Chapter Text
Erika awoke to Charlie writhing against her, making soft sounds of distress.
“Charlie. Wake up, Charlie.” She shook the smaller woman gently as she turned on the bedside lamp, illumining the room with a soft glow.
Charlie awoke with a startled gasp, her blue eyes flying open, full of alarm and confusion. She groaned and rubbed at her face then lifted her head and met Erika's concerned gaze. She smiled, a little sheepishly, propped herself up on one elbow, and spoke, her voice rough with sleep and emotion. “Sorry about that. I have PTSD, but I haven't had much trouble with nightmares in a few years. I think it's worse because I'm back home.”
Erika took Charlie's hand. “Can I ask -- does it have anything to do with why you're paralyzed?”
Charlie gave a faint nod. “It has everything to do with it.” She fell quiet for a long minute.
Erika pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. “I'm here if you want to talk about it, but if you don't, that's okay, too.”
Charlie stared deep into Erika's eyes, considering for another minute. Finally she asked, “How much do you know about the Andersen rampage?”
Every mutant knew at least something of the Andersen rampage. A mutantphobe named Lars Andersen had walked into a mutant rights seminar at Columbia and started shooting. Six dead, fourteen wounded, five seriously. “January 8, 2011,” Erika said quietly. “You were there.”
“I was indeed.”
Erika did a quick run-through of what she knew of the shooting and of Charlie, reached an inescapable conclusion. “You were the TA who tried to engage him, distract him, give the students a chance to escape.”
Charlie didn't deny it, just gripped Erika's hand a little tighter.
“And who gave up your own chance at escape.” Erika wondered if she could be that selfless.
A weary half-smile. “I didn't think of it like that. I didn't really think at all, it happened so fast. He went crazy when he realized how many were escaping, started spraying bullets. I turned to run, but I was hit before I'd taken two steps. I went down like a marionette whose strings had been cut.” She drew a shuddering breath. “Everything after that is a blur until I came to in the hospital two days later. I'm still not sure which news was the bigger shock, that I was paralyzed, or that I was considered a hero. Probably the latter -- I still don't feel like a hero.”
Erika lifted Charlie's hand to her lips, kissed it tenderly. “Even though you are.”
“Six people died.”
“How many would have died if you hadn't acted? There were hundreds of people in that lecture hall. Andersen was looking to kill a hell of a lot more of us. He brought the firepower for it.”
Charlie sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.
“I know.”
“Nothing you haven't heard before, huh? Nothing you haven't told yourself.”
“Exactly.” She fell silent for long moments, and Erika waited patiently, holding Charlie's hand in both of hers. “I still wonder,” Charlie finally continued, “if I could have done more, maybe tried to stop him with my power.”
“You're that strong?” Erika was both surprised and impressed, and maybe just a little bit unnerved.
Charlie shook her head. “I wasn't, not back then. I'd never tried to develop that aspect of my powers. Now, though, I absolutely could.”
“But not back then?”
“No.”
“Then you did everything you could.”
Charlie looked unconvinced.
“Everything. You. Could,” Erika repeated, slow and emphatic, then lifted Charlie's hand to her lips, kissing it tenderly. “Everything you could, and more than most would. That's what makes you a hero.” She could see Charlie still wanted to deny it, so she hurried onward. “You're an amazing woman, and I wish you wouldn't beat yourself up over this.”
Charlie offered her a wobbly smile. “It's not exactly easy to unlearn.”
“I know.” She leaned over and kissed Charlie, slow and sweet and thorough. “Now let's try to get some more sleep.”
She made to gather Charlie into her arms, but the other woman stopped her. “I should probably turn over.”
Erika pulled back, giving her room to maneuver. Charlie turned onto her side, facing Erika, then reached down and lifted her left leg over the right. She met Erika's gaze, blue eyes twinkling, and said, “Now get over here and kiss me.”
Erika scooted into Charlie's waiting arms and pressed their lips together. Charlie's plush lips parted, and her tongue flicked against Erika's own lips. Erika welcomed her in, and for an eternal minute her world irised down to that single point of contact.
Once the kiss ended, Erika murmured, “Good night.”
“Night.” Charlie hugged her close, then –
“Oh.” Erika gasped as Charlie's hand slid down and gave her ass a gentle squeeze.
Charlie grinned at her, unrepentant, eyes glittering like sapphires in the pale lamplight.
Erika snuggled closer, doused the light with her powers. “Rain check,” she said as Charlie continued to fondle her butt. “Definitely a rain check.”