With a sleek movement of Erik’s hands, Charles was now being kissed passionately against the wall, his hands running up and down his lover’s body, seizing harder when they reached his neck and arms.
The taller man’s hands were now brushing his long hair. “I like the change” he said teasingly, breaking the kiss. “It highlights your eyes”.
Charles smirked as he looked deeply into the other man’s eyes.
“to be honest I didn’t expect that as well” he added as he stroked his long lost lover’s small beard “but I’m not disappointed”
Charles murmured an ‘oh fuck off’ before pulling him down for another kiss. He could feel Erik smiling in between the kisses, because he did the same.
Without a warning, he was lifted from the ground and found himself laying on his bed, his lover on top of him.He breathed heavily as Erik started leaving kisses from his cheek down to his chest. He moved back to Charles to give him a kiss on the lips before continuing but stopped last second, leaving him in the heat of the moment.
“well, I guess that’s it for today” he said teasingly, licking his lips and smiling. He got up and started buttoning his shirt, letting Charles rot of embarrassment and anger.
Charles watched him with burning passion. ‘when is he finally going to stop leaving me like that’ he thought and proceeded to go up to him.
“What do you want, Charles” he heard Erik, this time with a serious tone.
“I -what?”
“we want the same thing, Charles, you and me. Don’t you think?”
“Ab-about what?” he said, confused as to what his lover was so suddenly ranting about
“They succeeded, Charles. that’s what they wanted since the beginning”
“Erik what on earth are you talking about?”
“You don’t fight for the same thing that I do”
“ Erik what is going on? You’re scaring me” he said trying to cover the last part with a laugh, in case Erik is messing with him again.
“You don’t fight nearly as hard as you should” he added with the same cold tone, not turning to face his confused partner
“I- excuse me?”
Charles got up from the bed and tried to walk up to him, but a sudden crippling pain on his back made him fall down. He let a groan as he curled up in the floor, just a step behind Erik who didn’t seem to notice. He breathed heavily as he realized his body was going numb. “Erik” he managed to say between his fast breaths.
Only then the other man turned around, but he didn’t help him or comforted him.
“Where are you Charles?” he said instead, this time his tone was angrier. “What are you doing Charles? “
He was obviously talking to the man on the floor, but it didn’t feel like it. Yes he was referring to Charles, but he wasn’t looking at him. He wasn’t hearing him, he couldn’t even see him huddled on the ground.
Charles was more confused that ever. Why the pain? Why Erik? Why was all of this happening out of a sudden?
To find an answer to his questions, he tried to reach Erik’s mind. But nothing happened. Nothing was working as it did before. He couldn’t see anything.
“what have you done to yourself” Erik said with the same robot-like cold tone, this time staring directly into his eyes. “look at you. You were once an honorable man, a respected hero” you could detect pity in his voice
“Erik are you mental?? What the fuck is going on??” he managed to say between his groans and cries of pain.
“ You promised you were going to protect them!” this time his voice was full of anger and disappointment “You were supposed to protect her! You were supposed to protect me”
Charles was laying flat to floor, unable to move as his limbs had gone completely numb. He was in so much pain, he couldn’t even speak. He just stared as the person he loved was walking towards him, looking at him like he was nobody.
“How can you live with yourself everyday, knowing that you could have prevented all of that, huh?” he was now standing right in front of Charles “So much pain, so many loses” he bent down so he can face him better, now their eyes were less than an inch apart. “You were right, Charles. We do not want the same thing, no. Because if we did, we wouldn’t have ended up like this. You wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
A horrible wave of pain made him close his eyes hard.
He let a loud scream, and it gave him the strength to move his upper body forwards, but when he opened his eyes he wasn’t on the floor.
He was on his bed, under his sheets.
Next to the bed was a sleepy Hank.
“It’s okay professor, it’s okay” he said with his calm voice, gently pushing him back to his bed.
“H-Hank?”
“yeah I know professor, now go back to sleep, you need rest” he acted like he knew what to do, like he had done this before, like it was a routine
“But he-”
“It’s okay, professor. You are okay. You don’t need to worry about it now”
“Hank he was here” he said to his friend, trying not to break down “He was-...here” he repeated as Hank was putting him back to sleep.
“please Charles, just rest. We can talk about it tomorrow, okay?” he reassured him, understanding exactly who he was referring to. Hank’s voice was as calm and comforting as always, but Charles noticed a bit of worry and fear in it too.
“what are you doing here” He said, trying to get over the covers.
“I’m always here, professor. I always have been” he answered trying to get the covers over him again
“always-…?”
“The past couple of years Charles, remember? It is just the two of us here. No danger, no surprises. Just me and you, okay?” he said and yawned
He was overthrown with memories and emotions. He remembered Cuba, Erik, the kids, the government, how he shut himself in this house, how Hank decided to stay and take care of him despite his attempts to change his mind, and the uncountable dreams -or nightmares perhaps- about this so-called life
In moments like this Charles was glad Hank stayed, because he could never deal with it alone.
“it was just a dream, wasn’t it?” he said more calmly now, letting Hank cover him with his blanket.
“yeah”
“good”