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Charles couldn't help the smile that stole over his face as he walked into the front room of the mansion. He'd been able to hear the music playing from his office and had come down to investigate, holding himself back from reaching out with his telepathy to figure out what was happening. There were only so many things that could have been going on with the small handful of people residing in his childhood home, after all.
There had been a time, not even that long ago, when Charles couldn't have imagined stepping foot back in the Xavier estate. While the building had been left to him, he hadn't wanted anything to do with it and had spent many, many years staying away under the guise of studying. Being back now was...strange, to say the very least, but having the young mutants around helped ease some of the daunting emptiness that he felt every time he'd thought of this mansion.
Now, the very same young people that made living here bearable had outfitted the front hall with glittering strings of lights and streaming ropes of tinsel that sparkled throughout the room. There was a boombox playing music Charles didn't recognize but the children must have by the way Sean and Raven were standing in the middle of the room and singing along. Hank was sitting on a couch next to a sullen Alex, the two of them chatting quietly with their heads bent together.
The two of them had begun to grow closer since they had all—well, all the ones that were left, which was something that Charles tried his very best not to think of—moved to the mansion. Charles had been doing his best not to pry, feeling confident that if Hank needed to confide in him the boy would do so of his own accord in respect to their friendship. Alex's mind was always tremendously loud and even if Charles wanted to keep, certain things slipped through.
Even still, he let them be now and smiled at Sean and Raven who were doing a dance that looked, in Charles’ opinion, much like they were just dancing around.
Charles' eyes strayed from the two of them over to Erik, who had abandoned his perch on his favoured armchair, leaving behind his drink as he all but stalked towards Charles in a way that was really not quite subtle. He understood the freedom that came from living so far away from others, the ease in which they were allowed to be themselves. Over the last few days, none of them had had to hide who they were for a single second, and that was a heady feeling that was quite easy to get lost in.
Clearly, Erik had gotten lost in it, if the way he was shamelessly marching up to Charles was any indication.
“You let them get away with this?” Charles asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow at the mischievous smirk Erik had suddenly begun sporting. He was supposed to be the other adult, after all, and allowing the kids to throw a party didn't seem quite Erik's style. “You have an evil plan, don't you?”
Erik raised his own eyebrow and held his hand out to Charles, who stared at it for a silent moment before asking, “What's this?”
“This is me asking you to dance,” Erik told him simply, adding, “don't tell me you've never been asked to dance before.”
Charles remained silent, knowing what Erik thought of his upbringing but not bothering to correct his assumptions. Erik could think whatever he wanted to about the opulence that Charles was raised in. After another moment in which they watched each other, Charles lowered his head and raised his hand to place it in Erik's just as the boombox changed songs to something slower and much more recognizable with a flick of Erik’s power.
His grin only grew when Erik dragged him in. He kept his hand in Erik's as his hip was grabbed firmly, laying his free hand against the top of Erik’s back Without letting himself hesitate he stepped close, laying his head on Erik's shoulder as they began to sway together. A hush fell over the warm that Charles ignored, focusing instead on Erik's warm grip and the way he was moving them slowly back and forth and humming under his breath, fondness bleeding through his thoughts and into Charles’ mind.
Charles smiled softly, focusing on the warmth in his chest as the kids resumed chattering around them, and he allowed hope to creep up his chest and fill him endlessly as Erik danced him around the room.