cleaning up [open]

[looking_forhope]

[Place a couple of days after his "nap"]

Charles let out a deep sigh, looked at it one last time and then shook his head sadly. There would be such an emptiness there now. But, he had memories of it to fall back on. Ones that he'd hold near and dear to his heart.

"Alright, time to go." he said and stepped forward. He pushed his hand through the dead

Comments

[prefers_magneto]

Erik saw something drop past the library window. He got up and looked down. It was a very dead pinetree.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed his leather jacket and his gloves, then ventured outside himself.

"Are you seriously intending on dragging that thing across the grounds by yourself?"

[looking_forhope]

Charles looked over his shoulder as he slipped his gloves on. Before picking it up, he glanced back down at the nearly bare skeleton of the tree and shrugged.

"It's really not all that heavy." he remarked with a shrug as he bent down to take hold of it.

[prefers_magneto]

"That's because half of it in on the floor in your room," Erik replied dryly, picking up the other end.

"Honestly, Charles, do you call this 'taking it easy'?"

[looking_forhope]

"That will be the next task." he chuckled. "Doctor Smith said some light exercise would be just fine. As long as I rest afterwards. Which I will do."

And he'd behaved as far as that went.

[prefers_magneto]

Erik just looked at the back of his head in exasperation.

"Dragging pine trees across your estate is not 'light' exercise."

[looking_forhope]

"Oh, I had no plans on doing it myself." Charles said, a tiny bit breathless from the cool air he was breathing in.

He smirked, taking a brief moment to turn his head to show his smile. "Why do you think I dropped it off my balcony?"

He had known where his friend was in the house when he did.

[prefers_magneto]

"You're a conniving little bastard," Erik told him, but his grumbling was good-natured.

[looking_forhope]

"How else was I to get you out here for a breath of fresh air. You know it'll do you just as good as it will me." Charles pointed out as he trudged closer to the chopping area.

[prefers_magneto]

"I don't know, Charles. You could have suggested something fun."

Dragging the tree to the house in the first place was his share of dragging it. Trees tended to be made of wood. He didn't have an advantage when it came to moving them around.

[looking_forhope]

And there was that teenage mentality that Charles always got a kick out of.

Charles glanced up to the mansion, and shook his head. "The last time we had fun, I cost the house $150."

[prefers_magneto]

"You tossed this tree out of a window, Charles," Erik pointed out. "Meaning I basically missed the only fun part of this endeavour and also it could have fallen on someone. That's not exactly 'more careful'."

[looking_forhope]

"Oh, please, Erik. Do you really think I would have let it fall without looking first?" he scoffed.

"You know, if you planning on complaining about helping me, then let go. I can do it myself."

[prefers_magneto]

Erik fell silent. He was just concerned for Charles' health and, frankly, Charles having the wherewithal to argue with him made him feel better.

But Charles was fed up, which put an end to that.

Erik didn't say another word as they walked across the snow.

[looking_forhope]

Charles was hardly fed up, in fact, the slight tugging he did with the tree as the two of them traipsed along the side of the house towards the rear got gradually stronger until the young telepath yanked on it.

[prefers_magneto]

Erik had been lost in his own fairly morose thoughts, when Charles yanked on the tree, nearly pulling it out of his hands.

"What are you doing?" he exclaimed.

[looking_forhope]

"Having a bit of fun." Charles stated flatly.