Story Title: Learning to Trust- Pyro, Bobby
Author: Savvy
Characters/Ships: John, Bobby
Fandom: X-men
Summary: After coming upon Xavier's Academy, John tries to adjust to the life of a normal teenager.
Rating: R for language, sexual references in first few chapters. NC-17 for later chapters
Warning: Slash, angst
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. I only own the story itself.
Added: December 29, 2006
Finished: December 29, 2006

Chapter 7: Dates on a Ring

I didn't say anything to Bobby during the next few weeks and he, oddly enough, didn't say anything to me; about her anyway. I sat beside him in the dining hall and rested my hand on his thigh to get his attention.

"What's up with you?" I asked following his gaze that was even now focused on Rogue's back.

"What do you mean?" he asked squeezing my hand so that no one else would see.

"What's your fascination with dog face?" I laughed looking at the girl's profile. "She's not pretty, Iceman."

His eyes turned first then his head. "I'm not attracted to her," he said lazily; grabbing his fork and scrapping his plate with it.

"I didn't say you were?" I grinned; getting irritated that he was obviously lying to me. At the back of my head I kept hearing his words, 'trust me, I'm not like everyone else. I won't hurt you.' I wasn't sure anymore.

"Let's go," I said glancing one final time at the girl who was smiling and laughing at the next table.

"We haven't eaten anything," he said looking at me when I stood.

"I'm not hungry," I lied. "Let's go."

"I'll catch up with you," he said averting his eyes to his plate, though I could see his eyes dart from it to Rogue a few feet in front of him.

"Fine," I snapped. I grabbed my Zippo from the table and left the hall.

I should have known this shit would happen, but me being the dunce I was, fell right into the trap and here I was, jealous of some dumb southern whore, a whore Bobby couldn't take his eyes off of. I didn't go to my room and mope. Instead I went outside. It always seemed to be cold here; at least it hadn't snowed yet. I bent my head against the wind and walked to the garages. I pressed in the combination to open the door and slipped inside; clean car smell met my nostril immediately.

If anything got my attention off Bobby and Rogue, it would be cars. There was a Lamborghini, Mustang, Jaguar, Hummer, even a Cadillac. I bet I would look really good riding in that. I pulled open the door to the Cadillac and climbed inside. Red, white and black leather covered the entire interior. I fumbled with a few of the buttons for a while before leaning the seat back and closing my eyes.

I wonder what Bobby is doing now? If I knew him as well as I thought I did he would be charming his way into the girl's good graces; me, his boyfriend completely forgotten. It wasn't that I was angry with him, it was more irritation. Our relationship wasn't at all open. We didn't sleep with other people, but we did allow the other to flirt with other people. Flirting was fun and when it came down to it, neither of us could help ourselves. I just never thought that he would think about someone else before considering what I wanted. I had changed a lot since coming to this school. I thought of him before I thought of myself. I had never been like that before. In the past I thought of myself and myself only. There had been no time for bullshit on the streets. But, I didn't think like that any longer. If Bobby wasn't happy, I wasn't happy. If he did someone that pleased him, I was happy for him. Shit, I had fallen in love with the twit; going against all the fucking neon signs that told me I was entering into dangerous territory. I should have followed the fucking signs

So here I sat, alone in a new car scented Cadillac, while the man I loved fell in love with someone else. I was fucking jealous, but I wouldn't let myself tell him that. That was a sign of weakness, and that was a wall I had yet to break down, even for Bobby. Would I sit back and let him eventually break up with me? No, I wouldn't be able to sit back and let him do that. John would wait patiently for his heart to get hurt again. Pyro wouldn't. Pyro, a part of myself I had let sleep for almost two years now was awake again, ready and willing to break all intimate connections with those around him.

I would break it off with him before he could with me. That was the only way I could walk away without being hurt. Or so I thought.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

I sat silently in the student lounge and watched as everyone circled around Rogue, completely fascinated by her story. Honestly, what was interesting about not being about to touch people? Bobby, to my disgust, was one of them near her, his eyes bright with curiosity. He was always intrigued by a sob story. That's the only reason why he had taken interest in me in the first place, wasn't it. Shit, he had told me he liked a challenge. What better challenge was there than taking on a girl who could kill you if you touched her? She was a perfect specimen for the 'We Love Pitiful, Sad and Warm Fuzzy Stories' squad, leader Bobby fucking Drake!

Hell, why did I care. I was breaking up with him tonight and as soon as I could find a way, I would leave this place and anything associated with it.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

It was almost eleven when he came into the room, his mouth open in a gleeful grin. I sat up in the bed, a nice sized flame hovering over my fingertips. He said hi and I shrugged it off. He asked me about my day and I shrugged that off as well.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it onto his bed.

"Nothing, bored."

"You should have stayed in the lounge. Rogue's story was great. She told us how she found out she was a mutant, and how she met Logan in a bar in Canada…"

He was talking about her again. Fuck her, I thought looking into the flame. He began to speak again but stopped when he realized I wasn't listening.

"You don't like her do you?" he asked.

"When did you notice that?" I asked looking at him now. "When I called her a dog-faced bitch or a stupid whore."

"John?" he whined dropping down on the bed beside me. "She's not that bad once you get to know her. I'll introduce you to her tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes and pushed away his hand that rubbed my arm. "I think we should take some time apart. This just isn't working for me anymore." Even though I had thought about how to say these words for the last hour, they sounded strange coming from my mouth. Almost like a child lying about breaking a toy that his parents just bought. It was a lie, but it wasn't one you'd fret over long. You would simply get a new toy, a better toy. It was a relief really. I could feel the strings being broken already.

"Not working for you. John, what do you mean?" he asked. The light was gone from his eyes as he peered into my own. Yes, hurt like you've hurt me.

"It means that I don't want to be with you anymore" My throat felt dry and it was slowly becoming harder to breathe. "It's over," I said finally. "Get used to it." I shoved him hard away from me and stood from the bed. Eyes burning, body trembling, I left the room.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

One week, two weeks I sat back and watched him fall in love with her. It had taken a long time for him to give up on us. He would come pleading with me to give him another chance. I'm not even sure he was aware of the reason why I was breaking up with him, but I didn't care. I saw the way he looked at her, the way he laughed when he was near her. He may no have been aware of his feelings for her, but I could see it in his eyes. He liked her and for some reason he had chosen her over me, whether consciously or not. The faster he fell in love with her, the faster I fell out of love with him and it got to the point where I could be in their presence, see him give her a quick peck on the cheek and hold her hand, and I wouldn't feel anything. I had fallen back into myself and I hadn't been conscious to the change.

"You've changed," they would all say.

And I had. I was that boy I had been when I arrived. Distant, cold and angry at the world. I tortured myself by thinking about what could have been and what would now, never be.

I felt dead, emotionless and fragile, but I was okay with where I was now. No attachments, no trust, no Bobby.

So when I walked off that jet years later and went to join Magneto and my loving Mystique, who laughed when she saw me again, I felt no remorse. This was what I wanted.

(Moments Later.)

I looked over the miles of snow as the helicopter rose into the sky, pulling me from me past and thrusting head first into my future. I could just see the X-jet in the distance. Bobby was inside, with her…

"It was a surprise to see you again," Mystique laughed. I grinned and nodded in agreement.

"That's a nice ring," Mystique said looking over my shoulder. I looked back at her and tucked it out of view.

"Ah, gift from a girl?" she smirked patting me on the back.

"Something like that," I said, my voice expressionless and cold. She got the hint and walked away.

Taking the ring from my pocket I angled it in my fingers and looked at the dates in the inner edge.

There was one for the day we met, one for our first kiss, one for the first time we made love, and the last for the day he broke my heart.

The End