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Erik seemed to be in a pretty angry mood today. That was rare. Usually when Pietro visited Genosha, he was happy. "What did I do?" Pietro draws out. He doesn't like being ignored.
His father looks up from his book. Once and Future King, as always. He's sitting on the other side of the room. That's new too. He usually wouldn't be reading when Pietro was there. He definitely wouldn't be reading one page for four minutes. "What do you mean? You didn't do anything, Pietro."
Pietro zips to his side and takes the book from his hands. "You're upset. Did I do anything? Cause you can tell me." And then, because he's slow to answer, he asks again. "What's wrong? What did I do? Why are you angry?"
Erik runs his fingers through Pietro's hair. "You didn't do anything wrong." Then he changes the topic. "I've heard that you went to space recently." He pulls him to sit next to him.
Pietro leans into the caress. "Yeah. But Professor said that it was probably only a one time thing. Not likely to repeat." Erik thinks he's so slick, changing the topic like that. "So why are you so upset today?"
Erik sighs. "Genosha gets lonely when you aren't here." He says softly. "That's all. Sometimes I see you more often on the television than in reality."
Pietro feels a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry."
"It isn't a criticism, my boy." Erik gets up. "You've made your choice and I couldn't be prouder of you. I just miss you, that's all."
Pietro stays sitting on the bed. "I can try to visit more often." He offers. "Or stay some nights." He's been skipping visits, he realises now. Curse his short attention span.
Erik cups his cheek. "You don't have to bother. I know Charles needs you at school."
He looks into his father's eyes. He can now. There's no pain. "I know I sometimes forget to show up. I'm sorry. I won't anymore." His father seems almost threateningly tall above him. It makes his throat feel tight, as if the ghosts of the chains remained.
"I know that the team keeps you busy. If you don't want to visit, you don't have to. Don't blame yourself, Pietro."
Pietro can't help but do exactly that. "It's not that I don't want to visit. I do, really. I just.... forget." No. He's not in a cell anymore. He doesn't have to explain himself.
"I understand, Pietro. You don't have to explain yourself to me, truly. I'm happy whenever you choose to visit." Erik leans down and kisses his forehead. That helps some of his anxiety.
"I'll visit more often. I'll make time." Pietro promises.
"Are you certain you don't want to do good on my offer? It still stands." Erik stands up again. "You could be useful here."
Pietro shakes his head. "I'm more useful on the team now. It wouldn't be right to stay on Genosha when the world needs me."
Erik squeezes his shoulder. "The world does not deserve you, my boy. Humans don't deserve you."
Pietro looks up at him again. "I just do as Professor says. They can learn to do better if we should them a better way." He isn't sure that's the right thing to say to him. But mutants have hurt him much worse than humans. He doesn't have to be afraid of telling his father what he feels. Not anymore.
Erik sighs but doesn't take his hand away. "My son, forever Charles' soldier." He says mournfully. "For all our sakes, I hope that you are right."
"Why does it make you so upset that I fight for humans?" That makes Erik pull his hand away. "You said you were proud of me."
"And I am proud of you, truly. You've accomplished so much. It's not you who upsets me." Erik looks away.
"I fear that I was not wrong about people. I'd like to believe that Charles is right and we may coexist peacefully. But that isn't how these things go. People destroy what they fear."
Pietro's eyes stray to Erik's forearm. "It can be different this time."
Erik pulls down his sleeve when he sees Pietro looking. "It can. I simply don't believe it to be likely."
"I hope you're wrong in that, Pops."
The hand returns to ruffle his hair. "So do I, my boy."