Prompt Post: ROUND SEVEN
ROUND SEVEN IS CLOSED
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<< ROUND SIX | ALL ROUNDS | ROUND EIGHT >>
Rules post.
Posting Guidelines.
Flat view.
Updates Post (WIPs only)
Fills Post (completed Fills only)
damalur's firstclasskink on Delicious.
Volunteers always welcome.
There is a delay on comments appearing when there is a URL in the message body. This is due to an LJ anti-spam ( Read more... )
He drummed his fingers on the table and eyed the cell phone sitting beside his hand. Its silence was mocking him. Charles hadn’t even bothered to call after running off into the night. Though really, Erik, how can you blame him? He was just as angry as you were, and you know Charles. He’ll get over it once he gets his head clear. And then he’ll make you do all the laundry next week to make it up to him. He smiled at the image of the shorter man chastising him about mixing up his socks or folding his shirts wrong. Erik had always been amazed at ho worked up Charles could get over a sweater.
His smile faded as his thoughts turned back to the weather. No matter how angry Charles had been, he shouldn’t be out there right now. It was too cold, even if he’d pilfered Erik’s jacket from the back of one of the kitchen chairs. Erik picked the phone up and dialed in the number he knew by heart, pressing the device up against his ear. His heart was pounding so loudly that could barely hear the little chimes signaling through the speakers letting him know that the call had connected. That was four rings. Only two left.
Come on, Charles. Answer your phone.
“Hello, you’ve reached Xavier. I’m not around to pick up right now-” Erik snapped the device shut with a soft curse. He didn’t need to hear the little recorded message that he’d heard a hundred times before. He needed to talk to Charles, not some machine with an overly formal recording of his voice. He scowled, slamming his phone down hard on the table, and turned his attention back to the window.
The grungy brick of the building across from theirs filled his vision, the ruddy brownish-red brick almost black in the dark. One of the streetlights must have gone out again. That wall was almost never dark. His fingers took up their tapping again and he fixed his gaze on the door. He should be out there right now, looking for him instead of sitting around doing nothing. Charles could have gotten mugged or picked up by some creep. Or maybe he was just taking his stubbornness up a notch and had decided to spend the night sleeping on a park bench. His frown deepened. That sounded an awful lot like something Charles would do.
The clock in the hallway chimed, announcing the hour and drawing Erik’s patience to an end. He swiped his cell phone from the table and stormed over to the hall closet for a jacket. He’d just have to go out looking for Charles himself.
He burst from their apartment in a flurry of restless motion, almost forgetting to lock the door behind him in his haste. Charles had to be out here somewhere. He couldn’t have gone that far, not with how upset he’d been when he’d left. Charles had never been able to function well when he was upset.
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He looked for the man down side streets and alleyways, calling his name out in earnest, hoping in vain for a response. His heart was beating more and more wildly in his heart with each passing moment. He wasn’t sure what he would do if he happened to find Charles lying in the street, hurt or, god forbid, dead.
“Charles!”
There was a park nearby that Charles had always liked to go to. Maybe he’d wandered over there. Erik let his long legs carry him there, but it was deserted. He was panicking now, and he couldn’t help but think of how Charles would chastise him for losing his cool.
Really now, Erik. Calm down. I’m fine. I’ll be home soon.
He tried to calm his panting breaths and ward away the building pressure in his chest. Charles was fine. He was upset. They’d both been upset. He’d just gone for a walk to clear his head, calm himself down. He was okay. Unless someone saw him as an easy target and went after him. Erik would never live it down if Charles-
His phone was going off.
“Damn it,” he hissed as he fumbled with his pockets, trying to free the device from where it had decided to tangle itself within the confines of his pocket. His hands were shaking. That certainly wasn’t helping matters. When he finally managed to free the device he flipped it open without pausing to glance at the caller ID. “Hello?” He could see his breath pluming out before him. It was too damn cold to be out here right now.
“Erik?”
His heart gave a jolt and he nearly dropped the phone. “Charles! Charles, where are you? I’ve been looking for you everywhere, and-”
“I’m at home. I got in a few minutes ago to find the place dark.” Erik could something clicking in the background. Charles was probably trying to light the stove to heat water for tea. He always seemed to do that when he was nervous or tired.
“I tried calling you. Why didn’t you answer?” He tried to keep the edge from his voice but had the sneaking suspicion that he’d failed in that. It took Charles a few seconds to answer, and his words were carefully chosen.
“I didn’t have my phone on me. I, ah, I left it in the bedroom. I only realized that when I came home to find you missing. I’m sorry to make you worry like that.”
Erik started down the side street leading toward the apartment. “We can talk about it later. I’ll be there in a few minutes. Are-” he swallowed and closed his eyes, trying to get his breathing under control. The streetlights seemed too bright all of a sudden. “Are you okay?”
Charles snorted. “Of course I am, Erik. I can take care of myself, you know.”
“Could have fooled me.” Erik could hear Charles chuckling lightly in the background, and he felt himself relax. Things were going to be okay. Charles was safe at home, and they were going to talk everything out. He pressed the phone a little harder against his ear. “Charles?”
“Yes?”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Erik. We can talk about it when you get home.” Charles’s voice was much softer when he next spoke. “Besides, I do believe that I hold just as much blame as you do.”
“I suppose.” He could see their building now. He quickened his pace, eager to get out of the cold. “Listen, Charles, I’m almost home. I’ll be up in just a minute or two.”
He could see Charles’s gentle smile clearly in his mind’s eye. Yes, things were going to be okay. “I’ll be here.”
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I love how well Erik knows Charles. And I especially love how worried he is for no reason! (Well I considering he met his future stalker I guess it's not NO reason but he doesn't know that ;)
Thank you again! I'm LOVING THIS XD
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