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The wind blew his silver hair past his face as he stared up at the aspheric magnetic fields, the current so strong he couldn’t get past the barrier encircling the man at the center, even with his superspeed.
You have more family than you know, Raven had told Magneto. She meant Peter, didn’t she?
Peter realized the attention had turned to him—“And you?”
“I'm your…” he stopped himself short, realizing he hadn’t thought this through. “I'm here for my family, too.”
But, he knew he was lying to himself. Peter thought about it every day since he figured out Magneto was his dad. He thought about how he would tell him the truth, and then how the news would be received. Those thoughts usually led to him imagining how, in detail, he would be rejected. He used to wonder, Can someone even reject the responsibility of being a parent? But then again, he’s twenty-eight. His dad can’t be forced into the life of his son against his will, especially a son he was previously unaware of.
Besides, why would he want a son like Peter, who acts like a child and runs away from everything, anyway? He can’t even tell his own father that they’re related! But Peter felt like telling him would just say: “Hey! Sorry, you lost your family and rights and stuff, but guess what! You slept with my mom almost thirty years ago, and now you get to deal with me! Hope I’m a good enough replacement for your dead wife and daughter.”
He couldn’t stop his thoughts from spiraling, but he could run, headfirst into battle, into trouble. Even when he felt his bones snap and his vision fade in and out, at least the pain subdued the rapid fire of his thoughts.
When the war was won and the school was rebuilt, Erik stayed. Peter was painfully aware Charles was the reason, and he wondered if knowing the truth would keep his dad around, or drive him away. The moment his leg healed, he ran again. Circled the world and back in minutes, and it wasn’t enough. He needed to go further, get as far away as possible—but he kept coming back, because somehow, this place had become his home, and he enjoyed the company of his dad, even if he was none the wiser.
One day, he walked in on the Professor and his father playing chess. He promptly left the room, without being seen. But then, he never quite got what he wanted, did he?
Charles felt his presence with his mind, and Erik sensed the metal in the air. He was known, and that was perhaps the worst of it. He could’ve been faster, stopped himself from lingering just a second too long, forgetting to slip back into superspeed.
Peter left, but he was followed. Turning around, he threw his hands up with a sheepish smile, “Promise I didn’t mean to interrupt, your, uh,” date. “Game.” He was face to face with his dad, and he would rather the pitying aren’t your students' expecting you look from Charles if he were honest.
Erik simply waved a hand, “I bested him.” He plays chess with a telepath and wins. Unbelievable. “We need to talk,” Erik says, bluntly.
Peter did his best not to flinch at the thought, his mind coming up with limitless possibilities for what he could possibly be talking about—and what he no doubt was.
Did Raven get drunk and tell him? Did he figure it out on his own? Was mom trying to visit the school and ran into him instead? Is he furious? Does he know? How much does he know? How did he figure it out? Does he hate me for lying? Did I even technically die? Did he randomly remember me mentioning mom knew a guy who could manipulate metal, even though that was before I figured out it was him, and I’m a complete idiot?
Just in time for his spiral, Charles wheeled out of the room behind him and down the hall, patting his arm along the way. He knew Charles couldn’t read his mind, due to the rapid speed of his thoughts, but surely he could feel the anxiety radiating off him, right?
“What, uh,” Peter rubbed his neck, “what did you want to talk about?”
“Something Raven said the other day caught my attention. Let’s talk inside,” he said, nodding towards the room he and Charles were playing chess in.
“Sure,” Peter nodded, pressing his lips together—it was better to not do something stupid like accidentally slip up and tell the truth, while Erik was going to talk about something else entirely. Oh my god, what if he doesn’t know and this is just something else? He thinks, oxygen refilling his lungs all at once as he hesitantly stood until Erik gestured for him to sit. When he did, Erik did the same. “So…” he didn’t plan on continuing, hoping Erik would catch on and get to his point. After a beat, “What did Raven say?”
“She told me she has a son.” Peter almost choked.
Not, she told me I have a son. She does. Then, Raven has a son?
“Who?” He found himself asking, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.
“That’s not my place to tell. It’s also not the point.”
“So… what is the point?”
“Peter…” Erik looked like he wasn’t sure how to approach this. “Do you know who your father is?”
“Yeah?” Peter said blankly. “I mean, I figured it out and everything, yeah?”
“I–” Erik stopped. “Oh. Well, then, never mind.”
“Wait, what?” Peter stopped short, at a loss.
“I thought if you didn’t know…” Erik trailed off, standing. “Well, never mind. It doesn’t matter much, I guess.”
“What the hell do you mean, it doesn’t matter?” Peter stood, too, then, hands stuffed into his pockets.
“I honestly don’t know what I thought. I apologize for pulling you away from your students.”
“I wasn’t in class,” Peter tilted his head. “Seriously, what’s up with you, dude? What would you have said if I told you I didn’t know who my dad was?”
“I really don’t know where I came up with it, but I realized why your surname sounded so familiar… I encountered your mother. A long time ago, long enough that…”
Oh. Well, shit. “Long enough that I might’ve been a consequence of it?” Peter guessed, brows raised. Erik cringed at the word consequence.
“I apologize, I didn’t know if–”
“Well, you weren’t wrong,” Peter muttered, his words almost too quick to catch onto.
“What?” Erik sounded unsure, and slightly taken aback.
“I’m almost thirty years old, Erik. I’m going to be straight with you.” Blunt confidence he didn’t know he was capable of rose in his chest, prodding him to continue. “You slept with my mom, yes, and yes, I’m the product of it.”
“Fucking hell,” Erik sounded thoroughly shocked, even though he initiated it. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” Peter deadpanned. He wondered if Erik was going to faint or something, with how he was looking at him. “Did you know I’m a twin?”