Chapter Text
Walking around a lame museum for hours has only been slightly amusing because Bobby and Marie can occasionally be fun to joke around with, but usually Marie is annoying as hell and Bobby just acts so lame around her. If it were just Bobby and him, he’s sure he could get Bobby to do more daring stuff but with Marie around he doesn’t break his ‘good boy’ exterior much.
So the most daring act they’ve really done the whole field trip is slip away from the group, to find themselves waiting in line for a stupid long time in a crowded bustling food court before sitting down at a table to chill out for a while.
The only thing John really liked from his tray of food was the salty fries, so after he finishes his own he reaches over and steals some of Bobby’s- who doesn’t even notice too engaged in soft smiles and low laughs with Marie.
He rolls his eyes and something causes him to flick his gaze off to the side noticing two guys eyeballing him. They are just standing off to the side of the food court. One shifting restlessly, smirking, gesturing. John doesn’t have to hear him to know he’s shit talking.
The other- the eyes John must have felt on him, locks on to his own immediately with a look in his gaze that causes John to lean back languidly, shoving the last fry in his mouth and licking the salt from his fingertips, while continuing their little stare down.
It’s just a couple of yabbos recognizing him as someone capable of being either friend or foe.
There’s a familiar tingle forming under his skin, some sort of inescapable urge that hits John in the back of his throat.
The guy has a pretty boyish face and nice hair, But it’s the intent in his stare and his posture that has John interested. He looks bored in the way where he’s looking for some fun and maybe a little trouble. And any previous day when he was still living on the street John would have probably strutted on over to see if this guy could even keep up with him.
But he’s a human, they are always surrounded by humans, and now that Johns found himself surrounded by other freaks like him. Humans aren’t worth it- they’re boring. He pulls out his lighter without much thought, the cold metal against his fingertips makes his nerves calm almost, he flicks the lid up and down with his thumb considering the last time he got laid vs how humans hate them.
John keeps eye contact for a few more teasing seconds before flicking his gaze across the table.
Bobby and Marie are still in their own little world. Talking happily to each other, their chairs close together, sharing space.
About the only thing they can share. John huffs out in bitter amusement. Which incites Bobby to turn at the noise smiling all big and inclusive at John.
John hates that his attention perks him up slightly. Eases away a bit of the growing tension inside him.
Suddenly he’s back in the moment, he lays his lighter down next to his plate, leaning forward propping his elbows on the table and keeping locked on Bobby’s ice blue eyes.
“What did you think about the professor calling you out John?”
Bobby’s eyes are twinkling playfully- John tilts his head in response squinting in defense-
“Oh yeah? When was this?”
He knows Bobby’s going to say some stupid shit about one of the boring exhibits they walked past while the professors droned on about evolution and mutations in that obnoxiously discrete way where they pretend it doesn’t exactly apply to them.
“On visible mutations, you have the mc1r gene”
John leans back blinking. “What are you on about?” He huffs out.
Bobby laughs, and for a moment John can’t help but smile back he licks his lips biting them in an attempt to keep his face under control- but then Bobby’s smile turns specifically to Marie-
“I told you he wasn’t paying attention.”
Marie’s eyes are all bright and humored, she lets out a small little laugh-
John’s amusement drops immediately, he rolls his eyes, throwing his hand out to cover his lighter, rubbing his thumb against the cool steel.
Marie grins “yeah John, did you know you stand out”
Something about the way she says it in her little southern twang irks John.
“Says the girl going grey in her teens.” John smirks meanly.
Marie’s grin drops, her hand self consciously lifting to her white bangs.
Bobby ever the mediator leans forward “Well with your red hair and Marie’s bangs you both have visible mutations. I guess I’m the odd one out.”
John snorts and Marie sits up straighter crossing her arms “I mean, most people think I dyed my hair this way, that it’s a style.”
It’s been this talk all the time now around the school with the mutant registration act being a very real possibility to happen in the next year or two. The three of them can joke pretty easily about it since they can hide out in the open, out in a crowded museum surrounded by unknowing humans.
He lifts his lighter towards himself flicking it open, closed, open- repetitive, comforting.
He glances at the movement out of the corner of his eye.
Here they come. Those two guys. They stand casual next to the table. The curly haired one, eyes completely on John.
“Can we help you?” Bobby says with just enough prissy edge to reveal his discomfort, displeasure. Though he’s grinning all polite invitation.
John rolls his eyes and leans back in his chair turning fully to the guys. Humans.
The attractive curly haired one. Looms a little, eyes speaking Johns language, and asks.
“Can I get a light?”
He wiggles a ciggy between his fingers.
And Johns attention diverts as Bobby frowns slightly, an almost contemplative look forming on his brow and it sends a harsh cold shiver through John.
An anxiety ignites and Johns body reacts in an instant manic motion of handing out his lighter, flicking it, a spark.
The guys eyes seem to spark too. He leans in, eyes locked on Johns.
And John pulls away the lighter grinning huge, the bubbling of laughter in his gut.
Or maybe more like a scream.
The guys eyes go hard, confused, out of his element.
And John smirks harder.
“Oh my bad mate, here yah go.”
The guy hesitates to lean in. John waggles his lighter like here boy come here.
Before yanking it away again.
“Why are you being such an asshole?”
There’s a look of betrayal, confusion, and yet- still heat. He’ll still take the light, if John really wanted to give it to him.
John should, could gesture to the glass door where it’s nice and breezy, sunshine outside.
He could say “let’s smoke” and ditch the two lovebirds, walk away where he’s sure this guy would follow, turn down a dark corner.
Have a smoke.
“My brother asked you a question.” Says the other one trying to look tough, but they are too well dressed to be as tough as they’re trying to act.
The guys brother apparently. Seems loyal though- idiotically so, protective. Knows- if John stood up to join them- would probably take a hint and fuck off leaving the two of them alone.
It makes John feel irrationally hostile.
So Instead he stupidly turns to Bobby with a grin, like look at these stupid humans.
Bobby’s trying to hold a strict neutral face but he can’t hide his slight amusement from John. His interest. What will he do next.
It fuels John more than it should.
The guy steals his attention back by snaking his lighter quick and smooth.
John startles, feeling the disconnect like a limb getting severed- immediately powerless- he jumps lashing out for his lighter.
The other one blocks him as his brother steps back igniting the lighter and inhaling a drag from his ciggy, looking a little mean, a little proud, showing off, that spark in his eye burning all the brighter at John.
For John. Playing John’s kind of game.
Johns admittedly, slightly turned on. The rough pad of the guys thumb fingers against the metal of John’s lighter- John watches it, practically feels it like a mixture of a caress and a violation. His edge of anxiety ebbs away with the sudden primary thought.
Stupid fucking human. Doesn’t even know what he’s doing, who he’s playing with.
If he knew John was a mutant, how would he look at John then?
John smiles seductively, teasingly, thinking ‘alright, my turn”, and winks.
The ciggy erupts into a small flame that slithers up his arm in a consolation caress-
Before it’s suddenly frosted over as he’s knocked on his ass by Bobby’s ice blast.
John turns with a grin half trying to cover this manic bubbling in his gut- this tingling in his skin.
Bobby’s not looking at him with amusement anymore.
John feels the remnants of the icy chill in the air against his blistering skin.
And then everyone around them stops into an extremely eerie stand still.
John quickly looks away from Bobby’s annoying look towards the people frozen all around them. He looks down at the curly haired brother, eyes frozen wide and scared, all laid out on the floor tense like as soon as he can he’ll get up and run as far away from John as he can get.
“Bobby, what did you do?” Whispers Marie nervously.
“I didn’t do this.” He replies looking around in astonishment.
There is movement, it’s immediately noticeable through the gaps of the frozen people- the professor rolling up and locking eyes with John- seeing in an instant the memory of what just conspired.
John’s personal, secret point of view. And John clenches his teeth with another flair of nerves.
‘It’s not fucking fair, not your fucking business’.
And the professor ignores his defensive thoughts to chastise him.
“Next time you feel the urge to show off. Don’t.”
He knows he went against the rules.
Knows very well, he might have hurt that guy, more than likely.
Let him burn up, into a little pile of ash. Maybe. It’s not like he didn’t know he had a mutant fire extinguisher next to him, of course Bobby would put out the fire.
Knows it isn’t about anything John made it about.
It still burns bloody in his guts.
He’s so sick of not being allowed to be himself.