Cosmic Kiss

Erik loved physical things. Most of his possessions were digital or easily changed, like the furnishings in their quarters. He hadn’t known what he was missing until Charles gave him his camera. The developed pictures were smooth and cool under his hands.

Real.

They were sorting through the pictures of their trip with Charles showing him how to slide the delicate pages into albums and picture frames. He’d declared the practice ‘a bit old fashioned but very sweet’.”

Erik took that as a positive. They had selected a few to send to his parents upon their request. Charles had somehow managed to find five where Erik was actually smiling. His parents would think he had been body snatched.

“Is that a real thing?” Charles had asked, aghast when Erik referenced one of the many invasion movies they’d watched since their trip began.

“Yes, but it’s frowned upon.”

“Frowned upon? I hope that’s an understatement.”

“It’s deeply unsettling."

Charles shuddered, "I hope I never have to experience it."

“You won’t. Only a fool would try and control a telepath, especially one of your strength.”

Charles blushed, pleased at the compliment. “Well, I’ll look after you too,” he said cheekily, leaning in to press a quick kiss to Erik’s thin lips.

Erik pulled him back for a deeper kiss, startling a laugh out of his mate, “See that you do.”

~~

“The governors system is not popular. To say the least,” Moira said wearily.

“What have planetary aggression levels been since Erik’s decree?”

“19% on average for the week.”

“Hey! That’s an improvement.”

“This is embarrassing. Genoshians are going to think we’re barbarians.”

“To them we are,” he said, ever the pragmatist.

“Not helping, Sean.”

“Raven says-”

“Raven?” she cut him off sharply.

“Yeah, one of the twins? But with the long hair and no baby.”

“I know who Raven is, Sean. I didn’t know you’d made friends with any of the Genoshians,” she explained stiffly.

“Of course I have. They’re real live aliens and super chill. You haven’t been friendly with any of them?” he asked, seeming genuinely surprised.

“Only professional. You know that most of my time is spent dealing with politicians from home.”

He grimaced at that. “Yeah, they waste so much of your time. You haven’t even gotten to explore the ship on your own.”

“I’ve toured each ship present,” she reminded him.

Sean wasn’t impressed, “that’s something I guess.”

“You explore on your own?”

“Not really, but with my friends. Raven, Mystique, Hank. Not so much Azazel, he kind of freaks me out to tell you the truth. But Alex is a cool guy.”

“That’s great, Sean.” She said honestly.

“Yeah. Hey. Why don’t you take a break and we’ll go for a walk? Get lost for a little while? This ship is like a maze with no clues.” He laughed.

“I-” She really shouldn’t. There were so many good reasons not too and only one reason-spending some down time with Cassidy-to go. “I’d like that. Give me a minute.”

He smiled and gave her a look that warmed her to her toes, “take all the time you need.”

~~

“You said problems arise from lying.” His father frowned.

“Yes. Hopefully you haven’t lied to mama in a long while,” Erik said firmly. He and his father were having one of their rare private conversations over video chat.

“I haven’t and never intentionally,” he said flatly.

Erik more than understood. “You mean lies of omission?”

“Yes.”

“Unfortunately those almost count more than actual lies.”

His father flattened his lips irritably, “So I’ve learned. How is a ‘surprise’ not a lie?”

Erik sighed, “I don’t know, but Charles assures me that it isn’t.”

Jakob looked as unconvinced as Erik felt. “Just try it. Plan the trip and tell her you’re coming to visit me to meet Charles and see my new colony. Instead jump to Derria.
She’ll be pleased.”

“Really? Derria. Would that have made all the difference?” he said softly, more to himself than to Erik.

He continued on. “Besides, it won’t be a lie. After you’re done there, you will be coming to the fleet so it’s not a lie.”

His father frowned. “More like a detour.”

“Exactly.”

“I hope your mate knows what he’s talking about,” he said grimly.

“He’s very good at things like this. He sniffed Shaw out in a minute.”

“Good. I’ve been studying humans. They’re a very weak race. Shaw could crush him accidently.”

“We’re staying well away. Charles knows why.”

“Good. Stay safe out there. We’ll meet you and your mate after your mothers’…’surprise.’ He frowned deeply at the word.

Erik almost wished he could be there to see how it all turned out. but his parents bond was their own, and his father had to make up for his misdeeds alone. “Good luck.” He’d need it.

~~

“Moira? What’s wrong?” Armando asked, having been summoned for an unscheduled meeting in her quarters.

“Sean-I we kissed.” She blurted out anxiously.

He laughed brightly. “It’s about time!”

“What?”

“He’s been in love with you forever now! Don’t tell me you hadn’t noticed?”

She bit her lower lip and looked away. “I- figured he had a crush. I mean I’m so much older than he is.”

“Seven years isn’t that much. He’s got a good head on his shoulders and somehow I doubt he would have gotten anywhere near you if you didn’t want him to on some
level.”

Moira groaned, and buried her face in her hands, “I had a moment of weakness.”

Armando frowned, “what’s the problem here?”

“I’m his superior” she snapped. “It’s wrong on so many levels. I should recuse myself from this mission. I’ve allowed myself to be compromised.”

“You’re taking this a little far aren’t you? If you aren’t interested, just tell Sean, I’m sure he’ll back off and keep it professional. We’re all needed here, Moira. If anything we need more agents, not less.” He reminded her gently.

She sighed and pursed her lips.

Armando frowned, trying to figure out what she wasn’t telling him, “Moira, correct me if I’m wrong but have you developed feelings for Cassidy?”

“This is so irresponsible,” she groaned. “The future of mankind is resting on our shoulders! This is not the time for tawdry love affairs.”

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “It doesn’t have to be tawdry. If you two like each other, this may be the only chance you get.”

“Ever the voice of reason.” She said with a small smile.

“I try. Just talk to him, okay? Get this sorted out one way or the other so we can focus on the mission.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am,” he teased lightly.

She groaned and pushed her hair back nervously. “I’ll go now. Can you have Captain Summers check in with the Admiral? I’ve left Charles three messages and he hasn’t
responded.”

“That’s not unusual.”

She shrugged. “I know, but I worry.”

Armando nodded, “the Admiral always answers official hails so we should hear back by the time you’ve agreed to become Mrs. Cassidy.” He dodged her glare with a laugh and hurried out of the room, hoping his colleagues finally sorted themselves out and found a little happiness of their own.

~~

~~

~~

Erik woke from an artificial sleep. It was easy to tell from the slight tingling fading from his fingertips.

He was suppressed, unable to sense the magnetic field that held the very universe together. He had never known life without it. It was a jarring surreal absence like suddenly going blind in the middle of the day.

He snapped his eyes open and found he couldn’t lift his hands from waist level. His wrists and ankles were bound to the tilted medical bed he found himself in.

He was nude.

He schooled his thoughts and refused to panic. There were very few things that could have happened to them so deep in Federation Space.

Unfortunately none of them were good.

His primary concern was Charles. There was no sign of him in the medbay. At least Erik knew that he would feel his death through their bond, the other man was frightened but alive and well.

“Admiral,” Erik tensed fully as Shaw’s voice filled the room. He couldn’t see him but he felt the other man approach from behind the bed.

“What is the meaning of this?” he snapped, senses alert with fear of what Shaw had planned.

The other man came to stand next to the bed, directly in his line of sight. Erik tensed his muscles to stop himself from flinching away from his captor as Shaw placed a hand lightly on his upper thigh. He clinched his teeth, “What the hell are you doing? This violates every-”

“Rules. Rules. Rules,” Shaw cut in with a self satisfied smirk. He ran gentle fingers from Erik’s thigh to his knee and back again.

“Get your hand off me.”

“More rules, brother? More lines between us?” he laughed; a harsh disconcerting sound. “Those rules don’t apply to us anymore. I’ve finally reached a Resolution.” He stepped closer to Erik and loomed over him, eyes nearly obsidian with emotion. He placed a hand in the center of his chest, directly between his hearts.

Erik froze, terrified that he would press down and crush his chest with his super strength.

Shaw smiled, human, wide, and terrifying. “I won’t hurt you. Not intentionally.” He crooned. “You mean too much to me, you’re the final piece to the puzzle.” Shaw chuckled; his human affectations grew more disturbing by the moment.

“You were right not to think of me as a brother. I thought that was the pull I felt towards you. The desire to be accepted by my own kind. But that was never going to happen. Because I am one of a kind.” He tilted his head to one side and leaned in close over Erik, breath hot against his lips. “And you are my mate.”

Erik jolted in shock at his words, flinching as Shaw’s strength held him in place. “You’re insane, that’s impossible.”

Shaw continued like he hadn’t spoken. “Or you will be. We don’t need to keep questing for mates. There are quadrillions of Genoshians, with more of us born every day. All we need is each other.”

“You’ve done something to yourself. You want to carry my child.” Erik was terrified for Charles, afraid that Shaw would implant their child into himself for gestation and birth, killing both Charles and their child in the attempt.

“Oh, no no. You’re still thinking too small. You’re going to carry my child. I’ll even let your Charles live and bear your child. Only if you’re cooperative, of course.” He faded out slowly, eyes roving over Erik’s bare form. “You are a thing of true beauty. Our bond will only improve upon your perfection.”

Erik’s hearts thundered in his chest, the thought of Charles and their child being held captive to force him to submit to Shaw’s experiments caused him  to break out in a cold sweat.

A sign of terror in humans, a part of his mind noted, calmly detached from all of this.

He had to stop this and find Charles. He had to find a way to reason with Shaw who had continued his monologue.

“I couldn’t trust you to listen to my plans. To really understand them when you take any excuse to leave my presence. To think me an abomination.

“Let me up and we’ll discuss this civilly.”

“Not yet, but soon enough.” His eyes gleamed bright white. He was humming with contained energy and went into a full speech. “Erik. I come bearing great news. I have solved our greatest issue. The greatest issue to ever face the Federation. Our male problem. The problem of needing to look outside ourselves to find mates. That drive to complete ourselves by bonding with inferior species.

“That pull that lies to you all. But not to me. You’ve found your mate, as our fathers did so many years ago on Derria. That fateful pull that draws you to your mate. What you felt when you met the good Dr. Xavier. I felt for you. I’ve always known we were meant to be.” He chuckled.

“For a time during our adolescence I thought myself an abomination. I thought that perhaps being second born truly made me a monster, a beast drawn to my own kind. Then I met my father and he explained his research. And I understood. He made me pure. Have you never realized that those selfish bitches just don’t want to give birth to the best child they can? A pure child? Unburdened by sharing their energy?”

Erik tensed at the slight to his mother. To all of her kind.

“Don’t fret brother dear. I’ve done more than my father ever dreamed. I’ve been able to synthesize our bonding process. The mental, physical, and emotional changes that occur. That great mystery that no one has ever understood. There is no mystical component, Erik. Just cold, hard, science. At first I was livid to find that you’d found a mate. Of course by the time I arrived you had completed your bond. But no matter. It’s all worked itself out, hasn’t it?” He asked fondly.

Erik was horrified. “You can’t do this; you’ll be imprisoned for crimes against nature.”

Shaw chuckled warmly and toyed with Erik’s fingers, “I’ll be hailed as a hero. Especially when you bear us a daughter.”

“Even in other races there is no guarantee of daughters,” Erik said, trying to reach Shaw through his madness.

“We’ll just have to keep trying then, won’t we? We have all the time in the universe out here,” he leaned in to whisper into Erik’s ear. This time he couldn't hide his flinch.

Shaw sighed, irritated by his reaction. “You’ll come to appreciate me with time, my dear mate. Unfortunately we don’t have much time right now. You’re missing, you see and I’m going to have half my fleet out searching the Federation for you.”

“And what? You think no one will wonder about your whereabouts? No one will ask where I’ve been all this time when you bring me back as your mate?” Erik tried to reason with him once more.

“All in service to science my dear. I will solve the greatest problem of our people. They will be forced to recognize my genius. They will marvel at our bond. They will love me and my family name – he grasped Erik’s chin in a bruising grip and forced him to look into his eyes- our family name will be redeemed.”

Erik was shaking, “Shaw.”

“None of that. It’s time for your medicine. You’ll be begging me to touch you soon enough,” he said, wide eyed with excitement.

He brought over a teal patch that Erik recognized as a popular party drug/aphrodisiac. “This will help you accept us faster. He quickly pressed it to Erik’s upper arm and placed a gentle kiss over top. “I’ve waited so long for this. Only a few minutes more,” he whispered heatedly.

He moved out of Erik’s sight. He could feel the medicine coursing through his body, soothing his mind and filling him with warmth. He tried to fight the effects as he heard Shaw clattering around just behind him.

~Erik? Erik? Where are you?~ he heard Charles’ voice frighteningly loud in his mind. He managed not to startle and alert their captor of this development.

~Charles, are you alright? Are you safe? Did he hurt you?~

~I’m fine. I’m oh my god, you have to get out of there! He’s got a syringe!~ Charles practically screamed into his mind.

~I’m suppressed and I can’t break the bonds~ he admitted, humiliated by his own inability to protect his family from this madman.

~Erik, he wants to change you! Bond with you!~

~I know, he won’t listen to reason. Promise you won’t watch~

~Erik!~

~Promise~

Charles fell silent in his mind just as Shaw made his way back over. “How are you feeling? More relaxed? Ready for the rest of our lives?” he asked softly, leaning over Erik, holding a slender syringe filled with lavender fluid. He gripped his arm tightly and chose an injection site. “Take a deep breath and don’t look.” He said playfully, what doctors told frightened children. Erik felt sick to his stomach, entirely powerless in his grasp.

“Sebastian, please,” he begged, past dignity. The other man froze in place at his words and for a moment Erik thought he had gotten through to him, but Shaw didn’t reanimate. He was a still as a statue.

“Shaw? Sebastian?” No response. Minutes that felt like hours slowly ticked by.

The aphrodisiac pounding through him, making it harder for him to concentrate. He couldn’t, for the life of him figure out what was going on.

Then Charles walked into the room like a vision, fingers pressed to his temple, trembling with effort.

"Let go of him.” He said firmly.

Shaw did.

“Step back against the wall.”

Shaw obeyed.

“Go to sleep.”

Shaw collapsed, the syringe fell to the floor and rolled against the wall.

Charles relaxed with a sigh, shaking from the effort of controlling their captor. He rushed to Erik’s side. “Are you alright? I’m sorry it took so long, I had to find the code to my quarters in his mind!” he hurried to undo the shackles binding Erik to the bed.

“I’m fine thanks to you.” He pulled his little mate into his arms and simply held him until he felt the smaller man tense. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Charles cleared his throat “Um, is that a fear response or..?”

Erik blushed and pulled back, tearing off what was left of the drug Shaw had dosed him with. “It’s an aphrodisiac. Shaw wanted me willing.” He explained angrily.

Charles was livid. “Drugging someone doesn’t make them willing.”

“Neither does it make them your mate,” Erik said grimly. “Come on. We need to suppress him and get back to Federation space as quickly as possible.

“We’ve been here long enough for both jump drives to have recharged. I saw it in his mind.”

“Excellent.” Erik hefted Shaw onto the table and strapped him in before slapping a dark red suppressant patch onto his neck. “That should hold him. Can you keep him under until we hail a fleet? This is his ship and I’d rather not fall for any nasty surprises he has programmed in.” He said gently.

“Of course,” Charles lifted a shaky hand to his temple and pressed Shaw deeper into unconsciousness.

Erik pulled on a white medical outfit he found in one of the cabinets lining the walls but remained barefoot. He took Charles’ trembling hands in his own. “Can you keep an eye on him from the bridge? I don’t want to leave you alone with him.”

He nodded, wide eyed and frightened. Erik was worried that he would fall into shock or hysteria the way he had after the induction ceremony. “Yes, I can.”

Erik took his hand and led him from the room, not looking back at the unconscious man bound to the table. Shaw was no longer a threat, and no longer his concern. They needed to get back to the safety of Federation space, then justice could take its course.