Raven thought it couldn't be more obvious that Charles had a thing for Erik.
Charles had just started his own horseback riding lesson stable, and when Erik had first stopped by, looking for farrier work, Charles had hired him on the spot without even checking his credentials. That had been her first obvious clue.
Her next one was, during every farrier appointment, Charles refused to delegate the task of holding the horses, instead doing it himself even if he was insanely busy. As a result, he got plenty of time to "innocently" stare at Erik's butt while Erik, hunched over in front of him, banged away at the metal horseshoes and secured them to the horse's hooves. Raven thought she saw drool coming out of Charles's mouth one time. It was kind of disgusting.
Her third clue was that during the hotter months, Charles declared all the barn fans "broken" a few days before the appointment and took them out to be replaced. So when Erik came, it would get very hot in there and he was forced to take off his shirt, wearing nothing but his farrier bib and ripped jeans, causing Charles to stare at him even more, if that was possible. Charles even complimented Erik's six pack one time in such a way that made Raven want to hide her face in her hands in complete embarrassment.
Conversely, during the winter, Charles would "forget" his jacket because he was in such a "hurry" to get to the barn, so Erik would grab him an extra one from his truck. Then when he thought Erik wasn't looking, he'd inhale the scent of Erik on his coat deeply through his nose. When Raven called him on it later, Charles denied it but she knew what she saw.
Since Charles was normally quite bold and direct with his sexual interest, at first she'd been puzzled why he held himself back. Then one day as she watched Charles listen to Erik talk about his kids with a soft, endeared look on his face, she realized his feelings ran much deeper than his usual fling. Come to think of it, he hadn't had one of those flings ever since he'd met Erik.
Erik, for his part, endured all of this without comment, leading Raven to believe Charles's feelings might be reciprocated, for she could think of no other reason why he would put up with it and not sue him for sexual harassment. Now that she observed him closer, she could see him stare at Charles longer than strictly necessary at times, touching him more than he did other people. He also called before and after the appointments, and sometimes "forgot" his check, forcing him to drive back again, taking it directly from Charles's hand with a lot of lingering, unnecessary contact.
After a little digging around, she discovered he did call or do any of that with other clients. Not to mention whenever she babysat his kids and he came home, Erik spent the entire conversation asking her about Charles with an intensely interested expression, the same soft, fond expression on his face when she regaled him with her various stories of Charles.
So when Erik called requesting lessons for his twin children, she decided it was time to put a plan into action to end all the unbearable tension. She would enlist his kids in the plot, for she was sure they would fall in love with Charles once they met him. The only reason they hadn't was because Erik was overprotective and didn't take them with him to his appointments, afraid they would get hurt while his back was turned. It was a testament to how much he trusted and liked Charles that he would entrust their safety to him during lessons.
Erik came at the scheduled time a week later, his two kids in tow, outfitted with helmets and heeled boots. Charles took out the Professor, a Perlino Welsh Pony with an unusually dark mane. Charles waxed poetic for a few minutes about the "groovy" genetics of the Perlino color, with the kids piping in about how Charles and the Professor had the same big blue eyes, while Erik just listened, quietly enthralled, staring at Charles more than the horse.
"I'm just going to warm him up now and show you a few things," said Charles with a bright smile at the excited children. Erik hovered over them protectively, though he rarely took his eyes off Charles.
Charles got on the Professor and walked him around, showing the kids how to stop and go, and how to bend him to a stop in an emergency. He also trotted him around, getting what few bucks the Professor had out of him before the kids rode. Erik appeared oblivious to everything except the way Charles's ass bounced in the saddle at the trot, and how he rode out the bucks. Raven was certain, from the gobsmacked look of lust on his face, that he was fantasizing Charles riding him in much the same way.
Charles came to a stop in front of them. "I think we're ready!" he said.
"You rode those bucks really well," complimented Erik.
"It's my specialty," he replied with such innuendo that Raven made a mental note to remind him to keep things G rated around the kids.
Charles got off, and continued the lesson, allowing Pietro and Wanda their turns to ride. As Raven predicted, they absolutely loved Charles, though not in the same way their father did, of course.
It was no surprise to Raven that at the end of the lesson, Erik requested lessons for himself as well.
So by the next week, Charles had a new horse for Erik, a black Trakehner he named Magneto, "because of how good Erik was with metal." Raven personally thought this was his most obvious gesture yet, for he'd certainly never bought horses for his other students, and definitely not something as high class and expensive as the Trakehner.
Erik was quite pleased with the new horse, and they got along quite well. When Erik expressed interest in his coloring, Charles beamed and explained that while Magneto appeared black, he was technically the more common pseudoblack, due to the fact that he had brown in his mane, tail, and muzzle. Raven thought it was less true interest on Erik's part and more of a desire to see Charles's passion while he talked about genetics that prompted his question.
During his ride, Erik kept expressing confusion on how to sit and place his legs correctly, leading to major groping on Charles's part, and Erik pretending that it was normal for a riding instructor to be grabbing the student's ass for correct placement. After the third time that was accompanied by increasingly blatant innuendo and references to sexual positions, Raven just couldn't watch anymore, instead gesturing Wanda and Pietro to join her in the relatively private tack room.
"You guys like Charles right?" Raven said, though she hardly felt she needed to ask. They clearly adored him.
"Yes!" they chorused in unison.
"How would you like him to be your second Daddy?"
"Really?" said Wanda, like someone had just told her Christmas had come early.
"You mean it?" asked Pietro, no less excited.
"They need a little help, so he's what I think you should do..." started Raven, then told them her plan.
Before the three of them left, Pietro and Wanda insisted to Erik that there was something they wanted to talk to Charles about. Erik met Charles's eyes, and they both shrugged, doing their wordless communication that Raven had witnessed many times now. Erik nodded his assent and got in his truck to wait.
Pietro and Wanda fought for a minute over who would get to tell Charles, finally deciding to play rock, paper, scissors for it, with Charles as the judge. Wanda won.
"Our Daddy likes you," said Wanda.
Charles chuckled, "Well yes, we are good friends."
"No, we mean he likes you, likes you," piped in Pietro.
"He wants you to be our second Daddy," explained Wanda.
Charles blushed a little. "Does he know you're telling me this?"
"No but we know he really likes you," insisted Wanda. "You like him back, don't you?"
The twins put on their most puppy like, beseeching faces they could.
Charles could not stand up to them. "Well, all right. I do like him back."
"YAY!" they cheered. "You'll be our second Daddy!"
Before Charles could plead for their silence on the matter, they sprinted out to Erik's truck. Charles put his face in his hands. While he thought Erik might have feelings for him too, he could never be sure, and he didn't want to ruin what they had. Maybe if the kids did blab on him he could just say they misunderstood him or something.
Everything would be fine. Really.
When Erik came for his next lesson, all was normal, to Charles's relief, except he did seem a little distracted, plus he seemed to be wearing cologne Charles didn't recognize. Still, Charles carried on without comment, relieved that the twins must have kept their mouths shut.
Until Erik asked for a minute alone with him when their lessons were done.
Raven took the twins into the house, and Erik and Charles went into the tack room to talk about whatever Erik wished to talk about.
Erik appeared uncharacteristically nervous and hesitant. He smiled nervously at Charles, cleared his throat, and finally started to speak. "I was talking to the twins a few days ago, and they... well..."
Charles felt his stomach sink a bit, wondering if this was about what he thought it was about. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions if he was wrong, though.
"They said you liked me. I mean, I know how kids are, I just wondered..." Erik glanced at him nervously, struggling to continue.
Charles heart was in his throat.
"Just wondered if you wanted to get a coffee or dinner with me sometime."
"You mean, like a date?" asked Charles tentatively.
"Well, I mean...only if you want to..." Erik thread his hand through his hair.
Charles smiled brightly. "I would love to go out with you, Erik!"
"You would?" said Erik. "I mean, exceptional! When would you like to go?"
"As soon as you can spare the time," said Charles eagerly.
"Well, then, let's ask Raven when she's available to watch the kids," said Erik.
The two of them strode up to the house, stealing shy glances and smiles at each other and laughing when they caught each other at it. Blushing a little, Charles took Erik's hand and held it the rest of the way to the door.
Raven didn't miss a beat when Erik made his request. "I'm free the rest of the night, don't bother to come back before morning," she informed them cheerfully. She had planned for this inevitability and was rather looking forward to becoming Aunt Raven.
They both laughed nervously as she she shooed them out the door, Pietro and Wanda cheering loudly in the background about having a second Daddy now, making them both blush further.
They decided on a nice restaurant a short distance away. Their conversation at first was stilted and awkward, but as the evening went on they returned to their usual dynamic, with the addition of entangling their legs underneath the table and holding hands every so often, not hiding the fondness in their eyes or their comments.
Eventually, dinner was over, and they had to decide what to do next.
Charles heard his phone signal that he received a text, interrupting them, so he decided to check it in case it was important. It was Raven. "Don't come home without finally having sex with Erik and releasing all that tension!"
Charles huffed a nervous laugh before he could stop himself.
"What?" asked Erik with a smile, enjoying hearing Charles laugh.
"Oh, just Raven," said Charles.
"What did she say? Why are you blushing? Let me see," cajoled Erik, reaching for the phone.
Charles turned the phone around so Erik could read it, smiling sheepishly.
Erik read it, and their eyes met as Charles lowered the phone. "I mean, we don't have to..." started Charles.
"Unless you don't want to?" queried Erik.
"No, I mean, yes, I do," stuttered Charles. He hadn't been this nervous since his first time, which had been a long time ago.
"Well then, since the kids are at your house, what so you say we go to mine?" Erik asked softly.
"That sounds wonderful, Erik. I look forward to finally seeing your place," said Charles.
They climbed into the truck, Charles sitting as close to Erik as his seatbelt would allow, Erik in turn putting his right arm around Charles as he drove with his left.
When they arrived, Erik gave Charles a tour of his house, which ended with Erik's bedroom.
"Well," started Erik, swallowing nervously as the air crackled with tension between them, their gazes on the bed. Then their eyes met. Charles smiled brightly at Erik, and they slowly leaned towards each other for a long, slow kiss.
They pulled apart a minute later, leaning their foreheads together. "This isn't just a casual fling," Charles said, but his tone was questioning.
"I'm here as long as you'll have me," Erik assured him softly.
With that, they kissed again, Erik tangling one hand in Charles's hair and cupping his lower back with the other. Charles wrapped both arms around Erik's neck, pulling him as close as possible. They both kept their touches tentative, gentle, careful, wanting to do this right.
They pulled apart just long enough for Charles to say, "You can touch me anywhere you like."
Erik paused a moment at the invitation, looking deeply pleased. "Anywhere?" he repeated with a soft, teasing, lustful smile.
"Anywhere," Charles assured him, grinning back.
"Well I for one have wanted to touch you here for months," Erik said, snaking both his hands down Charles's back and underneath his pants to cup both butt cheeks.
"Funny, I've been wanting the same thing," said Charles, cupping Erik's butt in turn. "Every time you bent over, working on a horse's foot, I spent the whole time wishing I could do this," he informed him, giving him another squeeze. While he'd nearly gotten his wish during the riding lessons he still hadn't been able to touch him as freely as he did now.
They had been standing slightly apart, but Erik closed the distance now, pressing their trapped erections together. Charles bit his lip, stifling a moan. Erik stared at those perfect red lips before capturing them again with his.
Charles pulled back after a minute, catching his breath. "This may be cliche, but I believe we are wearing far too many clothes," he told Erik with a cheeky smile.
Erik smiled back in wordless agreement, pulling his turtleneck off over his head and tossing it somewhere behind him. The rest of their clothing joined it as they watched each other reveal themselves, giving each other appreciative looks and grins.
Erik turned a little more serious as he pulled some lube and condoms from his nightstand drawer. "I don't know how you want to do this," he said, some of his endearingly bashful nervousness returning.
Charles knew it wasn't a lack of experience, but the fact that he really cared about Charles that made him so. A warm glow filled him up, making him beam at Erik. "I for one have been fantasizing about you pounding into me with all the precision, care, and strength that you have when you shape the horseshoes with your hammer and nail them to the horses's hooves."
Erik turned to him, his pupils blown with lust at the thought. That was a lot of strength and precision. He unconsciously flexed his arms. "That's good, because ever since you trotted the Professor, I've been wanting you to ride me in the same way," he confessed.
"It's settled, then," concluded Charles with a smile full of delightful promise. He gestured for Erik to lie down on the bed.
Erik stared at Charles, touching his arm gently, as if wondering if he was really real. Then, never taking his eyes off him, Erik settled on his back in the middle of his queen sized bed, stretching out like a cat.
Once Erik was settled, Charles climbed onto the bed and straddled Erik's thighs, smiling down at his lustful, gobsmacked expression, taking note of their rock hard erections with satisfaction. Erik did not immediately make any moves, drinking in the sight of Charles sitting on him, naked and aroused, so Charles asked, "Do you want to do the honors or shall I?" He gestured towards the lube and condoms.
That spurred Erik into action. He hastily fitted a condom over his aching erection, then slicked his fingers up with lube. Charles tilted forward so Erik had easy access to him as Erik reached around to his hole. They both groaned and closed their eyes as Erik slid one finger inside, then two, scissoring them gently. Unable to help himself, Charles clenched down on those delightfully long and strong fingers, causing Erik to moan, thinking about how that was going to feel when his erection replaced his fingers.
He added a third finger, stretching them and curling them until he felt Charles was ready for him. He pulled out, and Charles made a brief disappointed face at the loss, but then he met Erik's eyes and smiled, taking hold of Erik's erection and lifting himself to line himself up. Then he slowly sank down on Erik's erection. Erik closed his eyes, but kept opening them, seemingly torn between watching the wonderful sight and closing his eyes and basking in the feeling of being completely surrounded by Charles.
Once fully sheaved, Charles leaned down and kissed Erik, Erik surging up to meet him eagerly, this kiss far more heated than the ones before, full of thrusting tongues and grunts and moans, the gentleness of their hands communicating their deep affection for one another.
When Charles felt himself fully adjusted to Erik's considerable bulk, he pulled back with a cheeky smile and began to ride him in an excellent mimicry of the way he sat the Professor's trot. Erik gasped and groaned, clutching at the sheets in helpless ecstasy as Charles bounced gracefully on his cock.
It was incredibly hard to think straight through all the overwhelming, glorious pleasure, but Erik remembered Charles's earlier comment about wanting Erik to pound into him, hard, so Erik forced his weakened legs into action, thrusting up to meet Charles as hard as he could. Charles's unrelenting pace stuttered for a moment as he moaned his approval, saying, "Oh god, Erik," then he started again, Erik meeting him powerfully every time Charles sank down on him.
They did not last long after that, Charles clenching down hard when Erik found his prostate and hit it squarely a few times, coming all over his stomach. The delicious tightness around his cock gave Erik the final stimulation he needed to go over the edge as well.
Charles did not remove himself right away, sitting there gasping for a minute, drinking in the much longed for sight of a sweating, sated Erik lying beneath him. Then he lifted himself off of Erik's softening cock and laid down beside Erik, snuggling up close to him. Erik discarded the condom and wrapped his arms around Charles, basking in the afterglow, not minding the stickiness on his stomach at all, the proof of Charles's enjoyment of their time together.
Eventually Erik broke the silence. "I know this might be a bit early to say this, Charles, but, my kids really like you and I'd hate them to be disappointed..."
"Yes Erik?" Charles encouraged, when it seemed Erik was having difficulty in continuing.
"Will you be a second father to them?"
"Is this a marriage proposal?" asked Charles, his tone both teasing and pleased.
"Well, it's..." Erik stuttered nervously.
"Because if it is, the answer is yes," said Charles, never more grateful that they lived in New York.
Erik's gaze met Charles's very blue eyes in wonder, then kissed him briefly. "I love you, Charles."
"I love you too, Erik," Charles responded softly.
Erik knew they now faced a lot of delightful challenges. He certainly would find it difficult not to be aroused the next time he bent over in front of Charles and pounded the metal into place. Most likely it would lead to Charles having a turn at topping, leaving the poor horse standing there with a shoe only half on. Charles, in turn, might never be able to sit the trot the same again, leading him to tackle Erik at the earliest opportunity and ride him instead.
But as Charles settled tightly against him again, laying his head on his chest, Erik was sure they would survive somehow.