Prompt Post: ROUND SEVEN

[oakenshields13]

ROUND SEVEN IS CLOSED

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Fill 2b/?

[anonymous]

Erik quickly found his cigarettes but couldn’t find it in him to leave just yet. Not when Charles looked like that. He could feel the man’s presence dancing on the edges of his mind, far more muddled than earlier that evening but there nonetheless. At least he wasn’t projecting anymore. Erik leaned back against the counter, his slightly crumpled package of cigarettes clutched loosely in his hand. “Anything I can do?”

“Probably not. Unless you have some sort of latent secondary mutation that can rid one of migraines.” His voice was tinged with humor, and Erik simply shook his head.

“Unfortunately, I have yet to perfect that ability.”

Charles smiled briefly before his face screwed up into a grimace once more, his breath catching in his throat. The shorter man’s eyes squeezed shut, and Erik braced himself for another round of unsuccessful attempts to bring back yesterday’s lunch. But after several tense moments, nothing came. Erik shifted back and forth on his heels, the skin of his feet sticking a bit to the linoleum as he moved. Charles’s harsh breathing filled the small room, bouncing off the walls in endless repeat. “Erik?” he huffed out, his eyes still screwed shut. “Erik, I don’t think he’s here anymore.”

“What?”

Charles winced at his volume, and Erik retreated a bit, though his heart was racing now. “The mutant we’re after. I don’t think he’s here anymore.”

Erik ground the heel of his palm into his forehead and tried to suppress the well of anger bubbling up in his chest. “And why do you think this?” he grumbled impatiently.

“I can’t find him anywhere. He was here,” Charles lightly tapped his temple before moving back to grip the toilet seat,” bright as day this morning, and I could sense him this afternoon, but now there’s nothing. I think he’s moved on us again.” He grit his teeth and fought back against another wave of nausea.

Erik wanted to scream. Here he was stuck in a dingy hotel with a man who was currently so sick he could barely go three minutes without heaving his guts out, searching for a mutant who was no longer around. It was almost as frustrating as figuring out Shaw’s location.

Calm yourself. The words echoed in his ear, and Erik wasn’t sure if he’d heard them aloud, or if they only existed in his head.

“And how do you expect me to do that?” he snarled at Charles, who’d gone rather pale once more.

“Please, Erik, for god’s sake, calm yourself down,” Charles ground out. “I don’t give a damn how you do it, but my control isn’t very good at the moment, and I can hear everything you’re thinking right now as loudly as if you were shouting in my ear.”

Erik got the hint. He wasn’t helping. If anything, he was probably making things worse. He threw his head back and breathed out a heavy sigh. The package in his hand crinkled a little, and he gripped it a little tighter. “I’m going outside.” He stepped over Charles and made his way out of the bathroom.

The night air was warm against his skin, and he was grateful that he hadn’t bothered to stop for shoes on his way out the door. The sharp cut of pavement and loose gravel against the skin of his bare feet was calming in its own way. He propped himself up against the wall of the building and let the smoke of his cigarette waft over him in a cloud of billowing white. He didn’t smoke often, but it did wonders on the nerves. They’d start again tomorrow. Maybe move on to the next mutant on their list of coordinates, or perhaps just head back to New York so Charles could recover and be of some use again. It was probably for the best anyway.

He flicked the still smoldering butt of his cigarette to the pavement and watched as the last wisps of smoke faded away into the night sky. They could figure everything out in the morning.

Re: Fill 2b/?

[takmarierah]

Awww, Charles. :( While I'm sorta sad that Erik is really too uncomfortable with the situation to make more than a token effort to try and help the poor guy out, I'm also sorta thrilled because that'll make whatever eventually happens with their relationship all the more cathartic, and I love how forcibly nonchalant Charles is trying to be (and oh, he can probably hear Erik's frustration and feels bad about it!).

Erik shifted back and forth on his heels, the skin of his feet sticking a bit to the linoleum as he moved.
^ I love this little detail. It's the sort of thing that tells me exactly what kind of motel this is, and eeeeuuugh that can't be helping Charles' stomach!

Author

[anonymous]

I've never seen Erik as the type to immediately comfort someone if they're sick or injured. He seems more like a 'stand off to the side uncomfortably while wishing away the inconvenience of it all' kind of guy to me, which is why he's no help here at all.

Thank you so much for reading this. ♥ I'm really flattered that you're following my story.

Re: Fill 2b/?

[anonymous]

I'm reeaallly liking this story and I sorta feel antsy while reading it. Like, I'm wondering if Charles was losing his powers before Erik walked in, or if it was in the pills or if he hasn't lost it just yet. Then I was thinking that maybe the mutant they were looking for was like Leech and the closer they got, the more their powers drifted away. ASADJSFHDKGNGF; BASICALLY I'm crossing my fingers for an update. You're style is intriguing.

Author

[anonymous]

Ohoho, you'll just have to wait and see. :)

Thanks for reading. ♥

Re: Fill 2b/?

[cgf_kat]

I'm loving this story, though Erik is being a little annoying. But then again you're pretty much writing him how he is, which is a definite plus. The characterizations are perfect, and that's always refreshing. I'm really wanting to know just when Charles is going to lose his powers and why its happening, so please update soon! :)

Author

[anonymous]

Thanks. ♥ I'm really glad you like my characterization of the two of them. It's something I worry about whenever I write something.