Chapter Text
Chapter 1
“I told you I would go easy on you,” Erik stated after Charles had beat him at their most recent game of chess.
“I would have won either way,” Charles retorted with a smile.
Erik returned the smile as he cleaned up the game. Charles slumped back in his chair and crossed his arms, just as he had done when Erik had first sat down across from him.
“So, what do we do now?” he asked.
Erik had already thought about that himself. Before he had left Genosha. On the journey to Paris. And basically every moment since he had arrived.
“I haven’t actually seen Paris since I was a child,” he noted. “I thought maybe we could take a few days to explore the city before heading home.”
“Home,” Charles repeated, hanging on the world. The two men sat in silence for a moment.
“Where are you staying?” Charles spoke up.
“I rented a car and came here straight from the airport,” Erik explained. “I figured, on the off chance you didn’t accept my offer, I would head right back.”
“And not see Paris?”
“From what I remember, Paris is best enjoyed in the company of others.”
“I’m beginning to see that,” Charles agreed, glancing along the street. He had only arrived yesterday and, up until Erik showed up, he had not experienced a happy moment. “Well, my hotel room has a pull out sofa if you would like to stay there.”
“I’d like that.” They moved away from the table and Erik led the way to the car.
The two days were filled with quintessential Paris sites and activities such as strolling along the Eiffel Tower.
"It's beautiful," Charles commented as he looked out at the majestic building, Erik at his side.
"I remember coming here with my parents," Erik recounted. "We would get crepes and walk along the path. Looking at this building never gets old."
Charles turned his chair around so his back now faced the tower. Erik followed.
Charles pointed to a food cart across the way. "I believe they have crepes there. Would you care to join me?"
Erik smiled as they moved further towards the food cart.
After another packed day as tourists, both men went back to their hotel room and laid in their respective beds. They began talking late into the night, as they had done every night since Erik had arrived.
As Erik laid with his arms crossed behind him on the sofa bed across from Charles, he reflected on the last time they shared a hotel room. The time they were on a road trip to find fellow mutants to recruit.
“This reminds me of our other trip together, all those years ago,” he noted aloud.
“Yeah.” Charles remarked sadly. “Back when we were all full of hope.”
“We can still hope.”
Charles could feel his eyes welling. “How? Outside of Hank all of the first class is gone. I failed all of them. I failed you. ” His voice began to quiver as he spoke.
Erik got up and sat on the edge of Charles’s bed. “Whenever I find myself losing my way, I think of how you helped me realize I can be more than pain and anger. Remember that, and they will not have died in vain.”
Charles gave him a small smile. “Thank you, old friend. The tables sure have turned.” He paused for a moment. “You are the only one who has stayed by my side.”
“Like I said, I wanted to do what you did for me all those years ago.” He got up from the bed and approached Charles. “Besides, I don’t want to spend my last day in Paris tomorrow with someone so gloomy.” He gave Charles a light smack on the shoulder before returning to his bed.