fic: for keeps (xmfc, erik/raven, charles/erik, charles/raven)

[pearl_o]

For Keeps
by Pearl-o

X:men: First Class. Erik/Raven (Charles/Erik, Charles/Raven). NC-17. ~2500 words.

Note: some period homophobia. Takes place post-movie.

Summary: Erik has some advice for Raven on how to survive. Raven comes to her own conclusions.

Comments

[introductory]

"Yes," Erik says, almost a hiss, "yes, God, he rode me like he was starving for it - you should have seen him, so fucking beautiful - I didn't even have to touch him, he didn't need it, just my cock- Raven."

This is where my vision literally whited out for a second. Oh my god.

Pretty man, Raven thinks, and: she's never going to be intimidated by him again, never in awe of him, now that she's seen him like this.

jsgljasdsljgalskjdfha

PEARL.

Raven knows how to be fluid, She can change. She's done it before, and she'll do it again.

PEARLLLLLL.

THIS IS SO AMAZING, HOW DID YOU EVEN. THIS IS AMAZING. ALL THE FEELINGS AND RAVEN IS AMAZING AND I AM INCOHERENT.

ALL THE FEELINGS.

[pearl_o]

MORE DIRTY TALK, HA

andy your feedback makes me so so so happy ♥ RAAAAAAAAAAAVEN I JUST WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY.

[strobelighted]

;______________________________________________;

Raven knows how to be fluid, She can change. She's done it before, and she'll do it again.

Erik spent a lifetime chasing down Sebastian Shaw, with an obsessive fervor. Erik doesn't know a thing about letting go, Raven thinks. He's never let go of a single thing in his life.

I like this bit especially, because it implies that Raven can and will get over Charles, but that Erik probably never will. :(

[pearl_o]

When I was trying to describe this story idea to mumblemutter the other day, she asked me if it was a sad story, and I was like "well, it's post-movie ... and it's kind of depressing ... but it's a happy ending for Raven? :D? :D? :D?"

<3

[citizenjess]

I think this is probably one of my favorite things you've written. Raven's got a lot of agency, but she's still straddling the fence between being a true member of the Brotherhood - and in fact, the only one that seems to stick by Erik over the years - and Charles' sister. Her relationship with Erik is visibly in flux. A lot of the delight of this story comes, of course, from how much Erik obviously misses/loves Charles, but Raven's not really secondary to it, nor is she completely disgusted/okay with finding out what they were to each other, and that's kind of the beauty of it.

[pearl_o]

I really feel like a lot of this story sort of just slowly developed from all the time I've spent mulling over a) how much I worry about Raven, post-beach, in general and b) the Erik-Raven relationship in the movie, and how unsatisfying/unequal it is. So, yeah, this is definitely a story about things changing, somewhere between the Raven we see in the movie and the person she's going to become later; between the sort of vague condescension and distance of Erik and her and trying to figure out how they become partners, become Mystique and Magneto together.

And, yeah, there's a lot of the Erik/Charles at the center of the story, because, well. Erik's going to spend the next fifty years of his life just as obsessed/in love/totally intertwined with Charles, no matter what happens. And as much as Raven loves Charles, there's a feeling of freedom, a realization of strength, that her life isn't about him.

[citizenjess]

All of this. I think, for Raven, her transformation into Mystique is largely about realizing who she is without Charles. For Erik, Magneto is very much who he is in spite of Charles. He can't break away cleanly, and that's a fundamental difference between him and Raven, and yeah I've gotta go tutor now byeee.

[pearl_o]

ERIK YOU STUPID LONELY JERK >:( I just. I want to cuddle him and wrap him in a blanket, let Charles love you, jesus.

But I mean, he's not forever alone, either, despite his terrible life choices - because he has Raven now, as a friend, a partner with him. I think he's gonna figure out just how lucky he is with that, at some point.

I really appreciate it when fic makes an effort to respect the period, but it's an odd balancing point sometimes, without getting ridiculous, still respecting the characters and the story itself. IDK. I feel like this Raven would definitely have some of that feeling of repulsion, but it's mixed so much with shock and particularly with it being Charles, and then the fact that this is a big part of his life - because she knows it's not just Erik, "all those boys", it's been going on for years, and Charles never told her, never trusted her with it, when she thought they were as close as they could be, told each other everything. And then, of course, on top of that, the turned-on/jealous/turned-on parts.

[citizenjess]

really appreciate it when fic makes an effort to respect the period, but it's an odd balancing point sometimes, without getting ridiculous, still respecting the characters and the story itself.

I meant to say, I thought you did a good job of not making this really jarring, but still having Raven's reaction be believable. It's interesting, too, because she's vaguely put off by the idea of Charles being A Homosexual (tm), but it doesn't seem to be a sticking point for her with Erik. In part, I imagine it's because there's so much about Erik that she doesn't really get yet. It was such a leap of faith for her to go with him.

[littledust]

This hurts in the best possible way.

[pearl_o]

♥♥♥