Fic: Memento
X-Men: First Class
Title: Memento
Pairing: Erik/Charles
Rating: G
Length: 268 words.
Summary: (inspired by the kink_meme prompt) "Charles records a memory of Erik. After the divorce, Charles rewatches Erik laying there in bed, smiling up at him and clearly in love, talking about their future together and the hopes he has for mutants and their kids. Charles breaks down and cries."
My fantastic beta: war_n_peace
The mattress creaks and Charles stirs. The weak morning light is warm on his face, glowing orange behind closed lids. “Sorry,” Erik whispers, climbing back into bed. There is a cool rush of air under the covers and the touch of bare legs sliding against his. Charles breathes in and murmurs something, drifting back to sleep only to be startled by a soft hand on his face. He opens his eyes to see Erik with the bedsheets gathered around his waist and the sun in his eyes, mouthing his name.
Charles sits up. “Erik, what’s wrong?” The sunlight wraps Erik’s chest and hands in yellow thread.
He touches Charles’ cheek gingerly as if he might hurt him, brushing it lighter than Charles’ breath has become, caught in his chest. His thumb traces the curve and his gaze follows gently.
“Good morning,” Erik says, an easiness soaking into his voice that Charles treasures because it is always gone too soon.
“Good morning.” Charles gives him an incredulous look. “Is that really what you’ve woken me up for?”
Erik laughs and kisses Charles. He pulls back for a moment and kisses Charles again, slow, pushing him back into the bed, a hand on his chest. Happy, Erik projects. It’s such a simple thought, but Charles can’t stop his smile from spreading because he feels it too, with everything in him. Charles puts a hand to his face--his head is spinning, light and warm --and Erik kisses him where he can around it, finally pulling his hand away to press his mouth to his.
"We’re going to change the world together," Erik promises him.
There are so many things Charles wants to promise him, too. There are so many things he wants for Erik, wants for mutant kind and for humans alike, wants for himself. He’s afraid to tell Erik all of his dreams but slowly, he’s finding that some things are not beyond possible. "We’ve started something incredible, Erik."
"We are the start of something incredible," Erik tells him.
Charles’ heart aches and he desperately tries to store this memory, tuck it somewhere safe so he’ll never forget how happy they were. He wants to be able to play it back, to show Erik one day, years later should they ever need to remember: This was us. This was what we felt. You were everything to me.
-
When Charles opens his eyes again, they are hot and wet. It’s dark in his room and his throat is thick. He is alone, now, in his bed with the wheelchair by the side. He is alone, now.
It hurts, but not as much as it hurts to know he’ll wade in his memories until he’s lost in them.
Not as much as it hurts to know that this was them. This was what they felt. And Erik still is still everything to him.
Title: Memento
Pairing: Erik/Charles
Rating: G
Length: 268 words.
Summary: (inspired by the kink_meme prompt) "Charles records a memory of Erik. After the divorce, Charles rewatches Erik laying there in bed, smiling up at him and clearly in love, talking about their future together and the hopes he has for mutants and their kids. Charles breaks down and cries."
My fantastic beta: war_n_peace
The mattress creaks and Charles stirs. The weak morning light is warm on his face, glowing orange behind closed lids. “Sorry,” Erik whispers, climbing back into bed. There is a cool rush of air under the covers and the touch of bare legs sliding against his. Charles breathes in and murmurs something, drifting back to sleep only to be startled by a soft hand on his face. He opens his eyes to see Erik with the bedsheets gathered around his waist and the sun in his eyes, mouthing his name.
Charles sits up. “Erik, what’s wrong?” The sunlight wraps Erik’s chest and hands in yellow thread.
He touches Charles’ cheek gingerly as if he might hurt him, brushing it lighter than Charles’ breath has become, caught in his chest. His thumb traces the curve and his gaze follows gently.
“Good morning,” Erik says, an easiness soaking into his voice that Charles treasures because it is always gone too soon.
“Good morning.” Charles gives him an incredulous look. “Is that really what you’ve woken me up for?”
Erik laughs and kisses Charles. He pulls back for a moment and kisses Charles again, slow, pushing him back into the bed, a hand on his chest. Happy, Erik projects. It’s such a simple thought, but Charles can’t stop his smile from spreading because he feels it too, with everything in him. Charles puts a hand to his face--his head is spinning, light and warm --and Erik kisses him where he can around it, finally pulling his hand away to press his mouth to his.
"We’re going to change the world together," Erik promises him.
There are so many things Charles wants to promise him, too. There are so many things he wants for Erik, wants for mutant kind and for humans alike, wants for himself. He’s afraid to tell Erik all of his dreams but slowly, he’s finding that some things are not beyond possible. "We’ve started something incredible, Erik."
"We are the start of something incredible," Erik tells him.
Charles’ heart aches and he desperately tries to store this memory, tuck it somewhere safe so he’ll never forget how happy they were. He wants to be able to play it back, to show Erik one day, years later should they ever need to remember: This was us. This was what we felt. You were everything to me.
-
When Charles opens his eyes again, they are hot and wet. It’s dark in his room and his throat is thick. He is alone, now, in his bed with the wheelchair by the side. He is alone, now.
It hurts, but not as much as it hurts to know he’ll wade in his memories until he’s lost in them.
Not as much as it hurts to know that this was them. This was what they felt. And Erik still is still everything to him.