FIC: Vita Supernaturalis (X-Men AU) Part Three(a)
3rd June 2011:
“It’s about time you guys got here. I was starting to worry.” Hank’s voice filtered down from the porch of his home as Charles and Erik climbed out of the Impala. They both looked over at Hank’s form and grinned simultaneously making the other man role his eyes at them. “Get in here.”
Still grinning in amusement, Erik and Charles quickly ascended the steps and entered Hank’s home, Erik closing the door behind them before following Charles into the study. Hank stood in front of the desk, obscuring their view of something resting on the top, and Erik couldn’t help being intrigued. Charles’ eyebrows raised slightly in the way that told Erik that Charles himself was intrigued as well.
“What have you got there Hank?” Charles asked curiously as he stood just inside the study and Erik stood beside him, both of them waiting for Hank’s response.
Hank smiled at them, a toothy grin that Erik normally associated with a slightly deranged and unhinged Hank, and turned slightly to pick up the box he’d been blocking from view. “Something to kill that God-damn son-of-a-bitch Shaw.” Hank answered as he held the box out towards them.
Glancing briefly at Charles, Erik reached out and took the box from Hank’s grasp. Charles’ gaze was riveted on the box, his eyes wide and Erik could almost feel his amazement, and Erik cautiously opened the lid of the box to reveal...
“My God.” Charles breathed out as he stared at the sleek metal of one of the most legendary weapons in the history of hunters around the world. “Is that-”
“The Colt, yep.” Hank finished as he waggled his eyebrows in exhilaration. “The one and only thing that can kill a Demon.”
Erik stared down at the gun in silence, his mind alight with thoughts, feelings, memories and he felt the world fading away until it was just him and the Colt. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else existed. Nothing but this gun and his revenge.
“Erik.” Charles said quietly, his attention now on his stationary friend. “Erik.” He repeated, a bit more forcefully and Erik started out of his focus.
Looking over at the shorter man, Erik smiled slightly and gently lifted the Colt from its box, his long, slender and strong fingers curving around the handle as he raised the gun to point it at the book shelf behind Hank. “How’d you get it?” Erik asked as he looked at Hank.
“Hunter called Daniel Elkins, sent it to me last week; said he didn’t want to leave it in his home any longer ‘cause of some Vamps in the area.” Hank answered, his words veiled with sadness and Erik realised what must have happened to Elkins. “Said to put it to good use on something other than Vamps.” He added as he looked pointedly at the two hunters before him.
Erik closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “Let’s go kill the bastard.” He said darkly as he looked down the length of the gun and caught Hank’s eye. “Thanks.”
Hank nodded his welcome at the hunter, his eyes filled with something that Erik couldn’t identify but it looked suspiciously like pride.
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4th June 2011:
“We can handle the bastard ourselves Charles.” Erik insisted as he followed the shorter man around the Impala as the Brit continued to throw their bags into the trunk. “We don’t need to waste time looking for other hunters.”
“Erik, be reasonable. We cannot get to Shaw if we are dead and we definitely won’t be able to get to Shaw if the man has a number of Demons waiting for us; which he most certainly will.” Charles sighed as he stopped and turned to face the hunter as he pouted glumly. “Stop pouting, it makes you look like a de-toothed Shark.” Charles added and Erik blinked. ‘Shark?’
“And yes, a shark Erik; I mean, have you seen your smile?” Charles looked pointedly at the hunter and his lips curled slightly as his eyes sparked with mischief. “Though I guess you haven’t, what with you breaking all the mirrors in your presence.”
“With my rugged handsomeness of course.” Erik cut in as he glared at the Brit who laughed lightly. Though he didn’t want to, Erik found his lips curling into a smile also because Charles was laughing, and this happy Charles was so different to the one that Erik saw in the dead of night when the Brit would toss and turn throughout the night before starting awake only to smash something in the room. This smiling, happy Charles was the whole-reason that Erik was able to sit by and wait for Charles to calm down in the night before offering comfort.
“Oh, most definitely my friend.” Charles smiled warmly up at the hunter, something curling in his gut and flooding his body with a warmth that he hadn’t been unaccustomed to. It was... nice. Not repulsive and not sickening like it had been with... that beast. Erik, oh sweet, loving, kind and intense Erik was everything to Charles; even his dear sister couldn’t compete with this man and Charles was forever thankful that he would likely never have to choose between the two because he doubted his heart could take the choice. It would quite literally kill him because... oh let the saints forgive him, he knew he’d chose Erik over Raven. And he hated himself a little for it because family is supposed to come first. But Erik was so much more to him than family.
Impulsively he reached out to grasp Erik’s hand in a tight grip, as though to reaffirm for himself that the hunter was real and there and alive. A part of Charles wondered how he must look to Erik right now, with all these thoughts and feelings rolling around in his head and heart, but he wasn’t even the slightest bit tempted to look through Erik’s eyes to find out. There was something sacred between them now, something that Charles wasn’t going to jeopardise for the sake of anything. And if that meant going looking for hunters, wasting a couple of days to cobble together some sort of team, then he’d be damned if he let Erik make him feel guilty about because damnit, he was doing this for Erik.
Erik stared deeply into Charles’ eyes, looking, searching, for something and Charles knew what his friend was looking for. He’d known since that day in April and he’d also known that eventually he’d be able to give his friend what he was so patiently waiting for. ‘Fuck it’, Charles thought, uncharacteristically brash and impulsive, ‘We might die soon and I am not going to Heaven or Hell with getting a kiss from this man!’
Perhaps something in his face gave away his thoughts or perhaps it was Erik who had suddenly developed telepathic abilities because the hunter smiled lustfully and dipped his head down as Charles stretched his entire body to reach for those delicious looking lips.
And it was exquisite when they touched, a million sparks of pure wanton electricity exploding between them as Charles moaned deeply and wrapped an arm around Erik’s broad, muscled back. Their lips were locked in the throes of desire and wanton passion that had been denied between them since they’d first met, though neither had been aware of the atmosphere between them back then. Erik growled in the back of his throat, the sound reverberating through his chest and his mouth making Charles gasp into the kiss, and he slid one of his muscled arms around the Brit’s waist, holding him close, stopping him from running away again, protecting him, keeping him there where Erik would always protect him to his death. And it was all so heady, so erotic that Charles let go of the tenuous grip on the wall between his thoughts and everyone else and flooded Erik’s mind with his own words, dreams, ideas, wishes and nightmares.
‘Oh God, I love him so much it hurts...’
‘I don’t ever want this to end, I want this to go on forever...’
‘He’ll leave me one day but please God don’t let it be today...’
‘God, I’ve wanted this for months!’
‘More Erik... please, God give me more...’
‘Take the reminders of him away from me Erik, replace them with memories of you please...’
Erik’s chest rumbled deeply as he literally lifted Charles up with the arm around the Brit’s waist and placed him on the hood of the Impala. His other hand ran along the length of Charles’ chest, under the button-down shirt the Brit wore, gliding over the pale, lean flesh so tauntingly that Charles gasped as he broke the kiss and arched his back. Erik nuzzled his neck with his nose, his breath ghosting over the overly-sensitive skin of Charles’ neck and he murmured something into the smooth skin too quietly for Charles to hear, but the feelings that accompanied the words... those feelings hit Charles like a tonne weight and he forgot how to breath for a minute as his mind shuddered to a halt and his breathing hitched painfully for a long, long moment.
‘This is what it’s like to be loved’, Charles found himself thinking when his mind started up again. ‘This is what it feels like to be loved by someone with every fibre of their being...’ It was so much, too much, but not enough, never enough because Charles wanted more. He wanted more than just love, he wanted the passion, the lust, the anger, the hate that Erik had inside him. To be truly loved, Charles wanted everything Erik had to offer him, not only the good in the hunter but also the dark poison at the centre of Erik’s core. A dark poison that was at the heart of Charles too.
Erik’s movements slowed as he slid his hand out from beneath Charles’ shirt and loosened the tight grip he had on the Brit’s waist. Lifting his head slowly, Erik looked into the blue eyes staring at him with so much feeling that it made something in Erik shatter. A wall around his heart. A wall that had been built around his living soul for most of his life, only ever cracked and tarnished by a half-dozen people, and now it was shattered. Shattered into a billion pieces and scattered to the winds as Charles reached up with a steady hand and gently stroked his cheek. And Erik finally understood why his father had been so broken by his mother’s death, why the man had survived through-out the years with only the need for revenge to keep him afloat. Erik finally understood that, when you loved someone so much, with every single part of your heart and soul, every ounce of good in you, that when you lost them... you lost yourself too, and he swore to himself that he would never lose Charles. ‘I will never lose you’, he thought forcefully, intensely as he stared back into those burning blue eyes and he knew his own were alight with passion and fire and need. ‘I won’t let you go.’
Charles smiled, love pouring out of every pour of his body, permeating the air and Erik absorbed the love like a sponge starved of water for too long. He took every piece that Charles chipped away from himself and handed to Erik without an ounce of shame and he felt a tear roll down his cheek as he heard Charles’ response. ‘I wouldn’t have it any other way Erik... I wouldn’t have it any other way.’
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“So....” Erik drawled as he tapped the steering wheel impatiently, Charles had made him turn the stereo off after he started playing Iron Maiden. Looking over at the Brit he raised his eyebrows and asked, his voice innocent. “When’s this going to be sorted?” He suppressed a smile as Charles slowly raised his head to give him what might have been the mother of all death-glares.
“I don’t know Erik, I am not a fortune teller.” Charles said slowly, breathing deeply as though he were only just restraining himself from giving Erik a psychic-headslap. The younger man looked away from Erik and back down at the map he was currently studying, well, trying to study.
“No. You’re a telepath, much more respectable.” Erik said sarcastically, enjoying the way Charles gave him a side-long look of I-am-going-to-turn-your-brain-to-goop-in-the-most-painful-way-I-can-possibly-conjure-up-if-you-don’t-shut-up! It was a lot less threatening that Charles probably realised because, to Erik, it just made the Brit look like a pouting six year old.
‘Oh hush’, Charles thought in exasperation as the hunter who chuckled as he turned away to look back out the window, satisfied that he’d riled Charles up; it was a good pastime for him, and revenge for all the times that Charles drove him silently loopy. It was boring though now because Charles had quickly caught onto the fact that, if he ignored Erik for long enough, then the hunter would eventually stop; though, more often than not, Charles couldn’t hold out long enough and Erik had his entertainment.
They had been waiting for over an hour for Hank to drag his arse out of the lonely cabin in the woods and if he was honest, Erik was one step off going into the damned cabin himself and dragging the no-good, reclusive son-of-a-bitch that was Armando Muñoz, AKA Darwin. The only reason he hadn’t done so already was due to the fact that one; Charles had telekinetic locked the doors of the Impala so, unless Erik wanted to damage his beloved car, he’d have to wait for Charles to willingly unlock it and two; Charles had steadfastly refused to step foot out of the Impala and Erik wasn’t going to go anywhere without the Brit. Still, he was awfully tempted to try and con Charles into letting him get out the car to stretch his legs.
Just as he was thinking, plotting, about doing so the sound of a door opening and raised voices drew his attention and he looked at the cabin to see the front door open. Leaning forward in his seat slightly, Erik’s sharp eyes picked out the tall outline of Hank and another man arguing on the threshold of the cabin. Not even consciously being aware of doing so, Erik reached out and pulled the handle on the door, only for it to catch and not open. ‘What the- Damn it’, Erik looked at Charles pointedly and the telepath sighed as he unlocked the doors and climbed out of the Impala as Erik did so also. Together they set off for the cabin, listening to both the conversation, argument really, and the surrounding area as they did so.
“I don’t care if you were going after the Devil himself Hank! I’m not helping.” Darwin shouted as he tried to slam the door in Hank’s face but the other hunter stuck his foot in the door frame and jammed it. Darwin glared at Hank who stared coolly back at him though Charles could clearly hear Hank’s thoughts and he was actually surprised at how many curses the other man actually knew.
“Please Armando.” Charles said as he stepped onto the porch of the cabin and drew the attention of the reclusive hunter. “I understand that you’re reluctant to leave your home after the many things you’ve experienced in your life, but we’re going after Shaw.” Charles continued as he stepped up next to Hank, well aware that Erik was standing only a step or so behind him. He looked side-ways at Hank and nodded slightly. Hank slowly removed his foot from the door frame and stepped back so he was beside Erik, leaving the recruiting to Charles.
“Good for you kid.” Darwin said as he held the door but he didn’t shut it in Charles’ face. “But it’s not any of my business.” He added as he leaned on the door frame and looked down sadly at Brit.
“It will be though.” Charles countered softly, he ignored the way Erik and Hank looked questioningly at him. “Shaw is a Demon, Armando, and a despicable one at that. Granted, he is one of many, but the other Demons are not planning on starting a war unlike Shaw.” Charles continued as he thought back over what the Demon had told him during that night... the words fleeting and had little meaning at the time, but Charles had done the research, ran the numbers and looked at the signs across the world. Shaw was gearing up for a war. “Shaw is planning on starting a war against humans, a war that, if we don’t stop now, we will most certainly lose.”
Darwin stared in shocked silence at the Brit, his tongue stuck to his throat and Charles could feel the disbelief, the shock, the confusion from each of the three men. Taking a breath and tilting his head to the side, Charles spoke, a challenging tone to his voice that sounded almost dangerous. “So, do you think it’s your problem now Armando?”
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5th June 2011:
It was quiet as they drove down the road, a small convoy of cars, and Erik cast a side-ways glance at the dozing Brit in the passenger seat beside him. Charles looked relaxed and comfortable, such a contrast to how he’d looked less than two days ago that Erik often found himself looking at the younger man as if to reassure himself that it was really Charles and he was really resting. It seemed that, after their little impromptu make-out session - which had ended rather abruptly courtesy of a mentally-scared Hank - something in Charles had loosened, reconciled even, and he trusted Erik so completely that it was only in the hunter’s presence that the Brit was able to sleep freely of his nightmares.
It made something swell in Erik’s chest as he realised this and he tentatively reached out with a hand and gently stroked Charles’ brow, smoothing away the slight frowns on the innocent and youthful face. Sometimes, when Erik knew Charles wasn’t listening in on his thoughts - intentionally or otherwise - Erik thought back to the words that Charles had spoken those weeks ago, after Erik had awoke to find a day’s worth of his life missing from his memory. “Shaw injured me in ways I am not unused too.” What did that mean exactly? Erik knew that Shaw had r-raped his friend using Erik’s own body, and how that had fucked up Erik’s mind - still fucked up his mind - but Erik was curious as to what it meant for Charles that his friend - lover? - was familiar with it... rape... or sex with a man? Erik wasn’t sure and it made him feel uncertain, nervous and down-right murderous all at once to think about it for too long.
Charles murmured something and shifted in his seat, batting Erik’s hand away as he did so, and Erik’s sharp hearing picked out a couple of words. “Raven... not going... bald...” He smiled sadly as he returned his attention to the road, glancing briefly in the rear-view mirror to see the headlights of Hank and Darwin’s respective trucks. They were a little convoy of hunters going in search of others of their kind to go up against the big-bad soon and Erik was secretly terrified for Charles’ safety. The Brit could hardly handle a shotgun, though he did have a cracking shot amusingly, and in hand-to-hand Erik was sure a three year could best him. And he was meant to go up against Shaw with Erik? No. If Erik had to tie Charles up and leave him in the trunk of the damned Impala just to keep him safe, then he would. Though, if he survived his meeting with Shaw, he doubted Charles would be happy with him.
The small walkie-talkie resting in the alcove of the door crackled to life and Erik quickly grabbed it. “What Hank?” He muttered into it as he glanced in the rear-view mirror again, his voice was low and deep, dark and frustrated because he didn’t want to wake Charles yet.
“Darwin says he’s managed to get in contact with two more hunters.” Hank answered and Erik suppressed a growl as Charles shifted in his seat and curled up slightly. “Take the next right you come to and you’ll come to the Hunter’s Cavern at the end.” Hank ordered before shutting of the walkie-talkie leaving Erik with a slumbering Brit and the insatiable urge to curse in a dozen different languages.
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Pulling up outside the Hunter’s Cavern, Erik killed the engine and smiled as he looked over at Charles as the younger man slowly began to wake now the Impala was stationary. “Hey.” Erik said softly, reaching out carefully with a hand and gently laying it on Charles’ upper-arm, the touch light and easy to shake off should Charles choose to do so. “Wake up Charles.”
Charles blinked slowly, his blue eyes blurred and dazed, as he looked over at Erik and then out the windscreen. “We there yet?” He slurred as he dragged himself upright in his seat and rubbed his eyes. The fact that Charles’ hair was an absolute mess, his cheeks flushed and his body looked even smaller than usual made something in Erik twist and he smiled softly as he took in his friends apparel.
“Yeah, and I think Hank’s coming over so you might want to reach def-con 3 pronto.” Erik laughed quietly as Charles suddenly jerked forward in his seat and cursed. “Charming.” He added as Charles threw a sharp glare at him before dragging his sluggish body out of the Impala before Hank could shout at him to.
“Come on you two.” Hank called as he and Darwin stomped over towards the Hunter’s Cavern. “We haven’t got time to stand around waiting.” He added and, when Charles was sure he wasn’t looking, Charles childishly stuck his tongue out at the hunter and Erik suppressed a laugh. “And stop that, you ain’t a five year old!”
“He’s got eyes in the back of his head Charles, I told you.” Erik laughed as Charles started in surprise. The hunter clapped Charles lightly on the shoulder before adding. “Come on, don’t want to keep him waiting.”
“Of course not.” Charles muttered, sounding for all the world like a reprimanded child and Erik grinned as they set off for the Hunter’s Cavern.
“So, Hank.” Erik said as they caught up with the other two hunters. “These other hunters. What are they like?” He asked as Hank looked shiftily at Darwin who was suddenly busy with wiping his boots on the little mat on the porch. Erik frowned and tilted his head to the side slightly. “Hank?”
“You’ll see.” Hank answered tactfully before slipping inside the bar before Erik could demand an explanation. Darwin looked briefly at Charles and Erik before following after the other hunter. Erik huffed as he grabbed the handle of the door and pulled it open, pausing in surprise as he peered into the near darkness of the bar.
Charles suppressed a smile because Darwin really should try to think quieter, and he glided past Erik into the semi-dark bar, knowing that Erik wouldn’t hesitate to follow after him. Taking a look around the inside of the bar, Charles was surprised to note that it was empty save for seven people, including their little convoy.
“Where are these other hunters exactly?” Erik asked as he stepped up beside Charles and surveyed the furniture of the place. The lights were on low, the blinds on all the windows closed and there was a layer of smoke floating around the place; smoke that suspiciously reminded Erik of the jocks behind the bike sheds with their spliff’s.
“You looking for hunters?” A voice echoed around the bar and Erik’s gaze locked onto one of the three other people in the place. A tall, gangly person ambled towards them, crazed ginger hair blazing like a warning beacon and Erik raised an eyebrow in disbelief as his sharp eyes made out the person’s features. He was a boy, a kid.
“Yeah, you know any?” Erik answered as he stared impassively at the teen who stopped just shy of Erik’s reach. ‘Not that dumb then’, he thought as he watched as the teen casually leant on the bar and he caught Charles’ eye as he tilted his head to the side. ‘Please tell me he’s not-’
“I’m a hunter.” The teen said, staring at the four of them who raised their eyebrows in surprise. “Seriously. I’m a hunter, so’s Alex.” He added as he jerked his head to indicate the slowly approaching other boy, child, teen. “I’m Sean Cassidy, pleased to meet you.”
“Charles Xavier.” Charles said, smiling as he stepped forward and held out a hand for the teen to shake. Sean stared at the Brit in surprise before smiling and clasping the outstretched hand lightly. “Nice to meet you Sean.”
“And the same to you.” Sean replied as he grinned and leant back against the bar and turned his head to look at the other teen, Alex. “Don’t expect him to shake your hand; he’s antisocial with a capital A.”
“Oh, he’ll get on splendidly with Erik then.” Charles said lightly, ignoring the way Erik glared at him. “Well, I suppose we might as well get down to business and explain why we’re here and all.” He continued as he moved to sit on one of the bar stools, Erik following behind him like some sort of personal bodyguard.
“You’re hunting?” Alex said quietly, his voice rough and raw - ‘dangerous’, Charles’ mind supplied for him - and Charles looked over that the blonde teen, well he was over twenty-on but for Charles he still looked like a teen, even with that God awful scowl.
“Yes.” Charles answered as Hank and Darwin sat down at the bar themselves. “We were wondering if you’d like to join us?” He added as he stared calmly at Alex, and he noticed how Sean quietly deferred to the blonde but it was interesting to note that Alex wasn’t the one who had the ultimate say; he was just stubborn and suspicious.
“What are you hunting that needs six hunters?” Alex asked as he stood beside Sean and stared hard at the Brit who smiled grimly. Erik shifted on his feet and he couldn’t help but cut-off Charles’ answer before it had even began.
“A Demon that’s planning on ending the world.” Erik said shortly, his words clipped and strained. Alex and Sean both looked at him, Sean’s face showing his surprise more clearly than Alex’s, before looking at each other and sharing a silent conversation. Well, it would have been silent had it not been for the fact that Charles could hear the thoughts behind the looks.
‘Ending the world - like apocalypse style?’
‘Is it worth our lives?’
‘Should we?’
‘Yeah’
‘Sure’
‘Yes! - God, it’s like talking to my kid brother.’
“Alright. We’re in.” Sean answered as he looked back at the Brit and smiled. “But if all goes to hell, I am so lighting a spliff while everything burns.” Simultaneously Alex and Erik rolled their eyes as Sean’s comment as Charles’ smile widened and he inclined his head in acquiesce to the teens plan.
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