Underneath Erik's calm façade, he was filled with white-hot rage that burned through his veins; squeezing his organs and twisting his heart. The missiles held motionless in the air began to turn on the humans.
"Erik, you said yourself, we're the better men. This is the time to prove it."
Charles' voice, silken and smooth, washed over Erik. The soft lilt threatened to overpower Erik's anger.
"They will never accept us, Charles. You will never make them see us as humans."
"You don't know that."
Erik turned to face Charles, staring into his crystalline eyes. He could see the trust and honesty swimming behind sapphire orbs. Charles' firm belief that humans could ever be trusted only fueled Erik's fury now.
"Nothing you say will prevent this, Charles." Erik turned to look at the ships carrying the murderous, unthankful humans, and sent the missiles jettisoning back with a flick of his wrist.
"Erik,! No!" Charles threw himself at the other man with enough force to send them both toppling into the sand. Erik landed on top of Charles (as he usually did) and lifted a hand to steer the missiles toward the boats again.
"I don't want to hurt you, Charles." Erik grunted as the younger man writhed beneath Erik in an attempt to free himself. When Charles reached up to grasp the helmet shielding Erik's mind, Erik punched him, hard, in the face. The impulsive violence of the move sent a painful jolt through Erik's heart, but he knew that it had been necessary. Before he could see the betrayal in Charles' eyes, Erik stood and stumbled away from his comrade. "Stop fighting me, Charles!" Erik yelled as Charles once again made a grab for the helmet. "They deserve this. You can't stop it."
Charles lunged for Erik, but Erik's arm caught him in the stomach and sent him sprawling into the sand for the second time. He looked up into the face he knew so well and was pained to see the terrible rage twisting the features he had grown to love. The missiles were almost to the boats, and Charles could feel the fear emanating from every mind on board. Knowing he had only moments left to stop his Erik from blowing the sailors to smithereens, Charles risked everything he had been fighting to hide since he met the man and popped up, sliding his head of luscious locks under Erik's outstretched hand.
The missiles exploded midair, dropping into the sea as Charles felt Erik's fingers nestle further into his flowing curls. Great sadness flowed from Erik's eyes, and Charles pressed his head further into Erik's gentle hand. The helmet slowly, shakily, rose from Erik's head and was flung into the sea, disappearing in the pulsing waves as Charles envelops the mind he had grown to love so deeply with his own.
"I-" Erik began, but Charles shushed him and placed a careful hand on Erik's cheekbone. The fingers in his hair curled and stroked familiarly and as Charles closed his eyes and allowed a soft purr to slip through his lips, Erik grasped the back of his head more firmly.
Erik stared at Charles' face with a tenderness he had forgotten he possessed. He wrapped his conscious thought around the presence in his mind that had cooled his rage and pulled Charles forward with a swift jerk of his arm. Their lips crashed together painfully. Erik could feel his pulse quickening as he grasped for the only bit of sanity in his life and reached out with his power. The metal in Charles' suit sang for him, pulled apart the fabric and peeled it away from the body it had been encasing. Keeping his left hand wrapped in the perfect waves of silken sex that grew atop Charles' head, Erik wrapped his right arm around his perfect, dainty waist.
"Uh… guys?" Moira gave a small, embarrassed cough, bringing reality crashing back into the men's world.
"Moira. Don't interrupt!" Raven hissed. Disappointment etched on the elegant features of her natural form.
Charles suddenly felt a hot, burning embarrassment rush though him as he tried to pull his suit back on, only to find that Erik had successfully mutilated it with the metal. Using what was left of the suit to cover himself, Charles turned around to find his shocked team staring back at him.
"Right, well, that's that then…" Charles stuttered vaguely, still attempting to regain his control. He looked at the small group of Shaw's followers and nodded at them. "Yes, well, we would be most appreciative if you would consider joining us and returning to my mansion. I wish you no harm."
There was a very pregnant pause in which Charles noticed Azazel eye up his team. "Why not?" He shrugged and walked across the beach. Angel and Riptide followed without a word. After Azazel positioned himself right next to Raven, Charles projected an image of his mansion to the teleporter, and they all left the island together.
Raven broke away from the group as soon as their feet touched ground, and happily announced that she wanted to lead the tour.
'Mine.'
Charles looked at Erik in surprise. It had been many weeks since Erik had projected his thoughts for Charles to hear.
'All mine.'
'Might I ask what is yours, my friend?'
'The strands of pure chocolate silk on top of your head. … Oh, and you too.'
With a shark grin that almost scared Charles, Erik dragged the smaller man back to his room.