Erik woke early the next morning, making sure to scatter the remains of their little fire before packing up the few items he'd left around camp the night before. He looked down to Charles, who was still sound asleep in the sleeping roll far too large for his tiny body. Erik didn't want to wake the boy, but he was already almost a day behind his original schedule and couldn't afford to waste anymore time. Reluctantly he knelt beside the sleeping child and lightly shook his shoulder, earning an annoyed whine.
"Charles, get up. We need to leave now." He said gently, and in a voice that surprised him. He rarely spoke, but when he did it was not gentle. Never the less, he shook his head and brushed the gentleness off as a product of being around Charles. His attention returned to the boy, Erik once more shook his shoulder and sighed. "Charles, now."
The boy grumbled and scrubbed at his eyes, rolling over and shivering as the cool morning air slipped into the warm cocoon of the sleeping roll. He clutched the edge of the roll tightly, forcing the slight gap shut and whining once again.
"Don't wanna get up." He grumbled, pulling the roll up to his ears and closing his eyes again. Erik couldn't help but smile at the endearing action, thankful that Charles couldn't see him. He'd spent years perfecting his stoney exterior, and he'd be damned if some child shattered it.
"We've spent enough time here, Charles. We need to move." Erik said after a moment, drawing back the edge of the roll and earning a squeaked protest from the curled up child beneath. He looked down and sighed heavily, scooping the boy up and setting him on his feet. "There's a plate sitting by my bags. Eat up, we won't be resting until noon."
Charles glanced over at the plate and sighed, wrapping his arms around himself and stamping over to pick it up and plop down on the ground to eat. Erik occupied himself by packing up the sleeping roll and the few last minute items he'd left out while Charles slept. He'd already eaten a slight breakfast, not having the stomach for anything large. This was not the case for Charles though, who after he finished set the plate down and looked expectantly up to Erik.
"I'm still hungry."
"We don't have time for you to eat anything else, Charles." Erik sighed, shouldering his pack and looking around them, trying to remember what direction he'd been walking in the day before. Charles pouted behind him, but none the less carefully scraped the crumbs off of his plate and set it in one of the smaller bags, which he then shouldered.
"Where are we going?"
"Manchester."
"That's really far though. Mummy...Mummy always took me by train if we ever went." He said, glancing back over his shoulder at the barely visible ruins of the village. The boy sniffled softly and rubbed his eyes, shaking his head and facing forward again. Erik looked down to him and placed a gentle and on the boy's shoulder, thumb brushing gently over the worn fabric.
"I know it is, but we have no other choice." The man said, steering Charles back onto the path and following behind. "If we get to a town in time to catch a train, then we'll take one." This seemed to settle the boy down, and he nodded with a smile.
"Alright, that seems fair." Charles said, kicking at a pebble as he walked, the bag with the plates and pans clattering loudly with his bouncing steps. Several times Erik tried to reach down and pry the bag from the boy's hands, only to receive a childish scolding. Eventually he gave up and allowed Charles to do as he pleased.
The hours slowly ticked by, the sun finally breaking through the clouds to dry the earth and warm the two travelers. Erik was unfazed by the walk despite the sun shining in his eyes, having been used to much more in much worse conditions. Charles on the other hand, had barely been able to handle a day of leisurely walking about the town before the bombing, and the march had taken a sudden and harsh toll on the boy.
He set the now impossibly heavy bag down on a drier patch of ground and rested his hands on his knees, taking several deep breaths and trying to stretch out the stitches in his sides and legs. Erik had walked past him, lost in his thoughts. After a moment the man finally noticed that Charles was no longer in front of him, and turned around in confusion.
"I can't go any further." Charles said as soon as he was sure Erik was looking at him. The older man sighed and walked the few steps back, picking up the bag before too much mud could soak into the fabric.
"We have another two hours before we can stop for lunch, Charles. You'll be fine until then." He said with a small huff. Charles frowned at him and tried to hurry after, whining softly at the pain shooting through his feet.
"I can't!" The boy insisted, finally managing to grab hold of Erik's sleeve and tug tightly on it. The man stopped and looked back with a small frown, jerking his sleeve free and growling softly.
"Well you're going to have to. I have enough to carry without you here. If you can't keep up, you're staying behind. Someone else can help you." The man snapped, patience worn thin. Charles staggered back in surprise and blinked, tilting his head and sniffling. Erik glanced down and rolled his eyes. "Don't you start with that either. I've had just about enough of your sniveling." He hadn't even realized just how much he'd begun to sound like Shaw, the words coming as easily as breathing.
Charles stared at him for a moment, hands slowly clenching at his sides as Erik started to walk off. The boy sniffled softly again, feeling something bubbling in his chest.
Don't go!
Erik stumbled in shock, hands flying up to his ears. He looked around frantically, gun already in his hand, though he had no idea when it had gotten there. He spun in place, staggering again as the voice continued to boom in his ears, piercing into his mind and sending him to the ground.
Erik wasn't sure when the noise had stopped, or how long he'd been curled up on the ground. It took him several moments to realize it had gone quiet again, that the only sound around him was the sounds of birds chirping and a light breeze ruffling the tall grass surrounding the road. Slowly he sat up, hands pressed to the sides of his head to try and stop the throbbing headache that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
"Erik…?"
The man looked up quickly, leveling his gun at the chest of the figure before him. Charles stumbled away in a panic, fresh tears rising in his eyes. The boy quickly turned and scrambled a few feet away before wrapping his arms around himself and staring down at the gun. Erik blinked out of his thoughts and dropped the gun, the weapon clattering to the dirt road. The man moved slowly to Charles, scooping him up and holding the boy close.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry." He said softly, rubbing the sobbing child's back. Charles wiggled for a moment, small hands pressed to Erik's chest as he tried to push away. Reluctantly the man set the child down and stepped back, hands held up. Charles rocked on his heels for a moment, wiping his eyes before he looked up and walked forward, stooping to pick up the gun before holding it out to Erik. The man hesitantly took the weapon and placed it back in its holster.
"Thank you, Charles." He muttered, surprised at how shaky his voice had suddenly become. He cleared his throat and straightened up, adjusting the packs on his back before turning down the road. "A little further and then we can stop for lunch, alright?" He asked, a tiny smile tugging at his lips when Charles nodded and hurried to walk alongside him.
"I'm sorry I hurt you." Charles said suddenly, staring down at the ground and kicking at a pebble. Erik looked down and sighed heavily, hand resting on the strap of one of his packs.
"You must learn to control yourself, Charles. I know you didn't mean to, but you could have done much more than you intended."
Charles bit his lip and looked up, wringing his hands in front of himself. He was silent and Erik nearly lost himself in his thoughts before the boy looked up and spoke.
"I know, and I try but...I thought you were going to hurt me."
Erik stopped and looked down to the boy with a tilted head. He knew he could be frightening, but he never realized it was that bad. Of course he'd hurt many people before, but never a child. Children and women were the two people Erik had sworn he'd never hurt unless it was the only option, and even then it was debatable. Once more he set the packs down and knelt beside the boy, hands going up to rest on slim shoulders.
"I would never, Charles. Surely you must know that." He said, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. He couldn't have the one person who knew what he was and wasn't terrified, or wasn't going to use him for just his powers leave. Especially when that person was a child who apparently had no one and no where to go.
"I do but...I can't help it."
"Why can't you, Charles?"
The boy was quiet for several moments before he let out a shuddering breath and looked down. "It's nothing."
"Charles…"
"I don't want to talk about it." The boy snapped, stamping his foot and turning away to sulk. Erik blinked in surprise and tilted his head, watching the child for a moment before sighing and reaching out to him again.
"Charles, please. I only want to help you." The words tasted foreign in his mouth, and Erik hadn't even realized he'd said them until after Charles had turned to look at him with wide eyes. He'd meant the words, of course but he never thought he'd say them out loud. For all the boy knew, Erik was just going to get him to the next town and leave him with whichever woman seemed fit to take care of a six-year old boy with a gift. Erik hadn't even realized Charles had begun to talk until the boy tugged at his sleeve with a small whine.
"You aren't listening to me."
"I'm sorry Charles. Start again?"
The boy bit his lip, suddenly still and quiet. Erik frowned in concern and settled down in front of him, ignoring the mud seeping into his trousers.
"Charles…"
"I don't want to tell you." The boy said at last, looking up with wide eyes. Erik clenched his hands at his sides and sighed heavily, getting ready to stand again before Charles grabbed his arm. "But I can show you." Skeptical as he was, Erik nodded.
"Alright, but make it quick please. We need to move."
Charles frowned at him and hesitated before raising a small hand to rest two fingers to Erik's temple. The man flinched away at the touch at first, uncertainty in his eyes before he leaned forward again and allowed Charles to do as he pleased.
There was silence between the two of them before images began flashing through Erik's mind. At first they were too fast to see, only flashes of moments and feelings. After a moment the images slowed, moving just slow enough for Erik to make out some words.
Freak.
Abomination.
The only reason I'm letting you stay is because of your mother you little brat.
Erik frowned at the words, and even though he couldn't make out the images flying past his eyes, he knew they were directed at Charles. Things that were very similar were said to him, in almost the exact same voice. As soon as Erik had begun to drift off, a sudden sharp pain flashed through his mind, feeling exactly like a strike across the face. The man jolted in surprise, breaking his connection with Charles as he did.
Erik sat, panting in the dirt as he watched the boy sway and stumble, drained from his use of power. Slowly, the man stood and walked over to Charles, scooping the boy into his arms and holding him carefully. Before long, Charles had gone limp, the exhaustion having taken it's toll on his body. Wordlessly, Erik gathered the rest of the bags and started on his march again, all the while cradling Charles close to his chest and mindlessly rubbing the boy's back.