Archive of Our Own ^beta

Johnny deserved an award for worst uncle ever.

It would be just like him to travel to another dimension and fall for the first pair of pretty brown eyes he saw. But of course it just so happened to be while they were trying to save his nephew. It wouldn’t be the first time, and Sue and Ben still dig at him for his old crush on Shalla-Bal.

But this time was different.

Of course Johnny was worried, of course he was afraid for Franklin, and he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of finding him and bringing him home.

… But it was a really pretty set of brown eyes.

The codename ‘Falcon’ seemed fitting. Torres' features were sharp and pointed, with a strong jawline and wide brown eyes, but his soft tanned skin and bright smile perfectly contrasted that sharpness. His eyes flickered back and forth between whoever was talking, and he bounced back and forth on his feet like he was holding back all of his built-up energy. Johnny was a ‘love at first sight’ kind of guy, and he immediately knew he wanted to run his fingers through the man’s dark hair and to be the reason behind one of those smiles. Sure, they had come face to face with a handful of beautiful people when they arrived. Johnny had definitely taken more than a few glances at the short blonde woman with the eye makeup and the awkward brunette man slouching behind her. But neither of them caught his eye like the ‘Falcon’.

He’d caught Johnny staring during an initial argument between Sue and Captain America. Torres had briefly glanced over at Johnny, stiffening when brown eyes met blue ones. Johnny couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, teasingly. Torres had chuckled under his breath with a smirk and a quick glance away.

Johnny decided he would call that progress.

The protectors of this Earth had begrudgingly allowed them to stay in their ‘Watchtower base’, and Johnny knew that he’d be swamped with work helping Reed get a location on Franklin, but after a begrudgingly long flight, Johnny needed the night to rest. The guest floor of the tower was dark and quiet. Reed and Sue wouldn’t be sleeping tonight, so it was just him and Ben. So when Johnny walked into the communal guest bathroom that night, he wasn’t expecting to be face to face with Torres, brushing his teeth in nothing but a gray tank top and dark green athletic shorts.

Johnny smirked and leaned against the wall, nodding towards him. “Figured you lived on the floor above us. Aren’t you an ‘Avenger’?”

Torres snorted and took a swig of water before spitting the rest of the toothpaste down into the sink. “That’s sort of complicated right now.”

“Oh, so you’re not an Avenger then?”

“I am.” Torres quickly said, with a glare in his direction. Johnny could practically feel the uncertainty dripping off of his voice, like he still wasn’t sure if he was allowed to say that yet.

Johnny raised his hands in surrender, stepping into the tiled floor of the bathroom and reaching over to turn on one of the showers, medium temp. “Relax, I’m screwing with you.” He smiled and reached out his hand. “Johnny Storm.”

The shorter man chuckled and shook his head before taking Johnny’s hand. “There’s no way that’s a real name.”

“On my birth certificate and everything.”

The dark haired man couldn’t help but laugh, and Johnny considered it a personal win. It was his own little love language, being able to make someone laugh. Torres shook his hand, smiling up at him. “I’m Joaquin.”

Johnny felt the corner of his mouth turn up. “I don’t suppose an Avenger like you happens to be single and free tonight, Joaquin?”

Joaquin’s smile faded slightly, and he pulled his hand away, squinting up at the blonde. “I think you should be more focused on helping your family find your nephew, don’t you think?”

Johnny’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m plenty focused, Wings. Just looking for someone to spend tonight with.”

Joaquin rolled his eyes and gave Johnny a friendly couple pats on the shoulder. “I think you should just get some rest. I hear that interdimensional jet-lag is crazy.” He said with a smirk, moving to walk out of the bathroom.

Johnny leaned back against the counter, watching him walk away. “You didn’t say if you were single or not.”

Joaquin smiled back at him as he turned the corner. “Goodnight, Storm!” he called out behind him.

“Damn” Johnny muttered to himself, tearing off his sweaty t-shirt and stepping into the shower. The water was now on the colder side, and hissed as it met his body. Steam began to rise off of him, coating the air in a thick fog. Johnny bit his lip and slicked his wet hair back. Joaquin was right. His nephew was in danger, he needed to focus on that and not a stupid unattainable crush. Not again. This was even worse than last time. Joaquin was from a different Earth entirely, and after Franklin was back they’d be heading right back where they came from. Johnny could do long distance, but interdimensional seemed like too much of a strain.

***

The second time it happened, it just sort of slipped out.

During their search for Franklin, the Avengers had gotten word of a high tech weapons deal only a few miles north of the Watchtower. Johnny, being the gentleman that he was, had offered to go with them for assistance. But Johnny wasn’t used to having another person in the air. He had bumped into Joaquin’s massive metal wings at least three times. Still, there was an ease in the way he flew. It was completely different from how he did it. It was more technical, with practiced precision compared to Johnny’s natural ease in the air.

When the fight was over, Johnny flew down to the ground, letting his feet hover over the concrete before stepping down. The flames surrounding him extinguished, leaving a small trail of smoke behind him.

“You should really watch where you’re flying.” He turned to see Joaquin landing behind him, mechanical wings leaning low as he stumbled on the dismount a bit. Joaquin reached up to pull his goggles off of his eyes. “If I wasn’t wearing those you might’ve singed my eyebrows off.”

Johnny smirked and stepped closer, fingers grazing the cold metal of the wings. “I’m surprised you can even lift off the ground with these heavy things. I mean, that jetpack barely pushes you up to, what, 200 miles an hour?”

Joaquin’s eyebrows furrowed. “You’re not faster than me.”

Johnny hopped up to let his body hover off the ground, tiny flames flickering off of his boots. “Maybe not. But at least I don’t need clunky wings getting in the way to get me off the ground.” He stepped back to the ground, stepping closer to Joaquin and smiling at the outline of the goggles that had pressed into his skin. “You could just thank me for the help, Wings. Maybe over a cup of coffee?”

Joaquin chuckled and shook his head. “Dude…”

“What? Nothing gets the heart pumping like a good old fashioned street battle!”

Joaquin rolled his eyes and pulled his goggles back on. “I’m gonna go help Bucky with cleanup.” He shouted before the mechanical whir of his jetpack filled Johnny’s ears. The dark haired man shot up into the sky, wind blowing Johnny’s bangs back.

The blonde smirked and turned to go help the rest of the team, only to bump right into Sam Wilson, staring down at him like he’d kicked his dog. Johnny swallowed and smiled awkwardly, stepping back a bit. He pointed his thumb back to where Joaquin once stood. “Nice kid.”

Sam raised an eyebrow, clearly less than pleased. “Don’t flirt with my wingman.”

Johnny’s smile faded, and he gave a quick salute. “Aye aye, captain” he muttered before quickly flying off, avoiding that conversation at all costs.

***

Johnny wasn’t much of a ‘gym’ guy. He went every now and then to keep his physique up, sure, but none of the team had much of a reason to keep up their strength. Ben’s was natural, he and Sue relied more on their enhanced abilities and Reed was… well, Reed would much rather spend his time in the lab.

The search was taking longer than Johnny expected. He’d spent the last ten hours in the lab with Reed, Sue, Sam and Bucky. Johnny was tracking an electromagnetic signal that had been appearing in a few different locations, but until he got the algorithm right there was no way to predict where the signal would pop up next, if it even was Doom at all. He’d barely slept, and his brain was a complete fog. He had decided to take a walk around the tower early that morning, headphones in and mind running at a mile a minute trying to come up with a possible solution.

He had passed the open door to the gym, hanging back a bit when he caught a glimpse of familiar brown eyes. Johnny smirked and leaned against the doorway, watching Joaquin pommel a punching bag like it had personally offended him. Sweat dripped down his smooth skin, and his dark brown curls were pushed back. He was shirtless, wearing only a pair of cargo shorts and boxers tape wrapped around his bloody knuckles. Faded, deep burn scars decorated his shoulders and neck. Johnny couldn’t help but let his mind wander. He thought of pushing the shorter man up against the mirrored wall, leaning down to kiss him and inhaling that post-workout musk. He’d push the brunette down to his knees and then-

Johnny swallowed. Maybe he was more distracted than he’d thought.

Joaquin caught his eye, and he quickly stopped punching as he crossed his arms over his chest. He seemed uncomfortable, like Johnny had caught him in the act or something. The motion had brought Johnny’s eyes down to the man’s chest, and his smirk faded as he caught sight of two thin, pink scars carved up under Joaquin’s pecs. ‘Is that all you’ve been uncomfortable about? You think I’ll judge you?’ Johnny asked, inside his head. Joaquin swallowed and awkwardly attempted to hide his body behind the punching bag. “Something wrong?”

Johnny shook his head, stepping into the humid gym. “No, no, of course not. Just… watching you, that’s all.”

Joaquin looked up at him with a nervous expression, and his arms slowly fell to his sides. Johnny’s eyes flicked back to the scars, and Joaquin quickly reached for his dark green t-shirt. “Staring is rude, y’know.”

Johnny nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I just… I was just passing by.” He nodded to the man’s bloody, wrapped knuckles. “Something bugging you?”

Joaquin pulled the t-shirt on and began to unwrap his hands. “Just a lot on my mind.”

Johnny leaned against the mirrored wall with a smirk. “I’ve been told I’m a good listener.”

Joaquin scoffed, barely holding back a smile. “It’s just a lot of pressure. Being a superhero is one thing, but taking up a mantle that doesn’t feel like yours… It's just tough. I feel like all I’ve done lately is make mistakes and mess up. Sam’s a good guy, he goes easy on me, but I feel like I’ve been letting him down.” He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the punching bag, offering Johnny a half smile. “I just feel like I’ve gotta be on point all the time, y’know?”

He did know. Johnny couldn’t know what it was like to take up a title when you feel like you haven’t earned it, but he did know what it was like to feel like the weak one in the group. Johnny was smart, but not as smart as Reed. He was tough, but not as tough as Ben. He was powerful, but not as powerful as Sue. If he wasn’t contributing, or if he wasn’t at his best, he felt like he was holding all three of them back. “I know exactly what you mean. I know I’ve only been here for two weeks but… I think you’re pretty great.”

A small tinge of red crossed Joaquin’s cheeks, and he quickly picked up his gym bag. “T-Thanks…” he muttered before walking towards the door.

“I don’t care, by the way.” Johnny called after him, making Joaquin turn to him with furrowed brows. “About… um…” He swallowed, not knowing how to word it without screwing this whole thing up. “If you’re worried about me judging you for being trans, you should know that it doesn’t bother me. Not even a little. My offer for dinner or coffee still stands.”

Joaquin’s blush deepened, and he bit down on his bottom lip as he walked backwards towards the door. “Noted…” he muttered, before his back hit the wall embarrassingly. Johnny smiled as Joaquin groaned and cursed himself out in Spanish, quickly leaving the room.

***

Watching Ben and Herbie cook was agonizing enough. It took hours. Every little detail needed to be perfect and Ben refused any help.

So watching him try to cook with Walker and Joaquin in the very small Watchtower kitchenette should’ve been equally as agonizing. Instead it was just amusing.

Johnny sat on the couch with Bob and Sue, who he had managed to drag out of the lab for the first time in two weeks to join them for dinner. It was nice seeing her sister smile again. She’d been so miserable since Franklin was taken, rightfully so, and Johnny found himself missing her laughter more than anything. All three members of the couch were barely holding back laughter as they watched the three men argue over every little thing. Ben was bumping into the others, Walker was shouting about something every five seconds, and poor Joaquin was caught in the middle of it, just trying to set the table and stir what needed to be stirred.

Johnny chuckled and rested his chin on his hand. “Walker looks like he’s gonna combust.”

Bob laughed for the first time Johnny had seen since he met him. “He hates other people being in the kitchen when he cooks. This is like his own personal hell.”

Walker glared up at them. “I can hear you.”

Bob smirked and raised a teasing eyebrow, making the blonde roll his eyes and continue cooking. Johnny did happen to note the blush crossing Walker’s cheeks, though. He and Ben began arguing about how much salt to add to whatever it was that they were making, and Johnny took the moment to stand up and slide in behind Joaquin, leaning up against the counter and shooting him a winning smile. “Having fun, Wings?”

Joaquin chuckled and shrugged. “I grew up with five brothers and sisters. Reminds me of home.” Johnny reached over to get a small taste of alfredo sauce on his fingers, only for Joaquin to slap his hand away and hand him a spoon. Johnny rolled his eyes and tasted the sauce, humming softly. “You made that?”

“Mhm. It’s not what I’m used to cooking but Walker’s recipe is pretty straightforward.” He leaned over to make sure the super soldier was still arguing before smirking at Johnny. “I may have improvised a little.”

Johnny smirked and booped the spoon on Joaquin’s nose. “Pretty good for an improvisation. You’ll have to cook me something more your style sometime. Maybeee… Over a glass of wine?”

Before Joaquin could even respond, Ben plucked the spoon from his hand. “Stop flirting and get out of the kitchen.”

Johnny bit the inside of his cheek, rolling his eyes and walking back to his chair. When he sat down, he caught a quick glimpse of Joaquin smiling to himself, blushing softly as he continued to stir the pot. Johnny glanced over at Sue, who was staring right at him with a smirk. She cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrow. “Is Johnny having another moment?” She teased.

Johnny groaned and sunk deeper into the couch, barely missing Bob’s perceptive glance his way.

***

Joaquin leaned his body in front of Bob’s in an attempt to obscure his vision, only for the brunette to elbow him out of the way. They were six rounds deep into Smash Bros. And Joaquin was losing terribly. Bob’s Kirby had sucked Joaquin’s Cloud into its mouth, tossing him right off the ledge and losing the round. Again. Joaquin groaned and flopped back on the couch. “I give up. You’re the god of Smash, you win.”

Bob chuckled and placed the controller down. “You’re just distracted. You usually do better at games like this.”

It was true. Despite Sam’s issues with the team and Bucky’s choices lately, Joaquin would be lying if he said he didn’t like these ‘New Avengers’. It was annoying, obviously. And Joaquin hadn’t been officially dubbed an ‘Avenger’ by Sam yet. He wasn’t sure if there was an application to fill out, a sign up sheet or a very intense interview he needed to pass first, but he just hadn’t been asked. Still, he liked Bucky fine enough and was content to be Sam’s ‘messenger’ to the tower. It had led to him, Bob and Yelena getting along, and soon Joaquin was being invited to movie and game nights.

“Forgive me for being distracted. It’s not like there’s a guy threatening to take over the multiverse as we speak or anything.”

Bob scoffed, looking down at him. “That’s not what’s distracting you. I’m talking about Storm.” Joaquin groaned, closing his eyes and covering his face. “You know he likes you, right?”

“He’s asked me out like four times.”

Bob’s eyes widened slightly. “So what’s the problem? He’s cute, why don’t you say yes?”

Joaquin opened his eyes, staring up at the ceiling. Johnny was cute. He was a charmer, the kind you see in movies. It would be so easy to just give in to his impulses and enjoy the amount of time he had with him. But… he couldn’t. “Do you think you and Walker will be together forever?”

Bob’s smile faded slightly. He thought for a moment, biting his lip. “It depends. I mean, we haven’t really talked about that sort of thing yet. I love him. But… He’s got a dangerous job. I think he’s been in the hospital at least seven times since we’ve gotten together, and now it feels like the world is about to end. With the way our lives are… I’ve always just assumed one of us wouldn’t make it very long.”

Joaquin felt bad for asking. But he wanted that feeling that Bob had told him about so many times. He’d had relationships before, just not very long ones. That’s what made him so wary of letting himself fall for someone like Johnny Storm. “How do you keep going with him when you know it might not last long?”

Bob pulled his lips into a thin line, shrugging a bit. “I’ve learned a lot about… being in the moment. I try not to get all in my head about the future and how things are gonna end. What John and I have here, now, that’s what’s important. I still fail to see what this has to do with you rejecting Johnny, though.”

Joaquin sighed, sitting up and pulling his knees to his chest. “I’m not gonna get invested in something that’s not permanent. He’s from another dimension. And when we find his nephew… he’ll go right back home where he belongs. A-And I know myself well enough that I’m not gonna be able to just be ‘casual’ and then just be fine when he leaves. I’ve never been able to have that kind of relationship.”

Bob thought for a while, and it made Joaquin slightly nervous. “I-I can’t blame you for feeling that way. But all I’ll say is that I never thought there was a way that John and I could make things work. If you feel that kind of connection, though… you can’t just let it go. I didn’t think for a second that John had feelings for me, but I needed to tell him how I felt or it was gonna eat me alive. You need to talk to Johnny, whether you decide you want to give this a try or not. He needs to know that he’s making you uncomfortable.”

Uncomfortable felt like a strong word. If anything, Joaquin was more than comfortable with Johnny’s flirting. It felt natural, but Joaquin’s head was in the clouds and a million years in the future. But it didn’t feel right to keep rejecting him outright without telling him why.

***

That evening, Joaquin had caught Johnny on the balcony, staring off at the sky. He leaned in the doorway, just admiring the blonde before he was noticed. Johnny seemed like a figure from an old comic book, like the ones Joaquin’s dad had grown up reading. Sure, he was a blonde haired, blue eyed dream with a perfect body and a winning smile. Joaquin had written him off before they’d even spoken. But Johnny was kind, sweet and god, was he smart. And he actually seemed to like Joaquin, which is more than he could say about his last two relationships.

He’d been so focused on his career since the Blip. The last four years had been all about moving forward, and meeting Sam had motivated him to put in every last ounce of effort to prove that he was capable enough to do this. Romance had been the last thing on his mind. And then… Johnny. His eyes narrowed at the blonde to see the moonlight reflecting off of small tear tracks on his cheeks. “Are you okay?” Joaquin mumbled.

Johnny startled a bit, turning to him and quickly wiping away any evidence of tears. He quickly put on a smile. “I’m fine. What are you doing up late, Wings?”

Joaquin swallowed and stepped forward, joining Johnny in leaning against the balcony. “I was… Actually looking for you. But if you’re having a bad night-”

Johnny shook his head. “No, no, it’s okay. Just… worried about my nephew, y’know?”

Shit. Joaquin felt like an ass now. “We’ll find him. I know it feels like we’re not making progress but something’s gonna turn up. Sam’s calling in help from a few of our, um..” he chuckled to himself “more magically inclined friends.”

Johnny frowned, keeping his gaze on the skyline. “Yeah, I know. It just… feels like I should’ve been able to do it on my own. Or… I should’ve been watching him. I dunno.”

Joaquin put a hand on Johnny’s shoulder. His body practically radiated warmth, and it felt nice under the cold blanket of the November New York air. “We’re gonna find him. I promise. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. We’ll find your nephew and then… you guys will get to go home.”

Johnny’s face softened, and then his eyebrows furrowed as if he’d just realized that they would be going home eventually. He glanced over at Joaquin with a slightly guilty expression. “Yeah… I guess home would be nice.”

Joaquin felt his heart sink, and he tried not to let it show on his face. “What’s it like there?”

Johnny chuckled a bit, shaking his head. “It’s like here. But… cleaner.”

Joaquin smiled and nudged his shoulder with his elbow. “I wish you could stay longer. I would’ve loved to take you to Miami.”

Johnny laughed and stepped closer so the two were attached at the hip. “I’ve been to Miami.”

“Not my Miami.” Joaquin said with a smirk.

“Oh! I didn’t realize you were the mayor.” Johnny teased.

“Basically. Y’know they have my name on a plaque in Little Havana.”

Johnny smirked with a raised eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Well, I have my own skincare line, so…”

“Wellll have you ever been personally invited to the White House?”

“Mhm. Twice.”

Joaquin rolled his eyes with a smile, finding himself leaning his body against Johnny’s. Their back and forth felt so easy, so natural. He could feel Johnny’s arm tense against his back, like the blonde was itching to put his arm around him. Joaquin looked up at him with soft brown eyes. If things were normal, it would’ve been the perfect time for Johnny to kiss him. It would’ve been romantic, honest and real. But that reminder sat in the back of Joaquin’s head, that this feeling had an expiration date. Still, he remembered what Bob said about living in the moment. “Do you… want to go for a fly?” Johnny looked confused, and Joaquin smiled, pointing up at the sky. “Maybe we could see which one of us is really faster.”

Johnny smirked, stepping back and nodding. “Sounds fun. I guess I’ll wait here for you to get ready. Y’know, since you’ve gotta put on all that heavy gear to get up there.” Johnny’s body burst into flames, and the blonde launched into the air, creating a streak of smoke and flame behind him. Joaquin smiled and quickly ran to his bedroom.

***

Johnny loved the feeling of the wind in his hair. He loved the orange glow that he radiated in the dark of the night. Flying had always been something to do on his own, a way to clear his head, but having a partner to share the air with him wasn’t so bad. Joaquin kept up, to Johnny’s surprise. They each picked up speed here and there to attempt to stay in the lead, laughing and pulling tricks to impress the other.

They’d landed on the roof of the Watchtower after an hour, and Joaquin quickly removed his orange tinted goggles, placing them on his forehead. Johnny decided that he loved the harsh indent of the goggles that formed on Joaquin’s face after he’d been flying for a while. It was cute. The dark haired man smiled up at him. “Are you eating your words now?”

Johnny smirked and shrugged. “You were alright. I amend my original statement. You can reach 400 miles an hour, on a good day.”

Joaquin lightly punched his arm. “Try 1000, jackass.” He looked up at Johnny with a sweet smile. “That was fun.”

They were only a few inches apart, and Johnny wasn’t sure if it was the post-flight adrenaline, or the culmination of all the pent up feelings of the last two weeks. He reached forward to tentatively thread his fingers through Joaquin’s dark curls, pulling him a bit closer. The shorter man leaned into his touch, but made no move to kiss Johnny. His smile turned sad, and he placed a gloved hand on Johnny’s arm. “We can’t…”

Johnny attempted to pull back his hand. “You don’t want to?”

Joaquin kept a firm grip on his arm, keeping it in place. “I want to. I-I really like you, Johnny.” He chuckled sadly. “It’s not just distance between the two of us, it's… entire universes.”

Johnny sighed, pulling him closer so they were chest to chest. “Doesn’t mean we can’t have the moment.”

Joaquin smiled a bit, exhaling through his nose. “You’re making it really hard to be reasonable. I don’t usually like being the voice of reason.”

Johnny smirked, leaning forward to press their noses together, lips only a breath apart. “I know. I’ve been told I’m a bad influence. So… maybe you should be a little unreasonable.”

“Johnny…” Joaquin breathed against his lips.

He brushed his thumb over Joaquin’s cheek, taking a deep breath. “I promise I’ll make the best of however long we have. But… If you don’t want me to, I’ll stop.”

Joaquin sighed and shook his head. “Damn it…” he muttered, reaching up to wrap his arms around Johnny’s neck, pulling him closer and pressing their lips together in a heated kiss. Johnny pulled him closer by his hips, letting his fingers memorize every inch of his body. The two stayed pressed together, feeling like the wind would blow them away. Johnny kept a warm hand on Joaquin’s cheek as he kissed him. He could feel the chill of the evening on his skin, and he couldn’t help but feel the overwhelming urge to keep him warm and comfortable. Joaquin pulled back slightly, leaning into Johnny’s touch. “So what happens now?”

Johnny took a deep breath, keeping his arm around Joaquin in a tight grip. “Now… we enjoy ourselves. And then when I get my nephew back… I go home. And that’ll be it.”

Joaquin smiled sadly. “That’s a shit ending.”

Johnny nodded with a smirk. “I could always just smuggle you back with me.”

“Or you could stay here.”

It wasn’t going to go either way. They both had family, and that mattered so much more than a two week romance. Johnny pushed Joaquin’s hair back, kissing his forehead. “Put it out of your mind. For now, let’s just focus on us, okay? We’re close to finding Franklin, I can feel it. But… if you wanted to sleep in my bed until that happens, I certainly wouldn’t say no.”

Joaquin smiled and pulled back, fingers interlaced with Johnny’s. “Tempting. I bet you take up the whole bed, though.”

Johnny smiled back, following him to the door to the stairwell. “Oh yeah. And I make it at least a hundred degrees under the covers, I’m a nightmare.” He raised an eyebrow at Joaquin with a smirk as he pushed the door open. “You still wanna?”

Joaquin rolled his eyes with a smile, pulling Johnny forward by his jacket as they made their way down to their guest floor.

‘This is gonna work’ Johnny thought to himself as he fell asleep that night, Joaquin snoring softly in his arms.