy in her place, he'd have done the same thing, but somehow he doubted she'd be sitting here next to him a few days later.  Their relationship had flared and burned out quickly. He hoped the same thing wouldn't happen with Liv. And then there was the thought of her going back to work and the worry that they'd never find time to see each other. He was starting to wonder if they both didn't taken their jobs a little too seriously, but they had to pay the bills somehow.

"You're okay though, right?" he asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," Liv insisted, rolling her eyes. "Lucy's told the studio I'm not going back until my doctor gives me the all-clear, but I think she's using it as an excuse to make me take a holiday." Her smile was wry as she tipped her head back to look up at him, licking a drip of yogurt from the corner of her lips. "I have one follow-up appointment, Johnny, it's just routine. I really am fine."

[Olivia Storm]

He was still frowning at her, knowing all too well what she'd just been through. She wasn't the first person he'd dragged from a burning blaze and probably wouldn't be the last. He'd thought about putting his talents to use by volunteering for the fire brigade, but he already had enough on his plate.

"What kind of holiday?" he asked, curious. There was no way he could get away right now, and he wasn't sure when that would change. It was so different here from back home, where he could go for days doing absolutely nothing. It was part of the reason he'd come here - to try and find a purpose in life besides being Ben's sidekick.

"Nothing big or special, just time off work," Liv chuckled, concentrating for a long moment on scooping the last of her yogurt from the bowl, sucking it off her finger before she went on. "I haven't really had time off - well, not real time off - since about ... I don't know, maybe this time last year? Perhaps a little shorter?" She shrugged, laying the bowl in her lap as she looked up at him once again.

He reached over to brush a teensy drop of yogurt from her lips that her tongue had missed, listening. "How'd you end up working for a movie studio?" he asked, curiously. There was a lot they didn't know about each other, but it would come in time. He finished off his yogurt, set the bowl back on the tray, and picked up the mug to take another sip of coffee.

The touch of his finger to her lips brought the familiar flush creeping over her skin, forcing her to make a real effort not to act on the sudden urge to make that a kiss or twenty. "I, um ... you really shouldn't do that if you want me to keep talking," she laughed, shaking her head as she leaned forward to put her own bowl beside his on the tray, taking up her coffee cup once again. "I took a media studies degree and then totally failed to get a decent job. When 21twelve started up, I'd thought I might as well take a job as an assistant with them and move here. About a month later, Ms Rivka asked me to be her P.A."

He smiled, amused by the blush caused by such a simple gesture. "Media studies? What's that about?" he asked, encouraging her to open up further. He sipped his coffee as he listened to a little of the Liv Broderick story. There was still a lot he didn't know about her or about Rhy'Din. "21twelve. The movie studio. Rivka. That name sounds familiar."

"Oh, it's all about how the different areas of the media are created and used for different purposes," she explained with another shrug, drumming her fingertips against the sides of her cup as she spoke, drawing her knees up to rest the piece on one of them. "Film, T.V, newspapers, advertisements, that sort of thing."

She glanced up briefly as he mentioned her boss' name. "She was an actress for a while, then she went into directing. She's won two Oscars for directing, one of them for 21twelve's first film earlier this year."

"Well, if it doesn't have any car chases, people getting shot at, or gratuitous sex, I probably haven't seen it." He smirked, teasing. He actually didn't have much time to get to the movies, much less relax, at least, now that he was on Rhy'Din. "I can't even remember the last time I saw a movie." He finished off his coffee and set the mug down, taking a lean against the headboard.

"There were a couple of sex scenes in it," Liv mused, her cheeks lighting up with a flush once again, this time at the memory of Jonathan Granger and Aimee Savage rolling around with one another on the film set with Lelah shouting instructions from behind the camera. "I think. I didn't really pay much attention at the premiere, I was trying to keep everything running smoothly." Those soft brown eyes lifted to his once again as she put her own empty mug down. "We'll have to get you to a movie soon, then. Or rent one and watch it here."

"You think?" He chuckled, maybe misunderstanding her. "You aren't sure if there were sex scenes in it? Maybe we should rent it and find out together. What's it about?" He reached for a piece of fruit, offering it to her first. It felt strangely nice to be sitting there in bed with her just talking. He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually had a real conversation with a woman that didn't involve heavy breathing.

"Oh, no, I know there's at least one sex scene in it," she nodded hurriedly, giggling in embarrassment for a moment. Leaning forward, she took a small bite of the fruit he offered her as her hand fell to stroke against his thigh through the covers. "It's a love story, essentially, but with a vampire searching for a cure to her vampirism and there are cops and all sorts in it. I wouldn't want to spoil the story for you." She grinned, enjoying their conversation as much as he was, savouring the experience for herself.

"Vampires?" he echoed, scowling a little. "Horror movies aren't exactly my cup of tea." He was more into guy movies, action flicks. Though he was guilty of watching a sappy romance now and then, he'd never admit it. He snagged a slice of apple and crunched a bite of it off, chewing and gesturing with the slice as he talked. "So, what exactly do you do as a P.A.? Is that kind of like being a go-fer?"

"A what?" Laughing, Liv twisted to look up at him, amused by a term she hadn't heard before. "What do you mean, a gopher?" Her hand rose as she spoke, the pad of her thumb wiping an escaping trickle of fruit juice from his lower lip tenderly. "You didn't really just liken me to a rodent, did you?"

He smirked as she wiped the juice from his lips, his tongue following to do the same and catching her finger, chuckling when she misunderstood him. "No... A go-fer is a person who... How can I explain this? They go fer this and go fer that. Get it?" He popped the rest of the apple in his mouth to finish it off.

"No, that's what I was doing before Ms Rivka promoted me," she chuckled, unconsciously drawing her thumb back to her own lips as she smiled at him tenderly. "I organise her, basically. She has so many meetings, and so many responsibilities, she needs the help to get it all organised and all of it done. So I take on delegating for her, and I keep her working diary running smoothly, I pass on messages to and from. I do a lot, but it's not as though she takes advantage of it."

He couldn't help but tease her further. "Maybe I should hire you. I could use a personal assistant." He really wasn't sure what he'd do with one, but it would allow them to spend more time with each other, if only he could afford to pay her. That thought led to the realization that you don't pay someone you're sleeping with unless you hired them to sleep with you.

He frowned a little and sighed as he glanced around the spartan, barely decorated apartment. She deserved better, but at the moment, he couldn't afford anything else. "You wouldn't know that back home I have a sportscar and a penthouse apartment." Not that those things made him happy, but he sometimes felt like he was slumming on Rhy'Din.

[Olivia Storm]

What was he trying to tell her? That he could give her a better life back home? That back there, she wouldn't have to worry about being someone's personal slave for a living?

She giggled, the consideration that he'd just offered to pay her for sex not even crossing her mind. "Be careful, I might take you up on that," she warned him sweetly. "You might get a little sick of me, though, seeing me all day every day and night." His confession of wealth made her frown a little, very aware that while she could pay rent and provide food for them both, she wasn't exactly swimming in riches. "Forgive me for asking, but ... if you have all that on Earth, why did you come here?"

His frown deepened, thoughtful, not sad, contemplating a serious response to her question. It seemed she'd turned the tables on him and was asking him the questions now. He shrugged his bare shoulders, as if the question was unimportant. Money didn't buy happiness. He'd learned that lesson well. "I was needed, I guess." It was as simple as that, at least, at the time. Things had gotten a little more complicated since then. "Money isn't everything, Liv. I just..." He sighed, feeling conflicted.

Her frown wiped itself clear of her face as his deepened, not wanting him to be torn or hurting over the difference between them. "It doesn't matter, Johnny," she said gently, twisting about to kneel close beside him. "Don't upset yourself, please. I shouldn't have asked." Her hands rose to stroke his cheeks, drawing him close to touch her lips to his. "I know money isn't everything. I've got you, haven't I? I don't remember paying for you." Her lips curved in a shy smile, hoping her gentle tease wouldn't distress him further.

He leaned into her touch, her lips soothing him a little, but still feeling as though he could give her so much more, and yet, he was happy here with her, and he realized he didn't need his fancy car or his fancy apartment to make him happy. "Will you help me fix it up? The apartment, I mean. Make it a home?"

Relieved and genuinely quite pleased to have been asked, Liv's smile rose like the sun once again. "I'd like that," she agreed in her gentle voice. "But only if you promise to follow through on what we didn't manage to do yesterday before I hit fifty." Amusement flickered in her eyes as she touched the tip of her nose to his, warm and teasing, ever more comfortable in his company.

"Fifty?" he asked, unsure what she meant. His eyes grazed over her form. "I wouldn't put you at a day over twenty-four." There was that Johnny Storm smart-ass smirk again, as he twisted her meaning.

"Well, you're right there, for at least a week," she giggled back at him, leaning close to kiss him once again before crawling back. "So how are you going to entertain me before you have to go to work, sweetheart?"
   
"A week?" Both brows arched. "Is it almost your birthday?" he asked, curiously. If it was, then she was closer to his own age than he thought, and then she was changing the subject again, grinning from ear to ear. "Get rid of the tray and we'll talk about the first thing that pops up."

She held his gaze teasingly for a long moment, the flush on her skin less embarrassment than sweet-natured interest in what he was proposing to 'pop' up. "You're right, I should do the washing up while I remember," she agreed from behind a sweet smile. "And you probably want to get dressed." Not that she wanted him dressed - quite the opposite, in fact. But Liv didn't want Johnny to think she was only after him for his body. Brown eyes sparkling, she slithered off the bed, tugging the hem of his shirt down over her pink panties, and lifting the tray.

His smile faded as he watched her slip away from him, off the bed, to pick up the tray. "Liv..." he called, hoping to keep her there a moment longer. "I'm taking the day off. The park will live without me for one day." He was still exhausted from his little adventure and wanted to spend the day with her for once, without any interruptions. He didn't move from the bed, waiting to see how she might react to that bit of news. He'd been juggling two jobs every day for weeks. He thought he deserved a day off.

The announcement made her turn, sudden concern blooming over her face as she set the tray down on the floor by the door. "Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?" Deep worry for him brought her crawling back onto the bed, reaching to check him over for any sign of injury that she somehow missed the night before. "You didn't seem hurt last night, are you in pain?"

Touched by her concern and her quick return to the bed, he smiled warmly and reached for her hands, waiting for her to look at him and then meeting her gaze. "I'm fine, Liv. I'm just tired and feel like playing hookey, for once."

His smile wavered, and he wondered if she had any idea what it was like to be on call 24/7, to never have any time that you could truly call your own. While he liked keeping busy, it didn't leave much room for a personal life, and that had always been the downfall of his previous romantic relationships.

Her eyes lit up, pleased that he was well and surprised by how warmly she responded to the idea of having him all to herself all day - though admittedly, that was dependent upon his being called away again. Her thumb stroked against his cheek fondly. "Do you want me to call in sick for you?"

He chuckled at her suggestion. "Thanks, but I can handle it. I learned how to fake it in high school." He feigned a cough or two, trying to sound pathetically ill, though in all honesty, he never got sick anymore, not since his genes had been altered. Injured, that was another matter, but not sick. He turned his face into her touch, reaching over to brush her hair back from her face and then leaning in to press a light kiss against her lips, brief but tender.

She giggled at his demonstration, her lips curved in a fond grin as he kissed her. "Man of many skills," was murmured playfully against his lips as she shifted closer, answering his kiss with one of her own, smoothing her fingers from his cheek to comb through his hair as she breathed him in all over again.

Faking being sick wasn't much of a skill, as far as he was concerned, but he chuckled at her remark. "And you haven't even seen them all yet," he waggled his brows at her, teasing and insinuating what one of those skills might be. His fingers combed through her hair and across her cheek.

"Well, you'd better get to it then, hadn't you?" she murmured fondly, nuzzling with tender affection to him with mouth and nose as her fingers pulled gently through his hair. Her other hand skimmed down until it pressed over his heart, revelling in the searing heat that was Johnny's skin. "Sooner you call in, the sooner you can show off properly." Her lips brushed his once again before she made a move to retreat, quite proud of herself for not demanding that he get on with discarding her virtue before he did anything else.

[Olivia Storm]

He sighed as he watched her retreat once again, very much lost in the spell that was Olivia Broderick. He found his heart was beating a little bit faster and his body ached for her, but he didn't want to push her or force himself on her or take things too quickly. He'd always been one to plunge headfirst into things without thinking them though, and he didn't want to do that with Liv. She was too important to him for that. He thought about pulling her back onto the bed and kissing her again. He had a feeling she was having trouble resisting, but in the end, he let her go.

Rising to her feet with her cheeks flushed prettily just for him, Liv bent to pick up the tray once again. Yes, she was having trouble resisting, and no, she wouldn't have objected to being pulled back onto the bed, but she could respect his apparent desire not to take advantage of her. She could, however, do a little teasing of her own. Pausing by the door, she looked back at him.

"By the way? You're still a man of mystery," she assured him, those soft brown eyes flickering down to his crotch, covered over by the sheets. "I didn't look." Flashing him a cheeky smile, she slipped out of sight, her giggle echoing back as she headed for the kitchen.

His jaw dropped a little at her cheeky remark, and then he chuckled a little to himself in amusement. "I bet you didn't," he muttered sarcastically, not really believing her. He knew if he was in her place, he wouldn't have been able to resist peeking.

Once she was gone, he threw the covers off, slipping back out of bed, debating whether to join her in the kitchen and help her or distract her from dishes or go get dressed. He went to the window and peeked outside, not a cloud in the sky. It was as if the storm had never happened. He frowned a little as thought about his latest adventure, thanking his lucky stars he'd made it home safely.

His thoughts turned then back to Liv. They had the whole day to themselves with nothing to do. He stepped away from the window and grabbed his phone from the nightstand to call in sick.

It took a little while to wash and dry their breakfast things, since Liv still wasn't entirely sure where everything was in the kitchen. And even when she was done, she gave into the gentle rush of shy nerves to stay in the room, wiping down surfaces that were already sparkling.

She couldn't keep her mind off Johnny; not just the warm body that made her thrill deep inside every time he touched her, but his smile, his concern over her, every little gesture toward affection that he made without a thought. Her head tilted, listening for the sound of him on the phone, hoping he wouldn't take offense at how long she was taking in the kitchen.

"Yes, I'm sick," he was heard saying, coughing twice for good measure. "No, I haven't seen a doctor." There was a short pause. "I have a temperature!" he exclaimed. Well, of course he had a temperature. He always had a temperature. "I'm going to..." Cough. "...have some chicken soup..." Cough. "...and go back to bed." Another pause. "That is not a fake cough!" Pause. "Wait... what? I can't..." He tried to mimic the sound of telephone static. "...cutting out. See... tomorrow." He hit the End button to disconnect.

"Faking it. You try flying in a rainstorm and see how you feel!" he railed at the disconnected telephone.

Okay, she couldn't really ignore that. Trying very hard not to smile at what had obviously been a failed attempt at calling in sick, she moved to lean in the doorway, curling her arms around her waist as she looked over at him. "That didn't sound like a very successful phonecall."

He sighed, jerking his head up as he realized she was standing in the doorway, feeling silly for yelling at the phone when there was no one on the other end to hear him. He shrugged. "They'll live without me for one day." He set the phone back down on the table and sat down on the bed, clad only in a pair of blue plaid boxers. "So, what would you like to do today?"

Her face lit up, the flush she'd tried so hard to suppress in the kitchen suddenly taking form on her skin once again as she met his eyes. What would I like? she mused in the silence of her mind. Can't you tell?

"Well ..." Dropping her arms from around herself, she moved to slide down onto the bed beside him, clasping her hands together between her knees. "I suppose that really depends on what you'd like to do today, sweetheart."

"Uh..." His eyes followed her, never wavering, having trouble focusing on her face and not wandering over the curves just barely hidden beneath his shirt. "I know what I want to do, but I'm not sure if you want to do what I want to do."

There was a pause as her fingers twisted together, shy and nervous despite the closeness she'd given them by slipping down to his side. A moment later, her lips brushed the hot, smooth curve of his shoulder, her breath just a little quicker as the increasingly familiar desire for more than just kisses made itself known. She just didn't know how to say it, twisting just enough to kiss his skin again as her hand rose to curl against his neck.

As much as she looked like Lucy, she was much different from her sister. Softer, gentler, but possessing an inner strength of spirit that she seemed unaware of. Beautiful, desirable, her kisses as sweet as honey. How could he resist? He turned to face her, hands cupping her face as his lips kissed hers, before his fingers combed through her hair and then down against her shoulders.

If she'd known he was still finding it hard not to compare her to her sister, Liv might have held back, knowing she had nothing on Lucy when it came to the intimacy she was so eager to experience with Johnny. Her hands trembled just a little against his hot skin as she dared to stroke her fingers over the sculpted definition of his chest, rising onto one knee on the edge of the bed as her lips parted to play with his, releasing the ghost of a soft moan into his mouth.

It wasn't so much that he was comparing them, as the fact that Liv was very slowly taking over whatever place he'd had in his heart for Lucy, if he ever had. He'd realized weeks ago that while it might have been Lucy he'd slept with, it was Liv who'd captured his heart. He found his heart pounding again when she touched him, such a simple touch, her moan against his lips stirring his desire.

He gently pulled away, searching her face as if he was uncertain. "Liv, are you sure?" he asked quietly, nervously, aching with need and longing.

He couldn't possibly how known how deeply moved she would be just by that simple gesture, that moment of stepping back to make certain. Her hands stilled against him even as she settled by his side once more, all but in his lap as her soft eyes caressed his with nervous longing of her own.

"Yes," she heard herself whisper, knowing that despite her nerves, her shyness, her uncertainty, it was true. "Yes, I'm sure."

The tip of her nose brushed to his, the heat of her breath against his lips offering a kiss to seal that promise but never quite delivering it. It was up to Johnny to make this decision for them; Liv, for all her wanting, couldn't.

[Olivia Storm]

They were both grown adults and that was all Johnny needed to know. He slid his hands down her arms as his lips accepted her kiss in a wordless promise to be gentle. His hands moved to the buttons of his shirt that she wore, unfastening them one by one, slowly unwrapping her, allowing his eyes to see what secrets she kept beneath that thin layer of cloth.

Her hands rose, her fingers curling lovingly to his jaw as he kissed her, just barely disguising the tremble of anticipation that rippled through her at the shift and tug of fabric against her skin, knowing even without looking that he was moments from seeing and touching the slender curves she'd never shown anyone else. The material slid down to bare her shoulders as the buttons came undone, her lips parting beneath Johnny's as she gasped softly, throwing herself completely into his hands with the trust he'd earned by saving her life.

Even now, he didn't want to rush things; he wanted to go slow, to take his time, to explore her and learn her and memorize her, every soft luscious curve at a time. No more comparing. Whatever he'd had with Lucy was nothing but a memory. It was Liv he wanted; it was Liv he was falling in love with.

"God, you're so beautiful," he murmured in awe of her beauty as he finished unbuttoning the shirt, hands brushing her shoulders as he gently peeled it away, allowing his eyes to admire the soft womanly curves beneath the cloth. He leaned in to brush his lips against the side of her neck as his hands pulled the shirt away from her and let it fall against the bed, forgotten. He let his hands roam over her bare back while his lips grazed her neck, trailing kisses down a bare shoulder.

Her nerves paralysed her for a long moment, stilling her breath as her heart hammered in her chest, her eyes fixed on his face as his gaze swept downward to the virginal ivory of her flesh. Even the soft murmur that fell from his lips wasn't enough to stir her. It was only when those lips, so hot against her, touched the column of her throat that suddenly she gasped, loosing a moan against his shoulder as her hands rose to his back, arms curling about him to draw herself close as she buried her face against his neck. "I love you," she whispered against his skin, decorating his throat with her own kisses as she trembled in his grasp.

He echoed her moan when she pulled him close, her kiss like fire against his flesh, even as his temperature rose and he felt like he was burning up. Desire coiled hot and deep in the pit of his stomach, rolling outward to set his body on fire. Her declaration of love whispered against his hot flesh driving him mad with desire. She'd said it again, that she loved him - three little words he'd been longing to hear - his heart flaming with equal adoration, even if the words didn't quite reach his lips. He eased her back against the bed, parting from her lips to trail kisses downward.

Liv was entirely his to enjoy, his to teach, his to bring to boiling point over and over again as she writhed under the easy expertise of his hands and mouth. Shyness still held her tightly to begin with, stifling her desires until the heat of his body over hers swept that sense of reservation away, urging her own hands to roam over the heady smoothness of his back and sides, her fingers in and out of his hair as she shuddered and moaned in the arms of the first and only man she'd ever needed like this.

There was something utterly irrestible about knowing the woman you were making love to had never been with anyone else before, that you were her first, and just maybe her one and only. He'd been with a few women before, some of them human, some metahuman, but they all paled in comparison to her. She was now, she was his, and she was ready. He let his lips roam over her body, peeling away the last vestige of cloth that covered her, revelling in the loveliness that was Liv. He paused a moment to let his eyes move over her, feeling as though he might explode with desire. "I want you," he whispered, as his hands moved along her thighs, parting them gently, his own body trembling with nervous desire.

The tender ripple of her spine spoke volumes of just how ready she was for anything Johnny wanted to do with her, describing the length of her undulating body with the sweep of a delicately pink flush that painted her skin wherever he touched or looked. She barely even thought to resist as he drew her legs apart, pushing up onto one elbow to meet his eyes, her hand drawing him close again to taste his lips with breathless desire. "I want you," she whispered back to him lovingly. "I don't know what to do, Johnny ... I don't want to disappoint you."

He hovered over her, lips swollen from kissing her, heat rolling off him, blue eyes speaking volumes as he looked down at her, wanting her as much as she wanted him. He hesitated, lips pursed, a worried expression on his face. "I don't want to hurt you," he told her softly. He hadn't removed the final bit of clothing that separated them yet, afraid of losing control and hurting her, when all he wanted was to please her.

"You won't." The words were breathed against his lips, kisses traded once again in sweet confidence that even though she knew it might well hurt this first time, he would never intentionally do her harm. "I just wish I knew how to make it good for you, too."

"Oh, God, Liv..." He sighed against her lips, eyes trailing downwards once again, feeling like he was about to burst with arousal. "I've been wanting you for so long." Ever since that first day in the park when she'd pretended to be Lucy but couldn't do it. He'd started to fall in love with her then; he just hadn't realized it until they'd been apart. "I love you, Olivia," he told her quietly, eyes warm with adoration and a need that transcended the physical.

She stared into his eyes, soft brown to piercing blue, almost moved to tears by the unexpected declaration of his love. For more than a month, she'd been in love with him, most of that time spent watching him with her sister, never once thinking she would ever hear him say those words to her. "Then I don't care if it hurts," Liv heard herself tell him, each word and fierce and fervent as anything she'd said or felt before. "Please, Johnny ... please don't make me wait any more."

Her fingers tightened about the strong definition of his upper arm, smoothing her thumb over the curve of his bicep as she lifted her head once again, nuzzling close without kissing him, revelling in the heat and intimacy of having him there in her arms.

Johnny frowned down at her, worried and scared. Strange how just one night earlier, he thought nothing of hunting for dragons while the thought of making love to this lovely woman scared the hell out of him. "I don't... I'm scared, Liv." He realized he was afraid of the same thing she was - not only of hurting her, but of disappointing her. "I want this to be special."

What the hell was the matter with him? He'd never felt this way before. Was this how you were supposed to feel when you were in love, when you cared about someone else's needs more than your own?"

His frown sent a cool shiver down her spine, fear that he might suddenly have changed his mind about her beginning to set in before he spoke. She arched up to him, curling her arm around his neck, pressing her lips to his with firm, hungry need.

"Johnny, I love you," she told him again, fervent and sincere and urging him to actually believe her this time. "Nothing could make this any more special." Easing back, Liv reached up to draw him over her, the pink flush on her face deepening as she dared smooth her hands down his sides, dipping her fingertips into the waist of his boxers.

[Olivia Storm]

Had he been all talk, all bravado? All the talk of stripping for her, of showing her what other talents he possessed. All the anticipation and anxiety and frustration that had led up to this moment. What if he disappointed her? What if he didn't live up to her expectations? He was, after all, just a man when it came to this. There was nothing special about him, other than his body temperature. He wasn't sure what was wrong with him. He wasn't shy, by any means, and she'd already stripped him and seen him naked once.

Encouraged by her sincerity, he reached for her hands, drawing back and away from her, moving to his feet. "I'll do it," he told her, feeling suddenly like an awkward teenager having sex for the first time. He stepped back feeling a sudden inexplicable wave of shyness overcome him as he pulled the boxers over his hips and down his legs.

Left in the chill of the air against her skin where his naturally unnatural heat had been settled against her, Liv pushed herself to sit up, curling herself up into a loose ball as her arms wrapped about her knees, gentle brown eyes on him as he stripped that last barrier from his body. She was shy of being naked still, but only too ready to stop hiding herself once he came back to her. "You're incredible," she whispered warmly, unpeeling one arm from her knee to offer her hand to him, wanting him close once again.

All his brashness seemed to melt away when she was near, and he was just Johnny, the kid from Glenville who had grown up an orphan like her, but under different circumstances. He was no longer the brash superhero, but just the man who loved her. Under any other circumstances, he would have grinned and revelled in her compliment, but instead, he was touched by the knowledge that her words came from the heart, not from some fan's desire to get close to someone famous, but from the woman who loved him. He reached for her hand, moving back to her, both of them stark naked as the day they were born, no barriers between them, no secrets.

"You're beautiful," he returned the compliment with one of his own, a whisper of breath against his lips.

Warm and more than ready, urged to confidence by the palpable uncertainty that radiated from him, Liv's curl straightened out easily as he came back to her, her arms rising to wrap slowly about his neck, her lips pressing to his once, twice, over and again as she nestled into his arms. A slow grin curved her lips at his compliment. "I don't believe you," she murmured back playfully, needing the seriousness lifted. Too much pressure had descended on them when their ease toward love-making had become solemn rather than playful.

He covered her with his body once again, a warm blanket of masculinity. Instead of looking amused by her remark, he looked startled, not realizing she was trying to lighten things up and wasn't just putting herself down. "What do you mean you don't believe me?" The remark knocked him off-kilter as he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. "Do you want me to prove it to you?"

"Oh, Johnny," she laughed softly, teasing the backs of her fingers against his cheek as she nuzzled close to him once again, her face lit up with the kind of warm smile that can only be shared between lovers. "I didn't mean that." Her kisses touched his lips once again, her body rising to meet the heat in his as her legs drew apart, welcoming him into the cradle of her thighs. "This isn't an exam," she murmured against his lips, releasing a shuddering gasp of pleasure as she realised just what was pressed to her now. "You can't fail this, you could never fail."

Oh, God. She was driving him mad. He felt her legs part beneath him, the heat of her own desire mingling with his, and he thought if he couldn't have her, if he didn't take her now, he would completely lose his mind. He felt her shudder against him and knew she wanted him, but he needed to prepare her.

"Do you trust me, Liv?" he asked, looking down into her eyes. To him, this was an important moment; a moment he didn't want her to forget or regret. "It's going to hurt, Liv, for just a few minutes, but then... I promise, it will get better."

Did she trust him? Did she trust a man who had saved her from a burning building? A man with whom she'd been in love for weeks now? Her back arched as her arms tightened about him, her eyes tender as she gazed back at him. "Of course I trust you." That warning was all he had time to give her before she rose to him again, impatient for more.

There was no more need for talk. If he had anything to say about it, he'd not only be her first, but her last. He'd had two weeks to think about it, and though he'd kept his distance, he'd been miserable, unable to imagine his life without her anymore. He followed her lead, succumbing finally to his own passionate desire to be one with her at last.

He was right; it did hurt, an odd aching sting that felt sharp and dull at once. But the sting was swept aside under the sense of incredible fulfilment as they revelled in this long-awaited joining.

To be one with her was all that mattered. The world and all its troubles faded away. No dragons, no madmen, no Avengers, no Ben or Sue or Reed, no Lucy. Just Johnny and Liv. They were all that existed, all that mattered.

Johnny tried to hold himself back, to remain in control, but his body had other ideas. He caught her lips, kissing her deeply, needfully, his mouth hungry for fervent kisses, lost in the rapture of their union, letting his body do what it would to quench the desire of longing they both had felt for so long.

[Olivia Storm]

She couldn't have imagined this, not in her wildest dreams. As Johnny rocked to her, that gentle encouragement drawing the sharp ache away as burning pleasure began to take its place, Liv was lost, caught in a reality that felt like so many dreams gone by. Gentle patience was seared away by the heat of him inside her, around her, his kisses answered with the same fierce need, fervently wild passion that should have been out of place in Liv. Yet here and now, she was all about Johnny and how he made her feel, how incredible this new experience truly was, and he reaped the benefit as her limbs wrapped snug around him, instinct guiding where innocence failed her.

There was a reason the radiation had caused Johnny to become what he was - the fiery passion that burned deep in his soul mingling with the cosmic rays to create the Human Torch. It was that same fiery passion he poured into every aspect of his life and which he now poured into his relationship with Liv. He never did anything half-way, always living life to the fullest. There was no holding back any longer, wild passionate kisses shared as their bodies crashed and tangled together in frenzied ectasy until he was all out of breath and all out of energy, collapsing against her as wave upon wave of rapturous pleasure ebbed and flowed over and through him, shuddering with its long-awaited release.

Warm breath shuddered against his skin as he collapsed into the full cradle of her arms, laced with groaning tenderness as her slender femininity utterly surrendered to the very male form that had drawn her high and kept her there until his name shone in the air. His release poured deep into her, urging eager cries from her throat as she shuddered and throbbed with him, gripping tightly to him.

"God ... oh god, Johnny ..." Her lips softened, touching lovingly to jaw, cheek, lips, the fiery wildness he'd unearthed still there but banked now in expectation of the next time they came together this way. "Incredible ..."

All out of breath, as if he'd just finished a marathon, he groaned against her, echoing spasms of pleasure still wracking his body, clinging tightly to her, acutely aware of her nearness, filling his senses. He tried to catch his breath, turning his head to catch her sweet lips once again with tender loving kisses, the passion they'd shared still there just beneath the surface, like a spark waiting to catch fire. "God, Liv..." he whispered, breathlessly. "You're amazing."

She laughed softly, unashamed to be breathless and vulnerable in his arms in the afterglow of what was the single most incredible experience she had ever had. One hand trailed from his back, rippling her fingertips over his side and up to his jaw, drawing him close in the slow ebb of that burning release to taste his lips once more, languidly passionate. "Love you," was whispered once again; fierce, fiery, fervently honest.

The kiss he returned was just as fervent, lit by the passion of love that was burning in his heart, deeper and stronger than he'd ever felt before, so unbelievably strong, he never wanted this moment to end. "I've... I've never felt like this before," he admitted quietly, lost in the warm blissful peace that followed their lovemaking.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked, concerned, as he rolled to his side, pulling her along with him, not yet ready to sever the connection between them, worried that he'd hurt her in his eagerness to quench his own passion.

It was an easy lie to reassure him, not so much an untruth as a gentle touch to keep the guilt he wanted to feel at bay. "No," she promised from behind her deeply satisfied smile. "No, you didn't hurt me." Her lips brushed his once more, fingers stroking tenderly over his heart as he drew her into his arms once again, only now noticing the gentle sheen of sweat that shone over her skin, the light ache that drenched her limbs as she nestled close. "I didn't realise how energetic this was."

He chuckled a little at her remark as he held her close, relieved that he hadn't hurt her, at least, not enough for her to admit it or complain about it. "I guess you could call it that."

Now that they'd made love, he was in his sweet place, feeling relaxed and content and though they'd only been awake a short while, sleepy and lazy as a cat curled up for a nap. Then again, he was still feeling a little tired from his trek across the mountains in the rain. He sighed contentedly, pulling her up close against him, and letting his eyelids fall shut. "We should just spend the day in bed," he muttered happily and sleepily.

"Mmmm ..." The tip of her nose stroked over his as she sighed, equally content, deeply satisfied by their antics together. A tender smile split her lips as she nuzzled to him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder easily. "I'm not complaining," she murmured softly, her own eyes fluttering with weary delight as she yawned, sinking into a beautifully warm doze, wrapped up safe and loved in his arms.

It didn't matter how long they laid there, so long as they laid there together, warm and content in each other's arms, satiated physically, bound together in love and devotion. At long last, he believed he had finally found the one he had always been looking for.

[size=9]((::le gasp!:: The Human Torch just made a woman of Liv! Here's hoping she doesn't become an addict. :grin: HUGE thanks to Johnny's player for this scene, as ever!))[/size]