To Be Alone (With You): Chapter Seven
Title: To Be Alone (With You): Chapter Seven
Author: dizzycalm beta'd by the lovely Madneto
Rating: NC-17 (R this chapter)
Warnings: alcoholism, violence, teens in sexual situations
Author's Note: This is a WIP and the first time I've written such a long fic. Hopefully each new chapter will be posted on either Wednesday or Thursdays each week.
Summary: Based on this prompt which I wrote and decided to take on myself.
AU set in modern time. Charles and Erik meet as kids. They grow up, discover their powers together, and eventually fall in love... though one is more opposed to the idea than the other. Erik wants what he can't have and Charles is terrified of being like his mother.
Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Senior Year
The October sun is relentless as it shines down on Charles who is hunched over his school books trying to get some homework done, as he uses his hand to keep the fiery orb from blinding his eyes. Erik is out on the soccer field with this shirt off which is another reason why Charles has his nose stuck in the giant textbook with a piece of paper obscuring his view.
Erik has developed beautifully with his tightly built muscles stretched over his back and chest and arms glistening with sweat, his lean torso rippling with a hard earned six pack. Everything about his body makes Charles just want to sit there and stare, forget about his grades or college ambitions. Drooling might become an issue though.
A particularly hard question causes Charles to look away from his book and stretch to clear his head. His eyes of course snap to Erik like magnets. He soon becomes entranced by the way the sun glistens on Erik’s skin and makes his hair look a reddish color. He finds himself creating sonnets in his head about this sun-drenched God among men and then laughs quietly to himself if Erik ever heard him say such a thing. Charles doesn’t even fight himself from sneaking glances when he’s sure there’s no way of getting caught and they often joke about Erik’s good looks being the bane of his existence. He is completely unaware of the mousy brown haired girl eyeing him from the ground with a determined look on her face.
Charles continues to watch Erik run up and down the field while the girl quietly makes her way up the bleachers. Sean goes to take the ball from Erik and ends up tripping him, sending Erik to the grassy ground rather painfully. Charles stands up from where he’s seated and sends a quick message to make sure he’s okay. Erik looks up at the stands to send him a pained smile before brushing himself off. He’s had worse spills on the field.
“Excuse me?” Charles doesn’t notice the voice until she repeats herself a few more times, his undivided attention on Erik who walks off his bloody knee. “Excuse me?”
“Buh?” Charles looks to where she’s now sitting two rows down. “I mean what?” He feels like kicking himself for allowing somebody else to see him mooning over Erik.
“You’re in a few of my classes.” She smiles nervously, pushing her brown framed glasses further up her nose.
“Oh, yes.” Charles searches for her name, not allowing himself to skim her mind for the answer. “I’m terribly sorry, but you’re named Michelle?”
“Moira.” Her smile turns brighter, thinking how he almost got her name correct. She fiddles with her brown cardigan; everything about this girl is brown. “You’re Charles.”
“Yes, indeed.” Charles sits back down awkwardly, wondering when she’s going to ask him to tutor her. That’s usually how things go when somebody he doesn’t know strikes up a conversation with him. “Can I help you with something?” He is only half paying attention as Erik is broadcasting his thoughts loudly from the field now.
“Did you see that dick move Alex just pulled?”
“Oh well, actually yes.” She starts to say nervously, pulling at the patches on her brown messenger bag.
“I’m going to pull all the fillings out of his teeth if he doesn’t stop hogging the ball.”
“I’ve noticed you quite a bit during classes.” She’s still rambling, trying to work the nerve up to finally ask him what she’s been wanting to since she first saw his bright blue eyes and easy smile.
“My back is killing me. I’m going to sleep at your place tonight. My bed is too small.”
“You’re so smart and,” she stalls trying to remember the speech she wrote and rewrote last night.
“Not destroying Fury’s whistle was never an option.”
“And I really like your personality,” Moira starts chewing on her ponytail coming up with the forgotten speech as she goes.
“Who is that girl talking to yo-OOF!”
Charles stands up abruptly once more, realizing that Erik has taken a soccer ball rather painfully to the stomach. He’s doubled over on his knees.
“Will you go out with me?” Moira finally works up the courage as it looks like Charles is about to run away.
“Pardon?”
“I’m dying.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Erik.”
“I wanted to know if you would like to possibly, maybe, if you want, go out on a date with me?” Her face is bright red and her eyes are focused on her hands. “I know it’s a bit forward, but my mother has always told me to go after what I want.”
“I’m going to kill him.”
Erik’s voice is murderous and he sounds serious which only means one thing. Janos.
“Excuse me.” Charles for reasons unknown pats her on the head before jumping down off the bleachers and running towards the field. He can already see Alex and Sean trying to restrain the wounded Erik from going after his nemesis: Jano, the black haired boy laughing at Erik’s pain with his friend Wade while spinning the ball on his finger.
Since Erik first saw Janos he didn’t like him and the feeling was mutual. Janos is constantly bringing up the fact that Erik isn’t rich and makes fun of Erik’s accent that still comes out when exhausted or upset. They’ve had a few scuffles in the past off school grounds, and they’ve ended with both sides being bloody messes.
“I’ll wait for you!” Moira calls after Charles as he pushes past the metal gate onto the field.
Erik manages to break free from their hold to run towards Janos, but Charles runs full speed and tackles him before he is able to strike.
“Relax. Calm your mind.”
“Dammit, Charles,” Erik wheezes out of breath and in pain since Charles’s shoulder hit him in the same spot the soccer ball had.
“You’ll get suspended.”
“What in the hell, boys?” Fury booms from the sidelines. “This isn’t how you play soccer!” He picks up and hurdles an orange cone at the boys on the ground while directing his next yelling fit to Wade and Janos, “If you two ladies are done snickering then you’ll be able to give me five laps for being jackasses for that wild kick.”
Charles waits until they are off running before removing his weight from Erik’s body. He knows if Erik really wanted he could have pushed him aside and he’s grateful Erik listened to him.
“Pretty boy, get off my field!” The coach blows his whistle again, sending Charles into motion running back towards his books and Moira, as he passes Fury hits him on the back with his clipboard.
“Is he okay?” Moira asks with worry evident in her voice. He looks back towards the field to see Alex and Sean helping brush himself off.
“I’m going to destroy all your relaxation tapes.”
“He’s fine.” He smiles brightly, ignoring Erik’s threat.
“I had no idea this sport was so violent.” She’s hugging her bag as if scared. Charles shrugs with no comment, sitting down beside her and getting his papers in order. “So,” she starts about to ask the question again.
“I’ll think about it.” He interrupts with no real answer ready. Nobody has actually come up to him and asked him out so directly before. Usually the interested party sends him a note or slips one inside his locker and he can just simply ignore it or send back a short reply.
“Okay.” Moira smiles sweetly at him causing him to feel like a horrible person. She seems nice and if the classes she takes are any indication, she’s brilliant. She makes no move to leave so Charles breaks his own rule to skim her thoughts. He’s shocked at what he finds.
“I hope he likes me. He seems nice. Mother would like him. I should leave to start working on my paper, but Charles is actually talking to me.” Her thoughts are soft and subdued and completely honest.
Usually he hears the complete opposite of what somebody’s saying or when he’s hearing Erik’s thoughts they are loud and overpower all the other thoughts from everybody else running through his head. Charles likes that about Erik’s mind, but perhaps a subdued mind has its fine points as well. Her thoughts are quiet and aren’t nagging to be heard. He could block them out entirely without even thinking much but with Erik’s he has to concentrate on building walls whenever he feels they need privacy.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Charles nods at her as he follows Erik and the rest of the team over to the locker rooms. He keeps looking back at her to see how she hasn’t moved or glanced away from his residing back.
Charles soon forgets about Moira and her sudden proposal as he sits on the metal bench inside the locker room, catching Erik’s cast off sweaty kit to stuff it into a laundry bag. He stares down at his feet as Erik walks bare-arsed into the showers. He thinks idly as he waits that perhaps he should spend more time with the small mousy, quiet girl who doesn’t make his blood boil or skin feel too tight.
Later that night as Erik complains about Janos and “that silent bastard” Wade, Charles is miles away thinking about the future and why he feels a dread deep down in his stomach.
“Charles, you look like you’re thinking too much.” Erik rolls over on his side to spoon Charles’s back as he takes off his shoes.
“Just worried that’s all.”
“Well don’t. I’m the one that’s supposed to worry, remember?” Erik squeezes his side to make him jump. “Besides I hear worrying too much will cause your hair to fall out, and I doubt you can pull off the bald look.” He ruffles his hair trying to get a smile, but Charles shrugs off his hands. “What are you worried about anyways?”
Charles goes to sit at his desk chair instead of right next to Erik on the bed. “Not your grades, right?” Erik watches him as he riffles through the myriad stacks of study guides and old tests. “I don’t think you’ve ever failed a final in your life, Charles.”
“I keep thinking about the future and how everything is going to change.” Charles thinks the possibility of getting accepted into different colleges though they’ve talked about applying to some of the same schools; Charles has applied for two that Erik doesn’t know about.
“I won’t be changing.” Erik smiles at him before flinging backwards onto the bed. “I’ll be right by your side to keep your hair from falling out.”
The next morning Charles wakes up first to find Erik’s morning erection pressed hard against his back and his own answering hardness begging for attention. He knows exactly what he’s going to say to Moira.
In all honesty Charles thought it would be a good idea to invite Moira to Raven’s sixteenth birthday party. Raven has repeatedly told him in the past that she wishes she and Angel had another girl in their group of friends and well, Moira is a girl. Raven and Angel have planned two big parties for the month of October and the first is Raven’s small birthday celebration at the roller rink and then the big Halloween party at Sean’s house.
Charles doesn’t tell anybody of his plan as he marches into school or tries to, but Erik has his arm around his shoulder jostling him around and stalling him from his mission of getting a girlfriend. Moira is surprisingly in his first class of the day, surprisingly because he hasn’t noticed her until now. He is also surprised to find she sits in the sit right next to his in the front row.
“Hello Charles,” she says quietly as he enters the room.
“Do you want to go with me to my cousin’s birthday party?” he asks immediately before he chickens out.
“Yes!” she responds with her voice the loudest Charles has ever heard it. “I’d love to.”
“Just as friends, though,” Charles makes sure to say this while looking directly into her eyes. “Let’s get to know each other first before diving into the realm of boyfriend girlfriend. Not a date.” Due to Moira’s slight frown he quickly adds, “yet.”The rest of the class is spent with Moira smiling brightly and Charles’s mind miles away.
Raven’s party wasn’t until that Friday night and since it was still Wednesday, Charles thought perhaps he wouldn’t actually see Moira until that day. However for the next two days at school Moira was a fixture at his side making her quiet comments about schoolwork or talking about her grandmother.
“Nice cardigan,” Erik remarks with a smirk as he sees her walking close to Charles’s side. Moira dipped her head into a nod, but remains quiet. It’s the first time introducing Moira to his group of friends during lunchtime.
“I thought you liked cardigans.” Charles can feel Erik’s hostility.
“I like you in cardigans.”
“Who is she?” Sean blurts out rather smoothly with bits of cheeseburger flying out his mouth, jerking Charles and Erik back to the present.
“Oh, well,” Charles starts trying to figure out what to call Moira who might be his potential girlfriend.
“I’m Moira.” Both Charles and Erik look shocked as she finally speaks louder than a whisper for the entire group to hear.
“I’ve invited her to your birthday, Raven.” Charles looks over at his sister who is currently trying to rest her head in Hank’s lap which is occupied with text books. She perks up at his statement and pushes off Hank to sit up straight.
“Why?”
“Because she’s my friend.”
She sits and contemplates while staring between the new Moira and the boy she loves like a brother. After a while she finally shrugs with a, “Whatever Charles.” The entire group minus Erik goes back to eating and talking amongst themselves. Charles sits down next to Erik instead of leaning against his bent knees like he usually does, Moira right beside him.
“Alright, Moira?” Erik asks with a lewd look upon his face that doesn’t sit well with Charles. Moira just nods before taking a dainty bite out of her apple. “Do you have a boyfriend, Moira? Plans for the future, Moira? Going to college, Moira?”
Charles’s gaze could burn a whole in Erik’s face with his intensity. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Getting to know your new friend.”
“I’ve applied to Berkley.” She thankfully refuses the other two questions. “You?” God bless her she is actually looking into Erik’s eyes now as if in challenge or trying at least since her eyes keep darting away from Erik’s gaze.
“Charles and I haven’t decided yet,” he replies back easily with a shark like grin as if trying to intimidate her further.
“Erik, be nice.” Charles sends the thought with a bit more viciousness than he intended to. He just hates seeing the quiet girl get walked over and hates seeing Erik play the bully. Erik sends him a sharp look as if surprised.
“So wherever Charles goes you’ll go?” Moira laughs slightly as if it’s supposed to be a joke, but doesn’t actually know yet.
“Precisely.”
Raven’s birthday finally comes, and in the short amount of time Erik and Moira have known each other they’ve found a way to tolerate being in the same area. Whenever Erik is talking to Charles, Moira pretends to not exist and whenever she is talking to Charles, Erik pretends she doesn’t exist.
Thirty minutes into they party and Charles isn’t enjoying himself at all. He is happy and rather amused to watch Raven try and jump around in her roller skates, clinging to Erik who is by far the best skater out of the bunch. Her excitement is contagious in most cases, but right now Charles is awkward sitting in a booth with Moira who refuses to put on the rental skates.
A slow song comes on and the lights from above shine down little red stars on the rink. Raven looks around briefly for Hank, but he’s nowhere to be seen so she settles with looping her arm through Erik’s who voices no complaints. Charles tries not to feel the pang of jealousy as Erik whips her around the turns, laughter erupting from the birthday girl.
After they’ve skated a few more circles around the rink, the group gathers at the table for Raven to blow out her candles. The cake was homemade by Angel and Sean, and looks surprisingly like Italy.
“It’s a skate, Charles.” Angel rolls her eyes over what is obviously the country of Italy in the form of a cake.
“Make a wish and blow out your candles already so we can cut into Italy!” Erik exclaims loudly from where’s he’s seated on the other side of Charles.
“Make sure you don’t kill any EYE-talians, Rave.” Alex passes over the knife he’s been hiding inside his leather jacket. They start singing Happy Birthday as Raven closes her eyes and makes to blow out the candles.
“Wait!” Raven sits back away from the cake with her hands up. “Instead of a Birthday wish can I have a Birthday request?”
“Maybe.” Charles doesn’t want to agree right away without knowing the request.
“I’d like to finally have my first kiss today,” Raven announces crossing her arms. Hank suddenly looks extremely nervous.
“Hank?” Charles asks the boy that’s now slumped in his seat.
“Not with Hank.” Raven surprises the whole group by looking at Erik. “I want Erik to be my first kiss.”
“I thought you got over that crush,” Erik says fondly with a smile instead of recoiling like Charles has done.
“You can’t kiss Erik!” Charles interrupts, “He-he- He’s like your brother.” He struggles to come up with a reason.
“A hot brother,” Angel mumbles over her breath, nudging Raven’s side encouragingly.
“I’ll do it,” Erik says with a shrug, leaning closer to Raven. “No tongue though.”
“Erik!” Charles can’t keep the dismay and shock out of his voice, Moira’s presence beside him is so quiet he completely forgets she’s glued to his side. Raven mimics Erik’s actions and leans forward until their lips touch slightly before grabbing him by the ears and crushing their mouths together. “No!” Charles hits the table with his palm causing them to break apart.
“Relax, Charles. It’s her birthday.” The mood around the table has changed abruptly thanks to Charles’s outcry.
“I need air.” Charles pushes Erik out of the booth to head for the door, completely ashamed.
Charles doesn’t realize he’s been followed until he feels a small shoulder. He turns around to see Moira sitting silently beside him. He blurts out the only reasonable thing to do, “Be my date to Halloween.” Moira looks surprised by his request. “Actual date. Boyfriend girlfriend, date.” They hear the metal door open and both look up to see Erik standing there.
“Okay, Charles. I’ll go with you.”Moira responses as if Erik hadn’t just barged out the door causing him to freeze in his tracks.
“Moira, will you excuse us for a second?” Charles can see Erik’s jaw clench after asking her so politely as she looks over to Charles for approval. He nods her away and waits until she’s back inside before looking up at Erik.
“It’s a joke.”
“It is not,” Charles is about to defend his new relationship with Moira and how very real and unfunny it is, before Erik barges on.
“Raven told me what she was going to do to get a rise out of Hank,” Erik explains as he sits down where Moira had just vacated. “I didn’t mean to upset you so much.” His eyes look soft as he stares into Charles’s own. “Why did you get so angry?”
Charles could answer truthfully, but that would get them nowhere; only heartbreak is down that road. Instead he answers with, “You kissed my sister. You were supposed to protect her like a brother and you kissed her!”
The disappointment from Erik is so overwhelming Charles has to look away. “No tongues though,” Erik replies with a sad little smile. Charles shrugs and the rest of the party they spend avoiding each other. Erik however spies Hank trying to make Raven feel better after seeing the rift she has caused between the two closest people she has as a family.
The next day Erik is worried he really crossed the line when Charles doesn’t show up all day at his house. He decides to blame it all on stupid ideas and force Charles to forgive him as he marches down the path through the woods they’ve created due to frequent use.
Erik’s about to knock on Charles’s door when he hears voices inside so instead he opens it to reveal Hank sticking electrodes all over Charles’s forehead. Hank is rambling on about brain frequencies and wavelengths and whatnot. When Charles sees Erik enter he gives a shy wave and a smile, trying not to dislodge any of the wires.
“Erik, don’t disturb him. I’m experimenting,” Hank grumbles as if people have been disturbing him all day and by the look of Raven’s magazines scattered around the floor he guesses they have been.
“What an adorable lab rat you make, Charles.”
“Don’t spoil this for him, Erik. He won’t forgive you like I will.”
And with that they both know everything is alright between them, or at least for now.
Part Two
Author: dizzycalm beta'd by the lovely Madneto
Rating: NC-17 (R this chapter)
Warnings: alcoholism, violence, teens in sexual situations
Author's Note: This is a WIP and the first time I've written such a long fic. Hopefully each new chapter will be posted on either Wednesday or Thursdays each week.
Summary: Based on this prompt which I wrote and decided to take on myself.
AU set in modern time. Charles and Erik meet as kids. They grow up, discover their powers together, and eventually fall in love... though one is more opposed to the idea than the other. Erik wants what he can't have and Charles is terrified of being like his mother.
Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Senior Year
The October sun is relentless as it shines down on Charles who is hunched over his school books trying to get some homework done, as he uses his hand to keep the fiery orb from blinding his eyes. Erik is out on the soccer field with this shirt off which is another reason why Charles has his nose stuck in the giant textbook with a piece of paper obscuring his view.
Erik has developed beautifully with his tightly built muscles stretched over his back and chest and arms glistening with sweat, his lean torso rippling with a hard earned six pack. Everything about his body makes Charles just want to sit there and stare, forget about his grades or college ambitions. Drooling might become an issue though.
A particularly hard question causes Charles to look away from his book and stretch to clear his head. His eyes of course snap to Erik like magnets. He soon becomes entranced by the way the sun glistens on Erik’s skin and makes his hair look a reddish color. He finds himself creating sonnets in his head about this sun-drenched God among men and then laughs quietly to himself if Erik ever heard him say such a thing. Charles doesn’t even fight himself from sneaking glances when he’s sure there’s no way of getting caught and they often joke about Erik’s good looks being the bane of his existence. He is completely unaware of the mousy brown haired girl eyeing him from the ground with a determined look on her face.
Charles continues to watch Erik run up and down the field while the girl quietly makes her way up the bleachers. Sean goes to take the ball from Erik and ends up tripping him, sending Erik to the grassy ground rather painfully. Charles stands up from where he’s seated and sends a quick message to make sure he’s okay. Erik looks up at the stands to send him a pained smile before brushing himself off. He’s had worse spills on the field.
“Excuse me?” Charles doesn’t notice the voice until she repeats herself a few more times, his undivided attention on Erik who walks off his bloody knee. “Excuse me?”
“Buh?” Charles looks to where she’s now sitting two rows down. “I mean what?” He feels like kicking himself for allowing somebody else to see him mooning over Erik.
“You’re in a few of my classes.” She smiles nervously, pushing her brown framed glasses further up her nose.
“Oh, yes.” Charles searches for her name, not allowing himself to skim her mind for the answer. “I’m terribly sorry, but you’re named Michelle?”
“Moira.” Her smile turns brighter, thinking how he almost got her name correct. She fiddles with her brown cardigan; everything about this girl is brown. “You’re Charles.”
“Yes, indeed.” Charles sits back down awkwardly, wondering when she’s going to ask him to tutor her. That’s usually how things go when somebody he doesn’t know strikes up a conversation with him. “Can I help you with something?” He is only half paying attention as Erik is broadcasting his thoughts loudly from the field now.
“Did you see that dick move Alex just pulled?”
“Oh well, actually yes.” She starts to say nervously, pulling at the patches on her brown messenger bag.
“I’m going to pull all the fillings out of his teeth if he doesn’t stop hogging the ball.”
“I’ve noticed you quite a bit during classes.” She’s still rambling, trying to work the nerve up to finally ask him what she’s been wanting to since she first saw his bright blue eyes and easy smile.
“My back is killing me. I’m going to sleep at your place tonight. My bed is too small.”
“You’re so smart and,” she stalls trying to remember the speech she wrote and rewrote last night.
“Not destroying Fury’s whistle was never an option.”
“And I really like your personality,” Moira starts chewing on her ponytail coming up with the forgotten speech as she goes.
“Who is that girl talking to yo-OOF!”
Charles stands up abruptly once more, realizing that Erik has taken a soccer ball rather painfully to the stomach. He’s doubled over on his knees.
“Will you go out with me?” Moira finally works up the courage as it looks like Charles is about to run away.
“Pardon?”
“I’m dying.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Erik.”
“I wanted to know if you would like to possibly, maybe, if you want, go out on a date with me?” Her face is bright red and her eyes are focused on her hands. “I know it’s a bit forward, but my mother has always told me to go after what I want.”
“I’m going to kill him.”
Erik’s voice is murderous and he sounds serious which only means one thing. Janos.
“Excuse me.” Charles for reasons unknown pats her on the head before jumping down off the bleachers and running towards the field. He can already see Alex and Sean trying to restrain the wounded Erik from going after his nemesis: Jano, the black haired boy laughing at Erik’s pain with his friend Wade while spinning the ball on his finger.
Since Erik first saw Janos he didn’t like him and the feeling was mutual. Janos is constantly bringing up the fact that Erik isn’t rich and makes fun of Erik’s accent that still comes out when exhausted or upset. They’ve had a few scuffles in the past off school grounds, and they’ve ended with both sides being bloody messes.
“I’ll wait for you!” Moira calls after Charles as he pushes past the metal gate onto the field.
Erik manages to break free from their hold to run towards Janos, but Charles runs full speed and tackles him before he is able to strike.
“Relax. Calm your mind.”
“Dammit, Charles,” Erik wheezes out of breath and in pain since Charles’s shoulder hit him in the same spot the soccer ball had.
“You’ll get suspended.”
“What in the hell, boys?” Fury booms from the sidelines. “This isn’t how you play soccer!” He picks up and hurdles an orange cone at the boys on the ground while directing his next yelling fit to Wade and Janos, “If you two ladies are done snickering then you’ll be able to give me five laps for being jackasses for that wild kick.”
Charles waits until they are off running before removing his weight from Erik’s body. He knows if Erik really wanted he could have pushed him aside and he’s grateful Erik listened to him.
“Pretty boy, get off my field!” The coach blows his whistle again, sending Charles into motion running back towards his books and Moira, as he passes Fury hits him on the back with his clipboard.
“Is he okay?” Moira asks with worry evident in her voice. He looks back towards the field to see Alex and Sean helping brush himself off.
“I’m going to destroy all your relaxation tapes.”
“He’s fine.” He smiles brightly, ignoring Erik’s threat.
“I had no idea this sport was so violent.” She’s hugging her bag as if scared. Charles shrugs with no comment, sitting down beside her and getting his papers in order. “So,” she starts about to ask the question again.
“I’ll think about it.” He interrupts with no real answer ready. Nobody has actually come up to him and asked him out so directly before. Usually the interested party sends him a note or slips one inside his locker and he can just simply ignore it or send back a short reply.
“Okay.” Moira smiles sweetly at him causing him to feel like a horrible person. She seems nice and if the classes she takes are any indication, she’s brilliant. She makes no move to leave so Charles breaks his own rule to skim her thoughts. He’s shocked at what he finds.
“I hope he likes me. He seems nice. Mother would like him. I should leave to start working on my paper, but Charles is actually talking to me.” Her thoughts are soft and subdued and completely honest.
Usually he hears the complete opposite of what somebody’s saying or when he’s hearing Erik’s thoughts they are loud and overpower all the other thoughts from everybody else running through his head. Charles likes that about Erik’s mind, but perhaps a subdued mind has its fine points as well. Her thoughts are quiet and aren’t nagging to be heard. He could block them out entirely without even thinking much but with Erik’s he has to concentrate on building walls whenever he feels they need privacy.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Charles nods at her as he follows Erik and the rest of the team over to the locker rooms. He keeps looking back at her to see how she hasn’t moved or glanced away from his residing back.
Charles soon forgets about Moira and her sudden proposal as he sits on the metal bench inside the locker room, catching Erik’s cast off sweaty kit to stuff it into a laundry bag. He stares down at his feet as Erik walks bare-arsed into the showers. He thinks idly as he waits that perhaps he should spend more time with the small mousy, quiet girl who doesn’t make his blood boil or skin feel too tight.
Later that night as Erik complains about Janos and “that silent bastard” Wade, Charles is miles away thinking about the future and why he feels a dread deep down in his stomach.
“Charles, you look like you’re thinking too much.” Erik rolls over on his side to spoon Charles’s back as he takes off his shoes.
“Just worried that’s all.”
“Well don’t. I’m the one that’s supposed to worry, remember?” Erik squeezes his side to make him jump. “Besides I hear worrying too much will cause your hair to fall out, and I doubt you can pull off the bald look.” He ruffles his hair trying to get a smile, but Charles shrugs off his hands. “What are you worried about anyways?”
Charles goes to sit at his desk chair instead of right next to Erik on the bed. “Not your grades, right?” Erik watches him as he riffles through the myriad stacks of study guides and old tests. “I don’t think you’ve ever failed a final in your life, Charles.”
“I keep thinking about the future and how everything is going to change.” Charles thinks the possibility of getting accepted into different colleges though they’ve talked about applying to some of the same schools; Charles has applied for two that Erik doesn’t know about.
“I won’t be changing.” Erik smiles at him before flinging backwards onto the bed. “I’ll be right by your side to keep your hair from falling out.”
The next morning Charles wakes up first to find Erik’s morning erection pressed hard against his back and his own answering hardness begging for attention. He knows exactly what he’s going to say to Moira.
In all honesty Charles thought it would be a good idea to invite Moira to Raven’s sixteenth birthday party. Raven has repeatedly told him in the past that she wishes she and Angel had another girl in their group of friends and well, Moira is a girl. Raven and Angel have planned two big parties for the month of October and the first is Raven’s small birthday celebration at the roller rink and then the big Halloween party at Sean’s house.
Charles doesn’t tell anybody of his plan as he marches into school or tries to, but Erik has his arm around his shoulder jostling him around and stalling him from his mission of getting a girlfriend. Moira is surprisingly in his first class of the day, surprisingly because he hasn’t noticed her until now. He is also surprised to find she sits in the sit right next to his in the front row.
“Hello Charles,” she says quietly as he enters the room.
“Do you want to go with me to my cousin’s birthday party?” he asks immediately before he chickens out.
“Yes!” she responds with her voice the loudest Charles has ever heard it. “I’d love to.”
“Just as friends, though,” Charles makes sure to say this while looking directly into her eyes. “Let’s get to know each other first before diving into the realm of boyfriend girlfriend. Not a date.” Due to Moira’s slight frown he quickly adds, “yet.”The rest of the class is spent with Moira smiling brightly and Charles’s mind miles away.
Raven’s party wasn’t until that Friday night and since it was still Wednesday, Charles thought perhaps he wouldn’t actually see Moira until that day. However for the next two days at school Moira was a fixture at his side making her quiet comments about schoolwork or talking about her grandmother.
“Nice cardigan,” Erik remarks with a smirk as he sees her walking close to Charles’s side. Moira dipped her head into a nod, but remains quiet. It’s the first time introducing Moira to his group of friends during lunchtime.
“I thought you liked cardigans.” Charles can feel Erik’s hostility.
“I like you in cardigans.”
“Who is she?” Sean blurts out rather smoothly with bits of cheeseburger flying out his mouth, jerking Charles and Erik back to the present.
“Oh, well,” Charles starts trying to figure out what to call Moira who might be his potential girlfriend.
“I’m Moira.” Both Charles and Erik look shocked as she finally speaks louder than a whisper for the entire group to hear.
“I’ve invited her to your birthday, Raven.” Charles looks over at his sister who is currently trying to rest her head in Hank’s lap which is occupied with text books. She perks up at his statement and pushes off Hank to sit up straight.
“Why?”
“Because she’s my friend.”
She sits and contemplates while staring between the new Moira and the boy she loves like a brother. After a while she finally shrugs with a, “Whatever Charles.” The entire group minus Erik goes back to eating and talking amongst themselves. Charles sits down next to Erik instead of leaning against his bent knees like he usually does, Moira right beside him.
“Alright, Moira?” Erik asks with a lewd look upon his face that doesn’t sit well with Charles. Moira just nods before taking a dainty bite out of her apple. “Do you have a boyfriend, Moira? Plans for the future, Moira? Going to college, Moira?”
Charles’s gaze could burn a whole in Erik’s face with his intensity. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Getting to know your new friend.”
“I’ve applied to Berkley.” She thankfully refuses the other two questions. “You?” God bless her she is actually looking into Erik’s eyes now as if in challenge or trying at least since her eyes keep darting away from Erik’s gaze.
“Charles and I haven’t decided yet,” he replies back easily with a shark like grin as if trying to intimidate her further.
“Erik, be nice.” Charles sends the thought with a bit more viciousness than he intended to. He just hates seeing the quiet girl get walked over and hates seeing Erik play the bully. Erik sends him a sharp look as if surprised.
“So wherever Charles goes you’ll go?” Moira laughs slightly as if it’s supposed to be a joke, but doesn’t actually know yet.
“Precisely.”
Raven’s birthday finally comes, and in the short amount of time Erik and Moira have known each other they’ve found a way to tolerate being in the same area. Whenever Erik is talking to Charles, Moira pretends to not exist and whenever she is talking to Charles, Erik pretends she doesn’t exist.
Thirty minutes into they party and Charles isn’t enjoying himself at all. He is happy and rather amused to watch Raven try and jump around in her roller skates, clinging to Erik who is by far the best skater out of the bunch. Her excitement is contagious in most cases, but right now Charles is awkward sitting in a booth with Moira who refuses to put on the rental skates.
A slow song comes on and the lights from above shine down little red stars on the rink. Raven looks around briefly for Hank, but he’s nowhere to be seen so she settles with looping her arm through Erik’s who voices no complaints. Charles tries not to feel the pang of jealousy as Erik whips her around the turns, laughter erupting from the birthday girl.
After they’ve skated a few more circles around the rink, the group gathers at the table for Raven to blow out her candles. The cake was homemade by Angel and Sean, and looks surprisingly like Italy.
“It’s a skate, Charles.” Angel rolls her eyes over what is obviously the country of Italy in the form of a cake.
“Make a wish and blow out your candles already so we can cut into Italy!” Erik exclaims loudly from where’s he’s seated on the other side of Charles.
“Make sure you don’t kill any EYE-talians, Rave.” Alex passes over the knife he’s been hiding inside his leather jacket. They start singing Happy Birthday as Raven closes her eyes and makes to blow out the candles.
“Wait!” Raven sits back away from the cake with her hands up. “Instead of a Birthday wish can I have a Birthday request?”
“Maybe.” Charles doesn’t want to agree right away without knowing the request.
“I’d like to finally have my first kiss today,” Raven announces crossing her arms. Hank suddenly looks extremely nervous.
“Hank?” Charles asks the boy that’s now slumped in his seat.
“Not with Hank.” Raven surprises the whole group by looking at Erik. “I want Erik to be my first kiss.”
“I thought you got over that crush,” Erik says fondly with a smile instead of recoiling like Charles has done.
“You can’t kiss Erik!” Charles interrupts, “He-he- He’s like your brother.” He struggles to come up with a reason.
“A hot brother,” Angel mumbles over her breath, nudging Raven’s side encouragingly.
“I’ll do it,” Erik says with a shrug, leaning closer to Raven. “No tongue though.”
“Erik!” Charles can’t keep the dismay and shock out of his voice, Moira’s presence beside him is so quiet he completely forgets she’s glued to his side. Raven mimics Erik’s actions and leans forward until their lips touch slightly before grabbing him by the ears and crushing their mouths together. “No!” Charles hits the table with his palm causing them to break apart.
“Relax, Charles. It’s her birthday.” The mood around the table has changed abruptly thanks to Charles’s outcry.
“I need air.” Charles pushes Erik out of the booth to head for the door, completely ashamed.
Charles doesn’t realize he’s been followed until he feels a small shoulder. He turns around to see Moira sitting silently beside him. He blurts out the only reasonable thing to do, “Be my date to Halloween.” Moira looks surprised by his request. “Actual date. Boyfriend girlfriend, date.” They hear the metal door open and both look up to see Erik standing there.
“Okay, Charles. I’ll go with you.”Moira responses as if Erik hadn’t just barged out the door causing him to freeze in his tracks.
“Moira, will you excuse us for a second?” Charles can see Erik’s jaw clench after asking her so politely as she looks over to Charles for approval. He nods her away and waits until she’s back inside before looking up at Erik.
“It’s a joke.”
“It is not,” Charles is about to defend his new relationship with Moira and how very real and unfunny it is, before Erik barges on.
“Raven told me what she was going to do to get a rise out of Hank,” Erik explains as he sits down where Moira had just vacated. “I didn’t mean to upset you so much.” His eyes look soft as he stares into Charles’s own. “Why did you get so angry?”
Charles could answer truthfully, but that would get them nowhere; only heartbreak is down that road. Instead he answers with, “You kissed my sister. You were supposed to protect her like a brother and you kissed her!”
The disappointment from Erik is so overwhelming Charles has to look away. “No tongues though,” Erik replies with a sad little smile. Charles shrugs and the rest of the party they spend avoiding each other. Erik however spies Hank trying to make Raven feel better after seeing the rift she has caused between the two closest people she has as a family.
The next day Erik is worried he really crossed the line when Charles doesn’t show up all day at his house. He decides to blame it all on stupid ideas and force Charles to forgive him as he marches down the path through the woods they’ve created due to frequent use.
Erik’s about to knock on Charles’s door when he hears voices inside so instead he opens it to reveal Hank sticking electrodes all over Charles’s forehead. Hank is rambling on about brain frequencies and wavelengths and whatnot. When Charles sees Erik enter he gives a shy wave and a smile, trying not to dislodge any of the wires.
“Erik, don’t disturb him. I’m experimenting,” Hank grumbles as if people have been disturbing him all day and by the look of Raven’s magazines scattered around the floor he guesses they have been.
“What an adorable lab rat you make, Charles.”
“Don’t spoil this for him, Erik. He won’t forgive you like I will.”
And with that they both know everything is alright between them, or at least for now.
Part Two