Author's Note: Only my second attempt at a Cherik, hardly surprising I had to find a way to change the beach scene is it? Enjoy!

Charles settled cross-legged and took a deep breath. He needed to centre his thoughts, calm his mind. He knew all too well the consequences if he did not. A couple of breaths later, and he felt noticeably calmer.

As he opened his eyes, he felt his gift spread out across the Manor, touching the mind of everyone in residence. He flinched, and attempted to rein it in, before he read something he had no wish to.

Sean wished he could be as cool as Alex, he bet girls didn't turn him down in favour of-

Alex found himself torn between watching Raven and Hank, she was hot but he was adorable in a nerdy-

Hank determinedly thought of the experiments and projects he had on the go, ignoring the attraction he felt for-

Raven-

Charles wrenched his mind away from her, instinctually protecting her thoughts from his gift in a way he wished he could the others. He had practically trained his gift to give his sister privacy in her thoughts. He groaned as he felt his gift flexing once again.

Moira wished that Charles would finally follow through on his flirting, she bet that a telepath-

Erik was concerned by how tense Charles was, he was normally so determinedly relaxed and at ease with his gift, something had to be-

He shook himself, and realised Erik was staring at him in concern. "I'm fine, my friend," he assured.

"I very much doubt it, Charles," he responded as he closed the door behind himself. "We don't want the children seeing you like this," he spoke lightly as he settled opposite the telepath. "What's wrong?"

"I should have expected it really," he mused with a wan smile. "Encouraging all of you to hone your gifts has caused mine to expand itself."

"That's a bad thing?"

"It is when I'm trying to give you all privacy," he responded, flinching as he felt his gift fighting his control, wanting to expand further.

"Charles," he chided, gaining the telepath's attention. "You are encouraging your gift to expand through external means, of course it would try and do the same naturally. Perhaps you should stop fighting it, and allow it to spread. The more minds you touch, the harder any one will be to read, correct?"

"You might be right," he murmured.

"And I likely know as much about everyone here, as you would read from surface thoughts." His companion blinked. "You rely too much on your gift, rather than observation," he stated.

"Part of me wants to compare notes," he murmured.

Erik grinned his shark-like smile. "After you stop fighting your gift," he replied easily.

Charles closed his eyes again and released his control. His gift flew out far beyond the bounds of the Manor, speeding further and further away until it touched upon a dense population of minds, the hum of all of them a babble. He almost felt his gift sigh in relief before it pulled itself back in.

He opened his eyes with a smile. "Better?" Erik asked with a knowing smile.

"You were right, my friend. I simply needed to let my gift exert itself."

"You spend so much time fighting to control your gift Charles, it is bound to fight you."

"You have a point," he murmured as he rose and settled on a chair.

Erik grinned. "Shall I share what I know?" he asked knowingly as he sat opposite the younger man.

"Please."

"Sean idolises Alex," he stated. Charles nodded. "Alex, Hank and Raven are in a love triangle," he continued. Charles blinked, but nodded. "And Moira is wishing she had taken you up on your initial flirting," he finished.

Charles gaped. "How do you know I-"

"The flirting I knew from talking to Raven," he admitted, lifting his shoulders in a subtle shrug. "But the rest is obvious. Since I've satisfied your curiosity, will you satisfy mine?"

"Of course," he answered immediately.

"Why haven't you pursued Moira? We both know she wouldn't mind you picked her desire out of her mind, as long as you acted upon it." The telepath blew out a breath. "Well?"

"She is lovely," he spoke slowly.

"But?" he prompted.

Charles' expression turned sheepish. "I am not presently interested."

"Then why flirt with her Charles?" The telepath pulled a face, causing Erik to laugh. "Is beautiful not your type Charles?"

"Beauty is ephemeral," he stated. "And so is my interest in it," he spoke, then froze.

"Didn't mean to be that honest?"

"Didn't mean to sound so callous," he corrected. "Generally, the beautiful women I come into contact with aren't looking for anything permanent, and neither am I."

"With them or at all?" he asked curiously.

"With them," he answered. "Admittedly, I haven't found anyone before now that made me interested in permanency. Anyway, I flirted – and more if they were interested – but it was too much of a drain upon my time and energy to have a relationship on top of accomplishing my doctorate, doing my best to hide my abilities, as well as look after Raven."

"Charles," he chided. "She's able to look after herself."

"I know," he breathed. "But I think of her as my younger sister, I can't help myself from wanting to look after her." Emotions flitted across his face.

"What is it Charles?"

"I trust you Erik," he stated. The metal bender's eyebrows rose. "I also trust your judgement and discretion."

"Ah, there is something private you wish to discuss with me." Charles nodded. "Go ahead Charles, you know I won't share what we talk about with the children – or Moira."

"It's about Raven," he stated. Erik waited, expression encouraging. "You have probably already realised that she has self-image issues. She's more comfortable in her 'normal' skin than in her own," he stated, emotions flitted across his face again.

"What did you do Charles?" he asked.

He groaned. "She asked me if I would date her, and I answered honestly that any man would be lucky to have her. And then she came out of the bathroom in her natural skin, and my first response was 'blue', and then because of my guilt I rambled on about her being my oldest friend."

"And that you were unable to think of her that way," Erik finished.

Charles nodded. "I wish I could go back to that moment and answer her the way I wanted to."

"And what way would that be Charles?" Erik prompted.

"That my response was just as true for her in her natural skin as it was in her disguise. She is beautiful in both forms, but most especially as she truly is, and any man who can't see that beauty for himself is unworthy of her." He met Erik's gaze. "What should I do Erik?"

"Go and talk to her Charles," he stated. "Be as honest with her as you just were with me. I can make sure the rest of the children are all right," he offered.

Charles rose and laid a grateful hand upon the metal bender's shoulder. It took barely a flex of his gift to discover where Raven was, and was in her presence in minutes. He smiled warmly as he found her in her true form. "Raven," he greeted warmly.

"Charles," she responded warmly, turning from the window to face him.

His expression turned earnest. "I-"

"I know Charles," she interrupted gently. He blinked. "I heard you speaking with Erik," she admitted with a cheeky expression. She sobered. "Do you really think I look beautiful like this?" she asked softly.

He tugged her into a hug she happily returned. "Raven," he spoke gently. "You realise the differences between this form, and the one you use to hide from the world, are only superficial, don't you?" She pulled back to look up at him, startled. "Hair and eye colour, and skin pink in hue rather than blue," he listed.

"It's a bit more than that Charles," she retorted.

"All right, you have ridges in specific places," he acknowledged with a blush. She fought back a grin poorly. "You are my sister, I prefer not to think of your anatomy in that fashion," he stated. This time she didn't fight her grin. "While I was aware of such things when we first met, such things didn't colour my perspective yet, so I saw them as just another part of your body. I still think that now, it's just that I prefer not to dwell upon your breasts, or anything else remotely sexual. I'm rambling," he sighed. "What I mean to say, is that I believe the ridges you have are part of what makes you able to transform all aspects of yourself, not just superficial things like skin colour."

"How I can change myself to look like a man, or make a replica of someone I can see including their clothes," she murmured.

"Yes," he agreed with relief. He cupped her cheek gently. "They are part of what makes you who you are, and you need to find a man who knows and loves the way you look now," he stated. "This is the true you, not the Raven you show the world out there."

"Charles-"

"I'm not just saying what you want to hear," he stated. "I actually had no idea that you were listening."

"How?" she asked suspiciously.

"I've done my best to train my gift not to focus upon your mind. I think it ignored you, even when you were outside the room," he spoke, lifting his shoulder in a shrug. He dropped his hand. "As much as I would love you to accept what I have to say, I think a part of you will believe I'm saying it because I'm your brother." He licked his lips. "I think you should talk to Alex."

"Alex?" she breathed.

"We both know he'll be unfailingly honest with you," he remarked.

She grinned. "Yeah, he's not that great with people, is he?" she murmured. She leant up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you Charles, for seeing me as beautiful, even if most of the world wouldn't agree with you," she added softly.

"It doesn't matter if they do, only if those important to you do," he stated. "You especially."

"I'm working on it," she answered honestly. "Where's Alex?"

"In the bunker," he answered immediately.

She turned at the door. "Thanks again Charles."

"You are most welcome," he replied.

Raven slipped from the room and Erik appeared in the doorway. "It went well I take it?" the metal bender asked, closing the door behind himself.

"Yes," he replied absently. He regarded the older man for a moment. "I have a question for you."

"Go ahead."

"Did you know she was listening?"

"Yes," he answered with a grin.

"How?" he demanded.

"How did you not?" he countered.

"I do my best to give Raven privacy, so at times, she doesn't register with my gift. That was one of the times," he added with a shrug. "Well?"

"There are those that always carry the same specific pieces of metal with them daily, Raven is one of them," he answered easily.

"Ah," he murmured. His head tilted as his gift focussed on a discordant note. "Oh dear."

"What is it Charles?" he asked in concern.

"I attempted to help with Raven's self-image issues, and-" he cut off with a frown.

"You may have made the love triangle worse?"

He sighed. "I've made Hank more certain than ever that he needs a cure," he murmured.

"You cannot force him to accept himself Charles," he remarked. "Well, you could-"

"I wouldn't do that," he spoke fiercely.

"I only said that you could, we both know that you wouldn't," Erik spoke, laying a hand on Charles' shoulder.

A mix of emotions flooded Charles through the touch. "Erik?" he breathed, blinking up at the metal bender.

"Were you not already aware?" Erik murmured retracting his hand. The telepath shook his head. "You kept yourself on too short a leash Charles," he chided.

He licked his lips. "Erik…" he trailed off, unsure of what to say, what to react to.

"I give you permission," he stated. The younger man blinked. "Take a look," he challenged.

Charles lifted his fingers to his temple and sent his gift toward the metal bender's mind. He opened his eyes and locked gazes with Erik. "I had no idea," he breathed. "May I?" he asked, reaching his hand out toward his companion's face. Erik nodded, expression curious. He gently placed his fingers against Erik's temples, and carefully touched his mind with the metal bender's, opening the connection so his companion could see into Charles' mind as easily as the telepath could see into his.

He gently ended the connection and withdrew his fingers. "Are you all right?"

"I need a moment," he murmured. Charles waited patiently. "Is that what it feels like?"

"On a wider scale, but yes," he answered honestly.

"No wonder you keep such a firm control on your gift," he murmured. He cradled the telepath's cheek. "You have my permission to dip into my mind whenever you wish Charles."

"Erik-"

"You have seen the worst of me, it is time you see the best." He grinned his shark-like smile. "And I like the thought of you seeing the dirty thoughts I have of you."

"Do you think of my carnally often?" he spoke, attempting flippant.

"Regularly," he answered honestly, stroking the telepath's cheek. "So when you said you had no desire for a permanent relationship before now, you meant me," he spoke smugly.

"Yes," he murmured.

"Perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere the children won't hear us, Professor," he murmured.

"Sounds lovely," he replied breathily.

"It will be much more than that," he promised, closing the distance between them for a heated kiss. Charles responded to the touch instantly, parting his lips on a moan. Erik's tongue slipped into his mouth, caressing and claiming in equal measure.

When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard. "Good," Charles panted. Erik grinned his shark-like smile.

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Magneto levitated the unresisting form of Shaw before him as he floated out of the broken submarine. He kept the other man firmly in his hold, his powers easily keeping the other man immobile. He was aware of Charles emerging from the jet in his peripheral vision. "I am not the monster you sought to make me," he spoke firmly. "But you are a threat. You have two choices: I can kill you, or Charles can wipe your mind."

Shaw's eyes met his. "Kill me," he spoke firmly. In a split second, a metal spoke impaled itself in his heart from behind. He died instantly. "As you wish."

"Would you really have let Charles wipe his mind?" Raven asked curiously.

"Either way, Schmitt would no longer exist," he replied easily, his gift triggered as he sensed a mass amount of metal moving. "Charles," he murmured, his eyes locking on the American and Russian ships that locked their missiles on the beach.

The telepath's fingers went to his temple. "There's too many of them for me to stop," he admitted.

"I can stop them," he stated, holding his hand out.

"Erik-"

"I won't kill them Charles," he assured, sending his awareness out to the missiles. As they were launched, he systematically dismantled them.

"Well done," Charles murmured.

"We had better leave before they decide to reload," he replied.

"Yes," Charles agreed. As the children gathered around him, he turned his attention to Shaw's people. "You are all welcome to join us," he invited, his gaze settling on Angel. She licked her lips and strode toward them, soon followed by the others. "Let's go home."