Warmth radiated out of the fireplace and a dim light cast the rooms' two inhabitants in a soft glow. A strong jaw rested on a strong hand as a pair of intense eyes scanned the chess board- calculating.
"Come now, Charles. We don't have all night."
"Patience, my friend..." Charles Xavier lifted his gaze from the board and met the eyes of his somewhat irritated companion, "these things take time." He smirked.
In that moment Eric felt a rush of warmth. His thoughts drifted lazily to afternoons under a tree and nights under the hearth reading Shakespearian Sonnets.
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun…
"So that's the plan: use the Queen as a decoy and take me with the Rook. Brilliant, my friend."
"Dammit, Charles!" Eric twitched in frustration before sinking into his armchair and preparing himself for Charles' next round of thinking. Now that the telepath had read his thoughts again, he'd no doubt spend the next 10 minutes thinking through a plan to uncap his own.
And so were spent the evenings playing chess with a telepath; and one with a mind for mischief no less. Charles would get pushed into a corner, have absolutely no clue how to proceed, and force Erik to spend his next few moments trying to keep his thoughts from drifting to his next move. Charles would quickly find out anyways- Charles always did- and begin finding a way to prevent said move from happening, taking long enough for Eric to think up a new plan. Repeat once again. And look at that, yet another game of chess Eric spent sitting while his mind gets violated. The annoyance peeled off of him in waves. Eric was pulled back out of his brooding by a light chuckle.
"I had no idea I irritated you so," Charles said through an amused smile.
"I'm so glad you can find the humor in this," Eric replied dully.
"Oh, come now, Eric. It's a friendly game of chess. Do try and enjoy yourself-"
"I hardly consider your cheating, 'friendly'," Eric countered, stressing the last word with a slight raise of an eyebrow. They held each other's gaze for a moment while the accusation hung in the air. Eric's eyes were challenging and one didn't have to be a telepath to know what he was thinking- the message was clear enough.
Try to deny it. I dare you.
"Alright, alright… I'll stay out of your head," Charles reassured.
Eric deadpanned.
"Really, I will! Let's just finish the game."
He flashed Eric an expectant, pleading look- one that he knew Eric couldn't say no to. He felt the consent before he heard Eric sigh. "Fine… just hurry up, Charles."
Eric's patience was running thin and he knew that despite his previous request, Charles' brilliant mind would consider every option available before deciding on a move. He turned his attention to the Liszt piece playing softly in the background. He was taken back to his mother playing this very piece on their old, broken piano; his entire family in their small sitting room, listening intently. The entire room radiated warmth in these moments, and she never looked more beautiful to Eric. He rarely allowed himself thoughts of the woman who gave him life… his memory took him all too quickly to her death. The guilt stung deeper every time he relived it. The pain… the sorrow… the loss…
14th stanza. His mother used to fill this piece with such hope. She gave it a feel of almost sad optimism through the bittersweet melody.
He came back to the room he was currently sitting in, warm in a different way, and thought of the days Charles had spent in it as a child. How different their lives have been… and yet, how similar in their tragic nature. As cushioned and comfortable as Charles' life had been, it still lacked in family, in community. He hardly had any sort of bond with his mother. Eric caught a small glimpse of that in one of their earliest training sessions, in which Charles unearthed his happiest memory with his family. It was in the way his mother had looked at him that Hannukah- the love and pride pouring through her eyes- that Charles realized just what he had missed all those lonely years. His mother never looked at him like that and Eric suspected that it hurt Charles to realize it. Eric saw the hurt in his eyes when their gazes met in that next moment. He noticed the flicker of jealousy as well. Those emotions did not belong on Charles' face and Eric hated seeing them there.
While Eric ate dinner surrounded by family, Charles ate his alone. Eric spent hours watching his mother play the piano, Charles spent hours watching movies about Castles and Knights. Eric almost pitied him. He could see a young Charles laying on the living room floor, enthralled by the tales and dreaming of becoming the knight in shining armor surrounded by friends and family… living in his fantasy because the reality was all to lonely-
"You're going to use your Knight?" he jumped lightly at Charles' sudden outburst.
"Wow," the telepath continued, "I never would have thought of that. You are quite good, my friend."
"Dammit, Charles!"