Fic: The more things change
Title: The more things change
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Rating: NC-17
Word count: ~6400
Summary: The moment Cerebro locked onto the young mutant, Charles knew they had to go get him. What he didn't know, was that nothing would ever be the same again.
Notes: Written for a prompt at the teamcockbert kink meme. This was intended to be a PWP, but as you can see...that didn't exactly happen. I hope people like it, because I actually do, which is kind of rare for me! Thanks as always to janescott for the beta and the handholding! My apologies to Siryn and Dazzler, whose powers I shamelessly borrowed and tweaked to create Adam's powers. I don't think they'd mind :)
Also, this does contain spoilers for the movie, just in case!
The moment that Cerebro found the young mutant, Charles knew they had to go get him. Cerebro only gave him images, locations, but the images he got from this mutant were so strong, so vivid, that Charles needed to know more. He got a flash of lights inside his head, a glimpse of bright blue eyes and an impression of sound, not something he could hear, but something he could feel. He jolted in the chair and felt the now familiar emptiness as Hank cut the machine, gently lifting the wired helmet from his head.
“Charles? Are you okay?” Hank was nervously fiddling with dials and making calculations, Charles’ reaction obviously concerning him.
Charles blinked up at him, the images in his head lingering in a way that was completely unfamiliar. “Yes, yes, I’m fine.” He stood, raking a hand through his hair and turning to face Erik who was watching him with folded arms and a raised eyebrow. “So, Erik. Have you ever been to California?”
The air outside the nightclub was hot and sticky even though the sun had long since gone down, and inside was no better. Charles shifted in his seat, rolling his shirt sleeves up his arms, watching from the corner of his eyes as Erik tugged at his turtleneck. it was so rare that he saw Erik unsettled like this, not angry, not vengeful, but merely unsettled. In the dim light of the candle flickering on their table, Charles thought he saw a bead of sweat trace a path down Erik’s throat, but it was gone as soon as he tried to focus on it. He took a long swallow of his drink, draining the glass of whiskey before signalling for another.
“Thirsty, Charles?” Erik grinned wolfishly, and Charles knew he’d been caught watching. He didn’t care that he’d been caught, but a quick sweep of Erik’s mind gave him a flash of triumph, and Charles let him have it. It would be more fun later, anyhow. “So, what’s so special about this one? You’ve hardly told me anything about why you dragged me across the country practically overnight to spend the evening in so pleasant an establishment.”
Charles rolled his eyes, the sarcasm dripping like honey from Erik’s words. “I haven’t told you, because I’m not sure what’s so special. I told you how odd my experience in Cerebro was when it found this one, and I was intrigued.” Not for the first time, Charles was glad that Erik didn’t share his power. Erik probably didn’t need to know that those bright blue eyes had found their way into Charles’ dreams the past few nights, and that he’d often woken up still chasing those vague impressions of sound and light.
Thankfully, the conversation ended abruptly when a spotlight shone onto the stage, and music began to play. An announcer’s voice rang out through the club, and Charles learned the young mutant’s name: Adam. He stepped out onto the stage, tall and lithe, moving smoothly to the centre, a grin just playing around the edges of his lips. He took his mark, standing with the kind of easy confidence that made Charles think strongly of Erik, and then he started to sing.
His voice was clear and smooth, and even though Charles had never heard him before, he knew this was the sound he’d been chasing. Charles wondered briefly if his mutation was solely to do with his voice, but before that thought could fully form, the room was filled with a bright flash of light. Everyone around them gasped, and Charles felt Erik shift next to him, the metal candle holder skittering across the table before coming to an abrupt stop. Once it was no longer a surprise, the light was beautiful, changing colours and intensities seamlessly as Adam sang, even seeming to come directly from his hands when he reached out towards the audience. Charles was mesmerized, and he leaned forward, staring a little more than he’d like to admit to, even if he could see Erik’s elbows now resting on their table, showing as rapt attention as Erik ever did.
They stayed for nearly the entire show, and Charles actually found it difficult to leave the club while Adam was still on stage. He nearly fell flat on his back trying to walk out backwards, and only Erik’s hands on his shoulders kept him upright. As soon as they were out of the club and out of earshot of Adam’s singing, Charles head seemed to clear, and he directed Erik to follow him to the stage door to wait. Much to Charles’ surprise, it was Erik who spoke first, and Charles was sure he could hear a hint of hoarseness in Erik’s voice.
“What do you think it is? His power? Is it simply the lights, or is his voice involved as well?” Erik’s face was carefully blank, and it took all of Charles’ control not to dip into his head right that second.
“I suspect it’s a combination of them both. But there’s something special about his voice, something...” Charles racked his brain, trying to come up with a word to describe what he was feeling, without sounding like a schoolgirl.
“Hypnotic. Like a siren, except if you sailed to meet him at the shore you wouldn’t be disappointed.” The grin was back on Erik’s face, and Charles returned it with a nod.
“Yes, that’s it. Hypnotic.” Charles leaned back against the grimy wall of the alley, a yellow bulb flickering above him, and they waited.
The silence between them was easy and companionable, and not for the first time Charles was struck by how quickly that had happened, considering the volatile nature of their first meeting. Just when it seemed like they might be waiting all night, the door swished open, and Adam stepped out into the alley. He called goodbye to someone inside the club, his voice filling the alley without an echo. The door was barely shut behind him when he turned, noticing Charles and Erik even before they’d pushed themselves away from the wall. Charles was impressed with his instincts and awareness of his surroundings already.
“Do I know you?” Adam took a wary step towards them, his brow furrowed a little when his eyes flicked from Erik to Charles.
“You don’t, not yet. I’m Charles Xavier.” Charles stepped forward, holding his hand out for Adam to shake, which he did, albeit reluctantly. “This is Erik Lehnsherr, my associate. We would love to have a talk with you.”
Adam looked at them again, as if he was searching them, and then he nodded. “There’s a coffee shop around the corner, open all night. Unless this needs to be done somewhere private?” A wicked grin crept onto his lips, and Charles couldn’t help the little flare in his belly when Erik returned it.
“No, we can save the private talk for later. Shall we?” Erik swept an arm out dramatically, Adam easily stepping up and walking alongside him, their long legs matching stride for stride. Charles was content to fall in behind, using the time to think, and to enjoy the view.
The coffee shop was nearly empty at this time of night, and the coffee was terrible, but it was quiet in their booth tucked back in the corner, and that’s what mattered. To Charles surprise, it was Adam who started the conversation, after a quick sip of his coffee, a grimace screwing up his features.
“God, I always forget how terrible the coffee is here, sorry. So, I’m guessing you’re here about my...” Adam waggled his fingers, mimicking the bursts of light that were nearly burned into Charles’ brain.
“How did you know?” Charles stirred his tea mindlessly before settling his hands on the table in front of him.
Adam shrugged, like the answer was obvious. “A couple of days ago I thought I felt someone watching me, but then I kind of realized it was in my head. Like, actually in my head. And then I saw you in the alley and I recognized you. Not your face, but your energy. Something like that.”
“I’m sorry, you weren’t meant to feel me. We, Erik, myself and others, we’re searching for more people like us. Building a team.”
“And you want me to join you? What good would a light show be in a fight?”
Erik spoke then, leaning slightly forward. “Oh, I think you can do much more than that. Your voice, do you realize how special it is?”
Adam rolled his eyes, but a smile played on his lips anyways. “You sound like every man who’s told me he’s an agent but just wants to get me in his bed.”
“No, Adam, he means it. Your voice is hypnotic, it draws people in, bewitches them.” Charles leaned forward to rest a hand gently on Adam’s arm. “And with training, your light show could become much more, I’m sure of it.”
Adam sat back, pulling his lower lip into his mouth and chewing on it. He lifted one hand and looked at it, and Charles couldn’t stop the impulse to dip into his head and see what he was thinking. In Adam’s mind he was on a battlefield, charging forward with a group behind him. He opened his mouth and thrust his hands forward, and bursts of light like lasers shot from his fingers, the unknown enemy falling to the ground.
“Okay, I’ll come with you. One condition though.” Adam raked a hand through his hair, scrubbing his fingers hard over his scalp, clearing his head.
“Yes, what is it?”
“Warn me before you go into my head like that. It’s really kind of weird.”
Erik barked out a laugh and leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest in a way that looked almost triumphant. “Charles, I think I like this one.”
Charles rolled his eyes, but it was mostly with fondness. “Somehow I am not surprised. You know, Adam, Erik doesn’t much like it when I go into his head without permission either. You two might find you have quite a bit in common.”
Adam quirked an eyebrow, and turned to face Erik. “Oh really? Let’s start with your power. What can you do?”
Erik didn’t answer. Instead, Adam’s coffee spoon lifted off his saucer and was lowered into the cup. It stirred the coffee slowly, and Adam looked up to see Erik smirking. “I can do more than spoons, but for that you’ll have to trust me.”
Charles couldn’t help the smirk that he felt on his lips; he knew exactly what Erik could do. He caught Adam’s eye and sent him a few flashes, big things like Erik lifting the sub out of the water, and little things that showed his minute control, buttons slipped from their holes, zippers sliding down slowly. Charles watched as Adam’s cheeks reddened, and his mouth gaped just a little. He lifted his hands in surrender and smiled. “Last time without your permission, promise.”
Adam cleared his throat and straightened his jacket, the flush on his cheeks already fading as an easy smile curved his lips. “So, when do we start?”
As it turned out, starting was delayed by Shaw’s attack on the facility, when all of their lives were thrown even more into flux. With Darwin dead and Angel defecting to Shaw’s team, Charles honestly didn’t know if any of the others would stay, and he wouldn’t have blamed them for a second if he did. His heart swelled as one by one they all stood and stepped forward, shoulders square and sure even if their eyes were still a little scared. For better or worse, they were all in this together now, and Charles made it his job to make sure they were ready for whatever Shaw could throw at them.
Some of the recruits’ training came along much faster than others, and Charles was pleased to discover that Adam was a very quick study. His power rather fascinated Charles, and he spent a long few hours just watching Adam, listening to him sing, scream or yell, all of which produced completely different kinds of light. If he sang, the lights were more gentle, pulsating with shifting colour as Adam’s voice rose and fell, but that was when Adam’s voice was most hypnotic. More than once, Adam had to stop singing and shake Charles by his shoulders to snap him out of it, a glazed look coming over Charles’ eyes if he listened too long. Charles wasn’t sure how useful this power would be in the heat of a battle, but he could certainly see its use in terms of coercion.
When Adam screamed, a loud, high wail, lights shot out of his hands that were bright enough to blind, sharp bursts that left Charles seeing stars for hours afterwards. At first, the blasts went wild, bouncing off walls or shooting off into the distance where they wouldn’t do any good. A few times the blasts were strong enough to push Adam backwards, sending him skidding across the ground swearing. Charles would have expected him to get frustrated, to try and walk away, but he never did. Time after time, Adam picked himself up, brushed the dirt off his pants and tried again, screaming until his voice was hoarse.
It was after one of those days that Charles found him curled up in one of the huge chairs in the study, sitting across from Erik, an abandoned game of chess between them. Adam had a huge mug of tea cupped in his hands, and Charles was close enough that he could hear them speaking without using his mind. Adam’s voice was a little rough still, but Charles knew it would be fine by the morning. He briefly wondered if Adam’s mutation came with a sort of fail-safe on his voice, something that helped it heal faster than it would in someone else, but he quickly turned his attention back to the conversation unfolding in front of him.
“I just feel like I’m never going to get the hang of it, you know? I’ve nearly blinded Charles a dozen times and I’ve ruined three pairs of pants flinging myself backwards.” Adam took a sip of his tea, sighing as the liquid soothed his throat.
“You will get the hang of it, you’ve never tried to use your powers this way. They really are quite impressive you know.”
Adam shrugged, sinking further into the chair. “I guess, I’ve just never really thought of them as anything more than pretty. And I watch you and Charles, and your powers are just...well, cool.” A slightly embarrassed grin curved Adam’s lips, like he didn’t want Erik to know he was impressed.
Erik smiled, a softer smile than Charles thought he’d ever seen on his face. “Well, I don’t know how Charles got so good at what he does, but I can tell you you do not want to have been trained the way I was, my friend. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.” Erik’s eyes got faraway for a second, and Charles heart clenched. Erik was so damaged, so broken, but Charles knew that inside of him there was so much good, if only Erik was willing to let himself, and others, see it. “But Charles, he taught me things, good things, and he’ll teach you too. Your mutation is truly spectacular, Adam.”
Adam reached out a hand to squeeze Erik’s forearm, smiling, his fingers barely brushing over the tattoo Erik wore as proudly as one could. “Thank you. I never thought someone calling me a mutant would sound like a compliment, but coming from you...it kind of does.”
“It was meant as one. All of us here, myself, you, people might calls us freaks, but we aren’t. We’re more human than they are, flaws being erased one mutation at a time.” Erik rested his hand on top of Adam’s, still and heavy. Charles control slipped then, his mind slipping into Erik’s, not long enough to get more than flashes of emotions, but long enough to give him the very clear idea that he should step away from the door.
The next morning he was pouring himself a cup of coffee when Erik strode into the kitchen, his robe tied loosely around his waist and hanging wide open on his chest. He nodded good morning and poured himself a cup, waiting until Charles’ lifted his mug to his lips before speaking. “You know, Charles, you’re not very sneaky, especially when you’re in my head. If you want to join Adam and I, all you have to do is ask.” Erik’s laugh rang out through the mansion when Charles choked on his coffee, setting the mug down on the table a little harder than necessary.
Charles cleared his throat and pretended to regain his composure, mopping up the coffee spilled on the table with his napkin. “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you, Erik.”
After that morning, for reasons Charles didn’t necessarily want to focus on, Adam improved by miles. The bursts of light shot from his hands fast and bright, and they would’ve blinded Charles if he hadn’t asked Hank to make him a pair of glasses meant to withstand the brightest light. If Adam screamed just right he could make a beam of light that was almost a laser, flying from his palm with such force that it could knock over the mannequins Charles set up as target practice. Adam leapt into the air pumping his fist the first time he hit one, leaving a scorch mark the size of a dinner plate on the chest of the mannequin.
Once he’d done it that first time, Adam was unstoppable. Hank set up a machine that fired clay targets into the sky, flying fast enough that Charles could barely see them, let alone hit them with anything. He just sat back and watched in amazement as Adam’s voice filled the field they were working in, and bolts of light flew through the air, sending the clay targets crashing to the ground in pieces. The sheer joy with which Adam whooped and hollered every time another round of targets exploded in midair was catching, and Charles couldn’t help smiling at the little bursts of sparkly light that went off around Adam when he laughed. The ground around them was littered with bits of clay when Charles felt a presence beside him, not surprised to turn and see Erik standing there.
“He’s ready, Charles. They all are. We all are.” He answered the question Charles hadn’t even asked, and not for the first time Charles wondered if Erik could read thoughts as well.
Charles nodded, searching Erik’s controlled face for a few moments. “As ready as we’re going to be, I suppose. Now we just have to wait.”
He felt more than saw Erik shift next to him, a quick tensing of his muscles. Charles braved a brief dip into Erik’s mind, and he wished he hadn’t. Erik hated waiting, hated being under anyone’s orders but his own, and everyday his patience grew shorter. Charles backed out of Erik’s mind quickly, before he could see too much he didn’t want to know, but long enough to try and understand why Erik was fighting his instincts to flee. Very little was keeping Erik here, but even as his patience grew shorter, those few bonds grew stronger, and Charles was glad to be one of them. Whether Erik would admit it or not, Charles could tell he’d developed a fondness for this kids as well, nurturing young people and their mutations as much as passion for him as it was becoming for Charles. They stood together in silence, watching Adam run screaming across the field, another handful of targets crashing to the ground, and together they waited.
Over the next few days, a cloud descended over the house. There had been no sign of action on any front, but it seemed that there was a change in the wind, something spurring everyone into a state of uneasy readiness. The mansion was cleaner than Charles had ever seen it, even Alex and Sean letting out nervous energy by washing dishes and sweeping the floors. Whenever he wasn’t in the lab tinkering with some final bit of technology that was already perfect, Hank ran laps around the grounds until he was breathless and sweaty. Moira pored over her notes again and again, the papers getting limp and dogeared from being handled so much, and Raven spent all her free time in the gym, training her body to be faster and stronger.
One night, the mood was particularly heavy, the kids having gone to bed early, though Charles could tell that few of them were sleeping, their brains still going at top speed. He and Erik were alone in the sitting room, a bottle of scotch sitting on the table, a third game of half-hearted chess playing out between them. Erik had quickly made it a rule that Charles was not allowed to use his powers while they were playing, and Charles found it easier to try and shut his mind down completely rather than to try and only avoid Erik’s mind. He could only avoid the temptation for so long, Erik’s mind like a kind of homing beacon for Charles.
That was how Adam managed to sneak up on them, his sock-feet silent even on the old floors, Charles having missed the moment Adam left his room and padded down to join them. “Can I have one of those?” Adam pointed at the bottle of scotch, barely waiting for Erik and Charles to nod in unison before grabbing a glass and some ice, and pouring himself a healthy slosh. He took a swallow, grimacing at the burn.
“Trouble sleeping?” Charles pointed to an empty chair near the table, and Adam dragged it over, sitting down heavily.
“That’s kind of an understatement. I can’t get my brain to shut down enough to even think about sleep, let alone actually do it.” Adam sipped at his scotch, this time sighing at the burn in his belly. “I just can’t stop thinking about what’s coming, about what’s going to happen.”
Charles reached out a hand, resting it on Adam’s forearm. “Adam, I can’t tell you not to worry, but I can tell you that you’re ready for whatever happens. Right, Erik?”
Adam turned to look at Erik, an expectant look on his face. Charles didn’t need to read his mind to know that Erik’s opinion mattered in a way that Charles’ didn’t, and Charles didn’t blame Adam for that. Erik would never lie about something like this, not about something akin to war.
“You are ready, more than ready.” Erik leaned forward, and Charles could feel weight and heat of Erik’s gaze even though it wasn’t directed at him. “If you weren’t worried or scared, I’d be more concerned. There’s ready, and then there’s over confident.
Erik grinned, then, turning to Charles. “I can hear you thinking. I never tried to claim I wasn’t over confident, simply that I was glad Adam wasn’t.”
“Good, I can’t have you forgetting that you attempted to lift a submarine out of the water when we met, and I had to save you from drowning when you stubbornly refused to let go.” Charles’ smile was fond as he looked at Erik, the memory having become a good one sometime when he wasn’t paying attention.
“I feel a little like I’m intruding on something here.” Adam clanked the ice in his glass, taking another sip as a smile settled on his lips where the worry had finally left. He watched as Charles and Erik looked at one another, obviously having a conversation in their minds before Erik turned to face him, smirk curving his lips and lighting his eyes.
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Charles a few days ago. If you’d like to join us, you only have to ask.” Erik paused, as if considering something. “I imagine you would sleep afterwards, it would be rather good stress relief.”
“Well, in that case...” Adam drained his glass, his smile growing into a full-blown grin. “Count me in.”
Charles’ bedroom was as opulent as the rest of the mansion, maybe even more so. The deep colours and rich fabrics weren’t necessarily Charles’ taste, but they went with the style of the house, and if he was honest, he liked the feeling of the slick sheets against his skin. Charles let his mind wander free in here, dipping into Adam’s head to feel the same awe that Adam did when he looked around the room, walking over to the bed to run his hands over the deep silk coverlet.
“I’d complain about you being in my head again, but under the circumstances...” Adam grinned, letting himself fall back into the lush bedding. He groaned a little, settling in. “Oh God, and I thought Erik’s bed was nice.”
Erik barked out a laugh and started towards the bed, and Charles was struck with a sudden spike of jealousy. Not towards Adam or Erik alone, but rather both of them at once for getting to be with each other, without him. It was a unique feeling, and it only grew when Erik climbed onto the bed next to Adam, his long fingers turning Adam’s jaw towards him for a kiss. Charles groaned out loud, and he realized then he was still in Adam’s head and could feel Erik’s lips against his own even though he was across the room.
Charles felt rooted to the spot, his eyes glued to the scene playing out in front of him on his bed. He watched hungrily as Erik’s hands slid down Adam’s body, dragging Adam’s shirt over his head and then his own. Charles felt Erik’s hands on Adam’s chest, his fingernails scraping over Adam’s nipples in a way that Charles didn’t normally like, but obviously filled Adam with great pleasure. Charles’ skin was on fire, his breath coming quick and shallow when Erik pressed Adam back into the pillows, sending a wolfish grin in Charles’ direction before lowering his lips to Adam’s throat, his teeth closing on the pale, sensitive skin there.
Adam and Charles groaned in unison, their voices filling the room, a quick burst of purple light going off over the bed. Charles’ feet started to carry him forward, his hands going to his shirt to unbutton it, leaving it on the floor behind him. When he got closer, he saw a glint of light on Adam’s chest when Erik shifted, and his breath caught in his through when he realized what he was seeing. Small rings ran through Adam’s nipples, something Charles had never seen before, and the appearance was absolutely striking. Charles climbed onto the bed, resting a hand on Adam’s shoulder, his skin burning hot as Erik continued sucking a mark into Adam’s neck before pulling away.
“Charles, watch this.” Erik held his hand over Adam’s chest, and the ring in one of his nipples began to rotate, pulling the sensitive flesh just barely towards Erik’s hand. Adam groaned deeply, his cheeks and chest flushing deep pink, and another purple burst going off over the bed, this time lingering longer. Charles was still in Adam’s head and he couldn’t help sliding his own hands down his chest, almost surprised to feel his own unadorned skin beneath his fingers. He dug his teeth into his lower lip when Erik moved to the over nipple, tugging it forward until it was as flushed and hard as the other.
Adam’s lips were wet and parted, his breath coming in sharp pants as Erik alternated his ministrations on Adam’s nipples, and Charles couldn’t hold back anymore. He bent forward and caught Adam’s lips with his own, feeling the slick slide of Adam’s tongue against his from both sides, feeling Adam’s pleasure and his own mingling in a muddled swirl inside his head. Adam arched up, his moans filling Charles’ mouth, one of his hands reaching to tangle in Charles’ hair just as the pleasure of Erik’s mouth closing around Adam’s cock reached Charles’ mind. A choked cry left Charles’ lips and he needed to pull away from Adam’s mouth to breathe, the feeling of Erik’s mouth so amazingly vivid through the medium of Adam’s thoughts. Charles’ own cock was hard and aching between his legs, and he dropped a hand to press against it, hissing just a little at the touch.
Erik pulled his mouth away from Adam’s cock, smirking when Adam and Charles moaned in unison at the loss of contact. “Charles, you can’t even wait your turn? You know I’ll get to you soon enough.” He climbed up the bed, bending to kiss Charles deep and familiar. Erik’s mouth tasted like Adam, heady and musky, and Charles plunged his tongue deeper to chase that taste until all he could taste was Erik. He felt a hand on his back, stroking down his spine, and Adam’s thoughts flooded his head with enough force to pushed his breath out in a breathy gasp against Erik’s mouth, his body arching in search of friction it didn’t find.
Words likes beautiful and want washed through his mind from Adam’s, followed by images as if seen through Adam’s eyes. His own body pressed up against Erik’s, the angled muscular planes of Erik’s body standing out in relief against the smoother muscle of Charles’ that hid his true strength. Charles had to admit that they did make a rather striking pair, and he didn’t need to read Adam’s thoughts to know he felt the same way. Adam slid across the bed and pressed himself up against Charles’ side, sliding one hand down Erik’s back, fingernails scraping hard, causing Erik to mutter a curse against Charles’ lips.
Charles could feel Adam’s arousal, both in his mind and pressed against his hip, and he was struck with the strong desire to watch Adam and Erik like Adam was watching them now, and to experience the whole thing through Adam’s mind. He’d done a lot of things with his powers, but this was something new and exciting, and he had to know. His voice was breathy when he spoke, but he couldn’t spare the thought to care at the moment.
“Erik, you know how you’re always wanting me to use my powers? Test them, expand them?” Erik nodded, the corner of his mouth curving like he was already halfway to where Charles was going. Charles projected the rest of his idea directly into their minds, the intimacy of the action increasing the effect that his words had. I want to watch you fuck, while I’m inside Adam’s head. It’ll be like Erik is fucking us both at once. Above him, Erik’s eyes went dark, his lips parting just enough for his tongue to snake out and wet them. Adam shuddered against Charles’ side, and it was him who answered first, a yes ringing loud and clear inside Charles’ head.
“Charles, you are more wicked than I could have imagined. I whole-heartedly approve.” Erik slid off the bed, shedding his pants quickly and going unerringly for a drawer in the nightstand, retrieving a small bottle. While he was gone, Charles slipped out of his own pants and shifted Adam over to the centre of the bed. He lay next to him, where he could watch but also lean down to kiss Adam, or slide his hand down his chest to play with the rings through his nipples. Erik climbed back onto the bed, kissing Charles and then Adam, winking as he slid down the bed to kneel between Adam’s legs. He made a show of slicking up his fingers, the lube glistening in the low light of the room, and Charles felt a clench in his gut that had little to do with what Adam was thinking. “Ready?” Erik looked from Charles to Adam and back, but didn’t wait for either of them to answer before dropping his hand between Adam’s legs, two fingers sliding in slow and easy.
Adam tossed his head back, a deep moan spilling from his lips that glowed over him, shimmering from purple to red before fading away. Even as Charles felt Erik’s fingers push into Adam, into him, he wanted to chase that glow, wanted it to last, to touch it. He let his hand roam down Adam’s chest, his fingers playing lightly over the rings, tugging harder when he felt the burst of pleasure in his own chest. The sensations were overwhelming; Erik’s fingers moving deep inside Adam’s body, two becoming three, pressing up until Adam and Charles both shouted, a sharp burst of gold exploding over Adam’s head. Charles’ fingers nimbly rolling Adam’s nippled between them, feeling both the texture and heat of Adam’s skin but also the sensation against his own. Charles’ head was spinning, and the sensation only became more disorienting when Erik pulled his fingers from Adam’s body and pushed in with his cock, slow enough to really feel the stretch.
The feeling of Erik’s cock pushing into him wasn’t exactly new for Charles, but feeling it through Adam’s mind was a completely different experience. There was a different stretch, like he felt it deeper in his body somehow, and Charles arched his back like that could pull Erik further into him. One of Adam’s hands was suddenly fisted in his hair, and before Charles could even read the thought in Adam’s mind their lips were pressed together, the kiss hard and messy and desperate until Adam pulled away, panting.
“Is it incredible? Charles, tell me what it’s like, please.” Adam’s words came in staccato, punctuated with sharp breaths every time Erik pushed hard into him.
Charles actually struggled to find the words to describe what he was feeling, something he was not used it. “Yes, yes, it’s incredible. It’s...so familiar, but so different.” They gasped together as Erik thrust in particularly hard, hitting the spot that made gold flash above Adam.
“Erik, oh God, Erik.” Adam and Charles moaned in unison, their thoughts so intertwined. Charles could feel heat building low in his belly, could feel the way that Adam’s stomach muscles clenched, his back arching into Erik’s thrusts, seeking all three of their climaxes. Erik’s hips stuttered, and he groaned, a deep, guttural sound so different from the clear tones of Adam’s voice. Charles’ could feel the way Erik’s hands dug into Adam’s hips, and he distantly wished that he would have the bruises to show for that as well.
When Adam’s climax hit him, it rolled over Charles’ like a wave, smothering him until it lifted, bringing his own climax with it. The air above Adam exploded into colours, a dazzling display of purple and blue and gold, and in the brief moment before Charles’ climax took him over, he reached out to run his fingers through the lights, wondering if he imagined the tickle against his skin. Charles’ moans mingled with Adam’s and he arched his back hard off the bed, his cock spilling untouched on his belly as Erik pushed deep into Adam’s body, holding himself there when he came, the deep sound of his moan hitting Charles’ like a punch to the gut.
Erik pulled out and fell to the bed next to Adam, lifting himself up on one elbow to capture Adam’s lips in a kiss, somehow relaxed and filthy at the same time. Charles let himself slip out of Adam’s mind, the sudden quiet in his head almost shocking after the experience they had just shared. He leaned in eagerly when Erik pushed up higher, leaning across Adam’s body to catch Charles’ lips in a kiss that was softer, gentler than the one he’d given Adam, and if Charles’ were to dip into Erik’s mind right now, he’d see emotions Erik would never admit to having.
“I would say that was a rather raging success, wouldn’t you, Charles? Adam?” Erik’s eyes were sparkling, and Charles thought that easy happiness looked good on him, even if a little odd.
“I would definitely say that, it’s always good to stretch oneself and your powers.” Charles lips quirked into a smile, and he settled back into the pillows, his arms folded behind his head.
Adam stretched like a cat between them, his lean limbs somehow wrapping around Charles and Erik at the same time. His voice was getting soft and sleepy already, his eyes heavy lidded. “Yeah, absolutely. Forget warm milk, next time I can’t sleep, I’m coming here.”
They all slept well that night, tucked close to one another in Charles’ huge bed, limbs tangled easily together, momentarily forgetting what had brought them all together in the first place. They were reminded swiftly, the very next day, when the president gave a statement that made their next moves clear, and the whole team leapt to action. Together, they all charged into battle, none of them knowing what would happen next, but none of them expecting what did.
Charles would never forget the feeling of lying on the beach, his broken body cradled in Adam’s arms, looking up at Adam’s tear-stained face and telling him silently, Everything will be fine, Adam, it will be fine. He knew even as he thought the words that they weren’t exactly true, but he couldn’t bring himself to think any deeper. He felt pain in his chest like he’d never known as Erik looked at him, so many thoughts on his face that Charles couldn’t read because of the damned helmet, and disappeared into thin air, hand in hand with the girl Charles had always thought of as a sister. Adam held him tighter, and Charles gave in to the urge to cling, hanging on to the one thing in his life that remained unchanged. His body, once whole, he could feel slipping more out of his control every moment. His greatest friend, now something like an enemy, though Charles knew he’d never be able to think of Erik in such black and white terms. His team gathered around him, dropping to their knees, dirty and bloody and shaken, but undeniably there. Yes, nothing in his life would ever be the same after this moment, but somewhere beneath the pain, both physical and emotional, Charles could feel the stirrings of great things. Each person that was looking down at him held great potential, and he knew they were only the tip of the iceberg. Things would certainly be very different, but a part of Charles thought that maybe, they would be fine.
Pairing: Adam Lambert/Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Rating: NC-17
Word count: ~6400
Summary: The moment Cerebro locked onto the young mutant, Charles knew they had to go get him. What he didn't know, was that nothing would ever be the same again.
Notes: Written for a prompt at the teamcockbert kink meme. This was intended to be a PWP, but as you can see...that didn't exactly happen. I hope people like it, because I actually do, which is kind of rare for me! Thanks as always to janescott for the beta and the handholding! My apologies to Siryn and Dazzler, whose powers I shamelessly borrowed and tweaked to create Adam's powers. I don't think they'd mind :)
Also, this does contain spoilers for the movie, just in case!
The moment that Cerebro found the young mutant, Charles knew they had to go get him. Cerebro only gave him images, locations, but the images he got from this mutant were so strong, so vivid, that Charles needed to know more. He got a flash of lights inside his head, a glimpse of bright blue eyes and an impression of sound, not something he could hear, but something he could feel. He jolted in the chair and felt the now familiar emptiness as Hank cut the machine, gently lifting the wired helmet from his head.
“Charles? Are you okay?” Hank was nervously fiddling with dials and making calculations, Charles’ reaction obviously concerning him.
Charles blinked up at him, the images in his head lingering in a way that was completely unfamiliar. “Yes, yes, I’m fine.” He stood, raking a hand through his hair and turning to face Erik who was watching him with folded arms and a raised eyebrow. “So, Erik. Have you ever been to California?”
The air outside the nightclub was hot and sticky even though the sun had long since gone down, and inside was no better. Charles shifted in his seat, rolling his shirt sleeves up his arms, watching from the corner of his eyes as Erik tugged at his turtleneck. it was so rare that he saw Erik unsettled like this, not angry, not vengeful, but merely unsettled. In the dim light of the candle flickering on their table, Charles thought he saw a bead of sweat trace a path down Erik’s throat, but it was gone as soon as he tried to focus on it. He took a long swallow of his drink, draining the glass of whiskey before signalling for another.
“Thirsty, Charles?” Erik grinned wolfishly, and Charles knew he’d been caught watching. He didn’t care that he’d been caught, but a quick sweep of Erik’s mind gave him a flash of triumph, and Charles let him have it. It would be more fun later, anyhow. “So, what’s so special about this one? You’ve hardly told me anything about why you dragged me across the country practically overnight to spend the evening in so pleasant an establishment.”
Charles rolled his eyes, the sarcasm dripping like honey from Erik’s words. “I haven’t told you, because I’m not sure what’s so special. I told you how odd my experience in Cerebro was when it found this one, and I was intrigued.” Not for the first time, Charles was glad that Erik didn’t share his power. Erik probably didn’t need to know that those bright blue eyes had found their way into Charles’ dreams the past few nights, and that he’d often woken up still chasing those vague impressions of sound and light.
Thankfully, the conversation ended abruptly when a spotlight shone onto the stage, and music began to play. An announcer’s voice rang out through the club, and Charles learned the young mutant’s name: Adam. He stepped out onto the stage, tall and lithe, moving smoothly to the centre, a grin just playing around the edges of his lips. He took his mark, standing with the kind of easy confidence that made Charles think strongly of Erik, and then he started to sing.
His voice was clear and smooth, and even though Charles had never heard him before, he knew this was the sound he’d been chasing. Charles wondered briefly if his mutation was solely to do with his voice, but before that thought could fully form, the room was filled with a bright flash of light. Everyone around them gasped, and Charles felt Erik shift next to him, the metal candle holder skittering across the table before coming to an abrupt stop. Once it was no longer a surprise, the light was beautiful, changing colours and intensities seamlessly as Adam sang, even seeming to come directly from his hands when he reached out towards the audience. Charles was mesmerized, and he leaned forward, staring a little more than he’d like to admit to, even if he could see Erik’s elbows now resting on their table, showing as rapt attention as Erik ever did.
They stayed for nearly the entire show, and Charles actually found it difficult to leave the club while Adam was still on stage. He nearly fell flat on his back trying to walk out backwards, and only Erik’s hands on his shoulders kept him upright. As soon as they were out of the club and out of earshot of Adam’s singing, Charles head seemed to clear, and he directed Erik to follow him to the stage door to wait. Much to Charles’ surprise, it was Erik who spoke first, and Charles was sure he could hear a hint of hoarseness in Erik’s voice.
“What do you think it is? His power? Is it simply the lights, or is his voice involved as well?” Erik’s face was carefully blank, and it took all of Charles’ control not to dip into his head right that second.
“I suspect it’s a combination of them both. But there’s something special about his voice, something...” Charles racked his brain, trying to come up with a word to describe what he was feeling, without sounding like a schoolgirl.
“Hypnotic. Like a siren, except if you sailed to meet him at the shore you wouldn’t be disappointed.” The grin was back on Erik’s face, and Charles returned it with a nod.
“Yes, that’s it. Hypnotic.” Charles leaned back against the grimy wall of the alley, a yellow bulb flickering above him, and they waited.
The silence between them was easy and companionable, and not for the first time Charles was struck by how quickly that had happened, considering the volatile nature of their first meeting. Just when it seemed like they might be waiting all night, the door swished open, and Adam stepped out into the alley. He called goodbye to someone inside the club, his voice filling the alley without an echo. The door was barely shut behind him when he turned, noticing Charles and Erik even before they’d pushed themselves away from the wall. Charles was impressed with his instincts and awareness of his surroundings already.
“Do I know you?” Adam took a wary step towards them, his brow furrowed a little when his eyes flicked from Erik to Charles.
“You don’t, not yet. I’m Charles Xavier.” Charles stepped forward, holding his hand out for Adam to shake, which he did, albeit reluctantly. “This is Erik Lehnsherr, my associate. We would love to have a talk with you.”
Adam looked at them again, as if he was searching them, and then he nodded. “There’s a coffee shop around the corner, open all night. Unless this needs to be done somewhere private?” A wicked grin crept onto his lips, and Charles couldn’t help the little flare in his belly when Erik returned it.
“No, we can save the private talk for later. Shall we?” Erik swept an arm out dramatically, Adam easily stepping up and walking alongside him, their long legs matching stride for stride. Charles was content to fall in behind, using the time to think, and to enjoy the view.
The coffee shop was nearly empty at this time of night, and the coffee was terrible, but it was quiet in their booth tucked back in the corner, and that’s what mattered. To Charles surprise, it was Adam who started the conversation, after a quick sip of his coffee, a grimace screwing up his features.
“God, I always forget how terrible the coffee is here, sorry. So, I’m guessing you’re here about my...” Adam waggled his fingers, mimicking the bursts of light that were nearly burned into Charles’ brain.
“How did you know?” Charles stirred his tea mindlessly before settling his hands on the table in front of him.
Adam shrugged, like the answer was obvious. “A couple of days ago I thought I felt someone watching me, but then I kind of realized it was in my head. Like, actually in my head. And then I saw you in the alley and I recognized you. Not your face, but your energy. Something like that.”
“I’m sorry, you weren’t meant to feel me. We, Erik, myself and others, we’re searching for more people like us. Building a team.”
“And you want me to join you? What good would a light show be in a fight?”
Erik spoke then, leaning slightly forward. “Oh, I think you can do much more than that. Your voice, do you realize how special it is?”
Adam rolled his eyes, but a smile played on his lips anyways. “You sound like every man who’s told me he’s an agent but just wants to get me in his bed.”
“No, Adam, he means it. Your voice is hypnotic, it draws people in, bewitches them.” Charles leaned forward to rest a hand gently on Adam’s arm. “And with training, your light show could become much more, I’m sure of it.”
Adam sat back, pulling his lower lip into his mouth and chewing on it. He lifted one hand and looked at it, and Charles couldn’t stop the impulse to dip into his head and see what he was thinking. In Adam’s mind he was on a battlefield, charging forward with a group behind him. He opened his mouth and thrust his hands forward, and bursts of light like lasers shot from his fingers, the unknown enemy falling to the ground.
“Okay, I’ll come with you. One condition though.” Adam raked a hand through his hair, scrubbing his fingers hard over his scalp, clearing his head.
“Yes, what is it?”
“Warn me before you go into my head like that. It’s really kind of weird.”
Erik barked out a laugh and leaned back, crossing his arms across his chest in a way that looked almost triumphant. “Charles, I think I like this one.”
Charles rolled his eyes, but it was mostly with fondness. “Somehow I am not surprised. You know, Adam, Erik doesn’t much like it when I go into his head without permission either. You two might find you have quite a bit in common.”
Adam quirked an eyebrow, and turned to face Erik. “Oh really? Let’s start with your power. What can you do?”
Erik didn’t answer. Instead, Adam’s coffee spoon lifted off his saucer and was lowered into the cup. It stirred the coffee slowly, and Adam looked up to see Erik smirking. “I can do more than spoons, but for that you’ll have to trust me.”
Charles couldn’t help the smirk that he felt on his lips; he knew exactly what Erik could do. He caught Adam’s eye and sent him a few flashes, big things like Erik lifting the sub out of the water, and little things that showed his minute control, buttons slipped from their holes, zippers sliding down slowly. Charles watched as Adam’s cheeks reddened, and his mouth gaped just a little. He lifted his hands in surrender and smiled. “Last time without your permission, promise.”
Adam cleared his throat and straightened his jacket, the flush on his cheeks already fading as an easy smile curved his lips. “So, when do we start?”
As it turned out, starting was delayed by Shaw’s attack on the facility, when all of their lives were thrown even more into flux. With Darwin dead and Angel defecting to Shaw’s team, Charles honestly didn’t know if any of the others would stay, and he wouldn’t have blamed them for a second if he did. His heart swelled as one by one they all stood and stepped forward, shoulders square and sure even if their eyes were still a little scared. For better or worse, they were all in this together now, and Charles made it his job to make sure they were ready for whatever Shaw could throw at them.
Some of the recruits’ training came along much faster than others, and Charles was pleased to discover that Adam was a very quick study. His power rather fascinated Charles, and he spent a long few hours just watching Adam, listening to him sing, scream or yell, all of which produced completely different kinds of light. If he sang, the lights were more gentle, pulsating with shifting colour as Adam’s voice rose and fell, but that was when Adam’s voice was most hypnotic. More than once, Adam had to stop singing and shake Charles by his shoulders to snap him out of it, a glazed look coming over Charles’ eyes if he listened too long. Charles wasn’t sure how useful this power would be in the heat of a battle, but he could certainly see its use in terms of coercion.
When Adam screamed, a loud, high wail, lights shot out of his hands that were bright enough to blind, sharp bursts that left Charles seeing stars for hours afterwards. At first, the blasts went wild, bouncing off walls or shooting off into the distance where they wouldn’t do any good. A few times the blasts were strong enough to push Adam backwards, sending him skidding across the ground swearing. Charles would have expected him to get frustrated, to try and walk away, but he never did. Time after time, Adam picked himself up, brushed the dirt off his pants and tried again, screaming until his voice was hoarse.
It was after one of those days that Charles found him curled up in one of the huge chairs in the study, sitting across from Erik, an abandoned game of chess between them. Adam had a huge mug of tea cupped in his hands, and Charles was close enough that he could hear them speaking without using his mind. Adam’s voice was a little rough still, but Charles knew it would be fine by the morning. He briefly wondered if Adam’s mutation came with a sort of fail-safe on his voice, something that helped it heal faster than it would in someone else, but he quickly turned his attention back to the conversation unfolding in front of him.
“I just feel like I’m never going to get the hang of it, you know? I’ve nearly blinded Charles a dozen times and I’ve ruined three pairs of pants flinging myself backwards.” Adam took a sip of his tea, sighing as the liquid soothed his throat.
“You will get the hang of it, you’ve never tried to use your powers this way. They really are quite impressive you know.”
Adam shrugged, sinking further into the chair. “I guess, I’ve just never really thought of them as anything more than pretty. And I watch you and Charles, and your powers are just...well, cool.” A slightly embarrassed grin curved Adam’s lips, like he didn’t want Erik to know he was impressed.
Erik smiled, a softer smile than Charles thought he’d ever seen on his face. “Well, I don’t know how Charles got so good at what he does, but I can tell you you do not want to have been trained the way I was, my friend. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.” Erik’s eyes got faraway for a second, and Charles heart clenched. Erik was so damaged, so broken, but Charles knew that inside of him there was so much good, if only Erik was willing to let himself, and others, see it. “But Charles, he taught me things, good things, and he’ll teach you too. Your mutation is truly spectacular, Adam.”
Adam reached out a hand to squeeze Erik’s forearm, smiling, his fingers barely brushing over the tattoo Erik wore as proudly as one could. “Thank you. I never thought someone calling me a mutant would sound like a compliment, but coming from you...it kind of does.”
“It was meant as one. All of us here, myself, you, people might calls us freaks, but we aren’t. We’re more human than they are, flaws being erased one mutation at a time.” Erik rested his hand on top of Adam’s, still and heavy. Charles control slipped then, his mind slipping into Erik’s, not long enough to get more than flashes of emotions, but long enough to give him the very clear idea that he should step away from the door.
The next morning he was pouring himself a cup of coffee when Erik strode into the kitchen, his robe tied loosely around his waist and hanging wide open on his chest. He nodded good morning and poured himself a cup, waiting until Charles’ lifted his mug to his lips before speaking. “You know, Charles, you’re not very sneaky, especially when you’re in my head. If you want to join Adam and I, all you have to do is ask.” Erik’s laugh rang out through the mansion when Charles choked on his coffee, setting the mug down on the table a little harder than necessary.
Charles cleared his throat and pretended to regain his composure, mopping up the coffee spilled on the table with his napkin. “I’ll keep that in mind, thank you, Erik.”
After that morning, for reasons Charles didn’t necessarily want to focus on, Adam improved by miles. The bursts of light shot from his hands fast and bright, and they would’ve blinded Charles if he hadn’t asked Hank to make him a pair of glasses meant to withstand the brightest light. If Adam screamed just right he could make a beam of light that was almost a laser, flying from his palm with such force that it could knock over the mannequins Charles set up as target practice. Adam leapt into the air pumping his fist the first time he hit one, leaving a scorch mark the size of a dinner plate on the chest of the mannequin.
Once he’d done it that first time, Adam was unstoppable. Hank set up a machine that fired clay targets into the sky, flying fast enough that Charles could barely see them, let alone hit them with anything. He just sat back and watched in amazement as Adam’s voice filled the field they were working in, and bolts of light flew through the air, sending the clay targets crashing to the ground in pieces. The sheer joy with which Adam whooped and hollered every time another round of targets exploded in midair was catching, and Charles couldn’t help smiling at the little bursts of sparkly light that went off around Adam when he laughed. The ground around them was littered with bits of clay when Charles felt a presence beside him, not surprised to turn and see Erik standing there.
“He’s ready, Charles. They all are. We all are.” He answered the question Charles hadn’t even asked, and not for the first time Charles wondered if Erik could read thoughts as well.
Charles nodded, searching Erik’s controlled face for a few moments. “As ready as we’re going to be, I suppose. Now we just have to wait.”
He felt more than saw Erik shift next to him, a quick tensing of his muscles. Charles braved a brief dip into Erik’s mind, and he wished he hadn’t. Erik hated waiting, hated being under anyone’s orders but his own, and everyday his patience grew shorter. Charles backed out of Erik’s mind quickly, before he could see too much he didn’t want to know, but long enough to try and understand why Erik was fighting his instincts to flee. Very little was keeping Erik here, but even as his patience grew shorter, those few bonds grew stronger, and Charles was glad to be one of them. Whether Erik would admit it or not, Charles could tell he’d developed a fondness for this kids as well, nurturing young people and their mutations as much as passion for him as it was becoming for Charles. They stood together in silence, watching Adam run screaming across the field, another handful of targets crashing to the ground, and together they waited.
Over the next few days, a cloud descended over the house. There had been no sign of action on any front, but it seemed that there was a change in the wind, something spurring everyone into a state of uneasy readiness. The mansion was cleaner than Charles had ever seen it, even Alex and Sean letting out nervous energy by washing dishes and sweeping the floors. Whenever he wasn’t in the lab tinkering with some final bit of technology that was already perfect, Hank ran laps around the grounds until he was breathless and sweaty. Moira pored over her notes again and again, the papers getting limp and dogeared from being handled so much, and Raven spent all her free time in the gym, training her body to be faster and stronger.
One night, the mood was particularly heavy, the kids having gone to bed early, though Charles could tell that few of them were sleeping, their brains still going at top speed. He and Erik were alone in the sitting room, a bottle of scotch sitting on the table, a third game of half-hearted chess playing out between them. Erik had quickly made it a rule that Charles was not allowed to use his powers while they were playing, and Charles found it easier to try and shut his mind down completely rather than to try and only avoid Erik’s mind. He could only avoid the temptation for so long, Erik’s mind like a kind of homing beacon for Charles.
That was how Adam managed to sneak up on them, his sock-feet silent even on the old floors, Charles having missed the moment Adam left his room and padded down to join them. “Can I have one of those?” Adam pointed at the bottle of scotch, barely waiting for Erik and Charles to nod in unison before grabbing a glass and some ice, and pouring himself a healthy slosh. He took a swallow, grimacing at the burn.
“Trouble sleeping?” Charles pointed to an empty chair near the table, and Adam dragged it over, sitting down heavily.
“That’s kind of an understatement. I can’t get my brain to shut down enough to even think about sleep, let alone actually do it.” Adam sipped at his scotch, this time sighing at the burn in his belly. “I just can’t stop thinking about what’s coming, about what’s going to happen.”
Charles reached out a hand, resting it on Adam’s forearm. “Adam, I can’t tell you not to worry, but I can tell you that you’re ready for whatever happens. Right, Erik?”
Adam turned to look at Erik, an expectant look on his face. Charles didn’t need to read his mind to know that Erik’s opinion mattered in a way that Charles’ didn’t, and Charles didn’t blame Adam for that. Erik would never lie about something like this, not about something akin to war.
“You are ready, more than ready.” Erik leaned forward, and Charles could feel weight and heat of Erik’s gaze even though it wasn’t directed at him. “If you weren’t worried or scared, I’d be more concerned. There’s ready, and then there’s over confident.
Erik grinned, then, turning to Charles. “I can hear you thinking. I never tried to claim I wasn’t over confident, simply that I was glad Adam wasn’t.”
“Good, I can’t have you forgetting that you attempted to lift a submarine out of the water when we met, and I had to save you from drowning when you stubbornly refused to let go.” Charles’ smile was fond as he looked at Erik, the memory having become a good one sometime when he wasn’t paying attention.
“I feel a little like I’m intruding on something here.” Adam clanked the ice in his glass, taking another sip as a smile settled on his lips where the worry had finally left. He watched as Charles and Erik looked at one another, obviously having a conversation in their minds before Erik turned to face him, smirk curving his lips and lighting his eyes.
“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Charles a few days ago. If you’d like to join us, you only have to ask.” Erik paused, as if considering something. “I imagine you would sleep afterwards, it would be rather good stress relief.”
“Well, in that case...” Adam drained his glass, his smile growing into a full-blown grin. “Count me in.”
Charles’ bedroom was as opulent as the rest of the mansion, maybe even more so. The deep colours and rich fabrics weren’t necessarily Charles’ taste, but they went with the style of the house, and if he was honest, he liked the feeling of the slick sheets against his skin. Charles let his mind wander free in here, dipping into Adam’s head to feel the same awe that Adam did when he looked around the room, walking over to the bed to run his hands over the deep silk coverlet.
“I’d complain about you being in my head again, but under the circumstances...” Adam grinned, letting himself fall back into the lush bedding. He groaned a little, settling in. “Oh God, and I thought Erik’s bed was nice.”
Erik barked out a laugh and started towards the bed, and Charles was struck with a sudden spike of jealousy. Not towards Adam or Erik alone, but rather both of them at once for getting to be with each other, without him. It was a unique feeling, and it only grew when Erik climbed onto the bed next to Adam, his long fingers turning Adam’s jaw towards him for a kiss. Charles groaned out loud, and he realized then he was still in Adam’s head and could feel Erik’s lips against his own even though he was across the room.
Charles felt rooted to the spot, his eyes glued to the scene playing out in front of him on his bed. He watched hungrily as Erik’s hands slid down Adam’s body, dragging Adam’s shirt over his head and then his own. Charles felt Erik’s hands on Adam’s chest, his fingernails scraping over Adam’s nipples in a way that Charles didn’t normally like, but obviously filled Adam with great pleasure. Charles’ skin was on fire, his breath coming quick and shallow when Erik pressed Adam back into the pillows, sending a wolfish grin in Charles’ direction before lowering his lips to Adam’s throat, his teeth closing on the pale, sensitive skin there.
Adam and Charles groaned in unison, their voices filling the room, a quick burst of purple light going off over the bed. Charles’ feet started to carry him forward, his hands going to his shirt to unbutton it, leaving it on the floor behind him. When he got closer, he saw a glint of light on Adam’s chest when Erik shifted, and his breath caught in his through when he realized what he was seeing. Small rings ran through Adam’s nipples, something Charles had never seen before, and the appearance was absolutely striking. Charles climbed onto the bed, resting a hand on Adam’s shoulder, his skin burning hot as Erik continued sucking a mark into Adam’s neck before pulling away.
“Charles, watch this.” Erik held his hand over Adam’s chest, and the ring in one of his nipples began to rotate, pulling the sensitive flesh just barely towards Erik’s hand. Adam groaned deeply, his cheeks and chest flushing deep pink, and another purple burst going off over the bed, this time lingering longer. Charles was still in Adam’s head and he couldn’t help sliding his own hands down his chest, almost surprised to feel his own unadorned skin beneath his fingers. He dug his teeth into his lower lip when Erik moved to the over nipple, tugging it forward until it was as flushed and hard as the other.
Adam’s lips were wet and parted, his breath coming in sharp pants as Erik alternated his ministrations on Adam’s nipples, and Charles couldn’t hold back anymore. He bent forward and caught Adam’s lips with his own, feeling the slick slide of Adam’s tongue against his from both sides, feeling Adam’s pleasure and his own mingling in a muddled swirl inside his head. Adam arched up, his moans filling Charles’ mouth, one of his hands reaching to tangle in Charles’ hair just as the pleasure of Erik’s mouth closing around Adam’s cock reached Charles’ mind. A choked cry left Charles’ lips and he needed to pull away from Adam’s mouth to breathe, the feeling of Erik’s mouth so amazingly vivid through the medium of Adam’s thoughts. Charles’ own cock was hard and aching between his legs, and he dropped a hand to press against it, hissing just a little at the touch.
Erik pulled his mouth away from Adam’s cock, smirking when Adam and Charles moaned in unison at the loss of contact. “Charles, you can’t even wait your turn? You know I’ll get to you soon enough.” He climbed up the bed, bending to kiss Charles deep and familiar. Erik’s mouth tasted like Adam, heady and musky, and Charles plunged his tongue deeper to chase that taste until all he could taste was Erik. He felt a hand on his back, stroking down his spine, and Adam’s thoughts flooded his head with enough force to pushed his breath out in a breathy gasp against Erik’s mouth, his body arching in search of friction it didn’t find.
Words likes beautiful and want washed through his mind from Adam’s, followed by images as if seen through Adam’s eyes. His own body pressed up against Erik’s, the angled muscular planes of Erik’s body standing out in relief against the smoother muscle of Charles’ that hid his true strength. Charles had to admit that they did make a rather striking pair, and he didn’t need to read Adam’s thoughts to know he felt the same way. Adam slid across the bed and pressed himself up against Charles’ side, sliding one hand down Erik’s back, fingernails scraping hard, causing Erik to mutter a curse against Charles’ lips.
Charles could feel Adam’s arousal, both in his mind and pressed against his hip, and he was struck with the strong desire to watch Adam and Erik like Adam was watching them now, and to experience the whole thing through Adam’s mind. He’d done a lot of things with his powers, but this was something new and exciting, and he had to know. His voice was breathy when he spoke, but he couldn’t spare the thought to care at the moment.
“Erik, you know how you’re always wanting me to use my powers? Test them, expand them?” Erik nodded, the corner of his mouth curving like he was already halfway to where Charles was going. Charles projected the rest of his idea directly into their minds, the intimacy of the action increasing the effect that his words had. I want to watch you fuck, while I’m inside Adam’s head. It’ll be like Erik is fucking us both at once. Above him, Erik’s eyes went dark, his lips parting just enough for his tongue to snake out and wet them. Adam shuddered against Charles’ side, and it was him who answered first, a yes ringing loud and clear inside Charles’ head.
“Charles, you are more wicked than I could have imagined. I whole-heartedly approve.” Erik slid off the bed, shedding his pants quickly and going unerringly for a drawer in the nightstand, retrieving a small bottle. While he was gone, Charles slipped out of his own pants and shifted Adam over to the centre of the bed. He lay next to him, where he could watch but also lean down to kiss Adam, or slide his hand down his chest to play with the rings through his nipples. Erik climbed back onto the bed, kissing Charles and then Adam, winking as he slid down the bed to kneel between Adam’s legs. He made a show of slicking up his fingers, the lube glistening in the low light of the room, and Charles felt a clench in his gut that had little to do with what Adam was thinking. “Ready?” Erik looked from Charles to Adam and back, but didn’t wait for either of them to answer before dropping his hand between Adam’s legs, two fingers sliding in slow and easy.
Adam tossed his head back, a deep moan spilling from his lips that glowed over him, shimmering from purple to red before fading away. Even as Charles felt Erik’s fingers push into Adam, into him, he wanted to chase that glow, wanted it to last, to touch it. He let his hand roam down Adam’s chest, his fingers playing lightly over the rings, tugging harder when he felt the burst of pleasure in his own chest. The sensations were overwhelming; Erik’s fingers moving deep inside Adam’s body, two becoming three, pressing up until Adam and Charles both shouted, a sharp burst of gold exploding over Adam’s head. Charles’ fingers nimbly rolling Adam’s nippled between them, feeling both the texture and heat of Adam’s skin but also the sensation against his own. Charles’ head was spinning, and the sensation only became more disorienting when Erik pulled his fingers from Adam’s body and pushed in with his cock, slow enough to really feel the stretch.
The feeling of Erik’s cock pushing into him wasn’t exactly new for Charles, but feeling it through Adam’s mind was a completely different experience. There was a different stretch, like he felt it deeper in his body somehow, and Charles arched his back like that could pull Erik further into him. One of Adam’s hands was suddenly fisted in his hair, and before Charles could even read the thought in Adam’s mind their lips were pressed together, the kiss hard and messy and desperate until Adam pulled away, panting.
“Is it incredible? Charles, tell me what it’s like, please.” Adam’s words came in staccato, punctuated with sharp breaths every time Erik pushed hard into him.
Charles actually struggled to find the words to describe what he was feeling, something he was not used it. “Yes, yes, it’s incredible. It’s...so familiar, but so different.” They gasped together as Erik thrust in particularly hard, hitting the spot that made gold flash above Adam.
“Erik, oh God, Erik.” Adam and Charles moaned in unison, their thoughts so intertwined. Charles could feel heat building low in his belly, could feel the way that Adam’s stomach muscles clenched, his back arching into Erik’s thrusts, seeking all three of their climaxes. Erik’s hips stuttered, and he groaned, a deep, guttural sound so different from the clear tones of Adam’s voice. Charles’ could feel the way Erik’s hands dug into Adam’s hips, and he distantly wished that he would have the bruises to show for that as well.
When Adam’s climax hit him, it rolled over Charles’ like a wave, smothering him until it lifted, bringing his own climax with it. The air above Adam exploded into colours, a dazzling display of purple and blue and gold, and in the brief moment before Charles’ climax took him over, he reached out to run his fingers through the lights, wondering if he imagined the tickle against his skin. Charles’ moans mingled with Adam’s and he arched his back hard off the bed, his cock spilling untouched on his belly as Erik pushed deep into Adam’s body, holding himself there when he came, the deep sound of his moan hitting Charles’ like a punch to the gut.
Erik pulled out and fell to the bed next to Adam, lifting himself up on one elbow to capture Adam’s lips in a kiss, somehow relaxed and filthy at the same time. Charles let himself slip out of Adam’s mind, the sudden quiet in his head almost shocking after the experience they had just shared. He leaned in eagerly when Erik pushed up higher, leaning across Adam’s body to catch Charles’ lips in a kiss that was softer, gentler than the one he’d given Adam, and if Charles’ were to dip into Erik’s mind right now, he’d see emotions Erik would never admit to having.
“I would say that was a rather raging success, wouldn’t you, Charles? Adam?” Erik’s eyes were sparkling, and Charles thought that easy happiness looked good on him, even if a little odd.
“I would definitely say that, it’s always good to stretch oneself and your powers.” Charles lips quirked into a smile, and he settled back into the pillows, his arms folded behind his head.
Adam stretched like a cat between them, his lean limbs somehow wrapping around Charles and Erik at the same time. His voice was getting soft and sleepy already, his eyes heavy lidded. “Yeah, absolutely. Forget warm milk, next time I can’t sleep, I’m coming here.”
They all slept well that night, tucked close to one another in Charles’ huge bed, limbs tangled easily together, momentarily forgetting what had brought them all together in the first place. They were reminded swiftly, the very next day, when the president gave a statement that made their next moves clear, and the whole team leapt to action. Together, they all charged into battle, none of them knowing what would happen next, but none of them expecting what did.
Charles would never forget the feeling of lying on the beach, his broken body cradled in Adam’s arms, looking up at Adam’s tear-stained face and telling him silently, Everything will be fine, Adam, it will be fine. He knew even as he thought the words that they weren’t exactly true, but he couldn’t bring himself to think any deeper. He felt pain in his chest like he’d never known as Erik looked at him, so many thoughts on his face that Charles couldn’t read because of the damned helmet, and disappeared into thin air, hand in hand with the girl Charles had always thought of as a sister. Adam held him tighter, and Charles gave in to the urge to cling, hanging on to the one thing in his life that remained unchanged. His body, once whole, he could feel slipping more out of his control every moment. His greatest friend, now something like an enemy, though Charles knew he’d never be able to think of Erik in such black and white terms. His team gathered around him, dropping to their knees, dirty and bloody and shaken, but undeniably there. Yes, nothing in his life would ever be the same after this moment, but somewhere beneath the pain, both physical and emotional, Charles could feel the stirrings of great things. Each person that was looking down at him held great potential, and he knew they were only the tip of the iceberg. Things would certainly be very different, but a part of Charles thought that maybe, they would be fine.