Charles turned to his TA's who were all looking at him like he was paranoid.
"You okay Professor?"
"Yes, thank you Hank."
"If you're sure," Hank looked at Alex with questioning eyes. Alex glanced at Charles before shrugging.
"I trust you finished your paper Alex," Charles glanced up from his desk looking towards the blonde.
"Uh yeah. Finished it last night after I fixed the stuff Hank pointed out. I don't think even Carter will give me less than a B."
"B? No way Alex. That paper was really good before you tweaked it. It's an A for sure," Hank gave a pointed look at Alex causing the blonde turn a bit pink.
"Well, let's hope you're right."
"I am."
"Wanna bet," Alex gave a smirk.
"What's the wager?"
"Name it."
Hank worried his bottom lip for a minute in thought. "Okay, if you win, I'll let you drag me to a match and even let you explain it all to me without complaining."
"And if you win?"
"When I win," Alex scoffed. "You have to go with me to the launch for the rocket propelling competition without complaint."
Alex nodded rolling his eyes. "You're on."
Charles chuckled.
Charles made it out of his last class and to his office where Raven waited inside. Charles rolled his eyes as she smiled and he grabbed his coat and scarf before they walked out. Charles would have stopped to say goodbye to Erik but he wouldn't be back for another twenty minutes and Raven would grow suspicious if he stalled just to say goodbye. It was bad enough he knew Erik's schedule so well. Charles tried not to dwell on that. Charles asked how Raven's classes had gone to which she replied with, 'ugh' and he tried not to chuckle when she mentioned Angel freaking out about the pop quiz she had in German.
Four hours later found Charles walking down the stairs in a midnight blue three piece suit paired with a crisp white shirt and his black Italian shoes. Raven came in from the family room to see him off, whistling at the sight.
"Charles…you look great. You're like the missing member of the rat pack."
Charles blushed and looked down. "Well thank you. I do love a good three piece suit, but I don't have many occasions to wear one and it would seem like over kill to wear one to work."
Raven smiled mischievously. "Well if you don't come back tomorrow morning or at least disheveled, I'll be surprised and a little disappointed."
"Raven please! You're worse than Moira."
"It's a Friday night. You're young, single, rich, and good looking Charles. Live a little. They aren't all bad eggs," Raven stood with her hand on her hip. "You can't let one bad one ruin it all for you."
"Raven that was years ago and I will try to have fun tonight, but I will be back tonight, and I will look presentable."
"Spoil sport,' Raven leaned in and kissed Charles' cheek, turned him towards the door, slapped his ass and pushed him out with his coat in his hand. "Have fun!"
Charles laughed and shook his head as he made his way to the cab. He never drove to these parties knowing how much scotch it took to make it through the night without losing it. After ten minutes the cab pulled up to Moira's building and he text her he was there. She jumped into cab with a smile on her face less than three minutes later.
"Good evening Charles."
"Moira. You look quite beautiful this evening."
"You don't look half bad yourself Charles. Hoping to impress a certain someone," Moira smirked.
Charles rolled his eyes. "Don't start or I will," Charles chuckled at Moira's scowl.
The car pulled up into the drive of the Fitzgerald manor stopping in the front. Charles paid the driver before opening Moira's door for her and walking up the steps.
"You know, you could just as easily host this thing at your place. I think your house is actually bigger."
Charles laughed. "Not in a million years would I host this thing. Emma loves hosting it anyway." They were let in and their coats were taken and when Charles turned around Moira had disappeared. Charles sighed. He knew she would be searching out Wolverine, but he thought she'd at least wait for him. As soon as Charles turned to start looking for the two of them Emma had descended upon him.
"Charles," Emma exclaimed with a bright smile gaining looks their way at her outburst. She looked him up and down and pulled him in for a hug.
"Emma, lovely to see you. You look amazing as always." Charles had known Emma for many years before he began teaching. He had actually introduced Emma to her husband Will, who Charles had befriended in school. Emma and he had become friends through family connections really.
"Thank you Charles. Always the gentleman," Emma pulled back from the hug with a smirk. "You look absolutely gorgeous tonight. Are you sure I can't introduce you to someone?"
Charles shook his head trying not to show his worry. "No Emma. That won't be necessary I, I—"
"There you are darling. I was wondering where you had gotten off too." Charles turned with wide eyes to see Erik smiling and wrapping one arm around his waist while extending his hand towards Emma. "Erik Lehnsherr."
Emma smiled as Erik kissed her knuckle like he had done with Raven and raised her brows at Charles before addressing Erik. "Emma Fitzgerald. It's a pleasure to meet you Erik. Charles here didn't mention having such a handsome and charming boyfriend."
Erik chuckled. "Well, I have been keeping him to myself so he can't be completely blamed."
Charles still had his mouth open in confusion and his face was on fire. Emma just laughed. "Well, I'll have to forgive him because he can't seem to explain himself."
Charles closed his mouth and pulled himself together enough to reply even though the heat from Erik pressed against his side and around his hip was far too distracting. "Sorry I didn't mention it. I, uh, I was going to introduce you tonight, but it seems I wasn't needed for the introduction," Charles gave a small laugh and felt Erik tighten his hold on his hip for support.
"It's okay. I'm happy to see you happy with someone even if I couldn't have a hand in it," Emma sighed dramatically.
"Oh Emma don't worry. There are plenty of cattle to herd here." Emma smacked Charles' arm and he whimpered playfully. He felt Erik stiffen next to him but from what he didn't know.
"I have to go and play a good hostess. You two have fun! Lovely to meet you Erik," Emma pulled Erik into a hug extracting him from Charles' side and whispered something in his ear that Charles' couldn't make out before winking and heading into the next room spotting a target.
Charles turned to Erik feeling the blush he was definitely sporting just notice a blush gracing Erik's face as well.
"Sorry to just jump in there like that," Erik looked hopefully at Charles. "I was hoping to spare the both of us of the match making or cattle herding, as you so beautifully put it. I was just hoping you wouldn't hit me."
"I would never hit you Erik, and thank you. After I got over the confusion I realized how great of a plan it was," Charles tried not to stare at Erik's mouth but couldn't think of a more suitable place to look. Erik's eyes were always hard not to stare at and what Erik was wearing made Charles' mouth water. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit with black and silver waist coat and matching tie. It hugged his chest just right, and if Charles was standing behind him he knew for a fact Erik's ass would be hugged just as well judging by fit in the front. "And spending the night around you won't be too unbearable, although I'll have to beat people off of you with a stick with that charm and the sharpness of your dress." Charles shook his head and tsked.
Erik's eyes widened as he made a show of putting his hands to him chest. "Beat them off me? Charles you can't be serious. Have you seen your reflection? I had to pick my jaw off the ground before coming to your rescue, and I still feel a bit dazed."
"Oh stop it. You and your jokes," Charles tugged Erik's arm and pulled him to look for Moira and Wolverine. Erik wrapped his arm around Charles' waist making Charles shiver. He hoped Erik didn't feel it.
"Who's joking," Charles felt Erik's breath on his ear and the chuckle that rumbled from his chest. Charles didn't have time react before Moira was right in front of them.
"Study, now!"
Charles and Erik were pushed into an empty room while Moira closed the door and tuned to them.
"Moira, what in the name—"
"Alright. So I may or not have bought this dress to get Logan to notice, and Michele Loyd may or may not be trying to seduce him, and I may or may not end up breaking her annoying little neck if you don't talk me down."
"Well could you at least wait another hour and a half so I can collect on the bet?"
"Charles!"
"Wait, what bet?"
"Erik, not now! This is serious. She is ridiculous, and I can take her right?"
Charles shook his head. "Moira no, well yes, I'm sure you could take her but she is not going to woo Logan. Logan can't stand her."
"She's the one that I saw wearing the necklace that looked like a shrunken head on a chain right," Erik sat on the desk and Charles tried to keep his focus on Moira and not on how hot Erik was perched where he was.
"Yes," Moira paced.
"Well I agree with the ridiculous assessment, but also that Logan hates her."
Moira stopped and turned to Erik as did Charles. "Why do you say that?"
"Didn't take a genius to see it from across room, just someone not emotionally involved."
"He has a point Moira. You could have been reading into it."
Moira huffed. "I was being objective…I am going to chock her with that necklace and stuff the shrunken head down her—"
All three looked at Wolverine wide eyed as he shut the door behind him and jumped slightly at the sight of them. "There you are," Wolverine scowled. "You left me in there with the woman wearing some sort of Pagan sacrificial necklace. She wouldn't stop asking me questions about me interests. I kept lying to make her go away but all the shit I said I was into she was ecstatic about, I mean who actually paints landscapes in real life?"