It was strange, but not all that unbelievable. Ten years in isolation and solitary confinement could do that to a person. Charles wasn't all that keen on it, but Erik's problem was getting a trifle out of hand. After they had broken him out of prison, Erik had been finding nonchalant ways to have contact with other human beings. The problem was that it was happening more frequently than was usual for a human being, especially Erik, and it was beginning to get on everyone's nerves. He would pretend to brush things off of people, or poke them to get them to look at something, and after a while in the small rental car, everyone involved was highly irritated, except for Peter, who had been talking a mile a minute the whole way. Between the two, everyone in the car was going crazy. Charles could tell Erik didn't like his new weakness, even without his powers. He knew he had do something about it, and without his powers there was no way to privately talk to him about it, or suppress the mental state that caused it. So, begrudgingly, he looked him in the eye and picked up his hand in his own. Erik's eyes lit up with confusion, awe, and gratitude. Charles just sighed and linked their hands together. He pretended not to notice when Erik started rubbing circles on his hand with his thumb, anxious for it all to be over. He closed his eyes and mused about the future that Logan had supposedly come from, and how in the world he and Erik managed to get along there.

He woke in unpleasant circumstances, Erik sleeping next to him, their hands still linked, and Peter grinning like an idiot with a large Polaroid camera spitting out a newly developed image. Logan looked irritated and concerned about everyone's mental status, and Hank was shifting uncomfortably in the driver's chair. The only thing that could have made it worse would have been if Erik had then regained consciousness. Quickly Charles took the picture and the camera and made everyone in the car whisper a vow to never mention it again. Hank assured him he would never, quickly and rather bashfully, Peter gave a not very convincing promise, as well as conveyed his hurt that Charles had taken his camera, and Logan just snorted. Not promising. Unfortunately, he was afraid that moving his hand from Erik's would wake him up, and that was the last thing he wanted. So he made sure both the camera and the picture were out of Peter's reach before drifting back to sleep. Next he awoke, Erik was staring out the window at the Xavier plane, pretending nothing had ever happened.

After the incident with the president, Charles had returned home with Hank in an attempt to restart the school, and unpacked his clothes. As he shook them out to make sure he hadn't left anything in them, a piece of white paper fluttered to the ground. He leaned over to pick it up from his wheelchair and saw the picture; he and Erik were fast asleep, heads against the top of the chair, hands intertwined. He was still angry at him for everything that had happened, but he remembered seeing himself in Logan's mind in the future and seeing Erik as well, looking out for his older self. He wanted really badly to throw the picture out, but couldn't bring himself to do it. He ended up taking the picture and putting it on a table, next to the picture of Raven he always kept there.

Erik came to visit Charles after that. He had come without his helmet, even though Charles could tell he was terrified of what he could do to him. As an undercurrent though, he could feel his remorse and self-loathing, which led him to believe this was truly Erik, and not "Magneto," or so he called himself. That and the fact that he had come alone in the middle of the night. Erik waited at the gate for permission to come in. Charles granted him that of course, and told him not to bother with anyone else. He did as he was told, and strangely, no one noticed his presence, not that there were many people up at that time. "That's a nice trick Charles," he thought to the telepath. There was no response. Erik finally made his way to Charles' bedroom, and let himself in using his hand and not his powers. Charles was in his bed smiling weakly in the moonlight. "Yes Erik?"

"I just wanted to check on you, see how the school was coming."

"Well," he said, with an undercurrent of, "No thanks to you," that was said neither out loud or telepathically, but there nonetheless.

"Good. Fancy a game of chess?"

"Erik it's two in the morning and I actually have a job."

Erik shifted uncomfortably as if he wasn't really sure what to do. Charles sighed, "Fine Erik, but only one game and try to speed it up, I have to teach tomorrow." Erik flashed his famous grin and immediately went to get the chess set from the table. He saw how the dust had gathered since the last time they had used it, and noticed that Charles hadn't moved any of the pieces. One last pang of guilt surged through his body and struck his soul as he saw the picture on the table, next to one of Raven as a young girl. He picked it up and ran his fingers across it, stopping and staring as he saw himself and Charles sleeping in that godforsaken rental car, their hand intertwined like nothing had happened in the entire world. He glanced back at Charles, who had hoisted himself up to a seated position and was looking at him sadly, with a conflicted smile on his face. "When… when was this taken? Who?"

"Peter, in that rental after we… erm… helped you escape prison."

Erik had a sort of pained expression on his face and nodded his head. "Oh." He then gently gathered the chess pieces in his arms, blew the dust off the board, and brought them all to where Charles was sitting on the bed. He sat opposite him and began to set up the chess pieces, white facing Charles as always. Charles chuckled lightly, and Erik looked up confused. "What?"

"Nothing."

"No, I want to know."

"Fine, it's just that you remember all the little things and it's like you care, but then you abandon me when it comes to the big things. Just being frank, sorry."

"No, no, you're right. I just can't agree with you on most of the big things, but I do care, I do." Charles smiled at him and moved his bishop forward in either a daring or stupid move, Erik couldn't tell. "My friend, just know; if you ever change your mind, you're always welcome here." Charles could feel "I know," quietly and sadly resounding in Erik's mind. The rest of the game was silent, both audibly and telepathically. By three thirty they had completed their chess game and Erik was putting the board and pieces back when he heard Charles rustling around slightly on his bed. "Erik?"

"Yes?'

"Would you… um… stay… until I fall back asleep?" He was sure it sounded stupid and childish and lonely and he could literally feel his face getting red with embarrassment. Erik had just looked at the photograph, saw how Charles had been there for him even then, and knew he couldn't say no. So he just walked over to the bed and climbed in next to him, pulling the covers up and over them both. Charles felt a rush of relief as Erik walked over, and also a heavy wave of sadness. But Erik just turned over and sighed. "Goodnight Charles."

"Goodnight Erik."