"And then he just dragged me up into the jet, did you know he can *fly*? It was so cool. Seriously I would have been toast if he hadn't been there, it was amazing"
Shoving a final huge mouthful of fries in, Peter at last sat back and sighed contentedly. Training was great and all, but even after a couple of those awful shakes Hank handed out after he always came away feeling like he could eat his own bodyweight in something. Angela smiled at him gently, noticing that even Erik had a dubious little grin that seemed to suggest that he hadn't been quite as heroic as his son was making him out to be.
"You can fly?" she asked, "Like Superman?"
"Superman isn't real and no, I can levitate using the metal on my shoes. That's not flying"
"It's totally flying" Peter corrected, "Dad, d'you think you could go get me some ice cream? I don't think I can stand up"
"If you can't walk then I think you've had enough" Erik told him sternly, before relenting with a sigh in the face of a very pleading look and going to fetch dessert. Honestly that boy was going to do himself an injury one of these days….
Leaving them alone at the table, Angela toyed with a napkin before she'd quietly said
"You really love your old man, don't you?"
"He's my hero," Peter gave her a fond smile, let his belt out a couple of notches, "I'm not kidding Angie, he really did save my life"
After putting it in danger and trying to destroy the world… She thought, but kept it to herself.
"He's okay" she said after a while, "I mean, he's weird and creepy and I think he hates me, but he's okay"
"I don't hate you" Erik had reappeared at the table, setting a dish of ice cream in front of each of the two young people, "hate is a very powerful emotion, Miss Goldsmith. I don't waste it"
"Thanks… I think" she licked the strawberry sauce off her spoon, wondered how he knew that she preferred strawberry whilst Peter was crazy for chocolate, "I guess that's a good thing"
"It is. Trust me"
For a little while they ate in silence, until she had pushed the rest of her bowl over to Peter and let him finish it. It was pretty useful having a walking trashcan like him around sometimes. She wiped her face, watched Erik for a moment, then finally said
"I'm sorry we didn't start off so well, Mr Lensherr. I really do appreciate you taking me out, it means a lot"
He made a grumpy noise, but smiled kindly at her
"You seem to be taking rather good care of my son. It would be rude of me not to at least give you a chance. Besides, I rather admire your courage"
"For standing up to you?"
"For putting up with Peter" he smirked. The boy raised his head from the bowl for a moment at the mention of his name. There was a smudge of chocolate sauce on his face and Angela came over suddenly fond when Erik reached out with a napkin and wiped it away. There was something so caring in that small gesture that it said more than words ever could about the deep sense of caring duty he felt toward his son. "Boy, if you make yourself sick you'll have absolutely no sympathy from me, you do understand that?"
Angela laughed heartily at the echo of her own sentiment. Truly, once you got past the prickly exterior there was quite a lot about Erik to like – and to fear of course, but sometimes he did show just that little bit of warmth. She wondered if he always had done, or if it was something that Peter had brought out of him, suspecting the latter.
Later, when they had finally returned to the Academy and settled down on a sofa, Erik took an armchair close by and smiled softly as Peter immediately flopped down with his head on Angela's lap, asleep within minutes.
"He's a good boy really, isn't he?" he said quietly, watching his son's face, "His mother tells me he was quite the tearaway, but he seems to be settling down"
"The school's good for him" she replied, brushed his hair out of his closed eyes
"You're good for him" Erik replied. "I do see that. I hope you understand that Peter is very precious to me, all I ever wanted to do was to protect him"
She kept silence for a few minutes, hand falling out of habit to rest on Peter's full stomach whilst he slept, finally looking up at Erik and asking
"Do you regret not being around when he was a kid? I mean, I know you must have had your reasons, but does it bother you that you missed so much?"
"All the time," the older man replied, "But Charles is working on teaching me that sometimes you have to set the past aside, and look to the future. I sincerely hope that his future will be happier than my past"
It will be, he thought, watching as the girl smiled fondly at his son, one arm supporting his head. Perhaps he would be lucky enough to have her in his life for a good long time. He could tell that whilst her protective instincts toward him were not as ferocious as his own, they were just as strong, and he was realising now that he needed to accept that others could love him too. She wasn't trying to take Peter away – just share him.
"I didn't have a Mom you know," the girl said, "It's tough, just having the one parent. They have to be everything to you all at once. I'm really glad Peter has you now. I think it's helped him grow up a little"
She was right of course. Since he'd come into his son's life he'd watched him change from barely a teenager to this full-grown man who was blossoming before his eyes. He thought again of the beauty of him in movement that afternoon, the determination and power he'd shown whilst Erik put everything he had into besting him. There would come a time, probably not too far away, that no assault Erik could mount would be enough to beat his miraculous son. The thought filled him with intense pride.
"So about that whole trying to destroy the world thing…" Angela began, and gave Erik a questioning look.
"The human world is a mess, Angela. Surely you can see that," he replied with uncharacteristic gentleness, "When a field is no longer producing a proper yield a farmer will set it ablaze and begin anew"
"The world isn't a field," she said patiently, "and it's not as much of a mess as you think"
"Have you never seen how we Mutants are treated then? Never felt an outcast, because of your superior gifts?"
She thought of the gang of older girls who had pelted her with dirt after class when she'd sent the classroom lights blinking again. The ones who whispered behind their hands and giggled maliciously when she approached. The concern and pity on her teacher's faces when they told her to leave the class *again* and go to the Principal's office *again*.
"We're better than that," she replied, "We don't have to be like them. We can be really superior. They'll come around"
"If we make them, they will come around much sooner" he gave her one of those grim smiles, "But on general principles, I think we are in agreement"
She considered it a moment, shrugged lightly and nodded
"I suppose we are," she looked down at Peter, soundly asleep in her lap, "We agree on a lot of things"
At last Erik's smile was warmer. He rose to his feet, scooped his arms under his son and lifted him. Peter made a sleepy little complaining noise, then settled again.
"I'll take him to bed" he said, gathering the little weight up in his arms more tightly, "Thank you for this evening, Angela. I'm glad we made some time for one another"
"And thank you," she grinned, "Hey, can I call you Dadneto now?"
"Never" he replied. She smirked and followed him up the stairs.