X-Men-First Class: Rise or Fall
Chapter Twelve
Author's Word: Thank you so much for the reviews, guys. My birthday was absolutely fabulous, too. Now I get to enjoy my digital copy of X-Men: First Class. Which means what? That much more inspiration.
Absolute warmth greeted Erik when he came into the mansion from the front entrance. He wore his usual favorite attire of a turtleneck and leather jacket; the latter of which he began to slip out of as he ascended the stairs. He saw the light shining from the master suite and headed that way. Charles sat in an armchair near the window with a wide variety of papers sprawled out across his lap.
"Burning the candle at both ends again I see," Erik observed.
"Hm?" Charles glanced up, noticing the older man. "Erik." He leaned back, stretching his arms out wide then had to move in haste to keep any of his documents from falling. "I didn't even hear you. I'm afraid I've gotten severely behind in grading. Also, I took some notes during my session with Alex today. His normal training regimen is becoming too simplistic for him. We'll have to find a means to challenge him a little more."
In less than a second, Erik formed a few ideas of the challenging variety. However, he decided to touch on that topic later. Right now, his attention remained on the young professor.
"These late nights are becoming a habit for you," Erik noted.
"Sleep becomes less of a demand when one enters their twenties," Charles tossed out, frowning at a paper as he corrected it. "Grammar, Frank, grammar…"
"Unless that one happens to be a telepath," Erik said meaningfully. He watched Charles shut his eyes with a light moan, pinching the brim of his nose. "What is it?"
"Just a small ache," Charles responded indifferently.
Erik turned to leave. "I'll get you some aspirin."
"No, no." Charles waved a hand to stop him. "I'm afraid pain killers are out of the question. They cause me to lose control over my telepathy. Thoughts start rushing at me everywhere at once— very nasty business."
Nodding at that, Erik then said, "Well, then there's the natural alternative. Sleep. Come on. Put the work away."
Charles made a sound that very nearly resembled a whine. "Erik, that's not at all necessary." He protested as the taller male came over and started removing the numerous papers from his lap. "Now, those were in order!"
"The only order you need to follow is mine to get some rest," Erik stated matter-of-factly. He dumped the papers over into the seat of the nearest chair. "Up, up. Now."
"Erik, honestly, I am not a child," Charles reminded him but got to his feet nonetheless.
"Well, you're very nearly the size of one."
The remark produced a scowl from Charles. If he lacked maturity he would have taken the liberty of pointing out Erik's shark teeth and scarecrow-esque stature that frightened small woodland animals.
Erik softened slightly. "Charles, you care for an entire household. If you're not at your best, you're no good to anyone, especially if it negatively affects your abilities."
"Yes, you're right," Charles had to admit. "All right, you win. Turning in it is."
Erik gave his back a pat. "You can return to the disarray of teaching first thing in the morning."
"Delightful," the weary man replied dryly, tiredly making tracks towards his private bath.
Erik waited until he closed the door to the bathroom before leaving out to make rounds on the second floor. He ran a comforting hand over Alex's back to sooth the nightmare the teen seemed to struggle with. Erik next had to readjust Sean, who had his sleeping body dangling half-off the bed. Gathering up Frank's action figures, Erik moved them from the bed to the nightstand to offer the boy a more comfortable night's rest. He gave Becky a soft kiss to the forehead and settled Eliza closer in her arms. Knowing he could be in close proximity to Joey only during slumber, Erik used the back of his hand to brush stands of blonde out of the contented child's eyes.
By the time Erik concluded his walkthrough, he found only two bedrooms without their occupants.
IIIIIII
With the Beatles doing their thing on the radio, Hank and Raven did their own thing as they did a thorough workout on each other's lips. Taking three second oxygen breaks here and there, they kept at it just as they had been for the last half an hour. Raven sat in his lap, running long thin fingers through his soft dark hair while Hank in turn kept his arms around her, pushing her as close to his own body as physically possible.
"Ra- Rav… Raven…" Hank managed to break away, panting heavily. "We're really pushing it."
"You worry too much," she dismissed, going to nip at his lower lip.
"B-but." He arched his head back. "We've already broken the rules."
"Hank, rule breaking is like that thing with the tree falling in the woods," Raven explained in what amounted to logic in her world. "If no one's around to see it then it never happened."
"We're setting a bad example," Hank put forth.
"I know." Raven grinned wickedly. "Isn't it fun?"
"It has been," Hank confessed despite himself. "Now, I think we really need to go inside." He fished around for his glasses, which had gotten flicked off his face some time ago.
"Party pooper," Raven pouted but gave him one more kiss nonetheless.
They finally got out of the car and headed up to the house from the garage.
"Remember to be quiet," Raven whispered to him. "Charles is finally off his eagle watch now that he knows you don't plan to jump me. But I don't want to take any chances."
"Right," Hank agreed, certainly not wanting to stir Charles' wrath.
They stood in front of the stairway, holding hands for a moment and gazing at each other in a way that only they could master.
"Good night," Raven said sweetly.
"Good night," Hank returned.
"Good night."
Raven gasped and they both looked over into the doorway of the living room to see the less than welcoming individual who stood there.
"Erik," Hank acknowledged tensely.
"Well, well, well." Erik approached them with an even countenance. "Looks as if the doves are a trifle late returning to the nest."
"Okay, what is your problem?" Raven hissed at him. "Do you just wait around to sneak up on us or what?"
"I'd say I'm not the one guilty of being sneaky here," Erik countered, eyeing the young woman with disapproval. "So this is what you do when you gain your brother's trust? Use it to sidestep the boundaries he has set in place for you?"
Raven jabbed an angry finger in his face. "Don't you tell me anything about my brother. Ever! Do you understand?"
Hank reached a hand out for her shoulder. "Raven, calm down."
"No, I will not calm down!"
"At the very least, would you quiet down before you awaken half this house?" Erik said.
"She's off to a very good start." They all looked up as Charles came down the stairs in his pajamas and robe. "I could hear you all the way upstairs." He stood in-between Erik and the couple. "Now, what is the meaning of this?" Charles got a good look at Raven. "Are you just now getting in?"
"We were a little late," Raven reasoned.
Erik raised an eyebrow. "You call an hour after curfew a little late?"
Charles stared disbelievingly at the younger two. "An hour without so much as a phone call? I hope the two of you have a very good explanation for this."
Judging by Hank's messed hair and Raven's extremely smeared lipstick, Erik pieced together an explanation for himself. "Got a little 'sidetracked' it would seem."
"Shut up," Raven spat at him.
"Raven," Charles reproached.
"No, tell your buddy to butt out of my life," Raven demanded. "So we came in an hour later than normal. What is the big deal? We're fine."
"The big deal is you know better than anyone the rules set forth in this house, Raven," Charles reminded her strongly. "Don't pretend for even a moment that you don't. And Hank," he got the younger man's eyes up, "I expected much better judgment on your part."
"I know." Hank's voice rang out with deep regret. "I'm very sorry, Charles. We both are." Though he knew Raven felt anything but remorse in that instance.
"I'm afraid sorry is not near enough to cover this," Charles informed gravely. "You will both be punished, beginning with no going out for the next two weeks."
Raven's face fell. "What? But Charles, it was only an hour."
Hank urged, "Raven, don't argue."
"No, Hank." She turned to look at him now. "We didn't do anything so terrible. We could have just gone to bed if it hadn't been for him." She gestured accusatorily at Erik. "Once again, metal head ruins everything."
"Raven, you'll not speak of Erik in that disrespectful tone," Charles reprimanded. "He is part of this family. He's practically our brother."
The golden haired girl turned absolutely livid at this.
"He is not our brother!" Raven shouted. "He's not! He's just some idiot you fished out of the bay. You're the only one who even wants him here." She turned to face her companion for that night. "Hank, do you want him here?"
Hank felt a large hot spotlight shine down on him and he found himself unable to formulate any sort of intelligent response.
Raven chose to take it as his being on her side. "You see?" She scoffed towards Erik. "We'd all be a lot better off if Charles had never bothered to jump in that water after you."
"Raven!" Hank stared incredulously at her.
Feeling as though he had been stomped on, spat at, and slapped in the face all throughout the girl's tirade, Erik did not have time to respond as Charles moved quicker.
The telepath took the angry girl by the wrist then dropped down to sit on a step. He yanked Raven across his lap and promptly started spanking her on top of her skirt.
The rapid reaction on the normally jolly Professor's part caused a sincere startle in Erik. Hank, having never felt so awkward in his entire life, placed all of his focus on a painting that faced away from the scene before him.
Raven yelped with each swat Charles gave her. She squirmed as well but the recent Oxford grad held her firmly in place as he continued the strikes on her backside. Raven knew it was useless to struggle so and knew she had to look like an absolute idiot doing so, as this was not the first time she had been over her brother's knee. Charles never spanked her frequently but when he did, Raven knew she had not only crossed a line but tap danced right over one.
"You do not talk to anyone in this family in such a horrible manner," Charles scolded as he spanked. "You do not linger out at all hours of the night. You know much better than to behave so wretchedly, young lady."
"Ow, ow, owwww!" Raven kicked her boot covered feet. "Charles, I'm sorry! Please! Stoooop! Charles, please!"
Tears ran down her round cheeks as the punishment went on. She only hoped her cries did not awaken the remainder of the house. The last thing she wanted was an even bigger audience; as if Erik and her own boyfriend weren't bad enough on-lookers.
Knowing the difference between his sister's cries of honest pain and her mere whimpering over facing chastisement, Charles ended things with a final four swats. After which, he sat her upright in his lap and held her close.
"I'm sorry it had to come to that, darling." Charles clutched her and kissed her salty tear-stained cheek. "Please don't cry. It's all over now and I love you very, very much."
Raven threw her arms around his neck, bawling. "I love you, too!"
"Erik?" The petitioned one glanced over at Hank, who gestured away with his head. "We should probably…"
Erik nodded and the two headed up from the side steps.
Charles had not seen his sister cry in such a long time that he had nearly forgotten how much it broke his heart to witness it. It only felt worse when he caused it.
"All right now, my dear one?" Charles murmured to her.
"Mmhmm," Raven hummed. "Charles, I am so sorry for what I did and for all those things I said. I don't know what came over me."
"Well, if you don't tell me now I'm going to read your mind," he threatened.
Raven knew he didn't mean it, as he had promised her long ago he would never enter her head. "I feel like everything has been so different since the others came here," she told him anyway. "Especially Erik. It's like he's your brother and I'm just the bother."
"You silly girl. You know you were a bother long before Erik's arrival." Charles grinned down at her. "But you're also my joy and my sweet and my main reason for waking each day. It is true that I love having Erik here as a peer to look to and someone to share the household burden with. But you were the first real family I ever had, Raven. No power on earth can ever replace you in my life."
Raven felt her eyes tearing up again but closed them as she nestled deeper into his hold. "I'm sleepy." She dissolved into her blue form.
Charles kissed her at the temple and stood with her in his arms. "Come along then."
As he carried her upstairs, the telepath remembered a very similar night many years back. A night when he met someone he initially thought to be a burglar. The night that he realized he was not alone and never would be again.
IIIIIII
Despite wrestling with sleep the night before, Hank somehow awoke the next morning at a little after seven. As he dressed, he thought about the events of the previous night, mainly his part in the entire thing. He left his room and headed up the hall, knocking firmly on the master suite. Charles, fully ready for the day, opened the door in a matter of seconds.
"Hank," he acknowledged evenly.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you."
"Oh, nonsense," Charles insisted then gestured for him to enter.
Hank stepped inside enough for Charles to close the door. "I wanted to talk about last night. I need you to know how sorry I am about it."
Charles nodded understandingly. He indicated for Hank to sit and when he did, Charles squatted down before the chair the young man chose.
"You knew it was wrong, did you not?" Charles asked him carefully.
"I did," Hank answered.
"Then why did you do it so deliberately?"
Hank knew the real answer to that question. Raven could be a pretty powerful persuader. However, he was not about to sit there and blame her for the fiasco. Besides, he had a mind of his own, if his Ivy League status proved anything, and could and should have made the right choice.
"I just got so wrapped up in it," Hank explained as best he could. "I know that's not a good enough excuse and I'm not trying to justify what I did. I accept the punishment you gave us and you have my word that this will not happen again."
"Good man." Charles studied him closely. "There's more, isn't there?"
"Yes." Hank cleared his throat a bit before speaking. "Since Raven received corporal discipline for this, I believe I should as well."
Surprised at first, Charles said, "Agreed. And once you receive it, you're to go about your day and dwell on this matter no longer. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir," Hank replied. He only hoped he could do that.
Charles had to think for a moment. Hank stood well over a foot taller than himself so getting him across his lap would prove awkward to say the least. He told Hank to stand then brought him over to the bed. Hank knelt down all the way until his knees touched the carpeting below and his arms spread out over the mattress. Charles considered next the proper course of action, specifically method of implement, to take. Hank was tall and athletic and even with his powers still partially dormant, he had a higher pain pallet than the other older boys.
Making a decision, Charles spoke as he began to undo his belt. "We've had conversations before about responsibility, Hank. As an instructor, you carry a higher level of privilege than the others and with that comes a higher level of expectation. Breaking rules we have in place specifically for your safety to obey your hormones will not be tolerated."
Feeling about twelve years old at the lecture, Hank said, "Yes- Yes, sir. I know."
Charles folded his belt in half then brought it down with a sharp whack. Judging by Hank's reaction of grabbing two fistfuls of bedspread, he knew he had chosen the right implement.
Not wanting to make a sound as the belt came down again and again, Hank tried going over lines of Shakespeare to himself the way he used to before a big test or game back in school. Of course, neither of those two events brought him such physical agony. When the Bard proved useless, Hank's mind went to Raven; her smile, her laugh, her hand in his. When the belt connected for the tenth time, not even thinking about their greatest kisses, could stop Hank from shouting out in anguish.
"Oh, God!" he cried silently into the mattress, wanting nothing more than to be able to go back in time and arrive home not only in time for curfew but a good three hours before they were even due.
At the twelfth strike, Charles put his belt back on then lowered, giving Hank's backside ten strong swats with his own hand.
Breathing heavily, Hank reached a hand underneath his glasses, feeling the tears he had not previously realized were pouring down his cheeks.
Charles took up a seat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through Hank's hair. When the young man turned away shamefacedly, Charles leaned over, wrapping Hank's head and arms in a stroppy yet determined hug.
"Let it go, Henry," he whispered to him. "It's over and it's time to let it go."
Seeing that Charles had no plans to let him go nor did he want him to anytime soon, Hank cried more openly and softened in the older mutant's hold.
Between Hank's brilliant scientific mind and overall maturity, Charles occasionally had to remember how young he still was. In that particular moment, he looked the full picture of a contrite teenage boy. With a bit of tugging, he managed to get Hank to rise and lay out across the large bed. Charles rubbed his quivering back until he felt Hank calm underneath his touch.
"I can cover for you with classes today," Charles offered.
Hank shook his head. "No. Please. I'll be fine soon."
Nodding, Charles agreed, "Right then. You get some rest." When Hank tried to stand, Charles returned his hand to his back to keep him in place. "Right here. You're fine right here."
With a sniff, Hank said, "Thank you, Charles."
"Sleep." Charles squeezed his shoulder tenderly. "I'll be back to look in on you shortly."
Hank nodded and had no trouble settling down in the ultra-comfortable bed.
Removing his glasses and placing them delicately on the night table, Charles understood even greater than before what Raven saw in the young man. He stood and left out quietly. He headed for the kitchen, knowing his sister would not be up for preparing breakfast that morning.
After fixing scrambled eggs, toast with jelly, and slicing up some fresh fruit, Charles put two trays of food along with orange juice to the side for Hank and Raven. Was he indulging them? Yes. Were they worth it? Most definitely.