ficlet february 18: "a day off"
This is another one I might retool a little once I have time to edit.
***
Ficlet February 18: "a day off"
"...and then you will see the full power of Magneto!" Erik bellows. He clenches his fist and laughs, deep and ominous, and then turns to glare down at the X-Men down below. They seem determined to foil him, standing poised to attack in a semi-circle outside their jet.
But, when he looks a little more closely, there's something important missing.
He falters.
"Where...where's your Professor, X-Men? Too frightened to face me?"
It's McCoy who speaks. Come to think of it, he looks less determined than the rest of them. Bored, almost.
"He has the day off," McCoy calls out.
Erik hesitates.
"What?" he asks. He moves closer to the ground, still above the X-Men, but close enough that they don't have to shout. "He's what?" he asks again.
"He has the day off," McCoy repeats. "It's been a difficult few months at the school, you know, and you're hardly making things easier for him. We told him to take a few days and get away from the school and the team and other distractions."
He glares at Erik, making it clear that Erik is included in those distractions.
"Oh," Erik says.
He looks around at the destruction he's already wrought at the state capital building and the police that are already rolling in. He looks down at the X-Men, ready to spring, and over at the politicians he's wrapped up in a flagpole.
It's been a long few weeks for him, too. Maybe he's just as deserving of a day off.
***
Charles is napping by the pool when Erik lets himself into the yard. He blinks sleepily and rolls on his side, offering Erik a tired smile.
"I was wondering if you'd show up," Charles murmurs.
"Snooping in my head again?" Erik asks.
"No," Charles says. He pushes himself up and blinks a few times to wake himself. "Hank called to tell me that you very abruptly left a battle not long after he told you I was on vacation."
"Well," Erik says, "I got what I needed from those useless politicians. I put the fear of mutantkind into them."
"Mmhm," Charles says, and smiles. "Are you going to come over and sit down?"
Erik floats his suitcase over towards the patio door and does as Charles asks, walking over to the second deck chair next to Charles'. He sits gingerly and stretches out.
"So," he asks. "What's the plan?"
"It's a day off, Erik," Charles says. "This is the plan." He gestures around them.
The cottage Charles has rented--and in his real name, how incredibly sloppy--is secluded and small. The pool and garden are beautiful. The day is warm and quiet and Charles is turning just slightly pink in the afternoon sun. The whole thing is like something out of a movie, out of a fantasy. It's not something Erik has any experience with, something he knows how to do. 'A day off.' What in the world is that even supposed to mean?
And with Charles? Charles, whom he loves, but spends most of his time antagonizing? Charles, who sometimes looks at Erik like he's so disappointed, so hurt that he can barely stand to be in Erik's presence?
This was a terrible idea.
"Relax," Charles murmurs, and Erik looks over at him. He has his eyes closed again, leaning back and enjoying the sun. "This time I am snooping," he adds, in answer to Erik's unasked question. "Lie back. Breathe in deeply. Be here, with me, in this moment. Forget about everything else."
"I can hardly forget about everything else," Erik mutters.
Charles reaches his hand across the small space between. After a moment of hesitation, Erik takes it in his own.
"Try," Charles says, and turns his head, opening his eyes again.
Erik swallows. He squeezes Charles' had in his own.
"Fine," he says. It doesn't sound nearly as grudging as he intends. "I'll try."
"Thank you," Charles says, and closes his eyes again.
Erik squeezes Charles' hand again, and then does the same.
*
ficlet february!
Get some sleep
Five minutes away
Faint recognition
Half an hour before sunrise
Useless, but beautiful
Something’s broken
Surprise celebration
There were signs and signals
Rituals
Write about a postcard
What are you looking for?
You remind me of someone
A meeting, a beginning
Lasting impression
Long drive
Behind closed doors
Ask questions later
Six impossible things
Day off
Lost in a city
A door key
A late night phone call
Someone else’s mortification
Something from music
Something from a picture
***
Ficlet February 18: "a day off"
"...and then you will see the full power of Magneto!" Erik bellows. He clenches his fist and laughs, deep and ominous, and then turns to glare down at the X-Men down below. They seem determined to foil him, standing poised to attack in a semi-circle outside their jet.
But, when he looks a little more closely, there's something important missing.
He falters.
"Where...where's your Professor, X-Men? Too frightened to face me?"
It's McCoy who speaks. Come to think of it, he looks less determined than the rest of them. Bored, almost.
"He has the day off," McCoy calls out.
Erik hesitates.
"What?" he asks. He moves closer to the ground, still above the X-Men, but close enough that they don't have to shout. "He's what?" he asks again.
"He has the day off," McCoy repeats. "It's been a difficult few months at the school, you know, and you're hardly making things easier for him. We told him to take a few days and get away from the school and the team and other distractions."
He glares at Erik, making it clear that Erik is included in those distractions.
"Oh," Erik says.
He looks around at the destruction he's already wrought at the state capital building and the police that are already rolling in. He looks down at the X-Men, ready to spring, and over at the politicians he's wrapped up in a flagpole.
It's been a long few weeks for him, too. Maybe he's just as deserving of a day off.
***
Charles is napping by the pool when Erik lets himself into the yard. He blinks sleepily and rolls on his side, offering Erik a tired smile.
"I was wondering if you'd show up," Charles murmurs.
"Snooping in my head again?" Erik asks.
"No," Charles says. He pushes himself up and blinks a few times to wake himself. "Hank called to tell me that you very abruptly left a battle not long after he told you I was on vacation."
"Well," Erik says, "I got what I needed from those useless politicians. I put the fear of mutantkind into them."
"Mmhm," Charles says, and smiles. "Are you going to come over and sit down?"
Erik floats his suitcase over towards the patio door and does as Charles asks, walking over to the second deck chair next to Charles'. He sits gingerly and stretches out.
"So," he asks. "What's the plan?"
"It's a day off, Erik," Charles says. "This is the plan." He gestures around them.
The cottage Charles has rented--and in his real name, how incredibly sloppy--is secluded and small. The pool and garden are beautiful. The day is warm and quiet and Charles is turning just slightly pink in the afternoon sun. The whole thing is like something out of a movie, out of a fantasy. It's not something Erik has any experience with, something he knows how to do. 'A day off.' What in the world is that even supposed to mean?
And with Charles? Charles, whom he loves, but spends most of his time antagonizing? Charles, who sometimes looks at Erik like he's so disappointed, so hurt that he can barely stand to be in Erik's presence?
This was a terrible idea.
"Relax," Charles murmurs, and Erik looks over at him. He has his eyes closed again, leaning back and enjoying the sun. "This time I am snooping," he adds, in answer to Erik's unasked question. "Lie back. Breathe in deeply. Be here, with me, in this moment. Forget about everything else."
"I can hardly forget about everything else," Erik mutters.
Charles reaches his hand across the small space between. After a moment of hesitation, Erik takes it in his own.
"Try," Charles says, and turns his head, opening his eyes again.
Erik swallows. He squeezes Charles' had in his own.
"Fine," he says. It doesn't sound nearly as grudging as he intends. "I'll try."
"Thank you," Charles says, and closes his eyes again.
Erik squeezes Charles' hand again, and then does the same.
*
ficlet february!
Get some sleep
Five minutes away
Faint recognition
Half an hour before sunrise
Useless, but beautiful
Something’s broken
Surprise celebration
There were signs and signals
Rituals
Write about a postcard
What are you looking for?
You remind me of someone
A meeting, a beginning
Lasting impression
Long drive
Behind closed doors
Ask questions later
Six impossible things
Day off
Lost in a city
A door key
A late night phone call
Someone else’s mortification
Something from music
Something from a picture