Work Text:
erik could hear the angry footsteps before he could even sense the metal eyelets on his shoes. shits about to hit that fan, he thought as he placed the book he was half reading half zoning out to on the table beside him . he took a deep breath and waited, counting down the seconds before the hot headed, exasperated playboy telepath would practically break down his bedroom door to spew his latest troubles.
he only counted a total of 5 seconds before the door was opened with such force it nearly buried itself in the wall.
“i know i’m a dick sometimes, but i need her to see my point of view! she’s so frustrating and stubborn and i just can’t get her to understand the vitality of the situation!”
erik took a deep breath
“good evening to you too, charles.”
“raven came to me all head strong about her appearance and- and i just don’t understand. this has never gotten to her before, i thought she understood why she can’t go out all… b-blue!” he sunk down into the chair across from the metal bender.
if erik had learned one thing over the past few months, it was that arguing with charles was like arguing with a horse. the horse doesn’t even understand what you’re saying. it’s a horse. it’s still gonna try and trample you however harvard law school worthy of a point you make against it.
yet erik still tried to debate with the god damn horse.
“are you sure she’s never been bothered before?”
charles looked at him as if he grew a second head.
“yes, she would have said something to me if it truly bothered her.”
“i really don’t think she would have, i think that’s obvious enough.”
“she’s not like this erik! she always speaks her mind.”
for a telepath, he wasn’t very observant.
“charles,” erik tried to keep his composure. it would be so easy to get angry and lash out, but he wanted to preserve this small amount of calmness they were maintaining. “you can be very harsh sometimes. if you came around and insulted my appearance i think i would be offended too. she wants to be able to exist as her true self like you and i do.”
charles scrunched his face in thought.
“i just… we can’t. she can’t get used to it and wear her natural self around the house because... what if she slips up. what if she slips in front of everyone because she’s so used to it because i didn’t keep a good enough eye on her.
“then let her, she’s her own person. you have to stop treating her like a pet.” erik stood up, starting to pace the room. he didn’t like where this was going. god, charles was so frustrating sometimes.
“you sound just like her…” charles grumbled under his breath.
“because she has a point. at least i’m trying to comfort her! you just tear her down!” erik snapped, turning to look at the man now standing from his chair to mirror the older.
“i have never seen you once comfort her!” charles waved his pointer finger at him.
“i’m sorry would you like us to kiss in front of you next time?!”
charles blinked, flinching back like a bird had flown too close to his face.
he took in a shaky breath.
“…you what?” the younger’s voice trembled like a violin player trying to play beethoven in a snowstorm.
“i kissed her. she was sad and felt unloved. i just wanted her to feel some sense of belonging.” the metal bender crossed his arms, trying not to let the others quivering tone get to him.
“i… it’s just…” charles voice was barely audible at this point.
he must feel bad, erik thought, for hurting raven . that didn’t stop him from laying into him though. from kicking that god damn horse.
“she can’t be your baby sister forever charles. she’s gonna start wanting her freedom. her sexuality. you’re just lucky it was my bed she showed up in and not some strangers.”
“you think i’m upset because she wants to sleep with someone?” he sounded offended, like a kettle about to boil over. the calm before the storm.
“quite frankly, yes- and if it’s not that i don’t know what it is!”
“i don’t give a damn if she’s sleeping with anyone!”
“then why do you care?!” the metal in the room wasn’t flying yet, but erik was getting pretty god damn close to letting it. why was his friend so god damn stubborn?
“.. this isn’t worth my time erik.” anger seeped through his tone, hot and heavy.
“charles, wait-“
“i’m going to bed.” he turned around and started booking it to the door like a wildfire had started in the room.
“if you’re not upset about that then what the hell are you on about?” erik was on his heels.
“i thought you wanted to kiss me !!” charles screamed. he turned to face erik, heaving. their faces were just inches away. he was holding back tears. his forehead scrunched and his lips curled in. anxietyangerguiltembarressmentfear. it all radiated off him like steam.
he took a deep breath and dropped his head, letting it hang mere inches away from erik’s chest.
his voice was but a whisper.
“…i thought you wanted to kiss me and you… you kissed her.”
erik couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “…charles.” he matched the youngers hushed tone. it all hit him at once. this wasn’t even about raven, it was about him.
erik thought it was obvious. that he laid all of his cards on the table.
yet here charles was thinking he kissed his sister because he was interested in her. what a silly thought, really. erik didn’t know why he did it, he just knew for a fact that he wasn’t interested in pursuing her romantically. sure, he wanted to help her feel comfortable and express herself. but not like that. nothing farther than what had already happened.
chares looked up. there was a furrow in his brow. “no, i was foolish for thinking this could ever happen. i- i was foolish to think you anything other than heterosexual and i was foolish-“
erik’s lips were against his quicker than he could process. they were even softer than he had day dreamed about. a hand reached up to curl into his hair, fingers carding through it as the metal bender delved deeper.
charles still couldn’t believe it as erik pulled away, leaning his forehead against the youngers. he breathed deeply, letting the air fill his lungs.
“erik…”
“of course i wanted to kiss you.” he stated it like it was one of the ten commandments.
“why didn’t you tell me?”
“you’re a telepath. i thought you knew”
“i dont go where i’m not invited.”
“you’re always invited.”
charles rushed back into him, igniting a kiss more passionate than the last because…
because erik wanted to kiss him.