Day one.

"I knew this was a bad idea, Michigan in November what were we thinking?" Erik complained as he looked at the 6 foot deep of snow that had accumulated over night outside their second story window.
"Well, if you had thought this a bad idea, you didn't tell me anything." Charles retorted with a shiver wrapping his pea coat closer to himself.
Erik had noticed and turned to the fireplace in this bed-N-breakfast they had decided to stay in, and prodded the flames with a poker. Stuffing his hands in his leather jacket pockets then turned and sat in an armchair next to the bed Charles was perched in.
"A week he said, being stuck in this God forsaken place for a week, if we're lucky," Erik grumbled leaning back in the chair. "Couldn't you had found a mutant in a warmer climate like Florida or California?" He added, Charles let out an exasperated sigh.
"Had we the location of a mutant in either place I assure you that's where we would've gone." He replied.
And leant back on the head board crossing his legs over the bed covers.
Erik grumbled under his breath turning his gaze once again to the window.
"Try to make the best of it, a little downtime may do both of us some good." Charles added scrunching deeper into the pile of pillows behind his back.
"Downtime, I don't have time for downtime besides, what about the others? Who's watching over them?" He replied
"Moira will take care of them." He replied and shifted in the bed somewhat.
"How bout a game of chess? It will get your mind off things." Charles offered, Erik sighed and shook his head.
"Not in the mood." He replied. Charles quirked a brow.
"Dinner then? There's a nice lounge downstairs." He replied.
Erik stood slowly and turned to the door,
"I am quite hungry." He admitted, Charles smiled up at him and got up from the bed to join him.

X

"It really is nice don't you think?" Charles said as he buttered a piece of bread with a knife.

Erik grumbled his reply before picking up the menu and glancing over it, Charles chuckled at him and took a bite.

"This is really good." Charles added as he chewed, Erik's eyes peaking over the top of the menu as they stalled on the telepaths rosy lips for a fraction of a moment before turning back to the menu in front of him.

"I think I'll get the Mock-Turtle soup." He replied, and set down the menu on the table.

"You sure, Erik? Its on the house, you could get some roast or a steak?" Charles replied now glancing over his own menu.

"The soup will do fine." He replied, Charles nodded and set down the menu, a woman about mid age approached the table and pulled a notepad out of her apron pocket.

"Know what you want, dear?" she asked tapping the paper with her pin.

"The mock turtle soup please, for both of us." Charles replied, and smiled she nodded and jotted it down on the sheet.

"Be right out." She replied and tapped the table with her knuckles before turning to leave,

"Thank you." He replied.

"You didn't have to get the soup too you know." Erik pointed out.

"I'd rather like to try it." He replied and took a sip of his hot tea.

Erik let out a sigh his shoulders dropping somewhat as he seemed to relax, reaching over to take a drink of his black coffee.

Setting it down then laying his palms flat on the table as he glanced about the room studying the other patrons and the decorations of the small cottage like hotel.

Charles smiled softly at him Erik's eyes turning to him as he leant back in his seat, Charles resting his chin on his palm.

"I'm sorry we are stranded here, my friend, I didn't think this would happen." He said softly knowing that to wait another week was grating on the metal benders patience, he knew all Erik wanted was Shaw's head on a platter, and their recruiting trip being delayed a week felt like a year to someone so anxious.

Erik sighed and nodded.

"Its alright Charles, we'll be on our way soon enough." He replied, and rolled his shoulders attempting to relax more and perhaps enjoy the 'Downtime' as Charles had previously called it.

Dinner went by slowly and easily, Charles had the opportunity to learn about Erik, though he knew everything about him, he had the chance to understand his mannerisms and choice of words, he rather liked hearing the German in his pronunciation as seldom as it was heard and liked the deep even tones of his voice.

In turn Erik hadn't learned much about the telepath and grew more frustrated at the fact Charles knew everything about him yet he knew nothing about Charles.

xXx

After dinner Charles and Erik turn into their room for the night.

"I think I'll take a bath, unless you had planned on it?" Charles asked as they entered the room already shrugging his coat off as he made his way to the connected bathroom.

"No, go ahead." Erik replied and proceeded to toss some more wood in the fireplace, the room must have a leak or something it was far too cold for comfort, Erik assumed Charles agreed since he shivered as soon as he had dropped his coat on the bed on his way.

It wasn't long until Erik heard a hot stream of water turn on in the bathroom, he smiled to himself as he heard a happy song being hummed as the sound of cloths dropped on the floor.

"Burrr." He heard from the connected room, he assumed Charles was now naked in the freezing temperature, and laughed at that, Erik took a seat on the floor in front of the fireplace pulling his jacket closed then warming his hands, now he knew for certain there must be a leak in this room somewhere, it was freezing.

Charles turning the faucet off then stepped into the large tub with a sigh of relief.

"I'm glad one of us is warm." Erik declared playfully then rubbed his arms with his hands.

"Your more than welcome to join me." He heard from inside the bathroom, Erik gulped, Charles must be joking, but the thought of his pale skin pinked by the hot water and his dark curls waving wet and wild, his soft skin and all of him exposed for Erik's viewing pleasure, Erik laughed it off and shook his head at himself, Charles was his friend, his best friend yes, not someone to lust over, Erik was into girls, not boys, not men, he liked women, however Charles wasn't boys in general or a boy, he was Charles Xavier, a man Erik had learned to respect and trust, surely Charles wasn't offering it in a flirtatious way, simply offering to be kind it was rather cold and Charles agreed, this was something Erik had decided in his head was a misunderstanding on his part.

"Well, are you coming or what?" his thoughts were interrupted, Erik furrowed his brows and turned to the half opened door, Charles had left it open, that was odd.

"Thanks but, I think I'm going to pass." He replied and swallowed around the lump in his throat, Charles chuckled in response.

Charles looked down somewhat disappointed, he thought perhaps Erik mentioning that he was warm and Erik wasn't might've been him trying to invite himself, apparently not, of course he wasn't Erik didn't like men, especially not British professors with a chip on their shoulder, Charles sighed and attempted to enjoy the bath despite his earlier thoughts, Erik hesitated a moment before standing and turning his attention to the half opened bathroom door.

Erik stood rubbing his cold arms up and down in his hands, a small puff of steam leaving his lips as he breathed, a hot bath sounded extremely good right about now, taking quiet steps in its direction Erik hesitated outside the door and swallowed nervously, he could accept the offer of course as 'friends' Charles wouldn't have to know how his stomach fluttered at the thought.

Erik huffed at himself and shook his head turning to the bed and sitting down then pulling his shoes off curling underneath the covers buried himself in its warmth, after a while Erik heard the water draining from the bathroom he assumed Charles was now done, not long after Charles emerged dressed in his usual pajamas, navy blue silk of course, and a thick robe over them, Charles shivered and pulled his coat closed tighter, his damp hair cooling rapidly in the cold room.

"Are you asleep?" he asked in a whisper, Erik chuckled.

"No, just frozen." He replied, Charles laughed and curled up in his bed next to Erik's.

"I do believe perhaps the heater has gone out." Charles replied burying himself in the covers still wearing the thick robe and some fluffy house shoes.

"You think?" Erik replied, his words soaked in sarcasm.

"Its only 9, do you think your up for a game of chess?" Charles replied, Erik hesitated and shrugged to himself.

"I think I could handle that." He replied.

xXx

Erik and Charles are sitting in two chairs facing one another, the game had only just started, Erik and Charles are now bound up in all their winter clothing, Charles wearing his pajamas covered with his robe, a scarf, fingerless gloves and a knit hat, Erik wearing something similar minus the hat and instead wearing smooth leather gloves, Erik setting down his pawn and rapping himself back up in his arms with a shiver.

"Your turn." He said to the telepath who's attention was currently on the fireplace, Charles turned back to him and smiled before considering his next move carefully his cheeks and lips paler than usual in the cold room, Charles leaning forward his hand hovering over a game piece before turning to another one and moving it instead.

"It really is dreadfully cold." Charles stated and shuttered,

"Perhaps in the morning we can check at the front desk and see what is going on." Erik replied and making his next move, Charles nodded, and hugged himself closer.

"Want to move next to the fireplace?" Charles asked and turned longingly towards it, Erik smirked and nodded.

xXx

Now sitting comfortably by the fire Charles sitting Indian style on one side of the chess board, Erik laying leisurely on his side on the other, his head propped on his palm.

They had acquired all of the blankets off of their beds as well as their winter cloths, now it seemed at least somewhat bearable, Charles sighed contented,

"Check mate." Erik broke the silence dryly, Charles turned to it and starred for a few moments, and huffed.

"It would seem you have won, good game." He replied and smiled, Erik flicking the king causing it to topple over then collapsing completely on the floor with a drawn sigh his face in the bedspread he had drug to the ground.

"Guess its time for bed." Erik replied muffled by the cotton his face was currently buried in.

"I think I could catch some shut eye, myself." Charles confirmed going to stand realizing Erik was half on his blanket and half on his own, he laughed quietly when Erik groaned tiredly, laced with a tone of boredom.

"One day, and I'm already bored." Erik grumbled Charles snickered at him then tugged on the blanket that was wrapped around him and also under the heavy metal bender.

"Well, sleep will get your mind off it, and tomorrow will come sooner. And your on my blanket, I will not be going to bed without it." He added that last bit emphasizing with a tug.

"Fine." Erik retorted slowly sitting up and dragging himself to stand pulling his blanket up and around him then trudging towards his bed knocking over all the chess pieces in his wake, Charles smiled at him and went to his own bed and sat down with a shiver, the bed was cold as ice.

Erik plopped facedown on his bed sprawled out lazily and shuttered.

"Fuck this is cold." He cursed under his breath, Charles giggled and nodded.

"Mine too. This is dreadful." Charles whined as he lay on his side with another shiver, "It will warm up." He assured mostly to himself as he buried his head in the cold pillow it was now placed.

"You know..." Erik drawled before jolting off his bed and literally body slamming Charles' curling up next to the shocked telepath who's eyes were as big as golf balls. "In World War II, soldiers used to huddle together to stay warm." Erik continued as his long arms claimed the telepath from behind and wrapped him up, Erik's face landing between his shoulder blades.

Charles laughed against him with a shutter, steam still puffing from his lips.

"Is this really what we've succumbed too?" Charles teased his cheeks inevitably blushing, at least at this angle Erik couldn't see it, he was grateful, Erik chuckled against him.

"Do you have any better ideas?" he asked, Charles laughed and shook his head.

"No actually." He replied, normally Erik wouldn't be comfortable with anyone doing something like this, but Charles was different, he knew everything about him already, there was nothing Erik could tell him that would shock him and in a strange twisted way this brought Erik much comfort, just having someone he didn't have to explain himself too, Charles already understood, Charles was someone he could trust, he trusted Charles to share a room with him and he would be safe with him, Erik could be himself with him and so far it seemed that's all Charles ever wanted from him.

"Good, because I'm staying." He replied, Charles giggled and buried his face in his pillow, the warmth now soaking into their blankets and skin, finally they were both warm and could get some shut eye.

xXx

This is just a silly fic I started and forgot about, I was looking through my computer and saw it and now it is downloaded, this is as far as I got and wanted to post it, I will continue it if I get a lot of feed back, because I'd like to write it, if people would like reading it.

Please review

Thanks!