Work Text:
He knows that Charles is fully aware where he is hiding, and that he knows he’s sort of drifting. Literally and figuratively.
He knows that sometimes Charles looks for him. Checks up on him.
He pretends not to notice, and he pretends like the thought doesn’t comfort him. Doesn’t make him feel safe, and loved most of all.
But when Magda and Nina died, he couldn’t help but feel the familiar buzz at the back of his head everywhere he went.
But the thing is, he liked it. He was normally fully against Charles entering his mind, but the thought that Charles was there, ready to take him back with open arms, comforted him.
Whether he was camping out in the woods, or he was sleeping in a shitty motel, Charles was there for him.
Maybe that’s why he never told Charles to leave.
Charles only tried to communicate once, saying a quick and short “Home is always open Erik,” before fleeing his mind.
Erik promptly ignored him, instead burying his feelings deeper and ignoring everyone around him as he ventured across Europe, and now America, making sure to avoid any places with access to major news networks.
No matter how dirty the room, cold the night, or lonely the days, Erik never once bothered to ward off Charles prescence in his mind.
That scared him.
-
It was a very cold night, probably around 0°f or below. But he was finally in America, and dangerously close to Charles.
Currently he was somewhere around Salem Center, which is where Charles has his school.
Erik planned on sleeping outside; but unless he had a death wish he needed to find shelter. He ventured into the closest dimly lit cheap motel, throwing a small amount of cash on the counter, the worker exchanging it for a rusting room key.
He buried himself in the thin sheets and blanket on the springy motel bed.
His head was pounding, the unsteady throbs of pain shooting through his temple into his skull. It wasn’t a physical pain, no it was an emotional pain.
He feels his throat tighten up with emotion, the reality of his situation and his fucked up life hovering in his mind.
His eyes welled up in tears, he knew his thoughts were dangerous, he fights for mutant liberation, yet all he could think was, “If I wasn’t a mutant I’d be living a normal life. No one around me would be dying off, and I’d be happy.”
All he wanted was to be happy.
Yet life gifted him with tragedy after tragedy.
His wife and daughter dead.
He wasn’t fast enough to save them.
At first it was an aching feeling in his chest that spread to his throat, then to his sinuses and the back of his eyes. Before finally snaking around his head. Tension increased in his head, which cause more tears to leak out.
Not an ideal feeling at the moment, no. He didn’t want to breakdown in a thin walled motel room. He didn’t want a dead wife and daughter. He didn’t want to be a household name, “Magento! The evil mutant who wants all humans dead!”
He wanted Charles. He wanted Charles so badly, he wanted Charles to hug him and kiss his forehead, to run his fingers through his hair and scratch his scalp, to rub his arms up his back and shush away his tears.
“Charles,” Erik whispered, “Are you there? Are you listening? I-I’m near your home, j-just listen to my thoughts.”
He heard it, in the back of his mind.
“I’m coming old friend.”
Erik hoped to God he wasn’t hearing things, because he wouldn’t put it past himself.
But then the familiar buzz was back, and his headache dissipated over the next few minutes.
-
He heard a small knock at his motel door, he still layers curled up under the sheets, tears streaming down his cheeks and small sobs forcing themselves out every once in a while.
He didn’t even raise a hand, just unlocked the door with his powers and closed his eyes.
“Erik? Oh, love,” He heard Charles say, his voice rumbled in his ears and calmed his mind, his chest deflating with a trembling breath.
Charles wheeled to his side, effortlessly pulling himself next to Erik on the double bed.
“Come here sweetheart, let me take care of you.” Charles whispered, pulling Erik onto his other side, so his face was near Charles hip.
Erik scooted himself up so his head rested in Charles lap, his arms looping around Charles back and stomach. Legs tangling.
A hand ran itself through Eriks hair, and Charles tsked, “Erik love, calm down for me, okay?”
Erik hadn’t realized he was breathing so hard and fast, his arms trembling and his sobs coming more frequently and harder than before.
“m’sorry Charles, sorry-“
“Don’t apologize, just relax for me okay? Breathe in, hold, come on hon, you can do it, now breathe out. There we go, let’s do it again,” Charles instructed Erik for a couple more minutes, and even though his tears didn’t slow by much, he was no longer in the verge of passing out.
Charles ran his hand up and down Eriks back, and every couple minutes cupped Eriks cheek, wiping his tears and petting his head on the way back. Erik just lied there, still shaking and crying into Charles.
“Erik darling, Come up here please,” Charles said slowly, giving Erik time to process the order. Soon enough Erik pushed himself up on shaky weak arms and sat next to Charles, pressing himself into his side and pushing his face into the crook of his neck, wrapping his arms around his chest. “What do you need, hm?”
Charles placed a small kiss on Eriks crown and wrapped an arm around his back and one ventured into Eriks curls.
Eriks face burned hot as he cuddled closer, allowing himself to revel in the comfort.
“J-just hold me, please Charles, please,” Erik whispered against his neck, tears wetting the soft sweatshirt underneath his cheek.
“Okay, okay but in the morning we are talking about this, okay? You will come back to the mansion with me, ah no fights, you will come back to the mansion with me, and you will talk to me, okay? I won’t go in your head, you need to tell me yourself,” Charles chastised, cutting Erik off when he let out a low whine at the thought of going back to the mansion. “Now shush, lets lay down dear...”
Charles maneuvered Erik into laying on top of him, his cheek on his chest, the blanket atop them both.
Charles hummed a song, not one that Erik knew, but that didn’t matter, Erik felt the vibrations reverberate through Charles chest, and he felt Charles heart beat against his ear.
He allowed himself a small smile before he fell asleep.