Erik is a soldier; Charles is just your common kid up for marriage claims. The had been best friends before they found their place in the society. When Erik goes back to his home town after the war ended and finds out his best friend has come of age to be married off.
Erik; 10: Charles; 8:
Erik sat alone in the park. The rest of his class off playing together. None of the others seemed to like him much. So alone he sat on the bench farthest away from the play-ground. He glanced up when someone sat next to him. This boy was a few years younger than Erik, but he had soft happy grey blue eyes and soft curly dark brown hair. Freckles dusted over his cheeks.
"Hello, I didn't mean to invade your personal space, but you seemed lonely and sad. I'm Charles. Will you be my friend?" The boy with an extremely soft voice asked. Erik couldn't help but smile. "I'm Erik. Do you want to go play on the swings?" Erik asked. Charles nodded and pulled Erik toward the lone swings closest to them. Erik smiled and sat next to Charles on the swings. He finally made a friend.
The two sat and swung till the end of class and found that they shared all the same classes. They sat by one another and talked animatedly. The teacher didn't even yell when they began to ignore her, she just smiled and let them be. When class ended Erik and Charles waited for their parents. Erik's came first, He happily introduced Charles to them and they took to him well.
Things would go the same every day, every year. They would swing, had every class and would wait with one another, Until Erik turned eighteen.
Erik; 18: Charles; 16:
Erik had to say goodbye to Charles. He had been drafted. When he was gone Charles had cried. He never left the house and always had his sister do the shopping. He left once, to find out if he was a dominant or submissive. He wasn't drafted because he was a submissive. He was a beta.
Erik; 24: Charles; 22:
Many men had come and gone trying to get Charles out of the house and into a marriage. But each one left disappointed. From the rumors that spread about Charles was an ugly thing with a bad smell. When Charles heard them he had had enough. He dressed up, let his hair soften and stepped outside with his sister. They slowly began to make their way to the market. He missed Erik terribly. He had fallen in love with his best and only friend.
Charles walked into a stall with laces and cloth. "I'll take one of each." He stated and held out a pouch. The man took the pouch and three coins before handing the coin purse and fabrics back to the Beta. Charles wore a long pale blue dress that had a black flower print lace covering the top. The straps were thin and silver. The bottom of the dress was embroidered with pearls and gems that were sewed into a phoenix.
His shoes were silver sandals and he wore an orange and yellow lily in his hair. Its colors contrasting largely with his eyes and dress, yet going perfectly with the outfit. He held the fabrics out to inspect them and smiled. "Perfect!" He said softly and set the fabrics into the woven basket he and his sister used. As they made their way through the market a loud uproar came from the tracks. He and raven looked over toward the train tracks. Soldiers were piling off. "The war ended…" They overheard and watched raven gasped and left Charles side to quickly attack her fiancée. His name, Hank McCoy. He smiled and spun her around in a circle. He smile was large and happy. They kissed repeatedly.
Charles walked up to the two and gave Hank a quick friendly hug. "Your rooms still clean in the house you know." Charles said into his ear. "But if it's not up to par, you could always share with my sister. I'm sure she wouldn't complain." Charles said and hank blushed. Charles laughed and raven kissed him again.
Charles turned back toward the train just as his friend stepped off. Erik was much taller than Charles remembered. But he didn't care. He set the basket down and yelled "ERIK!" Before he took off and jumped up to hug his best friend. Erik laughed and spun Charles around multiple times as his army buddies all looked on in awe. "I'm so glad you made it home safe!" Charles cried into his shoulder.
In an instant Charles had pulled away from Erik and beamed. "I think a feast of home cooking is in order!" Charles almost shouted. Raven and hank grinned and picked up the basket. Charles picked up Erik's things and dashed away madly while Erik and raven caught up. Charles dusted out Eriks old room and hanks and packed their things away nicely.
He never noticed when Hank came in. He was too happy and preoccupied to care. "Charles." Hanks voice startled Charles who jumped slightly. He turned to Hank who had a soft smile on his face. "When were you two going to tell me and Erik?" Hank asked and Charles looked confused. "About you becoming a beta, and locking yourself away… Raven said today was the first time since you found out that you've left the house." Hank sighed and Charles looked away with a sigh.
"Because, I don't want to be ogled. Or treated like a delicate flower. I studied, I learned to cook, clean, heal, and defend. Then I hid away. Because I would, couldn't face the world just yet. I had a feeling today would be a good time to get out. I was right. Now if you don't mind i-""Raven said you cried for months when Erik left because you thought he wouldn't come back and that you loved him with all your heart…" Hank interrupted with a smirk. Charles growled.
"Yes, thinking I'd lose the only person I ever loved and my best friend on would sob… But I got over it. Did raven tell you half the time I was locked up I was deathly ill?" Charles spat and Hank nodded. "She did, Erik doesn't know, by the way. Just curious. And I think raven burned the soup." Hank added.
"DAMN!" Charles cursed and dashed down to the kitchen where he shoved raven out of the kitchen and locked the door. "No burning the food." He had growled and muttered to himself. When the soup was officially done, Charles had finished the roast and potatoes. He unlocked the door and raven began to set the table. When everything was set the food was brought out and everyone sat. "Please tell me we can just dig in…" Hank groaned and Erik nodded. Raven and Charles shared a look of understanding and nodded to the two and watched as they basically devoured the entire table. Raven watched on in awe, horror and love as Charles beamed proudly as he ate.
"I guess they will probably have enough room for dessert?" Charles whispered to Raven who nodded. Charles cleared his plate and quickly left the room. Erik stared after him a moment. "Doesn't he have a husband yet?" Erik eventually asked and Raven choked. "No, he doesn't. It's not that they haven't come and offered, he just didn't find any of them suitable." She said quickly at the slight narrow of Erik's eyes. He let out a sigh. "Charles lost his first love; he has really recovered from it." Raven said softly.
Erik's eyes shot up to her immediately. Charles took that moment to return with a platter of cakes and pies. "Desert!" he chimed and smiled happily at them. Erik grinned hank began to drool and raven looked as if she wanted to bang her head against the wall. Charles set multiple plates in front of the two boys who almost instantly had it gone before raven took her plate.
Charles smiled. "How was everything?" He asked and the silence that greeted was unnerving. Finally Hank let out a soft purr of satisfaction. "It was amazing." Erik pretty much moaned out and Charles smiled very brightly. "Great!" He said and clapped. "Now then how about we go to the living room, put a movie in and relax the rest of the night?" Charles asked and received happy nods.
When they all got situated in the living room with the movie playing Raven and Hank moved slightly so raven could lay against Hanks chest and soon drifted off to sleep. "Charles, can I ask you something?" Erik asked softly. Charles nodded. "Why don't you have a husband?" Erik asked and Charles looked down. "Because, my heart belongs to one person. Whom I don't know is still here." Charles said sadly and curled up in a small ball.
Erik's heart clenched at that. He had felt horrible when he left Charles. Charles had fallen in love. "You know who I love, you met them before, knew them longer than me." Charles said and Erik was confused. "What do you mean?" Erik asked. Charles slid away. "Nothing, watch the movie." Charles said his tone soft and sad.
Erik couldn't take it, he'd missed Charles so much, and he thought about what he was going to do for so long. He slid to the ground infront of Charles and took his hands. "Charles look at me. I need to ask you something very important." Charles eyes met Erik's and Erik gently rubbed a circle into the back of Charles hands. He let go of one hand and took out a small case. He held it up to Charles and opened it.
"Charles Frances Xaiver. Will do the honor of being my bride, now and in eternity?" Erik asked and heard a soft squeal from the couch near hank. Charles looked very put out and shocked. Erik felt his heart begin to slowly sink until a very bright smile split Charles face. "YES! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!" Charles chanted and kissed all over Erik's face. By the time Erik finally placed the ring on Charles finger he was covered in kisses. Erik was grinning and Charles was hugging him. Raven was gushing and Hank was trying not to cry.
Five months later Erik and Charles were married. Their wedding was large, Erik made many new friends in the army, and Charles had a few other beta friends who fell in love and got married in a tri wedding. Hank and Raven married and had three kids, Scott, Alex, and Sean. Erik and Charles had two kids. Emma and Jean.