day one - hand-holding
So, there was this "30 days of OTP" challenge going around tumblr a while back. It was thirty prompts and the idea was that you would draw your OTP doing those things. Which is super cool, if you are good at drawing! I am not good at drawing, but in my post-big bang haze, I don't want to lose the habit of writing every day. (I'm usually pretty good about it--writing is like a weird disease I have that I can't shake.) So I've taken those original thirty prompts (you can see them here) and cut it down to twenty-five, weeding out the ones that I didn't understand, don't write, or that worked better for art than for writing. And I'm going to attempt to ficlet them all, theoretically one a day.
:D? :D? :D? :D?
***
hand-holding (~600 words)
***
Charles wishes arguments were as easy in real life as they were in fiction. In the silly romances that Raven was prone to watching (Charles just watched because he had nothing better to do, really, he wasn't actually interested in that sort of thing), when a couple had a big blow out fight, once they apologized, everything was alright and they went straight for the kissing.
Charles has apologized and so has Erik. And it's clear that Erik understands what he did wrong, why his accusation was hurtful. It's clear he's remorseful and that he didn't actually intend to hurt Charles. Charles forgives him.
But.
The hurt hasn't just melted away. His anger, stoked slowly over the course of the day until they talked about it and Erik apologized properly, is still tumbling through his veins with no proper outlet. He hasn't stopped being upset, he just has no good reason to vent that upset at Erik, so now he's left wandering around the house, itching like his skin doesn't fit right.
He ends up in the living room. There's a movie on, one of Raven's sappy romances, but all of the children are lounging about watching it anyway. It could have something to do with the wind and rain outside, or it could be that he's not the only one among them with a soft spot for happy endings. Erik is there too, sitting on the sofa with a book open, not paying much attention to what's happening on screen. Charles, after hesitating in the doorway, enters the room and sits next to him.
He feels like he should say something, but Raven is certain to scold him for interrupting their movie and, regardless, there's nothing to say, is there? They've said what they need to. They've come to an agreement. And tomorrow, probably, Charles will wake up and feel silly for holding onto this, the last of it leeching out of his system with rest and time and the feeling of Erik's body curled next to his in sleep.
He tries to focus on the screen. There's been some silly misunderstanding between the lovers and they're only now realizing their previous assumptions about each other were wrong. It would be trite if it wasn't so on the nose.
Just as he's thinking that perhaps he should have stayed in his study, he sees Erik raise a hand to flip a page. When he lowers his hand, though, he doesn't put it back on his lap--he reaches across the sofa and takes Charles' hand in his own. He doesn't even look up.
It would maybe be juvenile or abrupt for anyone else. Charles has never been the type to wander down the streets holding someone's hand--in fact, he used to make his opinions of such practices quite known to Raven. The need to show off, rub it in the faces of those around you that you're in a relationship, as if that somehow makes you better. He feels foolish for those judgements now. He understands. It's not a matter of showing off, it's a matter of affection. Of the pleasure of touch. Feeling Erik's fingers woven together with his makes him happy and centers him and reminds him that arguments come and go, but Erik is sorry and Erik cares about him and Erik will be more cautious in the future.
It's not about rubbing it in the faces of the rest of the world, it's about reminding himself that he's not alone.
He doesn't speak. He strokes Erik's thumb with his own and squeezes his hand. His skin still doesn't fit right and he's still listlessly unsettled, but this is a good first step in getting back to normal.
*
the rest of the days:
1. Holding hands
2. Cuddling somewhere
3. Gaming/watching a movie
4. On a date
5. Kissing
6. Wearing each others’ clothes
7. Shopping
8. Hanging out with friends
9. Making out
10. Eating icecream
11. In a different clothing style
12. During their morning ritual(s)
13. Spooning
14. Doing something together
15. In formal wear
16. Dancing
17. Cooking/baking
18. In battle, side-by-side
19. Arguing
20. Making up afterwards
21. Getting married
22. On one of their birthdays
23. Doing something ridiculous
24. Doing something sweet
25. Doing something hot
:D? :D? :D? :D?
***
hand-holding (~600 words)
***
Charles wishes arguments were as easy in real life as they were in fiction. In the silly romances that Raven was prone to watching (Charles just watched because he had nothing better to do, really, he wasn't actually interested in that sort of thing), when a couple had a big blow out fight, once they apologized, everything was alright and they went straight for the kissing.
Charles has apologized and so has Erik. And it's clear that Erik understands what he did wrong, why his accusation was hurtful. It's clear he's remorseful and that he didn't actually intend to hurt Charles. Charles forgives him.
But.
The hurt hasn't just melted away. His anger, stoked slowly over the course of the day until they talked about it and Erik apologized properly, is still tumbling through his veins with no proper outlet. He hasn't stopped being upset, he just has no good reason to vent that upset at Erik, so now he's left wandering around the house, itching like his skin doesn't fit right.
He ends up in the living room. There's a movie on, one of Raven's sappy romances, but all of the children are lounging about watching it anyway. It could have something to do with the wind and rain outside, or it could be that he's not the only one among them with a soft spot for happy endings. Erik is there too, sitting on the sofa with a book open, not paying much attention to what's happening on screen. Charles, after hesitating in the doorway, enters the room and sits next to him.
He feels like he should say something, but Raven is certain to scold him for interrupting their movie and, regardless, there's nothing to say, is there? They've said what they need to. They've come to an agreement. And tomorrow, probably, Charles will wake up and feel silly for holding onto this, the last of it leeching out of his system with rest and time and the feeling of Erik's body curled next to his in sleep.
He tries to focus on the screen. There's been some silly misunderstanding between the lovers and they're only now realizing their previous assumptions about each other were wrong. It would be trite if it wasn't so on the nose.
Just as he's thinking that perhaps he should have stayed in his study, he sees Erik raise a hand to flip a page. When he lowers his hand, though, he doesn't put it back on his lap--he reaches across the sofa and takes Charles' hand in his own. He doesn't even look up.
It would maybe be juvenile or abrupt for anyone else. Charles has never been the type to wander down the streets holding someone's hand--in fact, he used to make his opinions of such practices quite known to Raven. The need to show off, rub it in the faces of those around you that you're in a relationship, as if that somehow makes you better. He feels foolish for those judgements now. He understands. It's not a matter of showing off, it's a matter of affection. Of the pleasure of touch. Feeling Erik's fingers woven together with his makes him happy and centers him and reminds him that arguments come and go, but Erik is sorry and Erik cares about him and Erik will be more cautious in the future.
It's not about rubbing it in the faces of the rest of the world, it's about reminding himself that he's not alone.
He doesn't speak. He strokes Erik's thumb with his own and squeezes his hand. His skin still doesn't fit right and he's still listlessly unsettled, but this is a good first step in getting back to normal.
*
the rest of the days:
1. Holding hands
2. Cuddling somewhere
3. Gaming/watching a movie
4. On a date
5. Kissing
6. Wearing each others’ clothes
7. Shopping
8. Hanging out with friends
9. Making out
10. Eating icecream
11. In a different clothing style
12. During their morning ritual(s)
13. Spooning
14. Doing something together
15. In formal wear
16. Dancing
17. Cooking/baking
18. In battle, side-by-side
19. Arguing
20. Making up afterwards
21. Getting married
22. On one of their birthdays
23. Doing something ridiculous
24. Doing something sweet
25. Doing something hot