Chapter 1
The tires hit the paved surface as they drove to the said address, Logan dreading every second as they drove. Charles scoffed at his poor attempts at complaining, clearly not in the mood for Logan's moody antics. For what felt like the twentieth time, Charles turned to him, his voice filled with irritation as he spoke. "For the last time, Logan, stop grunting and moaning. This is what we need! You know how hard it is to directly contact Erik fucking Lehnsherr, let alone book an appointment? Cheer up, mate."
Logan did feel excited at first, glad to find a way to grow their flourishing business, which was mostly managed by Charles. Though, it all fell less important when Charles' paranoia took over. The constant checking and fixing, and the non-stop chatter about the theme made Logan's head hurt, not remembering the last time he hadn't felt a migraine building up. Every time he tried to calm Charles down, it only made the shorter man more anxious, which affected both of them, sadly.
He joined Charles' projects, advanced technology and something along with engineering, Logan wasn't sure, yet he made effort to help Charles in any way he could, wanting his friend to achieve success. He slowly started regretting it when he realised he wasn't much of a coworker, more of an assistant to Charles, even if he denied bringing him coffee almost every time he asked. The project started out rough, and Logan could say he was plently of help to Charles, even his only supporter at some point. Few months into work, the business started growing, making Charles sigh in relief yet jump with excitement.
Soon, the man offered him a regular pay, which Logan couldn't reject even if he wanted to. A man has to pay his bills after all, and a part-time mechanic wasn't the most generously paying job. Few months later, he recieved an email from the man himself, Erik Lehnsherr, who achieved highest positions in the business. Charles looked up to him, despite their similar ages, which Logan found strange. Yet, at the same time, he somewhat understood the man. The similar age might've pushed him harder than he wanted to, seeing where he could stand right now if he tried enough. And he did, almost too much, to a point where Logan had to visit him every day to pull him out of his office.
Despite Charles' complaints, he knew the man was grateful Logan had taken care of him, even if they argued most of the time. Soon, on their way of growing their business, they met a young, yet enthusiastic man named Hank. Henry, to be exact, but no one bothered to call him that. The man felt inspired by Charles' work, which made them connect easily, mostly due to Charles' ever so growing ego. Hank was a smart guy, maybe almost too much for his own good, but Charles seemed to appreciate that, quickly making him the closest assistant. Logan was moved to take care of calls and deliveries, to which he was grateful. He was more brawn than brain, but he wasn't stupid, not even close.
Hank was mostly quiet, only speaking when the theme involved him, or a special interest that felt close to him. Logan let him ramble quietly about something he wasn't awake enough to comprehend as they drove to their destination. He was younger than Logan, but the man was aware of his surroundings, understanding any memos Logan sent, to which Logan was grateful. He knew when to be quiet or when to cover the awkward silence standing between them, which not many were equipped of. For example, Charles. The man had a good heart and strong brain, but he didn't care much for other's opinions when the opportunity rose.
Despite that, he was a sweet man, good with kids, polite and generous, and continued to inspire Logan every day. He held some sort of a motherly touch, which he denied every time someone (mostly Logan) brought it up, even if he knew it himself.
Logan wasn't much of a genius, or a generous charity guy, but he had his morals and stood by them. He grew up in tougher enviroment, which he managed to escape with the help of Charles, and he felt obligated to help his friend as much as he helped him.
So, he gritted his teeth as Charles mumbled nervous words, letting Hank's voice fly around the car as he closed his eyes, already feeling exhausted. A few hours later, they arrived at the office, which was basically a big mansion that included enough space for an office. Convenient. Hank, completely in awe, glanced around the place as Logan grabbed their bags, knowing they'll have to stay for atleast a few days. He watched as Charles nervously walked around the car, making Logan almost consider throwing a bag at him just so he could stop.
He shook his head instead, gripping the many bags as they walked to the entrance. Hank rang the doorbell, the three of them taking a few steps back as they waited. They could feel each other's nervousness pour out of them as seconds passed. No answer. Right before Charles could start panicking again, a soft, yet loud voice spoke through the door. "Hello?" The word was spoken carelessly, clearly not caring about first impressions. Logan guessed this wasn't Erik.
Charles cleared his throat before he nervously spoke. "Hi- Hello, we're here for Erik Lehnsherr? I'm Charles Xavier, he's expecting us." He fidgeted with his hand slightly as he spoke, a moment passing before the door opened. They all glanced between each other as they saw the short youngster standing in front of them. His face was young, barely reaching his twenties by Logan's guess, his face almost too feminine if it wasn't for his voice. His hair was a little longer, in a unique silver color, almost making Logan scoff. Must be one of the brats of Erik's. His slim figure was positioned in front of the main enterance, his hands crossed in amusement.
"Y'gonna let us in, kid? We ain't got all day." Logan finally spoke, his irritation now poking through his voice as they stood outside. The young man grinned, almost mischievously so, before dramatically moving sideways, letting the three in. As they walked, the kid, supposedly named Peter, decided it was time for introductions. "I'm Peter, by the way. You can drop the bags here, the living room is right there." He spoke almost too quickly, Logan luckily catching all the words. His head turned to where Peter was pointing, quietly thanking him before they entered the room.
Logan whipped his head around when he heard a deeper, more serious voice. He looked back at Charles who looked like he might pass out, but he covered it well enough. He cleared his throat, wiping his hands at the sides before asking Logan for the binder he had. Logan passed it to him, throwing a skeptical look at Erik before they all sat down. Charles's voice trembled a little, having little experience with dealing with bigger clients, but he did well. Hank occasionally threw a few smart words or explanations, Erik nodding at them.
His eyes mostly stuck on Charles, seemingly taking in every word the man spoke. Hank and Logan exchanged a weird look, but didn't comment on it. It seems they both were on the same page, a little worried, but they let Charles take over. Erik held his poker face well, which seemed to concern all of them. After a few minutes of Charles speaking, Erik interrupted him, making Logan hold in a scoff. Despite the rude interruption, they relaxed when he shot them a friendly smile.
"Alright, I've heard enough. You've got it, boys. We'll meet tomorrow morning to talk further. Charles, I'd like to talk to you in private, if you don't mind. My son will show you to your rooms." Charles seemed a little caught off guard, but quickly nodded, excusing himself quickly before he trailed after Erik. Logan sighed, palming his face in exhaustion. As if he knew, Peter joined them again, luckily holding his rambles inside, talking simply. "Okay, ladies, just follow me." The words were said with a smug smile, making Logan roll his eyes as they trailed behind.
Logan thought as they walked, sure, he remembers Erik explaining he had a daughter. He wasn't informed he had an annoying son too. Though, from the back he could hardly tell. His build wasn't much different from a girl's, his tight clothes not doing much to the impression. His eyes averted, travelling around the rooms, watching the well decorated walls. Some trinkets and figures looked older than the others, informing him the estate must be older.
Suddenly, they stopped in a hallway with a few rooms, Peter not giving them time to look around as he spoke quickly. He waved the hand carelessly as he spoke. "Daddy here already decided on your rooms, but he doesn't really care, so choose any room you want." His voice was filled with sarcasm, Logan feeling the urge to roll his eyes every time he sensed it. Hank nodded, gripping tightly on his bags as he entered the room closest to the stairs. Logan would laugh if he wasn't so exhausted. Peter didn't move, continuing with a slight smirk. "That one's mine, so don't take that one. Though, I don't mind if you enter." He smirked, Logan barely managing to scoff before he pushed past the kid, entering a room somewhere in the middle.
The rooms were nicely built, the fancy covers beddings almost making him feel bad for using them, but he was too tired to care. He sighed when he heard the same voice speak behind him. "If you wanna take a shower, it's down the hall, that's the closest one. There is one downstairs, my dad uses the upper one." Logan noted, thankfully no more teasings were spoken by the younger man who left the same moment he finished talking.
He grabbed the first clothes he could find in his poorly packed bag, heading for the bathroom. Luckily, he was the first to enter it, making Hank scoff. "Come on, man." Logan smirked at the words. "Use the one downstairs, bub. You're smart, you'll figure it out." Hank left with a glare, making Logan chuckle. They usually bickered like that, neither of them really minding it. Before he could close the door, he saw Charles appear in the hall. He chuckled when Charles reacted almost too similarly to Hank. "Hank's occupying the one downstairs, you'll have to wait."
"After you? No thanks." Charles sighed, grabbing his bag before answering frustratingly. "Fine, I'll just use the one upstairs." Logan didn't bother correcting him, chuckling as he ran upstairs. That should be awkward. He closed his door, taking his clothes off. He sighed as the water rolled down his body, relaxing his tense muscles as it warmed up. He grabbed a bigger towel, wrapping it around himself as he searched around his bag. Pulling out a toothbrush, he sighed when he saw the younger man standing at the door, leaning on the side, almost making Logan flinch at the sight. "Do you mind?" Logan growled, not really giving him a chance to answer.
The man, smug, shook his head, answering softly. "Nope." he sighed, almost growling as he slammed the door, hoping it wasn't too loud as he continued. He brushed his teeth, throwing on a simple white top, pairing them with sweatpants he's sure he'd stolen from Charles. They were a little tight at the top, Logan having a wider frame, but it didn't bother him. They were comfortable enough. He laid on the bed, letting out a relaxed sigh. The bed was very comfortable, he'll admit it, not struggling much to lull him to sleep.
......
He woke up to his alarm, barely restraining himself from throwing his phone across the room as the high pitched sound repeated. He groaned, sighing as he wiped his tired face. The sun hasn't risen completely yet, following Erik's instructions. They were meeting in the conference room, which they'll have to find themselves since Erik couldn't take a couple of seconds to direct them to it, hence the early alarm. They were supposed to be there at eight, so he had some time on his hands as he got up, heading for the bathroom.
Fortunately, it was empty yet again, Logan wasting no time as he entered the room, closing the door, this time locking it. He doesn't need more surprise encounters. He got ready fairly quickly, glancing outside the vacant hall as he exited the bathroom. He took his time walking around, not really exploring, but he did let his eyes roam around as he searched for the said conference room.
He managed to get to the kitchen, finding it empty. He didn't let himself enter, despite his empty stomach. They were here for business, not for vacation. He'll go find a bar outside once the meeting is finished. After a few walks around the halls, he managed to find the room fairly quickly. He stood for a moment, glancing around the vacantly organised room, taking a seat at the table. Thankfully, Hank found him soon, taking a seat next to him, conversing lightly. They were both still a little hazy from the little sleep they managed to catch.
Charles entered the room, his head tilted low as he sat beside Hank. Logan smirked, deciding to tease the man. "So, how was the shower?" Hank whipped his head around, staring at Charles with a confused expression. Charles shot him a warning glare. "Don't." Logan laughed at the words, making Hank desperately ask for context. "What? What's going on? Logan!" Logan calmed down after a few seconds, Hank errupting in laughter as Logan caught him up.
"Oh, fuck off." Charles whined, making Logan apologetically pat his shoulder. They calm down once they see Erik enter the room, Logan rolling his eyes when he sees the brat walking behind him. He smiles smugly at Logan when he sees him, his smile widening when Logan's face fell. "Excuse me for my tardiness, my son will accompany us today. Please do not feel bothered." Easier said than done. Logan watches the younger man occupy the opposite side of the table, maintaining eye contact with Logan. He crossed his arms, avering his eyes to Erik, deciding to ignore the younger man.
Peter didn't bother to annoy him, yet his eyes somehow travelled back to him, a cold expression painting his face when he caught Peter already staring at him amusingly. Finally, he sets his attention back on Erik, listening to Charles answer Erik's questions, occasionally turning to Hank for confirmation. Logan threw a couple words in when appropriate, earning a nod from Erik as he did. He wasn't sure if the man was surprised he wasn't just a bunch of muscle sitting with them, or if he was just too scared to reject his opinions, and he didn't bother finding out.
Luckily, he forgot about the man sitting behind him until it was time to go. Erik offered them breakfast, which they gladly accepted. As they stood to shake hands and smalltalk their way outside, he felt the smaller body move past him, his dark eyes focused on his as he walked past him, a small smirk present along his hooded eyes as he made his way after Erik. He regained his focus back once Hank clasped his shoulder, talking something Logan didn't bother to listen to. He followed after the two, sitting at the room he previously visited.
They sat at the table, Erik not far behind. "Tea? Coffee?" The three, initially confused, were broken out of their confusion when Logan spoke growly. "Coffee's fine." Erik nodded, looking at Charles. "I'll have a cup of tea, if it's not a bother." Erik complied quickly, nodding when Hank repeated after Charles. Logan rolled his eyes. It looked like he was the only one that owned a pair.
A few minutes later, a slim hand positioned in front of him, dropping a cup of brewed coffee in front of him. The silver hair falling onto his shoulder gave away the identity, Logan had to fight the urge to sigh as he recognised the person. He turned back before his eyes found the cup. He sipped the coffee, which was luckily well made. He thanked the man, who still stood beside him, shooting him a warm smile in return. It was softer than usual, not the teasing or amused one he had plastered on his face most of the time. It suited him better, the thought quickly disposed when he realised what it meant.
He will not grow soft, even if the kid was Erik's. He should know his place, which was to leave them alone. He turned his head to the three other occupants of the table. Charles and Erik looked strongly engrossed in their conversation, an excited blush painting Charles' face when he talked. Logan hoped Charles knew how to hold his tongue well, since he looked like he might spill every admiring word he could find.
Not that Erik minded, seemingly content to be able to listen to Charles' rambling. Hank turned to him, a confused yet amused expression present on his face, making Logan smirk slyly when he realised they're on the same page again. He's gonna have the time of his life with this. He turned around, seeing the younger man already left them alone, to which he sighed. He didn't feel relieved, to be exact, but he felt he could breathe again. He realised the man is gonna make this harder for them than it already was, pulling another exhausted exhale from him as he grabbed the cup again, taking a sip. Atleast he made good coffee.
Erik seemed to relax around them as they talked, though his superior persona didn't let down as he talked, but Logan noticed his tense muscles relax the further they talked. He took it as a small win, restraining a small smirk of victory. This might be easier than he thought, though he won't let his guard down. This might be their biggest achievement, and he'd very fucking sure he won't let anything between it. He's doing it for Charles, and he'll finish what he started.