Title: Five Times Charles Lost His Temper
Disclaimer: Me no own, You no sue.
Warning: Cherik slash, language
Summary: Just because Charles is the nicer of him and Erik, it was often forgotten that when Charles was mad, it was best to just leave the room. And by "the leave the room", it was meant that one should "run for your fucking life".
I
"Charles?" Moira's startled tone broke in as she, Raven, and Erik entered the study. All they saw was Sean on the floor, Alex frozen over him, and a fuming Charles holding Moira's assistant against the bookshelf by his throat.
"Listen closely," Charles' tone was dark with a barely controlled anger. He leaned in closer to the agent, they're noses almost brushing. "If you so much as look at one of these children in such a way that displeases me, you will spend all your remaining years believing yourself to be in the darkest pits of hell. Do I make myself clear?"
The agent nodded, trying desperately to melt into the bookcase.
Charles nodded once and took a step back.
"Fantastic," his lip curled into a sneer. "Now, go clean up; you've pissed yourself."
II
"Charles," Erik held up his hands, placating, "just breathe."
Charles didn't even spare a glance at the metal bender in front of him, just kept his body deathly still, his dark blue eyes trained on Sean and Alex. Sean tried desperately not to squirm under their intensity and failed terribly. So he opened his mouth to try to defend himself.
"Don't even speak," Charles spat, his voice dripping with acid. "Do you realize what you've done? Answer me, do you realize what you've done?"
Suddenly, Charles was surging forward and Erik was surprised by the smaller man's strength as Charles fought against him.
"Charles!" Erik tried in vain to calm the telepath. "Charles, it was an accident!"
"Some accident!" Charles finally pushed away from Erik and stalked to the other side of the room, running both hands through his hair.
Erik stayed planted between Charles and the two boys. Once he had managed to regain his composure, Charles spoke again, words clipped and laced with an underlying rage.
"Tomorrow, the two of your will start cleaning up the debris," he said. "By the end of the week, you will start rebuilding the barn. Talk to Raven, she knows where the plans are so you don't fuck this up. It will be exactly how it was before.
"No one is going to help you," Charles finished. "That's non-negotiable. Clear?"
The boys couldn't say anything; they just nodded.
"Go to your rooms."
Sean and Alex slowly slinked out of the sitting room.
The silence hung thick in the air after the two boys had left. Erik still standing as Charles leaned against the wall with a hand over his face.
"I thought they were inside," Charles finally broke the silence. Erik looked up at the smaller man and not at all surprised at the wet eyes that gazed back at him. "God help me, Erik, I thought they were still inside that barn when I saw the flames."
Erik couldn't say anything.
He just went to the telepath and wrapped him up in a tight hug, pressing gentle kisses to the top of his head.
III
Silverware clinked against the glass plates.
Erik glanced over at Charles.
Charles glanced over at Erik.
The children pretended not to notice.
"So," Alex began as he turned to the boy Angel had brought home for dinner. "What do you do for a living?"
"I'm in between jobs right now," the boy said.
Erik choked on his chicken and glared at Charles for chuckling.
"Any plans to get one?" Sean asked. He suddenly cried out in pain as Raven kicked him under the table. He whispered harshly, "What?"
She just made a be quiet motion.
"Well, what do you do?" the boy retorted. "Besides mooch off-" he paused as he glanced down both ends of the table, Charles was at one end while Erik sat at the other. "-which one is your father?"
Don't do it, Charles warned Sean. Sean ignored him.
"They both are."
Everyone froze.
"You imbecile," Erik growled under his breath as he put his head in his hands. Just because Sean and the others didn't have a problem with Erik and Charles being together, didn't mean that the rest of the world wouldn't.
"You mean – oh my God – I've been eating with – fuck!" the boy quickly stood up as if he had been burned. "You people are sick!"
With that he turned and ran from the room, leaving behind him an echoing silence.
"Do you ever listen?" Charles demanded as he slammed his fist on the table.
Everyone jumped.
"I don't-"
Charles interrupted Sean with a pointed finger.
"Think before you speak, Sean!" he growled. "Why do you think I warned you not to say anything?"
"You knew?" Angel's voice was sad and only slightly accusing.
"Telepath," was all Charles said as he angrily stood from the table. "Excuse me; I'm not too hungry anymore."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Angel called after him.
Charles paused at the dining room door before half-turning to look at her. An equal mix of anger and sadness swirled in his eyes.
"It's too common a thought," he said, his voice shaking. "I hear that hatred more often than I hear anything else. Turn on the news sometime, you'll still see people getting beat to death for it."
With one last glare at Sean and a pitying one at Angel, Charles left.
IV
A lot of people would look at Charles and assume that he was just a quiet, nice, sweet, loving human being who maybe drank too much. For the most part they would be right.
But Charles, self-sacrificing-I-love-everyone Charles, did have one fatal flaw that Erik didn't know about until it was too late.
Pride.
Not in himself or his family, it was pride in his abilities and in the amount of control he had over them, instead of vice-versa. And when someone questioned him, questioned his power – called him nothing more than a magic trick – it roused a sleeping monster.
So it was that one of Moira's suits wrote Charles off as a fake, a trickster and a liar, in front of the children. Erik didn't know that it was possible for temperature in a climate-controlled room to drop so significantly so quickly.
Raven, who had been speaking with Hank in a soft voice, had frozen immediately.
"Please wait, Charles," she said.
Erik only cocked his head to the side and watched Raven.
She had quickly grabbed Hank and Alex, who had been standing with them, by the hands and dragged them to the nearest door. She motioned silently to the other children to do the same. When she had collected everyone she pushed them all out of the room. And, just as soon as the door clicked closed behind her, the suit fell to the ground, holding his head and screaming.
V
"Erik, watch out!"
Raven and Alex collapsed at the man's side as he went down.
"Charles?" Erik's voice was quiet.
I'm coming, hang on! Erik, please, hang on – I'm almost there!
Charles rounded the busy corner at a dead sprint; he skidded to a halt, landing on his knees beside Erik.
"Erik!" he shouted. "Erik, talk to me!"
"Hey," it was the driver as he staggered over to the mutants drunkenly. "Is he okay?"
Charles could smell the liquor coming off of the man in sickening waves.
"He's dying," Charles whispered as he frantically searched Erik's mind.
It was blank – there was nothing.
"You've killed him," Charles didn't feel the tears on his cheeks or Alex's hands on his arms as he surged up at the man. "You've killed him!"
Charles didn't hesitate as he dived into the man's head, ripping and tearing and destroying everything.
END