Their plane landed back in the states after hours of complete silence; Charles had never been so relieved to sleep in his entire life. His neck ached and he had a crick in his back, but he was let alone for it all. Waking up, he saw Erik's legs sprawled beneath him, and at first his entire body stiffened. Soon, Charles felt a warmth fill his stomach as he realized he wouldn't have wanted to wake up to anyone else. Erik noticed he was awake and helped him up—his side, leg, and body were still bloody and battered. It was time to return to the hospital.

Charles protested the entire time he was there—first he didn't want any anesthetic (knowing it would impair his mind, which he was happy with just the way it was). Second, he couldn't stand having one guest at a time; he wanted Erik to stay, but needed to see the other students and Raven at least once daily. The entire three weeks went over slowly and painfully—a cast, stitches, blood transfusions and more stitches. The most uncomfortable moments were those when he was allowed to see everyone at once:

"Did Erik do this to you?" Alex glared towards the corner of the room where the metal-bender was standing, separate from the group after he brought Charles to the hospital.

"No, don't worry guys. I'm completely fine, and it's just some cuts and bruises. In fact, I'd say I'm tip-top as it is," Charles had been increasingly more normal, and everyone was terrified he'd regress again—like the last time he was in the hospital. But, as time went on it was clear that wasn't the case. Raven thought she knew why, so she didn't hesitate asking.

"Are you finally happy because you came to your senses about what we talked about?" Everyone in the room perked up, and turned questioningly to the professor. He blushed heavily and gave Raven a look that made her squeal with delight and smirk at Erik; who in turn stared wide-eyed at his beloved.

"Charles?" Erik, who hadn't left the hospital in weeks, was hoarse and grimy, but his voice was still icily commanding. Charles blushed yet again and looked around the room before cursing Raven under his breath; this only made Raven giggle madly.

"Well, the thing is… before I was… taken… I was talking to Raven about who my real friends were. I decided that you were a true friend, and I never should've doubted you. That's… all." Charles blushed even more brightly when he could hear the desperation in his voice; trying to cover the end trails of his words. Hank and Alex caught it and blushed themselves. Only Erik and Sean stood in complete confusion—their eyebrows knit in confusion and their mouths tight with concentration.

"Well I'm glad you've decided to trust me again, but what does this have to do with your sudden pep?" Erik's slow and precise diction made Charles and Raven chuckle. Even though he wasn't sure how to answer in front of a group of people, Charles was still head over heels for Erik—and he was just realizing it. So instead he just gave him a pointedly loving look and thought, you'll know soon enough, my fri—dear…

"Let's go." Raven's simple words were all that the other mutants needed to take their leave and allow some time alone for the two friends.

"See, I started to realize how many things you had done for me since I met you. You never let me down… except for once, and I think I just exaggerated that. I was at a horrible place and you caught me there. But, you didn't let me fall. You never gave up on me. Erik, you've always been my rock, and you've been kind and gentle and beautiful… and I think, that after a lot of consideration, I'm beginning to fall in love with—" but before the rest of the words could escape his lips, Charles was caught up in a passionate kiss with his best friend. Erik didn't let go of Charles' hair even after they parted for breath. He didn't stop looking into the eyes he'd loved so long, until he finally spoke up,

"I'd like to let you know, I love you Charles. I always have. I didn't mean to let you hear those things… I just… I want you so badly sometimes. You… you're just so beautiful."

Another kiss ensued and soon Erik was on the hospital bed alongside Charles—they spent the entire night in each other's arms; sometimes kissing and sometimes talking. Never once did they stop feeling the pure warmth radiating from the other's form. Neither even realized they'd fallen asleep until Raven's squeals awoke them the next morning.

"You two are sooooo cute together! I called it!" As pesky as she was being, Erik found her congratulations rather flattering, and her love for Charles adorable and sincere. He loved her as a sister, and could never hate her or her annoying ways.

It was three weeks later, and Charles was finally healed, at least where it concerned Erik. Charles, completely in love by this time, was ready to let himself be complete with Erik. The other mutants had groaned when they kissed in the living room, and they'd chuckled when Charles blushed with embarrassment. They'd watched as Charles realized his love, and they'd seen as Erik protected Charles from the world.

"Erik…?" Charles' imploring voice was quiet, but Erik could hear it from miles away.

"Yes, love?"

"I'm…ready." Erik's eyebrows shot up in a mix of surprise and joy as the words he'd waited months to hear were finally said. Charles crossed the room and sat next to Erik on the bed; he looked into his metal-bender's eyes and melted inside. A warm glow surrounding the figures as they slowly undressed—never once looking away from the other's fire-lit body. When they were finally naked—vulnerable and open to the other—they both thought the more pure thoughts about love; there was no lust in this moment.

Erik closed the space first; bringing his mouth up to Charles' and slowly, but passionately, kissing the thoughts out of the telepath's mind. For a perfect and pure second he was completely lost in the kiss. Now it was Charles' time to take over. He palmed Erik's shoulders and slowly trailed kisses down his chest until he was face level with Erik's hard member. The light breaths brushing against his hard-on made Erik quiver with anticipation and need, but he didn't need to ask; Charles engulfed him completely. Moaning and thrusting, Erik whispered words of love to Charles who believed each one. Finally Erik came and Charles took it all; wanting to have a part of Erik inside him.

Lying back, fulfilled and excited, Charles felt Erik's body atop his; their muscles and limbs completely molded for the other's body. Whimpering, Charles felt all of Erik pulsing and finally he felt the most important part prodding at his opening. It was still raw and sometimes it hurt, but there was nothing more amazing than knowing it was going to be Erik this time; not against his will—just a beautiful moment of his love inside him. Erik pushed forward tentatively and almost stopped when he heard his telepath groan, but Charles' dilated pupils and messy hair beneath him urged him on; this was what they both wanted—needed, Charles mentally corrected.

Erik let out a small chuckle at his lover before pushing all the way in and beginning to thrust. Each movement resulted in another, more harmonic, moan. Both of their pulses were racing, and Charles was babbling nonsense—only stopping to repeat Erik's name. For several heated and passionate minutes of pure sex, the two were together—physically and mentally, Erik and Charles.

When Charles finished it was loud and reverberating; his thoughts projected across the city—and downstairs all of the mutants moaned in absolute ecstasy, only to be completely embarrassed that they'd just experienced Charles' orgasm. Raven laughed, knowing that this wasn't the first time she'd known him to project pleasure (years of his teenage masturbation had shown her otherwise).

Together the lovers fell asleep soaked in sweat, and in each other's arms.

It was only three days later that the X-men found out about Shaw's survival and his plans. Erik, who had been smart enough to kill Azazel on the way out of the base months earlier, was not scared for Charles, but for the world. Charles was more frightened for what Erik was going to do; who he was going to become.

They were at the beach; Erik levitating from the wreckage, having just killed Shaw. He looked down at Charles—his Charles—and something inside him broke. He couldn't leave this world. He couldn't give up Charles. He couldn't block Charles.

The telepath was watching the struggle within Erik but couldn't do anything with the bloody helmet on his head. When Erik dropped to the sand and threw the helmet away Charles knew he had won. They had all won. Running towards the broken man in front of him, Charles let himself go; he let all of his emotion surge forward into Erik; together they felt the unadulterated joy and exquisiteness of the moment.

Raven and Hank, holding hands, slowly turned towards each other with a smile. Sean and Alex turned to where Shaw's crew were now slack-jawed and welcomed them with a smile to the new, and accepting world. Moira, who'd loved Charles from the moment she met him, sighed and let a tear fall down her cheek. The world she knew, and wanted to know were both in the past now. It was going to be a world built up from Charles and Erik—whether they changed everything or nothing, no one could know.

A/N- this is the worst ending ever, and I'm totally sorry for that, I just couldn't figure out how to finish it. I promise that I'll work on my other X:men thing (it also kinda sucks /: ) but if anyone has any ideas for Cherik things I need ideas all the time!