Writing's on the Wall

by B.Lehnsherr

Charles met Erik in a park. The man is a father of four-years old twins and at first, Charles thinks he's married. When he finds out that's not the case, they start dating, but in order for it to work, Charles has to win the kids over.

Charles was lying on his side, leg thrown over his boyfriend's naked body as slim, long fingers entered him, making his hole slick and loose. The other man's hot mouth was wet all over his neck, sucking, licking and biting everywhere.

"Erik…", he moaned in a low tone, whispering the name over and over again almost like a prayer. Erik was… Erik. He was all warm and intense in an almost overwhelming way. His hands, mouth and body worked in sync to drive Charles crazy, and each time they found themselves in bed, he felt like he was being consumed bit by bit.

It was heavenly that even after his crazy years in college and the amount of people he had gone to bed with, he had never found anyone quite like Erik. The man was focused solely on Charles when they were together, his kisses and touches made Charles feel like he was something precious to behold and the way he looked at him, made him feel like he was special and appreciated.

Not to mention Erik was the best sex he had ever had. Those long fingers were skilled, the mouth that contained too many teeth was like sin and that cock- Jesus! Only thinking of it, he could feel himself twitching and his hole clamping around Erik's intruding fingers.

"Erik, please", he begged squeezing his boyfriend's biceps. "Please what?", the tease asked and his three fingers crooked inside of Charles, poking that bundle of nerves that sent delicious shivers all over his body.

"Ohh.. Fuck", he moaned trying to bring their sweaty bodies closer, trying to dry hump against Erik's cock and just get them off somehow. "Please… Fuck me.. Need you, Erik. Need your cock", he breathed out, his voice hoarse and needy as he clung to his boyfriend's amazing body.

Finally he felt the fingers slipping out of him, - it was only a relief because he knew they would be replaced with something better - and Erik spoke, his lips brushing Charles' collarbones as he did so "Gonna fuck you good, Charles" - "God, yes.. C'mon Erik", he urged.

They separated only for a few seconds while Erik reached out for the lube and Charles took the opportunity to lie on his stomach, wanting Erik to do him like that, kissing his neck and back as he ravished Charles.

He heard the 'pop' of the bottle and even the sound of the liquid being squeezed out before the most annoying noise interrupted them; Erik's cell phone. Charles groaned into the pillow before asking with a pleading tone "don't answer it".

It was a lost case. "You know I have to", Erik said apologetically and Charles sighed. He might as well have fun with it. Erik got up to find the phone on their mess of clothes and Charles smirked, buying his time.

"Hello?", he picked up with his thick german accent, - that only got thicker when he was aroused - and seemed to be listening carefully. "Eriiik…", Charles called like he was breathing the name out, his hand sneaking down his body and curling around his leaking cock.

Charles tugged at it and moaned to put on a show as Erik turned around. His eyes turned a little hooded as he took in Charles touching himself in bed but then they flickered into something else as he asked "What?!", on the phone and turned around again, starting to scramble for his clothes.

While his body had just been hot, Charles felt suddenly cold and his face fell. He felt angry when Erik said "I'm coming!", to whoever was on the line and he couldn't hold back his sarcastic "I wish!", accompanied by a snort.

"I'm so sorry Charles, but I need to go", Erik said in a rush, his once hard dick already softening as he covered himself. He barely glanced at Charles when he said the words and the anger increased considerably.

"Are you kidding me?", Charles asked, sitting up. "No, I'm sorry. The twins-" - "Of course it's the twins!", Charles said and felt slightly regretful for the comment, but he was horny and his boyfriend was leaving him there all needy!

"What is that supposed to mean?", Erik asked, stopping halfway through buttoning the black shirt that had been the beginning of all, - it had been Charles' day off and he had invited the other man to come over to watch some movies, but when Erik showed wearing the button down that hugged his body tightly and even showed his hard nipples, Charles had not resisted for long.

"I mean this is the second time they call and you leave me!", he whined unreasonably and saw the storm on Erik's eyes. He wasn't about to back down now that he had started it and held his chin up. Even if Erik looked displeased, he still tried defusing the bomb and making things better "I know it isn't easy, but I'm a father", he said almost quietly and now Charles regretted saying anything.

He regretted it because he remembered their talks about this and how insecure Erik had been about entering a relationship while raising two six years old, how he had explained he couldn't be all Charles' and his kids always came first. He had been scared he would be rejected for it and had told Charles he was so amazing, he deserved someone who would be fully dedicated to showing him that.

Charles had sworn up and down he was okay with it, - partially because daddies were attractive as fuck - but now there he was; proving what he had said that day had been a lie.

"I know, but it's frustrating!", he exclaimed still dumping all his bad feelings out on Erik. "The other day I cooked dinner for us and you left for what reason? Wanda couldn't find her stuffed bear!", he kept on going. Erik gave this dry laugh, looking like he couldn't believe what he was hearing and shook his head.

"And now what? Pietro pranked another student? C'mon Erik! You don't have to leave the second they call!", he finished throwing his tantrum, feeling infinitely better now that it was all out there. They could work it all out now and Charles wouldn't feel as frustrated anymore. Perfect.

Except that Erik's eyes had turned all harsh and cold when Charles could finally see straight. The other man was already completely dressed up and his next words made Charles feel like he was being shot on the heart.

"You know what?", he asked calmly, which was rare because during their two months of relationship they had already yelled at each other and had makeup sex afterwards many times. Erik being calm was almost as if he was giving up. "I don't have space in my life for someone who doesn't give a shit to my kids", he said.

Charles gaped, having expected any reaction but this. He had only wanted to show how annoying it was that Erik didn't even had the time to finish what they started because he had to run over to his children for no serious reason.

"Erik-", he started and was cut off "Don't bother. I gotta go, apparently Pietro fell down and he's hurt.. He needs to see a doctor", he said which immediately made Charles feel like an ass. "We're done, Charles. Lose my number", Erik completed and went out the room, leaving him there in bed, staring after the gorgeous man walking out of his life.

The more hours that passed, the better Charles could see through the lust fog that had taken over his head. He had been so lost in what he needed, what he wanted so desperately that he had selfishly taken it out on Erik.

Truth was, the other man would always go running if his kids called, no matter what he had been doing. And that was… Well, something that shouldn't bother Charles. It actually made him quite proud he had scored such a caring boyfriend who could be so loving and devoted to his kids.

Children should come first. But it hurt to feel neglected in his hour of need like that. Between sex and a hurt child, Erik should always go to the child, but what if something else happened? What if Charles was sick and wanted his boyfriend to comfort him, make him soup and all of that? If Wanda and Pietro called, Erik would leave without a second thought.

Did he really want a relationship like that? He felt like an ass for going back on his initial promise, but he had never thought it would be like this. Dating a father was complicated and if he were honest with himself; not something he wanted to do.

So perhaps it was for the best that Erik had already broken things off. Raven did tell him this couldn't end well. Moira had warned him he would start resenting the kids at some point. And Erik, even Erik, had tried telling him it wasn't that much pleasant.

But even after all those warnings, he had tried and thought to himself that should something happen, Charles would be the one to end it, to be entirely fed up. Never had he thought Erik would break up with him.

And it hurt. Jesus, it hurt. They had only been together for two months now but Erik had secured such a safe spot for him on Charles' life that it made him sad to think of someone else taking it. He was a compelling man, he made Charles feel loved, worthy and one of a kind. And now… Now that was all gone and he only had himself to blame.

---

They had met in a park. Charles had been walking his dog on a pleasant afternoon during his only day off of the week. It was a wednesday and the only time he allowed himself to be relaxed; sweatpants and simple white shirt. His hair was probably a mess, looking like a bird's nest because of the wind and he had a sleepy face since he had just woken up from a nap.

He didn't notice the tall man running in his direction mostly because there were many runners in the park and he just put him on that category, paying most of his attention to his dog. But then, the man bumped into him and almost sent Charles to the ground. He let out an undignified yelp and felt big hands going around his waist to hold him up.

On the confusion, Charles let go of his dog's guide and that was the only thing on his mind. "Legolas!", he yelled and turned around when he had been steadied, away from the man's hold. His dog, a pug, hadn't even moved too far away, being a lazy ass. Charles walked towards him and bent over to pick the guide, relieved he had chosen such an easy dog to take care of.

"God, you scared me", he murmured and was once again startled when he heard the almost shy "I'm so sorry", coming from behind him. Charles turned around with an easy smile on his face, ready to brush the whole incident off when he saw a… well, he had no words to describe the man because they had all been taken away from him. The stranger was gorgeous, owner of a chiseled jaw, straight nose and thin lips. His eyes were a mix of blue and grey that looked at the same time warm and cold and his body was a work of art, narrow waist with broad shoulders that shouldn't even exist.

"No harm done", he said almost stupidly, still staring, eyes ravishing the beautiful face. He smiled more genuinely and reached out with his hand because he couldn't hold himself back from trying to flirt with that man "Charles Xavier", he said and his hand was shaken along with the words "I'm late".

Charles chuckled, saying cheekily "Hello, late. Nice to meet you", the man rolled his eyes and for the first time, he smiled. Not a simple smile, no. It was this scary smile that went from one side of his face to the other, all teeth bared and eyes glowing like a predator. It was breathtaking and Charles found himself even more attracted. "Erik Lehnsherr", the man said still holding his hand, making him blush.

They stared at each other for what seemed like forever and then Erik let go, putting his hand on the pocket of his jeans. "What about this little fella? I heard you calling him… Legolas?", he asked and Charles teased "I thought you were late?", instead of answering the question the other man had posed.

But apparently, Erik wasn't one of those men who was easily lured into the game, who would answer him cheekily. Instead, his smile turned into a slight frown and he said "You're right, I should get going". Charles chastised himself for not reading this stranger right. He had this seriousness about him, - that later revealed to only apply to people he didn't know and trust yet - and wouldn't be wooed by simple methods Charles would use on silly boys when he was younger.

Erik was a man. And so was Charles. "I can walk with you? If it's not too far", he said while Erik was already turning around. The other man nodded but now he seemed closed within himself and Charles bit on his bottom lip, wanting to hear the thick accent again.

"But hm.. Yeah, his name is Legolas. I'm a huge dork, Lord of the Rings fan", he finally said and saw Erik nod once again. "Do you have a dog too?", Charles asked, trying his best to make nice conversation. There was a pause and he sighed, thinking Erik was all done with him now, but then, he answered "No.. It's hard enough taking care of two six-years old", which shocked Charles.

Erik seemed young to be a father, but he resisted the urge to ask him his age. Instead, he said "You're a father? Wow, that must be quite a ride" to which Erik chuckled and Charles felt proud of himself for breaking through the barrier. But being a father… That implied there was a mother somewhere and if someone had been lucky enough to score that gorgeous man, he was sure the person wouldn't let go.

"That's an understanding", the other man answered and from there on, the conversation flew easily, Erik's mood picking up. He was an intelligent man and funny on his own way, making Charles feel immediately captivated by him. All thoughts about a wife were on the back of his mind while he got to know the stranger better; Erik wasn't running to get wherever he had to be anymore and Charles didn't ask, but they did reach some point where Erik stopped and looked at a coffee shop, as if he resented it from being there.

"This is me", Erik said slowly and Charles felt himself getting sad this is where they said goodbye. "I can come in for a while. I would love a cup of coffee. Is this place any good?", he asked, seeing how Erik's smile grew. "I believe it's the best", he answered "but uh.. Dogs aren't allowed".

Charles looked down at Legolas as if he had forgotten the pug was there and wished for the tiniest moment he wasn't. "Oh", he breathed out and then, when he thought this was it, Erik said "But I don't think the owner will mind much. C'mon", cocking his head to the side and holding the door open for Charles to come in.

He wasn't the type of man who would come between a family and break it apart, but since Erik had mentioned the kids, Charles didn't flirt with him once and still enjoyed his company more than most of the people he knew. They could be friends. Erik seemed like a reasonable man enough to not be weirded out by a gay friend and Charles was sure he could control himself just for the sake of spending time with such interesting man.

---

The breakup left him so desperately sad, that Charles skipped work on the last two days of the week and stayed home on his sweatpants, binge watching shows on netflix. He caught up on many of his shows and stuffed his face with food he really shouldn't be eating if he wanted to keep his form.

At sunday night he had done a lot of thinking and had decided their fight had been stupid and had been exactly that: nothing but a fight. They shouldn't have broken up over it and Charles was determined to get his boyfriend back. He had never been with someone like Erik, had never felt so whole during any other relationship and he wasn't about to lose that.

Yes, Erik would drop everything for his kids but he still managed to make Charles feel important all the same, and he had only freaked out because he had been horny and couldn't believe he wasn't enough for Erik to take just a few more minutes to finish what they had started. He just wished his boyfriend would find him irresistible enough to bend the rules a little.

And yes, maybe at the moment he had thought dating a single father wasn't something he wanted to do but that had just been his cold feet about the idea of becoming stepfather to two children he didn't even know yet. It had all been silly thoughts and now, four days later, he could see everything clearer.

It took him all of his self control to not run over to Erik's and apologise about everything, ask him for another chance and prove he wasn't an asshole who hated the other man's kids. He actually cared about them a lot even without meeting them, and as a veterinarian he not only dealt with many cute puppies but he also dealt with their owners and little children all the time. He was good with them! He liked them!

But he couldn't just show up like that on a sunday night. Pietro and Wanda might still be awake and he had to respect Erik's wishes of not encountering them yet. It was understandable that his ex wanted to protect his kids like that. They hadn't even lasted more than two months before breaking up, what if the children had taken a liking to him? It would be awful for them to never see Charles again and they were not willing to risk that. It only made him more sad to think Erik had been right about keeping him away, but if he got his way, they would be back together by the next morning.

Charles woke up early and got dressed up on Erik's favorite sweater; a lilac one that brought out his eyes and matched his skin. He had actually borrowed it from Charles one time after sex and walked around his flat with only that piece of clothing, making Charles' mouth water and ending on them fucking again.

He headed to his boyfriend's coffee shop, - how he didn't notice Erik was the owner for a whole week still impressed him - and pushed the door open, the bell ringing above it. "Hey, Charles!", Sean greeted him behind the counter with an easy smile, his hair as messy as always "The usual?", the boy asked to which Charles just shook his head no.

"Not yet. I need to see Erik first, is he here?", Charles went on the tip of his toes to peek towards the office Erik kept at the back, but the door was shut close and he couldn't tell if his ex was there. "Yeah, he's in there! Maybe you can cheer him up a little? For some reason he's being even worse these past few days", the young one said and Charles blushed a little, feeling guilty about that.
"I'll see what I can do, Sean", he answered before pulling up the moving counter and going towards the shut door. He closed his sweaty hand on a fist and knocked on it, before pushing open without an answer. Erik was sitting behind his desk, head bowed down as he typed away on his computer and Charles' breath caught on his throat. They weren't the kind of boyfriends who would see each other everyday since Erik was a father, but it felt like forever since last time and they hadn't even texted or called, so Charles had missed him more than anything.

"Sean, if this is about the drawing on the foam-", Erik started before looking up, but when he did, he shut himself up immediately. "Hi", Charles said coyly before closing the door. "Sorry if I'm not who you were expecting", he couldn't help but add and blush.

"Charles", Erik breathed out and they just looked at each other for a long time, vulnerable and longing until the other man's eyes turned colder and he collected himself. "What can I help you with?", Erik asked on his professional tone and Charles swallowed around a knot on his throat, stepping closer and standing right in front of his ex boyfriend.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened on wednesday", he started, his whole speech already forgotten. Erik lifted an unimpressed eyebrow at that so Charles continued "I'm so sorry, Erik. I was so out of line and such a jerk. I didn't mean the things I said and I truly regret hurting you like that".

He bit on his bottom lip but the other man was still silent, his gaze studying Charles with such intensity that he fidgeted on the spot and then started the usual babble that resulted from him being nervous. "I was… frustrated that you were going to leave. I was having a really great time and I thought I'd still keep you for a couple more hours you know? And I felt… undesired and needy. I was horny and lashed out like that for no reason. You know I care about your kids, right? How could I not? They are yours! And I get that you are a father and that means they come first, I even agree with it, darling. I was just… Yeah… I'm sorry. Can we please talk this out? I don't wanna break up".

It took another moment but then Erik sighed and his cold mask came down. He got up and walked around the desk, leaning against it right next to Charles, so close he could feel Erik's body heat. "I admit I was a little over the line too", he said "I know you care about my children but at the moment it didn't feel like it and I got angry". Charles let out a breath he had been holding ever since the breakup and nodded.

"I do care, darling. They already mean a lot to me and I'm sorry I didn't show that. How's Pietro? It must have been really scary when you took him to the hospital", he said without actually meaning to change the subject but doing so because he was truly worried. "He has a broken arm. He was scared but I held his hand while putting the cast and all", his boyfriend answered and Charles even allowed himself a small smile, he bet Erik had already decorated the whole cast. "I'm glad it was nothing serious", was what he settled on saying.

"Yeah…", Erik trailed off and looked down at the floor "Look, I appreciate you coming over and apologising. I agree that we were both on edge and that's not a good state to make decisions or even talk but… I think we made the right one. Most couples with single fathers don't survive, Charles. The other person can never understand and cope with the fact that we, parents, would do anything for our kids. It's not just you and me, it's practically all couples", he finally said and it made Charles' heart clench painfully inside his chest.

"But there are couples who do it", he countered and put himself right in front of Erik, waiting for his ex to look up at him. "And I believe we can be one of those, Erik. I understand, I really do. And I can't see myself letting you go anytime soon! I'm falling harder for you at every second and I know I'll fall for Wanda and Pietro as well, because they are yours! I'm sorry that it isn't what I've shown but I promise you, we can do this. I want to do this", he tried again, his hands coming up to frame his ex's face. Erik broke their eye contact, looking sideways and shaking his head.

"I'm falling for you too. And it already hurts right now. What about when we break up again after two other months, hm? How am I picking myself up and looking cheerful for my kids? I'm already screwing up since wednesday", he said in a lower tone and Charles felt like he was making some sort of progress because he got Erik talking about his feelings and that was something rare.

"We won't, Erik. I'm putting my heart and soul into this and I know we can be right together. We already are", he said, leaning closer and brushing his lips on the corner of Erik's mouth. "Give me another chance, please. You can't say you don't want me anymore, can you? I'm in for the long run, Erik, let's try again". Erik was practically trembling under his touch and he tilted his head back in order to look at Charles' eyes. "Did you really feel undesired?", he asked and that was further from what he was expecting, but it wasn't unwelcome.

"A little bit, yes", Charles answered embarrassed. "You set my skin on fire, Charles. I can't resist you. Even now, part of me is thinking of how gorgeous you look and how it would be perfect to take you against that wall" - "Then do it, Erik. I'm here, I'm yours", he answered before kissing his ex on the lips, his hands slipping into his hair and threatening on the soft locks. "Say yes", he whispered when he pulled away just to kiss him in another angle and before he knew it, Erik was standing up and walking them towards the wall.

"Yes", he whispered right before they hit it and Charles let out a 'oof', their lips mashing together and tongues tangling in heated passion. He couldn't help but moan at how perfect it felt to be reunited with Erik and he was soon jumping up and wrapping his legs around his boyfriend's tiny waist.

They ended up doing it on the desk, the furniture creaking and scratching the wooden floor, the papers all scattered and messed up while Erik pounded into Charles who lied there, his hands roaming all over his lover's body and lips chanting the other man's name and forming moans that were probably too loud but they couldn't care about it.

When they were done and Erik's cock was softening inside his body, Charles' fingertips traced his boyfriend's face that was hovering over him and he said with a hoarse voice "Thank you for giving me another chance", to which Erik asked "Are you sure about getting into this again?", and he answered "I've never been more sure of anything else" - "Then it's my pleasure, Schatz. Thanks for coming back to me", Erik said and kissed the tip of his nose.

---

Being friends with Erik soon proved to be both a blessing and a curse. He would meet the other man at the coffee shop everyday in the morning right before going to work, and they would chat a little over a cup or two, - well, Charles would drink and talk while Erik worked but same thing! It was a blessing because he found Erik was someone he could really keep on his life; funny, smart, handsome and good hearted. But it was also a curse because the man was married and cheating wasn't an option for them.

Charles could do with a new friend, anyways, so he kept coming back and shooting the man cheerful smiles, covering with him all sorts of subjects and even arguing over some of them.

It was exactly a week later they had met, when Charles entered the coffee shop. His eyes fell on Erik first, basking on how gorgeous he looked with that long, white apron, tied around his very narrow waist. Underneath it, he was dressed in all black, the sleeves of his turtleneck pulled over his strong arms, veins visible under the skin. It made his mouth water but Charles was proud of himself for not doing anything rash, like jumping over the counter and kissing Erik breathless.

He walked towards his usual chair and sat on it, waiting for Erik to bring the new flavor he had come up with, - he had been handing them to Charles everyday, something new and off the menus. It didn't take long for his friend to come and he placed a cup in front of him, smiling expectantly "Hello", he greeted and pulled the chair to sit across from Charles.

"Hey! What is this?", Charles asked but he was already taking a sip of the hot coffee. Erik had learned on the second day that the sweetest the better, so he had been doing these amazing mixes for him and he was sure he would enjoy it.

"Coffee, caramel, whipped cream and a few surprises", his friend smiled, that huge smile of his that showed all his teeth and melted Charles. "Hmmhm.. this is delicious", he said truthfully.

The time he had there flew by and he was sad when he had to go, but even if he owned his own business, he couldn't just be late everyday. "So.. how much?", Charles asked for the 7th time since they met and once again, Erik just shook his head, saying "It's on the house". Charles rolled his eyes and argued "You've been saying that everyday, Erik! Won't your boss mind? I mean.. I don't want to get you into any trouble".

It was then, that Erik bursted out laughing and Charles frowned at him, mildly insulted by the reaction when he had been serious! "You think- oh god", Erik laughed and tried to breath some more air into his lungs while talking at the same time. It took him a while to calm down and when he did, Charles was even smiling a little because that laugh was quite contagious.

"Charles. I own the coffee shop. I don't think I can get in trouble with myself", he finally said when he had calmed down and Charles' mouth hung open. "What?", he asked, wondering how the hell he had missed that.

Erik shot him a cheeky smile and reached out with his hand to push a lock of Charles' hair away from his forehead "But even if I didn't own it, you are worth getting in trouble for", he said with a lower tone of voice, eyes flirty and looking deep into Charles'. Erik's touch lingered on his hair and Charles felt himself blushing hard, lost in the other man's gaze.

It was only a moment later that the word 'married' echoed inside his mind and he pulled away, trying to collect himself. "Well-", he cleared his throat and tried not to overthink Erik's disappointed expression "I must get going now, the clinic won't work with only one veterinarian there", he said and Erik nodded.

"Enjoy the coffee", the other man murmured as soon as Charles walked away from him and he looked over his shoulder to offer him a small smile. It didn't matter how attracted he was, how connected he felt to that man. Charles wasn't going to turn into his affair.

---

The five months that followed their breakup and makeup were amazing. Their relationship solidified into something meaningful and hopefully, something lasting. They had their share of fights, yes; sometimes Erik cancelled plans because of one of his kids and sometimes, Charles complained about it, but they both were more conscious of the fact it wasn't easy on any of them and tried being more understanding, talking more.

Charles still hadn't met the kids. He saw Erik practically every morning on the coffee shop but that was the time the little ones were at school, so he didn't get to see them. And on the weekends, he knew the twins were there so he avoided dropping by, not wanting to be introduced as daddy's friend and nothing else.

Sometimes, Erik would come over to the vet clinic after he had closed off the coffee shop and he would linger there in the office, watching Charles work and even posing as an assistant, by grabbing things and mostly petting the dogs.

It was one of those days, and Charles was sitting on his chair, watching Erik walk around his office, touching every little surface as if he needed to feel the whole room in order to connect to it. The other man looked exceptionally hot on his tight jeans and white shirt, nothing special, but that did incredible things to Charles' libido.

"You should have a dog of your own", Charles commented, remembering he had asked Erik about it when they first met eight months ago, and his boyfriend had said he couldn't do that while raising two kids. Charles thought it was a silly reason, seeing that some dogs were not even that hard to take care of, much like his pug, and Erik's kids would absolutely love having one.

"I don't know", Erik shrugged and turned to look at him. He casually leaned against the wall and crossed his foot in front of the other one before continuing to answer "I can barely manage Wanda and Pietro! A dog would be another responsibility and I don't want to get one if it means I can't properly care and love it", he said and Charles understood why at last.

He agreed to it wholeheartedly, being a veterinarian he believed dogs needed love and companionship, if someone couldn't give them that, then it wasn't worth having one. It was probably just him being selfish that he asked why Erik didn't have a dog; he would love to see his boyfriend as a puppy owner, knowing he would fall even harder for him.

"Besides, I already half consider Legolas my dog", Erik shrugged, as if it was no big deal but watched Charles closely. "You.. You do?", he asked, not actually believing it and Erik chuckled nervously. "Well, he did cuddle up to me when we fell asleep, so..", his boyfriend trailed of and Charles threw his head back, laughing and imagining the situation.

"And what did you do?", he asked, because he knew Erik and he knew, that even if the other man liked dogs, he wasn't fond of them cuddling to him or leaving their fur all over like Legolas often did. "What do you think? I hugged him", his boyfriend answered, blushing a cute shade of red.

Charles' lips formed a huge, honest smile and he felt like he was walking on clouds, this dreamy feeling spreading all over his body, all the way from his heart to his mouth where he blurted out "Oh, Erik. I love you", which caused his eyes to widen immediately and both his hands come up to shut his own mouth.

They stared at each other for a long moment, Erik's stunned silence speaking thousands of words to him, until finally the other man opened his mouth and- And someone knocked on the door. His secretary gave them the courtesy of not opening it in case they were up to something but Charles managed to let out a small "Come in", to which she reacted to.

"Your last appointment for the day is here", Kelly announced and Charles nodded at her, saying "Send them in". She kept the door open and Charles looked down at his papers, to try and read about the next clients, wanting to have a headstart on this and mostly wanting to avoid Erik's heavy gaze.

The small family came inside the consultory; a Golden retriever puppy, a little boy probably around four and a woman who seemed to be the mother. "Hello, please, take a seat", Charles gestured for them, getting up and shaking the mother's hand.

"Awe you the dowctor?", the boy asked and Charles smiled kindly at him, pushing away the thoughts of Erik and being professional. "Yes, I am! What's your name?", he asked nicely, bending down to be a little closer to the child "Henwyk", he answered, the 'r' sounding like a 'w'. "Oh that's a beautiful name! What about your little friend here?", this time, Charles crouched down to pet the golden retriever, already smitten with the little thing "He's cawlled Barney because that's my faaaaaavorite show", he answered and Charles couldn't resist to reach out and tickle Henryk's round belly "Oh aren't you a cutie pie! Why don't you tell me what's wrong with him, hm?".

"He is not eating his food! I twried giving it to him but he's not eating it", Henryk answered sounding completely upset about the whole thing and Charles nodded, knowing how he felt. Whenever anything went wrong with Legolas, he would go insane. "Tell you what, let's put Barney there on that table to examine him and then we'll help him get better, alright?", he asked and shot the mother a look to check if everything was okay with her.

Charles grabbed Barney very carefully and put the puppy on top of the cold surface, giving Erik a tilt of his head to come closer and assist him, - he knew Erik secretly enjoyed petting all of them. "Who's this?", Henryk asked, assessing Erik as if he wanted to see if that man could be trusted close to his puppy. "This is my assistant, Erik. He's very good with dogs, you don't have to worry", Charles promptly answered but refrained on telling a little joke like he did the other times that question had been made; he just felt completely awkward next to his boyfriend right now.

"But Barney is shaking", Henryk said, his huge brown eyes watching the puppy closely. "Well, most dogs are quite scared of being put up here. It's a new place and they don't know what's going to happen. Would you like to sit up here with him and show him it's okay?", Charles offered and when Henryk nodded excitedly, he came closer and put his arms underneath the little boy's armpits, lifting him up and sitting him on the table close to the golden retriever.

Barney immediately walked towards Henryk and pressed his head against the boy's thigh, which made Charles coo involuntarily. It was just so damn cute! After that, he proceeded to examine the dog but Barney wasn't in any pain or seemed undernourished so there wasn't much he could do for him.

"I believe this little guy here simply doesn't like the dog food you're giving him! You can try giving him something different and I'm sure he'll eat it. Even if some boiled chicken for the first few days before you go back to his own food… If it doesn't work, you can come back and we'll consider other serious possibilities, but I'm quite sure Barney is just trying to say the food is no good", he chuckled, glad he had good news for the family and sent them away.

When he was alone with Erik again, he felt once more weird. His boyfriend didn't utter a single word ever since he heard Charles' revelation and it was making him feel uncomfortable and absolutely wrong; he had freaked Erik out, hadn't he? He said it too soon and now his boyfriend was scared. Stupid, stupid!

He started stacking his papers into some sort of unorganised pile so he could close up the clinic for today, and was startled when a pair of big, strong hands surrounded his hips and a solid, warm body pressed against his back. He felt Erik's breathing on his neck and shivered from it, but his fingers were gripping tight to the table, scared of what Erik would say next. He didn't know if he wanted his boyfriend to acknowledge the whole declaration or just ignore it.

But what he said, was something else entirely. "I want you to meet my kids", Erik murmured and Charles gasped, turning around in the embrace so he could look into the other man's eyes.

"What?", he asked stunned and Erik smiled. "If you'd be up for it, I'd like to introduce you as my boyfriend. Who I'm deeply in love with".

Charles immediately smiled, stunned and still not believing that he was finally going to meet Erik's kids, get to be a part of their lives "I'd love that", he breathed out and went on the tip of his toes to kiss his boyfriend's lips. It started slow and sweet, but soon turned into hot and slick, Charles sitting on his desk and murmuring against the other man's mouth "Make love to me", which ended up on all his papers being scattered on the floor, while Erik showed him just how much he loved Charles.

---

It started very innocently, with Erik casually saying "There's this art exposition tomorrow night. I have the sitter with the children and I'm dying to get some grownup time", while preparing Charles' coffee.

He had known Erik for a month now, and he knew, the other man didn't get a break ever. He smiled, genuinely happy that his friend would get some time out and said "That's amazing, Erik! I've heard a lot of good things about it! My sister is exposing a few pieces and she's very excited", watching the other man's every movement, every flex of his muscles as he worked around the shop, his shop.

"Oh?", Erik let out, now walking towards the counter and placing Charles' special drink in it "And are you going to check it out?", he asked, making conversation. "Yeah! Raven would kill me if I didn't show up on her big break!", Charles exclaimed before grabbing his cup and taking a sip on it. It tasted like there was more chocolate than coffee on it, and he made an approving sound, closing his eyes and drinking more.

"Then maybe we could go together?", Erik asked, almost causing him to choke on his drink. But he got a grip on himself before doing or saying something embarrassing and thought about it straight; they were both already going, Erik probably didn't know anyone and wanted a friend to keep him company.

"Yeah, we can do that", he nodded and the smile Erik answered him with, took his breath away. "See you tomorrow?", Charles asked, just to make sure his friend would be working in the morning again and when Erik nodded, he walked out the place, going to his own work feeling warmed by the coffee and trying not to think of how this seemed like a date, but was so far from it.

The next day, Charles appeared at the coffee shop as usual, where he and Erik confirmed their plans to meet up later. The other man would pick him up at his clinic and they would go straight from there. Charles could barely focus on his work for the rest of his shift, his thoughts trailing off to his beautiful friend he would go out with later, and his mind asking over and over again how would he ever stop himself from doing something he would regret.

When it was time for Erik to pick him up, Charles had already changed into something more formal for the exposition and had fixed his hair a thousand times, which was ruined by his nervous habit of running his fingers through it. He decided to wait for the other man on the sidewalk, and was really surprised when a nice, fancy car stopped in front of him.

The dark window went down, revealing Erik behind the steering wheel, smiling at him like a cute shark. Charles couldn't help smiling back and entering the vehicle, leaning towards Erik to place a kiss on his cheek.

Charles immediately blushed because of his impulse, but Erik didn't seem bothered at all, the smile still stuck on his face. All the ride, they chatted idly, while Charles' focus was entirely on how Erik's long fingers looked like wrapped around the wheel or the gear stick, how gorgeous he looked focused on the streets and how the lights were reflected on his chiseled face.

They reached the gallery and Charles tried convincing himself that it would be less awkward and difficult for him now that they weren't in a small space, so close to each other; there was just something about cars! They walked inside side by side after Erik had shown their tickets and it didn't take long for Charles to spot his sister, close by to her space on the expo.

"That's Raven", Charles pointed and looked at Erik who smiled "Would you like to go say hi?", the other man asked and after nodding, they went towards her. Raven squeaked and threw herself on Charles' arms, hugging him tight and smiling brightly "I'm so glad you made it, big brother!", she exclaimed and then pulled away "Of course I did!", Charles answered.

Raven studied Erik for a second and then her eyes widened, understanding showing on her face. Charles blushed, already getting embarrassed that his sister recognized Erik only from what he had told her about the man. Truth be told, he had babbled a lot about his coffee shop friend.

"You must be Erik!", she exclaimed and stretched her arm to shake hands with the other man. Erik smiled dashingly at her, in a way that got all hairs of Charles' body standing with goosebumps, even if it wasn't directed at him; the man was just goddamn beautiful. "Nice to meet you, Raven. Is this your collection?", he asked charmingly.

"Yeah! I can show it to you guys, c'mon", she said and Charles was surprised that there had been no funny remarks about how much she heard of Erik and so on. But this was his sister's night and he shouldn't be shocked when she wanted to talk about herself and show off her work.

The evening was long and not at all what Charles expected. Well, kind of. He knew they were there as friends, but Raven dragged Erik along everywhere, explaining to him about each piece and the meaning of the colors she used. Erik had quite a lot of knowledge about it and talked to her on the same level, asking those intelligent questions and even buying one of the paintings to put on Wanda's room, because it was pink and abstract and he thought his daughter would like it.

All through it, though, Erik was stealing long glances of Charles, watching him closely and looking at him warmly. Charles would smile back at him when that happened, a funny feeling on his stomach making him giddy. When Erik stretched his arm towards him, it took Charles a moment to catch up and understand the other man meant to hold his hand.

Something clicked inside of him and he noticed how flirty they had been, how the looks had nothing innocent about them and how Erik probably thought this was a date. Oh wow, Charles really didn't want to think of his friend as a cheater, but the proof was right there, wasn't it? He blushed a dark shade of red and pretended he was going to look at another painting, turning around and walking further away to escape Erik's touch. He got his tingling feeling on his skin where they briefly touched for several minutes.

Erik's looks diminished after that and Charles tried to pretend it didn't disappoint him. He was doing what was right.

"Hey, uh..", the other man approached him and Charles turned around to look at him. "I think I should head home", he said looking at the floor, rather than at Charles and it made his heart clench painfully inside his chest. He hadn't meant to hurt Erik with his refusal, but merely to keep their friendship intact and the man's marriage safe.

"What? Already? Let's… Don't you want to grab something to eat? I'm starving", he asked, trying to salvage what he could from this wreck. Erik looked up at him with a doubtful expression before frowning. "Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to do something you're not… comfortable with" - "Of course I'm sure, Erik", Charles confirmed and bit on his bottom lip.

After a long moment, Erik nodded his agreement and Charles offered him a smile. They bid Raven goodbye and she told Erik she would be delivering his piece in three days, and that it was lovely to meet him. "My brother won't shut up about you, I'm glad you came together", she said as her parting words and Charles blushed, embarrassed.

Erik was very silent on the ride to a restaurant, focused on the street in front of him and not saying anything. He seemed upset which Charles could understand but at the same time, he hoped his friend wasn't acting like that.

Turns out, he wasn't being taken to a restaurant but rather a diner, with those red leather seats and the best milkshake in town. He had never been there, but he had heard about the place and knew it was quite nice and a hit to the younger people.

"You like this place?", he asked, wanting to know more about his friend. Erik nodded and said "Yeah. It's my kid's favorite place! Not very healthy but I like to treat them sometimes", the answer was longer than anything Erik had said so far and Charles relaxed a little, thinking the other man was loosening up.

But that wasn't the case because Erik seemed grumpy now even while he looked through the menu. "Hmm.. I think I'll ask for a milkshake and fries", Charles commented trying to make conversation and Erik hummed as an answer. "I'll get a burger and milkshake", the other man said after a moment and waved the waitress, whom they told their orders to.

After she was gone, Charles was only able to handle the silence for a minute before he burst out. "Erik… this is awkward isn't it? Can't we just… go back to normal?", he asked, carefully stepping around the topic of why things were weird.

Erik sighed and looked sideways for a moment before turning and locking eyes with Charles. It made him shiver to be looked at with such intensity and Charles had a hard time keeping up with it but he didn't look away.

"I'm sorry. I'm acting like a child", Erik said and shook his head, a small self deprecating smile on his face "I just haven't done this in forever" - "It's okay. Are we good then?", Charles asked and bit his bottom lip.

"We are", Erik agreed but after a moment he started talking again "I just don't get it, though. Did I read you that wrong? I thought you were into me. You kissed my cheek when I picked you up and you come see me on the shop everyday. Am I that off the game now?", he asked and put his face between his hands for a moment.

"No, Erik, no!", Charles decided to go with to truth and stretched his arm across the table to grab one of Erik's hand and hold it gently. "I'm sorry for confusing you. You didn't read it wrong, I am into you", Charles revealed, causing Erik to frown "But I can't date you and you know that", he completed letting go of the hand.

Erik tilted his head to the side before asking "Do I? We've never talked about this before" - "What is there to talk about, Erik? I'm not this person, I don't want to be someone on the side, it's not fair to me, your family or wife!", he explained himself getting worked up because of their subject.

Erik just stared at him for the longest time until the waitress came closer and put their orders on the table, smiling at them. It was only when she walked away that Erik spoke again "My wife?", he asked "Charles, I'm not married".

The words made no sense to Charles and he gaped while Erik picked his strawberry milkshake and brought the straw to his lips. His beautiful, perfect, luscious lips that belonged to no one and Charles had been so very nice, so good for the past month, resisting to jump that gorgeous man every chance he got, for nothing!

"You're… not?", he asked feeling so stupid and watched as Erik put down his drink and then answered honestly, eyes locked with his "I am not. The twin's mother was… a high school girlfriend who wanted to get an abortion. I convinced her to have the babies so I could keep them, but she just left as soon as she gave birth. Truth be told, I haven't seen anyone ever since then", and Charles believed every single word.

He blushed furiously and chuckled nervously, carding his fingers through his hair "God! And here I've been trying to hold myself back from liking you", he said and shook his head. "I'm so stupid!", Charles exclaimed, not believing he had once again just assumed something instead of asking and embarrassed himself completely.

"You're not. I should have made it clear, I mean… I would think someone with kids was married too", Erik said and then carefully reached across the table just like Charles had done before. He turned his palm upwards and waited, asking "Would you like this to be a date, then?", in a bold manner, that made the funny feeling come back to Charles' stomach. "Yeah", he nodded with a smile and put his hand on top of Erik's feeling how warm and manly it was.

"Erik, I know this is our first date and I really don't want to come across as easy or-", he started babbling when he stood in front of his building, Erik smiling at him. He was cut off when the other man closed the distance between them and pressed their lips together softly, in a sweet way.

Charles melted in it, being unable to even move his arms while Erik's hands framed his face like that and the other man pulled away, bumping their noses gently. "Do you want to come in?", Charles whispered, hoping with all his heart the answer would be yes.

Erik closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Charles', his thumbs caressing the sides of his face "I would love to, Charles, but it would be of very poor taste for me to leave afterwards. The sitter won't stay with the kids for the whole night", the other man said and Charles let out a small "Oh", because he had forgotten Erik had responsibilities and couldn't just stay the whole night out like that.

"Of course! I completely forgot, sorry", he murmured and Erik groaned, sealing their lips together again, but this time, it wasn't soft or gentle. It was hot and wet, arousing Charles to the root of his hair and the tip of his toes. Their tongues tangled hotly and their hands explored what they could on the street, until Charles was close to moaning and had to pull away.

"I really wanted to", Erik said, and Charles believed that after the passionate kiss they had just shared. Jesus, he would wait for Erik. It would be so worth it. "Next time", Charles said happily, eager for their next date.

---

Charles was working himself up to a nasty stomach ache, resulting from his nervousness. He had never seen kids as scary before, but now, standing in front of Erik's door, he was quite sure there were monsters waiting for him on the other side.

Not that he thought his boyfriend's kids were bad, no. He was just so acutely aware of the fact their approval meant everything, that he was afraid of the twins. He was afraid they wouldn't like him and Erik would break up with him yet again, because he couldn't date someone his kids despised.

But he was good with children. They usually liked him because he healed their pets and gave them snacks. Even though that tactic wouldn't work there, he tried convincing himself it was enough and finally managed to move his arm, ringing the doorbell.

It felt like forever, - although it was probably just a minute - until the door was opened and he was faced with Erik. It was like magic, his whole body relaxed and he practically melted, throwing himself at the other man and hugging him tightly, arms wrapped around his narrow waist.

"Nervous?", Erik murmured against his hair and Charles just nodded, cheek pressed to his boyfriend's chest. "Don't be. They'll love you just like I do", he said and pulled away, a warm smile on his face. It made him look soft and beautiful, so Charles went on the tip of his toes to give him a welcome kiss when he heard the thumping of feet on the floor and stopped himself.

Erik didn't break the hug completely, keeping an arm around Charles' shoulder as he pulled him inside the house and somehow managed to shut the door, all while Charles' nervousness came back. Right there, standing in front of him was a little girl and she looked just like Erik.

Wanda had shoulder-length, hazelnut hair. It was curly and shiny, with a small crown on top of her head. She had a lean body like her father's but kept some baby fat on her chubby cheeks, her eyes were green and she had porcelain, snow white skin. She was beautiful and it took Charles' breath away to see Erik's daughter.

"You must be Wanda", he said, trying not to choke on his own words. It was just a child. How hard could it be?

"Princess Wanda", she corrected all mighty, and indeed, she was wearing a princess dress. "Of course! I'm so sorry, your highness", he said and bowed down, to show his respect for the royalty.

Erik chuckled next to him, but Charles didn't spare him a look, being too focused on the little girl in front of him. "Who are you?", she asked with that incredible, child sincerity and then, he did glance at Erik, asking for some help on how to introduce himself.

"I'm Charles", he said and Erik didn't complete anything, so he left it at that. Wanda nodded and opened her mouth to say something, when they heard a loud crash.
"Pietro!", Erik shouted, making Charles flinch from being startled and started walking away, leaving Charles behind with Wanda. He almost begged his boyfriend not to leave him there, because he had absolutely no clue of what to do.

"Did you come for the tea party?", Wanda asked him out of a sudden and even though Charles had no clue what that meant, he nodded with a small smile. "Come on then", she cocked her head to the side and walked, guiding him to somewhere else, which he noticed, was the living room.

Erik lived in a beautiful house. It was well furnished and had a lot of space for the kids. It was obvious that children lived there, seeing that there were toys scattered everywhere and the walls had some crayons drawing on them, but it was overall very homey and comfortable.

He noticed the small lines on the wall that had the names 'Wanda' and 'Pietro' written next to them and he knew, it was there that Erik measured his children. It became really real that his boyfriend was a father of two, but what struck him the most was that Erik seemed to be an excellent father.

He had never doubted that, but the proof was right in front of him and he was proud of the other man for doing it on his own all those years. It must have been difficult and somehow, he also managed to run a successful business at the same time; he was an incredible man.

"You'll sit next to Mr. Bear and Miss Fairy", Wanda said breaking him out of his thoughts and pointed at the children table in the middle of the room, it had small chairs around it with stuffed toys sitting on them. Charles could easily guess who Mr. Bear and Miss Fairy were and he sat uncomfortably on the chair.

Wanda started filling the fake teacups with imaginary liquid and started babbling "Pietro is so dead! Papa will ground him if he broke something else", she said. It was impressive how her enunciation was perfect, almost no wrong word on her vocabulary, which made Charles notice she was a very smart child.

"I'm sure it won't be so bad", he said and grabbed his teacup, pretending to drink from it. "You have to wait for the princess!", Wanda exclaimed, making him blush and put down the cup. "I'm so sorry, your highness", he said, trying to understand how that game worked, but he really had no clue.

"Wanda, did you make Charles participate on the party?", Erik asked with fond exasperation, walking into the living room. "It's okay, darl- Erik. I don't mind. It's an honour to have tea with a princess", he said immediately, smiling at Wanda.

"She's not a princess!", he heard and his gaze focused on the other kid in the room. Pietro was, of course, the same as his sister, except he had short hair and wasn't wearing a crown. He was dressed on a superhero uniform, though, and it was quite cute.

"Oh, hello, Pietro", he said and smiled at the little boy "My name is Charles", he said in a friendly way, praying to God, he was doing a good job.

It didn't take long for Erik to settle the kids on the table for dinner. Charles lingered a little on the living room, looking at every little detail and solving a few mysteries about Erik, while at the same time he formed new questions.

"Will you join us?", Erik asked when he came back and Charles looked at him, smiling "Of course. Do you think this is going ok?", he couldn't resist asking, still feeling a little anxious. "I'm sure they already like you", his boyfriend said and stepped closer, putting his hands on Charles' hips.

"I was just waiting to get them both together so we can tell them you're my boyfriend. Are you ready for this?", Erik checked and Charles nodded, caressing the other man's forearms. "Let's do this", he said, pretending to be braver than he actually felt at the moment.

They sat side by side on the table, across from the children who were already making a mess with their food, pasta spilling everywhere.

"This looks delicious", Charles said, starting to pour himself some food. Pietro nodded, and spoke with a full mouth "Papa is the best cook eveeer!", which Charles hardly understood with all the food. "Ew! Disgusting", Wanda complained and Erik chastised him afterwards "Pietro, is not polite to speak with your mouth full" - "Sorry papa", the boy mumbled, but didn't really look so apologetic.

Charles had of course, already tasted Erik's cooking on one of their dates where the other man had cooked on Charles' kitchen and they had slow, lazy sex on the couch afterwards, their bellies full and warm. It made his skin tingle to remember that day and he felt another wave of love towards Erik, looking at him and beaming.

Even though he was nervous and hoping this would go right, he was also absolutely happy for being there with his boyfriend and his family. Those two children were Erik's and by definition, Charles already loved them as well.

"Hmm..", he hummed approvingly "I think you're right, Pietro. Your papa is the best cook ever", and looked warmly at his boyfriend. Erik reached across the table and put his hand on top of Charles', his thumb caressing the skin there.

"Wanda, Pietro", he said and took a deep breath "Charles is papa's boyfriend", he announced, tightening his grip on Charles' hand and looking at the kids expectantly. From what Erik had told him so far, he knew, he was the only boyfriend ever that met the children and it made him really hope he wasn't going to scare the twins with the whole thing.

"What do you mean?", Pietro asked, cocking his head to the side. "It means they kiss each other", Wanda told her brother in a very matter-of-factly manner which caused Charles to chuckle.

"Yes. Among other things", Erik said and then continued explaining "It means we hold hands, we hug each other and we love each other. It means he's my best friend and he'll be around a lot from now one".

Charles turned his palm up and linked his fingers with Erik's, smiling at him and feeling at home. Erik's explanation was beautiful and pure, like one would give to a child and it made his stomach flutter, he was so sure he was doing the right thing, that he belonged with the other man.

"But he's a boy", Pietro pointed out with a small frown. "He is", Erik nodded in agreement "You see… When you love someone, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl. Love is bigger than those boundaries and there's nothing wrong with it", he explained.

"I know this is all very new, but I'd like to say my presence won't change the way things work. I'm not here to take your papa away, but rather to be part of your family", Charles said looking from the little boy to the little girl, waiting for a reaction.

But Wanda and Pietro simply looked at each other and went back to eating afterwards. He turned to Erik, silently asking him what had happened and if he had been accepted but his boyfriend's reaction was only a shrug, like he also had no clue what had been the kid's decision.

At the end of the dinner, Charles offered to do the dishes but Erik said he would have none of that the first time he was at his house so he wisely agreed with the other man. He was very tempted to stay longer, seeing that it was now time for watching a movie together, but he and Erik had discussed this beforehand and had decided it was best if he only stopped by to eat.

As he had told the twins, he didn't mean to steal their papa away from them, and this was sacred time between the two children and Erik. He was, of course, going to participate in the near future, but for today they had decided it was best not to push it too much and just ease into it like it was routine.

Still, the fact he had to leave didn't make him so happy. He wanted to stay more, enjoy the family atmosphere and see Erik as a capable father for longer. He wanted to curl up in the couch on the other man's arms and the kids sitting next to them as they watched a silly movie on the television. He was a fool in love and he didn't care.

"Kids, come say goodbye to Charles", Erik called and the two children came towards the door, looking like little angels which meant they had been up to no good.

"Goodbye Charles", they said in unison and even offered a smile, - Pietro's one missing a tooth - before they went back to whatever they were doing.

When they were alone, Charles stepped closer and embraced Erik, basking on his warmth. "So?", he asked after a moment of silence, eager to hear what his boyfriend had thought of the evening.

"You need to relax, Schatz. I'm not going to lie to you, their approval is very important to me, but even if they didn't like you, - which I doubt - I'm not going down without a fight. I don't say 'I love you' without meaning it, Charles. You'll win their hearts with my help", he said and pressed a kiss to Charles' temple.

"The don't like you", Erik said a week later, when Charles got inside the café. He wasn't waiting for that reception, but it made his heart shrink and fall to the floor. He knew exactly what it meant.

"What? How do you know?", he asked and went through the space between the counters, following Erik to the office so they could talk about this without the others overhearing. Erik was silent until he reached his desk and he pushed a piece of paper towards Charles.

It was a drawing of Charles, - which was obvious because of the big blue eyes and a shirt of the same color he had worn on the dinner - and he had red horns coming out of his head. There was fire around him and it was overall, a very angry drawing.

"Pietro did it in school", Erik said quietly and Charles felt hot tears burning on his eyes. "I… I don't understand", he pressed out and looked up at his boyfriend, feeling hopeless.

"His teacher asked him about it and he said it was 'papa's new boyfriend'. When she inquired why he drew you in such scenario, he shrugged and said you wanted to steal me away" - "What? But that's exactly what I said I wouldn't do!", Charles protested and dried a tear that had slipped down his cheek. He didn't know children could be so mean.

Erik sighed and stepped around his desk, pulling Charles into his arms. "I'm sorry, love. I didn't mean to make you cry with it I just… wanted you to know. So we can fix it together", he made it clear and a weight was lift off of Charles' shoulder. He hadn't really doubted Erik would come through and actually want to keep their relationship, but to have the confirmation was exactly what he needed.

Two months. The twins knew him for exactly two months and eight dinners. They hated him.

Everytime he came by to eat, they would welcome him with angry little faces and they would barely say anything until it was over.

Except, of course, when Erik held Charles' hand. Then, they suddenly wanted their papa to grab the salt, to help them with their meat or would just knock off a glass of juice, aiming for their father to let go of Charles.

Each time, he would come out of it feeling like the worst person in the world. He knew he was causing a lot of stress in the family and that stress was mirrored on his relationship with Erik; they couldn't just relax when they were alone anymore, the kids a constant guillotine over their heads.

It was on dinner number 9, that he finally felt like giving up. Erik had reached over to him to hold his hand, like he had done every other time and then, Wanda had dropped her fork into her leg, pretending she had gotten hurt. She opened her mouth and let out a loud cry that was obviously fake since there were no tears coming out of her eyes.

Erik sighed and let go of Charles, getting up from his chair and going towards the little girl. He kneeled down next to her and pretended to inspect her leg, giving it a kiss to make it better. He was telling her soothing words and saying it hadn't hurt her, it had been just a big scare.

Charles couldn't understand why Erik didn't see his kids were evil. He didn't want to feel like that about them, but their behaviour had led him to believe so and he couldn't look at the children without hatred flickering inside his heart.

He felt sick because of his feelings and suddenly got up on a mechanic move. "I- I need to go", he pressed out, eyes filled with tears and fled the house.

Charles needed to clear his head so he walked home, arms wrapped around his own body as he cried silently and had a turmoil inside his head. It all led to the same conclusion: he and Erik were living in borrowed time. They should just give up now rather than later when the heartbreak would be worse.

He couldn't even think of getting any sleep when he got home so he changed into slacks and a sweater before curling on the couch with a hot tea, Legolas lying at his feet. He didn't know how long he just sat there until the doorbell suddenly rang.

Charles sighed, not having the strength to deal with Raven at that very moment, but still got up to open the door for her. He did need support after all.

But when he opened, it wasn't her standing there. Erik had his hands shoved inside his pockets and a sad, also shy, expression on his face. "Can I come in?", he asked softly and Charles nodded, stepping away and going back to the couch, where he knew his boyfriend would follow him.

"I called the nanny", Erik commented, sitting next to him, close enough to reach but not touching. "Hm", Charles hummed, looking down at his cup.

"We need to talk about this, Charles", his boyfriend said and his calm tone made Charles tear up again. He had probably realised it was the best to just end this before it got even more complicated and it hurt Charles to no end.

"Go on", he said, scared of what came next, but he couldn't bring himself to break it off himself.

"I'm so sorry for how things are going. My kids, they.. they are being impossible and I've never seen them behave like this, I feel.. lost", Erik started, then he reached out and put a hand on Charles' knee. "I don't want to feel lost about you as well. So could you please, tell me what's on your mind? I feel like we haven't been communicating at all lately".

That made Charles laugh dryly and he finally looked at Erik "That's not all we haven't been doing, Erik. This thing with your kids, it's… ruining us. We haven't had sex in a month, we barely talk! When we're together all I can think of is that we're going to break up eventually, that you won't stay with someone your children disapprove of", he revealed, the tears slipping down his cheeks.

"I feel… I feel so worthless of you! I can't make two kids like me to keep you and I… God, Erik, I don't know what to do. The way I feel about you… I've never loved anyone like this before, like you're my air and I can't breathe without you but… I keep waiting for you to end it and… everytime I see them, it just hurts me so much! And I feel terrible because I don't like them anymore! I wish I did but… I just can't and I- I'm so sorry but they're awful, they're awful", he cried out, almost dropping his teacup which luckily Erik noticed and took it from him, putting on the table.

Then, his boyfriend was scooting closer and hugging him, his long arms wrapping around Charles' shaky body and his broad hands running down his back. He only noticed Erik was crying as well because of the way he was breathing, and it made him feel just a little better to know he wasn't the only one miserable about the whole thing.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry", Erik kept saying and Charles knew, this was it.

But instead of pulling away and ending it all, Erik pressed a kiss to his temple and trailed down towards his mouth which he took hungrily, tongues tangling up, making them both taste the salty tears.

The other man groaned possessively before pulling away and framing Charles' face with his hands. "Don't give up on us, please. We can fix this. We just need a different approach, this is clearly not working but we'll think of something else" - "I don't know, Erik, I… I can't keep feeling this way, I'm miserable" - "Let's not think of it now. Come to bed with me and we'll decide later", Erik murmured in a passionate way, making Charles feel the way he did at the beginning of their relationship.

He got up then and stretched his arm to hold Erik's hand and pull him to a standing position. They kissed again and suddenly Erik bent lower, picking Charles bridal style, their lips not separating for a second.

Soon, Charles was lying on his side, leg thrown over his boyfriend's naked body as slim, long fingers entered him, making his hole slick and loose. The other man's hot mouth was wet all over his neck, sucking, licking and biting everywhere.

He was still crying, feeling too overwhelmed by the recent events and what they were doing right then, which they hadn't done in a long time. He felt desired once more and also reminded of how good they were together, how strongly they felt about each other.

They were making love and it felt right.

"Shh.. don't cry, love. Do you want me to stop?", Erik asked gently, kissing up to the corner of Charles' mouth. "Don't, Erik. Please… I want to be close to you", he asked and felt as Erik kissed his tears, trying to dry the wet trails with his own mouth.

"I'm ready, just… do it already. Need you in me", he groaned and felt Erik's fingers slipping out of him. He reached out for the bottle of lube, but once again, the most annoying sound interrupted them.

Charles groaned in frustration and his tears came back full strength as he put his face against Erik's naked chest. He knew what the call was; either Pietro or Wanda had taken hold of the phone and were calling with a fake emergency. They knew Erik was with Charles and they wanted to bring him back home.

His boyfriend's body moved as he tried rescuing the phone from the floor and when he did, the ringing stopped. Charles cried as he waited to hear Erik's voice as he answered one of his kids but it never came. Instead, the other man's hand carded through Charles' hair and he started shushing him.

Charles pulled away a little to look up at Erik and he mumbled mesmerised "You didn't answer". His boyfriend smiled softly at him and said "You need me more right now. I'm here with you and only the both of us matter at this moment. I love you, schatz".

His only answer was to press their lips together with renewed energy. He didn't care he probably looked swollen, his eyes red and scary, his nose dripping. Erik was still there and he was still loving Charles the same way he did when Charles looked his best.

He used his strength to turn them around and climb on top of Erik, reaching for the other man's cock and holding it still as he lowered his body into it; he didn't need lube, a condom or anything else, he just needed to be close to Erik and feel him.

He rode his boyfriend in a slow, lazy rhythm, kissing him messily and deeply, exchanging sweet nothings and linking their fingers together.

"I think this is a good time to tell you I'm spending the night", Erik said and Charles rode him with even more fervor, pouring all his love into it.

So they decided to keep trying. Erik had said he would talk to the children and explain things to them, tell them exactly why they had to be on their best behaviour and even ground them if needed.

They also agreed that from then on, Charles would stay for movie time. It had been two months already and the kids should start to get used to the fact that papa's boyfriend wasn't only there for a couple hours on saturday. He was always there and wouldn't go anywhere soon.

To prove his own effort, Charles came bearing gifts on dinner number 10. He bought Wanda a princess kit, with a mirror, a crown, a small makeup set and some things for her hair. For Pietro, he bought a new videogame that he was hoping he could play with the little boy some time.

And then he went again, praying everything would turn out good.

The dinner was still quiet and a little tense. When Erik reached out to him and linked their fingers together, Charles' heart started hammering inside his chest because it was like this test they had to go through.

The kids were silent.

He didn't know he could ever feel victorious when he beat two children, but there he was, this proud feeling setting on his chest that Erik had picked him over the kids this time, that he had shown them Charles was important too and should be respected.

After eating, he gave the children the gifts and even if they tried to not seem so happy, he could see they had liked what he had picked.

Things only went south when they settled on the couch to watch 'Wall-E'. He sat next to Erik, his boyfriend's arm around his shoulder as he fumbled with the control to start the movie.

Wanda and Pietro had sat on the floor, on top of the carpet. There were many pillows there to make it comfortable and it seemed like it was their normal setting whenever they had movie night.

But at some point, Wanda looked up at Erik with round eyes and asked in a small voice "Papa.. can you hug me too?", getting up from the floor. Erik nodded at her and opened his other arm to welcome his daughter, but she ignored it and placed herself between Erik and Charles, wanting to break their embrace.

"Wanda, honey, that's Charles' place", Erik chastised her gently but she snuggled up to him, not saying anything. "Sweetie, did you hear me? Sit on the other side, Charles got there first", he tried again and somehow, ten seconds later Wanda was full on weeping.

Charles watched the exchange feeling nervous and once again terrible for causing that mess on the family. He was ready to give his place up, but Erik beat him to it and told her quietly "Wanda, go to your room. You're grounded".

His voice was cold and stern, making shivers run down Charles' spine; he had never heard Erik like that and he could tell, it hurt his boyfriend to have to do this. "What?", she asked, stopping her crying immediately.

"We've talked about this. You're being disobedient so you're going to your room and you're thinking about your behaviour" - "But-" - "No buts. Now", Erik said firmly and Wanda's little mouth fell open.

She got up from the couch and looked at both Erik and Charles before angrily yelling "I hate you!", and running out of the living room. He didn't know who she was shouting that for but he guessed it was both of them.

"I'm so sorry, Erik", he said but his boyfriend shook his head. "Don't be. She doesn't mean that and she needs to learn. I tried nice and it didn't work, so…", he trailed off with a shrug.

Pietro, who was still sitting on the floor mumbled a "That was so not fair", but luckily didn't storm off as well.

"But are you sure this is the best way?", Charles asked the other man, slipping his hand into his "I mean.. she's going to hate me for making her miss movie time" - "You didn't make her miss anything, love. You're trying your best", Erik said, squeezing his hand.

Charles sighed, but then, he had an idea. "Let me get her back. I'll tell her I convinced you and maybe that way she can like me better?", he asked in a low tone so Pietro wouldn't hear him and Erik frowned, considering the idea. When he agreed, Charles was already on his feet.

They decided then, that Erik would be a mean father for a while, so that Charles could sweep in and save the kids. It didn't sound so fair, but his boyfriend didn't seem to mind being the annoying parent if it meant his children would start liking Charles.

He started coming over to the house twice a week then, and each time, they would find something small for Erik to chastise or ground the children for and then Charles would calm him down and convince him to let the kids be.

It didn't seem to be paying off for a month.

Until one day, on a sunday afternoon, things seemed a little brighter.

Erik had just left the living room to go to the bathroom and he sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone when Pietro approached him with a coy, scared expression, both his hands behind his back.

"What's wrong?", Charles asked softly, jumping on the opportunity like a starved man. "I need your help with something", the boy said and Charles' heart immediately started beating faster, not believing what he was hearing.

"Yeah, of course. Anything", he answered eagerly and Pietro bit his bottom lip. He moved his arms then, revealing a sheet of paper and handing it over to Charles, eyes glued on the ground.

He took it curiously and frowned when he realised it was a math test. Pietro was what? On first grade? Second? How could he be failing math so soon? If he didn't have a good ground on it, it would be a lot harder when he was older and more advanced on the subject.

"I'm scared of telling papa. I thought you could tell him for me", Pietro said and Charles understood what he meant. If he had freed Pietro and Wanda from being grounded so many times already, he could help once more, right? He knew this was a slightly more serious matter, but he also knew that if he helped Pietro now, it would go a long way into making the boy like him, so he didn't hesitate on agreeing.

"I'll tell him. On two conditions", he answered, waiting for Pietro to look up so he could hold the little boy's stare. "One, you'll let me tutor you in math", he said because he couldn't just let the boy fail "And two, we'll play that video game I brought you together".

When Pietro nodded, Charles could swear it was one of the happiest moments of his life.

He told Erik about the grade and the agreement, a few hours later when the kids were in bed.

His boyfriend grinned, a toothy, happy smile and hugged him around his waist, lifting him from the floor and spinning him around. Charles laughed merrily and sealed their lips into a kiss.

They stumbled into Erik's bedroom, closing and locking the door behind them as they fell to the other man's bed. It was the first time Charles was lying there and he couldn't believe it. "Fuck me, daddy", he murmured, gambling a little with the nickname. It made Erik groan and Charles felt goosebumps over his skin.

Later, when they were all sweaty and tired, Erik kissed his temple and said "Stay the night", to which Charles did not disagree and fell asleep soon, curled around the man he loved so much.

Tutoring Pietro was harder than he thought. The subject was so very easy, but the boy's attention was everywhere. It took a lot for him to concentrate but when he actually did, he proved to be quite smart like his sister.

Charles helped him with every math homework and afterwards, they would sit in the living room and play the racing game.

Erik told him, that Pietro was starting to sound excited every time Charles was coming over, eager to show him that his grade had been better on another test and to try and beat him on the game, - which Charles let happen now and then.

Wanda, though, was still resisting his presence. She was keeping her distance and even the agreement he had with Erik of grounding and then saving her, wasn't working anymore.

He had honestly no clue what to do to show her he meant good and wasn't going to take Erik away.

It had been exactly six months since he met the kids. Eleven since he was dating Erik. And it was the twin's birthday.

Erik had planned a big party at the coffee shop and Charles had, of course, helped him decorate and make it come true. The party was divided in half; one part with cool videogames and the other one with a beauty station. On the outside, they had set a playground for the kids to play at, there were balloons and all the delicious, unhealthy stuff children liked to eat.

For the parents, there were tables on the inside so they could sit and watch the kids through the window.

It was also a surprise party and seeing Wanda's and Pietro's faces lightening up when they saw it, was worth every bit of the secrecy.

Charles realised, he didn't hate them anymore. He had grown to love them and understand a bit of their fear. He would freak out if someone threatened his relationship with Erik as well, so he knew where the kids were coming from.

But Pietro loved him back. He would send Charles voice messages from Erik's phone, would jump on him as soon as he showed at their house and wouldn't leave his side, making it difficult for Erik to steal Charles away. He still made drawings at his class, but now Charles was featured in it holding Erik's and Pietro's hand, Wanda holding his, as they stood in front of a house with a white picket fence. They looked like a happy family.

Wanda was still the same.

Charles put an arm around Erik's waist and his boyfriend wrapped his own around Charles' shoulders, tugging him closer and kissing his cheek. "Thank you for helping me with this, schatz", he said warmly and Charles smiled, watching all the kids run through the playground.

"It was no problem. Erik?", he called looking up at his boyfriend and waiting for them to lock eyes "I'm sorry I ever said your kids were awful. They are not. You know I love them, right?", he said.

Erik's smile to it was breathtaking and he kissed Charles' lips softly, lingering there and murmuring "I don't know how I got so lucky and met you", making warmth spread all through Charles' heart.

The party was running smoothly, a huge success up until the point Wanda was at the beauty station and some other girl was talking to her. Charles watched them so they would come to no harm, but to his surprise, Wanda suddenly got up and ran to the bathroom, crying loudly.

He looked around for Erik, but didn't see his boyfriend anywhere. He knew he had to help Wanda though, so he took a deep breath and followed her, pushing the bathroom door open and finding her sitting on the floor, knees pulled to her chest as she sobbed.

He sat down next to her, trying to ignore the fact he was sitting at the floor of a public bathroom, kids had been using for the past two hours, and called her name gently "Wanda? What's wrong sweetie?".

She flinched when she heard his voice and shook her head, not wanting to tell him about it. "Hey, you can tell me anything, I promise", he tried again and she must have been really sad because she raised her head and started talking.

"Lou said… she- she said I'm not p-pretty enough to be a princess", she sobbed and Charles gasped, knowing how bad that must have sounded for Wanda's childish ears. He put a hand on her head and smoothed down her curly hair, that was messy now from all the sweat and playing.

"Honey, you know that's not true, right? You're beautiful", he said as softly as he could. Every word was dripping with honesty, though, because Erik's kids were indeed beautiful. "I'm not", she shook her head and sobbed really harder.

"Wanda, do you think your papa is pretty?", he asked, trying a different approach and when she nodded, he grinned victoriously. "You look a lot like him. That means you are pretty too. Besides, did you see Lou's nose? She's the one who's not pretty enough to be royalty", he said even though he knew that was quite mean to say about a child.

But no one would ever know he said it and it immediately lifted Wanda's spirit up. "You think so?", she asked and Charles nodded eagerly "I do. And you know what? I think we should both get out of here and go back to the beauty station. I can fix your hair while you put makeup on, what do you think?", he offered. He had done it quite a lot when Raven was a child and he knew how to do some cool things.

To his surprise, Wanda agreed with him.

Erik was quite shocked when a few minutes later he found his daughter putting blush on, while Charles braided her hair. He smiled at his tall boyfriend, glowing with happiness and Erik beamed back at him.

Their one year anniversary was spent under the sheets, with a lot of champagne and strawberries.

"I think it's time for us to take another step", Erik announced a week later as he strode in Charles' apartment. His mind jumped to all sorts of conclusions and he asked himself if Erik would want him to move in or something. They had been dating for an year now, but were they ready for it?

If Erik wasn't a father then hell yeah, but he had two kids and one of them had only recently started to like Charles.

Everytime he went to his boyfriend's house, Wanda and Pietro would fight for his attention, the former one wanting him to fix her hair while the latter wanted to play games with him. It was all fine and well, Charles was proud of himself for winning them over and he really did like them, but living with kids? Wow that was-

"You should babysit the twins", Erik said, getting him out of his thoughts of moving in. Ok. Babysit the twins. That sounded… Oh holy fuck, that sounded a lot worse than actually living with them.

At least moving in meant Erik wanted him to be around everyday, but babysit? That was.. no. He couldn't do that, could he? That sounded so scary. But maybe this is what he needed to do now, see if he could actually take care of them, spend time with them when Erik wasn't around. That way, he could decide if he could do that for the rest of his life.

To see if they could actually be together forever.

So he agreed.

"Chaaaarles!", Pietro yelled as soon as Charles let himself in the house, with the key Erik had given him. The little boy threw himself at his legs, hugging him tight and smiling up to him, showing his missing tooth and dimples.

"Hey, champ! How are you?", he asked and bent lower, picking Pietro up, even if the boy said he was too big for that. "I'm fine. Papa said you're staying with us today?", the little one inquired and Charles nodded, trying to hide his nervousness.

"Yeah. He's going to work and you, your sister and I will have a blast!", he answered, putting Pietro down at a chair on the kitchen and resting the paper bag he had brought on top of the table. He pulled out the first item, - an ice cream carton - before he felt strong, warm arms wrapping around his waist.
"Is that how it works? I give you a key and you just don't say hi to me anymore?", Erik asked amused, kissing Charles' cheek to show he was just joking. "Well, I was greeted by this handsome young man here and didn't even remember you", Charles joked. Erik moved his arm and pinched him in the ass, making him yelp and succeeding on not letting Pietro see the gesture.

"Hey, behave!", Charles said with a laugh. It was then, that Wanda came running into kitchen and smiled at him. Erik let go so that Charles could bent down and hug the little girl, before grabbing her and putting her on the chair as well, to show them the delicious snacks he had brought for their fun day together.

Wanda and Pietro cheered, already grabbing a pack of biscuits and tearing it open. "Kids, can you go eat in the living room? Don't get used to it but papa needs to talk to Charles", Erik said and he looked at his boyfriend, trying to understand his tone.
"Did I do something wrong?", Charles asked when they were alone and Erik stepped closer again, putting his hands on Charles' hips. "First, I wanted to do this", he said and leaned in, kissing Charles deep.

After a little making out, they broke apart to not let it get out of hand and smiled at each other. "Second, this is a one time thing, right?", he asked, pointing at the snacks. "I know you want to be cool and make them love you, but… they have a routine and need to eat healthy", Erik finally said what was on his mind.

"Oh. Yeah, sure. I didn't think of that", Charles blushed, being reminded of how little he knew about raising a child. "Don't worry, love. You're making this the best day ever for them", Erik said gently and kissed Charles' lips once more.

"Okay?", he asked and Charles nodded, smiling a little. "Okay. When do you have to go?", he inquired and Erik checked his wristwatch, eyebrows knitting together "Now, actually. See you later? Call me if you need me", his boyfriend answered and then grabbed a bag of chips before walking towards the living room to say goodbye to his kids.

Babysitting was a hell lot easier than he thought it would be. The children were behaving well and devouring the snacks, which meant they skipped lunch, - something Erik could never know.

They watched movies, drew together, used play dough, danced, played video games and he even let Wanda put makeup on his face and take pictures, - which he did send to Erik. On the afternoon, both were down like they had been sedated and Charles fell to the couch, feeling like he had accomplished something big, and he did.

"Hi, handsome", he said to Erik when his boyfriend picked up the phone. "Hey, beautiful", he answered and Charles could tell he was smiling on the other side. "How is it going with the kids?" - "Marvellous. I just put them down for a nap", he answered proudly but Erik's answer was just a small "Hm".

"What? What did I do?", Charles asked, sitting up. "No, you did nothing, love. I'm glad everything is working out good" - "Seriously, Erik. What's wrong?" - "Nothing's wrong, Charles. I'm proud of you and happy you're spending time with the twins".

Charles sighed and tried not to let his tiredness speak through him. "Erik. What did I do? If you don't tell me then I'm always going to be wrong!", he protested. "They shouldn't take a nap now. It's either earlier or not at all. It just means they're going to be hysterical in the night. But that doesn't matter, you're doing great and it's your first time".

"Shit", Charles breathed out and carded his fingers through his hair. He knew, if Erik was next to him he would be pulling him into a hug now and saying soothing words, but he wasn't and the words through the phone were not so helpful.

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad" - "I'm not… there's just so much I don't know about raising kids and I feel lost", those words made Erik chuckle and Charles frowned "Why are you laughing?", he asked.

"It's just cute. That's exactly how I felt when I got the twins. It's exactly how every parent feels", his boyfriend answered and suddenly Charles didn't feel so sad anymore. It got him to smile widely and he whispered into the phone "I love you, Erik" - "Love you too, schatz".

It was the third time he was babysitting the children and Charles thought he was finally starting to get the hang of it. That is, until he let Pietro have a scissor to cut forms out of a magazine for a school project and he somehow, got the pointy one and handed it to the boy.

When Wanda decided she wanted the scissor too, they started fighting for it and Pietro got distracted to cut the last part. Before Charles got there, the little boy cut his finger and blood started spilling everywhere.

His first instinct was to grab a towel, wrap it around the boy's hand, grab him on his arm and hold Wanda's hand with his free one, guiding both out of the house and into his car, that he drove to a hospital, his heart beating fast in worry.

The wait to be attended seemed to last forever but he used it to call Erik. In retrospect, he knew he shouldn't have sounded so freaked out when he told his boyfriend he was in the hospital with the kids and that Pietro had gotten hurt.

Erik's only reaction was to say he was on his way and turn off the call after he got the name of the hospital.

Charles entered the consultory with the two kids because they were called before Erik got there and he was welcomed by a very nice, calm doctor.

She inspected Pietro's wound and gently told Charles that was just a cut and a little medicine along with a band-aid would make it good again. And that was it. It was just a small, little cut. Pietro had not even cried and Charles had just freaked out for nothing.

When they stepped out of the room, the first thing they saw was Erik, pacing around and looking like he was about to faint. "Papaa!", Wanda yelled and ran towards her father, throwing herself at him.

"Hey honey", he said and grabbed her up, but his eyes were glued on Pietro and his hand that was wrapped with gauze. "What happened?", he asked worriedly, approaching them and kneeling down to inspect his son.

"Just a little cut, papa", Pietro answered. "Are you okay then?", Erik checked and Pietro nodded. Then, his boyfriend looked up and met his gaze, making Charles blush furiously and start explaining himself.

"Oh, Erik, I'm so sorry! I… God, he was using the scissor and cut his finger.. I-I freaked out but it was just a small cut, the doctor said I could have just put some band aid, I overreacted", he babbled and stared at the other man for what felt like forever, until Erik threw his head back and laughed.

"What?", Charles asked, feeling mildly offended "What?", he pressed and Erik went on his feet, both hands framing Charles' face "You're wonderful, you know that?", he asked and Charles completely melted, "I… didn't know that but.. why?", Charles inquired, still blushing bashfully.

"You're worried about the kids. I freaked out the first time they got hurt too; It's adorable that a little cut got you to run to the hospital with them", Erik said and kissed Charles' forehead.

He wondered if that was how first time parents felt, and he had his answered immediately; yes it was. The twins were starting to feel like Charles' own children and he knew, a separation from them would be just as bad as from Erik.

When the twins turned eight, Erik enrolled them on extra activities. He had been putting it off as much as he could because he thought it would narrow his time with his babies and make him a bad parent, but Charles showed him that it would be good so they would learn discipline, make new friends, have fun and acquire new abilities.

Pietro started playing football and Wanda started taking ballet classes, which made them quite happy.

Charles was formally invited by Pietro to attend to his first football match, which he accepted of course. He was the one who cheered louder and kept urging the little one to try his best, until he scored his goal and Charles threw himself at Erik, hugging him tight "I'm so proud of our boy", he said and then froze, realising what he had just let out.

"Our boy?", Erik asked pulling away and staring down at Charles with a huge smile. "I… yeah, I mean…", he blushed and his boyfriend chuckled warmly, coming closer to give him an eskimo kiss.

"You should know-", Erik started "-That you're really embarrassing our boy with all that yelling", he completed, making Charles blush harder.

ERIK'S POV

"Wanda! We have to be in the car in five minutes, are you ready?", Erik asked, going towards his daughter's room and pushing in. She was standing in front of the mirror, inspecting her ballet clothes.

"Your hair is not done yet?", he inquired a little frustrated, not wanting the little girl to be late for her recital, - she was finally going to be the main dancer on the show and he couldn't be prouder.

"No!", she said, bottom lip starting to tremble. "Papa will help you with that, c'mere", he answered gently, not wanting her to cry and ruin her mood for her big night. "No, Charles always does it! Where is he?", she asked, crossing her arms and already seeming upset.

"Charles is a little late, honey. But he'll be there at the show", he answered softly, pulling her towards the bed and sitting down, already picking a brush to fix her hair. "Promise?", she asked and he nodded.

"Yeah, sweetie. Charles will always be there", he said but then something clicked on his head. Would he? They were dating for three years now and even though they knew they would end up marrying and growing old together, they were not doing anything to make it happen.

"Would that.. bother you, Wanda? If papa married Charles?", he asked his stomach twisting and turning in nervousness. "Does that mean he's going to be my daddy?", she countered and he chuckled softly, thinking his boyfriend was already doing that part ever since he met the twins.

"Yeah, it does. And he'll be here everyday" - "Oh.. that would be nice! He makes really good pancakes and he would be here to fix my hair now" - "Hey! Papa is doing a great job here", Erik protested, finishing the bun and thinking of her answer.

"Don't tell Charles about this, ok? It will be our secret", he told her and turned her around so they could lock eyes and she would understand the seriousness of it. "Ok, papa. But don't take too long, I'm excited".

"Can we talk?", Erik asked Pietro the next day, sitting next to him on the couch. It had been hard not to propose to Charles during the ballet recital, it had been hard not to propose while they made love on his bed and it had been hard not to wake the other man up and propose to him in the morning.

As it was, his boyfriend was asleep on his bed, naked and comfortable there. Wanda was playing with dolls in her room and Pietro was playing his new shooting game, that Charles had given him, - he was spoiling those kids so much!

"Did I do something wrong?", Pietro asked, pausing the game and looking scared. "No, no! It's not that", Erik shook his head.

"Oh, is it about marrying Charles? Wand told me last night", the boy asked and Erik wondered when the hell did they have the time to talk without him noticing, but he wasn't going to think about his kids sneaking around past bedtime. He didn't want to chastise them for it because it was part of being a child but he also couldn't just ignore it if it was confirmed.

"Yes, yes it is", he said slowly "I asked her yesterday and wanted to make sure it was okay with you as well?", Erik asked feeling nervous all over again.

"Charles makes you smile", Pietro shrugged and turned back to the tv, pressing play. "What does that mean?", Erik asked a little confused "It will be nice seeing him everyday", the little boy clarified and Erik had a huge grin on his face when he went back to his room, to wake his boyfriend up with kisses.

CHARLES' POV

Even after three years of relationship, being woken up by Erik never ceased to be marvelous. Charles stretched his body, and hummed lowly before blinking his eyes open and seeing that sharky smile so very close to his face.

"Good morning", he mumbled and kissed Erik's chin, wrapping his arms around him and trying to bring him closer, a leg sneaking around Erik's own. "Morning, schatz", his boyfriend answered and locked their lips in a deep kiss.

"Hmmhm… how 'bout round two?", Charles suggested with a mischievous grin, already having a boner. "Are you never satisfied?", Erik chuckled and Charles whispered in front of his face "I can never get enough of you", honesty dripping from every word.

When they walked out of the room, Erik went straight to the kitchen to get him some breakfast and Charles went to say hello to the children, starting with Wanda and then Pietro. The nine year olds had grown to like him so very much that it overwhelmed Charles each time they smiled at him brightly like that.

"Good morning, monkey", he told Pietro and sat next to him to watch him play a little.

After a long moment of silence, the little one asked "Did you say yes?", and Charles frowned, confused "For what?" - "For papa. Will you marry him or not?", the little boy answered very distractedly and Charles' eyes widened, his breath getting caught in his lungs.

"W-What?", he stuttered and it was then that Erik walked into the living room, carrying his mug of tea.

Pietro paused the game and looked guiltily at his papa "You didn't ask? Why were in there for so long?", sounding almost desperate. One look at his son's face and then Charles' shocked one told Erik everything he needed to know.

"You told him?", he asked sounding a little frustrated and Pietro bit his lip "I'm sorry, papa", already on the verge of tears.

Erik sighed and shook his head "It's okay. Just go to your room for a while, will you?", he asked and Pietro nodded, getting up and fleeing the living room.

An awkward silence settled between them and Charles had no clue of what to say. Was it true? Did Erik really mean to… propose? Oh God- "Any chance you can pretend you never heard that? I'd like to do it properly", Erik finally said, putting the cup down and then shoving his hands inside his pockets, looking coy.

"I… Erik, you…", he trailed off, feeling so very nervous. But he had no doubt what his answer was. "Erik… No", he breathed out and Erik's face fell, looking so incredibly devastated.

"No, I won't pretend I didn't hear it. I can't.. I won't wait", he said and got up, walking towards his boyfriend and putting his hands on his chest. "Ask me now", he said seriously, not needing a big gesture, a huge proposal with expensive food and so much planning.

"Now?", Erik asked a little unsure "I wanted to make this right. You deserve something good, something that shows you how much I love-" - "Will you marry me?", Charles blurted out with a grin.

Erik took in a sharp breath and they seemed to hang on to that moment forever, until Erik moved and pressed his lips to Charles', kissing him lovingly and softly. They lingered there, breathing in each other and hugging tightly, enjoying the moment and trying to come to terms to what had just happened there. They were engaged.

"Did papa say yes?", they heard Wanda whispering and broke apart, laughing happily. "Yes, yes!", Erik exclaimed looking at his children who were eavesdropping.

They both cheered and came running when Erik opened his arms. Charles picked Wanda up and his boyfriend, - no, fiancè - picked Pietro, them four engaging on a hug.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have gotten that family for himself, but he wasn't complaining.

Charles knew, he had found his happiness.

And the kids didn't complain about getting a dog when he finally moved in with Legolas.

THE END