AN: Here we have Magneto and Charles Xavier having a little after-dinner conversation regarding their strange living arrangements. Charles wants Magneto to play nice with the other children, especially his own. You can imagine how Magneto loves to be lectured!
Also, I am aware that in Evo!Fic there is a tendency to spell Magneto's given name as "Eric". That, however, is anathema to me, and it's also my husband's name! So my Erik will always, always be Erik-with-a-k.
Thanks for reading and for your nice reviews!
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Chapter 5
Magneto walked into Charles' office, ignoring the nice comfortable chair he was sure that Charles wanted him to take across from his dark mahogany desk. Magneto didn't particularly like being summoned with Charles' message of--Erik, may I please see you in my office after dinner?--delivered telepathically, but it was one of the multitudes of things he figured he was just going to have to endure while living in the mansion
There was something galling about living with one's former arch-nemesis. If he and Charles hadn't been friends before they'd been enemies, Magneto wouldn't have even considered it. Sometimes, he saw Charles across the dinner table and resisted the urge to poke himself with his fork to see if he was dreaming. It just seemed so unreal.
That would only make him look ridiculous, however, and he'd had enough of that to last him awhile.
Magneto wasn't wearing his helmet, but he wasn't particularly worried about shielding his thoughts from Charles. He never had underestimated the man—Charles must have known that his loyalties hadn't entirely shifted. Especially not with the news reports growing worse each day, talking about violence being committed against mutant-kind the world over.
A reaction borne of fear, Erik. Can you blame them?
Yes. I can.
They'd had this argument before the debacle with Apocalypse, and it had never ended well. So now, they simply did not argue. They played a cat-and-mouse game of revealing their intentions to each other; and while it was probably unhealthy, it resulted in an uneasy détente that was at least somewhat peaceful. Even Magneto, as determined as he was to see homo superior take their rightful place in the evolutionary scheme of things, understood the value of peace at the moment.
Granted, he saw it as more of a time to regroup, but that was neither here nor there.
"What did you wish to speak to me about, Charles?" Magneto crossed his arms and stared at Charles, impassive.
"I am concerned about Rogue," Charles said evenly, hands steepled beneath his chin, his elbows resting on the polished wood of his desk.
"Ah." Magneto gave a low, amused laugh. "Yes. Rogue. She hates me, Charles."
"I know." Charles sighed, shaking his head. "It's impacting her training. We must see to it that she stops hating you quite so…intensely."
"What do you think I could possibly do to make that happen? Turn back time and not have thrown her off a building?" Magneto snapped, irrationally annoyed. Was it his fault the girl could not seem to understand they were no longer enemies? He couldn't change the past, and he'd be damned if he'd apologize for that incident in New York again.
"Erik," Charles said wearily, rubbing his eyes, his tone vaguely censuring.
Magneto paced back and forth, restless, feeling like he'd been sent to the headmaster for detention at the tone in Charles' voice. "What? I honestly don't know what you think I should be doing. She doesn't trust me. I can't force her."
"Of course not. No one can force someone to trust them," Charles said slowly, and there was an undercurrent of sadness in his words.
Magneto didn't look away, his gaze sharp. "Technically, that's not quite true, is it? You could, if you wanted." He smiled slowly. "If you want her to trust me so badly, Charles, why not just see to it that she does? Simple enough, if you're you."
"You know very well I will do nothing of the sort," Charles snapped, eyes narrowed. "It is ridiculous for you to even suggest that."
Magneto arched a brow. "Above that, are we?"
"It's an unethical use of my powers," Charles said tightly in response.
"Oh, and I'm to believe the estimable Jean Grey convinced the school board to allow my children back to school without any help from you whatsoever?" As Charles looked away, his expression tinged with a hint of guilt, Magneto laughed. "Ah, old friend, you may lie to your children if you wish, but there is no need to lie to me."
"I strongly believe in the value of education and the right of every mutant to have one," Charles said firmly, and Magneto felt a bit smug at having his suspicions about the reversal of the expulsion edict confirmed, however childish that may have been.
"I don't disagree with you there, Charles. I'm only saying that you need not pretend you are quite so noble."
Charles turned his eyes skyward. Magneto had the feeling he was counting, very slowly, to ten. Possibly twenty. Eventually, he looked back at Magneto. "Have you seen them? Wanda or Pietro?"
It was Magneto's turn to look away at that. This was a sore subject with him, and he had no wish to discuss his children with Charles. "I have not in recent days. I know they are busy adjusting to school. I don't want to bother them."
"They're your children, Erik—I hardly think it's a bother to them to spend time with you."
Charles had obviously not spent enough time around Wanda, if he believed that.
"What does this discussion have to with Rogue?" This was upsetting the careful balance between them; the one where Charles didn't ask questions and Magneto didn't offer answers.
Charles wisely dropped the subject. "Perhaps you may do something to earn Rogue's trust?"
"Do you even know the girl, Charles? I probably had more of a chance single-handedly defeating Apocalypse than I have doing that." At that, he winced. The memory of his failure still burned, hot and shameful, when he thought about it. Magneto was a proud man and the result of his attempted assault on Apocalypse had severely battered his pride.
It was likely for that reason that he was still here, holding back his more unsavory opinions on Charles' teaching strategies. Like today, when Jean had attempted to dissolve the tension between Rogue and himself with her obviously false bright smile and chipper reminder of dinner.
Just tell her that you will brook no arguments to your orders, and that she should show more respect to her elders. In what world did Charles expect these children of his to live, teaching them leadership strategies like that?
"Erik, that is enough," Charles said, his voice low and vaguely threatening.
Magneto looked at him, feeling his blood begin to stir in slow pulses at Charles' obvious intrusion into his thoughts. He didn't blame him, of course, but that didn't mean he liked it. His hands clenched at his side, thinking of his helmet up in his room.
With effort he schooled his features into the same benign, pleasant mask he'd been wearing since he'd arrived and said in an even tone, "Are we done here, Charles?"
"I suppose so. If you would, do try and remember Rogue is a young woman whom you tried your best to kill. If you would put yourself in her place—if you are even capable of that level of empathy anymore, which I highly doubt—then perhaps you would better understand her animosity towards you." Charles smiled coldly.
Magneto felt the blood rushing in his ears, and his pleasant expression twisted into something dark and threatening. "Is that a threat, Xavier? Make nice with your little angry student, or see my way to the door?"
"See it as you like, Erik. My first concern is Rogue. This is her family, her home. She should feel safe here. Perhaps dealing with her will give you some insight when dealing with Wanda."
It often amazed Magneto that no one saw what a thoroughly manipulative bastard Charles Xavier was capable of being. "Is there any other wisdom you feel like imparting to me?"
"One thing," Charles said intently, and his face was set in unfriendly lines. "I am not naïve enough to think this truce of ours will last, Erik. I know you far too well for that. I know that you are angry about Apocalypse, that your faith in your own abilities has been shaken."
Magneto found himself reaching out, seeking metal. The cold brush of it against his mind was a comfort; the only thing keeping him from hurling the desk lamp at Xavier's head was that knowledge that the other man would stop him as soon as he tried it. "Do you have a point?"
"Merely this. The day you decide your indecision is over and you want to leave, I expect you to do so in the most respectful manner possible."
This seemed so far out of left field that Magneto's anger momentarily abated under his confusion. "What in the hell are you implying, Xavier?"
"Remember that I've done you a favor. That your children are back in school, that you are safe from Apocalypse—"
"If I recall correctly, Charles, I wasn't the only one under the control of—"
"And that I gave you a place to stay despite the vehement objections of people I trust, people who risked their lives to save me," Charles continued, his voice raised as he spoke loudly enough to drown out Magneto's objection.
"Have I given you any indication to think you can't trust me not to do something nefarious while under your roof?" Magneto demanded.
"Not as such, no."
"Then why are so convinced I'm going to leave in some fit of righteous fury?"
"Come now, Erik—never say our adventures with our would-be god have turned you to my way of thinking, convinced you I was right?"
Magneto turned away at that, unable to answer.
"Your silence is the only answer I need," Charles said, and Magneto turned back to him, suddenly amused.
"And you call me melodramatic," he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"I didn't try to make a home on an asteroid," Charles reminded him dryly.
"Touché," Magneto murmured, bowing slightly. He could feel the tension between them begin to abate, just a little. "Very well, Charles. If I wish to leave, I shall inform you of it in a nice, respectable manner."
"And leave my jet alone."
"And leave your jet alone," Magneto echoed. "And I shall do my best to deal with young Rogue, though I do rather think it is useless at this point. Is there any other condition to which I must agree before I may leave your office?"
Charles threw his hands up, looking exasperated, but his face had eased into less-tense lines. "Have dinner with your children, Erik. Don't let this fragile bond slip away."
"Would you please stop with the platitudes? Honestly, Charles." Magneto turned to go, but he gave his old friend a genuine smile before he did. Charles returned it, and Magneto remembered briefly the young man he'd been and the friendship they had shared.
"You know this is perfectly insane, don't you, us living under the same roof. All the assurances in the world won't change that, or the likelihood that something bad will happen as a result."
Charles nodded, appearing resigned. "Yes, I know that, Erik. Just as you know that I have to at least try when it comes to you."
"I know. Good night, Charles." His voice suddenly gruff, he pulled the door open. There were a thousand other things he could say, but it wouldn't matter. There was a vast gulf between them that no amount of banter could ever quite breach.
"Good night, Erik," Charles said softly, and Magneto pulled the door shut behind him.
When he returned to his room, he picked up the phone. He dialed Pietro's number and waited for this son to answer.
"Pietro. This is your father." Magneto lifted his hand, and his helmet slid through the air to rest beside him on the bed. He didn't want to wear it, he just wanted to feel the metal of it, slick and cool beneath his palm. "I would like to have dinner with you and your sister."
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Swamp Rat Cherie: Thank you, I'm glad you like the Magneto/Rogue pairing! Expect to see more soon! Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Archmagus: Aww, thanks. I'm glad you liked that little moment with Wolverine and Storm. I'm a fan of that pairing in just about any verse but the movies! I like Evo!Wolverine, even if he's a bit "neutered" (and why oh why does Evo!Wolverine wear a helmet? Hello, healing factor!) and so I hope to bring more of him in the story even though he's not a main character in this one. Thanks for reading and the nice comment :)
BrennaM: Oh, gosh, that Buffy episode was so wonderful! I hope I convey that same sort of hate and lust with Magneto and Rogue when we get there! Thanks so much for reading and glad you aren't running in terror from the unusual pairings...
Miss Information: (Can I first SQUEEE over the end of Inappropriate Conduct? SQUEE!) Yes, Wanda and Pietro will have a few nice moments before it all goes to hell, but then I promise they'll be nice and tortured. And I'm a fan of really wrong and inappropriate relationships (surprise) and so I love Charles/Jean, esp. when Xavier's a little more morally ambiguous and Jean's a little bit darker. Lance and Kitty...ah, now they just might have the most normal relationship of all, but that doesn't mean it will be all sunshine and light! (I love angst like I love diet coke with lime and vodka tonics, babe.) Gambit/Rogue--I'm a fan of them in some comic-verses, but the pairing leaves me sort of cold in Evo. Gambit in my head is sleeping with Pyro, hahaha. :) I do hope that I'm able to make Jean a more complex character as she becomes darker, as that is one of the main goals of this story. Magneto's motivations...hopefully this chapter answered some of those questions. I don't know that even Magneto knows what they are, to be honest. Everyone is really shaken up! And I don't know that it's so much that Scott trusts Magneto as he does the Professor's judgement...ah, poor naive Cyclops. Glad you liked his character--I'm a fan of Scott. Woah, longest review answer ever! Thanks so much for reading and glad you are enjoying!
NMCL: (What a curious and arcane name you have there! What does it stand for? Not Merely Counting Lions? Never Make Children Leapfrog? Nice Moms Chide Lepers? I must know.) Thank you for the review, and do hope you continue to enjoy the story!