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It's a joke the first time she does it. A cheap bit of provocation. "I know what you really want," Raven says, and feels her hair grow shorter, her chest flatten, her vocal chords shift.
She expects Erik to frown at her, or laugh, maybe, or hit something with his fist and tell her to be serious, for God's sake, they're discussing strategy. She tries to be serious enough for Erik, but after Charles it's a difficult adjustment. She's used to being the sensible one, the grounding factor. Erik's razor sharp focus takes her by surprise.
But the first time she shifts into Charles in front of him he doesn't react as she expects. Instead he goes quiet, tight lipped. He looks at his shoes, the wall, then finally at her. There's something in his eyes she can't decipher. She'd expected anger, at the very least, but that's not at all what she finds. He storms out a moment later.
The next time she does it she makes sure to do it properly. She waits in Erik's bedroom, (which is smaller this time, almost Spartan). She sits on top of the covers, shaped like Charles, wearing Erik's shorts.
Erik freezes as soon as he walks in the door. "Get out," he growls. She can tell it's been a long day.
"There's no need to fret," she says in Charles' voice, flashing Charles' charming little grin at him. It's how Charles looks and sounds when he's trying not to come off as condescending. It always fails. She hopes Erik will get the hint.
"What is this?" Erik says after a pause, voice low and tinged with anger.
She bites her lip, allowing herself to break character. "A peace offering?"
"Get out," he says again, but it's weaker this time. Almost a plea.
"Don't tell me you don't want this," she says, pure Charles again. "I don't even need to read your mind to know that's a lie."
"I…" Erik says and looks flustered. She's never seem him look flustered before. Not for the first time, she wonders what secrets he and Charles shared that the rest of the world will never know. It hurts to think about how she was pushed aside like just another lapdog, but she puts it out of her mind for the moment.
She walks over to Erik, unbuttoning her shorts as she goes. "There's never a moment when I don't think of you. Never a moment when it doesn't hurt, knowing what you're going through, all alone." She presses up against him, pants falling soundlessly to the floor.
He grabs her shoulders forcefully. "I'd suggest you save your energy for other things."
She's not sure whether he's playing along or not, but she likes the direction in either case. "How did you get so strong, Erik? You never told me." She smiles Charles' casual, unperturbed smile. "Where did you receive your training? I always have such a hard time imagining you as anyone's student."
"This is not what I need," he says quietly.
His grip on her doesn't loosen. "No?" She raises an eyebrow. Not convinced but not quite disbelieving either. Another Charles Xavier classic.
"No." He swallows. "But I'll take it."
He leans down to kiss her, and the smile on her lips is entirely her own.