Cosmic Kiss

Erik woke instantly as usual. He needed far less sleep than his ambassador did, and used the frankly excessive time Charles spent sleeping to investigate their surroundings more thoroughly.

He received daily reports on the fleet and Federation news, but that only took an hour at most out of each day to deal with.

He paced outside to watch the sunrise over the massive river, the way this planet teemed with life would never grow old. The sheer variety of birds was staggering; Erik could only imagine what the science department was getting up to with all these samples.

Azazel had informed him that they had requested two more massive batches of them since he’d been gone. That was a great sign, and Erik couldn’t wait to show Charles the amazing things they were sure to be up to when they made it to the ship.

He glanced at the time, Charles was sure to be asleep for several more hours, especially considering their travels and adventures the day before. He smiled at the memory of their swim the night before and wondered if it was too soon to tell his parents about his relationship with Charles.

~~

Charles woke trying to remember where they were. In spite of the early hour, it was hot. Though there was a cool breeze coasting through the lodge. He opened his eyes slowly to the bright light of mid morning; the white sheets of mosquito net reminded him of their location with a rush.

Last night had been amazing, so intimate and sweet. But he couldn’t forget Erik’s other actions of the previous day. His appreciative interest in their lovely tour guide had brought him back to the reality of their situation. He had no idea what Erik or the Federation wanted from humanity. He vowed to find out before the end of this trip.

He couldn’t let Erik return to his duties in the outer galaxy without knowing what they had planned for them. He had attempted to bring it up several times over the course of their trip, but it hadn’t happened.

~~

They were standing on an island in the middle of Lake Baikal in Russia. “Siberia,” Charles was already shivering in spite of his warm winter gear. Erik had been entranced by the depth of the water, apparently the deepest lake on the planet.

If he wasn’t so concerned about his ambassador freezing in the frigid weather, he would have stripped down to nothing and explored the depths on his own.

To think, it grew so cold here that this entire, massive body of water would soon freeze through, was strange to think. It thawed and froze each year, and these massive temperature fluctuations were considered normal.

Then again, Earth had been through numerous Icehouse and Greenhouse ages during their deep history, he supposed that explained humans finding the massive temperature differences across their relatively small planet normal.

He looked around the ancient forest they stood in and took a deep breath of the crisp, bracing air. He was reluctant to head inside, but when he pulled Charles’ balaclava out of the way, the edges of his lips were pale and chilled.

He hustled them back through the small tourist town and into their accommodations, happy to see Charles being coddled by the staff and fussed over for having ‘thin blood’ whatever that meant.

They had spent the rest of the night curled together-finally for warmth!

Erik was vindicated.

 It had been an excellent few days; he loved the freezing wind and the nature that had adapted to the sub zero temperatures. This was the closest he’d been to the either of the poles since landing on the planet and his powers felt supercharged. He’d never felt so connected to any planet, he supposed it was the iron core combined with size of the planet that made him feel invincible on Earth. It was wonderful beyond words and not something he could have imagined had he not experienced it firsthand.

He could only imagine how his mother would react to the Lake and to Earth itself. The sheer amount of water would be enough of a reason for her to visit.

He only wished he could share the feeling with Charles, especially when the Aurora Borealis lit the sky. He had literally lifted himself off his feet, electrified by the visual representation of his most powerful ability.

He hadn’t slept that night, and had even broken one of his personal rules- don’t wake Charles- to share it with him as best he could.

They had dressed quickly and warmly-overly warmly according to Charles and dashed out into the night like children sneaking off from their studies.

It was a magical evening. There was light snow on the ground and he and Charles had an impromptu snowball fight. He had taken so many pictures of his little ambassador lit by the multicolored glory of the night sky.

It was one of the fondest memories of his life.

~~

Charles had been surprised to wake in the still hour of the night with a penitent Erik kneeling at his bedside and asking him to come and see the night with him.

That was the way he’d phrased it “come see the night with me?” Charles had been charmed in spite of himself and twenty minutes later found him so bundled against the cold his former nanny would have been impressed.

They had walked through the small town, silent in the night and skirted the edge of the massive body of water surrounding it and them. The crackle of ice and snow beneath their feet had been the only sound that broke the quiet of nature.

Erik seemed to be high for lack of a better term; he was smiling widely-for him- and talking about the connection he felt to the Earth, the moon, and his ships in orbit.

Some of his explanations of this phenomenon sounded like advanced string theory. Charles was intrigued.

Then Erik had stopped suddenly and gazed at the sky unblinking for long moments before turning to Charles nervously, “Do you feel safe with me?” he asked softly.

Charles had nodded heart in his mouth. He could admit that he wouldn’t have felt safe walking alone this far into the unknown with anyone else.

With Erik, he was never afraid. It was a strange thing to say, especially given what he knew the other man could do, but facts were facts. He trusted Erik with his life.

“Come here,” he said softly, reaching for Charles hand and pulling him close.

Charles’ heart was pounding so loud he was sure Erik could hear it, “Wh-what are you doing?” he asked shakily as the Admiral pulled him close with a hand low on his back and the other braced against the back of his neck.

“What do you think?” Erik asked, leaning in so close that Charles instinctively tilted his head for a kiss that never came.

Instead their feet left the ground. Quite literally as Erik lifted them from the Earth and guided them up into the glittering night sky.

“Admiral,” Charles yelped, clinging tightly to the taller man in shock and no small amount of fear. Were they being beamed up to his ship?

He never should have agreed to leave his agents behind without telling them where he was going! Moira was going to kill him. Who was he kidding; he was never going to see any of them ever again.

“Breathe, Charles,” Erik’s quietly amused voice brought him back to the moment where they were levitating just above the tree line silhouetted by the quarter moon.

“What’s happening?” he asked, still pressed closely to Erik, curiosity getting the better of him and finally working up the nerve to look around in wide wonder.

“I told you I can control magnetic fields,” Erik had informed him smugly.

It had been the single most amazing thing to ever happen to Charles.

~~

They had spent a marvelous few days on Lake Baikal, speaking to the locals and learning about life in Siberia. Erik was impressed to see how differently humans lived based on climate, region and culture. In spite of those things, the similarities they shared were striking and clear.

Erik rather suspected that understanding one group of humans would give him deep insights into all of them and the inner workings of their minds and societies.

He and Charles had shared a lively conversation on the matter that had lasted for most of their flight to Japan, which was their next stop on their journey and one of the few placed Erik had requested to visit.

“That nation has created some of the most popular technological devices of this century. I’d like to see how they live,” was all he’d said on the matter.

Charles had only been too happy to oblige, he’d never been to Japan, but it had been a lifelong dream to go and here he was, an honored dignitary.

They had been greeted at Tokyo Haneda Airport by their unnecessary foreign detail that was really there to spy on them. Erik had made a game of frying their gadgets so he and Charles could have as much privacy as possible.

He wondered why no one had told Charles about his habit, but he suspected they were afraid of angering him. Whatever the reason, he had Charles to himself for most hours of any given day.

Erik loved Tokyo. It was reminiscent of the glass and metal maze of Manhattan that had so stirred his senses.

This city had even more people crammed into every corner, watching them go about their lives could have occupied him for days and he was given plenty of time to do just that. Which he could only thank Charles for, his ambassador understood him better than anyone ever had. Even his own parents often found his predilections inscrutable.

While in Tokyo, they had gone for dinner at Sukiyabashi Jiro, arriving a few minutes early for their reservations. They had dined on the full tasting menu and found that it wasn’t just oysters that Erik loved, it was raw seafood in general. Charles wasn't as big of a fan.

In spite of the massive amounts of sushi they had eaten and green tea they had drunk, Erik had been eager for more, they had eaten traditional Japanese cuisine every day of their stay and Charles had finally asked, “Is it the best?” in a teasing tone.

Erik had taken the question very seriously and pondered for a long moment, “Best cuisine, yes. Best food? No.”

Charles had laughed aloud at that, “Cheese?”

“Cheese,” Erik conceded sheepishly.

~~

~~

“Charles?” he snapped out of his reverie with a start. Moira was leaning over the table, notes spread out around her as the rest of their team took notes on his every word.

“Yes?” he asked, trying to seem fully engaged in this never ending debrief. Based on the look Moira was giving him, he’d failed.

“Would you say he enjoyed Japan the best?”

Charles shrugged, not able to answer her question fully. The Admiral had found something to love about each of their stops, and he was deeply reticent about sharing the intimate details of their personal conversations with the team.

If it was just his friends he wouldn’t have minded so much, but he knew that everything he said would be shared around the world within the hour.

“Charles…” Moira’s voice took on a warning tone, she was exasperated with him and that made him feel guilty. He owed her so much, the world did. And he was making her life far more difficult than it needed to be.

“I think he liked the Maldives best,” Charles admitted after a moment of thought.

She looked so relieved that he felt guiltier than ever.

“And why is that?” She asked, sitting back down to type hurriedly on her laptop.

Charles sighed, how could he explain Erik’s wonder at the sight of the Milky Way spread above them? Or the vastness of the ocean stretching on into the horizon? His pure curiosity about the luminescent phytoplankton that turned the ocean waves into a glittering, wondrous shore?

http://cdn7.viralscape.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Bioluminescent-Plankton-4.jpg

Erik had taken dozens of photos of the islands and they had spent one perfect night splashing in the waves while Charles expounded on the wonders of marine biology.

Then it had been Erik’s turn to teach as they had lain side by side on the sand, the tide nipping at their ankles as the Admiral had pointed out the various stars they used to chart their course through the infinite vacuum of space, and the ancient myths of his people surrounding the creation of all things.

Charles wondered if he wasn’t projecting his own favorite stop onto his companion.

“Charles?” Moira sounded absolutely done with his wandering mind.

“He liked the ocean,” was all he said, unwilling to share those memories with anyone else.

She quirked her lips irritably and turned back to her typing with a vengeance.

He supposed he wasn’t a very good ambassador, at least not when it came to his own people, and hadn’t that been the point of all this?

“Moira, I’m sure I’ll have more to give you when we get back from my tour of his ship, the Admiral promised to explain everything to me. He said it will be easier for me to understand if I can see what he’s talking about.”

Moira didn’t like the sound of that at all, “Why can’t he show you down here? Why does he need to take you into space? And why on Earth did you agree to go with him? Alone?” She demanded, irate.

Charles knew it looked bad to an outsider, but he couldn’t turn down the adventure of a lifetime. The chance to go into space, to see the next stage of scientific advancement before anyone else on Earth.

She glared at him like she’d heard his every thought, “Curiosity killed the cat, Charles!” She snapped in frustration.

“But satisfaction brought it back,” Armando cut in firmly.

They all darted glances to him in surprise, he was always the cautious one among them, the voice of reason. He sighed at their stunned looks.

“Look, Moira. Charles has gotten us this far. The Admiral clearly cares for his well being and by extension his happiness. Charles, you’ve spent a lot of time with this guy and if you trust him, I say we keep a good thing going.”

“I don’t like it either, this could have all been a scam to get Charles off world then kill the rest of us,” Sean cut in worriedly. “You’ve seen how the Admiral acts! To him there are only two people on Earth,” he held up his fingers to count off, “Charles and everybody else!”

Charles had a moment to wonder what he meant by that, Erik had warmed up to many of the people they’d me on their travels. He tried to interject and explain that the Federation had a purpose in mind for Earth and its residents, but the argument was still going strong

“Sean,” Armando cut in sternly.

“I’m sorry ‘Mondo but you’re compromised too!” he snapped anxiously.

“What?”

“I’ve seen you and that guy talking; he comes down to collect the samples. Tall, blonde, looks a lot like the Admiral but with fewer teeth and more bones!”

That was an odd description, but when Charles glanced back at the other agent, he looked bashful. “We just talk, we’re friends.”

Moira looked stunned, “What?”

“It’s not like that Moira, he’s a good guy. He’s the captain of his own ship and his brother is a member of the Northern Fleet as well.”

“That sounds like more than a few minutes of conversation at a goods exchange!” Sean cut in sharply.

Armando tapped his stylus on the table nervously, “We may have gone for drinks a couple of times. Nothing more than that, I swear!”

“Why didn’t you say anything before now?” Moira looked baffled, “Were you ever going to say anything?”

“Yes, of course I was. But I didn’t want to get him into trouble with the Admiral over a few nights out,” Armando placated her ire.

Moira looked them over with a gimlet eye, “I’m very disappointed in both of you. Is there some mind control device that Federation is using to make you forget your loyalties to your own kind?!” she slapped her hand on the table for emphasis.

“Of course not!”

“Alex wouldn’t do that!”

Charles and Armando said at the same time before sharing a sheepish glance.

Moira was livid, her own team was tearing itself apart at the seams, how was it that Sean was the only one in her corner on this?

Charles and Armando were whispering amongst themselves while Sean leaned in, trying valiantly to eavesdrop.

This was getting ridiculous, “Dr. Xavier, Agent Munoz,” she began firmly.

“What if I didn’t go alone?” Charles cut her off abruptly.

“What?” She was thrown by the sudden subject change.

“What if Agent Munoz went up as well? He’s a trained agent, I’m sure Admiral Lehnsherr and Captain Summers will agree,” Charles suggested hesitantly.

Moira wanted to refuse, to put her foot down and keep them both safe on Earth, but she knew when things were beyond her control, and this was definitely one of those things.

“Set up a meeting with them and we’ll discuss logistics,” she said wearily. Her phone chirped, notifying her that it was nearly time for her to present her report to the higher ups.

 “This meeting is adjourned; Sean will help me with my presentation. You two, talk to your contacts. I want to know exactly where you’ll be going and for how long you’ll be gone.”

They both looked guiltily relieved as they quickly collected their things and made their way out the door, she sank back into her seat with a sigh. She opened her eyes to a concerned Sean looking her over.

“What are we going to do, now?” he asked helplessly.

“I don’t know,” she replied truthfully. “I think we just have to let this play out.”

~~

“You said we could go planet side! I didn’t make trouble or end up on the news; we didn’t talk about the mission or anything like that. We just…talked.” He stood at attention, hands clasped firmly behind his back, staring straight ahead. He’d been repeating versions of this answer since Charles had come to Erik and asked him about brining an agent along on his tour of the ship.

Erik glared at Captain Summers. He would call him his less favorite Summers but he hated them both equally. One for his smug superiority and the other for his bullheadedness. Which was exactly the issue on display.

Erik was livid; he hadn’t blinked in nearly an hour. He paced to stand just in front of Captain Summers where he’d been standing since Erik summoned him to his quarters for a dressing down. “You take him to your ship and show him around. Show him a nice time and let him speak to his people whenever he likes. Let him leave whenever he likes. Treat him as an honored guest, he’s a friend of the ambassador and I won’t hear of anything happening to him. Understood.” It wasn’t a question.

Summers flinched. “Yes, sir.”

Erik bared his teeth at the shorter man, “Dismissed.” He watched as the captain fled his quarters as quickly as he could while maintaining a sense of dignity.

Erik frowned; it was sheer blind luck that Summers hadn’t spilled about their purpose to his ‘friend’ during their ‘talks’.  Charles was due to arrive the following day for his mush anticipated tour.

Erik would have liked a bit more time to show him around and immerse him in Federation life, but perhaps it was better this way. The next time he saw Charles, he’d have to tell him everything.

In spite of his concerns over how their conversation would go, Erik was more than ready to have Charles on his ship. He was eager to finally have his mate at his side where he belonged.

~~

Charles was incredibly nervous about his trip to the ship. His feelings were a jumble, he was mostly excitement, but there was a great deal of fear too. They had only been back for three days and he missed the Admiral like they’d been separated for a year.

Charles had poured his heart out to Albert who had been overjoyed to see him and had lightly clawed his arms in welcome. They had gone over every moment of his time with Erik that had seemed even mildly flirtatious and come to a thrilling conclusion. There was some hope that Erik liked him more than a friend.

 They were currently snuggled together in Moira’s guest bedroom while she held a conference call in the dining room downstairs.

“So then you agree?” he asked his little cat as he scratched beneath his chin. Albert purred happily, eyes squinted shut in ecstasy.

Charles took that as agreement, the next time he saw Erik alone, he was going to kiss him. It was a terrifying prospect, who knew how the other man would react? But Charles couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t even try.

“We’ll just have to hope for the best,” he told Albert firmly, trying to quiet the butterflies in his tummy. Albert mewled.