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Charles and Erik were escorting Raven to yet another mandated court date. They had successfully reached the world's most tentative agreement with the government and Charles wouldn’t give a straight answer when asked if his powers played any role in that. They were pretty sure they could get Raven off too, but it was requiring a lot of time in front of a judge before anyone was ready to sign the papers. At the moment Raven and Erik were arguing about the directions, with Raven swearing up and down she knew a shortcut.
Charles didn't look like he was paying attention, and Erik flicked his eyes over to him for what felt like the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. He was on edge, hands fidgeting at his side. Erik felt a nudge at his side and realized he’d fallen silent. Raven looked at Charles, then back to him. Erik just gave a small shrug. It wasn’t his business.
“Follow me,” Charles said after a second of silent staring. They both did, not wanting to question. He led them down to the subway, seemingly suddenly learning the route. Probably from someone else’s mind.
They sat down, lucky enough to get several seats next to each other. Raven and Erik on either side with Charles between them.
“Are you alright?” Raven whispered. Charles nodded, not blinking. “Did you hear something?”
“It’s nothing,” Charles said blankly. She gave Erik another look. Erik pretended to not notice.
On the bus, a child cried out loudly. Enough for all of them to turn their heads.
“I gave you two fucking days off.” A woman's voice roused over the crowd. Several people in the car fell silent, turning briefly to look before pretending they didn’t. “Don’t be rude to me.”
Over a few rows down a man and woman sat with a ragged-looking child. Blonde ratted hair, huge watery blue eyes, and mismatched and dirty clothes hung from their frame. Erik noted distantly that their eyes looked like Charles’s had on the beach so long ago. He swallowed, glancing away at himself.
Charles tensed next to him, and Erik put a hand discreetly on his leg. Charles glanced at him briefly, and trouble lined his face. Erik rubbed his knee for a moment, hoping to distract him.
“Let go, you’re scaring me.” The kid whined. Snot ran down their faces. It was a pathetic scene.
“You fucking cunt sit down and stop talking to me.”
“Mommy stop it please.”
Neither Erik nor Raven had a chance to react before Charles was moving. He broke away from Erik’s hand and ran over to them, a hand coming to rest on the arm of the woman who was twisting at the young child’s shoulder. He made it to them even as his cane clattered to the floor, and Erik was sure he hadn’t moved so quickly since that day in Cuba.
“Excuse me, is there a problem here?” Charles asked, looking at the kid.
“Charles.” Raven hissed, standing up.
“Leave my daughter alone.” The women hissed. Erik got up, standing behind Charles. He could smell whiskey on her breath.
“Darling, are you alright?” Charles asked, ignoring the women. The kids' eyes flicked between the two of them, shaking. She didn’t seem able to speak. Charles knelt down, subtly pressing his fingers to his temple, seemingly sending assurance to the girl. “It’s alright, you can talk.”
“She’s hurting me.” She whispered. The woman moved like she was going to get up, and Erik put a hand on her shoulder, holding her down.
“I wouldn’t.” Erik gritted out. Raven’s eyes were wide, taking in every moment of the scene.
“Right,” Charles said. “Why don’t you come sit with us for a moment please love?”
“You can’t do that.” She slurred. Erik tightened his hand.
“Actually, I can,” Charles said, flashing her the most barely contained look Erik had ever seen on him. “Come on dear.”
The girl pulled out of the woman's grip. Everyone around them had fallen silent, watching the scene. Charles walked her back to where they had been sitting, quickly fishing around in his pockets and producing a small notebook.
“That’s my fucking kid. They took my fucking kid-” Erik flexed his powers, finding a metal retainer in her mouth and smiling to himself. He quickly worked, fusing it to her teeth and reaching tendrils of it up to her top teeth. After half a moment her mouth was effectively fused.
“I think we’re going to sit together on this ride,” Erik said, taking the girl's old seat. The man who had been sitting with them turned his whole body away.
“Look, have you played hangman before?” He heard Charles’s gentle tone floating over the rising whispers on the cart. Erik kept his eyes fixed on them, a tight hand on the women still.
The girl looked horrified, but she shook her head, feet swinging where they couldn’t reach the floor.
“Oh, it’s a lovely game. Look here, we draw a little figure.” Charles began scribbling. The woman next to Erik thrashed just a bit and Erik tightened his grip. She reeked of alcohol, and it wasn’t 10:30 yet.
“Keep still or that metal is ending up somewhere else.” Erik gritted out. He flexed it up so it began to pierce the middle of her tongue and she stilled and began to cry.
Raven walked to sit on the other side of the girl. She looked ready to cry herself.
The rest of the ride was silent, and at the next stop Erik watched as Charles nodded to Raven. She got off, walking off with utmost confidence.
She’s calling the police. Charles’s voice in his mind sounded so much different than how he spoke. He was barely containing his anger. At least internally. Externally, he looked entirely at peace, laughing with the child as she won the game.
Good. This bitch isn’t going anywhere. Erik said, projecting his little metal trick into Charles’s head. Charles grinned, flashing him a briefly grateful look. He sat with his arm over the back of her chair, his whole body put into place between her and the girl. He still hadn’t picked up the cane.
Erik glanced around and noticed several people with their phones out, filming. He fought the urge to crumple them. He swore he saw red, and allowed the tension he felt to leak into his grip on her. She whimpered and he gripped harder, hoping she would have a bruise. Served her right.
“Oh my gosh, you’re brilliant you know that?” He heard Charles’s light tone and it even relaxed him. The girl had calmed significantly, and looked at ease with Charles already, after not even ten minutes. He had that effect on people, and it didn’t seem to be his powers. Erik could feel it even when he wore the helmet. Charles was truly a special person.
“I drew him a mustache, you're guy isn’t dead.” She spoke quietly and with a lisp. It was such a childish lilt, and she giggled as Charles feigned complete gratitude and devotion to her for this sacrifice.
“Mmm I am going to guess X.” He said playfully.
“X? Why would you guess X?” She laughed. “He’s got cowboy boots now.”
“Hey X is my favorite letter,” Charles e x claimed. She laughed. “Oh, do you not have a favorite letter?”
“I do.” She said. “My favorite letter is L because my name starts with an L.”
“Oh what a terrible friend I am, I haven’t even gotten your name,” Charles said. “What is your name?”
“It’s Lola.” She said, Charles smiled at that.
“Well, I think that’s a lovely name.” He said.
The next stop the police were waiting for them. Charles lead her out first, telling her that he would get her a candy bar from the vending machine as the cops cornered the mother. Erik undid her mouth then, setting her retainer back to normal, although making sure it dug into her gum uncomfortably as he did so. A little treat to himself for not beating her with his fist.
They took her into custody quickly for public intoxication. They got lucky, they had good officers responding. It was a good and clear arrest, with Charles keeping Lola busy the entire time with some game of her and him spinning in circles to see who could do it fastest. Charles’s obvious limp and impaired mobility let her win, but Erik swore he had seen Charles’s move faster. He was probably letting her win. Eventually, she fell over in a fit of giggles and Charles pretended to step on her.
An officer started to make their way over, and Erik all but saw the darkened expression on Charles’s face. Before they could speak to her, he stepped up.
“Could we speak to someone directly from CPS please?” Charles whispered. The officer flickered his eyes between them.
“I think we can arrange that.” He said.
“Charles.” Raven ran up to them, her court clothes of questionable modesty already disheveled.
“Raven, how are you?” Charles asked, taking her into a side hug and pressing a kiss to her temple. She looked brimming with emotion and worry. “Oh dear your appointment.”
Erik snorted at the word choice there and walked over to her.
“I can accompany her, go with the kid,” Erik said. Charles couldn't hide the way his face lit up, even as he furrowed his brow.
“Are you quite sure? I am so sorry for the hold-up.” Charles said.
“Go ahead, Charles. We will be good.” Raven said. Charles gave them a grateful smile, and the kid pushed her way into the conversation, coming up to Charles’s side and wrapping her arms around him.
“What’s going on?” She asked.
“Oh, we get to speak to my friend. They are very nice.” Charles said. “This is my sister Raven and this is… well that’s Erik.” Charles practically beamed as he spoke, and it brought unreasonable amount of levity to the conversation.
“You forgot something,” Erik said, handing Charles his cane. He hadn’t managed to walk without it until now.
“Oh thank you so much dear,” Charles said, looking at it oddly. “I seem to have forgotten.”
“It happens,” Lola said, shrugging. Charles chuckled at that, and she leaned into him.
“We’d better get going…” Raven said. Her eyes looked almost brimmed with tears.
“Oh my yes you should,” Charles said. “Right then, give me a hug, good luck to you Raven. Erik, take care of her for me yes?”
“Yes,” Erik said, nodding.
“Perfect, I believe me and Lola have a friend we must catch up to.” Charles said, his eyes flicking over to the social worker approaching.
---
The court date ran long and was beyond frustrating. Raven got rescheduled essentially but with six hours of jargon and complaints and thinly veiled threats. If there had been any question on if Charles had been at least providing everyone with a little more patience it was confirmed with the snide tone everyone in the meeting used. They had rushed back, hoping to check on Charles, but he hadn't made it back either. So now Raven and Erik both sat with a cup of coffee in the foyer, waiting eagerly to see if he would be back that night at all.
They hadn’t spoken until then, but Raven finally sat forward, bracing her head in her hands.
“I cannot believe Charles did that.” She said. Erik laughed.
“You don’t mean that.” He said. She paused.
“I don’t.” She affirmed.
After a few beats, she set her cup down. “I know you love my brother. I hope you are prepared for a lot of… all that. He cannot help himself I think. It’s compulsive, the way he treats others. I don’t think he could stop it if he tried.”
Erik smiled into his cup in spite of himself, trying to suppress it. He knew that. That was what he loved about him. He watched as Charles had done it time and time again, with the team, with random animals, with the students. With Erik. There was nothing quite like a lost cause when it came to Charles.
“That’s one of the things that I respect about him,” Erik said. He hoped the smile didn’t come through. Raven's eyes softened just enough he wasn’t sure he succeeded.
“He talks about you like you hung the moon.” She said. “I hope you know that.”
Erik paused, looking back down into his cup. He bit his lips into a thin line. He couldn’t think of a person less deserving of this. He couldn’t imagine someone who would deserve Charles’s adoration in any world that betrayed it half as much as him.
“I am more likely to steal the moon than hang it.”
She laughed at that, and he smiled, looking away and leaning back. He took a sip of his coffee and fixed his eyes on her. He didn’t know how to respond, so he hoped his staring problem would make up for his loss of words. It worked, and quickly Raven was rambling on about something now that he couldn’t bring himself to pay attention to. She surely knew he wasn’t listening, she wasn’t talking for him.
The door creaked open and she fell silent, both of them turning to it almost surprised. It was past one in the morning, and Erik had half suspected Charles wouldn’t be back at all that night. In slipped Charles, looking exhausted with a weary look on his face. He saw the two of them and perked up though, walking over to Raven and giving her a hug.
“Hello there,” Charles said, pulling her into a hug and tucking her head under his chin. She leaned into it for a moment, before pulling back and looking at him skeptically.
“Are you alright?” She asked.
“Oh of course,” Charles said with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He was leaning heavily on his cane, almost swaying on his feet.
“Sit down,” Erik said. Charles turned around, flashing him a grin and walking over and sitting down next to him. His hand came and rubbed at the top of his leg like it was bothering him.
“What happened after we left?” Raven asked, bracing herself on her knees. Charles sighed heavily, looking away and biting his bottom lip. Raven and Erik quickly met eyes.
“They’ve taken her into an emergency foster placement for the night. Her mother is being charged. Her record is really messy, it was about two hours of trying to figure out who was alive and who was actually related to her alone. They had me sit with her while they interviewed her because she refused to speak without me in there. That took most of the night.”
He spoke like it didn’t bother him, but his eyes brimmed with tears and he couldn’t meet their gaze. Erik put a hand on his back silently and Charles leaned into it. Raven’s eyes bore into Charles enough that it made Erik feel like he was being scrutinized, so he wasn’t surprised that Charles was slinking away.
“Did it remind you…” She said, trailing off. Charles nodded, meeting her eyes. She swallowed, looking away.
“They hit her with child endangerment and public intoxication. She swung at someone in the police station so she got battery also. She’s not getting out tonight.” Charles said. Raven nodded, running a hand through her hair.
“That’s good.” She said. “Poor girl.”
“I know,” Charles said. “The lady she left with seemed kind. I uh- poked around her mind a little just to make sure. She’s in good hands.”
Erik didn’t even have it in him to side-eye Charles for the privacy invasion. He would have done the same thing if he was in Charles’s shoes. Or- he actually wouldn’t have done anything Charles had ever done at any point, but he didn’t blame Charles at all.
“Is Lola okay?” Raven asked. Charles sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“No. I couldn’t expect her to be. But she acts like she is, so take that for what you will.” Charles said. “Her mind was such a mess, I haven’t heard someone that scared outside a battlefield in a long time.”
“Jesus Christ,” Raven said. “But she’s in good hands now?”
“The lady seems great. Really sweet and Lola was happy when she left.” Charles said. “I did give her our home number, told her she could always call us if she is in trouble.”
“That’s kind of you,” Raven said. Charles shrugged, looking away and fidgeting with his nails. Erik looked down and realized he’d torn the skin off all the sides of his nails until they bleed and he was continuing at it. Erik didn’t try to stop him though.
“Just felt like I should,” Charles said. Raven gave Erik a meaningful look, and Erik nodded microscopically. She stood up, walked over and put a hand on his head.
“I am going to bed.” She said. “Are you alright down here?”
“Of course,” Charles said, smiling a little painfully at her. “Have a good night darling. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Sir yes sir.” She replied sarcastically. Erik watched her go, all tension and raised shoulders and stress. He watched Charles tense his shoulders as Raven left, and he drew one of his legs up and tried to rub out the pain in one of the muscles.
“Long day.” Erik said quietly. Charles leaned back into him a little, humming his agreement. “You did a good thing today Charles.”
“I don’t know… the system isn’t much better. They have notes on her file. People have called and nothing ever happened. She will probably go back to her mother and-” Charles’s voice caught and he had to swallow hard. “And it will stay the same.”
“You can’t think like that,” Erik said. Charles sighed. “Or nothing good would mean anything.”
“I know, I know.” He said. His voice came out strained and bordered on tearful. He flopped over, his head falling onto the armrest
Erik pulled his legs onto his lap, his palm beginning to work over the horribly knotted muscles. He hadn’t seen them so bad since he got out of the hospital. Usually, he took muscle relaxants before it got to this point. Erik reached over into his bag, pulling out two small white pills he kept on hand because Charles never remembered that kind of thing.
“Take these.” He said, giving him the medication.
“What is- oh thank you, darling.” Charles said, swallowing them dry and waving off Erik’s cup he offered. “Keep that bloody awful bean piss away from me.”
Erik chuckled, taking a sip before setting it down.
He returned to his work, smoothing his hand over the knotted tense muscles. He felt them spazzing and seizing underneath his hand, Charles gripping his arm as he tried to breath through it.
“The pills will start working soon,” Erik said, trying to swallow down the guilt. Charles nodded, clenching his jaw. “I cannot believe you threw your cane.”
“I’m a bloody idiot.” Erik laughed at Charles’s comment, shaking his head.
“You had other things on your mind,” he said. “I was just impressed.”
“I swear I thought I was going to fall over when you handed it back to me,” Charles said, before sitting up and looking at Erik. “Thank you for that.”
“Of course,” Erik said. He sat in silence for a while, hoping to feel the muscles release under his hand. It wasn’t happening yet, but Erik was nothing if not stubborn. After a few moments, he spoke again. “How old is she?”
“Just turned seven,” Charles said. “Her birthday was March 15th. Poor thing, she didn’t even know it happened.”
“Mm. Ides of March.” Erik observed. Charles chuckled at that. “She’ll remember today you know.”
“You think?” He asked, perking up a little. Erik nodded.
“I remember almost everything from that age,” Erik said. “And today wasn’t a normal day.”
“I hope it isn’t too bad a memory,” Charles said. “I tried to keep her busy.”
“I think it’s probably one of the best days she’s had in awhile,” Erik said. “You’ve seen the state of her. You protected her from a lot today.”
“Yeah.” Charles said, fiddling with the button on his shirt. He’d taken off his sweater at some point, and Erik was wondering if he’d forgotten it at the police station because he had not walked in with it. Typical Charles.
“You did a good thing today Charles.” Erik said. Charles gave him a grateful smile, unable to hide his tearful eyes. “What made you step in?”
“Nothing really. I just… did it.” Charles said. Erik gave him a look, not speaking while he waited for a real answer. Charles took a deep breath, before shaking his head. “I don’t know. I guess I kinda know how she felt.”
“What do you mean?” Erik asked.
“I just… me and Raven, our mom wasn’t great. No one in our family was really, except my dad. And he didn’t survive her for very long.” Charles gave a humorless chuckle. “No one ever stepped in for us. I think it’s harder when we are well dressed and all posh to see but they… someone should have. So I saw that and I just couldn’t leave her to that woman you know.”
“I know,” Erik said. He clenched his jaw, looking away. He couldn’t imagine a mother like Charles’s. He didn’t know much, and he was pretty sure that was intentional. Charles didn’t give much away. He always kept things close to his chest about his childhood. The one time he had spoken openly Erik felt like he might find a way to raise the dead, just to kill them again.
“She wasn’t that bad comparatively though, we always had clothes and food and the like,” Charles said. Erik rubbed at one of the deeply knotted muscles and Charles winced.
“Doesn’t make her better. Just makes her different.” Erik said, his eyes meeting Charles’s. “She sounds plenty terrible.”
“Oh she was just… she had a hard life,” Charles said. Erik raised his eyebrows.
“Really? That’s what we are going with?” Erik asked. Charles looked up at that, a little offended. He huffed, blowing his hair out of his eyes in a boyish annoyance. “Come on Charles, you know better than that.”
“I know. I just... I have to say something.” Charles said. “There isn’t anything that makes it okay. But that’s just not a nice note to end on.”
“Maybe not,” Erik said. “But it’s a true one.”
“I suppose,” Charles said. “I do still feel bad, speaking about her like that.”
“You’re a good person,” Erik said. “Most people wouldn’t
“I think most people would,” Charles said, leaning back and covering his eyes.
“And that’s why you’re a good person.”
“Thank you,” Charles whispered.
“Don’t thank me,” Erik said, shooting him a side-eye. “Just lay back down and go to sleep.”
“You’re sure bossy,” Charles said.
“And what if I am,” Erik said, rolling his eyes. “Come on, if you won’t lay down let's go to bed.”
“Okay.” Charles moved painfully and with the look of someone bracing with every movement. Erik didn’t have to look at his face to see he was in pain. He flinched at every bend and stretch of his legs, and he doubled over in pain several times as he made to stand up. He always tried to play it off normally, but he didn’t even try this time. He just let Erik see him struggle.
Erik stood by and waited, grabbing his cane from where he’d propped it up earlier and handing it to him. Charles shot him a grin and then clenched his teeth again. Erik waited for Charles to stand and then put his arm around him, helping take some of the weight off of him. Erik helped him all but shuffle into their room, which was thankfully nearby. The moment they got in the door Charles sat down in the bed and Erik instantly went and grabbed the strongest painkillers they had. Charles hadn’t used these since they got home from the hospital two years ago.
“Take them,” Erik said, handing Charles two pills. Charles shot him a look but didn’t seem to have the energy to tell him he didn’t need them. He swallowed both down dry, and Erik almost winced sympathetically. Erik crawled into the bed with him, turning off the lamp on his side as he did so. Charles smiled at him, letting Erik instantly wrap him up.
“Thank you,” Charles said. Erik just sighed heavily, pressing his nose into his hair and trying to ignore how annoyed he found himself at the thanks. He needed Charles to just take his help, no questions asked. But he understood Charles wasn’t there. He might never be.
“Always,” Erik said, squeezing him a little bit.
The pills worked fairly quickly, Erik was sure Charles hadn’t eaten, and it sped up the process. He felt his body melt into the pillows, his grip on Erik’s arm loosened, and his head fell back against him. Erik brushed his hand against his hair, before sitting up and kissing his cheek. He pulled Charles so he was on his back and wordlessly began to work out the muscles in his let. They had finally relaxed enough for Erik to work on them.
He hated today. His absolute idiot of a partner had no self-preservation physically or emotionally. Ever the servant. At least he hadn’t fought him on the medication, that was unusual for him. Likely a testament to the amount of pain he was in. it made Erik feel sick.
Once he was satisfied that he’d helped ease the pain a little more, he gently pulled Charles into him. Charles didn’t stir, and his soft, sleeping form quickly lulled Erik into sleep as well.