AlphaBetically speaking, Charles came first

Author's note: This drabble isn't at all what I intended it to be when I started writing, but I'm quite fond of it anyway and I hope you will like it. :-)

Thanks to fidjet and Lysen5972 for their precious comments.

Universe: This is set in a world where Erik stayed with Charles after Cuba, when they are still quite young.

Rating: K+

Enjoy!

J – Jealousy

It was happening again, Erik thought before taking another sip of his beer.

Today had been an important day for Charles, and for the Institute in general. He had been chosen to give an important talk about mutants at the end of a whole week dedicated to the matter at the United Nations. This was the consecration of his life and he had been absolutely brilliant. Erik wasn't naïve enough to think that a two hours conference could change the way things were, but over the years, he had come to learn that if one man could make things better, it definitely was Charles Xavier.

Even if, said Xavier was currently surrounded by a hoard of women who all seemed fascinated by what he was saying. Why did they think it would be a good idea to celebrate the occasion in a bar? Erik positively hated crowds. And people who were turning around his lover like vultures. And people in general.

"Don't look so gloom," started an amused voice next to him. "More often than not, he really can't help it."

Erik just cast a dubious look toward Raven, who had just sat down on the stool next to him, before looking back at his lover again. His lover who was seemingly attracting women like a magnet would attract iron filings.

"What amazes me is that he always manages to get the hottest girls with the same lame, genetic pickup lines," Raven continued, faked awe in her voice.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Erik asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Well, at least you didn't fall for that", she answered with a small laugh. "Which makes me think, what did you fall for exactly? All things considered," she added quickly when she saw that the metal-bender was deeply contemplating the question, "don't tell me. I'm not sure I want to know."

Erik shrugged and didn't reply, while Raven called the bartender over and ordered a gimlet. They spent a few minutes in silence, nursing their drinks, their eyes never leaving the oblivious telepath who almost seemed to glow in the poorly lit room. Once upon a time, Raven had been like Erik, consumed with jealousy every time someone approached her adoptive brother a little too closely. Now she had gotten over it, even if she still wondered, sometimes, about what could have happened, in another world... So, she understood Erik. But she also had learned to understand Charles.

"He doesn't mean anything by it you know," she quietly said.

"What?" Erik snorted. "You mean he's not flirting on purpose?"

"Oh, he's flirting alright," Raven conceded, "but he doesn't see anything behind it. At all. It's kind of weird sometimes. I remember that one night he came back to our flat surprised that a woman had actually offered to sleep with him. It was a few years ago, but I still remember his face. He looked like the offer had been the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard."

"Surely he can't be that oblivious?" Erik asked, thinking that the contrary wouldn't actually really surprise him.

"He's not exactly oblivious. It's just..." she paused for a second. "Despite what he might have said to some of his friends, he's always been more of the quiet type. Even when he actually got wasted three times a week. I think it might be due to his mutation. Sometimes he wants to reject the world around him and be alone in his own head but, for the most part, he feels an attraction toward all sort of minds. Like a moth to a flame, he can't help it, he has to make contact, somehow, to learn more about everyone. And also, I think most of the time he just wants to please people," Raven added the last phrase as an afterthought, she had not planed to enter into a deep conversation about her brother's psyche, especially in a bar of all places.

"What do you mean?" Erik asked, unaware of his interlocutor's sudden uneasiness.

"I know Charles doesn't like to talk about his childhood much," she started after a little hesitation, "but when he was little, he had to cope with all sort of things to try and fit into what he called 'family'. And I think that even now, trying to make other people happy with him is a sort of default setting. He has gotten very good at being charming, as you might have noticed," she concluded with a small smile.

After that, she fell into silence once again and Erik did not push her further. He knew that she had wanted to reassure him, but he also got the feeling that she told him much more than what she had intended. Her silence clearly meant that if he wanted to know more, he would have to talk directly with the one involved. But tonight probably wasn't a good time, he didn't want to ruin the evening for Charles, just to quench his misplaced curiosity.

For they both had demons they would need to overcome. Erik would have to learn to control his newly-born jealousy and Charles would have to understand that pleasing everyone was impossible but for now all of that didn't really matter. It would take time, but they would get there.

At this moment, Charles lifted his head and his eyes met Erik's. And the radiant smile the telepath sent his way made every future obstacle very much worth it.

Thank you for reading and see you tomorrow!