Burning Brightly

Author's Note:

Thanks to Tacet for the nice review.

Here we see how John handles being left in charge of the Brotherhood and his continued efforts to "get close" to Martha.

Warnings: Hate to spoil the surprise...but...Sex, Oral sex, and a little profanity.

Chapter Five: A Good Idea

After catching Psylocke spying, I didn’t take any chances. I woke up early and was waiting for Martha when she stepped out of her room. She hadn’t yet put on her shades and they were dangling from her fingers.

“Hey.” I straightened up from where I was leaning on the wall.

“You’re up early.” She started to put the glasses on but I took them away. “Come on, John. Let me have them. It’ll cause all sorts of trouble…” I grinned at her and held them behind my back.

“Now see. Here’s proof you can control it. Otherwise I’d be giving them back right now.” I know I was being a pest, but I was enjoying the way she was blushing.

“John…”

“No.” I took her elbow and we started to head towards the mess hall for breakfast. “And since Magneto’s gone, I’m in charge. So you have to do what I say.”

“What? He is?” A flash of silver as she glanced at me. She would have stopped but I kept her moving.

“Yeah. A class five mutant popped up on the radar. He’s going to try to bring her in.”

“Five? I thought there weren’t any mutants classed higher than a four.”

I shrugged.

“Something else though…I caught Psylocke snooping outside your room last night.”

“What?”

“Yeah. She was doing her chameleon trick. I scared her off, but I want you to be careful.”

“Did you say something to Callisto?”

“No, she’s gone with the boss. So it’s you and me until they get back.”

“Oh.” Another flicker of silver. “Um…About yesterday?”

“I haven’t changed my mind.” We were in the mess hall now and a couple of Omegas were openly staring at us. I leaned a little closer to her. “I can’t wait to kiss you again.”

She actually blushed. But, she was smiling. I moved my hand from her elbow and instead wrapped my arm around her waist. The rumor mill already had us hooked up, if Psylocke’s jab meant anything. So why should I give a fuck who saw?

“John…”

“Martha…” I mimicked her tone, knowing she was about to say something about people watching. “Just stare right back at them. This is nobody’s business but ours, right?”

“They’ll think I’m trying something.”

“Maybe you should. Show them not to fuck with you.”

“Aren’t you the one who told me I shouldn’t have messed with Psylocke in the first place?”

“This is different. Come on.” I grabbed both of our trays and sat us down right across from the Omegas. “Any time you catch one of them looking, just smile at them. Like something’s funny. It’ll drive them nuts.”

“What is this? High school? Junior high?”

“Close enough.” I started to dig into my food, giving the big guy at the next table a wink and a smirk. After a moment, she started to eat. Every once in a while she looked at the other table. When nothing happened, she started to relax.

“Who else went?” She was looking around as if she were trying to figure out who was missing.

“Arclight, Quill, and Juggernaut.”

“So I think that leaves Psylocke as top dog.” Her eyes lit on the girl at the other table.

“Top bitch more like it. But, that gives me an idea. Keep her and them Omegas busy, at least for today.” I got up and walked over to the other table.

“Good Morning.” I smiled down at Psylocke. “So I hear you’re keeping Callisto’s seat warm.”

“Yeah.” Her tone was just as suspicious as the look on her face.

“Well. I’ve got a job for you.” I smiled a little wider. “Since Magneto’s planning on bringing in that class five mutant, she’s going to need someplace to stay. Something better than a tent. Take care of it.”

“Today?” She didn’t look too happy about that.

“Yeah. Today. Move people around if you have to.”

“All right. Today.”

“Good. I’m sure Magneto will appreciate your efforts when he returns.” I gave her a little mock salute before returning to my breakfast. Martha shook her head at me.

“People are going to think power has gone to your head, you know.”

“Again. What do I care what they think as long as they do their jobs?”

“Is it really that simple for you? Or is that just a front?” The question took me by surprise and so did the direct look she gave me. For a brief second I felt that breath-stealing intensity, but it vanished almost as soon as I felt it.

“With them it is.” I touched her hand under the table. “Not so simple with you.”

“Where is all this coming from, John?” Like I said, she wasn’t stupid. “You hardly said a word to me for months. Then suddenly you’re my best friend?”

“Magneto said something that made me think. About you. That I’d been an ass for no reason.” I pulled her hand into my lap. “And I’m hoping to be more than just a friend.”

“What did he say?” Oops…Think fast.

“He asked me some questions about what you were like. I guess he assumed we would talk, being about the same age and stuff. I couldn’t really answer and it made me think. I’d known you all this time, but I didn’t really know you at all.” I watched her face, hoping she would buy it.

“And now you do?”

“I know you well enough to know I don’t want to be stuck in ‘best friend’ limbo.” I rubbed the palm of her hand with my thumb. “I was hoping you were feeling a little better today.”

“Yeah. I am.” She smiled at me. A real smile this time. It lit up her eyes and made me want to smile back.

“Great. Then after we eat, let’s take care of the shit we can’t weasel out of and find someplace private.” I gave her hand a squeeze. Then she pulled it back, smile fading a little.

“I don’t know…” Idiot. I was pushing too fast again. That’s why I never got a second date with the same girl.

“I just want to talk. Hang out.” I glanced at the other table again. “Away from them. Just you and me.”

“After lunch maybe?”

“I’ll have a couple of trays sent to my room. That way we can eat in peace.” Why didn’t I think of that before? Brilliant.

“All right.”

“Great.”

This was great. If Callisto was going to be playing power games, then I was going to need Martha on my side. Shouldn’t be all that hard to do, she was definitely interested, just shy. If I played my cards right, I’d be sliding into home plate sometime this afternoon. No chaperones, no nosy friends, no Bobby fucking Drake with “perfect” blue eyes to screw it up.

The only person who could screw this up was me. And I was going to do my best to avoid that.

Can you say “delegate?” Well that’s what I did. I even roped that Madrox guy into helping. Handy power that, being in a dozen places at once. I was done in plenty of time to meet with Martha.

I even had time to shove the dirty laundry under the bed and check the contents of my nightstand. I know I’m not known for planning ahead, but I do try once in a while. The lunch trays even showed up on time.

She must have been anxious too. I was just about to leave to drag her out of her office when she knocked on my door. I’d never given her back her shades, so she was wearing her hood of her sweatshirt pulled up. I pulled her inside with a smile and pushed the door shut behind her.

My room was bigger than hers, just large enough to squeeze a small table and a couple of chairs into one corner. The trays were already there and waiting. She pulled her hood off and sat down.

“Hope you like it, today’s choices were tuna fish salad or cheeseburgers.” That was true. It was also true that I hate the smell of tuna.

“Cheeseburgers are definitely the better choice. I’m still not convinced they aren’t using cat food in the tuna salad. And the mayo…Don’t even ask me what I think is in there.”

“Ugh!” I made a face at her and she giggled. “Yeah. Especially since there’s a couple of Omegas doing kitchen duty today.”

“Mmm…Are you sure this is safe to eat?” She picked up her cheeseburger and peeked under the bun, then gave me a smirk.

“Gotta be safer than the meatloaf last week.” I took a big bite of mine and pretended to be “poisoned.” She laughed.

We talked as we ate. This was a good idea. She was actually laughing and joking with me and didn’t seem to miss her shades any. Her best feature really was her eyes. Not just the color, but the way her lashes framed them. I was seriously considering “losing” those glasses altogether.

When we were done I stacked the trays on the table and tossed the trash in the wastebasket. Now she was watching me quietly. She looked a little nervous. I debated a little about what to do next, the only other place to sit was on the bed and maybe that was pushing too fast again.

“You all done for the day?” I stood close to her chair so she had to look up at me.

“Yeah. I don’t need to write up any reports until Magneto gets back.” I watched her lick her lips. Made me think dirty thoughts, though I don’t think she even realized she was doing it.

“Cool.” I put my hands on her shoulders and leaned in close to kiss her. Her lips were warm and soft and her hair smelled like flowers. She moaned a little and opened her mouth and I felt her tongue against mine. She rested her hands on my chest, not pushing away, just there, touching me. I moved one hand to the back of her neck and deepened the kiss, moving my body a little closer.

I moved my other hand to the zipper on her jacket, pulling it down slowly. I could feel my pulse speeding up and I was a little nervous. Was she going to tell me to stop?

No. She wasn’t. I felt her hands moving now, sliding across my chest. They moved lower and tugged at the hem of my shirt. Her fingers slid underneath, a little cool against my skin. They rested just under my ribs, her fingertips moving slightly as if she wasn’t sure whether to push farther.

I pulled back from her lips and rested my forehead against hers. I pushed her jacket open. She was wearing a tank top underneath. From this angle I could see quite a bit and I reached one hand to trail a finger along its top edge. She shivered and I watched her nipples harden.

“John…” Her voice was breathless and her eyes were closed.

“God. I want you.” I continued to trace the curve of her breasts with one finger. I could feel her hands moving uncertainly under my shirt. Then she pulled them away and I knew I was pushing too fast again. Shit.

“I’m sorry. Too fast.” I stepped back, letting her go.

“It’s O.K.” She licked her lips again. She touched the hem of her jacket and I thought she was going to zip it back up. Instead she shrugged it off and stood to drape it over the chair.

“We don’t have to do anything.” I sat on the bed and pulled off my shoes, stalling and trying to convince myself that I meant it. Those kisses had really got me hot and there was no way I could hide the bulge in my jeans.

“I said I was O.K., John.” I looked up to find her standing close to me. She kicked aside my shoes and moved to stand right between my legs. She was so close I could feel the heat from her body. She took my face in her hands and bent down to kiss me.

She sucked at my lips and my tongue, kissing me deeper and harder than before. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close. I heard myself groaning. Then I started to pull off her shirt, wanting to feel the skin underneath. When I caressed her back and her ribs, she moaned.

Then we were pulling at each other’s clothes, breaking our kisses just long enough to tug them away. In a few moments, we were both naked to the waist. For a moment we stopped, just looking at each other. Her skin was smooth and pale and her tits looked just the right size to fit in my hands. Her nipples were small and hard and I couldn’t resist pulling her to me so that I could suck at them.

“Yes…” She hissed. I licked and sucked at her tits. I kneaded the softness in my hands and she groaned, her hands moving across my back and shoulders. Then she dug her fingers into my hair and pulled me away gently for another kiss.

Her lips trailed from my mouth down my neck. I continued to let my hands roam across her skin moving lower to cup her ass through her jeans. God. She felt so good. I was about to try to pull her jeans down when she surprised me by lowering herself to kneel in front of me.

“What are you doing?” Her mouth was hot and wet as it trailed down my chest and now her fingers were working at the fly of my jeans.

“I want to taste you.” She looked up at me as she unzipped my jeans. Her eyes were almost glowing and I felt that intensity again. I don’t think I could have said no if I wanted to…And I sure as hell didn’t want to.

I watched her slip her fingers inside the fly of my jeans. Wow. I’d never expected this out of mousy little Martha. I shifted a little to help her pull my jeans and boxers down. She licked her lips again as she looked at my cock just inches from her face.

“You…You don’t have to…” I was stunned. The few times I’d talked one of the girls at Xavier’s to go down on me, they’d acted as if they were doing me a big favor. They didn’t just up and offer it to me.

“I want to…Just don’t expect it all the time.” Then she leaned closer and gave the head a little lick. The lick was followed by long swirling caresses of her tongue. God, it felt good. I looked down at her and she actually looked like she was enjoying it. Every once in a while she looked up at me, flashing me a little smile.

I reached out to touch her hair, pushing it back over her shoulders and touching her cheeks. I let out a little groan as I felt her fingers stroking my balls. Her other hand reached up to grab the shaft of my dick. Then she opened her mouth and sucked it inside. The combination of her hands and mouth had me almost panting.

“Oh yes…That’s it. God…Feels so good.” I continued to play with her hair, resisting the urge to grab her head and move it myself. I couldn’t help bucking my hips a little when she began moving her hand and her mouth together. Shit! It felt better than good, but I couldn’t think of a better word than that.

After a moment, she paused and let my dick fall from her mouth with a wet “pop.” For a second I thought she was done, but she was just taking a breather. She continued to pump with her hand while she took long slow licks along the underside of my dick.

“You like?” She glanced up at me with a wicked looking gleam in those silver eyes.

“Christ! If I liked it much more I’d have a fucking aneurism.” I started to say something else, but then she started sucking again. Her mouth and hands worked together, harder and faster. I could feel my balls tightening and the pressure rising.

“Please don’t stop, baby. Please. I’m gonna cum.”

I buried my fingers in her hair and closed my eyes. I couldn’t hold back anymore and I came hard, my dick spurting and jerking in her mouth. Instead of pulling away, she sucked even harder and I grunted at the jolts of pleasure it sent through me. She continued to suck and pump for a few seconds after my dick finished jerking. Just when I was about to pull her away because it was too much, she stopped.

I opened my eyes and looked at her. She was watching my face. It suddenly dawned on me that she had swallowed it all rather than rushing off to spit it out or finishing me off with her hand like those other girls had. Much better. So much better.

“Come here.” I pulled her up. I kissed her lips and her neck. I nuzzled at her hair smelling the flowery scent of her shampoo. I kissed her shoulders and caressed her back. Then I reached down to unzip her jeans and slide them down.

She kicked out her shoes and stepped out of her jeans. I lay down on the bed and pulled her down beside me. I wanted to touch her all over, feeling her soft skin and the curves of her breasts and hips. She returned my kisses and caressed my chest and belly, pinching my nipples and ruffling the little line of hair below my navel.

I pushed her against the pillow and leaned over her, sucking at her nipples again. She was moaning and gasping, running her fingers through my hair.

I slipped one hand down her belly to the little patch of hair between her legs. She was almost dripping with wetness and when I brushed her clit she gasped. I began to rub slowly across it, dipping my fingers lower to catch some moisture and then back again.

“Mmm…John…God…” I kept stroking her as I moved my lips back to her mouth again. I kissed her hard, pressing my tongue into her mouth while I slipped a finger into her pussy. She groaned into my mouth and her hips moved against me.

I kept working at her, taking my time. The little noises she was making were so fucking hot. I was already getting hard again. I leaned closer to her, pressing my dick against her thigh and she squirmed against me. I slipped a second finger inside her and she began to shiver. I leaned down to suck and bite gently at her nipples. She stiffened and groaned. I felt her muscles clenching around my fingers and she got even wetter when she came.

I pulled my hand away and kissed her mouth again. I kept kissing her as I reached over her for the drawer in the nightstand. She kissed me back hard and I felt her hands moving over my body, teasing and stroking my dick.

I fumbled around in the drawer before my fingers found the condom. I pulled it out and rolled away from her a little. She didn’t say anything, just watched me.

I tore open the condom and rolled it over my dick. I tossed the wrapper on the nightstand, then kissed her again. I eased myself over her, parting her thighs. I looked down at her and she smiled at me.

I wanted to say something, but all the things running through my head sounded stupid. So instead I reached down to guide my dick to her entrance. She spread her legs farther and shifted beneath me. Then I was sliding in. She was so tight and warm and slick. She pulled me down to kiss her and I started pumping slowly.

She moved against me, raising her legs to wrap around my hips and running her fingernails across my back. When our lips parted, she threw her head back with a moan. I slowly sped up the pace, the sounds of her grunts and moans driving me crazy.

I wanted to make it last, make her come again. I thrust harder and she groaned.

“Yes…Harder…Please…” I pumped even harder, hearing the bed bang against the wall. I couldn’t remember if there was anything on the other side. Didn’t really care because she was moaning loudly and I could feel her clenching around me.

“Come for me, baby. Come for me.” She stiffened and shuddered and called out my name. “That’s it. Yeah. God you feel so good.”

God she did feel good. If it had ever felt better than this, I couldn’t fucking remember. I couldn’t hold out much longer and started moving faster. I could feel the tension building and heard myself grunting.

“Oh God…John…Yes…Give it to me…” Her hands moved downwards, squeezing my ass, pulling me in deeper. She was grunting too and I pumped as hard as I could. Just a few more thrusts and I was coming, dick jerking and twitching deep inside her. She continued to hold me tight with her arms and legs until it stopped twitching. Then she loosened up and let me pull out.

I rolled away and slipped the condom off, tossing it in the wastebasket. She lay on the bed watching me with those silver eyes. She looked so sexy like that, with her hair all mussed and her face flushed that I couldn’t remember why I’d thought she was so mousy.

She certainly wasn’t mousy in bed. I’d really like to do that again.

Don’t screw this up, John.

I didn’t say anything, I just lay back down beside her. I kissed her again and then pulled her against my chest. I stroked her hair while I thought of something to say.

“That was…That was really great, John.” She snuggled a little closer to me.

“You were great.” I kissed the top of her head. This snuggling after sex thing wasn’t so bad. Never really got to do it before. Like I said, the girls at Xavier’s were always afraid of getting busted, so everything was rush, rush, rush. Hurry up before you get caught.

This was much better. We talked off and on about nothing much for a while. She kept touching me and kissing me and eventually I found out another benefit to all this snuggling. When I was ready to go again, so was she.

Yeah. This was a good idea. A really good idea.