Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; this is a work of fanfiction and not for profit.
Note: You will notice that I use some situations from the movie, but I add my own interpretation and continue the story based on my own imagination.
Some parts of the dialogue in the beginning may be the same as in the movie (no copyright intended).
Pairing: Erik Lensherr / Charles Xavier
Rating: This chapter has slash hints, but nothing explicit (expect lemon soon though :P)
The story starts with some scenes from the movie, showing how Erik and Charles' relationship had blossomed, and how their love took its shape.
Chapter 1: Friendship
"Erik! You decided to stay." Charles exclaimed in visible delight as he watched the taller man stand at the entrance to the office.
"If a new species is being discovered, it should be by its own kind. Charles and I find the mutants." Mr. Lensherr said simply – knowing that the less-evolved human sitting in a chair in front of Charles was bound to become upset at this.
Surely enough, the CIA agent retorted, "Firstly, this is our machine; secondly, it is Charles' decision and he is fine with the CIA being involved."
The telepath turned his head to look at Erik Lensherr, as stunning azure eyes met with an equivalently intense stone-blue gaze, and Charles concentrated on the powerful emotions emanating from his counterpart, which convinced him that the other was intent on doing this only with him and that it had significant importance on many levels. He had been in Erik's mind during that night when the other had almost drowned, and he felt everything that had happened to the metal-bending mutant in his childhood. The memories were very nearly unbearable and Charles remembered how he lay in bed later that night, trying to reconcile with the aftershocks that the intensity of the recollections sent through him. In actuality, it took him a couple of days to finally smooth out, in his own mind, the lasting taste of fear, anger and pain that had come to mark the man before him. As a result, he knew what Erik meant. And it did seem that having better anonymity was essential, since it could potentially lessen the danger of placing mutants in harm's way. There was also something about the way that Erik said it that made it difficult to resist. He was glad that Erik had returned, and if they wanted to do this, they definitely had to work together. Taking a deep breath at the intensity of the other man's projection, Charles replied, "No. I'm with Erik." He slowly turned his gaze back to the CIA agent but not before noticing his friend's subtle but genuinely grateful smile. "We'll find them alone." Charles reiterated, and there was no option for the CIA to object, since all of the technology that they have built or will build in the future, would be useless without Professor Xavier being there to use it.
And so, it wasn't long before they had access to the fully completed "Cerebro".
Hank moved across the metal-padded floor to start powering up the machine, while Charles, Erik and Raven climbed up into the spherical structure that harboured the amplifying device. Charles eagerly walked closer and examined the helmet to which countless wires were attached.
"So basically this is how it works: Cerebro amplifies your telepathic powers so that you can cover very long distances at once, and when you find other mutants, it will send a signal to the receptor and their location will be printed." The scientist explained, and quickly received an amazed look from Raven, who definitely seemed to appreciate his ingenuity.
Charles nodded, only half-paying attention. He enthusiastically ran his fingers across the border of the helmet, not taking his eyes off the machine, and moving to position himself at the centre of the device. The professor couldn't wait to test out this invention – if it worked, it was going to open doors to so many possibilities, to be able to find and touch the minds of so many of their fellow mutants... – he couldn't even imagine the sensation.
With a smile of anticipation, Charles brought the helmet down and placed it on his head, while getting ready for the mental output. In the meanwhile, Erik was pacing slowly around the young telepath, glancing at various parts of the machine as if studying it and carefully assessing its functionality and construction.
But just look at Professor Charles Xavier, Erik thought. In the spirit of a true scholar, the young man was hardly able to hide his excitement and was standing there like an exquisite statue, back straight, a confident expression on his face, and a visible docility with his hands behind his back. So trusting... Erik couldn't imagine how it was possible to test an unknown and potentially dangerous invention on oneself without so much as a flinch.
He finally stopped in front of the telepath. "What an adorable lab rat you make, Charles." Erik said; his tone somewhere in between pointing out the irony and teasing, which effectively caught the other's attention.
"Don't spoil this for me, Erik." Charles replied.
But Erik wasn't about to let this go, this situation was a remarkable paradox – an actually willing volunteer for experimentation, now wasn't that something... "No. I've been a lab rat. I know one when I see one." He said, and an instant of a painful memory had involuntarily risen in his mind, leaving a pang in his chest even as he spoke lightly. Despite his light-hearted tone, the mental-bender did take this seriously, and he moved to Charles' side as the lamp-light began to flicker and the machine was almost at full power.
Charles glanced to the side, turning his bright blue eyes to the other man. Their gazes remained unbroken for a long moment before a faint smile traced the young telepath's lips and he slowly closed his eyes. It was something that amazed Erik – it seemed that every time their gazes met, he could hardly look away – it was strangely hypnotizing, even though the other man was doing nothing on purpose.
Then a moment later, a flash of blinding light filled the room and Charles let out a scream, his eyes flying open and his hands instantly launching forward to grip harshly at the metal bar in front of him. Erik's heart seemed to have skipped a beat, for an instant feeling almost dizzy with fear that something had gone terribly wrong. But his muscles soon relaxed when he saw Charles' smile widening on his lips.
At first, the young professor felt such an intense rush of emotions that it blocked out all of his immediate senses and bombarded him into a state of chaos. However, the shock and disorientation soon began to take more distinct shapes as his mind spiralled through thoughts, emotions, feelings and experiences that weren't his own. He forced himself to focus his mind and suddenly the sensations were becoming clearer, he could start separating the muddle of feelings into distinct entities, and then into particular locations. Charles let out a short and delighted laughter - he had never experienced the touch of so many minds simultaneously and across such distances. His grin was one of amazement and excitement as he began sorting through the living beings that he felt, and could focus his mind on each mutant, one at a time.
"It works!" Hank exclaimed as the machine began to print the location of the selected mutants. And thus, the recruitment began.
Just as they planned, it was only Charles and Erik who went looking for the mutants. They traveled together to many different locations, talked to the recruits and invited them over to the CIA facility that had so nicely accommodated them.
They have been recruiting for a couple of weeks now. One day, in between the recruitment trips, Charles and Erik remained for the day in Washington, playing a usual game of chess outdoors.
"Do you think that what we're doing is right?" Erik asked, glancing at the board and moving one of his pawns forward across the grid.
Charles sighed softly, "I've touched so many minds; I felt their aspirations, fears and hopes… They feel isolation, and we can help them." Charles answered, thinking about his next move.
"Perhaps, but identification is how it starts. Then you get rounded up and experimented on." The magnet-controlling man said.
"No, not this time. They need us, the CIA need us against common enemies." The professor replied, shifting to move his knight across the board.
"For now." Was the simple clarification that Erik added, while Charles kept his head down in deep thought. The telepath knew that the other had a valid point – they were taking part in the dangerous game of politics and the end results in such games are never completely clear. Not that there is ever an end to the tug-of-war between interests of powerful men, either.
"We have no choice now, we need to organize our forces if we hope to stand a chance against Shaw and his friends. And while doing so, we can also give hope and purpose to those who are in despair, who feel lonely and isolated, in fear and in hiding." Charles said, remembering how every time the first reaction of shock in their recruits had quickly passed and became a warm sensation of happiness at their acceptance.
"Don't you think we need to look a little further ahead and assess the potential dangers?" Erik suggested.
"First we need to deal with the current situation, we don't even know what Shaw is planning, but whatever it is, it cannot bode well for us."
Erik and Charles stood in front of a bar during the afternoon heat.
"Are you sure he's in here?" Erik asked, glancing at Charles.
"Yep, he seemed troubled, so I thought we'd give it a try." Charles answered as they opened the door and entered the small and dingy-looking bar.
He is the one sitting at the counter. The telepath spoke into Erik's mind, so not to draw unwanted attention to them.
Erik nodded and they walked towards the counter, while the metal-bender was the first one to speak. "Excuse me, I'm Erik Lensherr."
"Charles Xavier."
"Go fuck yourself." Logan's reply was swift and clearly sent an unmistakable message.
Erik and Charles glanced at one another with something akin to confounded amusement, before turning and leaving the bar without another word.
"What was up with that?" Erik asked in half-interested dismay as they walked down the street, while Charles shrugged and shook his head.
"Maybe he just didn't want to be bothered."
"Or maybe he's just an asshole." Lensherr corrected him and both men laughed.
"I think we have enough recruits."
"Ah, don't tell me you want to return so soon! We have traveled so far to reach this place, might as well do something fun while we're here." Erik suggested.
The telepath gave his friend such a look that was sure to convey his opinion about the priority of more important matters.
"Come on, Charles." The taller man drawled with a never-wavering grin. And without letting the younger man reply, he swiftly pulled him into another one of the bars that littered the street. The interior of this particular bar looked neater than the previous one, with smooth-black tables scattered in a dimmer section of the place. The décor was simple and yet stylish, while pot lights lined the ceiling above the counter. Stepping up to the bartender, Erik glanced back at Charles, who moved to lean slightly on the counter near him. Charles' expression was one of amusement, and Erik returned a wide smile at the challenge.
After a long moment, he turned again to the bartender "One Gimlet," He ordered for himself, before throwing another glance at the young telepath and adding, "…and one Perfect Martini". Erik's said slowly, his voice was low and he didn't shift his gaze from the other as he spoke, while hardly paying attention to the bartender who nodded and quickly turned to get them the drinks.
Charles' amused features swiftly became ones of a pleasant surprise, as he heard the other's words. How did his friend guess which drink he felt like having? The Perfect Martini had more sweetness than the classic cocktail, and it was exactly what he would have liked. Not to mention that there was something about the way Erik said those words – he couldn't quite explain what it was, but it felt deliberate and almost teasing.
"What? Do you think you're the only one who has tricks up his sleeve?" The metal-controlling mutant voiced with a chuckle.
"No, no. I simply wish to say that it was a good choice." Charles replied approvingly with a soft chuckle of his own.
Erik smirked at the other's response – he could tell that the young professor was wracking his brain to try and figure out how anyone could possibly know anything about him without reading his mind. The truth was that they enjoyed each other's company immensely, and they ended up spending so much time together that the magnet-controlling man could tell not only which drink his telepath friend would like, but also where he wanted to go, what he wanted to do, up to the very details of his current mood. And frankly, he had never known anyone that well before, nor did he think that it would feel so good to be that close to another being.
The bartender soon brought them the two drinks and Erik left a few bills on the counter, before bringing the glasses to a comfortable table in a dimly-lighted corner. The atmosphere was calm and pleasant, and there were very few people in the bar.
Charles sat down at the opposite side of the table and smiled, reaching towards his cocktail. "I suppose you're right, sometimes we could really use a break." He said, bringing the glass to his lips.
"Not like we aren't getting any, of course." Erik replied with a grin.
"Maybe we shouldn't over-indulge ourselves though…" Charles added with a teasing smile.
"Ha, don't worry. Schmidt won't escape from us." The taller man voiced, referring to Shaw's German name, with a glint of coolness in his eyes.
The telepath paused for a moment, as if studying the other man, but not invading his mind. "Why was it that you reconsidered?" He asked softly.
"Reconsidered what?"
"Not doing this alone." Charles clarified.
The metal-inducing man shifted his gaze and brushed a hand through his short-cropped hair before answering. "I decided… that it is better when there is someone backing you up."
The man's response made Charles smile brightly and he nodded, his remarkably clear-blue eyes revealing his sincerity. "And I'm glad that you did. I want you to always remember, that you're not alone. I'm here for you. And to be honest, I couldn't be happier to have you as a friend."
Grey-stormy eyes met with sky-blue ones and Erik lifted his glass, words catching in his throat from the intensity of the emotions that he felt at the moment. The other's words made him feel something warm, something that brought a rush that he could only identify as happiness, while at the same time the pang of fear. The fear to lose something that had become so dear to him. He hadn't let himself get carried away with anything for a very long time… since his childhood in the concentration camps he had steeled himself against any feelings of affection or attachment in order to reduce the pain that such emotions would inevitably bring. But here - with the man sitting in front of him - he felt that he had no control over it. And frankly, he felt too good to protest.
"To friendship." Charles offered, lifting his own glass. The young professor could sense something within those deep greenish-blue eyes, a feeling that reverberated positively, while being only slightly tinted with uncertainty. But he felt that element of reluctance quickly disappearing before the taller man replied.
"Yes, to friendship." Erik voiced and their glasses met above the centre of the table, producing a delicate chime that echoed softly in the air.
Each took a drink of their cocktails, and Charles gave a hum of approval as the transparent liquid swirled around his tongue. The taste was sharp, with a noticeable touch of sweetness – yes, this was indeed 'perfect'. Leaning back against the chair, the young telepath wondered aloud, "I wonder if they can provide good entertainment here. For instance, a game of chess."
Erik let out an amused chuckle, setting his half-emptied glass down on the table. "In a place like this? I doubt they'd have something that requires the use of intellect."
Charles couldn't suppress a quiet laughter in return, "Well, let us find out then." He replied, placing his own glass of martini on the table and getting up to head towards the counter. He quickly called the bartender and asked him about said-game, however, not much to his surprise, the man shook his head with a negative answer.
"No chess? Hm.. do you have anything similar?" Charles asked.
"I'll check, give me a second." The bartender said, turning and disappearing somewhere behind the wall of liquors and alcoholic beverages. When the man returned to the counter, he handed the professor a board game, folded over in half.
A few moments later, Erik looked up at the grinning face of his counterpart, before sliding his gaze down to the game that the other positioned in the middle of the table. "Checkers?" The magnet-inducer asked with a growing smirk, receiving a nod from his companion, who sat down once more.
"It's the best that I could do, considering they are very low on entertainment." Charles said brightly.
"Not bad.. I didn't think they would have this much." Erik replied, shifting in his seat to be in the most comfortable position for the upcoming challenge, looking almost like a predator with his calm demeanor, steady gaze, and a flash of white teeth showing behind an intrigued grin.
Charles quickly arranged the gameplay pieces on the board, using the white-colored set for himself, while Erik chose the opposing red-colored checkers.
The game started, just as intense as their usual chess matches were, each man trying to think through the labyrinth of possible scenarios in order to place the best move on the board. Even though checkers did not take as long of a time as chess, their match was prolonged for a good half an hour as each opponent tried to outmanoeuvre the other. Before the game was over, Erik had already ordered another round of drinks for them, downing a second glass filled with gin and tonic. The metal-bender grinned triumphantly as he lifted his piece to eliminate the last of Charles' white checkers.
"Good one, Erik. Though we'll see what happens next round." Charles said in a teasing tone, as he rearranged the board for the next match. The game took longer than the first time around, and with some of Charles' unexpected moves, he was able to come out victorious during the second match.
"Hn, you think I'll let you win so easily, Charles?" The taller man drawled; his piercing eyes narrowing mischievously as he prepared himself to win back a full victory and come out as Number One. The match started and neither opponent was giving in, each carefully calculating their limited amount of moves.
Charles leaned back casually as he waited for his companion to make the next move. He was starting to feel a bit hot at the moment - the match was so intense that it quite literally left a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead, or perhaps it was also the beverages that had warmed him up. The telepath briefly wondered how his friend could stay in a high turtle-neck and not feel the heat. Charles had already taken off the jacket that was on him a while ago, and now he reached up to unclasp the top button of his white shirt, letting out a soft breath of air and reaching for his second glass of martini. He noticed that this time, instead of the lemon, this particular version was garnished with an olive. Picking up the edge of the sword-like tooth pick, the young professor brought the olive to his lips, tasting its saltiness on his tongue, before sliding the garnish into his mouth and taking out the empty tooth pick to place it back in the empty glass. All the while, he hardly noticed Erik's attention that swiftly focused on him.
The magnet-inducing mutant noticed the other's movements and he looked up just in time to see Charles' delicate fingers swirl around the button of his shirt, undoing it and revealing tantalizing skin that led up to his bare neck, smooth jaw and red lips. Those lips of a perfectly sensuous shape soon opened, and Erik forgot how to breathe as he watched the olive slide into that mouth with a flicker of a tongue, while the other's lips closed and still remained moist from the martini. He forced himself to snap out of the sudden daze and met his friend's eyes, which were as mesmerizing as always, and clearly expecting his next move in the game. Feeling a quickened heartbeat in his chest, he hoped that the other didn't notice any of this, as the taller man moved one of his red checkers into the next position. This move of course, was not calculated at all, since his mind seemed to experience a momentary lapse regarding all of his strategy for the game.
Charles lifted a quizzical eyebrow as he stared at the board, "Heh, you must have been distracted, Erik.. because this can't be good for your side."
"And what if I was..?" Erik murmured, which quickly got the other's attention back to him. There was a clear curiosity in Charles' expression, but he refrained from brushing through the other man's thoughts without his permission.
A smirk pulled at Erik's lips as he watched his friend's reaction, not fearing an invasion of his mind since he knew the other too well. Nonetheless, leaving the young professor clueless was rather entertaining, and he simply added, "It's your turn."
At the end of the match Erik's move had proven fatal and Charles won a second time, but the air was as light as usual after the game.
Charles glanced at his watch, his eyes widening at the time. "Ah, we are almost late for our airplane!" The telepath exclaimed, "However, I did enjoy our detour." He voiced slyly, and they exchanged a pair of smiles before getting up and leaving the bar.
Thankfully they reached the airplane right on time, and as soon as they landed and drove up to the CIA facility, one of the officials ran up to them. "There is news about Shaw."
Note: Hey all! Thank you so much for reading! I would really appreciate any thoughts, comments or suggestions! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!