Title: Falling For You (I Mean Literally)
Pairing: Charles Xavier/Erik Lensherr (X-Men: First Class)
Rating: PG (but if your parents really guide you through slash fanfic on the internet then kudos to your parents)
Summary: Erik learn a new ability and Charles learns something about his feelings towards him. There's also pizza.
He should have known better by now than to argue with Erik, especially about ideas that are much, much bigger than themselves. But, for one reason or the other, Charles can't help it but to argue: if not to prove his friend wrong then, quite childishly, for the sake of arguing.
Erik knows this. And so, logically, he should not get so wind up about hearing the same old "peacefully co-existance necessary to further evolution" argument over and over again - and yet, frustratingly so, he does. Because he wants Charles to see the ugly world and to protect himself from it, not run into the lion's mouth with open arms and that stupidly beautiful smile on his face.
Charles catches the image of lion, unintentionally, and it makes him think: stupidly beautiful is not even a thing, and he doesn't know why he thinks that because surely, Erik would not find his smile beautiful. He shakes the image away and watches Erik pace the room angrily.
"We will end up marked and categorized, Charles, and institutionalized until they find away to wipe us out completely. As a subspecies they are weak in their individual abilities, but they have powerful tools at their disposal and they are organized: they…"
The blue eyed professor cuts him of, a bit too harsh: "They. Subspecies. Listen to yourself, Erik."
That makes Erik stop for a moment, seeing Charles point, but frowning upon the realization. Different.
Different how?
"Get out," Erik growls, the unwelcomed presence still lingering in his head.
"Sorry, I - uhm, it's not easy when there are strong emotions," Charles retreats but does not give up. "We can't start to differate between people based on something they genetically cannot influence. It means excluding a group of people under the assumption they are all the same. You know that that is simply not right and not true at all."
Taking a few steps towards the balcony, Erik runs his hand through his hair and Charles thinks: lion, again, but this time he doesn't think it's an influence from outside. The sun casts a shadow between him and Erik, something poetic and beautiful, yet ugly in its representation at the same time.
"You are taking everything out of context. Stop making me the bad guy here, I just want to help you see."
"I can read minds, how more do you think I should see?"
Erik grips the railing on the balcony behind his back, to keep himself from punching Charles in the face. "Get it into that thick skull of yours: humans fear us, and fears grows into hatred. We need to be one step ahead in the game, not behind."
"If what you are saying is true, then based on theory of evolution, a natural selection process should occur to prove you right. The mutant gene will pass onto the entire population and the humankind will evolve, all in the natural process."
Charles moves forward onto the balcony and stands next to Erik. He can feel the metal railing hum beneath his touch, no doubt radiating from the handsome master of magnetism.
Handsome? Erik raises his eyebrow and his friend almost blushes, but then continues his speech. "Your desire to protect your kind is natural of any species, but we are - as you always say - the better men, and so we should know better than to behave on an animalistic instinct, Erik."
Erik moves further away from Charles, leaning against the railing corner, his arms outstretched on both sides. He thinks for a moment, about animals and humans, about all the animalistic things he saw the nazi soldiers do in the camp. But they are animals, he concludes.
"You keep talking about how the evolution is natural and good and yet now you tell me not to give in to my natural desire."
Charles, who is always so sure of himself, is caught off guard and he opens his mouth to say something, then closes them. Sometimes, especially when talking to Erik, he is left with gaps and dark places in his theories and does not like the feeling.
But you do. It challenges you, his own mind tells him and he smiles, looking at Erik who is not smiling in the slightest. His features radiate anger and something else - something close to pity and fear.
"And you, my friend, tell me about how you are against genocides and everything that has happened to you and yet your thoughts lead you to doing more or less the same," Charles offers and then his breathing stops, not sure whether he went too far this time.
For a moment, he thinks Erik is going to punch him, but it all happens so quickly that even he does not have the time to comprehend the movement - Erik launches forward, tackles Charles to the ground and shoves him off the balcony back to the room, Charles hears cracking and shattering and sees Erik falling down, down from the balcony with the railing following and a cloud of dust everywhere.
Then, Erik is gone and he is left on the remains of the balcony that seemed to be hit by some kind of blast of energy.
Charles coughs and desperately crawls to the edge, feeling his bones ache and his mind reach out for his friend. Erik! Erik! Everything screams Erik's name, everywhere, in everyone's mind possibly in the entire mansion. But Charles doesn't care and looks down, trying to see Erik's body through the dust.
Oh God, his body. Charles panics at that thought. No, he needs to see him, Erik, my friend, my best friend, my partner my —- the thought remains unfinished, but Charles knows, he just knows and he fears Erik will never know now, he will never know that he lo—-
Charles.
Erik!
Charles, I am - uhm - thank you, I am fine.
The dust clears suddenly and Charles sees Angel moving her wings frantically to help with that. The children are gathered on the ground, Raven looking up at Charles with tears in her eyes.
He cannot believe what he is seeing. Erik looks like he is lying on the ground, face down, limbs outstretched as if trying to block his fall but - when Charles looks closer - he is not really touching the ground. Sean dares to stick his hand in the few inches space between Erik's floating - floating? - body and the grass and looks at Alex.
"Are you okay?" Raven shouts to her brother and he mentally reassures her he is just fine. Thanks to Erik, who pushed him out of the way when he sensed danger coming their way. Erik was always the one with more awareness of their environment, no matter how much he was focused on the conversation. Charles…wasn't. And it could have cost him his life.
"I am so, so, sorry —- we weren't —- we didn't want to do that, I swear! I was spitting fireballs at the targets but then Sean screamed and it just reflected and, I am so sorry," Angel apologises through her tears.
Erik shoots her a look and then wordlessly asks Charles whether he is alright.
I am fine, Erik.
Are you hurt? Did she hit you? I tried to shield you but —
I am fine. Really. Thanks to you.
You would do the same. You just did. You caught me.
Confusion reflects on the telepath's face.
And uh, Charles, you can put me down now.
"I am not doing that," Charles says, confused.
"Then who is?" Erik's voice is suprised and he looks around at the children, all of them shrugging.
Very carefully, Charles smiles. "I think it might be you, my friend."
With those words, and with that realization, Erik falls down, landing ungracefully on his face and he groans, more or less unharmed. Alex suppresses a chuckle and Sean has to bite his tongue in order not to laugh as well.
Don't you dare, they hear simultaneously in their minds and look up to see Charles frowning at them. They keep quiet.
By the time Charles makes it down the stairs and to the garden to see whether Erik is really alright, unharmed and all, Raven is already trying to help him up from the ground. Trying, because he keeps shoving her away insisting he is alright and does not need help. Naturally, Charles grabs him by the waist to support him standing up, to which Erik shows less resistance than to his sister's touch.
"So, like, you can fly, too?" Angel inquires carefully, still apologetic but excited about the possibility of someone with a similar mutation. Erik's gaze meets Charles' blue eyes, looking for an answer as if by some miracle, Charles would just know the answer to that.
"I don't think so," the young professor starts slowly, putting two and two together. "Not exactly."
"Are you sure it wasn't your telepathy stopping me?" Erik suggests again, but he does feel a bit strange, like his body was naturally repelling the ground. Charles shakes his head no.
Hank, who has been standing behind Raven, shyly raises his hand. Erik shoots him a 'really?' look but asks him to go ahead and say what he wants, anyway.
"I think that…well, I might be wrong, of course, it is untested and very brave assumption but - maybe - maybe it is not a new ability. Maybe it is just a part of your magnetic powers."
"Hank, I can control metals, not air or earth."
"Yes, uhm, it wasn't air you were controlling. You didn't seem to fly or anything, you seemed to be floating. William Gilbert in his work De Magnete, Magneticisque Corporibus, et de Magno Magnete Tellure describes the Earth as a magnet of some sort - and of course we know this, we got the North and the South Pole and when in 1984 —-"
Raven sees how Alex rolled his eyes and cuts Hank off: "So you're saying Erik can manipulate the magnetic force in Earth in order to fly…or float?"
Charles' eyes lit up and Erik feels warmth radiating from the place his hand touches his hip. He feels a bit better, even though he wouldn't admit feeling shaken in the first place.
"That's genius! Just imagine, Erik, you could use the Earth's natural magnetism to lift yourself off the ground and fly in a sense - oh my, think of the possibilities! You should try doing it again, maybe we could set up a training ground for you where you can practice with the forces, just imagine…"
"Charles. Just, shut up," Erik interrupts his friend's enthusiasm but smiles anyway, feeling a wave of happiness that might be a projection from Charles' side or just his own irrational excitement from the their close proximity. Who knew.
"Yes, well, maybe it can wait for tomorrow then." I am glad you are alive. And thank you. You saved my life.
You are my friend. Of course.
The children start to fidget around them, feeling left out of this mental conversation and wanting to maybe do something else now, that everyone is alright.
"So, to celebrate Erik's new found ability, how about we all order pizza tonight?" Charles suggests, still holding onto the taller man.
They all cheer at the thought of not having to eat healthy (Charles suggested that for training purposes they should eat salad and grilled meat and protein) and after he adds: "The first to reach the phone can order" they all run to the phone to make sure they get their favorite.
The two men are left alone between the ruins of the balcony, feeling relieved at the loss of attention. Charles finally permits himself to show actual emotion and hugs Erik unexpectedly, holding him close and firm.
"You idiot," he murmurs into Erik's neck, sending shivers down his spine. Erik tries to ignore how good that feels and lamely pats Charles' back, not sure what else would be appropriate. "I guess now we are even. Life for life."
Charles puts a bit of space between their bodies and looks up at Erik, noses almost touching. Normally he would find the pose they are in highly suggestive but now it feels very natural, not at all awkward.
"It's not the same. I didn't save you physically, I knew you could swim, I just made you realize it wasn't worth it. If I couldn't persuade you, I would just let go but I wouldn't drown myself, you actually risked your life for me."
"Bullshit," Erik smiles. "You wouldn't let go."
He moves his arm down his friend's back, resting his hand on the small of Charles' back.
"How can you know that?"
"Because…" Erik starts, choosing his new words carefully, remembering what he felt Charles say previously, as he was falling. "…because I am your friend, your best friend…your partner…and you…you lo—-"
Instead of finishing, Erik smiles smugly at the white-shocked man in his arms. They stay like that for a few moments, both walking on an unknown, dangerous territory.
You were afraid I would never known, had I died.
Yes. I, I am sorry if you don't—-if this will be a problem between us, I know you don't—-.
"I am glad I know. At least this won't be so risky," Erik announces as he pulls Charles even closer, closing the distance between them and kissing him hard, feeling the younger man relax in his grip and kiss him back with an equal passion.
Yes. Yes. Again.
Charles. Are those your hands on my ass?
Maybe. Erik?
Yes? Oh yes, that, there, yes!
Are we not touching the ground?
They both look down as their toes float an inch or two above the grass. The moment Erik realizes it, they fall down again, losing they balance and ending up with Charles on top of him.
"This will be fun to explore," Charles decides with a smile but Erik sighs.
"No it really won't."
Charles should know better than to argue with Erik. But, for one reason or another, he can't help it but to do so. "Yes, it will!"