The first indication that something is wrong presents itself on their six month anniversary of all nights.
Erik has reserved a table at one of the best restaurants in the city and they eat, immersed in amiable conversation. Or at least Charles is, enthusiastically talking about his students, until he realizes Erik's attention has drifted, his shark eyes pinned somewhere over Charles' shoulder where the entrance is. Something flashes in his eyes, to quick to decipher but unsettling nonetheless.
Blinking, Charles turns to follow his gaze but Erik grabs his hand, squeezing gently and when Charles turns back around to face him there is no trace of that odd expression left on his handsome features.
"I'm sorry, liebling," Erik pulls his hand up, gently placing a kiss on his knuckles, "I thought I saw someone from work. You were saying?"
Charles doesn't give it a second thought.
They leave the restaurant and walk to the car, Erik's arm casually slung around his shoulders. Charles snuggles into his fiance's side, slightly buzzed, slightly giddy at the thought of going to bed with his lover tonight.
Erik is driving for a change, having left his usual chauffeurs the night off in order to give him and Charles some privacy. Its not a common occurrence and Charles much prefers it, but once they are actually driving on the dark, mostly empty streets, Erik seems tense again, distracted. He looks into the rear view mirror too often and his fingers seem to clench around the steering-wheel every few seconds or so.
"Erik, are you sure you're alright?"
Erik visibly relaxes the set of his shoulders; his fingers ghost through Charles' hair for a second, a familiar, comforting gesture.
"Well, since you're asking, I could do with a change of music," he quips, jokingly mocking Charles' choice of apparently no-so-groovy-tunes.
Charles smiles and leans forward to change the station. It is then that the other car collides with them. The seat belt digs into Charles' neck as they are catapulted towards the window and he cries out, half in pain, but mostly in shock.
An accident, he thinks, half a second before the car slams into them again. He braces himself, clawing at anything, possibly crying out Erik's name as the car swerves dangerously, threatening to swivel. Erik is cursing in German, unintelligible, as he tears the wheel around and pushes on the gas.
They race through the streets and Charles doesn't open his eyes until the feels the car stop. He snaps them open when a hand curls itself around his arm.
Erik's green eyes, too bright, too sharp, looking him over. "Are you alright? Did you hit your head?"
He shakes his head, trembling, still in shock.
Turning around, he tries to get a better look of the street behind them. Its empty, no car in sight. Erik has maneuvered them into a dark alley it seems.
Charles huffs in relief at not being dead. "What the hell was that? Were those people trying to kill us?"
It's not a serious question, of course not, when is it ever?
His mind is already coming up with all kinds of scenarios which would explain the other car spinning out of controlled and hitting them. His thought process is derailed when headlights flash in the dark behind them and Erik leans over to his side, opens the glove compartment and pulls out a gun.
Charles stares at it in shock, his mind refusing to acknowledge what his eyes are clearly seeing for a full five seconds. By then, Erik has already dislodged Charles' seat belt and opened his door, pushing him out of the car and towards the alley. He gets out on the other side of the car, facing the street, gun aimed in front of him.
"Charles, go towards the back of the alley." Erik's voice is clipped. Charles stares at the set of his shoulders, the practiced, confident way in which he holds the gun, finger on the trigger. "Now!"
He flinches, stumbles back on unsteady feet at the sharp command. One step or so until his mind snaps back and he realizes what Erik is doing.
"Erik, no-" he hisses fearfully, only to be ignored. Erik's focus is completely on the street, on the approaching headlights. With ice in his stomach Charles watches his finger on the trigger tighten.
The lights approach- and pass by.
The street falls into darkness again. Not the same car.
Charles sags in relief.
Erik doesn't. Wordlessly, silently, he makes his way towards the street corner, still ready to shoot. Like he expects bloody assassins, and not some drunk driver or teenagers. Charles stares at his back, somehow unable to get himself to move. He dully wonders if maybe he hit his head after all, hard -but the sick feeling in his stomach grounds him in reality.
After minutes, Erik finally returns. He pulls out his phone, dialing, in the same motion that he tucks the gun into the back of his pants.
Wrong. Wrong, this is wrong, Charles' sluggish brain supplies belatedly. Everything.
This is not normal. People have guns in their cars, he knows this, even if he hadn't known it about Erik and dearly wishes it wasn't so. But...even people who carry guns do not react in this way to a simple hit and run, do they? Erik is acting like those people in the car were trying to kill them, which obviously they weren't. Obviously.
It's not that though. It's Erik. It's like...his whole being has shifted somehow, his movements, his eyes, all softness is gone from them. It's like he's looking at a different person.
The sick feeling in his stomach intensifies. His blood is rushing through his ears, too loud, too fast. He can't hear what Erik is saying to whoever he is calling, and he is caught off guard when Erik's hand wraps around the side of his neck.
He jumps, breathless and frozen for a split second. Then, Erik tips his chin up, gentle, ever gentle, worried eyes seeking his and when Charles blinks his Erik is back, nothing but worry written on his features.
"Charles, breathe out. It's safe." Air rushes out of his lungs, deflating him. Erik's hands close around his arms before he can so much as stagger.
"Logan's coming to pick us up. He'll be here in five minutes. Come on, we'll wait in the car."
Not a word about what just happened.
Erik ushers him towards the car and he goes, like he is on autopilot.
Logan arrives. Erik leaves his car, but not his gun.