Close But No Cigar
"Splendid," Charles said calmly as the Drakes stood up, and Bobby left the room to pack his things.
"Now, you look here, Mr. Xavier," Mr. Drake started. Mrs. Drake playfully slapped her husbands arm.
"Now, now, Billy, I think the Professor knows everything he needs too." He turned to glare at his wife and she backed away, tail between her legs, so to speak.
"My boy is to learn. I don't want him messin' around at that school of your's, you hear?" Charles smiled graciously despite the other mans harsh tone.
"Yes, Mr. Drake, quite clearly. As you know, students have a choice as to whether or not they leave the school during vacations, so it'll be up Bobby if he decides to visit." Mr. Drake looked as though he had something else to say, but thankfully Bobby chose that moment to enter, a black duffle bag slung over his bag.
"Ready, Professor Xavier?" he asked, somewhat nervously, and Charles nodded gratefully. Bobby made a move, almost as if to step behind the Professor's wheelchair, but thought better of it. Wheeling himself to the door, following Mrs. Drake, Charles smiled at the parents. Bobby gripped the wheelchair and carefully lowered it.
"Have a nice day," Charles called out for good measure.
"Oh thank God," Bobby said in a tired tone, as the door shut behind them. Charles chuckled.
"Believe me," Bobby said, "If you had lived with them for years and years, you would be relieved too." Charles twisted a little in his chair to get a better look at Bobby's face.
"Wanna know a secret?" he said. "I'm relieved anyway." Bobby let out a real, genuine laugh. Charles knew he should be thinking of Bobby as a student, but he couldn't help feeling as though he had just gained a good friend.
"Wow," Bobby breathed as he stared up at the mansion, no, castle before them. He turned to Charles with a look of stunned disbelief. "You grew up here?" Charles smiled at him and nodded, though part of him hated the fact Bobby was looking down to meet his gaze.
"I inherited this estate from my parents at a rather young age. I hadn't actually been living here until I became a Professor, last year." Still gaping, Bobby followed the Professor as he wheeled his way up the handicap ramp.
"So did this happen after you became a Professor?" Bobby asked, gesturing at the wheelchair. Charles' face looked so sad and grief-stricken (and was that- heart break?) and Bobby thought he better let the subject drop.
"That would be preferable," the Professor agreed, making Bobby jump a little. For God's sake, man, of course he heard your thoughts! He's a telepath! Don't be stupid.
"Right," Bobby said aloud. "I'm sorry I mentioned it."
Not your fault, the Professor's voice echoed softly inside his mind. I have few secrets that I will keep from the students, but I'm afraid that story is one of them.
"I understand, sir," Bobby said. Charles laughed.
"No need to call me sir. Being a Professor and in this wheelchair makes me feel old enough already." Bobby smirked.
"Self-concious, are we?" The Professor smiled.
"Hey," he replied playfully, "Nothing wrong with caring about my image." Bobby laughed.
"I like this one, Prof X. You gonna introduce me?" Bobby and Charles looked up to see none other than Alex Summers.
"Of course, Alex," Charles replied jovially. "Alex Summers, Bobby Drake. Bobby Drake, this is Alex Summers... Aptly otherwise known as Havok." Bobby smiled at the blonde boy in front of him.
"Havok," he said, "There's got to be a good story behind that." Alex smiled.
"I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
"Wow," Hank breathed, "Your mutation is remarkable! You know, preliminary tests suggest that you can merely create and manipulate ice, but..." Hank trailed of as he read various charts and graphs.
"But...?" Charles asked from his position.
"Yeah, Dr. Jekyll, what do your fancy machines say?" Bobby asked.
"Wow," Charles said as Hank pointed to something. He looked up at Bobby, face full of pure delight. "If you put your mind to it Bobby, you could turn every single cell in your body into ice."
"Whoa," Bobby gasped. "Serious?"
"Believe me," Hank said as he paced back and forth with a chart covering his face, "Prof is never not serious."
At least, Charles hasn't been truly happy. Not since he left. Hank added mentally.
"Prof?" Bobby asked as looked up from one of the two photos in his hand.
"What?" Charles asked from across the library.
"Who are they?" Charles looked up from his minds of papers.
"Who are who?" Charles said, tone rather flat. Tracing the people in the photo, Bobby answered,
"Erik and Raven...?" Those were the names he didn't recognize, so he could only assume that was who the blue woman and the man in the turtleneck were. At those names the Professor seemed to freeze.
"Raven was my sister." Charles answered stiffly. "She- she moved away." Bobby frowned and looked in the Professor's direction.
"And Erik?" Charles let out a quiet sigh before putting his pen down. He wheeled over to look at the picture Bobby was looking at.
He remembers this day well.
He and Erik decided the children could use a little break from training...
Mistake.
All day the children had been up to no good, and here this picture was proof of it.
In this particular one, he and Erik had been playing chess. By the wall Raven and Sean were not so successfully trying to hide behind a large vase so the picture would come out with just him and Erik. On the other side Alex was throwing marshmallows towards the person taking the picture, Hank. There were more than a dozen bags' worth on the ground in the front of the picture to prove it.
Raven was grinning goofily and Sean was giggling. Erik was smirking as he watched Alex launch another marshmallow, and Charles had a scowl on his face as he was yelling at Raven and Sean to get away from the vase before it got broken.
Raven had taken more pictured that day. She had even claimed one as her favorite. It was one with Alex, Sean and Hank in the background, and a tree was on fire-
But in the foreground, Erik and Charles were oblivious. They only were staring at each other.
"Wow," Sean had said when he first saw it, commenting on their obliviousness, "Love really is blind."
"And deaf." added Raven.
"One thing's for sure," Alex muttered, "however blind and deaf it may be, it is NOT mute."
"You guys brought it on yourselves," Hank said. "You should of no playing with your mutation would've been destructive."
"Give me that," Erik had snapped as he snatched the photo of him and Charles.
"Hey!" exclaimed Raven, "I wanted to keep that!"
"It is kinda nice," Sean said. Erik glared at him, but for once, Sean merely shrugged. "Hey, if you two could be so in love like that, maybe there's hope for Alex."
"HEY!" shouted Alex, before angrily lobbing a pillow at Sean. Sean laughed.
"PILLOW FIGHT!" announced Raven, sending Erik in a run for cover.
"Wow," murmured Bobby. Charles frowned as he realized he must have accidentally pulled can into the memory with him. Charles could only nod.
"You guys were really in love?" Again, Charles could only nod.
"He was amazing. He could've- If he had just let go of his anger... If maybe if I had-" Charles trailed off, not able to finish any of his sentences.
"So is he gone then?" Bobby asked, referring to the past tense. "Is he... dead?"
"Could you leave me alone for a few minutes?" CHarles asked quietly. Bobby nodded before getting up and leaving. As he walked out the door, he heard a whisper in his mind-
Close, Bobby- Close, but no cigar.
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