Not the Pyro I Know

I woke up, the sun peeking through the curtains. I turned my head to look at the alarm clock, it reading 6:32. That means we'd both have to at work within two hours. That gave me enough time to shower and get something for breakfast. I looked down at charlie, pulling a strand of blonde hair from her face. She looked like a sleep angel, and might just of been if not for the random snoring. I chuckled, making my way off of the bed without waking her. I was surprised that last night went the way it did. I was hellbent on forcing her fiance's's house number out of her and tracking the ass down. But luckily, I had to do no such thing. Turns out she had felt the same way I did, making me very happy.
I went into her bathroom, stripping down and hopping into her shower. I took a quick shower, about 10 minutes long. When I got out I realized that I had forgotten my clothes. Shit. What if Charlie was up and getting ready? So, I did what any man would do. I wrapped the towel around my waist and went out the door, hand covering my eyes.
" Um, what are you doing? " I looked over at the bed, seeing a newly awakened Charlie rubbing her eyes.
" Nothing. I forgot my clothes. " I flashed her a smile, loving as she smiled back at me. I picked my bag up off the floor, throwing it over my shoulder and making my way back into the bathroom. I threw on a clean outfit and started to style my hair. Charlie knocked on the door, opening it a poking her head inside.
" No! You always slick it back. Why don't you just leave it like that today? " She took the bottle of gel from my hands, holding it behind her back. Well, there was no denying her anymore.
" Yes mam. " I leaned down, placing a quick kiss on her lips. She shooed me out of the room, needing to use the bathroom for herself. Good thing I brush my teeth before fixing my hair. She was in there for about 20 minutes, leaving us the perfect amount of time to get to work on time. I walked over to the window, winking at her as I jumped down. After all the training I've had to do, it doesn't seem that difficult. I stood out past her house, not wanting to take the chance that her parents could see me. Within minutes she came walking down the sidewalk, smiling brightly. God, she was beautiful. I clasped her hand in mine, enjoying the quietness as we walked.
We released each others hands before turning to face the building, neither of us wanted any of these people to know. Especially her father, who would fire me if he knew. She walked in a minute or two before me, still leaving me time to meet her in lift. We stood there in silence, others occupying the lift as well. I looked over at her, watching her fix her clothes and hair. Boy, did she care about what her coworkers think? I think that may be her only downfall, insecurity.
We went our own separate ways, she to her office and me to mine. I spent the morning working on a new project, one about a sudden mutant outbreak. There had been a bank robbery not to far from here where the guards had lost their memories and the vault door had disappeared completely. Apparently they found it on the other side of town, in a ditch. What kind of mutant possessed the powers to do this? Surely, Mystique would want to know. I spent the rest of my day, filing work for Mr. Higgins, hoping to get on his good side. It must of worked because he had come to speak to me personally...in my office. Either that, or he knew I was dating his daughter.
" Mr. Allerdyce, I know you've been working here for a month, but I have already heard excellent things about you. You're writing is fantastic and the fact that you care about my other employees is a good quality. How would you like to be bumped up to my Main Journalist? You would be working directly with me to make sure the magazine is in tip top shape. Also, after this month I was thinking that the cover should be rethought and redesigned. Could I trust you with that task? " He looked at me, a hard look in his eyes. This had to be the most exciting day of my life. I stood up and shook his hand, excepting the position.
" Great. Now remember,you're schedule will change a little bit. Also, your pay will be raised from 9.50 an hour to 18:50 an hour. I hope you won't let me down boy. But at the moment you'd need to speak to my daughter about all the changes, make sure they're manageable." He left my office, leaving me alone to stare off into space. I can't believe it...I finally had my dream job. I made my way to Charlie's office, going as fast as my legs would carry me. I closed the door behind me, leaning against it. She looked up from her work, offering me a small smile.
" What do you want Pyro? " She asked, using her nickname for me. I made my way beside her, bending down to look her in the eye.
" I got a promotion. "
" You..what? " She asked.
" Yeah, your father positioned me to Main Journalist, since he thinks I've been doing such a great job. " Her face changed from a look of sadness to struggling happiness within seconds.
" I'm very happy for you.." She looked away, obviously lying.
" Charlie...what's the matter? " I asked, getting up and rubbing her shoulders.
" Nothing...it's just, I thought that one day my dad would allow me the opportunity to show him how well I could write by making me on of his journalist...but I guess not. " She wiped a tear away, shaking her head and getting back to her work. I was now starting to feel bad, knowing good and well that was her goal. But no, being the arrogant ass I am, I decide to come and add fire to the flame.
" I'm sorry. But don't think you're not good enough. You're wonderful. It's my stupid fault for bringing it up. I just wanted to share this moment with you. " I grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her chair and bringing her close.
How about I take you to lunch, make up for it? Hmm? " I brought my face down to hers, cupping her face with both my hands. Her kiss was first soft but turned hard and loving. She pulled back, giving me a big smile.
" No. How about I treat you to lunch? Huh, Mr. Big shot? " She winked, walking over to her door and grabbing her coat. I followed her out of the room and to the lift. On the way down we talked about which restaurants we'd like to eat at.
I decided on a sub shop around the corner. I ordered a meatball sub while she ordered turkey and cheese. We talked for a while about politics and sports, two things I didn't have time to pay attention to. But, apparently Charlie would always keep up on the scores and the chances her father's favorite teams had of going to Nationals. She said she'd been doing it for her father ever since she was little, since he never had time to do it himself.
" Yeah, I guess me and my dad used to be really close, and then one day I wake up and...it's all over. But I guess that's what comes with being an adult. " She finished her drink, excusing herself and going to the restroom.

" Well, well, well. What do we have here? " Fred was seated across the small joint, a huge smile on his face. How...how did I not notice him in here? He's huge!
" Hey Fred. " I waved, looking back to make sure Charlie was still in the bathroom.
" So, I heard you got a little girlyfriend now. " He waggled his eyebrows. Dominikos. I rolled my eyes, walking over to him.
" Look, this is a secret just between us. Ok? " I asked, not wanting Charlie to get pulled into any Mutant problems. I didn't want anything to happen to her.
" No Problem, Buddy. " He patted me on the back, causing me to move slightly forward. I leaned over the table, in some pain from his ' friendly ' gesture. I grinned. So, he wanted to play that game? I took out my Zippo ( lighter ), pulling the thumb wheel and watching the sparks come. I flicked a flame onto his hair, watching him jump up and pat his hair down roughly. I was laughing so hard I didn't realize that Charlie had come up behind me.
" Uh, John. What are you doing? " She asked, looking from me to the Blob standing next to me. I needed a lie..and a good one too.
" Umm, Charlie! This is my friend Frank! We're neighbors! Frank, this is my girlfriend Charlie. " I looked at Frankie, watching as his eyes lit up. Great.
" Oh, yes. We're neighbors all right. What road do we live on again, since I just moved in yesterday? " He just loved making me look like a fool. Uh..damn.
" Johnson Avenue, off of Pine. " I said through gritted teeth, wishing I could punch him right in the face.
" Oh, that's right...now what's my..? "
" Look at the time. We have to be going. Goodbye. " I panicked, pushing Charlie out of the place.
" Well, it's a good thing you pay before you get your food. " Charlie looked at me, a worried expression on her face. Oh no, she was onto me. I closed my eyes, waiting for the slap.
" Look, I completely understand. Some neighbors are just hard to deal with. Believe me. " She smiled, taking hold of my hand and pulling me close. I hated that I had to lie to her, but it was the only way to keep her safe.