Title: You'll be in my heart
Author: Yas Snape
Verse: Movieverse
Pairing: Erik/Charles
Rating: G
Warnings: I don't think I have any warnings... Oh, yes, I have one. It's fluffiness all the way!
Summary: Acceptance.
Disclaimer: Marvel and 20th Century Fox own the characters, if they were mine they would be getting some on regular bases.
Notes: The song is from the Tarzan soundtrack. "You'll be in my heart" - Phil Collins
Word Count: 2.218
Many thanks to my beta, ethereal-vision. :-D
He didn't know where he was… It was dark; he was cold, hungry and hurt. He was so sore that his bones ached. The smell of that place was disgusting, he felt sick and threw up, not bothering to clean anything. All of a sudden he felt a punch on the back of his head and fell, having only enough time to keep his face from touching the hard floor and his own vomit.
"Get up pig! Clean this mess right now! Lick this floor until it is spotless!"
This man spoke German, but he could understand everything he was saying. He looked at his hands, now filthier than they had been and with some nasty cuts in them, and when he looked at his forearm all came to place. He suddenly remembered, he was in Auschwitz! This wasn't him, it was Erik, he was dreaming.
He had to do something to help Erik.
Come stop your crying
It will be all right
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I will protect you
from all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry
Finally he managed to enter Eric's dream without been noticed. The scenario had changed, noises came from everywhere, and Erik was curled up in the corner of the big, almost empty, building. He looked tired, hurt, so skinny, little and hopeless for 16 years old boy. Charles came closer and the boy looked hard at him and threw some kind of sharp metal at him. Charles stopped it in midair and dropped it on the floor. Now the little Eric looked at him with amazement on his face.
"Calm down boy, I'm here to help you, I won't hurt you… I'm like you."
Charles held out his hand to Erik. The boy was a little apprehensive at first, but took the hand and the embrace that was offered.
"That's it, calm down, it's going to be all right."
For one so small,
you seem so strong
My arms will hold you,
keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here
Don't you cry
Erik woke up with his face all wet, and he felt exhausted. Charles, knowing that Erik would wake, pretended to asleep. Erik knew better, but decided to play along.
"Charles, are you awake?"
Silence.
"Charles, please, wake up."
"What is it, Erik?"
"I had a nightmare… About Auschwitz…"
"Indeed…" Charles looked at Erik with curiosity.
"And what was exactly this dream about?"
"I don't know… Why don't you tell me, after all, you were there. Charles,"
Erik did not sound hopeless like he was in the dream, he sounded exasperated.
"How many times I told you not to come into my head without permission? You know I hate it and I think…"
"We've got mixed up while we were asleep, and when I realized it was your dream I woke up, but I couldn't let you suffer, so… I'm sorry." Charles sounded really sorry and found himself at a loss of words.
"I really don't know what to do with you…"
Erik began,
"You don't even let me finish my thoughts! Anyway, what I was going to say is that I really hate it when you do that, BUT I'm glad you did it this time."
Erik pulled Charles face closer and started to kiss him on every inch of flesh he could find, now fully aware of the lack of clothes on them and the instant response of their bodies.
"We have to go down for breakfast or people will start thinking we are two rabbits that can't keep our paws off of each other."
Charles said, trying to escape Erik's embrace.
"Aren't we?"
Erik replied with a mischievous grin.
"Oh, yes my dear, we are. But they don't need to know it, not for now anyway. C'mon let's go."
Erik let go with a disapproving sound and started to dress himself for breakfast.
'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart, always
The two men walked through the corridor of Charles' school. No, Erik corrected himself, their school, the one they had built together. Every student that passed them on the corridor bid a good morning to Charles, barely noticing Erik's presence.
"Charles, they're scared of me! They'll never accept me here… I don't know why I had this crazy idea in the first place."
Charles continued rolling down the corridor as if he hadn't heard a thing until his chair stopped moving.
"Don't pretend you're not listening to me!"
/Erik, this is hardly the time or place for us to discuss this. Let's have breakfast and after that we can discuss./
Charles felt his chair release and continued to roll himself to the elevator.
When they arrived at the staff room almost everyone stared at the strange pair.
/Great, just what I needed to start my day! A bunch of angry X-men shooting daggers with their eyes because they think I'm molesting their dear schoolmaster./
/They're certainly not thinking that, I mean, some of them are./
/Good! Should I enlighten them about who's molesting who/
Charles couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his throat.
"So professor, care to share with us the motive of your laughter?"
Charles looked at the blue man standing by the coffee machine. Hank had come back since Jean's death, almost 3 years ago. Erik had come to him about 6 months ago. He said he was tired of fighting, that he had been since their "daughter" had died, but he couldn't let go of the Brotherhood until Mystique's death. Charles remembered the urgent staff meeting he had called at 2 AM when he received the message that Erik would be arriving at any minute.
Why can't they understand
the way we feel
They just don't trust
what they can't explain
I know we're different but,
deep inside us
We're not that different at all
And you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more
"You can't be serious professor!"
Scott shouted,
"This is the man that almost killed every one of us! Jean is dead because of him!"
"No Scott, Jean is dead because she made a choice, and her choice was to save us, no matter what."
Charles replied patiently.
"Chuck, I have to agree with Mr. Laser here. How could you expect Rogue to live under the same roof of the guy that
tried to kill her?"
Logan said, looking at him as if he had completely lost it.
"Charles, you know I usually don't question your decisions, but I have to agree with Logan on this one."
Ororo added.
"Hank, is anything you want to say?"
"No Charles, I trust you."
"Now I can ask the person you were all so worried about…"
They all stared at the door as Rogue walked in rubbing the sleep off of her eyes.
"Did you call me, professor?"
She looked around and saw everyone there.
"Is everything all right? What's happening?"
"Calm down Marie, it's nothing serious."
They heard Scott muttering something.
"You call the arrival of that murderer 'nothing serious'."
"Murderer? What's he talking about professor?"
"Rogue, Erik has sent me a message telling me he's coming back to the school. As matter of fact, he should be arriving any minute now. I wanted to ask what your feelings are about this. Rogue, I want to remind you, if you say that you don't want him here I will send him away."
Don't listen to them
'Cause what do they know
We need each other,
to have, to hold
They'll see in time
I know
When destiny calls you
You must be strong
I may not be with you
But you've got to hold on
They'll see in time
I know
We'll show them together
Rogue only stared blankly at him. What should she do? She was not afraid of him; he hadn't meant to hurt her, at least not personally… She knew he thought he was doing a favor for all mutant kind, but she could read in Scott's expression he wasn't pleased about the situation.
Suddenly a wave of images, memories to be more precise, flooded her. They weren't her memories… Love, pain, care, tenderness, mistrust and anger started to battle inside of her, and then one of the memories came to focus.
It was morning at the mansion, many years ago, she saw a little red haired girl standing in front of the professor, and he could walk! She saw Magneto's figure leaning against the doorframe, observing Professor Xavier teach something to the girl.
"Very good, Jean. You're learning to control your powers very well. Someday you will be better than all of us."
The girl smiled and threw her arms around Xavier's neck hugging him tightly.
"I could never be better than you, daddy."
"Oh, is that so? So he is the only one with great powers AND the only one who receives a hug. I'm hurt."
This time Rogue saw that Erik was already standing at Professor Xavier's side and sounded amused and a little bit hurt, but a smile played on his lips. The girl let go of the Professor's neck, looked up at Erik's face, opened another huge smile and threw herself at him, just like she had done with Professor Xavier, but this time Erik pulled her up.
"I could never be better than any of my daddies. I love both of you too much, I could never have asked for better parents."
Rogue felt a wave of love stronger than anything she ever felt before, and it was coming from Erik.
"We love you too, my dear. Don't you ever doubt that. We'll always be with you."
Erik said hugging her tightly, like he would never let go.
"I won't."
Erik let go of Jean and turned to the Professor.
"Don't you dare keeping her studying all day, it's a beautiful day outside and we are having a picnic."
"All right, a picnic we shall have, but first we have to end this lesson, after that we have all day."
"Good."
Erik said. He looked at Charles and for one moment their eyes locked. He imagined himself kissing Charles and tracing a line on the other man's jaw with his finger.
/I love you./
/I love you too./ Replied Charles, giving a small squeeze on Erik's hand, that was resting at his shoulder. They heard giggles and something that sounded like Jean saying
"Awwww!"
Charles eyed her very carefully.
/It's very rude, you know. To read my thoughts or Mr. Lensherr's without our permission./
Erik looked at her trying to fight his own chuckles.
"Do stop giggling like a fool and finish your lesson or there'll be no picnic!"
'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on,
Now and forever more
Oh, you'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be in my heart, always
Always
Rogue came back to the present and sensed something tense on the air. When she managed to focus again she saw that Erik was already there and Scott looked like he could commit a cold blood murder and never feel any kind of regret. Erik was standing at the Professor's side, just like that day on her/his memory and she felt that same wave of love hit her again and started to cry… She had never had that.
"Hey kiddo, are you all right?"
Logan asked her.
"Well, it seems pretty clear to me that she doesn't want this guy here."
Scott said.
"No! "
She managed to talk.
"Wait…"
She started to walk towards Erik, stopped in front of him and looked up to him. He was tense, she could feel it, she didn't want him to feel uncomfortable at his own house, so she smiled at him.
"She never stopped loving you."
After a moment of tension Erik relaxed and understood what she was talking about.
"I didn't want to hurt you. I'm sorry."
"I know."
"So, I think this settled, he'll stay with us."
Charles stated with a smile playing on his lips.
/Welcome back, old friend./
/Thank you, love./
Rogue, the only one who noticed the looks they gave eachother, started to giggle and the only think she could say was
"Awww!"
Charles looked at the breakfast table, Erik was already seated and engaged in a conversation with Hank and Ororo, Scott was finishing his coffee and discussing something with Logan and Rogue just stared at them with a small smile on her lips. When she noticed that the Professor was staring at her she said just for him to hear,
"You know what professor, they still don't understand and some of them still don't accept, but I think that in time they will understand and they'll be happy for you."
"Rogue, what did you see the day Erik arrived?"
Charles had never asked her that, but he thought he had some idea. She looked at him, then at Erik and at last she looked at Jean's picture on the wall.
"Love, professor. I saw love."