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Staying in the room that had been dubbed the common room wasn’t something Erik ever really enjoyed. In the time he wasn’t teaching the children he preferred to be in the study with Charles, or outside on a run or at least a walk. Maybe he would find a place to do some grading, or read a book, or play chess with Charles.
Sometimes he and Pietro would go out and do some training or he would help the boy with some of his coursework he was struggling with. And when Erik couldn’t help, he would go find Charles for backup.
Anything really, but he didn’t tend to spend extra time around the students when he wasn’t teaching them.
Except now when Charles insisted it would be good for him to do so. Erik thought it was crossing a boundary, being seen as more a normal person and less a teacher, but that was the exact point Charles was making. Apparently, he should be seen as a person by them.
Somehow, it was an argument he lost and now he’s sitting on the couch, feet up on the coffee table —an argument he had won— with Charles sitting next to him. The small tv is on in the corner and his eyes are locked on it, not even sure what he’s watching. But he can’t help overhearing the teens’ conversation no matter how hard he tries.
They’ve been working on a school dance for the last couple of weeks, insisting that the other schools get to have one, and they should as well. Charles gave in and told them they could have it in the ballroom, as though it was normal for a house to have a ballroom.
“I bet you were popular in school, weren’t you, Professor?” Jean asks, looking up from the papers in front of her, a mess of possible decoration choices on the floor that Raven had brought in.
Charles smiles, “I wasn’t unpopular, I suppose,” He replies and Raven scoffs.
“Charles was the nerdiest boy in school and still had a group of friends. They all seemed to think he was charming. And then he opened his mouth.”
“And they loved my accent,” Charles fills in as Raven rolls her eyes.
“And then they heard what you were saying and that’s when they all decided they were wrong.” She continues for him.
Erik couldn’t help but think Raven was probably right. Charles is beautiful, and his accent is lovely, though he can say some things that make Erik question his genius status. Even if he does know how smart he is.
“What about you then, Raven?” Scott asks, “Give the professor time to get revenge.”
“I was the most popular,” She replies, shrugging.
“She would find out what the latest trends were and follow them with ease. Hair color, length, the clothes, it didn’t matter. If it was something completely different from what she started in that morning by lunch she was following along,” Charles adds in for her.
Erik smiles, “Using her powers and being proud of them, as she should be,” He comments, getting a glare from Charles, which he only smiles about.
“Exactly,” Raven replies, laughing softly. “And I wasn’t a geek on top of that. I had pick-up lines that weren’t related to genetics.”
Charles rolls his eyes this time, “Oh please, those worked enough of the time that it didn’t matter.”
“They thought it would shut you up to agree,” Erik says, teasingly, looking down at the smaller man who lightly smacked his arm, seemingly trying to suppress a smile.
“I bet dad was popular,” Pietro jumps in, making Erik’s head whip around. He is certain his son wasn’t in the room moments ago when this conversation started. Though he knows he probably wasn’t.
Erik freezes for a second, considering. He’s certain his son should know, but at the same time, did he ever tell him? Jean, Scott, Ororo, and Kurt are looking at him curiously, Charles seems just as uncomfortable as him, and Raven is just staring at him and it takes him a moment to remember how to speak.
“Well, the last time I was in school I was six,” He replies, “I don’t think there were really popular kids then. I wasn’t exactly the child left out though.”
“Six?” Charles asks, looking over at him, “I thought it would have been later than that.”
He looks curious and Erik can’t help but feel more uncomfortable, especially as the younger ones seem to have their mouths hanging open.
“There were laws in Germany limiting how many Jews could go to school because of overcrowding. It started in ’33. I managed for a couple of years before I couldn’t go back. Of course, by then they were setting up the camps and working to round us up. My mama taught me some at home in the next couple of years and then…well. The rest.”
“So you didn’t go to school? Then why do I have to go?” Pietro asks, falling back on one of the open couches, legs dangling over the armrest. “You’re plenty smart enough. I could do that too.”
“I didn’t go because I had no choice,” Erik replies, a little annoyed that his son couldn’t wrap his head around this. But, at the same time, he sometimes struggles with it as well, even now. “If I could have been like you all, don’t you think I would? I would have preferred to learn with others, and worry about dances, and who I would ask but instead, there was survival I had to focus on. People to kill so that I could live, my childhood and teenage years were spent in constant fear, fighting for my life, being the test subject in camps, watching as those I loved were killed or hurt,” He can feel tears in his eyes as he thinks about his mama and papa and everything Shaw put him through. Those years of wear on his parents as he struggled to understand and keep up with what was happening and try to find a way to save his parents.
“Just enjoy your dance. Enjoy the time you have to plan it and your friends. You never know when that’s going to be taken away.” With that, he gets up and walks out of the room. The children can’t see him break. Despite what Charles said about them, he doesn’t need them to know he still struggles with his past and cries over his dead parents.
Charles watches after Erik as he leaves the room. The children look from the empty doorway over to Charles who is now getting into his chair.
“You should ask him to the dance, Professor,” Jean says, “Everyone deserves to go to a school dance at least once in their life.”
Charles smiles over at Jean, “Already on it,” He assures her, just wondering if he still remembers how to ask someone to a dance. Even if that person has been his partner for the last decade. “Though I might need some help. For now, I need to go check on him and make sure he’s alright. If you would excuse me.” With that, he rolls out of the room.
Erik was uncertain what to think when Charles told him they were to meet at seven in the study and not to eat dinner. Sure, they often met there, but it was strange to meet at such an early time. And dinner?
It wasn’t the typical request and the thoughts about what it could be have been following him all day.
By the time six thirty arrives, he isn’t sure he can take it any longer but makes himself waste a little more time. He cleans up and tries to put a little effort into his appearance for Charles. After all, it didn’t sound like this was a break-up or anything.
It’s ten til seven when he arrives outside the study door and pauses. Is Charles even in there yet? Should he waste more time or go on in?
“On my way up, darling. I must confess I was hoping to collect you from your room, but this will do.”
Erik smiles, hearing the other man and feeling him using his powers. He’s always loved that. Charles should be able to use them as he pleases and show off a little.
“How nice of you, love,” Charles says and Erik rolls his eyes.
“Listening in, are you, my friend?”
“How can I resist when you’re thinking such nice thoughts about me? Besides, it hardly seems as though your mind.” Charles sends to him seconds before whispering, “Beautiful.” From right behind him.
Erik smiles and turns around, looking at Charles. He can’t help but think the same thing. His hair looks softer than usual, and that’s saying something. The blue-grey shirt he’s wearing brings out his eyes nicely. He could swear the man is wearing something on his lips to make them more red and shiny. They slowly curve up into a smile and part.
“I see you appreciate the work I’ve put in. Though I must say, I appreciate what you’ve done as well. Why don’t we go in?” Charles asks and Erik can’t help but feel underdressed and underprepared for what he is about to walk into.
He raises his hand, using his powers to open the door and then motions for Charles to go in first and he walks in right behind him. His eyes widen. Apparently, this is supposed to be a date night. Two small tables have been pushed together. On one, a meal for two—the reason he was told not to eat dinner with the rest of the school—and on the other, their chess board set up for a game.
“What’s this all about, Charles?” Erik asks, moving to look at the man, who only smiles at him.
“You’ll see soon enough.”
The two of them make their way over, settling in to eat dinner and play a game of chess together. They talk about their days and venture into politics a time or two before returning to safer topics. After a while, Erik has to ask,
“How did you pull all of this off, anyway?”
“I did have some help, I can’t deny that,” Charles replies with a smile. “Some help cooking and getting the other table in here. Apart from that, I will not reveal my secrets.”
Erik smiles back at him, but still has questions, “You said I’d learn what all of this was about. When does that happen?”
Charles smiles softly and bites his bottom lip. Erik can’t help but think he’s nervous about something, though, for the life of him, he couldn’t imagine what. He sits quietly though, giving the man time to gather himself.
“I was wondering, Erik, if you would go to the dance with me?” Charles eventually asks and Erik finds himself wondering if his jaw has hit the floor. Whatever he might have been expecting, it wasn’t that.
Seeming to take his silence as a no, or uncertainty, Charles continues to speak. “It's just that after the conversation earlier about school, I was thinking, and Jean too apparently, that everyone deserves a chance to go to a school dance. You never got that. I know it might not be typical, but, well, I would like to spend the time with you and it’s not even as though I can really dance but, well-“
Erik lays a hand over Charles’s, holding it tightly in his own. “That just wasn’t what I was expecting, Schatz,” He says softly, “I would love to go to the dance with you. I just thought we were going to be chaperoning. Wouldn’t it be a little difficult?”
“Some of the others have volunteered. Raven has been asking around. I don’t know what she’s been telling them, but she’s going to be there, and Hank. I don’t know how many she’s recruited so far. We’ll still be there as well if needed. But I think some of the others can deal with most of it.”
Smiling, Erik nods, “Alright then. I suppose I’ll need to find something to wear to impress my date to the dance. How long do I have?” He might be slightly humoring Charles, but he does feel kind of excited as well, though he’s trying to hide it. He has the chance to try to surprise him, and impress him. He’s going to do everything he can. A nice suit, flowers. What else is customary?
He would ask Pietro but would that be weird? His sohn would probably think so. Maybe someone else could help him. Raven would just tease him relentlessly.
He’ll think of something.
“Two weeks,” Charles replies, moving his hand around to hold Erik’s, bringing it up to press a kiss to the back of it. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find something. You’ll look beautiful in anything…or nothing.”
“I’m wearing clothes to the school dance, Charles,” Erik insists, laughing softly.
“I would hope so. But there are customs after school dances as well,” He replies with a wink and Erik can’t help his face heating up.
Maybe he had missed out, but he can’t think of anyone he would rather have these first experiences with other than Charles.