J'adoube
Title: J'adoube
Summary: A little moment between Erik and Charles' after Raven's failed seduction of Erik.
Fandom: X-Men: First Class
A/N: Because of - and for - seschat. Title is a chess term, French for "I adjust", whereby a player announces his intention to adjust the position of a piece on the board without being subject to the touched piece rule.
J'adoube
Erik waited a few minutes after Raven had left, flustered and tying her robe with a triple knot, thinking about her. She really had a truly remarkable ability. He thought about all its uses beyond the crass ones she had suggested, lying there uncertain and ageless in his bed.
Finally, he roused himself and went in search of Charles. Enough of that, he thought. Time for a different sort of strategizing exercise.
He found Charles in the ridiculously large living room, staring at the liquor cabinet like he was trying to remember something.
"Just pick one," said Erik, reaching around him and a reaching for a bottle at random. "Come on, how about a game of chess?"
In answer, Charles punched him. Hard.
Erik stumbled back, one hand to his jaw as he stared at his friend in confusion. Behind Charles, the liquor bottle Erik had reached for fell to its side, jangling against the other bottles.
"What, Charles, was that?" said Erik, once it became clear that no further punches are coming.
Charles glared at up at him, his lips pressed into a tight line. "That," he said, clipping the word sharply, "was my sister."
"I didn't touch your sister!" protested Erik.
"You're doing much worse than that," said Charles, taking a step forward. Erik almost took step back himself, not liking the look on Charles face - that I can see inside you look that still sometimes caught him off guard. He stood his ground, the back of the sofa pressing against him precluding any other option.
"I'm just talking, Charles," said Erik steadily.
The corner of Charles' lip quirked upwards but his eyes stayed hard. "You want to play chess."
It took Charles backing away, setting out the board and its pieces, for Erik to convince himself that Charles' parting words had been an invitation, not a challenge or a threat.
But then, everything they did was a game of chess.
Summary: A little moment between Erik and Charles' after Raven's failed seduction of Erik.
Fandom: X-Men: First Class
A/N: Because of - and for - seschat. Title is a chess term, French for "I adjust", whereby a player announces his intention to adjust the position of a piece on the board without being subject to the touched piece rule.
J'adoube
Erik waited a few minutes after Raven had left, flustered and tying her robe with a triple knot, thinking about her. She really had a truly remarkable ability. He thought about all its uses beyond the crass ones she had suggested, lying there uncertain and ageless in his bed.
Finally, he roused himself and went in search of Charles. Enough of that, he thought. Time for a different sort of strategizing exercise.
He found Charles in the ridiculously large living room, staring at the liquor cabinet like he was trying to remember something.
"Just pick one," said Erik, reaching around him and a reaching for a bottle at random. "Come on, how about a game of chess?"
In answer, Charles punched him. Hard.
Erik stumbled back, one hand to his jaw as he stared at his friend in confusion. Behind Charles, the liquor bottle Erik had reached for fell to its side, jangling against the other bottles.
"What, Charles, was that?" said Erik, once it became clear that no further punches are coming.
Charles glared at up at him, his lips pressed into a tight line. "That," he said, clipping the word sharply, "was my sister."
"I didn't touch your sister!" protested Erik.
"You're doing much worse than that," said Charles, taking a step forward. Erik almost took step back himself, not liking the look on Charles face - that I can see inside you look that still sometimes caught him off guard. He stood his ground, the back of the sofa pressing against him precluding any other option.
"I'm just talking, Charles," said Erik steadily.
The corner of Charles' lip quirked upwards but his eyes stayed hard. "You want to play chess."
It took Charles backing away, setting out the board and its pieces, for Erik to convince himself that Charles' parting words had been an invitation, not a challenge or a threat.
But then, everything they did was a game of chess.