Charles had a cat.
That should really not have been the first thing he had noticed when they entered the mansion, but it was. The grey cat bounded over to them as soon as the door opened, mewling for attention. Raven immediately cooed, lifting the small creature and petting it. "Oh, Dante. Did you miss us?" She said softly, and to his surprise, she immediately changed back to her blue form.
Charles smiled and moved to pet the cat as well. The cat purred and leaned into the professor's touch. "You have a cat?" Sean asked and walked closer to see the it. The cat stared at him, tilting it's head.
Charles smiled, shaking his head lightly. "Dante's much more than just a cat, Sean..." He said quietly. Sean looked confused, but didn't push it. Erik gave Charles a quizzical look. He hadn't expected Charles to be so sentimental about an animal. Any way you looked at it, Dante was just a cat. Charles looked back over at Erik, his smile faltering. I'll explain it later. Erik heard him in his head and frowned. He didn't think it needed explaining, but okay.
Raven let Dante curl up around her shoulder as she walked further into the mansion. "Well guys, we've still got a tour to do!" She said happily, running her hand through the cat's short fur. Alex sighed and shook his head, smiling lightly. They followed her down a hallway.
Charles stayed back for a few moments, his smile fading. "Don't mention it to the others, but Dante really is more than he seems. He's done so much for my family." He said softly, walking in the direction the others had gone. Erik stared at him, confused. What could a cat possibly do? He sighed and followed after Charles. He'd get more answers later.
After the rather long tour, everyone was left to choose a room. Raven had left Dante alone to wander the halls again. He didn't know where the others were, as he had decided to choose a room almost on the complete other side of the mansion. He'd only seen the cat since he had left to find a room. He eventually decided on a simple room by the stairs. It was good enough, with nothing more than a dresser and a bed inside it. Probably a guest room of some sort.
"Have you decided on a room, Erik?" A voice asked behind him. He turned to see Charles smiling at him, walking over to stand beside the taller man. Erik cleared his throat and nodded. Charles hummed in response, nodding his head. "Dante's room is just across from you, and mine is just three doors down." He said, amusement in his tone.
Erik raised an eyebrow, "Your cat has it's own room." It wasn't a question; more like a statement. Then again, he was a rich man with a giant home. Of course his cat had it's own room.
Charles shook his head, continuing to smile. "Really, Erik, Dante isn't just a cat. Hopefully, he'll warm up to you enough to show you that." He said, patting his friend on the shoulder. He walked away, down the hallway to what Erik guessed was his room. He sighed. What the hell was up with him? Was he really talking about a cat as if it was a person?
He froze as he heard a mewl behind him. He looked down to see Dante staring up at him, head tilted. Erik frowned, stepping into his room. "... I don't like cats." It was directed at the cat, but the cat just continued to stare back at him. He shook his head and shut the door. He paused beside the door, taking a deep breath before walking over to the dresser with his luggage. He didn't know if it was just Charles' words getting to him, but that cat was truly odd.
The next morning, Erik woke to the smell of food. He yawned and shifted in his bed. It was a long night, to say the least. He hadn't had nightmares, no, but he couldn't stay asleep for more than a couple hours at a time. He was far too awake. He took his time getting out of bed and dressed. When he looked down at his watch, it was only seven in the morning. Who was even up at that time, making breakfast?
He made his way downstairs, taking a left to the kitchen. He could hear light laughter coming from inside. As he entered, he saw Raven and the damned cat at the center island. Raven was smiling down at him, holding a fork full of eggs. She looked up when Erik entered, smiling. "Morning! Dante made breakfast." She said happily, taking a bite of the eggs.
Erik frowned, staring at the blue woman with annoyance. How the hell could a cat make breakfast?! He sighed and walked to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup. Raven hummed lightly, running her hand against Dante's back. Erik stared at them, leaning against the kitchen counter. Raven looked at ease, in her own skin. She looked over at him and frowned, "Something wrong?" She asked calmly.
Erik smiled into his cup before setting it down beside him. "No, nothing is wrong... You just seem a lot more at ease here." He said, crossing his arms.
She blinked, staring at him in surprise before smiling. She huffed out a breath and looked back at Dante. The cat had sat up now, staring over at Erik. "Having Dante back helps, I guess. He doesn't like when I'm not blue." She replied, her voice calm and gentle. "Its definitely not because we're here. Honestly, I was expecting never to come back here."
He raised an eyebrow, a small smile coming across his face. Raven smiled and shook her head at him, "What? It's true." She said. Erik couldn't tell why exactly, but she was hiding something. She didn't want to delve deeper into that subject, in fear of saying too much. Maybe it had something to do with Charles? He had to admit, despite everything, he didn't know a lot about his friend.
"Morning..." A voice yawned from the entryway. Erik looked over to see Alex stumbling in, eyes half closed as he sat down across from Raven. Raven smiled and said good morning back to him, sliding a plate of warm food in his direction. Sean came walking in shortly after. Erik took that as his cue to leave. He didn't particularly enjoy being in a room with everyone for long periods of time. As he turned to wander the halls, he saw Dante in the corner of his eye. The cat was walking towards the stairs slowly, his tail flicking back and forth. He frowned, turning and walking away. It was just a cat.
Charles hadn't gone to breakfast, Erik learned later that day. When he asked Raven why, she said he never ate breakfast. This made him frown, and for Raven to tell him to stop worrying or he'd have a permanent frown. He ignored her and decided to go find Charles on his own. It didn't take long, though. A few minutes of wandering and he found Charles sitting quietly in the study, staring off into space.
And the damned cat was sitting in his lap.
He held back a groan. It'd been hardly two days, and he was already tired of see that cat everywhere. He stuck to Raven and Charles like glue. Erik slowly walked over to the doorway, leaning against it. Charles' eyes were closed, his head rested on one hand and the other on Dante. The cat looked up at Erik, but made no noise. Just stared. Erik stared back for a moment before taking a deep breath, "Charles?" He said quietly.
"Yes, Erik?" The man replied, not opening his eyes. He looked calm, there. Much calmer than he had before.
"Are you aware it's already passed eleven? You missed breakfast."
Charles smiled, his eyes opening slowly. He stared up at at Erik with bright blue orbs. "Is it really? I seemed to have lost track of time..." He mumbled, shifting slightly in his seat. Dante mewed and leaped off his lap, settling back down on top of the desk. "But, it's nothing to worry about too much; I rarely eat breakfast, to be honest. An old habit of not wanting to converse with my family, I'm afraid." He mumbled, sitting more upright. "Were you worried about me?" He mused.
Erik rolled his eyes, snorting lightly. "You're a grown man; you hardly need someone to make sure you're eating right. That's your own job." He said softly, a small smile on his face. "You looked comfortable like that."
"Hm?" He blinked, looking over at Dante. He sighed contently, "... Dante has that effect on me, I suppose. A steady constant in this wretched place." He spoke softly, staring at Dante with every word.
"Raven said something quite similar to that." He mused, staring over at the grey feline.
Charles hummed and nodded, "I'd expect as much. We both grew up with him, after all. Though, when we saw him transform it gave us quite the fright. Hadn't really been expecting a cat to be a mutant." He sighed.
Erik stared at him in complete shock. He had definitely not been expecting that. "Are you serious?" He asked in disbelief. So Raven and Charles weren't just being sentimental about a stupid cat?
Charles laughed, looking at his friend in amusement. "Hard to believe, isn't it? We've only seen Dante's human form a handful of times, but it's most definitely true. He can turn into an array of animals; I find that it's quite similar to Raven's abilities." He grinned, huffing out a breath. "I apologize, but I must ask you not to say anything to the others. I'm only telling you, because I trust you enough to not ask further questions." His features became more serious as he looked at Erik. "Dante will show them himself when he's ready." He said.
Erik sighed, shaking his head at Charles. "... Okay." He replied. He didn't what to say besides that. He just learned Charles' cat wasn't even an actual cat and for whatever reason, didn't like being in his human form? It was odd, to say the least. Charles smiled at him, humming softly. Erik turned and walked out, taking a deep breath. He couldn't help but smile slightly. Another mutant in this giant mansion. At least it made sense that he had his own room now.
Erik was walking to his room after dinner. He could hear the faint laughter of Raven and Charles down the hall. Probably in Charles' room. He sighed and grabbed the door knob, pausing when he heard a mewl. He turned slowly and saw the damned cat standing right behind him. He frowned, staring down at him. Dante simpled mewled again, rubbing his head against Erik's leg.
Erik's leg twitched, lighting nudging the cat away. "What do you want?" He asked quietly. The cat stared at him for a moment before turning and walking across the hall. Erik watched curiously as he scratched at the closed door.
Right. Dante lived across the hall from him. And he was still a cat. He sighed and walked slowly over, opening the door for the creature. The cat immediately hurried into the room. He tried to see inside, but the room was far too dim to see much of anything. He saw a bed, covered in what looked like blankets. There was nothing on the floor, from what he could see. He almost wanted to look further, but something was suddenly pushing against the door.
He took a step back and the door shut immediately. He stared at the closed door for a moment, then turned to walk back to his own room. He stepped inside without a word.
A/N: :D! Oh hey I'm actually doing something for once.
And it's X-Men, and it has one of my OC's in it.
This entire idea came up when one of my friends asked what it would be like if Charles had a pet, but she was thinking of a dog. But, no matter what, I think Charles would prefer a cat. Something to laze about on his lap during lectures and give him cheek nuzzles when he's feeling down.
Dante isn't really a pet, but he definitely prefers being a cat. No responsibilities, and he can do what he wants. He has a twin sister named Anna, and his parents are Skylar and Ruth. They live in downtown New York.
I hope you guys will enjoy Dante, and this story. Most things will be in Erik perspective, for now. And then majority of the time in Charles', after Cuba.