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Erik was exhausted. Walking along the crowded, busy streets of New York was scary, and he was still very tired from crying. He really just wanted to go for a nap, even if he was too old for naps—at least, that was what Papa said—or curl up with Mama on the couch and maybe knit something. Erik was getting better and better at knitting every day, both with his hands and with the metal needles Papa had found for him to practice his power with, and he really wanted to finish the gloves he was making.
Hmm. Erik looked over at the young Charles, a very nice boy who'd found Erik when he was crying and spoke in his mind, who was holding Erik's hand as they walked down the street together. Charles was helping him find his mama, because Erik had gone and lost her, which was horrible, really, and he never wanted to lose his mama again, but Charles was really very nice. Erik wondered if Charles would want to see his knitting, or if he would be like the boys in his classes and make fun of him.
“I would love to see something one day,” Charles told him, and it took Erik only a second to realize he was talking about Erik's knitting. “I would never make fun of you for doing something that you liked, Erik.”
“Oh, yes! I'd love for you to see. I made socks for Papa the other day, and they're a little long but he still wears them all the time,” Erik told him enthusiastically. Then he had an idea, and he thought about Papa wearing the socks really, really hard—so hard that his face scrunched up!—before asking, “can you see them with your mind?”
I can, thank you for showing me them, Charles said, and Erik giggled happily. He really liked how Charles' voice echoed in his mind, and it was a good distraction from how worried Erik was. Another good distraction was the way he was focusing his metal-sense on the little bits of metal on Charles' clothes to ground himself as they made their way through the streets.
After a few moments of walking quietly with their arms swinging between them amid a sea of bodies way bigger than theirs, Erik asked, “Are you making sure no one walks on us?”
When he looked over, Charles was biting into his bottom lip and looking at the ground worriedly. Erik frowned, not liking at all that his new friend seemed upset. He squeezed Charles' hand tightly until Charles said, “Y-yes.”
“That's amazing,” Erik told him really seriously, and then kept walking where Charles was leading him.
Erik wasn't really sure if Charles knew what he was doing, but he'd calmed Erik down and offered his help, and Erik had taken it. It wasn't like his plan had been very good, since he'd been sitting in a corner and crying, so maybe Charles would be able to come up with a better idea. He seemed very smart, Erik decided, sneaking glances at the side of his face.
He also had a very nice nose.
Suddenly, something familiar pinged along Erik's metal-sense and he gasped, looking to the side and being drawn in by the familiar shape of—
His Mama's brooch!
“Mama!” Erik cried, sprinting forward and throwing himself at his Mama's legs desperately, clutching her so tightly and never wanting to let go. Because Mama was the best, she picked him right up and squeezed him back super tightly, which made all of Erik's worry and fear melt right out of him as he breathed in her familiar smell and held her back tightly.
“Oh, mein kleiner Metalljunge!” Mama gushed quietly, kissing his cheek with a big smooch and squeezing Erik so tightly he could barely breathe! It was okay though, because Erik squeezed her right back. “Oh, vere have you been?”
“ I got lost!” Erik cried, leaning back in his Mama's hold and throwing his arms around so she'd know it's been a really scary time.
“Oh, mein Junge,” his mama sighed, smoothing out his hair and patting his head. She kissed Erik's cheek again, and then looked past him at Charles, and asked, “and zis is?”
“Mama, this is my new friend Charles,” he told her seriously, before leaning up and whispering in her ear, “he's so pretty!”
Thank you, Erik, Charles said in his mind. Erik gasped and looked over, but it was okay because Charles was smiling at him and his cheeks were pink, which just made him even prettier. I... think you're very pretty too.
Do you really? Erik projected, his face scrunching up in concentration as he thought the question really, really loudly towards Charles.
Charles smiled even wider and he nodded his head quickly, so Erik asked his mama to let him down so he could rush back over and pull Charles into a tight hug. Charles made a noise of surprise, but then he was hugging Erik back just as tightly, which was the best because Erik didn't usually get to hug people his size, and hugging Charles felt amazing. In fact, Erik thought he could hug Charles forever, especially when Charles made it feel like their minds were hugging too.
Way too soon, Erik felt Mama's brooch move closer to them, so he pulled out of the hug so he could look up at her. “Oh, Mama! Can Charles come over and see my knitting, please?” Erik asked her with wide eyes and his lips in a pout, which usually got him an extra sweet right before bedtime.
Mama looked at her watch, and then at Charles before she crouched down in front of them both. “Charles, Schatz, does your Mama know vere you are?”
Charles shrugged and said, “She was having tea,” in a voice that Erik thought may have meant a lot more than he was saying.
Then Mama gasped, and she and Charles stared at each other without saying anything out loud. Erik frowned when he realized they were probably talking in their mind, which wasn't very nice because Erik was right there, thankyouverymuch, but it was okay because then Mama was pulling Charles into a hug. Mama gave the best hugs and Charles was totally also the best, so Erik smiled at the two of them as they hugged tightly, and then decided to join in.
Erik launched himself at their sides and wrapped them both up, wishing his arms were longer so he could hug them better, but Erik did the best he could.
We're going to tell my mother that I'm coming over to see your knitting, Charles told him, and Erik thought really, really hard about how happy he was as he smiled into Charles' hair, still hugging them both tight.