XMen Big Bang: Nothing kills more than to know (Part One)
Title: Nothing kills more than to know
Pairing: Charles Xavier/Adam Lambert/Erik Lehnsherr, background Rictor/Gav (Shatterstar)
Rating: NC-17
Word count: ~21000
Summary: Sequel to The more things change. It had been more than year since Erik had been gone. Gone from Charles’ mind, from his home and from his bed, but never from his thoughts.
A year after the beach, Charles has the school up and running, welcoming new students with Adam at his side. Erik has never been far from his mind, but lately he's been closer than ever, clear images of Erik coming to the mansion flashing in Charles' mind. What does Erik want, after all this time? Charles' doesn't know, but together with Adam, Hank and the new students, he has to be ready for anything, as much as it might hurt.
Notes: Written for the xmenbigbang. Title taken from Adam Lambert's Can't let you go. This is mainly in the XMFC verse, however there are a few added characters from the comics verse. Ororo (Storm), Rictor, and Monet St Croix are fairly clear, and I've also introduced Shatterstar, who I've called Gav, taking his name from one of his aliases, Gavandra Seven. Rictor and Shatterstar have a great relationship in the comics, and I couldn't resist bringing it over! If you're not a comic fan, don't worry! I don't think there's anything in here that would be confusing, and I've certainly taken creative liberties with the characters' histories. The same can be said for those of you who may not be Adam Lambert fans. You don't need to know anything about him other than what I've included, and I think he could be read as an OMC without much trouble.
As always, I need to thank my beta janesgravity, but I need to thank her even more than usual! I needed to be dug out from more than one pile of my own melodrama during the writing of this, and if it wasn't for her, I'd still be buried! Thanks also goes to Acey who provided a much needed third set of eyes! <3
And finally, thanks to vertrauen for providing me with a lovely fan mix to go with this story!
Charles
It had been more than year since Erik had been gone. Gone from Charles’ mind, from his home and from his bed, but never from his thoughts. Not a day has gone by that Charles hasn’t thought of him; he missed Erik, the pain of missing him almost more than the impossible pain that shot through his legs, or settled deep in his ruined back. Worse than missing him were the rare glimpses of Erik that flashed through Charles’ mind. He wasn’t sure if they were weak moments when Erik removed that damned helmet or if they were coming to him through the minds of Erik’s companions, but when they came, he clamped his mind down, trying in vain to hang on to the images, somehow turn them into more before they were gone as quickly as they’d come. He was always left short of breath, his fingers clenching hard into the arms of his chair until his knuckles went white. His mind raced, chasing after the image like he could grab onto it, his heart pounding until he felt a pair of hands press into his shoulders, grounding him and forcing his mind to slow.
“Charles. Charles.” Adam’s voice reached his ears a little slower than usual, but as always, it pulled Charles up and out, his eyes blinking until he could focus on Adam’s face in front of him, a concerned smile on his lips. “You back with me?”
Charles sighed, feeling Adam's power brush over his skin like a soft blanket, sparing a thought to marvel at the control Adam had gained in the last few months, the things he'd learned he could do. He reached one hand up to twine his fingers with Adam's, pressing Adam's cool palm to his own cheek, the after-burn of the image finally fading from his mind. "Yes, yes I'm alright. Thank you." He turned, pressing an easy kiss to Adam's wrist, breathing in his familiar scent.
"Erik again?" Adam carded his fingers through Charles' curls, pulling a nearby chair closer and settling into it, one leg tossed carelessly over the side of Charles' chair to snug between Charles' legs. The position probably looked awkward, and maybe it had been months ago, but today it felt as natural as folding two bodies into one armchair had before.
"Always. I don't know if I dread these visions or await them." Charles dragged in a ragged breath, leaning into Adam's persistent fingers scraping over his scalp. "Would not knowing anything at all be better than this?"
He watched as Adam thought carefully, his brow burrowing and his teeth digging into his lip. Charles didn't have to dip into Adam's mind to know some of the thoughts floating through it. In the aftermath of that day at the beach, Adam had held far more anger towards Erik than Charles had; even when it became clear that the bullet Erik's hand had guided had taken away Charles' legs forever, it was Adam who stormed through the mansion, Adam who had needed Charles' calming hand against his cheek. Erik had meant as much to Adam as he'd meant to Charles, if not more, and Adam still hurt every day over his betrayal.
"No, not knowing would be worse." Adam's voice was soft, and his fingers slowed their ministrations in Charles' hair. The pain in his voice was clear when he continued, and for Charles, that sound was the worst of all. "I still miss him. I hate him for what he did, but I miss him every day."
"Me too, Adam, every day." They sat in silence for a long time, Charles letting his head droop against Adam's hand, his own hand falling to Adam's thigh, tracing light circles there. It was rare that the mansion was quiet for so long, and on another day Charles might have wondered what the students were getting up, but today he relished the silence until the light in the room shifted, shadows telling him it was getting late.
He shifted, turning to press a kiss to Adam's forehead where it had come to rest on Charles' shoulder. "Bed?"
Adam smiled up at him, tired but always bright. "Always." He stood, shaking the kinks from his muscles and bending to tip Charles' chin up and kiss him brief and sweet, Charles' hand sneaking up to fist in Adam's hair , deepening the kiss before Adam pulled back with a grin. "Come on, before we get interrupted. Again."
Charles felt a flush creep up his chest at the memory of the study door swinging open, Adam straddling his chair, both of them wearing far less than any of the students should have ever had to see. Adam's laugh floated gold and bright past his eyes and ears, knowing what Charles was remembering without having to see it, and any lingering haze from the evening's vision lifted away, leaving Charles feeling light, a smirk quirking his lips. “We’d better get a move on then, because I won’t be able to help myself soon.”
Adam let Charles’ hand slid up his thigh and tease under the hem of his shirt before slipping behind Charles’ chair and grasping the handles. He started to push, bending down to press his lips against Charles’ ear and speaking in a voice that filled Charles’ vision with deep purple swirls and his gut with spreading heat. “Good, because I don’t want you to help yourself.”
Charles felt a little sigh slip from his lips against his will, and he cursed the hallway in front of them for being so long. In these moments, when he was truly wrapped up in everything that Adam was, were the moments where Erik managed to be furthest from his mind while somehow remaining a heavy weight there, something at once forgotten and deeply missed. Later, when he and Adam moved together, their thoughts moving as easily as their bodies, Charles would see that Erik was on Adam’s mind in these moments too, a presence that bonded them together even, and perhaps especially, in his absence.
The sun was barely rising in the sky when Charles started awake, only Adam’s heavy arm resting across his chest keeping him from jolting right off the bed. His mind was flooded with the strongest image of Erik he’d had since the day he’d watched him walk away, so clear it felt like a snapshot. Charles was sure that this image was coming directly from Erik’s mind, visions of himself, of Adam and of the mansion, of that helmet in Erik’s worn hands. Just before his mind went blank again, a single word filled his head, ringing as loud as if it was shouted. Charles.
“Erik!” Charles did shout, his heart hammering in his chest and his fingers clenching hard into the bedspread as if he could grab onto the vision and pull it back.
“Charles, calm down, calm down.” One of Adam’s hand held firm onto his shoulder, and the other stroked soothingly over Charles’ bare chest, lingering over the spot where Charles’ heart beat. He kept up the gentle motion until Charles’ heartbeat slowed, looking down at him with the kind of worry that Charles’ hadn’t seen on his face since the moment the bullet slammed into Charles’ back.
Charles looked up at him, smiling weakly when he contrasted the worry on Adam’s face with the sleep-mussed tumble of hair on top of his head and pillow creases in his cheeks. “I’m alright, just caught off guard.”
“You’ve never had two visions this close together, have you?” Adam loosened his grip on Charles’ shoulder, but he kept smoothing his palm over Charles’ chest, fingers scratching through the sparse hair.
“I haven’t.” Charles was quiet for a moment, lifting a hand to tangle with Adam’s fingers as they swooped low on his belly. “This one was from Erik himself, Adam. I’m sure of it. I saw myself, and you and the mansion. He called to me. I think he’s coming.”
Adam’s hand tightened around Charles’, and his eyes hardened just long enough for Charles to see. “Coming. Why?”
Charles’ shook his head, a little sadly. “I have no idea. I wish I did.”
Their thoughts hung heavily in the air between them, and Charles felt Adam’s mind nudging at his own, felt thoughts pushing inside, things Adam wasn’t yet ready to verbalize. What did Erik hope to gain by coming back? Did he want to harm those that remained at the mansion, or recruit the new students to his cause as well? Or did he want forgiveness, to be welcomed back into the fold? Charles didn’t know what he was hoping for, and Adam’s thoughts were just as conflicted. There was more anger in Adam’s mind than in Charles’, but Charles had never tried to change the way Adam felt. It was Adam’s anger that helped him to think clearer, to look past his own biases, something he’d never needed more than in this moment.
“So, we need to be ready.” Adam shifted in the bed until he was sitting up, his shoulders square and strong. He kept Charles’ hand clutched tight in his own, his grip the only tell that there were nerves bubbling under the surface.
“Yes, we do. We need to be ready, for anything.” Charles looked up at Adam with a calm smile on his face, and tugged him down until their lips were pressed gently together. The tension that had formed in Adam’s muscles flowed out at the touch of Charles’ hands sliding up his back, and he sighed softly against Charles’ mouth.
They kissed for long, lazy minutes, the kind of kissing that doesn’t have to go anywhere to be perfect. Charles enjoyed the feeling of Adam’s broad back under his hands, and the feeling of Adam’s gentle fingers roaming over his chest and sliding higher to tangle in his hair. The sun rose higher as they kissed, bathing the room in bright, clean light. The silence of the night started to fade away, being replaced with the morning sounds that Charles had become so familiar with since opening the academy. The shuffle of feet above him as kids started hopping out of bed, the sound of showers starting and laughter ringing out.
Regretfully, he pulled away from Adam, after leaning back in for one more deep kiss. “I suppose we better get up and do our jobs.”
Adam grumbled a little, pressing his face into Charles’ neck before sitting up and swinging his legs out of the bed. Charles’ watched only a little greedily as Adam strode nude around to his side of the bed, wheeling Charles’ chair up to the edge. “Alright, Professor. I’ll go put on some tea, and you can get yourself presentable.”
Charles reached up to allow Adam to help him into the chair, something he could do on his own if he had to, but not so secretly enjoyed Adam’s help with, and found himself grinning. “Please do put pants on before you make the tea, remember these are children we are dealing with.”
Just then, a loud crash rang out from the direction of the kitchen, and Charles groaned. Adam was just pulling a pair of worn sweats over his hips, and he rolled his eyes, turning to Charles. “Go get ready, I’ll handle it. Probably just Alex and Sean again. See you later.” A quick kiss to Charles’ brow, and Adam was gone, leaving Charles to feel astonishingly grateful that he had another pair of eyes and hands to help around the academy. Adam had grown up fast and strong, and no matter why Erik was coming, Charles knew that they’d be able to handle it.
The day went by blissfully uneventfully, at least as uneventfully as any day in a house full of teenagers prone to blowing things up in ways they always claimed were accidental. Charles was glad he hadn’t been particularly attached to any of the family heirlooms in the mansion, because it seemed that every day there were fewer of them around and more broken pottery and glass for Charles to clean up. He wouldn’t change a thing about it however, even as the day wound down and music blared from the sitting room, not quite loud enough to cover the sound of shouting voices that Charles’ couldn’t identify. He could cast his mind out over the mansion and find out in a moment, but if he had learned anything in the last few months, it was to not involve himself in the affairs of teenagers if he could at all avoid it.
“Hank is going to meet us in your study, are you ready?” Adam appeared behind him suddenly, his hand warm and comfortable on Charles’ shoulder. Charles felt uneasy, like they were heading to a strategy meeting, like those they’d had before the battle with Shaw. He’d known from the moment he’d met Erik that their ideas and beliefs differed in a few essential ways, and while this now felt inevitable, it was an eventuality Charles had truly hoped he’d never have to prepare for.
“Yes, yes, let’s go.” He turned to smile up at Adam, bringing his hands into his lap to wring his fingers together as Adam wheeled him down the hall towards his study. He felt Adam’s mind nudging at his own, a gentle push that he left in, Adam’s words filling his head and pushing the worry to the side for the moment. We’re just making sure we’re ready for anything. We’ll probably never even need the things we’re preparing. Relax. He could sense the doubt in Adam’s words even as he thought them, but he appreciated the sentiment, and he sincerely hoped it was correct.
Hank was pacing the study when they got there, his sleeves rolled up over his forearms. Ever since his transformation, finding clothes that fit hadn’t been the easiest task, and even as he turned to them he fiddled with the buttons that would no longer close around his wrists.
“Charles, what is it? Adam said you needed to talk about a plan? What’s happening?” Hank had always been full of nervous energy, his fingers fiddling with his glasses, running aimlessly through his hair, and those gestures had only grown more exaggerated.
“Hank, please sit. We don’t yet know if this is anything to be truly scared of.” Charles pushed himself up to the large table near the window, and gestured for Adam and Hank to take the chairs situated around it. Adam took the chair directly next to Charles, one of his hands unerringly finding a place to rest on Charles’ forearm. Charles smiled gently at Adam, and took a deep breath. “Alright, there’s no point in dragging it out. I believe that Erik is coming, here.”
Hank’s eyes went wide, his mouth dropping open for a moment before he schooled his features. “Here? Why would he come here? And how do you know?”
“I cannot answer why he would be coming, which is why we’ve come to you. And I know, because I’ve seen him, here.” Charles’ fingertips brushed against his temple, and he cast out briefly for another glimpse of Erik and coming up empty. “Since he left, I’ve gotten occasional glimpses of him, possibly through the minds of his...companions. But recently, they’ve been stronger, and this morning, I saw Erik’s own mind, I am sure of it.”
Adam’s fingers tightened on Charles’ arm, but he remained quiet and let Hank ask his questions. “What makes you think he’s coming here? I guess it makes sense, if he wants to attack, maybe take the new students for himself...” Hank trailed off, his fingers twitching as if he was writing imaginary notes.
“I saw...images. Of the mansion. Of myself. Of Adam.” Charles looked to Adam quickly, sharing a tired smile. “I don’t know that he means to attack us, I saw no violence. But, we must be prepared for any eventuality.”
“Are we going to teach them to fight? Alex and Sean, they’ll be fine, we know that, but the others...” A worried look settled on Hank’s face, not looking quite right with the new arrangement of his features.
Charles sighed, bringing a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. “You know what I wanted to do with this academy, to create a safe space for young people to learn about their powers and how to master them. I never wanted to create an army.” The words that’s what Erik wanted hung unsaid in the air, but as thick and heavy as if Charles had shouted them. “We’ll teach them how to defend themselves, should it come to that. Nothing more.”
Hank nodded, scratching his fingernails over his forearm. “We’ll start tomorrow then. I’ll talk to Alex and Sean, we can work on a training regime for the rest of them. Adam, I’d like it if you helped as well, the kids really like you.” He smiled a little, the kind of grin that nearly got lost on his face if you weren’t looking for it.
“Of course I’ll help, Hank. You’re the smartest man we’ve got, but dealing with the kids isn’t exactly your strong suit.” Adam’s eyes twinkled a little, and Hank’s smile grew bigger and maybe a little rueful in return. It was true, Hank was the smartest person that Adam had ever come into contact with, but with that kind of intelligence came a certain lack of patience, and his transformation had only heightened it. He was working on it, and getting better everyday, but one of his classes still ended almost weekly with someone storming out and slamming doors behind them, usually running to Adam to vent their frustrations and leaving a somewhat stunned Hank in their wake.
Charles reached across the table to rest his hand on Hank’s arm, pressing harder when Hank tried to pull away, an new instinct he’d yet to curb. “Thank you. I only hope we are preparing for nothing.”
“Me too.” Hank was silent for a moment, but it was clear he wasn’t done. “It would be hard to fight him, wouldn’t it? Even after...” He shook his head, like he was clearing an unwanted image from his mind, then stood and straightened out his clothes. “I’ll see you in the morning then. Good night.”
Charles and Adam watched Hank walk from the room, and when they were alone, Adam leaned over, resting his head on Charles’ shoulder. It was quiet for several minutes, Adam’s fingers tracing circles over the thin skin at the inside of Charles’ wrist before he spoke. “It’s been a long day. Want to go to bed?”
Charles turned to look down at Adam, feeling a grin already starting to turn up his lips. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
“Depends on if you like what you think I’m suggesting.” Adam grinned back, his eyes sparkling in a way that only Charles got to see.
Rather than tell Adam, Charles reached to tip Adam’s head up and show him exactly what he thought about Adam’s idea, their tongues sliding together hot and deep until both of them were breathing heavy, cheeks flushed. They pulled away from each other long enough to head for the bedroom, and as they hurried down the hall, Charles thought, not for the first time, of the benefits of adding an adjoining door between the two rooms.
There was an air of urgency when they reached their bedroom, a kind of hurry that neither of them wanted to think too hard on. Adam pulled his own clothes off quickly, helping Charles into the bed before removing his clothes as well. He stretched out next to Charles, leaning up to catch his lips and pick the kiss up where they left off, letting it grow deep and wet and dirty. Charles always thought that Adam kissed like a man drowning, like his only hope for air was to pull it from Charles’ lungs, and Charles gave himself to it willingly. He dragged his hands over Adam’s broad back, scraping his fingernails down the pale flesh, and lightly trailing his fingertips back up over the bumps of Adam’s spine until he could play with the fine hairs at the nape of Adam’s neck.
Adam’s hands roamed eagerly over Charles’ chest, one sliding up until it was resting on Charles’ throat, just high enough to tip Charles’ head up further into the kiss, letting his tongue slide even deeper into Charles’ mouth. His other hands dropped lower to swirl his fingers around Charles’ nipples, first one and then the other, a light touch at first, then pinching hard enough to draw a sharp moan from Charles’ chest. His nipples had always been sensitive, but since the accident, it was like a dial had been turned up, his nerves on overdrive to the lightest tough from Adam’s fingers drove him insane. Adam moved away from Charles’ mouth to kiss a hot path down his throat, nipping lightly at the spot just under Charles’ chin that made him shudder.
Adam kissed across his collarbone but didn’t head down his chest, lips sliding over to Charles’ arm instead. They both knew that if Adam closed his mouth around Charles’ nipples now, it would be over far before either of them wanted it to be, but that didn’t stop Charles from groaning in frustration anyways. Adam’s tongue darted out to tease along the inside of Charles’ upper arm, making him shiver from the light touch. He sighed when Adam’s fingers laced with his, turning his arm up so the pale underside was exposed, his sigh deepening to a moan when Adam’s mouth reached his elbow, his tongue laving flat and warm over the soft bit where his arm bent. It was one of many places that have never had a sexual connotation before, but now, Adam’s tongue sliding over his skin felt filthy and intimate and perfect. Adam kept moving lower, scraping his teeth over the thin skin at the inside of Charles’ wrist, his tongue brushing over Charles’ palm and then taking his fingers into his mouth, one at a time.
For the first time since they’d come into the bedroom, Charles let his mind reach out for Adam’s, finding it open, like always. Adam never closed his mind to Charles in the bedroom, instead he let what he was thinking and feeling flow into Charles’ head like a river over a waterfall. He heard Adam moan as he closed his lips around Charles’ fingers, and in his head he could almost taste the saltiness of his own skin, the taste Adam was chasing with his tongue. Adam’s tongue swirled around each of his fingers, sucking slow and dirty until Charles was panting, his free hand fisting in Adam’s hair and dragging him off of his fingers with a wet pop. Adam’s mouth was red and wet, his lips swollen and his cheeks flushed as Charles pulled him down for another kiss, this time one that was hard and fast, teeth and lips clashing over sharp moans and gasps.
“Adam, Adam.” Charles voice sounded rough and wrecked when he pulled away, his words punctuated with more kisses. “Come up here, I want to suck you.”
A shaky moan fell from Adam’s lips, his breath hot and damp against Charles’ cheek before he pulled himself away. Charles tugged himself up the bed, settling back into the pillows and beckoning Adam forward with a hungry look in his eyes. Adam’s fingers wrapped around the bars of Charles’ headboard as he flung one of his legs over Charles’ chest, shuffling forward on his knees until Charles’ hand could grab his hips and pull him in the rest of the way. Charles licked his lips eagerly, digging the fingers of one hand hard into the soft flesh of Adam’s ass, wrapping the other around Adam’s hard cock. Above him, Adam groaned, his eyes falling shut as Charles’ tongue darted out to swirl around the head, the bitter-salt taste of pre-come already starting to gather there.
Charles reached out with his mind again, moaning around Adam’s cock when he felt the phantom sensation of warm wetness around his own cock, mirroring what Adam was feeling. He flicked his tongue just under the head of Adam’s cock, at the spot he knew made Adam’s knees go weak and was rewarded with a high moan that flashed purple over their heads. Adam’s powers didn’t manifest during sex as much as they used to as Adam gained control over them, and Charles considered every burst of colour a little victory. He tongued that spot until Adam was panting, his hips thrusting in sharp little bursts, his breath coming in gorgeous little pants. Charles took a deep breath and dug his fingers harder into Adam’s ass, using both hands to bring him forward, his mouth sinking hotly over Adam’s cock, taking it all the way into his mouth.
The noise that fell from Adam’s lips was beyond dazzling, and Charles forced his eyes open to look up and see the bursts of gold and purple flashing behind Adam’s head, his eyes fluttering shut, his mouth hanging open. Charles swallowed around Adam’s cock and started to move, sliding his mouth up and down, flicking his tongue over the head on every pass. Adam was still hanging on white-knuckled to the headboard, his hips nearly shaking with the effort of keeping still and not pounding deep into Charles’ throat.
Adam, go ahead. Let go, I can take it. Charles groaned as Adam did, Adam’s voice sounding broken as his hips stuttered before finally letting go. His hips moved slow at first, sliding deep into Charles’ mouth and pulling back till only the head was left inside, but he quickly sped up, thrusting fast and shallow. Charles moaned around Adam’s cock, his lips wet and nearly dripping as Adam moved, his rhythm starting to falter when Charles let his teeth catch on the rim of his cock, his tongue flicking over the slit. When Charles felt Adam start to come, he gripped hard into the flesh of Adam’s ass, the sharp sensation of pain filtering from Adam’s mind into his own and making Adam’s thighs shake. Adam’s cock twitched in Charles’ mouth, the hot, musky taste of come flooding over Charles’ tongue and down his throat. Above him, Adam’s moans crested higher until he was silent, his mouth just hanging open as he panted, his hands dropping from the headboard to tangle in Charles’ hair, tugging just hard enough. Charles swallowed what he could, lapping gently over the sensitive head of Adam’s cock until the aftershocks faded and Adam slumped down, sliding until he was draped half over Charles and half on the bed.
“God, you are so good at that.” Adam’s voice was hoarse, like he was the one who’d just had a cock in his throat, but Charles didn’t get a chance to answer before Adam was kissing him, licking every trace of his own taste out of Charles’ mouth. As they kissed, Adam’s hand moved over Charles’ body, sliding unerringly over his chest, fingers teasing his nipples into hard peaks. When all he could taste was Charles, Adam pulled his mouth away, kissing down Charles’ neck, and heading right for where his fingers were working. This time he didn’t tease or move past where Charles wanted him to go, he pressed the flat of his tongue right over Charles’ nipple, grinning against his skin when Charles groaned, arching his chest up into Adam’s mouth.
Adam ran his tongue in light circles around Charles’ nipple, using his fingers to pinch and roll the other, a flush spreading down over Charles’ chest. His slid his other hand down Charles’ abdomen to cup his cock, which was resting hard on his belly. This was another thing that hadn’t been the same since the accident, but just because Charles couldn’t exactly feel it, didn’t mean he couldn’t feel it. Charles had learned that the brain played a far larger role in sex than even he had ever assumed, and as Adam’s hand moved over his cock and his mouth moved over Charles’ chest, a warm feeling began to spread low in Charles’ belly. He tilted his head so he could watch around where Adam’s head bent over his chest, watching as Adam’s thumb swirled over the head of his cock, starting to glisten.
He opened his mind again, feeling the slickness under Adam’s thumb, the silky-hardness of his cock and tasting the saltiness of his own skin as Adam licked a path between his nipples, taking the other one into his mouth. Charles gasped when Adam’s teeth closed gently over the sensitive flesh, rolling it until Charles felt like his whole chest was throbbing, his world narrowing to just the feeling of Adam’s hot mouth on his skin and the soft-focus feeling of his cock in Adam’s hand. Adam moved his mouth just to the side of Charles’ nipple, biting down into the softness hard enough that Charles knew he was going to bruise. He arched against Adam’s mouth, nearly shouting as he tangled his hand in Adam’s hair to hold him there as he started to come, the warm feeling in his belly spreading out like a puddle of molasses.
Through Adam’s mind he could feel his cock twitch, could feel the hot, wet slide of his come over Adam’s fingers, dripping to pool cool and slick on his belly as Adam pressed soft kisses over Charles’ chest, tracking back up to Charles’ mouth to kiss him through the end of his orgasm, soft little moans spilling from Charles’ mouth into Adam’s. The kiss was slow and lazy, both of them going boneless and fuzzy with the scent of sex hanging heavy in the air over them. They laid there like that for a long time, until their skin cooled and the stickiness started to get uncomfortable.
Adam leaned in, brushing his lips over Charles’ ear, pushing is nose into his damp curls. “How about I go run us a bath and we get cleaned up before bed?”
Charles sighed, already thinking about leaning back against Adam’s chest in warm, sudsy water, and it was enough to not make him miss the days when getting ready for bed took five minutes instead of nearly an hour. “That sounds lovely, I can’t wait.” Adam kissed Charles’ temple before bounding off the bed, the sound of running water and the sweet, bright smell of bubble bath soon filling the air. As he waited, Charles’ mind felt clearer than it had in weeks, and when Adam came back out of the bathroom, a wide easy smile on his face, Charles felt ready to handle anything.
It was strange to have the mansion back in the swing of a training regime, and even though Charles wished it wasn’t necessary, he found that he still felt excitement watching the children master their powers and use them to their best ability. Alex and Sean had long since learned how to best use their powers, but Charles could see the way their eyes lit up when they got to show off, Sean soaring high over the grounds and swooping low enough to brush the grass to whoops and hollers. Alex strapped on the new vest Hank had built for him and took aim at a few trees that lined the back of the property that Charles had been meaning to have removed to clear the land anyway, a wide, bright smile filling Alex’s face as the trees crashed to the ground. Even Adam showed off a little, and Charles could tell the kids were surprised to see what he could do, their eyes widening as Adam’s voice soared and blasts shot forward out of his hands, knocking Hank and Alex backwards into the grass. Both of them laughed as they skidded to a stop, Adam’s face colouring a little when they told the kids that when Adam really got going, it was really something to see.
Even if they were confused and a little hurt that they were training to possibly defend themselves against someone who used to be their partner, Charles had known that Alex and Sean would take to the training like ducks to water. It was the new kids, the ones who’d come here because they were confused, they wanted to understand what they were, and sometimes because they simply had nowhere else to go that Charles worried about. Hank had been working tirelessly on building a new Cerebro at the mansion, but it was taking a lot longer than anticipated, a much bigger job than it had been at a facility with government security and access. Charles one day wanted the mansion to be full of children, dozens maybe, but until he had a better way of seeking out the people who needed the academy, only four students had managed to find their way to his door. Charles may not have been sure how all of them found him, but he was glad they did.
Gav was one of those with nowhere else to go, having arrived on the doorstep of the mansion six months ago with nothing but a duffel bag on his back and a smile on his face. Charles knew nothing about him, about his life before the mansion, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He’d asked and asked, but Gav never told him anything, and in a weak moment when curiosity overtook him, Charles dipped into his mind, expecting to find everything he was looking for. Instead, he found nothing about a family or friends, simple snapshots of training and learning, and more fighting than should ever be in the head of such a young man. For all that Charles thought Gav should be damaged and troubled, he wasn’t, and Charles truly enjoyed having him around the mansion.
His powers were truly outstanding, something Charles had known, but really seeing them in action now was something else. It was like everything about Gav was turned up as high as it could go, and then a little higher. He was superhumanly strong and fast, and he could swing and flip with such agility that it rivaled even Hank, and he could dodge any energy blast sent his way by Alex with ease. One of the very few things Gav had brought with him were a set of blades that strapped onto his arm, and Charles spared a thought for how such a young man could be such a skilled swordsman, but then he remembered what he’d seen in Gav’s mind, the training, the fighting, and he was simply glad Gav was on their side. Charles watched in almost giddy amusement as Gav lifted Hank over his head and spun him like he weighed no more than a beach ball, Gav breaking out into a high, easy laugh when he put Hank down to stumble until he reached a wall he could collapse against.
Wherever Gav was, Rictor could almost always be found. Rictor was quiet, and somewhat dark, and had told Charles enough about his troubled childhood that Charles didn’t desire to learn more. He’d left Mexico on a bus after his powers manifested in his home, nearly bringing all the walls down around him. He didn’t say what happened to his family or how he’d found out about the academy, and Charles didn’t ask. He was simply glad to see the boy coming out of his shell and smiling more, especially whenever Gav was around. Charles suspected there was something going on between the boys, the way their knees knocked together when they sat on the sofa, the way Rictor reached out to grasp Gav’s arm when they laughed over something only teenage boys found funny, and it simply made Charles smile.
Rictor’s power was the cause of many of the broken heirlooms in the mansion. Charles wasn’t sure how it worked, but Rictor seemed to be able to create and release energy, everything around him vibrating like an earthquake when he did it. Rictor’s power began as hard to control as Alex’s, things crashing down around him or shattering when he released the energy, but it didn’t take him long to get the hang of it. Soon, Rictor was able to almost aim the energy, shattering only the one vase he was aiming for, or releasing the energy into the ground, making it shake under the feet of anyone standing on it. Since Rictor had become more comfortable with his powers, Charles had witnessed more than one fight on the basketball court when Rictor pressed his fingers to the ground, sending Hank and Alex tumbling head over feet while Gav leapt over the shaking earth to sink an easy basket. After the third time Rictor uprooted the net, however, Charles had needed to put a ‘no powers on the court’ rule into place, but it still made his heart swell to see them growing into themselves.
As well as the boys had gotten along from the moment they arrived, the girls had been at each others throats. Charles wished deeply he had Moira or even Raven around to help him in these moments, because teenage girls were completely beyond him, even when he could read their thoughts. Monet had been dropped off at the mansion in a large, fancy car, a well-dressed man sliding out long enough to help her get her bags from the trunk before driving off, leaving a very sullen and angry young girl in Charles’ drive. Charles had been intrigued by Monet from the moment he met her, when he felt her mind reaching out for his. He’d reached back, and felt a flash of emotion run through her, and she’d looked up with the barest hint of a smile on her face. That didn’t mean that Monet had been easy to have around, not for a moment. She was strong-willed and emotional, and her telepathy was only the beginnings of her powers.
Monet was resistant to the training program, just as she’d been resistant to nearly everything Charles had put forward for her since she’d arrived. She knew she was strong and fast and nearly invulnerable, but she was the kind of stubborn Charles had rarely come across. On the days that Charles managed to get her out to the field with the others, she most often refused to participate in the drills, relying simply on her brute strength and speed to destroy whatever obstacles Hank, Alex and Sean had set up for them. She was skilled, there was no way around that, but Charles felt out of his depth trying to get her to learn discipline. Still, gradually Charles could see her drawing closer to the others, coming to training a little less reluctantly, and storming through the mansion slamming doors less often. One day, Charles thought he might even get her to smile again.
One thing that never got any easier was the relationship between Monet and Ororo. Ororo was one of the mutants that Charles had found when using Cerebro at the facility, but they hadn’t gone to find her, thinking she was too young. When he was ready to open the academy, he reached out to her, finding her in an orphanage in New York City. They had only been too happy to see her go, obviously harried by attempting to deal with what they didn’t understand was her gift. She was the youngest that Charles had brought to the mansion, barely twelve years old, and she had been terrified and skittish for weeks before Adam finally broke through with her after overhearing her singing softly to herself in a language none of them recognized. Since then, she’d hung close to his side wherever he went, especially when Monet was on the warpath. Charles suspected that Monet had younger siblings at home, though she’d never said, because she treated Ororo like an unwanted younger sister, ordering her around and screaming at her when she did something that Monet didn’t like.
Ororo never fought back, but when she was upset, it was hard for her to control her powers. On bad days, a dark cloud would hang over the entire mansion, raining down until it seemed like the yard would flood, Ororo locked in her room where Monet couldn’t get her. Only Adam could get her to come out on days like that, patiently curling up on the floor in front of her door and talking softly to her until the clouds parted and the sun started to shine again. The nature of her power made her training unpredictable, but for all her quietness, Ororo was strong and determined, and soon she was whipping up winds strong enough to lift her high over the mansion as lightning shot down around her. Charles saw in her a kind of quiet strength, the kind of strength that made great leaders, and he could hardly wait to see her reach her full potential.
As the weeks went by, Charles had the pleasure of watching all of them come together as a team. He watched as Ororo lifted her hands, sending enough fog out over the grounds to allow Hank and Gav to slink through unseen, popping up just in time to fell their opponents, Alex and Adam. Sean soared through the sky, his wail dropping Hank to his knees before he was knocked off course by a blast of yellow light, courtesy of Adam. Monet learned how to project images into the minds of others, making Rictor think his legs were on fire just as he touched his hand to the ground to make it shake, stopping him before he had the chance to do more than a minor rumble.
They fought hand-to-hand and power-to-power until they were worn out and sweaty, at the end of the day walking through the mansion, laughing and clapping each other on the back, even Ororo and Monet bumping shoulders as they bonded over taking down the boys together. Charles followed behind them, Adam hanging back to walk with him, watching as the group of kids with nothing in common but a quirk of genetics became an actual team. Charles still didn’t think that Erik was right about needing an army, but he was beginning to see the benefits of a team, a group of mutants who could fight not just for other mutants, but humans as well. He smiled as the kids crowded into the living room, Hank passing out colas, Sean and Rictor arguing over what to put on the radio as Monet sidled up to Gav, batting her eyelashes and trying to win him over. They may have been just kids, but Charles knew without a doubt, that they were ready for whatever Erik had to bring.
Part Two
Part Three
Pairing: Charles Xavier/Adam Lambert/Erik Lehnsherr, background Rictor/Gav (Shatterstar)
Rating: NC-17
Word count: ~21000
Summary: Sequel to The more things change. It had been more than year since Erik had been gone. Gone from Charles’ mind, from his home and from his bed, but never from his thoughts.
A year after the beach, Charles has the school up and running, welcoming new students with Adam at his side. Erik has never been far from his mind, but lately he's been closer than ever, clear images of Erik coming to the mansion flashing in Charles' mind. What does Erik want, after all this time? Charles' doesn't know, but together with Adam, Hank and the new students, he has to be ready for anything, as much as it might hurt.
Notes: Written for the xmenbigbang. Title taken from Adam Lambert's Can't let you go. This is mainly in the XMFC verse, however there are a few added characters from the comics verse. Ororo (Storm), Rictor, and Monet St Croix are fairly clear, and I've also introduced Shatterstar, who I've called Gav, taking his name from one of his aliases, Gavandra Seven. Rictor and Shatterstar have a great relationship in the comics, and I couldn't resist bringing it over! If you're not a comic fan, don't worry! I don't think there's anything in here that would be confusing, and I've certainly taken creative liberties with the characters' histories. The same can be said for those of you who may not be Adam Lambert fans. You don't need to know anything about him other than what I've included, and I think he could be read as an OMC without much trouble.
As always, I need to thank my beta janesgravity, but I need to thank her even more than usual! I needed to be dug out from more than one pile of my own melodrama during the writing of this, and if it wasn't for her, I'd still be buried! Thanks also goes to Acey who provided a much needed third set of eyes! <3
And finally, thanks to vertrauen for providing me with a lovely fan mix to go with this story!
Charles
It had been more than year since Erik had been gone. Gone from Charles’ mind, from his home and from his bed, but never from his thoughts. Not a day has gone by that Charles hasn’t thought of him; he missed Erik, the pain of missing him almost more than the impossible pain that shot through his legs, or settled deep in his ruined back. Worse than missing him were the rare glimpses of Erik that flashed through Charles’ mind. He wasn’t sure if they were weak moments when Erik removed that damned helmet or if they were coming to him through the minds of Erik’s companions, but when they came, he clamped his mind down, trying in vain to hang on to the images, somehow turn them into more before they were gone as quickly as they’d come. He was always left short of breath, his fingers clenching hard into the arms of his chair until his knuckles went white. His mind raced, chasing after the image like he could grab onto it, his heart pounding until he felt a pair of hands press into his shoulders, grounding him and forcing his mind to slow.
“Charles. Charles.” Adam’s voice reached his ears a little slower than usual, but as always, it pulled Charles up and out, his eyes blinking until he could focus on Adam’s face in front of him, a concerned smile on his lips. “You back with me?”
Charles sighed, feeling Adam's power brush over his skin like a soft blanket, sparing a thought to marvel at the control Adam had gained in the last few months, the things he'd learned he could do. He reached one hand up to twine his fingers with Adam's, pressing Adam's cool palm to his own cheek, the after-burn of the image finally fading from his mind. "Yes, yes I'm alright. Thank you." He turned, pressing an easy kiss to Adam's wrist, breathing in his familiar scent.
"Erik again?" Adam carded his fingers through Charles' curls, pulling a nearby chair closer and settling into it, one leg tossed carelessly over the side of Charles' chair to snug between Charles' legs. The position probably looked awkward, and maybe it had been months ago, but today it felt as natural as folding two bodies into one armchair had before.
"Always. I don't know if I dread these visions or await them." Charles dragged in a ragged breath, leaning into Adam's persistent fingers scraping over his scalp. "Would not knowing anything at all be better than this?"
He watched as Adam thought carefully, his brow burrowing and his teeth digging into his lip. Charles didn't have to dip into Adam's mind to know some of the thoughts floating through it. In the aftermath of that day at the beach, Adam had held far more anger towards Erik than Charles had; even when it became clear that the bullet Erik's hand had guided had taken away Charles' legs forever, it was Adam who stormed through the mansion, Adam who had needed Charles' calming hand against his cheek. Erik had meant as much to Adam as he'd meant to Charles, if not more, and Adam still hurt every day over his betrayal.
"No, not knowing would be worse." Adam's voice was soft, and his fingers slowed their ministrations in Charles' hair. The pain in his voice was clear when he continued, and for Charles, that sound was the worst of all. "I still miss him. I hate him for what he did, but I miss him every day."
"Me too, Adam, every day." They sat in silence for a long time, Charles letting his head droop against Adam's hand, his own hand falling to Adam's thigh, tracing light circles there. It was rare that the mansion was quiet for so long, and on another day Charles might have wondered what the students were getting up, but today he relished the silence until the light in the room shifted, shadows telling him it was getting late.
He shifted, turning to press a kiss to Adam's forehead where it had come to rest on Charles' shoulder. "Bed?"
Adam smiled up at him, tired but always bright. "Always." He stood, shaking the kinks from his muscles and bending to tip Charles' chin up and kiss him brief and sweet, Charles' hand sneaking up to fist in Adam's hair , deepening the kiss before Adam pulled back with a grin. "Come on, before we get interrupted. Again."
Charles felt a flush creep up his chest at the memory of the study door swinging open, Adam straddling his chair, both of them wearing far less than any of the students should have ever had to see. Adam's laugh floated gold and bright past his eyes and ears, knowing what Charles was remembering without having to see it, and any lingering haze from the evening's vision lifted away, leaving Charles feeling light, a smirk quirking his lips. “We’d better get a move on then, because I won’t be able to help myself soon.”
Adam let Charles’ hand slid up his thigh and tease under the hem of his shirt before slipping behind Charles’ chair and grasping the handles. He started to push, bending down to press his lips against Charles’ ear and speaking in a voice that filled Charles’ vision with deep purple swirls and his gut with spreading heat. “Good, because I don’t want you to help yourself.”
Charles felt a little sigh slip from his lips against his will, and he cursed the hallway in front of them for being so long. In these moments, when he was truly wrapped up in everything that Adam was, were the moments where Erik managed to be furthest from his mind while somehow remaining a heavy weight there, something at once forgotten and deeply missed. Later, when he and Adam moved together, their thoughts moving as easily as their bodies, Charles would see that Erik was on Adam’s mind in these moments too, a presence that bonded them together even, and perhaps especially, in his absence.
The sun was barely rising in the sky when Charles started awake, only Adam’s heavy arm resting across his chest keeping him from jolting right off the bed. His mind was flooded with the strongest image of Erik he’d had since the day he’d watched him walk away, so clear it felt like a snapshot. Charles was sure that this image was coming directly from Erik’s mind, visions of himself, of Adam and of the mansion, of that helmet in Erik’s worn hands. Just before his mind went blank again, a single word filled his head, ringing as loud as if it was shouted. Charles.
“Erik!” Charles did shout, his heart hammering in his chest and his fingers clenching hard into the bedspread as if he could grab onto the vision and pull it back.
“Charles, calm down, calm down.” One of Adam’s hand held firm onto his shoulder, and the other stroked soothingly over Charles’ bare chest, lingering over the spot where Charles’ heart beat. He kept up the gentle motion until Charles’ heartbeat slowed, looking down at him with the kind of worry that Charles’ hadn’t seen on his face since the moment the bullet slammed into Charles’ back.
Charles looked up at him, smiling weakly when he contrasted the worry on Adam’s face with the sleep-mussed tumble of hair on top of his head and pillow creases in his cheeks. “I’m alright, just caught off guard.”
“You’ve never had two visions this close together, have you?” Adam loosened his grip on Charles’ shoulder, but he kept smoothing his palm over Charles’ chest, fingers scratching through the sparse hair.
“I haven’t.” Charles was quiet for a moment, lifting a hand to tangle with Adam’s fingers as they swooped low on his belly. “This one was from Erik himself, Adam. I’m sure of it. I saw myself, and you and the mansion. He called to me. I think he’s coming.”
Adam’s hand tightened around Charles’, and his eyes hardened just long enough for Charles to see. “Coming. Why?”
Charles’ shook his head, a little sadly. “I have no idea. I wish I did.”
Their thoughts hung heavily in the air between them, and Charles felt Adam’s mind nudging at his own, felt thoughts pushing inside, things Adam wasn’t yet ready to verbalize. What did Erik hope to gain by coming back? Did he want to harm those that remained at the mansion, or recruit the new students to his cause as well? Or did he want forgiveness, to be welcomed back into the fold? Charles didn’t know what he was hoping for, and Adam’s thoughts were just as conflicted. There was more anger in Adam’s mind than in Charles’, but Charles had never tried to change the way Adam felt. It was Adam’s anger that helped him to think clearer, to look past his own biases, something he’d never needed more than in this moment.
“So, we need to be ready.” Adam shifted in the bed until he was sitting up, his shoulders square and strong. He kept Charles’ hand clutched tight in his own, his grip the only tell that there were nerves bubbling under the surface.
“Yes, we do. We need to be ready, for anything.” Charles looked up at Adam with a calm smile on his face, and tugged him down until their lips were pressed gently together. The tension that had formed in Adam’s muscles flowed out at the touch of Charles’ hands sliding up his back, and he sighed softly against Charles’ mouth.
They kissed for long, lazy minutes, the kind of kissing that doesn’t have to go anywhere to be perfect. Charles enjoyed the feeling of Adam’s broad back under his hands, and the feeling of Adam’s gentle fingers roaming over his chest and sliding higher to tangle in his hair. The sun rose higher as they kissed, bathing the room in bright, clean light. The silence of the night started to fade away, being replaced with the morning sounds that Charles had become so familiar with since opening the academy. The shuffle of feet above him as kids started hopping out of bed, the sound of showers starting and laughter ringing out.
Regretfully, he pulled away from Adam, after leaning back in for one more deep kiss. “I suppose we better get up and do our jobs.”
Adam grumbled a little, pressing his face into Charles’ neck before sitting up and swinging his legs out of the bed. Charles’ watched only a little greedily as Adam strode nude around to his side of the bed, wheeling Charles’ chair up to the edge. “Alright, Professor. I’ll go put on some tea, and you can get yourself presentable.”
Charles reached up to allow Adam to help him into the chair, something he could do on his own if he had to, but not so secretly enjoyed Adam’s help with, and found himself grinning. “Please do put pants on before you make the tea, remember these are children we are dealing with.”
Just then, a loud crash rang out from the direction of the kitchen, and Charles groaned. Adam was just pulling a pair of worn sweats over his hips, and he rolled his eyes, turning to Charles. “Go get ready, I’ll handle it. Probably just Alex and Sean again. See you later.” A quick kiss to Charles’ brow, and Adam was gone, leaving Charles to feel astonishingly grateful that he had another pair of eyes and hands to help around the academy. Adam had grown up fast and strong, and no matter why Erik was coming, Charles knew that they’d be able to handle it.
The day went by blissfully uneventfully, at least as uneventfully as any day in a house full of teenagers prone to blowing things up in ways they always claimed were accidental. Charles was glad he hadn’t been particularly attached to any of the family heirlooms in the mansion, because it seemed that every day there were fewer of them around and more broken pottery and glass for Charles to clean up. He wouldn’t change a thing about it however, even as the day wound down and music blared from the sitting room, not quite loud enough to cover the sound of shouting voices that Charles’ couldn’t identify. He could cast his mind out over the mansion and find out in a moment, but if he had learned anything in the last few months, it was to not involve himself in the affairs of teenagers if he could at all avoid it.
“Hank is going to meet us in your study, are you ready?” Adam appeared behind him suddenly, his hand warm and comfortable on Charles’ shoulder. Charles felt uneasy, like they were heading to a strategy meeting, like those they’d had before the battle with Shaw. He’d known from the moment he’d met Erik that their ideas and beliefs differed in a few essential ways, and while this now felt inevitable, it was an eventuality Charles had truly hoped he’d never have to prepare for.
“Yes, yes, let’s go.” He turned to smile up at Adam, bringing his hands into his lap to wring his fingers together as Adam wheeled him down the hall towards his study. He felt Adam’s mind nudging at his own, a gentle push that he left in, Adam’s words filling his head and pushing the worry to the side for the moment. We’re just making sure we’re ready for anything. We’ll probably never even need the things we’re preparing. Relax. He could sense the doubt in Adam’s words even as he thought them, but he appreciated the sentiment, and he sincerely hoped it was correct.
Hank was pacing the study when they got there, his sleeves rolled up over his forearms. Ever since his transformation, finding clothes that fit hadn’t been the easiest task, and even as he turned to them he fiddled with the buttons that would no longer close around his wrists.
“Charles, what is it? Adam said you needed to talk about a plan? What’s happening?” Hank had always been full of nervous energy, his fingers fiddling with his glasses, running aimlessly through his hair, and those gestures had only grown more exaggerated.
“Hank, please sit. We don’t yet know if this is anything to be truly scared of.” Charles pushed himself up to the large table near the window, and gestured for Adam and Hank to take the chairs situated around it. Adam took the chair directly next to Charles, one of his hands unerringly finding a place to rest on Charles’ forearm. Charles smiled gently at Adam, and took a deep breath. “Alright, there’s no point in dragging it out. I believe that Erik is coming, here.”
Hank’s eyes went wide, his mouth dropping open for a moment before he schooled his features. “Here? Why would he come here? And how do you know?”
“I cannot answer why he would be coming, which is why we’ve come to you. And I know, because I’ve seen him, here.” Charles’ fingertips brushed against his temple, and he cast out briefly for another glimpse of Erik and coming up empty. “Since he left, I’ve gotten occasional glimpses of him, possibly through the minds of his...companions. But recently, they’ve been stronger, and this morning, I saw Erik’s own mind, I am sure of it.”
Adam’s fingers tightened on Charles’ arm, but he remained quiet and let Hank ask his questions. “What makes you think he’s coming here? I guess it makes sense, if he wants to attack, maybe take the new students for himself...” Hank trailed off, his fingers twitching as if he was writing imaginary notes.
“I saw...images. Of the mansion. Of myself. Of Adam.” Charles looked to Adam quickly, sharing a tired smile. “I don’t know that he means to attack us, I saw no violence. But, we must be prepared for any eventuality.”
“Are we going to teach them to fight? Alex and Sean, they’ll be fine, we know that, but the others...” A worried look settled on Hank’s face, not looking quite right with the new arrangement of his features.
Charles sighed, bringing a hand to pinch at the bridge of his nose. “You know what I wanted to do with this academy, to create a safe space for young people to learn about their powers and how to master them. I never wanted to create an army.” The words that’s what Erik wanted hung unsaid in the air, but as thick and heavy as if Charles had shouted them. “We’ll teach them how to defend themselves, should it come to that. Nothing more.”
Hank nodded, scratching his fingernails over his forearm. “We’ll start tomorrow then. I’ll talk to Alex and Sean, we can work on a training regime for the rest of them. Adam, I’d like it if you helped as well, the kids really like you.” He smiled a little, the kind of grin that nearly got lost on his face if you weren’t looking for it.
“Of course I’ll help, Hank. You’re the smartest man we’ve got, but dealing with the kids isn’t exactly your strong suit.” Adam’s eyes twinkled a little, and Hank’s smile grew bigger and maybe a little rueful in return. It was true, Hank was the smartest person that Adam had ever come into contact with, but with that kind of intelligence came a certain lack of patience, and his transformation had only heightened it. He was working on it, and getting better everyday, but one of his classes still ended almost weekly with someone storming out and slamming doors behind them, usually running to Adam to vent their frustrations and leaving a somewhat stunned Hank in their wake.
Charles reached across the table to rest his hand on Hank’s arm, pressing harder when Hank tried to pull away, an new instinct he’d yet to curb. “Thank you. I only hope we are preparing for nothing.”
“Me too.” Hank was silent for a moment, but it was clear he wasn’t done. “It would be hard to fight him, wouldn’t it? Even after...” He shook his head, like he was clearing an unwanted image from his mind, then stood and straightened out his clothes. “I’ll see you in the morning then. Good night.”
Charles and Adam watched Hank walk from the room, and when they were alone, Adam leaned over, resting his head on Charles’ shoulder. It was quiet for several minutes, Adam’s fingers tracing circles over the thin skin at the inside of Charles’ wrist before he spoke. “It’s been a long day. Want to go to bed?”
Charles turned to look down at Adam, feeling a grin already starting to turn up his lips. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”
“Depends on if you like what you think I’m suggesting.” Adam grinned back, his eyes sparkling in a way that only Charles got to see.
Rather than tell Adam, Charles reached to tip Adam’s head up and show him exactly what he thought about Adam’s idea, their tongues sliding together hot and deep until both of them were breathing heavy, cheeks flushed. They pulled away from each other long enough to head for the bedroom, and as they hurried down the hall, Charles thought, not for the first time, of the benefits of adding an adjoining door between the two rooms.
There was an air of urgency when they reached their bedroom, a kind of hurry that neither of them wanted to think too hard on. Adam pulled his own clothes off quickly, helping Charles into the bed before removing his clothes as well. He stretched out next to Charles, leaning up to catch his lips and pick the kiss up where they left off, letting it grow deep and wet and dirty. Charles always thought that Adam kissed like a man drowning, like his only hope for air was to pull it from Charles’ lungs, and Charles gave himself to it willingly. He dragged his hands over Adam’s broad back, scraping his fingernails down the pale flesh, and lightly trailing his fingertips back up over the bumps of Adam’s spine until he could play with the fine hairs at the nape of Adam’s neck.
Adam’s hands roamed eagerly over Charles’ chest, one sliding up until it was resting on Charles’ throat, just high enough to tip Charles’ head up further into the kiss, letting his tongue slide even deeper into Charles’ mouth. His other hands dropped lower to swirl his fingers around Charles’ nipples, first one and then the other, a light touch at first, then pinching hard enough to draw a sharp moan from Charles’ chest. His nipples had always been sensitive, but since the accident, it was like a dial had been turned up, his nerves on overdrive to the lightest tough from Adam’s fingers drove him insane. Adam moved away from Charles’ mouth to kiss a hot path down his throat, nipping lightly at the spot just under Charles’ chin that made him shudder.
Adam kissed across his collarbone but didn’t head down his chest, lips sliding over to Charles’ arm instead. They both knew that if Adam closed his mouth around Charles’ nipples now, it would be over far before either of them wanted it to be, but that didn’t stop Charles from groaning in frustration anyways. Adam’s tongue darted out to tease along the inside of Charles’ upper arm, making him shiver from the light touch. He sighed when Adam’s fingers laced with his, turning his arm up so the pale underside was exposed, his sigh deepening to a moan when Adam’s mouth reached his elbow, his tongue laving flat and warm over the soft bit where his arm bent. It was one of many places that have never had a sexual connotation before, but now, Adam’s tongue sliding over his skin felt filthy and intimate and perfect. Adam kept moving lower, scraping his teeth over the thin skin at the inside of Charles’ wrist, his tongue brushing over Charles’ palm and then taking his fingers into his mouth, one at a time.
For the first time since they’d come into the bedroom, Charles let his mind reach out for Adam’s, finding it open, like always. Adam never closed his mind to Charles in the bedroom, instead he let what he was thinking and feeling flow into Charles’ head like a river over a waterfall. He heard Adam moan as he closed his lips around Charles’ fingers, and in his head he could almost taste the saltiness of his own skin, the taste Adam was chasing with his tongue. Adam’s tongue swirled around each of his fingers, sucking slow and dirty until Charles was panting, his free hand fisting in Adam’s hair and dragging him off of his fingers with a wet pop. Adam’s mouth was red and wet, his lips swollen and his cheeks flushed as Charles pulled him down for another kiss, this time one that was hard and fast, teeth and lips clashing over sharp moans and gasps.
“Adam, Adam.” Charles voice sounded rough and wrecked when he pulled away, his words punctuated with more kisses. “Come up here, I want to suck you.”
A shaky moan fell from Adam’s lips, his breath hot and damp against Charles’ cheek before he pulled himself away. Charles tugged himself up the bed, settling back into the pillows and beckoning Adam forward with a hungry look in his eyes. Adam’s fingers wrapped around the bars of Charles’ headboard as he flung one of his legs over Charles’ chest, shuffling forward on his knees until Charles’ hand could grab his hips and pull him in the rest of the way. Charles licked his lips eagerly, digging the fingers of one hand hard into the soft flesh of Adam’s ass, wrapping the other around Adam’s hard cock. Above him, Adam groaned, his eyes falling shut as Charles’ tongue darted out to swirl around the head, the bitter-salt taste of pre-come already starting to gather there.
Charles reached out with his mind again, moaning around Adam’s cock when he felt the phantom sensation of warm wetness around his own cock, mirroring what Adam was feeling. He flicked his tongue just under the head of Adam’s cock, at the spot he knew made Adam’s knees go weak and was rewarded with a high moan that flashed purple over their heads. Adam’s powers didn’t manifest during sex as much as they used to as Adam gained control over them, and Charles considered every burst of colour a little victory. He tongued that spot until Adam was panting, his hips thrusting in sharp little bursts, his breath coming in gorgeous little pants. Charles took a deep breath and dug his fingers harder into Adam’s ass, using both hands to bring him forward, his mouth sinking hotly over Adam’s cock, taking it all the way into his mouth.
The noise that fell from Adam’s lips was beyond dazzling, and Charles forced his eyes open to look up and see the bursts of gold and purple flashing behind Adam’s head, his eyes fluttering shut, his mouth hanging open. Charles swallowed around Adam’s cock and started to move, sliding his mouth up and down, flicking his tongue over the head on every pass. Adam was still hanging on white-knuckled to the headboard, his hips nearly shaking with the effort of keeping still and not pounding deep into Charles’ throat.
Adam, go ahead. Let go, I can take it. Charles groaned as Adam did, Adam’s voice sounding broken as his hips stuttered before finally letting go. His hips moved slow at first, sliding deep into Charles’ mouth and pulling back till only the head was left inside, but he quickly sped up, thrusting fast and shallow. Charles moaned around Adam’s cock, his lips wet and nearly dripping as Adam moved, his rhythm starting to falter when Charles let his teeth catch on the rim of his cock, his tongue flicking over the slit. When Charles felt Adam start to come, he gripped hard into the flesh of Adam’s ass, the sharp sensation of pain filtering from Adam’s mind into his own and making Adam’s thighs shake. Adam’s cock twitched in Charles’ mouth, the hot, musky taste of come flooding over Charles’ tongue and down his throat. Above him, Adam’s moans crested higher until he was silent, his mouth just hanging open as he panted, his hands dropping from the headboard to tangle in Charles’ hair, tugging just hard enough. Charles swallowed what he could, lapping gently over the sensitive head of Adam’s cock until the aftershocks faded and Adam slumped down, sliding until he was draped half over Charles and half on the bed.
“God, you are so good at that.” Adam’s voice was hoarse, like he was the one who’d just had a cock in his throat, but Charles didn’t get a chance to answer before Adam was kissing him, licking every trace of his own taste out of Charles’ mouth. As they kissed, Adam’s hand moved over Charles’ body, sliding unerringly over his chest, fingers teasing his nipples into hard peaks. When all he could taste was Charles, Adam pulled his mouth away, kissing down Charles’ neck, and heading right for where his fingers were working. This time he didn’t tease or move past where Charles wanted him to go, he pressed the flat of his tongue right over Charles’ nipple, grinning against his skin when Charles groaned, arching his chest up into Adam’s mouth.
Adam ran his tongue in light circles around Charles’ nipple, using his fingers to pinch and roll the other, a flush spreading down over Charles’ chest. His slid his other hand down Charles’ abdomen to cup his cock, which was resting hard on his belly. This was another thing that hadn’t been the same since the accident, but just because Charles couldn’t exactly feel it, didn’t mean he couldn’t feel it. Charles had learned that the brain played a far larger role in sex than even he had ever assumed, and as Adam’s hand moved over his cock and his mouth moved over Charles’ chest, a warm feeling began to spread low in Charles’ belly. He tilted his head so he could watch around where Adam’s head bent over his chest, watching as Adam’s thumb swirled over the head of his cock, starting to glisten.
He opened his mind again, feeling the slickness under Adam’s thumb, the silky-hardness of his cock and tasting the saltiness of his own skin as Adam licked a path between his nipples, taking the other one into his mouth. Charles gasped when Adam’s teeth closed gently over the sensitive flesh, rolling it until Charles felt like his whole chest was throbbing, his world narrowing to just the feeling of Adam’s hot mouth on his skin and the soft-focus feeling of his cock in Adam’s hand. Adam moved his mouth just to the side of Charles’ nipple, biting down into the softness hard enough that Charles knew he was going to bruise. He arched against Adam’s mouth, nearly shouting as he tangled his hand in Adam’s hair to hold him there as he started to come, the warm feeling in his belly spreading out like a puddle of molasses.
Through Adam’s mind he could feel his cock twitch, could feel the hot, wet slide of his come over Adam’s fingers, dripping to pool cool and slick on his belly as Adam pressed soft kisses over Charles’ chest, tracking back up to Charles’ mouth to kiss him through the end of his orgasm, soft little moans spilling from Charles’ mouth into Adam’s. The kiss was slow and lazy, both of them going boneless and fuzzy with the scent of sex hanging heavy in the air over them. They laid there like that for a long time, until their skin cooled and the stickiness started to get uncomfortable.
Adam leaned in, brushing his lips over Charles’ ear, pushing is nose into his damp curls. “How about I go run us a bath and we get cleaned up before bed?”
Charles sighed, already thinking about leaning back against Adam’s chest in warm, sudsy water, and it was enough to not make him miss the days when getting ready for bed took five minutes instead of nearly an hour. “That sounds lovely, I can’t wait.” Adam kissed Charles’ temple before bounding off the bed, the sound of running water and the sweet, bright smell of bubble bath soon filling the air. As he waited, Charles’ mind felt clearer than it had in weeks, and when Adam came back out of the bathroom, a wide easy smile on his face, Charles felt ready to handle anything.
It was strange to have the mansion back in the swing of a training regime, and even though Charles wished it wasn’t necessary, he found that he still felt excitement watching the children master their powers and use them to their best ability. Alex and Sean had long since learned how to best use their powers, but Charles could see the way their eyes lit up when they got to show off, Sean soaring high over the grounds and swooping low enough to brush the grass to whoops and hollers. Alex strapped on the new vest Hank had built for him and took aim at a few trees that lined the back of the property that Charles had been meaning to have removed to clear the land anyway, a wide, bright smile filling Alex’s face as the trees crashed to the ground. Even Adam showed off a little, and Charles could tell the kids were surprised to see what he could do, their eyes widening as Adam’s voice soared and blasts shot forward out of his hands, knocking Hank and Alex backwards into the grass. Both of them laughed as they skidded to a stop, Adam’s face colouring a little when they told the kids that when Adam really got going, it was really something to see.
Even if they were confused and a little hurt that they were training to possibly defend themselves against someone who used to be their partner, Charles had known that Alex and Sean would take to the training like ducks to water. It was the new kids, the ones who’d come here because they were confused, they wanted to understand what they were, and sometimes because they simply had nowhere else to go that Charles worried about. Hank had been working tirelessly on building a new Cerebro at the mansion, but it was taking a lot longer than anticipated, a much bigger job than it had been at a facility with government security and access. Charles one day wanted the mansion to be full of children, dozens maybe, but until he had a better way of seeking out the people who needed the academy, only four students had managed to find their way to his door. Charles may not have been sure how all of them found him, but he was glad they did.
Gav was one of those with nowhere else to go, having arrived on the doorstep of the mansion six months ago with nothing but a duffel bag on his back and a smile on his face. Charles knew nothing about him, about his life before the mansion, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He’d asked and asked, but Gav never told him anything, and in a weak moment when curiosity overtook him, Charles dipped into his mind, expecting to find everything he was looking for. Instead, he found nothing about a family or friends, simple snapshots of training and learning, and more fighting than should ever be in the head of such a young man. For all that Charles thought Gav should be damaged and troubled, he wasn’t, and Charles truly enjoyed having him around the mansion.
His powers were truly outstanding, something Charles had known, but really seeing them in action now was something else. It was like everything about Gav was turned up as high as it could go, and then a little higher. He was superhumanly strong and fast, and he could swing and flip with such agility that it rivaled even Hank, and he could dodge any energy blast sent his way by Alex with ease. One of the very few things Gav had brought with him were a set of blades that strapped onto his arm, and Charles spared a thought for how such a young man could be such a skilled swordsman, but then he remembered what he’d seen in Gav’s mind, the training, the fighting, and he was simply glad Gav was on their side. Charles watched in almost giddy amusement as Gav lifted Hank over his head and spun him like he weighed no more than a beach ball, Gav breaking out into a high, easy laugh when he put Hank down to stumble until he reached a wall he could collapse against.
Wherever Gav was, Rictor could almost always be found. Rictor was quiet, and somewhat dark, and had told Charles enough about his troubled childhood that Charles didn’t desire to learn more. He’d left Mexico on a bus after his powers manifested in his home, nearly bringing all the walls down around him. He didn’t say what happened to his family or how he’d found out about the academy, and Charles didn’t ask. He was simply glad to see the boy coming out of his shell and smiling more, especially whenever Gav was around. Charles suspected there was something going on between the boys, the way their knees knocked together when they sat on the sofa, the way Rictor reached out to grasp Gav’s arm when they laughed over something only teenage boys found funny, and it simply made Charles smile.
Rictor’s power was the cause of many of the broken heirlooms in the mansion. Charles wasn’t sure how it worked, but Rictor seemed to be able to create and release energy, everything around him vibrating like an earthquake when he did it. Rictor’s power began as hard to control as Alex’s, things crashing down around him or shattering when he released the energy, but it didn’t take him long to get the hang of it. Soon, Rictor was able to almost aim the energy, shattering only the one vase he was aiming for, or releasing the energy into the ground, making it shake under the feet of anyone standing on it. Since Rictor had become more comfortable with his powers, Charles had witnessed more than one fight on the basketball court when Rictor pressed his fingers to the ground, sending Hank and Alex tumbling head over feet while Gav leapt over the shaking earth to sink an easy basket. After the third time Rictor uprooted the net, however, Charles had needed to put a ‘no powers on the court’ rule into place, but it still made his heart swell to see them growing into themselves.
As well as the boys had gotten along from the moment they arrived, the girls had been at each others throats. Charles wished deeply he had Moira or even Raven around to help him in these moments, because teenage girls were completely beyond him, even when he could read their thoughts. Monet had been dropped off at the mansion in a large, fancy car, a well-dressed man sliding out long enough to help her get her bags from the trunk before driving off, leaving a very sullen and angry young girl in Charles’ drive. Charles had been intrigued by Monet from the moment he met her, when he felt her mind reaching out for his. He’d reached back, and felt a flash of emotion run through her, and she’d looked up with the barest hint of a smile on her face. That didn’t mean that Monet had been easy to have around, not for a moment. She was strong-willed and emotional, and her telepathy was only the beginnings of her powers.
Monet was resistant to the training program, just as she’d been resistant to nearly everything Charles had put forward for her since she’d arrived. She knew she was strong and fast and nearly invulnerable, but she was the kind of stubborn Charles had rarely come across. On the days that Charles managed to get her out to the field with the others, she most often refused to participate in the drills, relying simply on her brute strength and speed to destroy whatever obstacles Hank, Alex and Sean had set up for them. She was skilled, there was no way around that, but Charles felt out of his depth trying to get her to learn discipline. Still, gradually Charles could see her drawing closer to the others, coming to training a little less reluctantly, and storming through the mansion slamming doors less often. One day, Charles thought he might even get her to smile again.
One thing that never got any easier was the relationship between Monet and Ororo. Ororo was one of the mutants that Charles had found when using Cerebro at the facility, but they hadn’t gone to find her, thinking she was too young. When he was ready to open the academy, he reached out to her, finding her in an orphanage in New York City. They had only been too happy to see her go, obviously harried by attempting to deal with what they didn’t understand was her gift. She was the youngest that Charles had brought to the mansion, barely twelve years old, and she had been terrified and skittish for weeks before Adam finally broke through with her after overhearing her singing softly to herself in a language none of them recognized. Since then, she’d hung close to his side wherever he went, especially when Monet was on the warpath. Charles suspected that Monet had younger siblings at home, though she’d never said, because she treated Ororo like an unwanted younger sister, ordering her around and screaming at her when she did something that Monet didn’t like.
Ororo never fought back, but when she was upset, it was hard for her to control her powers. On bad days, a dark cloud would hang over the entire mansion, raining down until it seemed like the yard would flood, Ororo locked in her room where Monet couldn’t get her. Only Adam could get her to come out on days like that, patiently curling up on the floor in front of her door and talking softly to her until the clouds parted and the sun started to shine again. The nature of her power made her training unpredictable, but for all her quietness, Ororo was strong and determined, and soon she was whipping up winds strong enough to lift her high over the mansion as lightning shot down around her. Charles saw in her a kind of quiet strength, the kind of strength that made great leaders, and he could hardly wait to see her reach her full potential.
As the weeks went by, Charles had the pleasure of watching all of them come together as a team. He watched as Ororo lifted her hands, sending enough fog out over the grounds to allow Hank and Gav to slink through unseen, popping up just in time to fell their opponents, Alex and Adam. Sean soared through the sky, his wail dropping Hank to his knees before he was knocked off course by a blast of yellow light, courtesy of Adam. Monet learned how to project images into the minds of others, making Rictor think his legs were on fire just as he touched his hand to the ground to make it shake, stopping him before he had the chance to do more than a minor rumble.
They fought hand-to-hand and power-to-power until they were worn out and sweaty, at the end of the day walking through the mansion, laughing and clapping each other on the back, even Ororo and Monet bumping shoulders as they bonded over taking down the boys together. Charles followed behind them, Adam hanging back to walk with him, watching as the group of kids with nothing in common but a quirk of genetics became an actual team. Charles still didn’t think that Erik was right about needing an army, but he was beginning to see the benefits of a team, a group of mutants who could fight not just for other mutants, but humans as well. He smiled as the kids crowded into the living room, Hank passing out colas, Sean and Rictor arguing over what to put on the radio as Monet sidled up to Gav, batting her eyelashes and trying to win him over. They may have been just kids, but Charles knew without a doubt, that they were ready for whatever Erik had to bring.
Part Two
Part Three