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"Just the usual."
Charles sat down in front of his sister, his voice - even hushed -, disturbing the silence in the library.
"What are you talking about?" Raven asked, frowning over the weighty textbook she was reading.
"I said just the usual. There are idiots in this university and somehow they all want to study genetics."
Raven looked around, but the librarians were nowhere in sight. It wouldn't be the first time for them to get thrown out.
"Charles, darling, why the hell are you here?"
Charles shrugged. "I don't know, I just got so fed up with these small-minded people. And they call themselves scientists."
Raven marked her place in the book and closed it before looking up at Charles. "I need to finish this, but I will be done in half an hour. Why don't you keep me - silent - company until then, and we can go and get a cuppa somewhere after? I would love to hear all about these terrible people. But I would also appreciate not getting thrown out."
Charles knew Raven was right, so he pulled out a book from his bag and started to read.
"Where is your better half?" Raven asked when they left the library. "Shouldn't you wine to him about your troubles?"
Charles elbowed her in the side. "Hey, he is not my better half. And he is working. Late shift at the mechanic. So you won my company for the afternoon. Where are we going? I could use a drink."
Raven just shook her head disbelieving. She had her opinions about Charles's drinking habits. But her brother looked like he really needed that drink so they ended up at their regular a bar just off-campus.
"So tell me, darling brother. Who rained on your parade this time?" Raven asked soon, drinks and table successfully acquired.
"Stupid people," Charles said as an explanation, taking a long swing of his beer.
"You already said that. Care to elaborate?"
"There is this asshole in one of my classes. Big time mutantphobe. In his opinion, we all have a genetic disease that should be cured. Or if it can't be cured we should be segregated and kept away from "pure people". And he is very vocal about this."
Raven clenched her fist and her expression grew dark. "You need to tell about this asshole to Erik. He could have some words with the guy. He is so good at making this type see the error of their ways. If they can still see afterward."
Charles gave his sister a reprimanding look. "You know I don't agree with those methods. Violence is never the answer. We should be better than them."
"Charles, you are my brother and I love you. But you can be so terribly naive about these kinds of stuff. You can't reason with these people. They only understand power. They must see that we are not afraid of them, and we will hit back."
Charles shook his head and took another swig of his beer. "You spend way too much time with Erik and that shady Russian friend of yours."
"Excuse you," Raven scoffed. "I knew Erik before you had, and without me you wouldn't have found each other again. So don't you diss Hellfire Club, it's a very important organization."
"You have a name now? I thought it was only a "study group".
Raven gave him a leveling look. "It was never only a study group and you know that."
Charles finished his drink. "I don't want to fight. I had enough of that today," he said wearily.
"You don't have to fight. Just give me the name and we will take care of that."
"No, I will not. I will get another drink, and then I will go home. Don't tell Erik about this. I don't want him to get into trouble."
"I can't promise that. Erik is a grown man, he can make his own decisions."
When Charles got back to their table, he stopped short and had to do a double-take to see if his eyes were not tricking him. Erik was casually talking to Raven like he had always been there.
"What the hell did I miss?" He asked when he got his voice back, putting the glasses down. "Shouldn't you be working?"
"Good to see you too," Erik said with an eye-roll. "Got off early, thought I could use a drink after this day. Didn't know you two had the same thought."
Raven scooted over so Charles could sit down across from Erik. "Charles was just telling me about his asshole classmate. Good thing you are here, it's another one for the Club to look into."
Charles looked at Raven with narrowed eyes.
"It's nothing," he said pointedly.
"It didn't sound nothing."
Erik looked confused. "What are you two talking about?"
"Erik, what are you drinking?" Charles tried to change the subject. "My treat."
"Guiness, if they have it. Still can't stomach the American beer. But don't think you can get out of this so easily."
The moment Charles came back with the drink, Raven was on him again.
"If you don't tell him, I will. Charles's classmate is some big game mutantphobe with some nasty ideas. I say we should teach him a lesson. But my brother here is all for trying to talk some sense into him. What do you think, Erik?"
Raven smiled up at Erik, ignoring the death glares coming from Charles.
Erik's expression darkened. "I think these kinds of jerks should remember that their blood has a high iron percentage."
"Exactly. Thank you for proving my point here," Raven said smugly. "That's two against one, Charles."
Charles crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I don't care. I will not give you his name and justify him in his fear of us. That's exactly the problem with your ways. It gives them more reason to hate us."
"They don't need help with that," Erik piped in. "They already want us dead."
"Geez, get a room, you two," Raven said, looking from his brother to Erik. "Is arguing some sort of weird foreplay for you? Because it's getting hot in here."
That comment lifted the mood, as Erik quickly became red as a tomato and Charles looked put off for an entire reason completely.
"That's absolutely none of your business," Charles said pointedly.
"Well, you are making it my business eye-fucking your boyfriend next to me."
"Could you turn it down?" Erik asked, looking around the pub. "I would rather not advertise our relations to the entire place, thank you very much."
Raven shrugged. "How can you be so proud of being a mutant and so ashamed of being with my brother is beyond me. Why is one different from the other?"
"I'm not ashamed of being with Charles. It's just private, and I would like to keep it that."
"And there is nothing wrong with that," Charles quickly confirmed, smiling at Erik. "I'm happy to keep you all to myself. Even with your questionable ways of dealing with things."
"And I think that's my cue to leave," Raven finished her drink and stood up. "Have fun debating or whatever you wish to call it."
Erik looked after the girl as she walked away.
"Your sister is one of a kind."
"Oh, do I know that," Charles said, still smiling. "So what do you say? Fancy a game of chess at my place?"
"I thought you would never ask."