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Erik Lehnsherr had just finished unpacking his few belonging when his stomach made a noise, reminding him that he skipped breakfast and it was getting past 3. He looked around. His simple one bedroom flat was much nicer than he had hoped. It had good sized bedroom with a nice bathroom, a comfortable study that came furnished with a couch, desk, and bookshelves, an extra half bath, and a small postage stamp kitchen. He counted himself lucky to have such a nice place to live. It was an unanticipated gift from his physics professor. The old man had known someone at Oxford who knew someone, who knew someone else. Erik hadn’t made very many friends as his old university, so when the man volunteered to help Erik with his housing situation, Erik was very surprised and a little nervous. But his fears were unfounded and the rent was so low that Erik didn’t think he would need to get a job to support himself.
Erik grabbed his wallet and his keys and opened his door. Just as he stepped out a pretty, young blonde was walking up the stairs carrying a bag of groceries. The girl smiled brightly at him. “You must be Erik Lehnsherr,” she said as she crossed the hall to him.
“Yes,” Erik said with a slight frown.
“I’m Raven Darkholme. I live here,” she said inclining her head to the door opposite Erik’s “with my brother Charles.”
“Can I help you with that?” Erik said taking the bag. Raven’s smile grew as she handed him the bag and dug out her keys from her purse. Their doors were the only two in the hall and Erik was slightly curious to see what their flat looked like.
Raven opened the door and Erik walked in. “The kitchen’s this way.” Raven said leading Erik through the front hall, past a large sitting room. Erik caught glimpses of a study, very much like his to the left and a hallway to his right.
“Your flat is much larger than mine,” Erik commented as he entered the good sized kitchen.
Raven motioned for him to put the bag down. “Our apartments are the only two on this floor. I think at one time yours was part of this one, but I’d have to see it to be sure,” she said with a flirty smile.
“Perhaps,” Erik said casually. He had too many dealings with sexy young coeds to not recognize the invitation for what it was. “I should be going now,” he smiled. “It was nice meeting you.”
“Charles usually has a party the first weekend in the basement,” Raven said following him to the door. “You should come.”
“Perhaps I will.” He said noncommittally.
Raven smiled again and shut the door behind her.
Charles did have a party in the basement two weekends later. Erik barricaded himself in his flat and tried to avoid it, but when it got a little past ten there was a knock on his door. Erik debated not answering, but in the end his sighed and opened the door.
“Hello!” Raven waved, holding a cup. Her smile was suspiciously bright. “You weren’t at the party, so I thought I would bring the party to you!” she said with a drunken laugh. “You should come down. Charles always collects all the ‘sharp’ minds of the science colleges to him.” She said handing him the glass.
Erik put the glass down on a bookshelf and put his body in front of Raven to prevent her from entering his flat. Now that he was standing in the hall he could just barely make out the sounds of music coming from the lower floors. “I think you’ve had enough.”
Raven laughed and put her hand on Erik’s arm. “Hmmm.” She said squeezing his long lean muscles. “Nice.” She said approvingly.
Erik took her hand in his and stepped out of his flat, hoping to prevent her from walking in. The door shut securely behind him and he froze.
Raven laughed and leaned drunkenly against him. “Your door locks automatically. I bet you don’t have your key with you.”
Erik shook his head, getting slightly annoyed. He gently pushed Raven away and turned to his door to see if there was a way for him to break in. The lock was ridiculously secure, something he originally liked about the place.
Raven linked arms with him. “Come on. Charles has the master key.”
Erik looked at her as she led him down the stairs. “Why would Charles have the master key?” he asked.
“He owns the building,” Raven said motioning all around her. She stopped and leaned up against him. “I was surprised that he rented your apartment. He usually doesn’t,” she said in a low secretive voice.
“I’m glad he did,” Erik ground out, now thoroughly annoyed at Raven’s drunken antics. “But I would be more glad if we could get the key and I can get back to my flat.” He said manhandling her back on course.
Raven giggled. “Come on, Erik. Don’t you like having fun?” she pouted. She went to throw her arms around him, but Erik easily dodged her. “Everyone’s down there. Even Azazael.” She stopped against and looked at him. “He’s Russian.”
Erik was counting to 10 in German under his breath.
Raven laughed again and shoved off him and went to the door at the bottom of the steps. With another flirty smile she threw it open and walked into the dimly lit, crowded basement.
Erik took a breath and followed her. He hated parties. The smoky air smelled like beer and cigarettes. Men and women that he vaguely recognized from his classes looked up and assessed him, making him feel like a piece of meat. Erik glared, clearly signaling to everyone that he wanted to be left the fuck alone.
Erik walked through the dark halls, past the couples making out and the groups arguing scientific theory, looking for Raven. He lost her, but stumbled on a large group of people surrounding what looked like a truly magnificent bar. There was only one person behind the bar.
The person was young, Erik almost thought he was a teenager, but his bright blue eyes made him seem older even as they shone. His lips were an indecent red and his smiles were lethal. He poured the drinks and dominated the room with a friendly good humor that made Erik a little jealous.
“…and Petrie is definitely going to Brazil again,” the man said with a laugh, handing someone another beer. “It’s what he does!” the man glanced up and caught sight of Erik. For a tiny second the man’s smile dimmed as thought he was figuring out something in his head. A second later his face cleared as someone else shouted something at him. The man laughed and reached up the bar and grabbed a bottle of something.
Erik couldn’t tear his eyes away. He made his way to the edge of the bar. The man finished off a conversation with someone and put the bottle and a glass in front of Erik. “Hello, my friend. I am glad that you could make it!” he said with a smile. “I’m Charles Xavier.” He held out his hand.
Erik shook it. “Erik Lehnsherr,” he said over the din.
“This is oak barrel aged scotch. 30 years old. Will you have some?” Charles said holding out the glass.
Erik enjoyed a good scotch. And floppy haired, blue eyes bartenders as well apparently. Erik took the scotch and sipped. It was much better scotch then he had ever had before. Erik savored it.
Charles shot him a look of pure delight before going off and pour someone else a drink. A few minutes later Charles made his way back to Erik. “This is very good,” Erik said over the noise.
“I’m glad you like it!”
“I am looking for Raven Darkholme, have you seen her?”
“I believe she’s with Azazael tonight,” the man said regretfully. “I’m sorry.” Charles’s smile dimmed slightly.
“That’s fine.” Erik said quickly. “I am actually looking for her brother Charles. She came to get me for the party and…”
“You’ve locked yourself out of your flat,” Charles said nodding his head. He turned to a ravishing blonde who was holding court from one of the stools. “Emma, if you would be so kind,” he said with a smile.
The blonde looked at Charles, then at Erik, then smiled. “Really Charles, you slag.” She laughed, exchanging places behind the bar with him.
Charles just flashed her a cocky smile then grabbed the bottle of scotch. “Lead on!” he said to Erik.
Charles was very popular, Erik learned as it took him four times as long to get to the entrance as it did to get to the bar. Every few steps someone would call to Charles. Charles would wave and make some hilariously amusing quip them move on. Erik found himself enjoying the man’s sense of humor so much, that he wasn’t even irritated by the length of time it took to get away from everyone else. Finally they got to the other side of the door in the stairwell. “Raven is my adopted sister, actually,” Charles said continuing the conversation. “She is a rather affectionate drunk. I hope she didn’t disturb you too much.”
Erik looked at him again. Charles seemed much too young to be a building owner. “No, it was fine.” He said as they climbed up the stairs.
“I would take the elevator, but a two years ago someone thought it would be brilliant to make out in there and now it’s kind of legendary.”
“Ah.”
“You are a doctoral candidate for physics, right?”
“Yes. I studied in Germany, then Switzerland,” Erik said with a shrug.
“We have a good program,” Charles said glancing at Erik. “Hammon and Eckert was amazing,” he said referring to the co-heads of the physics college.
Erik didn’t think they were amazing, but he didn’t want to tell Charles that. “What are you reading for?” he asked, interested despite himself.
Charles gave a self mocking little laugh. “Genetics.”
“I didn’t know that was a college level degree.”
Charles shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. “It’s not. I’m a doctoral candidate as well.”
Erik stopped and stared at him. There was no way… Charles was much too young to be in college much less…
“Most of the people in the building go to the University,” Charles said moving the conversation away from him. “Raven doesn’t, but I’m trying to convince her to enroll.” They reached their floor and Charles went to his door. “I keep the building keys in my study so I don’t lose them,” Charles said opening his door and switching on the light. He walked into the study, leaving Erik to stand in his hallway. “You can come in, you know.” Charles called.
Erik followed Charles into his study and looked around. Hanging next to a large picture of Charles and Raven hung two other doctoral certificates, one in biology and one in chemistry, both for Charles. Charles noticed Erik staring at them and flushed.
“You have two doctorates?” Erik asked amazed.
“Yea, I’ve been here for a little while,” Charles said embarrassed. “I enjoy learning. Here, let’s get your door opened.” He said leading Erik back out to his flat. He opened Erik’s door and stood aside. “It was nice meeting you,” Charles smiled again. “I hope we see each other around.”
Erik wasn’t sure how he managed to avoid him the first two weeks of school, but after the party, Erik found himself bumping into Charles almost constantly. Charles was constantly surrounded by people. On the way to classes, at meals, even in the library, people seems to gravitate to him. Erik soon learned that not only was Charles a gregarious genius, but he also the darling of the faculty and administration. Erik watched him from a distance, interested in the same way a homemaker would be interested in a glittering Hollywood star.
Raven, however, made herself at home in Erik’s flat. Interrupting him often to chat or invite him out. Erik cringed a little whenever he saw her. He had met her on and off lover Azazael a few times as they left the flat she shared with Charles, and he had no interest in involving himself in any altercations with the burley Russian. But he bore with her presence and counted himself lucky to have gotten such great lodgings.
“Good morning, Erik,” Raven said when he opened the door. Erik was running late, his towel still wrapped around his waist as he brushed his teeth. He motioned toward the kitchen, knowing that she would start the coffee. Raven made herself at home and fixed them both coffee. “Charles went in early,” Raven complained. “He had an exam coming up that he’s nervous about.”
“Is he nervous about the exam or did he take on an extra assignment again?” Erik asked as he put on clothes. He never actually spoke to Charles, but knew the ins and outs of his life via Raven.
“Worse, he’s running another study group,” she groaned, holding his coffee out for him. “One day he’s going to realize that this isn’t a team event.” She took a long sip of her coffee. “We’re almost out of coffee, I’ll order another pound from that place on Berkshire.”
“You know, you could drink coffee at your flat,” Erik reminded her packing his case for his classes. He quickly drank his coffee.
“Yes, but then we wouldn’t have an excuse to drive in together,” she said holding up the keys to Charles’s car.
“You made him walk again?” Erik frowned looking outside. It was raining again.
“He offered,” Raven shrugged.
“You take shameful advantage of him.” Erik informed her for the millionth time.
“Charles is a gentleman,” Raven said primly. “He would never make me go out in that rain. Come on, you’re going to be late.”
Erik finished his coffee and followed her down to the garage. “You should talk to him.” Raven said holding out the keys for Erik. “You’ll like him. Everyone does.”
Erik opened the door for her then went to the driver’s seat. The Mercedes was a lush car, but Erik couldn’t find it in him to be too jealous. Not when he used the car more than its actual owner. “I am not everyone.”
Raven studied him for a few minutes.
“Say it,” Erik said dryly as he pulled out of the garage. “You’ve been meaning to say something for a few days now. Just say it.”
Raven looked away. “It doesn’t matter. Never mind.”
Erik glanced at her. He had gotten to know her fairly well, well enough to know that she would talk when she was ready. “So slumming it as usual?” he asked navigating through the rain slicked streets.
“I’m tutoring a new batch of kids at Newgate,” she said rolling her eyes at him.
“Is it going well?”
“We can’t all be natural teachers like Charles, but I think it’s going okay,” she said shaking her head. Erik knew that Raven was two years older than Charles, but had followed her adopted brother to Oxford. Raven often complained that Charles wanted her to find something, a hobby or job or something that would occupy her time. He had gotten her a well-paid position as a tutor in a lavish public school just a few blocks from the science college. Erik privately thought Charles was right, Raven was a handful when she was bored.
“I’m going to meet Charles after his 4:00 at McClearen’s. Why don’t you join us?”
“Looking for a new recruit to join your hoard of admirers?”
Raven laughed. “It’s just going to be him, me and Azazael tonight. Quiet dinner together. You should come.”
Erik glanced at her. “You want to bring Azazael but you don’t want Charles to feel like a third wheel.” He guessed.
Raven shrugged. “Charles never feels like a third wheel.” She flushed and glanced at him.
“You mean to defile his study, don’t you?” Erik realized.
Raven’s cheeks turned a deeper red and she laughed. “Maybe.”
“You could be the worse sister in the history of terrible sisters.”
“Not all of us can be nuns like you. Even Charles gets more action than you do. How is that even possible?”
“You’ve said it yourself, he’s adorable, and I remind people of serial killers.”
“You would make a perfect pair.”
“Except Charles is straight.” Erik waited for the uncomfortable moment when Raven realized that he pretty much just outed himself.
Raven laughed again. “Charles is omnisexual. He’ll shag anything that captures his attention long enough.”
“Really?” Erik asked, pleasantly surprised by her reaction. “Well too bad I don’t capture his attention then.”
“You would if you spoke with him.”
Erik shook his head and pulled in front of his building. “Good bye, Raven.”
Later that night Erik had forgotten most of the conversation in a haze of classes and assignments and labs, so he wasn’t expecting a knock on his door. He opened the door, expecting to see Raven, but found Charles at his door looking sheepish. “Hello,” Erik said taking in Charles’s shoe-less feet, brown corduroys, and blue button down shirt under a brown sweater vest.
“Hello,” Charles looked slightly embarrassed. “I’ve been kicked out of my flat. I was hoping I could use your phone and…”
“Raven is shagging Azazael in your study, isn’t she?” Erik asked.
Charles smiled charmingly.
“Come in,” Erik said letting Charles in. “You can wait here.”
“If it’s a problem, I can call…”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Erik said shaking his head. “Can I get you something to drink? I think I still have that bottle of Scotch here.”
Charles looked relieved. “That would be lovely,” he said looking around. He walked over to the bookshelf and looked at the titles.
“Raven left a few English magazines here,” Erik offered handing Charles his scotch. He took a sip of his and watched as Charles fingertips brushed against the books.
“My German’s fine,” Charles said absently. “May I?” he said touching a book.
Erik nodded and went to this desk. Charles opened the book and sat down quietly on Erik’s couch. Erik looked at his assignment again before glancing at Charles. The other man seemed to already be engrossed in Erik’s old Physics texts. Erik remembered the text to be dusty and dry and the professor to be more so. He felt bad for a moment that he didn’t have anything more interesting to offer Charles.
Then Charles sucked in his lower lip and hummed quietly. Erik forced himself to stop worrying about Charles and started his assignment.
An hour later, Charles was halfway finished the text and Erik was having a hard time not staring at him. Charles unconsciously mouthed words to himself and turned pages quietly. He seemed perfectly content for someone who was kicked out of his own flat. “Would you like a cup of tea?” he asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
Charles looked around startled, as though he had forgotten where he was. “I’m sorry. Raven should…”
“It’s okay, Charles. I only interrupted you because I was going to make some tea and wondered if you wanted some.” Erik said standing up.
“What would be wonderful, actually,” Charles said, glancing at the book again.
Erik smiled. “You’re still awake, I am surprised. I found that book to be dull.” He walked into his tiny kitchen and started the kettle.
“Dull?” Charles said following him, still holding the book. “I find it fascinating…” Thus beginning a long impassioned conversation about the author, then the subject matter, then physics in general. Erik sat in his desk chair while debating the different theories with Charles who sat down very properly on Erik’s couch. They drank tea, then had some more scotch, then water, because Erik believed quite firmly that water prevented hangovers.
Raven knocked on the door a few hours later. “Erik, I can’t find Charles.”
Erik considered pushing her out the door and locking it so he could spend more time with Charles, but Charles called out to her. “I’m here Raven.” Charles stood up and stretched. “I’ve been a bother to poor Erik, since you saw it fit to throw me out without my shoes.” He picked up the text he had been reading and slid it back in its place in the shelf.
“You were hardly a bother,” Erik said choosing to ignore how Raven’s gaze flickered from him to her brother. “You are invited any time.”
“Thank you,” Charles said flushing.
Erik also chose to ignore the impulse to push Charles against the wall and see how far that blush went down his chest. “Coffee tomorrow, Raven?” Erik said tearing his eyes away from him and looking at her.
“Yea, sure,” Raven glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.
Erik quickly looked away.
“Good night, Erik and thank you,” Charles said with that crushing sincerity of his.
Erik shut and locked the door after them, then quickly squeezed his hard cock through his pants. Omnisexual indeed.
Charles was not a virgin, Raven cheerfully told Erik. In any sense of the word. Of the things he got from his dead father, English prudishness was not one of them. Erik couldn’t tell if she was warning him off her brother, or if she was encouraging him. Not that he needed anything from her. Charles’s indecent mouth was more than enough to keep him interested, but the thought of making his perfect flat less so by complications stayed his hand.
“If Charles is such a slag, why is it that he never brings anyone home for a fuck?” Erik asked finally.
Raven was sitting on his couch, paging through the next assignment she was tutoring on. Charles was in his study being boring, so Raven had elected to sit with Erik. “Charles brings people home all the time.”
“When?” Erik asked. He was fairly certain that he had never seen anyone aside from Azazael perform the dreaded walk of shame from their flat.
“Last weekend. The cute redhead. Mary something.”
“Moria,” Erik absently corrected. “And they spent an hour talking to me in the hall before he walked her home.”
“Really,” Raven said disinterestedly. “Well, she is a little minx. She lives alone. They probably fucked at hers.”
“We spend an alarming amount of time discussing your brother’s sex life,” Erik observed as he revised his paper.
“I would talk about yours, but you seem to be going through a dry spell,” Raven said laying back on his couch. “You could fuck him. End the spell.”
“I doubt that he is interested,” Erik said dryly.
“Oh, he’s interested.” Raven laughed looking at him. “He’s practically gagging for you.”
“Really?” Erik said looking up.
“Oh, god, do you really not know?” Raven sat up and leaned forward. “You give him brain-gazms.”
“I’m sure I do not know what that is,” Erik said frozen over his paper.
Raven opened her mouth, but there was a polite knock on his door.
Erik rolled his eye and answered the door as she smirked. “Hello, Charles.” Erik opened the door so Charles could walk in. Charles was wearing his jacket and looked as though he was leaving.
“I’m sorry to bother you, my friend, but is Raven here?” Charles asked. He saw her and smiled. “Raven. I wanted to make sure you had your keys,” He said slightly distracted. “I’m taking off for a lark.”
“Wait, what?” Raven asked surprised. “I thought…”
“Mum’s rung up,” Charles said casually. “So, I’ll ahh…”
Raven was up and grabbed Charles by the arm so fast that Erik could just barely get out of her way. Raven marched them out the door them shut it leaving Erik to wonder what on Earth had just happened.
The next morning when Raven came to walk with Erik, she was angrier than he had ever seen her. And valiantly trying to hide it. Which of course made it obvious to anyone who knew her. Erik had a suspicion that this was why everyone tended to tread lightly around her, but he ignored her bitterness and treated her no different.
“Have you decided what you are going to wear for our Halloween party?” Raven asked after a long frustrating day. She was laying on his couch looking through a magazine. Erik’s door was open, so Erik could see into the hall. Raven had left it open. Erik chose not to comment.
“You assume that I am going to your party,” Erik said outlining his next paper.
“You’ll come,” Raven shrugged. “Even if I have to trick you into locking yourself out of your apartment again.”
“I don’t think I’d fall for that a second time.”
“I’ll think of something else then.” Raven turned the page. “We should go shopping this weekend for your costume.”
“I am not going to your party, so I doubt I will be needing a costume.” Erik looked up, thinking he had heard something.
“You never know,” Raven sighed. “You should have one ready just in…” Erik was out the door in the hallway before she could finish her sentence.
“Charles,” Erik exclaimed. He wasn’t sure what he expected or why he even was meeting Charles on the stairs outside his flat, but he wasn’t about to turn around and go back to his flat now. “Hello.”
Charles looked up and for a tiny second all Erik could see was the pain in Charles’s lovely blue eyes. Then like a curtain dropping Charles smiled. “Hello, my friend. I trust Raven hasn’t…”
Raven ran over and hugged him tightly. “Charles! You are never to leave me again!” She dragged Charles to their flat and shut the door without even glancing back at Erik. Once again Erik shrugged and wondered what had happened.
A few days later Erik answered what he was beginning to recognize as Charles’s polite knock. Raven at this point didn’t even bother anymore. Erik wasn’t sure why he just didn’t leave his door unlocked. “Hello, Charles.”
“Hello, Erik.” Charles said holding a bottle in one hand and a paper in another. “I bring a bribe of libations if you would help me, my friend.”
Erik let him in. “Of course.”
“Can you read my paper?” Charles asked handing Erik the scotch and sitting on his couch. “I have so many thoughts in my head I can’t even tell if I’m writing in English.”
Erik was strangely honored. “Let’s save the scotch until after, I think I’ll need some concentration for this.” He looked at Charles and noticed the dark rings under his eyes and the slight dimness of his eyes. “And you need a palate cleanser. I have a comparative theology paper that needs to be torn apart.”
“Consider it done,” Charles smiled holding his hand out for Erik’s paper. Erik glanced at the paper and saw that it was something to do with Darwinism. He ducked into his kitchen and made tea.
When he got back, Charles was already immersed in the paper. Erik was confident in his work so he felt completely secure in letting Charles read it. Until he started reading Charles’s paper.
Charles’s writing was poetry. He was able to take science and make it tell a story so eloquent that Erik’s attention was completely consumed by it. He had a droll way of making everything make complete sense and completely effortless at the same time.
Suddenly he knew what a brain-gazm was. He stared at Charles until the other looked up and smiled. “Do you know how extraordinary you are?” Charles asked, his cheeks lightly flushed. Suddenly all the life that had been missing his eyes had returned.
Erik breathed a sigh of relief. “I hope you are saying that because I managed to stay in the same language and tense this time.”
Charles laughed delightedly and that kicked off a long comfortable conversation about Erik’s paper, then Charles’s paper, then school in general. They talked until there was long comfortable silences.
“Are you going to tell me what happened?” Erik asked finally.
Charles’s smile dimmed and he looked into the distance for a second before focusing on Erik. “My mum is ill,” he answered quietly. “When she calls me I regress back to the confines of a family unit.” He flashed his self mocking smile that only accentuated the pain deep in his eyes.
“And Raven doesn’t?”
Charles smile grew slightly more real. “Raven is my sister, not her child.”
“She has an unhealthy interest in your sex life,” Erik informed him with a smile.
Charles laughed. “That is excruciatingly embarrassing.” Charles sat up. “I should bid you good night, my friend.”
Erik stood up and handed him his paper back. Charles walked to the door and Erik took and chance and put his hands on Charles’s shoulder and squeezed. “Get some rest, Charles.”
Charles relaxed into Erik’s touch briefly before stepping away. “Good night, Erik,” he said with a dazzling smile.
Erik forced himself to look away and shut the door.
Raven did figure out a way to get Erik to the party, even though he was not in costume. She simply sent Charles up. Erik couldn’t be certain that he wasn’t in some ridiculous romantic comedy, so he was careful to limit his drinking to just two ridiculous cocktails that Charles somehow mixed together. They were too sweet and too strong and made Erik want just a little too much. Erik was back in his rooms by midnight.
Erik’s life somehow became entrenched in Charles and Raven’s. Suddenly he knew that Tuesday was pasta Tuesday when Charles or Raven would make some sort of pasta. (Raven’s was always simple, spaghetti and a red sauce. Charles was always trying something new. Occasionally it was terrible, but usually it was terrific and a few times even sublime.) He learned that Charles had the blind arrogance of someone who always had money but that Raven shopped like a person who knew what it’s like to live with nothing. And for the first time Erik felt safe and wanted.
“The night before.”
“No.”
“The night after.”
“No.”
“The weekend before.”
“No.”
“The weekend after?”
“No.”
“Charles’s you’re being unreasonable.”
Erik smiled as he finished climbing the stairs. Their door was open, an obvious invitation to him. He walked in to find Raven leaning against a counter while Charles cooked. “What’s this?” Erik asked.
“Charles is procrastinating on a paper,” Raven informed him. “And he’s being insanely obstinate about his birthday party.”
“When is your birthday?” Erik asked putting his case down and helping himself to a glass of water.
“November 26,” Charles said grating some lemon zest into a floury mess on a plate.
“He’s turning 21,” Raven grinned at him proudly.
Erik had a moment of is this really my life? And tried not to spit up his water. “You’re 20.” Erik watched as Charles took down a large fry pan and heated up some oil. His cuffs were rolled to his forearms and his hair was tousled just so. He was completely fuckable. And 20.
“When does Charles Xavier not want to party?” Raven asked.
“Now, Raven.” Charles said looking completely focused on his cooking.
“We absolutely have to celebrate this!” Raven insisted.
“We absolutely do not,” Charles said shaking his head. He quickly fried up some chicken with more skill then Erik expected.
“In the States one is considered a full adult at 21. You will have your full inheritance and…”
“Can we stop talking about this now?” Charles asked.
“Let me host a party for you. In the basement. It would be good for you.”
“I fail to see how a party could possibly be seen as good for me at this point,” Charles said plating the chicken on plates with white rice. He then squeeze a fresh lemon over the chicken. Raven grabbed the silver and napkins and helped herself. Erik followed her lead.
The chicken was delicious.
Charles started cleaning up the dishes, but Raven put down her plate and made him eat. It was one of the most endearing thing about Charles’s and Raven’s relationship, their complete devotion to each other. “Please Charles?”
Charles sighed. “Fine. The weekend after.”
“Thank you. You will not regret this.”
“I am sure I will regret it,” Charles countered. “How was your day, my friend?” he asked Erik.
“This is delicious.” Erik said eating more of the chicken. “More labs, I’m afraid. My lab partner managed to destroy our set through poor construction, so I am left imagining what was supposed to happen.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to change your program, Charles?” Raven teased. “Then you could be lab partners and Erik wouldn’t have to suffer idiots.”
Erik and Charles looked at each other from across the room then laughed. “I’m not sure I would be any better,” Charles said modestly. They ate standing up for a few minutes. “If you do want assistance, though.”
Erik nodded and finished his chicken. “I may,” he shrugged. “What paper are you procrastinating on?”
It was so perfect and easy and good that Erik let himself be carried along with it. There were tiny hints that he was privy to, of course. Little seconds of discord that were quickly smoothed over by Charles’s little self-mocking smiles. But he let himself be lulled into a careless peace.
“Do you think Charles’s has lost weight?” Raven asked one morning as they drove through the snow to get to the science college.
Erik glanced at her troubled face. “I’m not in the habit of checking Charles’s out.” Which was a complete lie and yes Charles had most definitely lost weight which was why Erik made more of an effort to eat with the maddening person.
“I think he’s lost weight. Is he eating?” she asked.
“I haven’t been keeping track,” no, which is why I’m constantly ordering sweets for him!
“He’s not sleeping,” Raven observed.
Oh, really. I thought he was just getting in the habit of carrying around his luggage under his eyes. “He hasn’t mentioned anything,” Erik said mildly, wondering when his inner voice became a sarcastic old woman.
“Are you guys dating?”
Erik quickly glanced at her again. “What?”
“You know, dating. Like what Azazael and I do. Only better, if your lack of arguments counts for anything.” Raven frowned.
“Why would you think we were dating?” Erik sputtered.
“You’re always asking him out. And then you order him dessert. It’s sweet.”
“I am not dating Charles,” Erik said flatly, secretly horrified that she would see his actions that way. And then completely embarrassed that that was exactly what it must have looked like.
“Jeez, don’t make it sound like the plague or anything,” Raven said offended. “I just thought that if you were dating, you might know what was going on in his head.”
“We are not, and I have no idea what’s going on in his head,” Erik said pulling in front of his building. “And if we were dating, you’d know.” He said sliding out of the car.
“…NO! Everything that they do is done to make you feel terrible about yourself, Charles!” Raven was yelling.
Erik stopped himself from knocking on their door and stepped back.
“Don’t let them do this to you! Let me come with…”
Erik went over to his door and took out his keys. Suddenly Charles’s and Raven’s door opened. Charles walked through the door, quickly shutting it. He caught sight of Erik and for a tiny second, Erik got another peek of pain underneath his gorgeous exterior. Charles looked to be on the verge of something when the door behind him opened and Raven stepped out. “Charles,” she called.
Charles’s self-mocking smile settled on his face, a strange caricature of his normal affable expression. He turned to Raven. “Raven, I need to step out for a moment. Please. I’ll be back within the hour at most.”
Raven nodded after a moment then went back into their flat. Charles glanced and Erik and gave him a slight tilt of the head. Then with a sigh he started down the steps.
Erik dropped everything in front of his door and followed him. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Charles stopped and took a deep breath. “This, my friend, is asinine.” He said with a reckless smile. “Let’s get sloshed.”
Erik remembers flashes of that night. Charles laughing and looking at him with those shiny blue eyes that seemed to get bluer as the night progressed. Charles had managed to call Raven within the hour to have her join them. And then Erik truly learns that Charles was a world class drinker. Erik keeps up with him, but then seems to lose minutes and hours of the night. The most clear image Erik has of the night is of Charles stretched out in his ridiculously large bed looking terribly young and innocent. Raven had gone to bed a few minutes before, after ordering Erik to see to Charles. Erik helps a mostly asleep Charles into bed after taking off his shoes and sweater. Erik had just tucked him and when Charles reached out and grabbed his hand. He just held it for a moment before letting go. Erik took hold of his hand and brought it to his lips. Charles looked at Erik as though he was the most important thing in the world and smiled.
“Good night, Charles,” Erik whispers. And Charles closed his eyes and slept.
The next day is rough for him and Raven. Not, she spitefully informs him, for Charles. As if being a rich, gorgeous genius wasn’t enough, Charles also didn’t get hang overs. Right as they pull in front of the building she looks at Erik. “You should have stayed.” She said quietly.
Erik breath catches when he realizes that yes, he probably should have stayed.
It’s not awkward. Erik isn’t sure if he’s okay with that. He knows Charles enough to know that he idiot is blessed with an eidetic memory so he’s pretty sure Charles remembers everything. To excruciating detail. But for some reason isn’t embarrassed by it at all. It’s as though it was merely a case of two drunken mates having a look and not an explicit declaration of feelings. Luckily the sarcastic old woman in his head informs him that he’s acting like a hormonal teen and he plays along with Charles’s easily going acceptance of it.
Then comes Charles’s birthday. Erik had splurged and bought Charles a set of Physics primers that he had mentioned that he was interested in and a bottle of scotch. He had prayed to the god of due overs and hoped that his prayers would be granted.
Instead, then Erik knocks on their door, Raven opens it. Her tearstained face melted the smile off his. He quickly put down his gifts and held her as she sobbed.
Raven doesn’t talk about Charles. Not the whole time they’re drinking Charles’s scotch as they wait for footsteps on the stairs. She doesn’t talk about him, but he’s always there. Hovering just at the edge of her spoke words. An assumed. A given.
Erik absently wonders what Charles would think of that then feels slightly ill when he realized that Charles was now a part of his assumptions now. His givens.
The sun sets then rises and Erik is thankful that it was Saturday and there were no classes. Not that he would have gone if there had been, he thinks idly as he watches Raven slowly start losing her mind. It’s like her thoughts are in a pressure cooker with no outlet. As the morning gave way to afternoon Erik goes back to his flat to snooze on the couch just so he can hear Charles’s footfalls when he returns. Afternoon turned to evening as Erik starts pacing his flat. He can hear Raven through her opened door, but doesn’t call out to her. He not sure if it would be polite to ask.
Erik is about to fuck polite when midnight came around. He goes to Raven’s flat and finds her rearranging Charles’s books. “Will you tell me?” he asks a little angrily.
Raven shakes her head. “We should trade your books with his. I wonder what he would do.”
“You are the worse sister ever, you know that, right?” Erik informs her. He leads her over to the couch and then spend another night talking about everything but Charles. They both fall asleep at around 4 only to wake up at 10, tired, sore and very worried. They take catnaps on their couches and then exchange libraries because, well, why not.
Erik is looking over his notes, mourning the oddly spent weekend, when he hears them. He goes over to the door only to see Raven dash out her door.
“AH!” Charles hissed, “Easy. Raven. Easy.” He said as she loosened her hold on him. Erik stepped out of his flat and watched Charles climb the stairs. Even the self-mocking smile that Erik hated couldn’t cover the pain in Charles’s eyes. “Hello, my friend.” Charles said casually.
The door clicked close behind them.
Erik was starting to feel annoyed at his exclusion. Whatever was going on was hurting Charles, and that wasn’t acceptable. Erik tossed and turned through another night and was ready when Raven wordlessly entered his kitchen to get her coffee.
But one look at the dark shadows under her bloodshot eyes and Erik moderates his tone to something casual. “Is he okay?”
“Charles is always okay,” Raven said with a hurt shrug. She took a deep breath. “I’m going to stay at home today,” putting the keys on Erik’s stand.
Erik is suddenly stricken with the thought that maybe there was something really wrong with Charles. His legs feel weak and he can’t seem to catch his breath.
“Charles wants you to use the car. He apparently thinks you’ll melt if you get wet,” Raven gave him a reassuring smile.
“I don’t…”
“I’m just the messenger,” Raven said rolling her eyes and stealing his mug. “Thank you for this weekend,” she said walking through his flat. “I’m not sure I would have stayed sane if you didn’t stick around.”
Then tell me. Erik finished his coffee as the door shut behind her.
Erik feigned casual when he knocked on Charles and Raven’s door. Raven looked at him, her eye red rimed and shadowed. “Erik.”
“I have Charles’s keys. I thought I would…”
“Keep them. I think I’m going to stick around here for a few days,” she said casually.
“Is Charles’s okay?” Erik asked finally.
Raven looked at him sadly for a moment before shrugging. “Charles is always okay.”
“You wouldn’t happen to be lying to me, would you?”
“Good night Erik.” Raven said shutting the door in his face.
Erik had a moment of anger course through him, he turned and went into his own flat.
The next day Erik childishly refused to use the car even though it was snowing heavily. His annoyance lasted halfway to the college before the sarcastic voice in his head informed him that he was behaving like an idiot. Erik chose to ignore the voice.
The next day Raven was making coffee in his kitchen as though nothing had happened. Erik took one look at her and seethed. “How is he?”
“Charles? He’s fine.” Raven said shrugging.
“Is he at his classes?” Erik asked.
“Oh, no,” Raven said shaking her head. “He’s much too busy reading through your library.”
Erik stared at her. “What?”
“He’s reading your library, remember we switched…” Erik pushed out of his flat and knocked on Charles’s door. He turned the handle and found it locked. Erik knocked again a little harder. Finally the door opened and Charles peered from the doorway. “Charles!” Erik said.
Charles looked terrible. Erik couldn’t tell if he had two black eyes or if his insomnia had gotten worse. He wore a blue bathrobe that was cinched tight around his waist. Charles’s trembling was painfully evident. “Hello, my friend. How can I help you this morning?” His voice was oddly weak.
Tell me what’s going on. I can’t protect you if I don’t know the dangers. Erik studied Charles intently. “Are you well?”
Charles self mocking smile didn’t cover up the pain in his eyes and the tentative stance of his body. “I am a little under the weather my friend, but pay it of no mind. Thank you for the use of your library. It’s kept my mind well occupied.”
“It was meant as a joke,” Erik said evenly.
“Well then, my friend, it seems the joke’s on both of us.” Charles smiled at him, and Erik wanted to grab hold of him and make him tell him what was wrong. But he couldn’t bring himself to confront Charles directly. “I think I take up too much of your time. You’re about to be late.” Charles tilted his head.
Charles looked so tired and weary that Erik seriously contemplated forcing his way into Charles’s flat and taking care of the other man. But then Erik looked away. “Will I see you later today?”
“If you would like,” Charles said, his smile becoming slightly more genuine.
“I would.”
“Then I will see you later tonight.” Charles stepped away from the door and shut it.
Erik took a breath.
“Your coffee’s cold,” Raven said from his doorway.
“It’s too late for coffee,” Erik said going back into his flat and grabbing his things.
Raven followed him silently.
The silence was deafening. Right before they pulled in front of Erik’s building Erik glanced at her. “Can you tell me anything?” he asked in an even voice.
Raven stared straight ahead. “It’s not my story to tell.”
Erik nodded and stopped the car. “You can trust me, Raven. I won’t hurt you or Charles.”
Raven nodded but wouldn’t look at him. Erik sighed and climbed out of the car.
The door was opened when Erik got home. Erik walked through their door and could smell some sort of roast cooking as he made his way to the kitchen. Charles was stirring something on the stove and Raven was leaning against the counter reading a magazine. “Smells delicious,” Erik said studying Charles. He still looked tired, but Erik was pleased to see that he wasn’t shaking as he had been that morning.
“Charles is trying his hand at cooking a roast,” Raven informed him.
“Hello, my friend,” Charles said smiling at him. There was a lack of spark in Charles’s eyes, his smile not quite as brilliant as normal. “How did that paper for Anderson turn out?”
Erik felt his heart sink. He felt so close to Raven and Charles, they were his closest, best friends, yet they couldn’t talk about something so obvious. “Fairly well, do you have time to review it tonight before I hand it in tomorrow?” Erik asked.
“Of course, it would be my pleasure,” Charles smile grew slightly more real. For a moment, Erik was tempted to go over and wrap his arms around the other man.
“How was tutoring today?” Erik forced his attention away from Charles.
Raven shrugged. “They missed me.”
Erik snorted at that. “Of course…”
The sound of the phone interrupted Erik and for a second, Raven and Erik looked alarmed. Charles, however, quickly wiped his hands of a dish towel and went to his study to answer it. Raven and Erik edged close to the hall so they could hear Charles’s side of the conversation. “Hello, President McIntyre,” Charles was saying.
Raven breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Erik back into the kitchen. “Will I need to send Charles up to get you tomorrow night or will you come to the party on your own?” she asked.
“Raven, is everything okay?” Erik asked quietly.
Raven picked up the magazine and paged through without looking at him. “Of course it is.”
Erik sighed. “You can tell me.”
“I’m not the one who should be doing the telling,” Raven repeated flatly.
“Well, Charles certainly isn’t,” Erik snapped back. “Please, Raven.”
Raven glanced up at him, her face neutral. She opened her mouth to say something when Charles walked back into the kitchen. He wore a pleased smile that banished some of the shadows in his face. “That was President McIntyre,” he announced. “Professor Bellamy is going on sabbatical next semester and they’ve asked me to cover his classes.”
“Charles!” Raven dropped the magazine and went to hug him. Charles flinched back, and Raven stopped and looked at him with a carefully blank expression. Charles quickly looked away and Raven put her hand gently on his shoulder. “This is great, I’m so happy for you,” she said quietly.
Charles straightened up and hugged her. Raven made a noise in the back of her throat and Erik could see a tear escape before she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. “Easy,” “Charles whispered as he tensed. Raven instantly let him go.
Charles looked pained as he watched Raven wipe her face.
Charles’s mouth stretched into his self mocking smile. “I think that means we should open the champagne,” he said, his forced cheer obvious in his voice.
“I’ll go get a bottle,” Raven said quickly and left the room.
Charles went back to the roast.
“Congratulations,” Erik said after an uncomfortable minute. “How many classes?” Erik asked.
“Three,” Charles said glancing at him. “Two survey courses with labs and an Ethics course.”
“Aren’t you taking on a bit much for one semester?”
“They’ve given me a generous budget to hire at least one teaching assistant.” Charles bent down and pulled the roast out of the oven. “And I only have two classes and my doctorate seminar next semester. I enjoy teaching, Erik. I think this will be good for me.”
“Of course,” Erik finished setting the table and just looked at Charles. “Charles…”
Charles stopped moving, but didn’t turn around.
“I am here.” Erik said softly. “For when you want to talk.”
“Thank you, my friend,” Charles said just as softly. “Do you mind cutting the roast?”
Erik went to stand next to Charles. He took the knife and carving fork in his hands and glanced at Charles. “My parents… died in the war.” Erik’s soft words were halting. “I grew up living on the… kindness of strangers. Some strangers were not as kind as others.”
Charles stopped and watched Erik, his eyes wide and sympathetic. Erik glanced at him quickly then turned back to the roast. “You have been very kind to me.”
“You are a good man, Erik.” Charles said with his heart-filled sincerity. “I am honored to call you my friend.”
“Then tell me,” Erik said simply. He put the knife down and turned to Charles.
Charles couldn’t meet Erik’s eyes. “I…”
“Charles, I think we need more champagne,” Raven said walking into the kitchen. She handed Charles the bottle and grabbed a roasted carrot from the roasting pan next to Erik. “What?”
Erik wanted to kill her.
“Can you grab the champagne flutes?” Charles said turning away from Erik and opening the bottle with a loud pop.
Raven quickly grabbed the flutes and Charles poured. Erik put the roast on the table. “Here,” Charles said handing Erik his glass.
“Perhaps we can finish our conversation later,” Erik said hopefully.
At Charles’s non response, Erik knew his opportunity was lost. Erik sipped the champagne, but could only taste ashes.
Erik heard the unfamiliar pounding on the door and considered ignoring it. When it came again, he sighed and opened the door to find Azazael at his door. “Raven asked me to come get you,” Azazael said.
Erik sighed.
“Shaw is at the party.” Azazael was watching him carefully.
“Is that supposed to mean something to me?” Erik asked grabbing his keys and following the other man down the steps.
“You will see Charles up to his apartment safety tonight,” Azazael shrugged. “Alone.”
“Wait, what?” Erik asked.
Azazael stopped and looked at Erik. “Sebastian Shaw would like to bed Charles.”
“Well that’s hardly surprising. Raven says that pretty much everyone’s had a go.”
Azazael snorted. “You are more observant than that, Lehnsherr. Charles’s is pure. Untouched.”
Erik felt a fission of something burn through him.
It must have shown on his face, because Azazael nodded and started back down the steps. “Shaw is a brutal fucker. Raven and I do not want him anywhere near Charles tonight.”
“Understood,” Erik said shortly pushing his way into the party.
Charles was at his normal station at the bar pouring drinks. Erik caught his eye and slid into the only empty seat at the bar. Charles finished pouring someone a drink and then surveyed his bottles. He grabbed a bottle on a higher shelf and a glass.
“What am I drinking tonight?” Erik asked.
“Bourbon,” Charles said pouring his drink. The flush on his cheeks told Erik that he had already had many, many drinks. Charles pushed the drink in from of Erik with a broad smile.
Erik picked up the glass and sipped it. It burned going down. “Is this what you’re drinking?” he asked.
Charles laughed and picked up Erik’s glass and downed what was left in one swallow then refilled it. Someone else called to Charles and Charles put the bottle next to Erik’s glass and went to serve more drinks. Erik watched him for a few minutes before Emma, a regular at these parties, started a conversation with him.
Erik spoke with Emma and her friend Jasmin while keeping an eye on Charles. Once in a while they’re eyes would meet and they would share a private smile.
“You should take him upstairs soon,” Emma observed after finishing another drink. “Before he’s too wasted to do anything.”
Erik, who had been carefully nursing his bourbon looked at her.
Jasmin giggled and whispered in Emma’s ear before disappearing. After she left Emma leaned forward. “He has other bartenders who can handle the bar for him. Take him away and ravish him.”
Erik looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He opened his mouth to retort when he saw someone grab Charles’s by the wrist. Erik was slightly surprised when Charles stepped back instead of closer to the owner of the hand, so maneuvered himself so he could see the scene play out.
The man who had grabbed Charles’ wrist was slightly older than Erik, his brown hair on the longer, shaggier side. He had a mustache and smirked as Charles tugged on his wrist.
“Shit,” Emma said under her breath.
“What?”
“It’s fucking Shaw.” Emma stood up and went over to them. Erik pushed his way behind her. “Hello, Sebastian,” She said. “I didn’t know they let slime like you in here.”
“Charming, Emma. As always,” Shaw said squeezing Charles’s wrist.
“Let me get you a drink,” Charles said tugging on his wrist again.
“I’d rather give you your birthday spanking,” Shaw purred pulling Charles closer.
“I’m sorry, but that honor has already gone to Erik, his boyfriend,” Emma said tilting her head to Erik.
Shaw stilled, his smirk fading from his face. “Boyfriend, huh?” he said looking up at Erik. “I didn’t know you were doing domestic, Charles.”
“He is,” Erik said leaning forward. “If you would kindly remove your hand,” Erik smiled showing off his perfect teeth.
Shaw looked from Charles to Erik, then back to Charles. He let Charles go and raised his hands to show he meant no harm.
“I’ll take over Charles,” Emma said climbing over the bar. “Erik told me he had some etchings to show you,” she said loudly with a wink.
The bar around them laughed and Charles grabbed another bottle of bourbon and followed Erik out of the bar.
Erik and Charles walked up the stairs in silence until they reached their floor. Erik quickly opened his door and silently invited Charles in. “Thank you my friend,” Charles said quickly. “Sebastian sometimes…”
Erik took hold of Charles’s right hand and looked at the bruises that were just starting to form. “is an asshole?” Erik asked shaking his head and going to this kitchen.
Charles stood around awkwardly until Erik walked back with some ice wrapped in a towel and two glasses. “He’s not that bad. He just…”
“Azazael doesn’t even like him,” Erik said leading Charles to the couch. He wrapped Charles’s wrist then poured the drinks. “Azazael like everyone.”
“He had been influenced by my sister. She does not like him.” Charles said sitting down on Erik’s couch.
“Why not?” Erik asked. He hunted around his shelves for a moment before he found Charles’s chess set.
“You play?” Charles asked sitting up.
Erik sat down on the other edge of the couch and put the set between them. “Yes, I hadn’t realized that you played until we switched libraries. We don’t need to play a full game, I just want to keep you up here until Shaw loses interest and goes away.”
Charles eagerly set up his pieces. “I haven’t played in years. White or black?”
“Black.” Erik said helping him. They turned the board correctly and Charles made the first move.
“So, why doesn’t your sister, or Emma, like Shaw?” Erik said moving his knight.
“He is… awkwardly persistent.” Charles said after moving one of his pieces. “We met at a party last year and he was… forthright in his intention to sleep with me. I wasn’t interested and he tried to insist. In his defense he had a lot to drink. We both did.”
“Did he stop?”
Charles flushed slightly. “Yes. I may have pushed him into a snow bank to cool him down a little.”
“What did he do?”
“A group of friends came by and I left with them.” Charles shrugged. “He’s tried to talk to me a few times since, but I’ve kept our conversations fairly public. I did not expect to see him tonight.”
“So explain to me why your sister feels obligated to tell everyone you’re a slag?”
“This is terribly embarrassing.” Charles said sipping his drink. He took a breath. “I am…” he moved one of his pieces. “I have a tendency to talk a lot. You might have noticed.”
Erik motioned for him to continue.
“It tends to make people lose interest,” Charles finished with a flush.
“Then talk less.”
“I would, my friend, but I find that if I am going to bed someone, I need to feel that we’ve… connected in some way.”
“You want to make your first time special,” Erik said with the tiniest smirk.
“I really don’t know what more mortifying, having this conversation with you or having you save me from Shaw like a princess.”
“No, mortifying would be if I carried you upstairs like a princess.” Erik disagreed. “This is fine. My first sexual encounter was with a girl I had met in my junior year at undergrad. We met at a party and ending up having sex that night. She was very aggressive. And enjoyed public displays. It was terrifying.” He chuckled remembering Magda. “I figured out quickly that my interest lie elsewhere.”
Charles chuckled.
“My first experience with a man was with Nathaniel Essex.”
“The professor at Rotterdam University?” Charles asked, his head shooting up. “Isn’t he…”
“Married with children? Yes. I was his TA at the time. I thought it was love, he thought I was a decent enough fuck to keep me on for two years. His wife found out after our second year and put down an ultimatum, her or I and he, of course, chose her.” At Charles’s sympathetic look, Erik smirked. “Oh, don’t feel bad for me. I got my revenge when I slept with her brother who happened to be a catholic priest.”
“A catholic priest?” Charles asked incredulously.
“I’ve been told that I have a very nice ass.”
Charles laughed.
Erik took a sip of his bourbon and then looked at Charles. “So, according to your sister, you are a wildly voracious omnisexual. What are you, really?”
Charles flushed and moved his chess piece. “In that, Raven may be on to something. I find that the people I find attractive are typically of both genders. You?”
“Oh, I’m most definitely gay.” He considered his options and moved his rook. “Are you harboring any secret crushes that I can torment you over?”
“Raven does enough of that, thank you,” Charles laughed. “I don’t think I need you to help her.”
“Come on, Charles, there has to be someone.” Erik smiled, his stomach in knots.
Charles moved and took his bishop. “I don’t have the time to devote to a proper relationship and I know that I don’t want a one night stand. I am content with the way things are now.”
“Content? Not happy?” Erik teased gently as he moved another chess piece. “Check.”
Charles studied the board. “There are times Raven is so sublimely happy with Azazael that I wonder if I am missing out on something.” His voice was wistful.
Erik watched Charles for a few minutes quietly until Charles looked up. For several long seconds, the chess game, the party, everything was forgotten and Erik could read the naked want in Charles’s big blue eyes. Erik wondered desperately if that want was directed at him.
It couldn’t be, Erik decided, ignoring the sick he felt in his belly. “Well,” Erik’s voice cracked just slightly. “Well, as your fake boyfriend, I will endeavor to work harder to keep you from thinking that.”
Charles smiled faintly.
Erik returned his smile. “So, what are your holiday plans?”
“Raven and I usually stick around here for Christmas. I have been thinking of gifting them with a trip to Paris for New Year’s. What about you?”
“I was going to stay around here and get a jump of my reading for the next semester.”
“Ah, all work and no fun will make Erik a dull man,” Charles teased.
“I know you Charles,” Erik informed him. “I know you’ll be doing the same.”
Charles chuckled and moved one of his pieces. “Check.”
Erik moved his queen. “Check.” He turned and refilled their glasses.
“Why don’t we all go to Paris?” Charles asked after moving his bishop to take Erik’s queen. Charles looked up. “Just for a few days. It would be lovely.”
Erik shook his head. “Not everyone is as wealth as you are.”
“Speaking of that, would you be interested in a TA position for next semester?”
Erik looked at him in surprise.
“The survey courses are at 10:00 am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The labs are at 2:00 on Tuesdays. Would that conflict with your schedule?”
“No,” Erik said the hint of a smile touching his lips.
“What do you think?” Charles asked.
“It would be my pleasure.” Erik smiled.
The next couple of weeks went by quickly. There were papers, exams, and labs that filled their time. Erik spent most his time outside of class with Charles sitting on his couch as they traded papers and quizzed each other. Raven was excited about going to Paris and busied herself with making the arrangements. It was with great relief when grades were posted and Erik emerged at the top of his classes. Charles, of course maintained his top position as well.
Raven, Erik, Charles, and Azazael had gone out to dinner after grades were posted. They drank champagne and laughed until Azazael announced that he needed to go. He was returning home for Christmas day, but promised to be back in time for their trip. As Raven kissed him goodbye, Charles and Erik talked about the classes they were going to teach.
Raven grabbed their arms and they started walking back to the apartment. “So, should I be expecting an announcement soon?” Charles asked Raven with a smile.
Raven laughed and hid her face in Charles’s arm. “No, nothing like that. Azazael has school to finish.”
“That job offer he got seems pretty solid,” Erik observed. “And he seemed pretty certain that he wasn’t going to stay for his doctorate.”
“He’s not,” Raven answered. “I think he’s tired of school, unlike you two.”
Charles and Erik shared a smile over her head.
“Paris is going to be amazing!” Raven said hugging their arms. “I can’t wait. Have you ever been to Paris?” she asked Erik.
“No,” Erik said admiring the large black automobile in front of their building.
“You’ll love it!” Raven enthused. “There is so much to see and do, and the food is amazing!”
Erik noticed Charles’s little frown.
“…the shopping is pretty spectacular too, of course. Just think four days without a text book or a paper or any of that boring drivel you guys spout after being in classes for too long! Erik, we are going to spoil you rotten!”
Erik tore his eyes away from Charles’s increasingly pale face. “Not too rotten, I hope.”
Raven laughed as they climbed the stairs. “I was going to get separate rooms for everyone, but I decided instead to get two interconnecting suites. You and Charles can… Cain.” Raven stopped and stared at the amazingly corpulent man hulking in from of Raven’s and Charles’s door.
Erik felt, rather than saw Charles’s go still.
The man, Cain, blatantly leered at Raven in a way that made Erik feel dirty. “Hello, Raven.” He said maliciously.
Charles stepped forward and subtly pushed Raven and Erik behind him. “Hello, Cain, what can I do for you?” he asked with stiff formality.
“Dad sent me to pick you up for Christmas, Charles,” Cain said with an unpleasant smile. “Maybe I can bring Raven as well.”
“No!” Charles said instantly. “Raven and Erik have plans.” He pushed them toward Erik’s door. “Good night, I will see you…”
“Charles…” Raven shook her head and grabbed his arm back. “don’t…”
“Why not, Charles? I haven’t seen my pretty sister in years. It would be good to play house with her.” Cain’s voice dripped with innuendo.
“No, I couldn’t possible disrupt your plans,” Charles pushed Raven into Erik’s arms, and he looked at Erik, clearly begging him to help. “Good night.”
Erik looked from Charles’s to Cain then nodded. “Why don’t you wait in my apartment, Raven? I’ll help Charles…”
Cain grabbed Charles’s shoulder and roughly pulled him close. “Charles doesn’t need your help.” He started pushing Charles toward the steps. “Come on, Charles, I’ve waited long enough.” With that they were gone.
Raven stared after them, tense and angry. All good humor for the night seemed to have been leeched away from them. Erik opened his apartment door and he pulled her in. “Who is that?” he demanded.
“That monster is Cain Marko, Charles’s step brother,” Raven said flatly.
Erik frowned. Charles had never mentioned any other family aside from his mother. “Raven, tell me what’s going on.”
“You want to know what’s going on?” Raven’s voice was harsh and angry. “Charles’s mother’s been living so deep in the bottle that her liver’s started to give out. Her husband and stepson are worried that she’s going to die without giving them a cent. They are not above threatening Charles to get their way.”
“Wait, what?”
Raven’s eyes were colder than Erik had ever seen them before. “Charles’s father died when Charles was 13. He willed all his money solely to Charles. Charles’s mother quickly remarried to Kurt Markos who is a money grubbing waste of breath. His son’s even worse. They were terrible from the moment Sharon brought them to the house. Charles arranged to have me sent to boarding school a year after Sharon married that maggot. I haven’t been back since.”
“That seems wise based on how he was looking at you,” Erik observed.
“Charles has always been protective of me.” Raven took a breath, her angry fading into worry. She shook her head. “I should go. I’ll see you tomorrow, Erik.”
“Wait…”
“No,” Raven said shaking her head. “Forget I said anything. Charles wouldn’t want you to know.”
“Charles is an idiot.”
Raven just sighed and left. Erik quashed the urge to throw things.
Now that Erik had gotten a glimpse of Cain Marko, the wait for Charles’s return was worse then ever. Erik and Raven sat together, usually in silence waiting. And waiting. And waiting. The day after Christmas, Raven had gone to her apartment to catch some sleep when she returned not 20 minutes later, pale and scared.
“Could you come with me to pick up Charles?” she asked. “He called. He never calls. I…”
Erik took the keys from her shaking hands and grabbed his coat. “I’ll drive.”
“He doesn’t want us to come to the house. Just to the pub down the road from the house. I’m scared, Erik.”
Erik quickly unlocked the car. “What are you scared of?”
Raven was quiet for a moment. “I shouldn’t tell you.”
“I think I’m going to find out for myself in a little while,” Erik said starting the car.
“We’re going to Bainbridge,” Raven said chewing her lip. “I’m probably over reacting.”
Erik followed the signs to Bainbridge and got on the highway. “What are you afraid of?”
“When he got back last time, he had bruises,” Raven whispered. “He said that he fell down the stairs, but…”
“But what?”
“I think they hurt him.”
Erik sped up. The rest of the two hour trip was quiet except for Raven’s soft directions.
Snow started falling half way there. The dark and snow forced Erik to slow even as his heart pounded the seconds away. Finally when they arrived at the pub, he and Raven quickly parked the car and went in. Charles was nowhere to be seen, and the patrons of the pub, who were very fond of Charles, hadn’t seen him either.
“It’s been two hours!” Raven sad gripping Erik’s arm hard enough to leave bruises. “Why isn’t he here?”
“Direct me to the house. He might have gotten delayed,” Erik ordered.
“No, he…”
“Raven, he could be in trouble. Now isn’t the time to worry about his delicate sensibilities.”
Raven shut her mouth and climbed back into the car.
The snow was falling fast, making Erik drive even slower. Halfway to the house, he spotted something dark in the snow on the side of the road. “Oh, god!” he exclaimed, stopping the car quickly and jumping out.
Charles, dressed in a blue cardigan and no winter coat was lying face down in the snow. Erik and Raven carefully turned him over and were horrified to find his face bruised and bloody. “Raven?” he said hoarsely. Erik caught a glimpse of bruises starting to form around his neck.
“Get the door open,” Erik ordered Raven. As she sprung up to open the door, Erik swept Charles up in his arms.
Charles’s tensed and made a pained noise, and Erik tried to be more gentle. He eased Charles into the back seat of the car, pulled off his coat and laid it on top of him. Raven climbed in and rested Charles’s head on her lap.
Erik quickly pulled away.
“I’m sorry,” Charles whispered, shivering violently. “I’m sorry Raven.”
“You are never going back there again,” Raven said through her tears. “I don’t care what happens.”
“I couldn’t stop him,” Charles’s teeth chattered. “I tried.”
“Shhh,” Raven soothed. “I know you did. Just rest, Charles.”
Charles opened his eyes and blinked at the bright light around him. The absence of pain and the annoying steady beeping somewhere over his shoulder informed him that he was probably in a hospital. He took a breath and looked around the room.
“Raven and Azazael left a little while ago to get something to eat,” Erik said quietly. “Do you want me to get them, Charles?”
“No,” Charles’s voice came out raspy and it hurt even over the strong painkiller that were dripping into him. He tried to swallow and was ridiculously thankful when Erik poured some water in a cup and brought it to his lips. Even swallowing hurt. “No.” Charles repeated. “Where am I?”
“You are in Bainbridge hospital.”
Charles tried to sit up quickly, but Erik pushed him back down. “No! I have to…”
“It’s okay. Your step father and brother have already been here. Raven sent them away. She used her authority as your proxy to get them removed and barred from the hospital. You’re safe here.” Erik’s finger’s itched to smooth Charles’s brown hair off his face.
Charles closed his eyes. “What day is it?”
“Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve.”
Charles’s eye shot open and he struggled to sit up again. “Paris.”
“Lay back down, Charles,” Erik said soothingly. “You’re in no condition to travel anywhere right now.”
“You should go without me,” Charles insisted.
Erik chuckled and gave into the temptation and ran his hand thought Charles’s hair. It was just as soft as it looked. “We are going nowhere without you.”
“Erik…”
“No, Charles, we can go to Paris some other time. Right now let’s focus on you.”
“You don’t need to play nursemaid to me, Erik. I’m…”
“If you try to tell me you’re fine, I’m going to ask them to decrease your pain medication,” Erik threatened. “You have 3 broken ribs, a punctured lung, a badly sprained wrist, a dislocated shoulder, and nasty concussion. They were considering drilling a hole in your skull to relieve the pressure. You are not fine.”
“I…”
“And if you think you can tell me that you just fell down some stairs, you have a large bruise the size of a large shoe on your chest,” Erik said, brushing his knuckles against Charles’s pale cheek. “Based on how the staff at this hospital recognized you, I don’t think this is the first time you’ve been admitted here.”
Charles’s closed his eyes and turned his face away.
“Don’t hide from me, Charles,” Erik said softly. “I’m your friend. I won’t let you go through this alone. And neither will Raven and Azazael.”
“I’m sorry.”
“The only thing you need to be sorry about is hiding this from us.” Erik paused and looked away, looking for the words. “I know what it’s like.” He whispered. At the tone of his voice Charles opened his eyes and looked at him. Erik focused on the dark bruises around Charles’s neck. “It eats your soul and crushes you with shame.” He looked up into Charles’s eyes and traced his bruised cheeks with his fingertips. “It took me years,” Erik drew a shaky breath. “Years, Charles, to figure out how to deal with… All of it. If you had met me in my primaries or even in post-secondary you would be horrified. Even now… it’s hard for me sometimes.” Erik gave a pained little smile. “But now there’s you. And you make it easier for me. You…”
Charles tried to lift his sprained wrist, but found it covered in plaster. Erik’s smiled grew slightly more real and he brushed his fingers against Charles’s fingers. Charles’s fingers tried to tighten around Erik’s but the pain made him grimace.
“Let me make this easier for you Charles. Please. Let me in.” I love you.
“You already do,” Charles’s whispered.
Erik smiled and leaned down and kissed Charles’s forehead.
“Finally!”
Erik jumped away from Charles and looked toward the door. Raven and Azazael were looking at him and Charles. Raven stepped in and went to Charles’s bedside. “I think it’s time we had a long conversation, little brother,” Raven said sternly.
“I think Lehnsherr and I have other business to attend to,” Azazael said swiftly.
Erik looked like he wanted to argue, but looking at the look on Raven’s face Erik nodded. “I won’t be far,” Erik said quietly to Charles.
Charles nodded, then turned to Raven. Erik followed Azazael out of the room.