Work Text:
Erik often had trouble sleeping, so this isn’t out of the ordinary for him. Still, it doesn’t make him appreciate it anymore.
He’s laying in bed, staring at the ceiling with Charles laying, sound asleep, right next to him. The struggle of keeping his mind from racing or moving around too much is all that’s keeping him from spiraling. The last thing he wants to do is wake Charles up and make this his problem too.
Anytime he closes his eyes to try to fall back to sleep, he sees Shaw’s face, and hears his mama’s body hit the floor. Or he smells the ocean, hears the gun, hears Charles fall, and sees the face of the students around them.
The sound of the thunder from outside seems to be conspiring with his brain. It seems to match up perfectly to provide the sounds of the gunshots, making Erik struggle not to jump with every crash and bang of thunder.
Normally storms don’t bother him. It’s not like he’s afraid of it, the exact opposite, in fact. The lightning normally tends to make him feel alive, as though the energy from each strike is coursing through his body. Now it just makes him uncomfortable, his skin too tight. If it wasn’t pouring rain, he’d be up running in the dark, anything to get rid of the built-up energy.
He’s yet to find a trigger for these nights. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe he’s getting too comfortable in this life with Charles after having spent so much of his life on the run, always having something to worry about, just struggling to stay alive. Now his biggest concern is if the latest shipment of food is going to make it in before the island runs out. Or building a new house when more mutants move in. Not that it’s not enough, but it’s not the same as staying on the move for his life and fighting the battles of all mutants.
Shifting from next to him pulls him out of his thoughts as he looks over at Charles as the other slowly turns to face him, eyes opening as he does. All the work to not wake him up seemed to be useless, but at least he got some sleep first.
“Bad night?” Charles asks softly, his hand going out to Erik’s arm and the cold from it makes him shudder.
Erik nods as he reaches for Charles’ hand, holding it between both of his own. “How you can still be so cold when it’s so warm in here, I’ll never understand,” Erik whispers back as he scoots closer, his arms wrapping around the smaller man, making sure the blanket is covering them both.
“My personal heater left the cuddle so he wouldn’t keep me up,” Charles replies, cuddling in.
Erik laughs softly, “Sorry, Liebling,” He whispers, “I just didn’t want to trouble you. You were sleeping well and it’s not the first time I’ve stayed up alone all night.”
“Doesn’t mean you still have to stay up alone,” Charles replies, pressing a kiss to Erik’s chest. “You’re not alone anymore. You’re not going to be again. I’m awake now, what do you want to do? Lay here? Get up? I’m sure we could find something to do, chess perhaps?”
Erik shakes his head, “Not this time, Schatz, we can just lay here for a while.” He’s really appreciating holding Charles in his arms, actually. The weight and warmth are comforting and grounding. Judging from the smile that he can feel forming against his chest, Charles picks up on those thoughts.
“You’re going soft, darling,” Charles informs him, teasingly.
“Or I’ve always been this way, I’m just finding it again and letting it show.” Erik returns, the inherent need to refute everything Charles says coming out before he realizes what he’s saying.
“I’ve told you, there’s more to you than you know. I’d be tempted to agree with you, that this has been a part of you the entire time.”
Erik groans, “You knew what you were saying from the beginning,” He says, accusingly, giving a gentle pinch to Charles’ side, making the man chuckle.
“Are you agreeing with me, love? Are you feeling alright?” Charles makes a show of pulling his hand out of Erik’s and presses it to his forehead to check.
Erik playfully bats the hand away before recapturing it in his own. “I’m fine. And I meant since you accused me of going soft. You knew what I would say then.”
“I’m a telepath, not a clairvoyant,” Charles replies, “You know this well enough by now. Especially after last night. Or earlier, I should say.”
“You know my thought process,” Erik states, “And yes, you made your powers clear then. I’m unlikely to forget them for a while after that.”
Charles laughs softly, “I’m just surprised that we made it this long without knowing about your telepathy kink.”
“That was your fault. I was hardly making it a secret. I offered you for you to come into my mind every chance I got. You were the one that seemed to hate the idea of using your powers on me,” Erik reminds him. “I did say you could make me do anything. That I couldn’t disobey you if I wanted. I was making my intentions and wants very clear.”
“Hardly clear. I wasn’t able to pick up on them,” Charles replies, pulling back from Erik’s chest just enough to look up at him.
“Because you wouldn’t look in my mind and see how much I love you. Somehow even me trying to mentally scream it at you wasn’t going through. Sometimes, Liebling, I think you can be a terrible telepath.”
Charles makes an offended noise and playfully pushes Erik’s shoulder, until the man starts to scoot away, then quickly wraps his arms back around him and pulls him back in.
“I’ll get cold again,” Charles says, making it sound almost like a threat and Erik chuckles softly.
“That’s what we’re trying to avoid. Don’t push me away and I won’t let you get cold again, okay?” He asks softly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head, and Charles nods.
There’s a moment of silence that stretches between them before Charles yawns, trying to cover it up but Erik notices all the same.
“My apologies,” Charles says softly. “I think getting warm’s made me tired again.”
Erik smiles softly and nods, tucking Charles's head back under his chin. “Go to sleep, Liebling, I might be able to now as well,” He whispers softly.
Their talk was a good distraction from the thoughts that had been racing through his head before. They’ve calmed and been pushed away. Erik wouldn’t be surprised if Charles wasn’t also using his powers to bury them again while they were talking. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Either way, as per-usual, Charles has been able to calm Erik’s mind and relax him in a way that little else has ever been able to do. He closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep even before Charles does.