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Charles rolled over to the record player and put on a new record that Hank had bought for him to try. He hummed along as it started. It was actually quite catchy, and it reminded him of better times. Of better places, too.
“The summer air was soft and warm. The feeling right, the Paris night did it’s best to please us.” The singer crooned of a night that he found very familiar. He and Erik walking together, the lights of Paris twinkling. They hadn’t had much that luck that night in recruiting any mutants, but they were still enjoying the city. They had stopped at the edge of the river and leaned on the railing.
“And strolling down the Elysee. We had a drink in each café, and you..”
Halfway across the world, in Paris itself, Erik was leaning on that same railing.
You talked of politics, philosophy,
And I smiled like Mona Lisa
He whirled around, thinking that Charles must be next to him. He would recognize that sensation of someone talking directly in his mind anywhere. It had to either be Charles, or him going insane. Maybe Charles was taunting him for leaving, but Erik regretted that enough on his own. Again, the voice came,
We had our chance,
It was a fine and true romance
Charles leaned back in his chair, soaking in the memories that the music was dredging up. Those peaceful times, just him and Erik, before it all went south. He missed it so much, the way it felt to hold Erik’s calloused hands in his own, to let him know that he wouldn’t leave him. Oh, but he had always known it would be Charles leaving, it would be Erik. Charles had seen even then, that couldn’t stay for too long, he never could. He thought again of that night.
“I can still recall our last summer. I still see it all. Walks along the Seine, laughing in the rain…”
Erik clutched his head, trying to shut out the voice. He was starting to get looks from the people sitting in the cafes. He walked back to his hotel room, trying to understand what was happening. Charles hadn’t been able to reach him from a long distance before, maybe he was using Cerebro? But why would he do that, just to hurt Erik? He knew that Charles must hate him for leaving, and for taking Raven, but Charles had never been vindictive before. Maybe things had changed. He decided that if the thoughts came back, he would go back to New York to confront him about it. It could just be his mind playing tricks on him.
“Our last summer, memories that remain.” The song continued, but Charles was lost in the past. They had rested their hands on the railing, close enough that they noticed, but no one else could. They talked about their mission, and about what they would do after they stopped Shaw.
We made our way along the river
And we sat down in the grass
By the Eiffel tower
I was so happy we had met
“I was so happy, why did I end it?” Erik asked the empty hotel room while throwing the rest of his clothes in the duffel bag. Normally he was meticulous about his packing, but Charles always did have him breaking all of his personal rules. He never got attached, but that was exactly the opposite of what had happened. He just missed him, holding his soft, ink-stained hands, seeing his kind, knowing smile. Knowing that Charles had seen the worst of him, and still wanted to help him.
“In between rage and serenity, that’s definitely how I feel around you.” He said smiling like he was still talking to Charles, like they were back in Paris together.
“It was the age of no regret. Oh yes. Those crazy years, that was the time of the flower-power.” Charles smirked. Erik was never one for those flowers, he remembered, he was so focused on Shaw, and then on fighting everyone who had hurt mutants, that he didn’t have time for the changes of the decade. He missed the way they would joke and laugh over a chessboard, before becoming focused on the game again. He knew without checking that their board was still in their last game, with the white pieces weighing more from the metal Charles had added to make it easier for Erik to play.
But underneath we had a fear of flying,
Of getting old, a fear of slowly dying
We took the chance
Like we were dancing our last dance
Even on the plane, Erik couldn’t escape the thoughts. It was Charles voice for sure, but mixed with someone else’s, and images that he vaguely recognized. They were memories of their time in Paris, he realized. Funny how he was flying away from that very city, just to see Charles again.
“I can still recall, our last summer. I still see it all. In the tourist jam, round the Notre Dame. Our last summer, walking hand in hand.” Charles hummed while looking fondly at those memories. He was glad Hank had got this record. He had listened to it a lot throughout the day, but he kept coming back to this song. This one song seemed to unlock feeling in him that he had rather stayed locked, but now that he was remembering these times, he realized just how much he missed it.
Paris restaurants
Our last summer
Morning croissants
Living for the day
Worries far away
Our last summer
We could laugh and play
The plane was landing, and Erik was starting to panic. Why had he flown all the way across the Atlantic, just to see if Charles missed him back? God, this was stupid. There wasn’t any way to turn back, though, so he went through customs and rented a car outside of the airport. The whole ride there, he worried, and worried, and finally he just made peace with it. If Charles was really taunting him, then at least he would know the truth of what was happening. Though it would probably break his heart again. He gunned it, heading back to where his home was.
“And now you’re working in a bank. The family man, the football fan, and your name is Harry. How dull it seems, yet you’re the hero of my dreams.” Charles really smiled at that, Erik had probably used Harry as an alias at some point, but he didn’t think his opinion of football had changed much. Erik had always found it tedious, partly because he didn’t really take to time to understand the rules of the game.
I can still recall, our last summer
I still see it all
Walks along the Seine
Laughing in the rain
Our last summer
Memories that remain
Erik brought the car to a halt right in front of the gate to the house where it began. He practically jumped out of the car and ran to the wrought iron gate. He wrenched it open with his power, much like the one from his childhood. Only this time, he was going in, not trying to break out. He pounded up the driveway, heading for the door. He pounded on the large door knocker and rang the bell a couple times.
“I can still recall, our last summer. I still see it—” Charles stopped the record mid lyric, he thought he had heard something. There it was again; the doorbell was ringing. That was odd, Hank was in the lab, and it was the middle of the night. He sat up and rolled his chair to the front of the house. He opened the door to a panicked Erik, his finger poised over the button.
“What are you doing here?” Charles asked, barely recovering from the shock of seeing Erik again.
“I came to see what the fuck you were doing to my head.’ Erik responded angrily, more angrily than he thought he would, but now that he was really here, the feelings came to the surface.
“What do you mean, ‘doing to your head’?” Charles asked, confused now.
“The song, the memories of Paris, I can tell that it’s you.” Erik said with a sigh of frustration.
“You can hear that?!” came the startled reply.
“Of course I can. Did you not know that?”
“Clearly I didn’t.”
“Oh, well can I come in? it’s pretty cold out here.” Erik said, wrapping his coat around him more.
“Oh, yes. I’m so sorry.” Charles said, widening the door and rolling his chair back to make room.
Erik walked into the mansion and looked around. Things hadn’t really changed since he was there last. He headed to the living room and started to get a fire going.
“I’m glad you remember where everything is.” Charles said from behind him.
“Of course I do. I could never forget this place.” Erik stood up brushing the bits of bark from his hands. He walked over to the record player and started it up again. He smile when he realized that the words he had been hearing were from this song.
“I can still recall, our last summer. I still see it all. In the tourist jam, round the Notre Dame, Our last summer.” Erik started to sing along, since he had heard the song over and over for the past day or so, he had memorized at least this much. He sang softly at first, but when he caught Charles eye, he smiled and sang louder. Erik walked over to where Charles was and sat on the couch next to his chair.
“Walking hand in hand. Paris restaurants, our last summer. Morning croissants. Living for the day, worries far away.” They both sang the last few verses, and Erik held Charles hands in his own.
“I missed us. I know that I left you, and I’m sorry. I don’t know how you could forgive me, but I would love to try again.” Erik said, looking down at their hands.
“Oh, you damn fool. I forgave you as soon as you came back.” Charles said with an exasperated smile. Erik grinned and cupped his face with his hands.
“I love you, you know.” He said just before kissing him, and for the first time in years, Erik felt like he would stay.