Work Text:
The Party
Charles grew increasingly impatient, waiting for Erik to leave the mansion. Could the man be any slower? He mused to himself, as he watched from the top of the stairs whilst leaning against the bannister. He had important and urgent affairs to attend to. He glanced towards the library, as Raven peeked out and waved her hand around madly in Erik's direction.
Erik, along with the other individuals that possessed mutant abilities, had now been living in the mansion for a little over six months. Charles thought he could better focus on assisting them in honing their abilities away from prying eyes and though, at times, this new arrangement had its ups and downs, it had proven to be otherwise quite satisfactory. Right now a situation was about to happen if he did not get rid of Erik.
Meanwhile, in the front entranceway, Erik fiddled in his pockets, searching for the keys to the car, when he suddenly stopped.
“I know you are there. I can hear your breathing, Charles.”
He turned to face Charles. He wondered if the man was invading his thoughts. Why the hell he would want to be in my mind, Erik wondered, it left him exhausted being himself.
They had come to a tentative agreement that Charles would not poke around in his mind and that Erik, in return, would try and remain calm in the face of situations that inflamed his tendency to unleash his powers. Both doubted that the agreement would last long.
“You have something to say?” Erik asked knowing full well that that was perhaps the wrong question to ask.
Charles, broke out into that boyish grin, that for some unobvious and obvious reasons made Erik feel as if his whole world had suddenly and violently taken a giant lurching step. He tried to calm his hands that had begun to shake.
“No, nothing that will, I’m sure change your mind. You, Erik, are the most obstinate person that I have met.”
Erik snorted. “And you, Charles, are a horrible liar. No wonder you and I don’t play poker, you do not hide your true feelings or thoughts very well.”
“Ah, yes, but I have won at chess, several times now, I do believe.”
“Only because you cheat, Charles.”
Charles smiled again.
“When you are out, would you mind swinging by and picking up some milk.”
Erik smiled. “Anything for you, Charles.”
As soon as Erik closed the door behind himself, Charles moved down the stairs and to the library where the others; Hank, Alex, Raven and Sean were waiting.
Charles checked over his shoulder, probing to ensure that Erik had not returned.
“Is everything ready? Do you have everything?” He inquired of the eager faces that stood before him.
With a gleeful cheer, they each held up the items that they had been sent to locate.
“Alright then, now we shall get to it before our friend returns. I have taken care of the food and drink. Raven, you have the music selections, Alex you start with the decorations, Sean you help and Hank you can assist in moving the furniture.”
With a flurry of excitement, the young team of mutants began the preparations for the impending party.
Charles had discovered that it was Erik’s birthday and wanted to do something kind for him. In his moments of unrestraint, he had broken the agreement with Erik and had delved into the outer fringes of his mind. Erik was full of pain and suffering immeasurably.
Charles had never in his twenty some years, encountered such an individual brimming with such angst, darkness, agony and underneath, buried deeper; guilt at the loss of his mother and his feeling that he was responsible for her death. But, what outweighed any of those feelings was the black seething almost all-consuming rage that he had for, Dr. Klaus Schmidt, or as he went by now, Sebastian Shaw. The leader of a group of mutants who sought to overthrow the world and rid it of all humans making way for the mutants to live life as they perceived it.
Charles made it his mission to save Erik, and in doing so, he would go to any length to do that. He hoped by having this party that it would be enough of a distraction to allow Erik some semblance of peace, even if it were for a brief period of time.
Charles reached out to find Erik’s whereabouts and when he had, he continued with the preparations for the party.
***
It was some time later, when Erik finally returned. Charles touched his mind and what he saw there was surprisingly comforting. Erik had not left to find Shaw, but rather had gone to find some items for the group now inhabiting the mansion.
Charles did sense his wonder at why it was so quiet, a near impossible event considering the group of young mutants.
Charles, and the others, stood quietly in the library, awaiting his entrance.
As Erik pushed the door to the library open, he stepped into the darkness.
The lights snapped on and at the same moment, Erik was greeted.
“SURPRISE!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!”
A cascade of streamers, balloons and confetti fell on an extremely surprised man. He looked around at the group.
The eager group of mutants, having rushed forward, party hats on heads, and noisemakers in hand at the ready, their faces lit up in anticipation, watched with anticipation to see if their intentions would be accepted or if they would be declined.
Erik stepped back, his one hand coming up to his chest, and there upon his face, the beginnings of a smile.
“How did you know…wait, never mind. Charles.”
He looked to Charles and dipped his head in acknowledgement of what the young telepath had done.
Erik returned to face the others and smiled.
“Thank you, this is…this is a pleasant surprise.”
The young group, led by Raven, cheered.
The party began; music filled the air, food was eaten, drinks were drunk and though on the surface it might have seemed all trite and superfluous, Erik was surprisingly enjoying himself.
For a brief time, he forgot about that which had often consumed him and he relaxed. He let his guard down and allowed himself to be just Erik. Not the mutant that he was, nor the man that was seeking revenge against anyone; just Erik.
Erik wandered over to where Charles was standing, a plate of birthday cake in his hand and some icing on his chin. He smiled broadly at Erik's approach.
Erik stared at the icing and smiled mischievously. He reached up hesitantly at first, then proceeded to wipe the frosting from Charles’ chin.
He looked at the yellow icing and then licked it from his finger, his eyes focusing on Charles’ blue eyes as he did. He wished in that brief moment that he had Charles' ability so he could, for a second, eavesdrop on the telepath's thoughts.
Charles stared back at Erik, then dropped his gaze, a slight flush creeping up his neck to his face.
“I want to thank you, for this, Charles. It is a most kind gesture.”
Charles set the plate of cake down, and wiped his hands with the paper napkin. He crumpled it in his hands and then held clutching it tightly, twisting and tugging at it in an attempt to hold onto his composure.
“I thought you might enjoy having some normalcy in your life. If this could be considered normal.”
He gestured to the antics of the others, Hank hanging from the ceiling, Raven shifting form as she danced on the coffee table, Alex and Sean bouncing on the furniture.
“They are young, and they do not fully understand what lies ahead. Let them blow off steam.”
Charles smiled at Erik.
“And you, Erik, what will you do to blow of steam, hmm?”
Erik leaned in close to Charles and prodded him with a finger in the chest.
“I think you might already have an idea.”
Charles flushed again, the paper napkin, now torn into shreds. This man, Erik, made him feel as if his whole world was being turned upside down. Did Erik have other abilities that he did not know about? Charles was not sure, but given time, he thought he might like to find out.
“Happy Birthday, Erik, I hope your wishes come true.”
Erik looked down into Charles’ blue eyes, and he smiled.
“I think they might be well on their way to coming true, Charles. They might just indeed be at that.”