Erik awoke on the first chime and his hand was already under his pillow so he tamped down on the alarm mid-ring. In the aftermath, there was only silence and Erik blinked himself fully awake in it, awaiting any movement from his bed-partner that would show awareness.

Erik must have turned over his in his sleep, because he was facing away from Charles, even though he clearly remembered curling up around the man once the human pinwheel was sleeping. Normally this would upset him—he liked sleeping wrapped around Charles, and being cheated of it unwittingly was frustrating. But he couldn't find the urge to complain, feeling the smaller man pressed close to his back, breathing steady into his spine, one lean arm not thrown over his stomach like an accident but clutching with affectionate purpose.

Erik smiled into his pillow and forgot himself enough to reach down and stroke Charles' arm, his warm skin, the scratch of hair, the clean fold of his pinstriped pajamas.

"M'wake," Charles mumbled against him, twitching more fully out of sleep.

Damnit, Erik had almost won. But…

"Of course you're awake, I just woke you up," he said condescendingly.

"No—no, I was awake before that. I woke up when the alarm went off," Charles whined, adding his other arm to the mix and squeezing Erik tight around the stomach.

"Of course you were," Erik tsked, all pitying placation.

"Eriiiiik," the man growled but Erik didn't respond, just smiled. Charles continued in a bitter grumble, "Okay, but I was awake."

Erik didn't bother arguing further, just went to turn over to face his boyfriend and move on to more important topics. Charles didn't let him at first, holding him still for one last bone-crushing squeeze, wrapping his legs around Erik's to squeeze those too and pushing his face between Erik's shoulder blades. That done, though, Erik was allowed to do as he pleased, so he moved onto his other side, taking in Charles' sweetly sleepy sprawl.

The room was still dark, so he couldn't see much, just the basic outline of his man tucked warmly under the covers.

"Are you okay?" he questioned.

He could feel the blank gaze on him, and the shift of the weight of the silence when Charles realized what he was talking about.

"Yes," the Brit murmured. Erik tried to pin him with a searching gaze, although it was hard to get across in the dark. Charles seemed to understand though, shifting under the covers, rubbing up against Erik cheekily. "Want me to show you just how okay I am?"

Erik opened his mouth to tease Charles about his wantonness, but thought better of it. He only meant it playfully, but there was every chance the man could take it the wrong way, and Erik didn't think he could stand another serious discussion so soon on the heels of the last one.

He wondered if this sore spot was also a legacy of Tom's, or if he had another ex to sic Logan and Raven on.

Speaking of which…

"Sorry, Helligkeit—I've got work. On that note, can I use your computer?"

"Of course," Charles allowed readily. "While you do that, I'll be a good little housewife and make you breakfast."

"Breakfast?" Erik balked. "But I just ate last night."

"You're supposed to eat three times a day," Charles laughed.

Erik scoffed with practiced ease. "Three times a day—that's for children."

"Regular meals aren't like teething rings, you don't outgrow them."

"I suppose you're going to tell me you eat three times a day?" Erik mused.

"Uh, yeah."

Erik wasn't sure he believed him, but he was sure that if they kept arguing about it he wouldn't have time to analyze illicit emails, so he let it go.

"I'll make you lunch then," Charles said cheerily as they were getting each other dressed.

Erik knew that he should say that Charles didn't have to make him anything—didn't have to get up with him, didn't have to take care of him—but he couldn't bring himself to. Really, he rather liked it. More than rather, actually.

So Erik brushed his teeth and combed his hair as Charles got the computer set up, and kissed the man lightly on the cheek as the man went to make him lunch. Erik was incredibly curious as to what the man would make him. Normally for lunch he had coffee. Then, if he was still hungry, he had more coffee.

Really, anything Charles came up with had to be more nutritious than that.

Erik pushed all that to the back-burner though as pulled up Charles' Internet, listening to make sure the man was well away before going into his email. Just as he had suspected—the page went immediately to Charles' inbox. The man had a password on his computer as a whole to keep his mischievous sister out, but that was all. It was everything Erik could do not to hold his breath as he went into the drafts, opening the one from last night.

Dear friend,

I hope this finds you well. I know it's been too long since we last spoke. How are your mother and father? I was so sorry to hear about you and Jane. I'm here, of course, if you ever need to talk. I feel as if we haven't spoken in ages, although I suppose it was only just last month.

Well, I can't say that I haven't written you with a purpose: I'm afraid I've made a grave mistake. You see, last night I may have accidentally told Raven and Logan to go after Tom. I'm sorry—I'm so

That was as far as Charles had gotten, it seemed.

Erik frowned. What should he do with this now that he had it? What he needed was for Raven to be right there, so that she could decide what she wanted to do with this so that it wouldn't be his choice—so that he didn't have a real hand in it. If he made any move with it, though, Charles would know what he had done and that it was him…right?

Finally he decided to play it safe: he forwarded the message to Raven (listed easily by name in Charles' contacts) and then deleted it from the Sent backlog.

Then, since he was there, he figured he might as well check his own emails while he was at it.

There was one from Emma, who he was trying to avoid, but he read it since reading did not exactly necessitate replying.

Azazel told me about your little surprise visit to Metropolis. I CANNOT BELIEVE you would undertake something of this magnitude and not tell your BEST FRIEND.

CALL ME.

Erik deleted it. He was a grown man, he didn't have to tell Emma when he was running to other cities to sleep with his boyfriend, especially when it was a boyfriend she still thought was all wrong for him. When she admitted her mistake and started liking Charles as much as Erik liked him, he'd forgive her and start telling her things. Until then, she could keep relying on her little lapdog.

Then he scanned his other emails and saw something unexpectedly pleasing:

Armando had written him.

The kid was helping with a research study in the Galapagos with zero internet, so Erik hadn't heard from the boy since early summer.

Hi Mr. Lensherr. I just wanted to tell you that I'll be in town for the holiday. I was hoping we could set up something—a dinner? drinks?—so I can see the café crew again. I know it'd be a pain for you to get everyone together. I guess I was hoping there were some new people I wouldn't miss who could cover the café long enough for us to eat/drink? What do you think? I understand if it won't work out; just wanted to run it past you.

-Armando

Erik mused that over before heading to the kitchen to check on his boyfriend.

The man was just putting lunch wares into a paper bag for him, and positively beamed when he walked in.

"Hey, I thought I was going to have to head in after you! You're going to be late."

"That's okay, I think the boss will let it slide," Erik replied, moving behind the brunet to hold him around the waist.

"Hmm," Charles hummed, leaning back into his embrace. "Do you think he'd let you bring your boyfriend to work for a bit? I still have some time before my office opens."

"He'd love it—he's got a big crush you, you know," he said, kissing Charles just on the nape of the neck. It was an amazing feeling—the brush of Charles' long hair, the warm skin, the intoxicating scent of him somehow stronger here—Erik didn't know why he didn't do it more often. He would rectify this mistake, daily if he could manage it.

"You'll have to tell him I'm a taken man," Charles moaned breathily. Erik licked his lips and his tongue accidentally just barely grazed Charles' skin, making the smaller man shiver. With a growl Erik gripped the man's waist possessively, pulling him back onto himself.

"Taken indeed," he murmured, wishing he had the time to take him right there. Instead he had to pull away or risk bringing this exchange to its logical conclusion without enough time to conclude it.

"Come on, before we start something we can't finish."

"Too late," Charles pouted.